Clever Cooking

In a recent survey of 2,000 participants 18 years of age and over, 51 percent of respondents noted their primary motivation to cook at home was for their diet, citing homemade meals as being healthier than restaurant fare and prepared grocery foods. Even though many people believe cooking at home is healthier, there are many ways to help any recipe become a nutrition powerhouse.

With just a few basic substitutions, you can greatly improve the overall nutritional value of a recipe. One of my more treasured recipes is my grandmother’s bran muffin recipe – it is written in her handwriting.

In my rendition of her recipe, I have substituted half of the flour for a mix of whole wheat, spelt flour, oats and flax seed. I also replace half of the oil with applesauce, and I use egg whites for some of the whole eggs. These few modifications help to increase fiber, reduce the fat content and decrease the amount of cholesterol in the original recipe.

Sugar in most recipes can be cut up to one-half of the original amount called for without significantly affecting flavor. Add nutrient- and fiber-rich whole wheat or spelt flour by substituting it for onequarter to one-half of the white flour called for in a recipe.

Substituting evaporated low-fat milk for whipping cream in a creamed soup recipe can cut the calories from the cream by half and lower the fat calories by 90 percent. When recipes include regular mayonnaise (spinach/artichoke dip), sour cream (sour cream coffee cake) or ricotta cheese (lasagna), using low-fat mayonnaise, sour cream and cottage cheese, respectively, in the recipes will lower the overall calorie and fat content.

Soups, gravies and sauces can be thickened with pureed vegetables or mashed potatoes instead of cream or roux. You can also use pureed vegetables in stew, chili, meat loaf, meatball and Sloppy Joe recipes. This change lessens the amount of meat needed for a recipe and, more importantly, enhances the nutritional value of the meal by packing the dish with extra vitamins and minerals and lowering calorie and fat content.

Protein is an essential nutrient to build and repair body tissues. Choosing lean protein sources – skinless chicken, ground turkey breast, pork loin, beef round and flank steak – will decrease the fat and caloric content of recipes that call for meat. Some of the meat in recipes can be replaced with beans such as pinto, garbanzo or white or red kidney beans. All of them have great flavor, are high in fiber and protein, and add virtually no fat.

To add some pizzazz to recipes, many creative cooks utilize flavored vinegars. Homemade or storebought flavored vinegars create a sharper and richer taste without extra fat, salt or significant calories.

Herbs and spices can be added to recipes to enhance flavor. When you are baking, adding a small amount of vanilla and cinnamon will enhance the sweetness in your recipe without adding calories. Many of these flavor enhancers have medicinal benefits, too. Cinnamon may help boost metabolism, oregano has antioxidant and antibiotic properties, garlic may effect a slight decrease in serum cholesterol and turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Remember to throw out any herbs and spices that are more than a year old. Their pungency decreases over time.

Whether in your grandma’s handwritten recipe or one from your favorite cookbook, these small substitutions can make a big difference in your caloric intake while boosting the quality nutrition of your food.

Emma’s Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 quart low-fat buttermilk

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp. baking soda

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup whole wheat spelt flour

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

• ½ cup rolled oats

• ½ cup blackstrap molasses

• ¼ cup ground flax seed

• 2 whole eggs, plus 4 egg whites

• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 2 cups all-bran cereal

• 3 cups bran flakes cereal

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix buttermilk and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add oil, applesauce, molasses, whole eggs and egg whites. Mix well. Add the flours, oats, flax seed, cinnamon, sugar and cereals. Stir well.

Grease a muffin pan. Fill each muffin slot half to three-quarters full. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Batter can be stored in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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