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Food
writers tell how to fit in more home cooking
Sept 18, 08
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
You want healthier meals? Then,
cook more of them.
That’s the advice from health experts. Easier said than
done.
For fresh, real-world advice on how to make it happen, I turned
to two North Carolina home cooking pros – culinary instructor
and food writer Sheri Castle and Debbie Moose, freelance food
writer, cookbook author and columnist for The News & Observer.
Both women understand the advantages of eating at home.
“The more control you have over what you’re feeding
yourself and your family, the more you can control your intakes
of fat, sugar and sodium – especially sodium,”
said Moose.
But cooking is a challenge for a lot of us.
Castle said: “As a teacher, I see more people –
particularly younger ones – getting more interested
in learning how to cook. Some are interested for environmental
reasons and some just because they can’t afford to eat
out all the time. Cooking is a life skill, and they’ve
missed the boat,” she said.
To help you get started, Castle and Moose offer this advice:
* Create shortcuts. “I have no problem with canned beans
or tomatoes or frozen vegetables,” said Castle. “They’re
quick but they’re pure foods.”
Moose agrees. She looks for low-sodium canned goods, adjusting
the flavor herself using herbs and spices. She buys frozen
vegetables without added sauce. “You put your own sauce
on it – once again, control,” said Moose.
“Canned beans are a great base for lots of foods –
bean chili, bean quesadillas. Rinse and drain them,”
said Moose. She also uses frozen vegetables to make vegetable
quesadillas.
Moose uses bottled pasta sauce over cooked vegetables, whole
wheat pasta and pizza dough.
Castle likes Trader Joe’s organic roasted red pepper
and tomato soup, sold in shelf-stable, aseptic boxes. She
uses it as a soup base or as a sauce over pasta. It stays
fresh in the refrigerator for seven days after opening.
Moose keeps flour tortillas on hand and rolls up leftovers
in them. “I’m a big one on making a meal and eating
it more than one day,” she said.
Both women are fans of batch cooking. Castle uses a high-quality
rice cooker to make steamed rice and freezes it in individual
bags for later.
Moose chops several bell peppers and onions at a time and
stores them in quarter cup portions in the freezer.
“You can do the same thing with fruit,” she said.
“Cut up peaches and freeze them. Then you have it for
smoothies or dessert with ice cream.”
Another tip from Castle: “If you need a tiny amount
of a fresh ingredient, buy it from the salad bar. It will
save you money in the long run and save you time, too.”
* Invest in kitchen helpers. Castle and Moose are fans of
Crock-Pot slow cookers. “The Crock-Pot is a lifesaver,”
said Moose. “The good ones have a timer now,”she
said.
Castle swears by her Cuisinart countertop grill, which she
uses to make grilled vegetables and panini sandwiches. Moose
prefers “a good ol’ outdoor grill – the
manly one.”
“The outdoor grill is a cook’s best friend,”
said Moose. “You can cook a whole meal on a gas grill.”
Moose cooks okra – the whole pod – on the grill.
“It’s so good. It’s not slimy in the middle.”
She grilled kale once and toasts garlic-rubbed bread on the
grill, too.
Other must-haves: a good knife and a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
“Nearly a universal instrument,” said Castle.
She likes Lodge brand, which she buys at Mast General Store
where she grew up in Wautaga County.
“It’s sturdy and the metal has fewer impurities,”
she said. “They’re virtually indestructible.”
Next week: more tips and tricks of the trade from Castle and
Moose.
In the meantime, get in the kitchen … for your health.
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