CF Cooking Supplies

Healthy Cooking

Healthy Cooking Tips

More and more, Americans are avoiding the kitchen and relying on the convenient yet fattening fare offered at fast food restaurants and other national chains. While most people are aware that cooking at home is an effective way to save money, many of us ignore the fact that preparing our own meals can be beneficial to our health, as well. When taking steps to prepare meals in the healthiest possible way, you can not only develop a healthy relationship with food, but also probably have a little fun in the process. Most importantly for patients of weight-loss surgery, learning to prepare healthy meals is one of the biggest steps towards meeting long-term weight loss goals and maintaining healthy eating habits. The following tips represent just a sample of the many ways you can make the meals you prepare as healthy as possible.

Remove the Skin and Fat

Whenever you prepare chicken or any other type of meat, you should remove the skin and fat before cooking. Not only will you leave yourself the best-tasting portions, you will be able to avoid plenty of unwanted calories and unhealthy fat.

Cut the Oil in Half

If you prepare your meals from cookbooks or family recipes, add only half the amount of oil listed - or less - to all of your dishes. Though many cooking oils - such as olive, safflower, sesame and canola - contain unsaturated fats that can help lower cholesterol levels, these additives can also pack plenty of calories that can jeopardize your weight loss goals. If you consume these oils in moderation, you will be able to obtain the healthy benefits, retain the taste of your meals and stick to your weight loss goals.

Coat Your Pans with Cooking Spray or Chicken Broth

One of the easiest ways to avoid excess consumption of such cooking oils is to use cooking sprays and chicken broth instead. When sautéing meat or vegetables on the stovetop, coat your pans with a fat-free cooking spray or healthy chicken broth instead of traditional oils. Once you perfect the simple art of healthy sautéing, you will be able to enjoy meals that are not only healthier, but more delicious.

Pour in Skim Milk Instead of Cream

Much like the suggestion to substitute cooking sprays for oils, using skim milk - especially the evaporated variety for weight loss-surgery patients - instead of whole cream can help you trim fat and calories from your meals. People may also be surprised to hear that buttermilk is also naturally low in fat and is available in low fat and non-fat versions in some markets. When shopping for dairy products, you should also stock up on low-fat yogurt to use in lieu of sour cream or mayonnaise and low-fat cheese instead of the standard variety. Thick, creamy fat free or low fat Greek Yogurt serves as a delicious replacement as well.

Use Applesauce in Your Baked Goods

For all of your baked goods recipes, substitute applesauce for any type of cooking oil. However, you should definitely try to limit your consumption of baked goods, especially pastries that incorporate large amounts of sugar.

Cook with Fresh Spices

Rather than dousing your meals with unhealthy amounts of salt, you should also try to learn the art of cooking with fresh spices. Not only will spices add an incredible amount of flavor to your meals, you can season your food without worrying about the potentially dangerous effects of salt. However, be careful of packaged seasoning mixes as many contain excessive amounts of salt, destroying the benefit of using different spices.

Find Healthy Ways to Prepare Your Meals

Even if you follow all of the previous tips, using the wrong cooking methods can ruin the healthy benefits of your meals. As a result, you should avoid such cooking methods as frying. Instead, try steaming your vegetables and cooking your meats on a grill or in the oven. Your microwave also represents a healthy solution, as most foods can be cooked thoroughly without the use of oils or fatty cooking additives.

As you perfect the methods of healthy cooking, you should also try to enjoy the entire process of cooking - from the simple activities to the aromas. You may even want to purchase new pots, pans, utensils or cooking appliances to help you make the most of your healthy meals. Eating should be a relaxing experience and allowing yourself to enjoy cooking will help you develop a healthy lifelong relationship with food. Many people find success by making it a family activity to teach their children how to shop, cook and eat healthy.

About the Author

Carole S. Guinane, a Chief Clinical Officer writes articles about obesity and weight loss for
New Hope Today
.

How can I cook healthy pizza with mushroom topping.What kind of ingredients, cooking tools and procedure?

How to Make Pizza

To make a pizzeria-quality pie at home with no special equipment, start with the crust.

Randy Mayor
Step 1. Gather the equipment. All you'll need are two rimless baking sheets, a rolling pin, a spatula, a pizza wheel, and a large knife.

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Step 2. Prepare the dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's smooth and elastic.

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Step 3a. Shape the dough. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.

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Step 3b. Shape the dough. Drape the dough over the rolling pin to transfer it to a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.

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Step 3c. Crimp the edges of the dough to form a rim to corral the toppings on the surface of the pizza.

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Step 4. Prebake the Crust. Holding the baking sheet at about a 45-degree angle and using a spatula to guide it, slide the dough onto the preheated sheet.

Randy Mayor
Step 5. Add the Topping. Remove the prebaked crust from the oven. Add your toppings, and return the pizza to the middle oven rack to bake.

Pizza Recipes:
1. Basic Pizza Dough
2. Basic Pizza Sauce
3. Cheese Pizza
4. Pepperoni PIzza
5. Grilled Shrimp Pizza
6. Wild Mushroom Pizza
7. Basil and Three-Cheese Thin-Crust Pizza
8. Sausage and Vegetable Deep-Dish Pizza
9. Fontina, Olive, and Tomato Pizza with Basil Whole Wheat Crust

Pizza is comfort food for the ages: Flatbread made of flour, water, and (maybe) a little olive oil has existed in the Mediterranean region for millennia. But residents of the Italian peninsula embraced the simple dish and, ultimately, made it their own. Tomatoes weren't added until the 16th century, when explorers ferried the fruit back from the New World.

Italian immigrants brought pizza to our shores in the 19th century. New Yorkers favored a thin crust, while deep-dish pizza became a Chicago icon. Pizza became a nationwide favorite in the 1950s, when GIs returning from World War II brought foods from around the globe to small-town U.S.A.

Homemade pizza is a special treat because you control the ingredients, from what goes into the dough to the cheese sprinkled atop, and your pizza will be lower in fat and sodium than store-bought or pizzeria pies, yet every bit as delicious. With just a little practice, you can master preparing the dough and toppings.

Step 1. Gather the Equipment
You'll need two rimless baking sheets, a rolling pin, and a spatula. If you don't have two rimless baking sheets, roll out the dough, and place it on the backside of a jelly-roll pan. Then, use a rimless baking sheet or a pizza stone to cook the pizza. Insulated baking sheets are less-efficient heat conductors, so bake the pizza about four minutes longer for a crisp crust if your baking sheet is insulated.

Use the rolling pin to punch down, roll out, and shape the dough. The rolling pin also doubles as a handy tool to transfer the dough from your work surface. Use the spatula to guide the dough onto the preheated baking sheet.

Step 2. Prepare the Dough
Pizza dough is a bread dough, so it requires the use of yeast. Yeast is a living entity, which you'll observe when you combine it with warm water and honey. As the mixture stands, you'll be able to see tiny bubbles form on the surface as the yeast blooms. Then, stir in flour and a touch of salt to form a soft dough, which you turn out onto a lightly floured surface to knead.

Kneading is a process that develops the dough's gluten—long strands of protein that make the dough pliable and act as balloons to trap gas emitted by the yeast, which helps the dough rise. When kneading the dough, be sure to follow the visual and tactile clues ("soft and elastic") to know when it's ready. Avoid overkneading the dough, or you'll end up with a tough crust (dough is overkneaded when it becomes rough and breaks into pieces rather than feeling smooth and stretchy). Then, put it in a bowl, and let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.

Step 3. Shape the Dough
After the dough rises, use a rolling pin to roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about a 12-inch diameter (See Step 3a). The objective is to roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness so the crust cooks evenly. You may end up with a 12-inch circle, a 12-inch square, or some amorphous shape in between—it doesn't matter as long as it's an even thickness. (Another option: Shape smaller pizzas to serve as appetizers or individual portions.) Then, gently drape the dough over a rolling pin to transfer it to a baking sheet sprinkled with a little cornmeal. (See Step 3b) Crimp the edges of the dough to form a rim to corral the toppings on the surface of the pizza, cover, and pop it into the refrigerator while the oven preheats. (See Step 3c.) Refrigerating slows the growth of the yeast so the dough doesn't continue to rise.

Make the Sauce
You can use a commercial pizza sauce, as we do with our Cheese Pizza, or prepare sauce from scratch. You can cook the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze, or simply prepare it while the dough rises. Another option is to doctor a bottled sauce by adding sautéed fresh vegetables and meats, a strategy we use for our Deep-Dish Pizza. Or you can forgo sauce altogether.

Preheat the Baking Sheet
Place your second baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven while the oven preheats. This is similar to using a pizza stone, which is preheated so the raw dough hits a hot surface and becomes crisp and sturdy to support the toppings. If you don't preheat the baking sheet, that's OK. Just know that you will end up with a slightly softer crust.

Step 4. Prebake the Crust
Before adding any toppings, bake the crust for a few minutes on the lowest rack in the oven. Use the cornmeal-coated baking sheet as an impromptu pizza peel to transfer the dough onto the preheated baking sheet. The layer of cornmeal under the dough helps it to slide more easily. Then, prebake the dough as directed.

Step 5. Add the Topping
If you're preparing a sauce from scratch or want to cook vegetables or meats before adding them to the pizza, be sure to do so during the dough's first rise. The idea is to have all the toppings ready to go before the pizza goes into the oven so they're ready to add after the crust prebakes but while it's still hot. Add hearty toppings, such as sauce, cooked veggies, cheese, or meat to the prebaked crust.

Finish Baking and Serve
Once the toppings you select are on the crust, put the pizza back in the oven on the middle rack and bake just until the cheese melts and the top and bottom crust are golden brown. Moving the pizza to the middle rack after toppings are added ensures the bottom of the crust does not overcook.

Add fragile toppings like herbs or salad greens after removing the pizza from the oven and just before serving so they don't wilt. Then, slice the pizza with a pizza wheel, a large knife, or kitchen shears, and dig in

Healthy Cooking: Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

Cooking Corner: Chicken ‘fried’ cutlets
Regular chicken fried steak was an old favorite covered in creamy gravy drippings that yielded a delicious but high-fat and high-cholesterol entree. This revised recipe cuts fat and cholesterol drastically to provide an equally delicious but healthy version.