Low Fat Weight Loss Tips

Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry Burritos Low Fat Recipe

LowFatChickie — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:44:17 +0000

Recipe for Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry Burritos

Low calorie and low fat recipe makes 4 burritos and can be doubled or halved.
237 calories and about 5 grams of fat per burrito.

4 large flour tortillas

1 1/2 tbsp dry sherry

3/4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 ounces pork tenderloin, thinly sliced crosswise and slices halved lengthwise

1/2 of a small sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and slivered

large handful of fresh snow peas or thawed frozen snow peas

1 green onion cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths and slivered

2 cups shredded green cabbage

1/8 cup bottled oriental plum sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil.
3. Combine sherry, soy sauce and sugar in a small cup
4. Heat tortillas in preheated 350 oven for 10 minutes or until warm
5. Meanwhile, heat very large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil. When oil is hot, add pork. Stir fry 3 minutes or until browned and just cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon to small bowl.
6. Add remaining oil to skillet. When oil is hot, add red pepper, snow peas and green onion; stir fry 2 minutes. Add cabbage and reserved sherry mixture; stir fry 1 minute. Return meat to skillet; cover and cook 2 minutes or until cabbage just starts to wilt.
7. Remove tortillas from oven. Brush each with plum sauce. Fill center of each tortilla with pork mixture. Fold up bottom of tortilla and fold sides over so burrito can be eaten in hand.

Note: If you’d like an even lower calorie alternative to the tortilla, you can instead, wrap the filling in fresh spinach, cabbage or lettuce leaves.

Low Fat Muffuletta

LowFatChickie — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:38:29 +0000

Recipe for Low Fat Muffuletta

Traditionally, a muffuletta is made with salami and provolone, but for a low fat muffuletta, you can make it with lean baked ham and turkey instead, at 11 grams of fat.
This is a make ahead recipe that requires some refrigeration before consuming, but is worth the wait!

1 jar (16 ounces) marinated mixed vegetables, drained and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup green olives with pimento, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 tsp leaf oregano, crumbled

1 round loaf (8 inches) bread, unsliced

3 ounces thinly sliced lean baked ham

3 ounces thinly sliced deli turkey breast

1. Combine mixed vegetables and olives in small bowl
2. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and oregano; cook two minutes, do not brown. Halve bread horizontally. Pull out some of bread from each half. Brush inside of bottom half with oil mixture. Top with half of vegetables. Add ham and turkey. Top with remaining vegetables. Cover with top half of bread.
3. Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.

Enjoy!!

Low Fat Cooking Techniques: Low fat Frying

LowFatChickie — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:26:08 +0000

Of course, “frying” means cooking food in fat. The fat provides flavor and also prevents foods from sticking to the pan. Two techniques provide low fat cooking alternatives to frying in large quantities of oil and fat.

Stir-Frying: Food cut into uniformly small pieces and stirred constantly in a very hot wok, deep sauté pan or skillet cooks quickly with very minimal oil. In place of oil, you can even use small amounts of chicken or beef broth instead.

Nonstick Sautéing: Traditionally, sautéing means cooking food in a small amount of fat or oil. Nonstick pans, which greatly reduce the need for fat, are a must for the health-conscious cook. With a good nonstick pan, you can scramble an egg without butter or sauté vegetables, chicken or fish in just a few drops of oil.

Low Fat Chicken Stock Recipe

LowFatChickie — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:19:54 +0000

Recipe for Low Fat Chicken Stock

Low fat chicken stock can be used for low fat cooking methods, and perfect for poaching foods. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Always bring to a boil before using.
Recipe makes about 12 cups and contains 2 grams of fat and 44 calories per cup.

1 chicken (3 lbs) quartered

2 pounds chicken wings OR chicken neck and gizzards

2 large carrots, scraped and halved

2 large stalks of celery with tops, halved

1 small bunch parsley

1 bay leaf

1 large leek, well cleaned, with 3 inches of green, OR 1 large onion, peeled and studded with 1 whole clove

1/8 tsp salt

6-8 peppercorns

12 to 14 cups water, or as needed

1. Combine chicken, wings, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaf, leek, salt and peppercorns in large dutch oven or stockpot. Add 12 to 14 cups of cold water or enough to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Slowly bring to boiling, skimming any scum that rises to surface.

2. Partially cover pot and simmer 2 hours. Strain through colander lined with double-thick dampened cheesecloth. Discard solids, reserving chicken for other uses if you like. Cool stock in separate smaller bowls. Then refrigerate, covered, until next day.

3. Skim fat from surface of stock. Transfer stock to large saucepan. Bring to boiling. Pour into three 1-quart refrigerator or freezer containers. Let cool. Refrigerate or freeze.

Low Fat Cooking Techniques: Dry Heat Cooking

LowFatChickie — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:21:49 +0000

Broiling, grilling, baking and roasting are all methods of dry heat low fat cooking that do not call for added fat. Ideally, dry heat sears food on the outside and leaves it juicy on the inside. However, dry heat cooking does not reduce the toughness, so it’s best to either marinate your foods first, or stick to tender foods. Be careful not to overcook foods with dry heat methods.

Baking and Roasting: Since this is low fat cooking, be sure to set meats or poultry to be baked or roasted on a rack in a baking or roasting pan so the fat drains off. Or you can use a gravy separator to isolate the fat and use the meat juices as a light sauce. Turning food during cooking is not necessary, although basting with pan juices or other liquids helps keep the food moist inside, crisp outside. You can also bake poultry or fish on a bed of vegetables, such as carrots and onions, to add flavor and retain moisture.

Grilling: Everyone loves a barbeque and your backyard barbeque provides it’s own wonderful taste, but you can also add extra flavor. Try a low calorie topping of lemon juice with bits of fresh or dried herbs instead of the bbq sauces. (there are some low fat ones out there on the market)

Broiling: Broiling is just an indoor version of grilling, but without the smoky flavor. Broiled foods also must be turned and watched very carefully so they don’t burn. Broil meats on a rack in your broiler pan so the fat can drain off.

Low Fat Steak Sandwich with Yogurt Mustard Sauce

LowFatChickie — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:17:45 +0000

Recipe for Low Fat Steak Sandwich with Yogurt Mustard Sauce

A delicious, satisfying low fat meal that will fill! Contains just 8 grams of fat and is 299 calories.
Recipe makes 6 sandwiches and can be doubled or halved.

1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt

2 tsp Dijon style mustard

1/8 tsp salt

1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts

3/4 lb top round steak, in one piece

1 sweet red pepper OR 1 bottled roasted red pepper

1 loaf French or Italian style bread

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1. Preheat broiler
2. Combine yogurt, mustard and salt in small bowl
3. Drain artichokes, but keep the artichoke marinade in separate medium size bowl. Coarsely chop artichokes. Score top and bottom of steak with sharp knife. Add steak to artichoke marinade, turning to coat.
4. Broil pepper 6 inches from heat until blackened on all sides. Place in paper bag and close. When cool enough to handle, remove blackened skin from pepper. Core, seed and thinly slice pepper. Leave broiler on.
5. Broil steak 6 inches from heat for 5-6 minutes on each side for medium rare or until desired doneness; brush with marinade after turning. Let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice.
6. Meanwhile, cut bread crosswise into thirds. Slice each third in half horizontally. Toast bread. Brush a little yogurt sauce on each slice.
7. Arrange steak slices, artichokes, roasted pepper and onion on the cut side of each of the 6 slices of bread. Drizzle each sandwich with a little yogurt sauce. Serve sandwiches warm.

Enjoy!!

Low Fat Vegetable Stock Recipe

LowFatChickie — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:49:06 +0000

Recipe for Low Fat Vegetable Stock

Low fat vegetable stock can be used in a variety of ways for low fat cooking, like poaching, and can be used for vegetarian soups and stews, or used in place of chicken broth in your favorite recipes. Can be covered and refrigerated for several days, however, does not do well with freezing, so use soon after preparing.
Recipe makes about 8 cups and contains no fat, (0 grams fat) and 59 calories per cup.

4 large tomatoes, cored and quartered

3 large carrots, pared and cut into thick slices

2 large (about 1 to 1 1/4 lbs) all purpose potatoes, quartered

2 large onions, unpeeled and quartered

2 celery stalks, cut into thick slices

1 large apple, cored and quartered

1/2 bunch parsley

5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

10 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

8 cups water

1. Combine tomato, carrot, potato, onion, celery, apple, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf and water in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large saucepot. Bring to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour.

2. Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes. Strain, reserving cooked vegetables for other uses. Cool broth and refrigerate.

Low Fat Turkey Stock Recipe

LowFatChickie — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:39:31 +0000

Recipe for Low Fat Turkey Stock

Perfect for after holiday meals where turkey is involved, and you want to make the best of what’s left of the turkey for some low fat cooking later, such as with poaching foods! Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months. Always bring to a boil before using.
Recipe makes about 8 cups and contains 2 grams of fat and 46 calories per cup.

1 turkey carcass with some meat still left on it

8 cups water

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 medium sized onion, sliced

1 large clove garlic, sliced

1 large sprig parsley

1 bay leaf

2 tsp leaf basil, crumbled

1 tsp leaf thyme, crumbled

1. Cut carcass into pieces with cleaver or large knife. Place in large kettle or stock pot. Add water, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, basil and thyme. Bring to boiling. Lower heat and simmer partially covered for 3 to 4 hours, skimming and discarding any foam from surface.

2. Carefully strain through colander lined with double thick dampened cheesecloth. Discard solids. Cool stock in separate smaller bowls. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Skim fat and discard. Transfer stock to large saucepan. Bring to boiling. Pour in refrigerator or freezer safe containers and let cool before refrigerating or freezing.

Low Fat Cooking Techniques: Moist Heat Cooking

LowFatChickie — Sat, 03 May 2008 00:14:03 +0000

Moist heat cooking helps tenderize food and keep it juicy; reducing the need for the extra fat. Techniques include:

Steaming: This very easy, healthful method is very efficient for low fat cooking. Most vegetables and fish steam in less than 10 minutes. Steaming involves cooking food in a covered saucepan or pot over a small amount of boiling water, usually in a colander or steamer basket. Steamed foods retain much of their vitamins, minerals, colors and their original flavoring, plus the liquid can be saved for stews and soups.

Poaching: Poached foods cook immersed in liquid, for example, water, chicken stock (defatted) or wine, in a covered pan on the stovetop. Spices and herbs can add flavor to the poaching liquid with no added fat. For maximum food tenderness, the liquid should simmer gently, never boil. As the food cooks, it adds flavor to the poaching liquid, which can then be served as a broth after the food is removed if so desired. Or, after removing the poached food from the pan, you can reduce the liquid by boiling and evaporating the water to concentrate the flavor and stir in pureed vegetables or fruit to make a light sauce.

Braising: Braised foods are usually browned in a pan with a very minimal amount of fat or non-stick cooking spray. A small amount of liquid is then added, the food is then covered, and slowly oven baked or simmered on top of the stove. This helps food retain its moisture, allows flavors to meld and creates a tasty sauce. Braising is ideal for less tender cuts of meat that tend to be lower in fat, like poultry. If the dish is made ahead of time and refrigerated, any fat in the sauce will rise to the top and can be skimmed away before reheating.

Low Fat Substitutes For Cooking and Preparing Meals

LowFatChickie — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:29:11 +0000

Consider some low fat substitutes for cooking and preparing your meals and snacks!
Replace some of those higher fat foods we use on a regular basis, with a more healthful, low fat alternative, yet will still all still satisfy the taste buds! Below are some examples of more common foods we use that can be replaced.

Whole Eggs: Instead, use two egg whites for each one whole egg in omelets, egg dishes, or whatever your recipe calls for.

Whole Milk: Instead, use skim, but if you absolutely cannot tolerate the taste, (I can’t!) use 1% for drinking or with cereals, and try skim for various recipes calling for milk, since the taste won’t be nearly as noticeable.

High Fat Cheeses: Instead, buy low fat or skim milk cheeses with less than 5 grams of fat per ounce. Taste difference isn’t very noticeable, especially when melted.

Mayonnaise: Instead, try mixing one-part pureed low fat cottage cheese and one-part plain yogurt. There’s also various reduced fat mayo on the market as well.

Sour Cream: Instead, use low fat plain yogurt, OR pureed cottage cheese with some lemon juice. There is also reduced fat sour cream on the market.

Heavy Cream: Instead, use half-and-half, OR whipped evaporated milk (chill it first!), OR nondairy whipped topping made from polyunsaturated fats.

Ricotta Cheese: Instead, use a mixture of half part-skim ricotta cheese and half low fat cottage cheese.

Ice Cream: There are plenty of choices on the market nowadays. Ice milk, low fat frozen yogurt, frozen fruit juice bars, and sorbet are better alternatives. (and taste good!)