Think of fried chicken and shrimp gumbo, black-eyed peas and turnip greens, fried catfish and hush puppies. This 'soul food' is made distinctive by deep south seasoning. The trick is to turn these and other traditional dishes into healthy meals with modern cooking methods.
Fried chicken and hush puppies were traditionally deep fried. We now know that this is not a healthy way of preparing food, since high heat changes vegetable fats into those dangerous 'trans fats' so bad for the heart. However, baking can yield a poor substitute for the real thing, and few want to use the traditional saturated fats - bear grease, goose grease, and pork lard - that hold up better to high heat.
This is where the spices used by southern cooks come in. If the pan-browned and then baked chicken tastes divine, your family won't miss the crunchy crust. Garlic, onion, paprika, sage, salt, and pepper give flavor to the meat and the flour you use to coat it.
One of the main spices used in southern cooking is salt. The combination of grease and salt is hard to beat, as any french fry aficionado will tell you. Of course, healthy diets limit salt. Substituting sea salt is one way of boosting health. Using spices to add zest to food can cut the need for salt of any kind. Cayenne and black pepper are used in the spicier Creole and Cajun dishes, while thyme, onion, and garlic give smooth flavor to blander sauces.
Cayenne pepper, one of the most widely used spices in this kind oi cuisine, is actually vary healthy. In fact, this spice can be purchased in capsules as a dietary supplement. It is said to increase circulation, help other nutrients in the body work better, and promote normal blood clotting. It contains more vitamin C than oranges.
Some people who find cayenne irritating might have to stay away from Cajun and Creole foods, but there are blander choices in southern cuisine. Onion and garlic enhance the flavors of meats and vegetables. Salt pork was commonly used to flavor collard greens and beans; today there are seasoning blends that impart the same taste without the added fat.
Vegetables were traditionally cooked for a long time, so they were never crisp like the steamed vegetables we enjoy today. This makes it hard for some to enjoy greens southern style. However, sweet potatoes, corn salads, Cole slaw, and pickles are also part of this cuisine. And don't forget biscuits, grits, and buttermilk pie! You'll have to depend on small portions to make these part of a healthy diet.
The South is huge, so you have a wide choice of cuisine, from Maryland blue crab cakes to Louisiana po' boy sandwiches. Coastal regions celebrate fresh seafood, while riverside towns consider catfish king. Small portions of richer foods and lots of character in the more nutritious ones can give a southern touch to your balanced diet.
Fried chicken and hush puppies were traditionally deep fried. We now know that this is not a healthy way of preparing food, since high heat changes vegetable fats into those dangerous 'trans fats' so bad for the heart. However, baking can yield a poor substitute for the real thing, and few want to use the traditional saturated fats - bear grease, goose grease, and pork lard - that hold up better to high heat.
This is where the spices used by southern cooks come in. If the pan-browned and then baked chicken tastes divine, your family won't miss the crunchy crust. Garlic, onion, paprika, sage, salt, and pepper give flavor to the meat and the flour you use to coat it.
One of the main spices used in southern cooking is salt. The combination of grease and salt is hard to beat, as any french fry aficionado will tell you. Of course, healthy diets limit salt. Substituting sea salt is one way of boosting health. Using spices to add zest to food can cut the need for salt of any kind. Cayenne and black pepper are used in the spicier Creole and Cajun dishes, while thyme, onion, and garlic give smooth flavor to blander sauces.
Cayenne pepper, one of the most widely used spices in this kind oi cuisine, is actually vary healthy. In fact, this spice can be purchased in capsules as a dietary supplement. It is said to increase circulation, help other nutrients in the body work better, and promote normal blood clotting. It contains more vitamin C than oranges.
Some people who find cayenne irritating might have to stay away from Cajun and Creole foods, but there are blander choices in southern cuisine. Onion and garlic enhance the flavors of meats and vegetables. Salt pork was commonly used to flavor collard greens and beans; today there are seasoning blends that impart the same taste without the added fat.
Vegetables were traditionally cooked for a long time, so they were never crisp like the steamed vegetables we enjoy today. This makes it hard for some to enjoy greens southern style. However, sweet potatoes, corn salads, Cole slaw, and pickles are also part of this cuisine. And don't forget biscuits, grits, and buttermilk pie! You'll have to depend on small portions to make these part of a healthy diet.
The South is huge, so you have a wide choice of cuisine, from Maryland blue crab cakes to Louisiana po' boy sandwiches. Coastal regions celebrate fresh seafood, while riverside towns consider catfish king. Small portions of richer foods and lots of character in the more nutritious ones can give a southern touch to your balanced diet.
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