|
|
|
|
| While you might rather be without the cold, this weather prompts the cracking open of cookbooks to the well-worn pages of favourite foods. Update recipes with healthier alternatives for comfort foods from around the world. |
|
Buon appetito
Italians have mastered the art of delicious, healthy cooking by using fresh herbs like basil, parsley, rosemary and sage instead of fats, and an abundance of aromatic vegetables like onions, garlic and peppers. |
|
|
Esta bien (it’s all good!)
Remind yourself of a tropical vacation or to simply enjoy the exquisite flavours, a
Mexican menu hits the spot. While TV ads show tacos spilling over with ground meat, cheese and sour cream, authentic recipes are much healthier. Rather than fatty ground meat, chopped chicken breast is great in a taco. Carlos Amestoy, Chef/ Owner of Carlos Cantina in St. Catharines, Ontario, agrees: we can have our Mexican fix and our waistline too. “Search out authentic recipes containing ancho, chipotle and poblano peppers, chiles pasillas or maseca corn flour. Fresh ingredients, not canned or frozen, make foods tastier and healthier. Top with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro for a taste of summer all year long.”
|
|
|
Hurry home to curry
There are innumerable versions of this Asian delight, and it’s perfect to warm your insides on a cold winter night. The various seasonings that make up curry – particularly curcumin, from turmeric – are getting attention in medical circles for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help stave off cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. While many recipes call for the addition of coconut milk, you can reduce your fat intake by diluting the coconut milk with broth or water, or look for a recipe without coconut milk. For higher fibre and more nutrients, serve your curry over brown rice.
Spanish simplicity
Paella combines medium grain rice with whatever is on hand for a delicious, easy meal. The most familiar version in North America, paella de marisco, combines seafood with chicken, but it can also be made with pork, fish, eel, squid or vegetables.
|
|
To reduce meat intake and lighten your grocery bill, try a vegetarian version with beans, eggplant, peppers, artichokes and tomatoes, seasoned with saffron. Cooked in a large, must-have paella pan, this comfort food is the perfect one-pot supper! Jais Fernandez of Embrujo Flamenco Restaurant in Toronto shares the secrets to perfect paella: sauté roma tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil to make the sofrito (base); use homemade chicken stock for reduced sodium and better flavour; and finally, Fernandez believes that spanish saffron tastes best.
Nothing warms our hearts like comfort foods – except maybe spending time with friends. Combine the two with a cozy potluck. Comfy clothes and fuzzy slippers optional. H&L
Tune in to ‘Lisa Live’ on Talk820.
Visit LisaLive.info |
|
|
|
Send To Friend
Print
