Twenty Tips for Cooking and Entertaining Light : Tips -- IndoIndians.com

Twenty Tips for Cooking and Entertaining Light

Use heavy pans with good nonstick coating. To maintain their nonstick surface, use plastic or wooden spoons, never metal.

Use nonstick cooking sprays when sauteeing or grilling to use less fat.

Learn from the spa chefs: garnish food to make it as attractive to the eye as well as the palate.

Set a spectacular table. It doesn't have to be the finest crystal or china; it just has to have pizzazz. Learn a few napkin-folding tricks. Make a centerpiece out of fresh fruits and vegetables. Use mirrors as place mats.

When planning your menus, buy fresh, seasonal produce. If a recipe calls for asparagus and it is not in season, feel free to substitute broccoli or other suggestions in the recipe variations.

Use yogurt cheese as the base for dips and salad dressings in place of mayonnaise or sour cream. Use buttermilk or egg white instead of whole egg when coating meat, fish or poultry with crumbs.

Prepare soups and stews a day or two in advance and refrigerate them overnight. The fat will rise to the top and congeal and can be removed easily. If time is a problem, use a fat or gravy strainer to remove fat from sauces and soups before serving.

Use cooked and pureed vegetables as natural thickeners for soups and sauces in place of butter, flour and cream. Cooked potatoes are good thickeners for soup.

Grill meats, fish and poultry to remove excess fat and add flavor. Instead of sauteeing meats in stews and braised dishes, grill them to remove fat and save on cleanup.

Cook en papillote (in paper or foil packets). The natural flavors and juices of the ingredients are sealed inside the parchment paper packet without added fats.

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