Tips For The Kitchen

Tip # 1: Using lower fats including lower saturated fats in your ingredients:

• Use canola oil or olive oil in place of other oils that you cook with.
• Substitute reduced fat cheese or mozzarella cheese instead of regular cheeses.
• You can use reduced fat cream cheese (the no fat cream cheese doesn't melt as well, but it is okay to use when you are not using heat)
• Use nonfat yogurt or nonfat or reduced fat sour cream.
• Use salad dressings and reduced fat mayonnaise.
• Use evaporated skim milk for more richness. Then substitute skim for whole milk or use half and half.

Tip # 2: Skim and Trim

• You need to buy leans and trim the fat from the meat before you start to cook it.
• You need to rinse and drain cooked ground beef.
• Skim the fat off the tops of stews, chili and soups with a spoon. Soon after cooking put the soup in the refrigerator right away. You can easily remove the fat because it will harden and come to the top.

Tip # 3: Cut down the fat in Baking

• In a smaller amount substitute the oil for the solid fat. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of shortening use ¾ cup of oil.
• You can use pumpkin, prune puree or applesauce for all of the oil or some of it. Take note the pumpkin will make it taste different. Start by replacing ½ of the oil. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use ½ cup of oil and a ½ cup of applesauce. If the finished product tastes good next time try ¼ cup of oil and ¾ cup of applesauce. Keep trying until you find the right combination for the lower fat content and the one you like best.

Tip # 4: Make flavor without Salt

• Cut the amount of salt in half or just omit all the salt when cooking.
• Don't use seasoning salts, mix up your own salt free spices and herbs.
• Don't use garlic salt, use garlic powder, cut the amount in half.
• Don't use regular soy sauce, use low sodium soy sauce.

Reducing fat in baked foods like cakes, breads and cookies can be done but you may need to experiment to get the healthier product you like the best. But the main thing is to have fun with it. Get creative with it and keep trying new things, new spices and new ways of cooking.

I love to cook Southern Style no Gourmet but these tips I discuss have come in handy for me. I hope you enjoy them as well.