Presented here for your gastronomical enjoyment are my favorite low-fat recipes. Many of these were originally your average Heart-Attack-On-A-Plate type dishes which I have modified into tasty, low-fat equivalents.
After much research, I found that with a few simple substitutions many previously high-fat recipes could be easily changed to fit within the low-fat guideline of no more than 30% of calories from fat (%CFF). Try these hints the next time you cook your favorite recipe and you just might be amazed at how little the quality of the final product is affected.
HINTS FOR REDUCING FAT CONTENT
Instead of frying chicken, remove the skin, dip it in fat free yogurt, coat it in a seasoned breading and bake it. (See the recipe for Unfried Chicken for complete directions.)
Substitute unsweetened applesauce for all or part of the oil or butter called for in recipes for baked goods. There are many examples of this wonderful hint under the Dessert category.
Use pureed prunes (baby food) instead of oil or butter in baked goods using chocolate.
Use chicken broth instead of oil to stir fry. This works very well for sautéing vegetables, as does lightly coating the pan with nonstick spray.
Substitute skim milk for whole or 2% milk.
Try using low-fat cheese. Fat-free cheese doesn't always give good results when used by itself, so try mixing it with a low-fat version.
When cooking cajun recipes, substitute browned flour for the roux, eliminating the oil entirely.
Use evaporated skim milk (undiluted) instead of heavy cream.
When baking, make mini-muffins instead of full-size ones. Make cookies smaller. Pre-cut brownies and sheet cakes into smaller portions.
Use smaller amounts of meats and replace with vegetables, pasta and rice.
Make Fat-Free Pan Gravy (recipe not posted yet - July 2002) without losing any of the flavor of the regular high-fat gravy. (This recipe actually tastes *better* than the regular kind.)
Cook rice without butter or margarine.
Try using Butter Buds instead of real butter.
Substitute two egg whites for each whole egg.
Rinse browned hamburger meat under hot water to wash off excess fat before continuing with the recipe. Use boiling water if you prefer that to tap water.
Use ground turkey breast instead of hamburger meat. Mix in beef bouillon diluted with a little water to give the flavor of beef to the dish.
Omit nuts and coconut! Substitute extracts instead. If you absolutely must use these ingredients, cut down the amounts drastically. They are both extremely high in fat content.
I'll add more hints as I think of them, but you can learn a lot simply by reading over the instructions for the individual recipes. Try applying these techniques on your favorite recipe. And be sure to let me know how they turn out! *smile*
Credit is given where known, but the origin of many of these recipes has been lost over time. If you believe you know where a recipe originated, please let me know and I'll be happy to give credit where it is due.
Please enjoy looking around my kitchen, and don't forget to sign the guestbook on your way home.
for information on how to join. You will also find there a list of all the webrings I have joined - an excellent resource for those of you looking for new rings to join. It's become a bit of an addiction for me. I belong to quite a few of the little devils.
Questions? Comments? Typos? *EEEK!!!*
Email: Carla Moore
Perfectionist Extraordinaire®
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