Showing posts with label olive oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olive oil. Show all posts

Friday, March 5, 2010

Fresh Skillet Vegetables

Try this along side grilled chicken, steak, or fish. WAY better than a boring baked potato!


1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 large zucchini, cubed
2 large red and/or yellow bell peppers, cubed
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and cook zucchini, red peppers, onion and garlic, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.

Add basil and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

To serve, sprinkle with cheese.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

More helpful tips.

Low Fat Cooking:
* Get into the habit of measuring the oil you use while you cook,
rather than just pouring it out of the bottle. It will be much
easier to moderate the amount you use.

* Use non-stick cookware so that you don't have to use as much,
if any, fat. When sauteing, use a small amount of chicken broth
or wine instead of butter or oil.

* To make fat-free broth, chill your meat or chicken broth. The
fat will rise to the top, and you can remove it before using
the broth.

* Many vegetables and fruits, including potatoes and apples,
retain many of their nutrients in their skin. So when possible,
leave the skin on your fruits and vegetables and cook them whole.

* Romaine lettuce is loaded with vitamins compared to iceberg.
It has three times as much Vitamin C and six times as much
Vitamin A.

* Vitamin C is destroyed quickly in cooking - so cook your
vegetables with Vitamin C in the smallest amount of water
possible and for a short amount of time.

* Stock up on spices. One of the keys to cooking low-fat and not
getting bored is to spice your food well. When you have finished
your recipe, always taste it and adjust the spices to meet your taste.

* Purchase the best (i.e. heaviest) set of non-stick cookware you
can afford.

* When cooking a dish with both vegetables and meat (i.e. in stir frys
and stews), reduce the amount of meat by 1/3 and increase the amount
of vegetables by 1/3. You will hardly notice!

* Thicken gravies with milk or broth blended in the blender with
flour. Be sure to cook long enough to remove the raw flour taste.
You'll never notice the lack of fat.

* Use olive oil for cooking when appropriate. It adds to the taste
of the dish and is better for you.