Saturday, July 10, 2004
It's interesting, being in Weight Watchers. You learn quickly enough that things that have taste normally have quantities of salt, fat, or sugar involved. So, when you go on a lifestyle that requires you to reduce one or all of those, you soon get tired of bland food. So, I've gone on the hunt for great-tastes without (much) salt, fat, or sugar.
This has been an interesting journey. I've discovered why the chefs (particularly the ones on Food Network) are so enamored of hot and spicy food. That's because they are foods that have TASTE. So, I began to look for different sauces and condiments. And in doing so, I have looked to other cuisines for inspriation.
I have delveloped a strong taste for sushi. Sushi is one of those very low calorie foods (not low-carb, but my lifestyle is not low-carb) for which I've really developed a taste. I haven't tried making it yet, but I have nearly all of the basic ingredients. But, as a by-product of sushi, I have totally enjoyed wasabi. It turns out what we call wasabi here in the States isn't really wasabi at all - it's regular horseradish with some mustard and green food coloring. It turns out that true wasabi is incredibly expensive and hard to come by. Now that Doug knows this, he sneers at wasabi in the grocery store, and I laugh. I haven't done too much with wasabi, only using it in salad dressings or mayonnaise.
We went to an Afgani restaurant a few weeks ago with some friends, and we tried the most *wonderful* sauce - it was called a Coriander Chutney. I went exploring on the web, and I found the recipe:
Chatni Gashneez (Coriander Chutney)
1 cup of roughly chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
2 Garlic cloves
1 Green chili
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Lemon juice or vinegar
Salt
Pack chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) firmly into cup to measure. Peel garlic and chop roughly; slit chili, remove seeds and chop roughly. Place prepared ingredients and walnuts in blender or food processor container and process until a textured paste is achieved, adding lemon juice or vinegar gradually while processing. Add salt to taste, place in a bowl and chill until required. Serve with kebabs.
Note: If you have no processor or blender, pass ingredients through food grinder with fine screen, or chop ingredients finely, then pound with a pestle in a mortar. Gradually stir in lemon juice or vinegar and add salt to taste.
This is a wonderful, flavorful sauce with no sugar, fat, and just a little salt, that's great on fish or chicken. I've thinned it down with vinegar or mayonnaise and put it on salad. I've used it as a dipping sauce. It's spicy, and has incredible flavor. I've been thinking about different variations on it, using different herbs and different liquids.
Anyway, in changing my eating lifestyle, I've tried not to become a bore about it. I've had several friends who have become vegetarian or vegan in the last few years, and they tend to become so preachy. I've decided not to do that. I enjoy eating all kinds of meat, and I eat it in moderation. That's what I like about Weight Watchers. I hated the low-carb scene - I lost 16 pounds on it, but craved starches! Now, I can eat starches, I can eat sweets, I can eat whatever I want. In MODERATION. The key, my friends, is moderation.
Anyway, that's my rant for the day.
This has been an interesting journey. I've discovered why the chefs (particularly the ones on Food Network) are so enamored of hot and spicy food. That's because they are foods that have TASTE. So, I began to look for different sauces and condiments. And in doing so, I have looked to other cuisines for inspriation.
I have delveloped a strong taste for sushi. Sushi is one of those very low calorie foods (not low-carb, but my lifestyle is not low-carb) for which I've really developed a taste. I haven't tried making it yet, but I have nearly all of the basic ingredients. But, as a by-product of sushi, I have totally enjoyed wasabi. It turns out what we call wasabi here in the States isn't really wasabi at all - it's regular horseradish with some mustard and green food coloring. It turns out that true wasabi is incredibly expensive and hard to come by. Now that Doug knows this, he sneers at wasabi in the grocery store, and I laugh. I haven't done too much with wasabi, only using it in salad dressings or mayonnaise.
We went to an Afgani restaurant a few weeks ago with some friends, and we tried the most *wonderful* sauce - it was called a Coriander Chutney. I went exploring on the web, and I found the recipe:
Chatni Gashneez (Coriander Chutney)
1 cup of roughly chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
2 Garlic cloves
1 Green chili
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Lemon juice or vinegar
Salt
Pack chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) firmly into cup to measure. Peel garlic and chop roughly; slit chili, remove seeds and chop roughly. Place prepared ingredients and walnuts in blender or food processor container and process until a textured paste is achieved, adding lemon juice or vinegar gradually while processing. Add salt to taste, place in a bowl and chill until required. Serve with kebabs.
Note: If you have no processor or blender, pass ingredients through food grinder with fine screen, or chop ingredients finely, then pound with a pestle in a mortar. Gradually stir in lemon juice or vinegar and add salt to taste.
This is a wonderful, flavorful sauce with no sugar, fat, and just a little salt, that's great on fish or chicken. I've thinned it down with vinegar or mayonnaise and put it on salad. I've used it as a dipping sauce. It's spicy, and has incredible flavor. I've been thinking about different variations on it, using different herbs and different liquids.
Anyway, in changing my eating lifestyle, I've tried not to become a bore about it. I've had several friends who have become vegetarian or vegan in the last few years, and they tend to become so preachy. I've decided not to do that. I enjoy eating all kinds of meat, and I eat it in moderation. That's what I like about Weight Watchers. I hated the low-carb scene - I lost 16 pounds on it, but craved starches! Now, I can eat starches, I can eat sweets, I can eat whatever I want. In MODERATION. The key, my friends, is moderation.
Anyway, that's my rant for the day.
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