Monday, August 30, 2010

Sauces

Remember that proteins are basically, though not exactly, the same wherever they are found.

(For example, there are different types of tuna.)

Still, basically...

Chicken is chicken. Catfish is catfish. Tempeh is tempeh.

One thing that differs among cuisines is in what the proteins are served, i.e., sauces.

Try changing sauces to change your meal experience.

Here are some suggestions (recipes for these sauces and more are available in The FitnessMed (tm) Guide To Healthy Eating.)
Tomato Sauce
Watercress Sauce
Red Bell Pepper Sauce
Carrot Sauce
Horseradish Sauce
White Sauce
Asian-Style Sauce
Parsley and Caper Sauce
Have fun!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Root For All Seasons

As fall nears and winter comes into our thoughts, many people feel the season for root vegetables is approaching.

But, it ain't necessarily so.

Root vegetables, especially beets, have a summer presence, too.

Try combining these ingredients, a few at a time, to see how many salads/side dishes you can create.

Then play The Gourmet-O-Matic (tm) substitutions game.
Vegetable - Beets
Flavors - onion (fresh, caramelized), ginger, garlic, scallions
Acid - vinegar, citrus fruit, citrus juice
Green Leafy things - watercress, arugula, mint
Oil or nuts
Texture changers - cheese, rice sticks, crackers, chow mein noodles, toasted bread
Salt and pepper to taste
Enjoy!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Veggie Burgers

TIP:

Here is the tough part about veggie burgers - getting them to stay together.

Some people use egg white as a binder.

That works, but it can result in a loose, less firm patty.

In those instances, grilling becomes harder than frying or baking.

And vegans are left out of the fun.

One trick for a firmer burger is to use overcooked/mushy grain or pasta as a binding agent.

Just mix soft rice or pasta (a macaroni, penne, etc., shape works better than spaghetti) in with your vegetables to keep the whole thing together.

If you want, you can puree the binding agent of choice with or without some of the other vegetables before mixing them all together.

Then cook on the grill, on the stove, in the oven or by nuking.

Works like a charm.

What veggies to use?

Dealers choice. Cut and dice whatever and for you omnivores, you can add some pieces of meat. Just make sure that it is cooked thoroughly.

One way to better your chances of properly cooked meat is to add pre-cooked pieces to the patty.

That way, the veggies are not overcooked, the meat is not undercooked and the whole thing gets nice and hot.

If you are short on rice or pasta, a plain mashed potato will work, too. Try a sweet potato for variety.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Preparation Matters

Sure you can substitute ingredients to make new and interesting dishes.

But suppose you are not in the mood.

Then what?

Well, by simply changing how you prepare a dish you can create a new one.

Take regular salsa for example.

In barest form, the ingredients are:
tomatoes
jalapenos
onion
garlic
salt and pepper to taste
"Mexican flavoring" - e.g., cilantro, cumin
However, if you drop the "Mexican flavoring" and cook the rest of the ingredients you have the basis for a Middle Eastern dish known as Matbucha.

Served hot, warm or cold, Matbucha is a popular food in the Middle East and may be popular in your home, too.

Try it.

And play with other recipes by changing the way they are prepared.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Chutney Play

Let's play chutneys.

The generic chutney formula is: acid + fresh, leafy things + vegetable or fruit +/- flavors +/- hot +/- oil

Here is a progression of chutneys going from almond-cilantro to mint cucumber:

Almond-Cilantro Chutney
Acid: Lemon or Lime and Orange Juices
Fresh, Leafy Things: Cilantro
Vegetable or Fruit: Red Bell Pepper
Hot: Jalapenos
Oil: Almonds
Bell Pepper Chutney (change fresh leafy things and hot from preceding)
Acid: Lemon Juice
Fresh, Leafy Things: Mint Leaves
Vegetable or Fruit: Red Bell Pepper
Hot: Cayenne Pepper
Oil: Almonds
Apple Chutney (change vegetable or fruit and hot from preceding, no oil)
Acid: Lemon Juice
Fresh, Leafy Things: Mint Leaves
Vegetable or Fruit: Granny Smith Apples, Onion
Hot: Jalapeno Peppers
Onion Chutney (change fresh, leafy things, flavors and hot, add oil from preceding)
Acid: Lemon Juice
Fresh, Leafy Things: Cilantro Leaves
Vegetable or Fruit: Onion
Flavors: Ginger, Garlic
Hot: Chili Powder
Oil: Yogurt
Minty Cucumber Chutney (change fresh, leafy things, vegetable or fruit, flavors and hot from preceding)
Acid: Lemon Juices
Fresh, Leafy Things: Mint Leaves
Vegetable or Fruit: Cucumber, Onion
Flavors: Cumin
Hot: Crushed Red Pepper
Oil: Yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste any or all of the above. You can use fat-free yogurt in place of fat-containing yogurt. The perceived texture will be "thinner," not as "rich" and with less of a fatty "mouth feel."

Feel welcome to post your progressions for chutneys, relishes, salsas...whatever.

See you soon.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

A Taste of Things To Come

In preparation for posting tips, recipes, strategies, etc., consider the following:

There is a word game wherein you alter one letter to make a new word.

For example:
moms
moas
moan
mean
dean
dead
deed
deer
peer
pear
and so on.

The Gournet-O-Matic tm uses the same approach to making new dishes.

See you soon.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Welcome

Hello, people.

I will use The Gourmet-O-Matic tm Blog to post at least one gourmet tip, serving suggestion, strategy and/or recipe twice a month.

The posting will demonstrate The Gourmet-O-Matic tm approach and how the application of its principles results in new, gourmet dishes.

The first post will be on June 30, 2010.