Un-Fried Beans

Why fry then re-fry beans?

Clearly, hummus is not fried.

It can be simply chickpeas, garlic, lemon all ground together.

Add tahini, olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne if you choose. (These will increase the caloric content.)

Likewise, you can make a lower Calorie version of refried beans.

Food process pinto beans with salsa and cumin.

The taste will be fresher.

The fat, less.

The Calories, fewer.

You can add-in herbs (e.g., basil, cilantro), heat (e.g., more or different hot peppers), nuts, additional veggies, substitute different salsas (e.g., mango), etc.

And in the summer, there is no need to turn on the stove.

Cool.

Da Grill

Summer.

It's grillin' time.

A touch of oil on the veggies and "veggie-like fruits," then go!

Veggies:

Romaine
Bok Choy
Napa
Radicchio
Potatoes
Asparagus
Onion
Leek
Shallot
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Artichokes
Rapini

Fruits:

Corn
Avocado
Peaches
Nectarines
Plums
Grapes
Pineapple
Mango
Papaya
Banana
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Squash
Eggplant
Zucchini
Green Beans

BBQ

'Tis the season for BBQ-ing, fa la la la la la la la la...

Here it is, the basic BBQ marinade:

Herbs - cilantro, basil, mint, etc.
Flavor - garlic, onion, etc.
Acid - citrus juice, coffee, beer, wine, vinegar, soy sauce, etc.

Water to dilute, salt and pepper to taste.

Want to turn it into a BBQ Sauce?

Skip the water and add:

Sweet - honey, molasses, corn syrup, etc.
Vegetable - tomato paste, salsa, etc.

Marinade or sauce - done in minutes, enjoyed for much longer.

Pigs, No. Blankets, Yes.

An easy alternative to pigs in blankets is to wrap a hot dog or soy dog in a strip of pita, tortilla, chapati, lavash, etc.

Or wrap a seasoned tofu chunk in the same.

Veggies can serve as the wrap, too.

All you need to do is slice an eggplant or zucchini into strips, then soften them by baking, broiling, grilling, pan frying (lightly covered in oil) and filling them with dogs or tofu.

You can marinate the veggies or drizzle flavored vinegar or a salad dressing on top.

Want a different filling?

In a food processor add:

Onion
Garlic
Herb - cilantro, basil, etc.
Nuts - walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, etc.
Salt, pepper to taste
Hot - peppers or pepper sauce

Process until mixed (you can make it smooth or crunchy by altering processing time).

Place some at one end of a bread or veggie strip, then roll.

Cover with a sauce, if you like.

Eat.

Mexicandian, Indiopian, etc.

Gourmet-O-Matic (tm) visitors understand what we are about - creating variety by making logical substitutions to what already works.

Here are a couple more.

There is no reason you cannot mix cuisines - create your own fusions.

As examples:

Mexicandian: make a dish in the style of Indian cooking and instead of mango chutney as a side dish, try mango salsa (Mexican). You will save some Calories and add a different dimension to your meal.

Indiopian: make a dish in the style of Indian cooking and instead of naan as the bread, try injera (Ethiopian).

Give these and others a shot.

All you have to lose are your inhibitions.

Soybeans

Eating your soy does not mean tofu only.

Go straight to the source and do the beans.

Also known as edamame, soybeans are a quick way to add legumes to a meal.

Buy the shelled beans since they generally cost the same as the unshelled ones and there is more to eat.

Here are some ideas:

Soymole - edamame, cumin, fat-free sour cream/tofu, tomatoes, jalapeños (or use prepared salsa) ground together.

Burgers/Loaf - edamame, beans (pinto or black) ground together. Add onions, peppers, hot sauce or peppers. Bake or sauté (burgers). Top with herbs (cilantro or basil), cheese (low-fat, soy, rice) and put in a bun for burgers.

Salads - edamame, dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries, etc.), crunchy veggies (onions, peppers, carrots, celery, cabbage, etc.), meat or meat substitutes. Toss with sour (e.g., vinegar, citrus juice), sweet (e.g., honey, agave). Add an herb (e.g., mint) or leafy green (e.g., watercress, arugula) and nuts. The combinations are endless.

Pasta a'Plenty

First, watch the Calories.

Pick 4-6 ingredients from the list and mix.

Pasta - spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, macaroni, rotelle, orzo, orechiette, farfalle, rochetti, any other

Oil (go easy) - olive, nut, herb flavored

Dairy (try low- or no- fat) - Gorgonzola, Parmesan, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, yogurt

Herbs/leafy greens - basil, mint, arugula, watercress

Crunch - walnuts, garbanzos, kidney beans, pistachios

Veggies - tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sprouts

Spices/seasoning - crushed red pepper, black pepper, salt (go easy), garlic, onion

Added protein - flavored tofu, tempeh, soybeans, meat

Acid - lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, vinegar

Eat.

Mmmmm...