3 easy ways to cook lowfat: healthy techniques to slash calories without cutting flavor - Nutrition

Shape, June, 2002 by Robin Vitetta-Miller

Selecting wholesome, nutritious foods is the first step to creating a healthy, lowfat meal. But ingredients are just part of the process. The preparation and cooking techniques you use to turn those ingredients into a meal are equally important. For instance, when you switch from pan-frying to roasting, or from sauteing to stir-frying, you dodge countless calories and fat grams. When you use tofu in place of meat, you not only cut fat but you save on cooking time, too, because tofu takes just a few minutes to heat through. With tofu you'll also be getting a dietary dose of soy isoflavones, which may reduce the risk of some kinds of breast and ovarian cancer, ease hot flashes and may impede the growth of tumors. So, this month, try these new techniques. You might like the results so much that tofu, stir-fry and roasted fish could become new habits.

Stir-Fry Mu Shu Vegetables With Chicken

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 min.

Cook time: 5-6 min.

Recipe note You may substitute lean beef, pork tenderloin or shrimp for the chicken. (Cut the beef and pork into 1/4-inch-thick strips; buy medium-size shrimp and leave them whole.) For a complete meal, serve the dish with brown rice.

4    dried black Chinese mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms
1/3  cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
1    tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2    teaspoons cornstarch
2    teaspoons sesame oil
2    cloves garlic, minced
1    tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1    pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch-thick
     strips
4    cups shredded green cabbage or packaged cole slaw mix
1    carrot, cut into matchstick-size pieces
1    small zucchini, cut into matchstick-size pieces
2    green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces
8    6-inch whole-wheat or spinach tortillas
1/4  cup hoisin sauce

Soak dried mushrooms in 1/2 cup warm water for 20 minutes. Drain, reserve mushroom liquid, remove and discard any stems and thinly slice caps.

Whisk together broth, soy sauce and cornstarch; set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add minced garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until no longer pink Add cabbage, carrot, zucchini, green onions, reserved mushrooms and mushroom liquid and stir-fry for 1 minute, until cabbage wilts. Add cornstarch mixture and simmer 1 minute, until liquid thickens. Remove from heat.

Wrap tortillas in plastic and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce on each tortilla, add chicken and vegetable mixture and roll up.

Nutrition Score per serving(2 tortillas, 1 cup chicken and vegetable filling): 390 calories, 14% fat (6 g; 1 g saturated), 50% carbs (49 g), 36% protein (35 g), 21 g fiber, 102 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 922 mg sodium.

With a 1/2-cup side of brown rice: 498 calories, 12% fat (6.6 g; 1 g saturated), 57% carbs (71 g), 31% protein (39 g), 23 g fiber, 112 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 927 mg sodium.

3 Calorie Cutters

1. Thickening the sauce with cornstarch instead of a traditional butter-flour mixture.

2. Using fat-free chicken broth instead of the full-fat variety.

3. Using an intensely flavored oil (sesame) so the dish needs less oil.

Roasted Herb Salmon

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 min.

Cook time: 10-15 min.

Recipe note You may substitute thick fillets of cod or flounder, or whole snapper or trout for the salmon if desired. Round out the meal with steamed spinach and cooked quinoa.

4    5-ounce salmon fillets, about 1/2 inches thick
2    tablespoons Dijon mustard
2    tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1    tablespoon minced fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1    tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1    teaspoon dried oregano
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper Cooking spray
1    small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2    tomatoes, thinly sliced

Make three to four 2-inch-long, 1/4-inch-deep, evenly spaced slits along the top of each salmon fillet (see "Technique" box at left).

In a shallow dish, whisk together mustard, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper. Add salmon and turn to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. (If you are using a whole fish, do the same. The marinade will seep into the slits.) Reserve marinade.

Preheat oven to 450[degrees] F. Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray.

Arrange onion and tomato slices in the bottom of prepared pan. Place salmon on top of onion and tomato. Pour remaining marinade over salmon.

Roast 10-15 minutes, until fish is fork-tender.

Nutrition Score per serving (1 fillet): 196 calories, 32% fat (7 g; 1 g saturated), 17% carbs (8.5 g), 51% protein (25 g), 2 g fiber, 74 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 385 mg sodium.

With 1/2 cup steamed spinach and 1/2 cup cooked quinoa: 382 calories, 24% fat (10 g; 1.7 g saturated), 42% carbs (40.5 g), 34% protein (32 g), 7 g fiber 238 mg calcium, 7 mg iron, 475 mg sodium.

3 Calorie Cutters

1. Roasting instead of pan-frying (pan-frying requires oil).

2. Eliminating oil in the marinade (it's not necessary).