By Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE
eDiets Chief Nutritionist
"Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme..."
OK, you can stop singing the lyrics to the classic Simon & Garfunkel song Scarborough Fair now and move on to today's best food lesson.
Seasonings go a long way toward flavoring your food, especially when you’re reducing the fat in your traditional recipes. Fat makes food taste good. So, when you lower the fat content, you need to be creative to make your food appetizing and flavorful.
Spices include seasonings from all different plants... as well as from the different parts of plants (i.e. the root, bark, stem, fruit, seed or leaves).
Some are sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, which come from the bark of trees. And, some are strong spices, such as herbs like rosemary, mint, tarragon and thyme, which are all leaves of succulent plants.
Experiment with herbs and seasonings. Stir them into stews, sprinkle on fish, chicken and meat. Add sweet spices to hot cereals and rice dishes.
You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs, and you can grow your own in your garden or in window boxes all year ‘round. Dried herbs are more pungent than fresh. So, if the recipe you’re using calls for fresh herbs, use one-third the amount of dried herbs instead. Crumble the dried herb between your fingers and always add to the dish near the end of the cooking time for the most flavor.
When you’re expanding the recipe, don’t double the herbs or spices. Just add 1 1/2 times as much of the herb or spice. Taste and if you like feel free to add a bit more.
Cinnamon sprinkled on a sweet potato will make the flavor so delicious that you’ll never need butter. Add chopped fresh chives and a tablespoon of nonfat yogurt to a baked white potato, and you’ll never miss the sour cream.
Variety is the spice of life. Add some spice to your food for a delicious change of pace.
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