healthy cooking

How to Steam-Fry Vegetables and Fish
healthy cooking

Save on Calories by Cooking With the Steam-Fry Method

Boiling vegetables can draw out all of the flavors and nutrients, but steaming (albeit a very healthy cooking method) can make my veggies boring and bland.
by

Boiling vegetables can draw out all of the flavors and nutrients, but steaming (albeit a very healthy cooking method) can make my veggies boring and bland. Oh, and that convenient gadget in the kitchen we call the microwave probably should be used as a last resort. A research study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli cooked in the microwave lost up to 97 percent of its antioxidant content, but lost only 11 percent when steamed.

steam frying

But what about steam-frying?

According to health guru Dr. Weil, steam-frying is a healthy way to cook up vegetables. All you have to do is put a bit of oil in a pan to sauté your veggies (and garlic or other spices), then add water, stock, or wine to the pan, and cover. This allows the steam to cook the food. When everything is finished cooking, you can remove the lid and boil off the rest of the liquid. I've tried this technique myself and it's probably my favorite cooking method — not only for cooking vegetables, but for making fish as well.

Source: Flickr User idovermani

Recipe For Kid-Friendly Flax Slaw
healthy cooking

OnSugar Blog: BelleStyle Recipes Rainbow FlaxSeed Slaw

Lots of moms like to think out loud and heatherkorn26 is one of them.
by OnSugar

Lots of moms like to think out loud and heatherkorn26 is one of them. On her BelleStyle Family blog she shares her family's favorite recipes, including this one that can accompany a Thanksgiving dinner.

This is a beautiful slaw that can be used as a side dish or as a garnish under fish or chicken. It also is wonderful on corn chips, and as an add on to hummus. BelleStyle Rainbow Flaxseed Slaw is colorful and fun for kids to eat too! My girls love to pick out the carrots, peas and corn with their little fingers. The added flaxseed omega-3 fatty acids add fiber and essential nutrients that will keep you and your child healthy Winter through Summer! Try this recipe and leave a comment as to how it turned out!

Enjoy. Live Well.

xoxo

Heather

See the entire recipe here. Want to see more? Start following BellStyle Family or start your own OnSugar blog. It's easy, it's free, and we just might feature your content on our site!

5 Ways to Lighten Up Your Cooking
Food

5 Ways to Lighten Up Your Cooking

Cooking healthy is like anything else: the more you do it the easier it becomes.
by
5 Ways to Lighten Up Your Cooking

Cooking healthy is like anything else: the more you do it the easier it becomes. Once you know how to make low-calorie substitutions and tricks for trimming the fat (and I mean that literally) from your meals, cooking light becomes easier with every meal. Not sure where to start when you're in the kitchen? Check out these simple suggestions.

Go Skinless Substitute Citrus Juice Wet Sauté Say No to Sour Cream Add More Veggies
View 5 Photos
Eye on Iron: Cast Iron Skillet
healthy living

Eye on Iron: Cast Iron Skillet

Due to our complex biology and Aunt Ruby's monthly visit, women need more iron than men.
by

Due to our complex biology and Aunt Ruby's monthly visit, women need more iron than men. Adult women should aim for 18 milligrams of iron a day, and an easy way to boost your iron intake is to cook with a cast iron skillet.


Crate & Barrel at ShopStyle

Acidic and watery foods cooked in a cast iron skillet will absorb iron molecules from the pan, and this a safe way to meet your recommended daily allowance of the important mineral. There are a couple of caveats, though. The more you use your skillet the less iron your food will absorb, because a well-seasoned pan will have a thin layer of fat coating the pan. This seasoning will interfere with some of the iron absorption. The other is taste. The longer food cooks in a iron skillet, the more likely it is to take on a metallic taste from the pan. That being said, see how much you can increase your iron when you read more
Cook Carrots Whole to Increase Anticancer Properties
Food

Healthy Cooking Tip: Cook Your Carrots Whole

Orange and sweet, carrots rank as one of my favorite foods.
by

Orange and sweet, carrots rank as one of my favorite foods. Recent research has revealed that the carrot, similar to the potato, retains more of its cancer-fighting nutrients when cooked whole.


The anticancer properties of carrots are enhanced by 25 percent when not chopped preboil. When you chop a carrot, you increase the surface area of the veggie, so more nutrients leach into the water when boiled. The researcher wholeheartedly believe that carrots taste sweeter when cooked whole, for the root veggies retain their natural sugars.

While steaming carrots is my cooking method of choice, I am not sure I will try to steam mine whole. Roasting whole carrots, on the other hand, is something I already do. How do you cook your carrots? Will you be cooking them whole from now on?

Tips to Make Any Dish Healthier
cooking light

Tips to Make Any Dish Healthier

If you like to cook, you may have a hard time doing it in a healthy way.
by

If you like to cook, you may have a hard time doing it in a healthy way.

Luckily, Cooking Light has shared some great tips for making dishes more nutritious and still tasty.

For all recipes:

  • Study the recipe. Closely examine the original to see where changes can be made. "You can't just wing it, no matter how familiar you are with the recipe," says Test Kitchens Professional Kathryn Conrad. "Look at each ingredient to see where you can take away, add, or substitute."
  • Reference lightened versions of similar recipes before starting.
  • Limit sodium. Try the recipe with half the recommended sodium.
  • Reduce portion sizes. When plating, start with a smaller amount and see if that satisfies you.
  • Give yourself some slack. "We try different versions of the same recipe three or four times," says Test Kitchens Professional Jan Moon. "Recipes are a science; you may need a few attempts to get it just right."

For toppings:

  • Choose a flavorful cheese. "Use a variety with more flavor, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano," says Assistant Food Editor Kathy Kitchens Downie, R.D. "The stronger the flavor, the less you have to use."
  • Sprinkle cheese, chocolate, or nuts on top rather than mixing into batters. As toppings, they deliver concentrated flavor.
  • Reduce sugar-crumb toppings. Half the amount is often enough.
  • Substitute panko, extra crisp Japanese breadcrumbs, for ordinary bread or cracker crumbs. Doing so can reduce the crust's fat, calories, and sodium by half.

There's more healthy cooking tips, so read more