Tuesday Tips: Cut the Salt Without Cutting the Taste

Last month (April, 2010) the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)  published ‘Tasting Success with Cutting Salt.’ A joint white paper which includes 25 ideas and recommendations for both home cooks and professional chefs to reduce sodium intake while continuing to maximize the taste of food while limiting the intake of sodium.

Studies have shown that a 35 percent daily reduction in salt (from 3,400 mg to 2,300 mg) could save up to 90,000 lives and billions of dollars in health costs each year. Sodium causes high blood pressure, a disease that affects nine of every 10 Americans during their lifetime. Click here to read the full report.

Along with policy change recommendations, this initiative between the CIA and HSPH offers practical ideas, such as:

• Produce first: Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
• Go nuts for healthy fats in the kitchen.
• Know your seasons, and, even better, your farmer.
• Sear, sauté, and roast to add flavor without adding salt
• Spice it up: Use fresh herbs and spices to build taste.

Practical and do-able suggestions for lowering sodium intake while enjoying the flavors of your food.

Sources: Harvard Medicine + Science and Culinary Institute of America

Photo Credit: SALT & PEPPER © Micha Fleuren | Dreamstime.com

Win an OXO Box Grater and Bamboo Cutting Board!

It’s the new year, and many (maybe all?) of us have made a resolution of one kind or another.  For most (maybe all?) of us, one of those resolutions has to do with food.  You know the kind - this year I’ll lose weight, eat healthier, lower my cholesterol, cook more at home.  And you also know how tough it is, even 10 days into the New Year, to stand strong and feel good about our resolutions.

Especially when you - and those around you - love food.

At Mama Says, we want to give you a hand up in keeping those resolutions by making sure you’ve got the right tools for the job.  Two of my kitchen favorites are my mini bamboo cutting board and my OXO box grater.  They’re super high quality, easy to use and clean, and make any prep job just that much easier.  And you can win them in the Mama Says Tools of the Trade giveaway!

They’re yours to own for free - just  answer this question in the comments section: what’s your  New Years foodie resolution, and how are you feeling about it 10 days into the new year?

Leave your comment by 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, January 17;  the winner will be contacted shortly thereafter. If you are leaving an anonymous comment, please be sure to leave an email address so you can be contacted if you win!

There are three ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment (see Comment link below) on the Mama Says Tools of the Trade post with your New Years Resolution

and/or

2. Become a fan of Mama Says on Facebook.

and.or

3. Sign up to receive the Mama Says newsletter.

FINE PRINT Contest begins on January 10, 2010 and all entries are due Sunday, January 17, 2010 by 11:59 p.m. PST. No purchase necessary to enter. One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries. Maximum three entries (one person entry method) per person. Mama Says employees are ineligible to enter. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. The winner will be notified by email and have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the email and forward their contact information for shipment of the prize. If no response is received within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Winner agrees to have their first name and town published on the Mama Says blog.  Comments left on the blog become the property of Mama Says and can be reused in the future. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Open to participants in the U.S. 18 years and older.

My husband decided that the one thing I couldn’t live without in the kitchen is a sous vide machine.  (Before I go any further, let me tell you that after eating the food cooked in the sous vide machine, I think he’s right!!!)

There was an article in the New York Times about home sous vide cooking.  Sous vide combines the gentle, steady heat of poaching and an airtight seal, as in traditional methods of cooking in clay.  So, no burning the outside while having a raw inside.  And now, a machine is available for the home cook - the SousVide Supreme.

I decided to try the lamb chops, cynicism in tow.  I bought the cheapest variety of 1″lamb chops at Kroger, seasoned them with lots of salt and pepper, and popped them into plastic bags (I used zip lock bags and sucked the air out with a straw to get an airtight seal).  Into the water they went. 

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They came out in need of 30 seconds of searing on both sides….but they looked and smelled just perfect.   

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And they were without question the best lambchops I’ve ever made.  Perhaps, according to my 22 year old son, the best lambchops ever.

Last night we tried salmon (perfect again) - tonight, chicken with bbq sauce.

I guess when my husband’s right, he’s right.  Lucky for me!!

Lighten-up your Thanksgiving turkey gravy

For tasty gravy, with less fat, try this helpful tip from Cooking Light (November 2009).

Preparation:

Roast your turkey and let stand for 20 minutes.

Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measure. Pour drippings through a fine sieve into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a medium bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Add additional broth to drippings to equal 3 cups. Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Bring broth mixture to a boil; stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve gravy with turkey.

Please share your tips to lighten-up a classic Thanksgiving recipes in the comment section.

It’s always easier (and quicker) to get a job done if you’ve got the right tools.   I’m not a professional chef, and I never really learned how to slice properly.  I do love using that great big chef’s knife, though!  And last week, I sliced a chunk of my finger while I was cooking.  Which reminded me (after an entire box of bandaids) that I DO have a great tool already in my  kitchen that will help me save time and money if I only remembered to use it.