Get Spicy!
If your idea of seasoning is to throw some salt and pepper on it, then it's time to expand your repertoire. The use of spices and herbs adds a whole new dimension to the foods you prepare.
Spice it up
Garlic
Garlic makes just about anything you cook with it taste better. Try it in stir-fry dishes, pasta sauces or roasted and smothered over chicken.
Onions
With so many varieties of onions out there to choose from, it's hard to know which ones you should cook with and which are best raw. Green onions and scallions, shallots and knob onions (among others) taste great in soups or with fish and poultry and add a little zing to stir-fried veggies. Vidalia onions taste best raw on sandwiches and in salads. They also taste great when grilled.
Basil
The main ingredient in pesto sauce, this little leaf also tastes great raw, say, over slices of mozzarella and tomatoes. Basil also tastes wonderful in pasta sauces other than pesto.
Dill
A favorite, this flavorful herb tastes amazing in soups, in dips and on green salads. It's also a great accompaniment to salmon. You can purchase dill dry or fresh.
Rosemary
Great for jazzing up lamb and chicken, rosemary can be bought fresh or dried.
Cinnamon
Sweet as sugar, ground cinnamon can be added to fruit, rice pudding and baked goods.
Cayenne
Also known as chili pepper, cayenne can add quite a kick to Mexican, Cajun and Indian dishes or just about anything that needs a hot, spicy ingredient. A component of cayenne, capsaicin, may aid in digestion. But, if you have acid reflux disease, it's best to stay clear of cayenne as it may aggravate this condition.
Ginger
A main component of Asian cuisine, the taste of ginger can be quite addictive! Fresh ginger tastes best, and a little goes a long way. Simply peel, slice and add to stir-fry dishes. Ginger can even taste great when added to some baked goods, such as muffins.
Mint
Nothing makes you think of a cool winter's day more than mint. Add some mint leaves to teas, lamb dishes and yogurt dips for some refreshment.
I also thought I'd share a healthy recipe from slim-fast.com as well. This recipe has 510 calories and 16g of fat.
Mediterranean Cod
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
1 tomato, medium
2 olives, black
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon olive oil, extra virgin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 ounce feta cheese, low-fat
2 teaspoons green onion, chopped
2 basil leaves
4 ounces cod, raw
1 ounce rotini pasta noodles, whole wheat, uncooked
1/4 cup spaghetti sauce, reduced sodium
1/4 pound zucchini
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon margarine, canola-based, trans-fat free
3 ounces spinach, raw bunch or bagged
1/4 onion, red, medium
1 tablespoon fat-free salad dressing, favorite flavor
Preparation
Wash and chop tomato; set half of it aside.
In a small bowl, combine half of chopped tomato, olives (chopped), garlic powder, olive oil, 1-1/2 teaspoons of the lemon juice, the vinegar, feta cheese (crumbled), green onion (washed and minced), and fresh basil (washed and chopped). Let stand at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
Lightly coat a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Rinse and pat dry the fish with a paper towel. Place fish in prepared baking dish. Drizzle with remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice and top with the tomato mixture.
Bake until just cooked through, approximately 10 to 12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
While fish is cooking, prepare pasta, sauteed zucchini, and spinach salad.
Place pasta in boiling water and cook until tender; drain well and top with heated spaghetti sauce before serving.
For zucchini, wash and slice zucchini and garlic; saute´ in margarine until crisp-tender.
For spinach salad, wash spinach leaves and tear or chop them, if desired. Wash, peel and slice red onion thinly; arrange on bed of spinach. Top with remaining 1/2 of the chopped tomato and dressing of choice.
) BUT HOW EXCITING! My face feels thinner today too. I'm just THRILLED!
