You don’t have to be Oprah Winfrey’s gourmet chef or spend a fortune on expensive cookware to prepare food in healthy ways. You can make your favorite dishes without large amounts of fat or salt using basic cooking techniques.

Baking isn’t just for breads and desserts. You can also bake poultry, lean meat, seafood, and vegetables. Baking usually doesn’t require adding fat to the food, although you may need to baste the food to keep it from drying out. Simply place your desired food in a pan or dish and cook either covered or uncovered.

Roasting is like baking, but usually at higher temperatures. You can place your food in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. When roasting meat, poultry or seafood, put a rack inside the roasting pan which will allow the fat in the food to drip away during cooking.

Broiling and grilling are cooking methods which allow the fat to drip away from the food. Both methods expose the food to a direct heat source. To broil, place the food on a broiler rack in the oven below a heat element. To grill, place the food on a rack above either a bed of charcoal or you may want to use a gas grill. A grill basket is very useful when cooking smaller items such as vegetables or seafood.

Braising is a two step technique. The ingredient is first placed in a pan on top of the stove and browned. A small amount of liquid, usually water or broth, is added. Then, the ingredient and the liquid is covered and slowly cooked. The cooking liquid is sometimes used afterward to form a nutrient-rich sauce.

Poaching involves gently simmering ingredients in water until they are cooked through. You may also choose a more flavorful liquid such as broth, juice or vinegar. Be sure to use a covered pan that best fits your food which will enable you to use a minimal amount of liquid.

Steaming is one of the simplest cooking methods. Place the food in a perforated basket and suspend it above simmering liquid. You can use water with seasonings added, or you may choose a more flavorful liquid. Flavor the food as it cooks.

Stir- frying is a traditional Asian cooking method which requires only a small amount of oil or nonstick cooking spray. The food is cut into small, uniform-sized pieces and then rapidly stirred in a wok or large nonstick frying pan.

You can give your meal more appeal by adding color, aroma and taste to your food. An excellent way is through the use of herbs and spices. You can add dried herbs in the early cooking stages, or fresh herbs toward the end of cooking. Be sure to use fresh herbs that aren’t wilted and that have bright color. If you substitute dry herbs for fresh, only use one-third the amount.

Now that you’re armed with the proper cooking techniques, you can prepare your meals like the pros, making them healthier and more appealing.
(By: Madeline Ellis)

Diet Advice
A balanced diet coupled with regular exercise is still the best way to lose weight and reduce fat. The Belly Fat Diet is an excellent plan with lots of practical advice about dieting, exercise, diet-motivation and long term weight control. For more information, click Diet Preview

Here’s one that my 104 year old Sicilian great grandmother taught me. Sunday Gravy Never Tasted So Good.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-cup olive oil
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
1 18-ounce can tomato paste
1-teaspoon dried basil
1-teaspoon oregano
1-teaspoon salt
1/4-teaspoon crushed anise (or 1/2-teaspoon whole)
2 tomato paste cans of water (see note)

Sauté onions and garlic in oil in a large pot. Cook until golden. Add rest of ingredients. After sauce starts to boil, lower heat to a simmer. At this time add a pinch of baking soda which will cause sauce to foam. Remove foam with spoon. Cover pot and let cook for 2 to 2.5 hours. Recipe can be doubled and then frozen for future use. One half-hour BEFORE sauce is finished cooking -add meats such as meatballs, pork or Italian sausage for flavor. If using ground beef, cook separately and drain off fat and then add to cooking sauce.

NOTE: More water may be needed if sauce becomes too thick.

Looking for a Great Italian Meatball Recipe?

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients

1 pound combined beef, veal, pork (must be fresh)
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Romano Locatelli Cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 clove garlic - minced
1 tablespoon salt

Preparation

(All mixing is done be hand)
In a large bowl mix beef/veal/pork with eggs. Then add bread crumb, cheese, and salt. Finally add minced garlic in stages. Add a little then mix. Add some more, then mix. This way all the garlic does not end up in one meatball. Now, it’s time to roll up the balls. Average size is roughly 2 inches in diameter. I usually get around 18 to 20 meatballs per pound.

IMPORTANT! Do not cook meatballs in your pasta sauce! Meatballs cooked in sauce loose their flavor. The real key to a tasty meatball is cooking the them in an oven. So, heat oven to 375. Place meatballs on a rack - then on a cookie tray.

Bake for 12 minutes on one side then 10 minutes for the other.

I freeze the meatballs in bags and take out what I need per dinner. I just drop the meatballs into the sauce as if heats up.

Buon Appetito!

Paul Altobelli is an internet marketing specialist experienced in strategic planning, lead generation, website development, search engine optimization, internet sales and marketing program development. He also loves to cook. For more of Paul’s italian recipes visit http://www.paulaltobelli.com or email Paul directly at pda@paulaltobelli.com

Diet Advice
A balanced diet coupled with regular exercise is still the best way to lose weight and reduce fat. The Belly Fat Diet is an excellent plan with lots of practical advice about dieting, exercise, diet-motivation and long term weight control. For more information, click Diet Preview

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Altobelli

From Laura Dolson,
Your Guide to Low Carb Diets.

Pureed or mashed cauliflower is a great substitute for mashed potatoes. Low in carbs and high in nutrients, the “cauli-taste” is very mild.

Try it even if you think you won’t like it - my husband asks for it! You can flavor it up in any way you like - adding garlic is a great addition, or Parmesan cheese, or both!

INGREDIENTS:

raw cauliflower - a medium head makes about a pound of florettes
any combination of butter, milk, cream, or whatever you use when you make mashed potatoes - about 1/4 cup
salt and pepper
If you have low carb “instant mashed potatoes”, add up to 1/4 cup for texture*
Options: minced garlic (a clove or two); garlic powder (1/2 to 1 teaspoon); cheese

PREPARATION:

*I like to use instant “potatoes” made for low carb diets, such as Dixie Carb Counters Instant Mashers. Other people use a small amount of real potato or instant potatoes to improve the texture.

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