Food without fat
It’s been a while since I have written anything; I have gotten involved with the exciting political events that have been happening and have spent my leisure time glued to the television listening to all the pundits, pollsters and primary returns. Additionally, I have been trying to lose some weight, so my ventures into the kitchen are not as robust as usual. Nevertheless, I still cook good food, so I thought I might just pass along some things I have prepared, being mindful of keeping down the fats and the carbs.
One of my favorite things, regardless of whether I am on a diet or not, is mashed cauliflower. It has much fewer calories and carbs and fat than mashed potatoes and is just as good.
Separate a cauliflower into flowerettes, remove the woodiest parts of the stems, and put in a large saucepan with enough chicken broth to provide steam and prevent burning. Cook over medium high heat until the cauliflower is soft. Put the cooked cauliflower in a food processor, add salt and pepper to taste and a tiny bit of nutmeg (you can also add chopped garlic). Process until it resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes.
Another good way to fix cauliflower is to separate it into the flowerettes, put on a baking sheet, spray with vegetable spray and bake in a 400 degree oven until it just begins to turn brown. Season with salt and pepper and a some curry powder.
Another dish that I have prepared is prawns and lettuce.
Buy large prawns (there are some great ones in the frozen seafood section at Winco). Do not peel. Heat a skillet and spray with vegetable spray. Add the prawns, douse with a little hot sauce of your choice, and cook until they have just turned pink. DO NOT OVERCOOK SO THAT THEY HAVE THE TEXTURE OF RUBBERBANDS! Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce that has been tossed with some low calorie dressing. Since you have to work a little to eat this dish (peeling the prawns, so don’t forget plenty of napkins) it seems as though you are having more food.
Cooking while you are trying to watch your weight does not have to be dull and boring—try your ingenuity and let me know if you have any ideas.