Cooking should be enjoyable, not a chore, so keep it simple. If you have the right utensils and use healthy cooking methods, cooking the low-fat way is easy. When you are on a diet, you don’t want to be agonizing and thinking about food all the time or spending too long in the kitchen where there are so many temptations, and that’s why most of the recipes in this book are so quick and easy.
Cooking the low-fat way
Instead of frying and roasting food in butter and oil, get used to cooking without the extra fat and calories – it’s not difficult and it will taste just as good. It’s important to have the right pans and equipment to make the whole process easier for you. You will need the following:
• A ridged griddle or grill pan for grilling meat, chicken, fish, seafood and vegetables as well as halloumi cheese and heating tortillas and wraps.
• A few non-stick, sturdy good-quality saucepans in a range of sizes with thick bases, lids and ovenproof handles.
• A non-stick wok (or one that has been properly seasoned so that food will not stick to it and you won’t need more than a quick spray of oil) or a non-stick deep frying pan for stir-fries and searing chicken and steaks.
• A small non-stick frying pan for omelettes, frittatas and tortillas.
• A flameproof casserole dish and some baking dishes.
• Some non-stick roasting pans and baking trays.
• Blender and/or food processor for blitzing soups, dressings and dips and making smoothies.
When you are cooking with less fat, you need to ensure that the food stays moist and appetizing. For example, don’t over-cook grilled and roasted fish, chicken and meat, or it will start to dry out and lose its succulent tenderness.
Here’s some essential information on the cooking methods and techniques you can use to stay healthy and reduce your calorie intake:
Measuring spoons
A set of standard measuring spoons is an incredibly useful kitchen tool. Not only are they invaluable when adding spices, they can also avoid guesswork – and save calories – when you add a tablespoonful of yogurt or grated Parmesan to top a sweet or savoury dish.
The great thing about non-stick pans is that you can use less fat (oil and butter) when you are cooking. They are safe to use as long as you don’t overheat them to the extent that the coating starts to break down and decompose. When this happens, throw the pan away and buy a new one. Always remember to use a wooden spoon, not a metal one, when stirring so as not to scratch the surface.
Grilling
Whether you use an overhead grill, a griddle pan or a barbecue, grilling uses minimal oil and it’s very fast. Lightly spray the pan or the barbecue with oil (you need only one or two sprays) and let it get very hot before adding the food. Sear chicken and meat on both sides over a high heat to stop the juices escaping and to get a good browned flavour and then cook for the recommended time on a slightly lower heat. If you are using an overhead grill, brush the food with a little marinade or spray lightly with oil before cooking. Vegetables can be chargrilled very successfully and using a ridged pan will leave attractive stripes on courgettes (zucchini), aubergines (eggplants) and (bell) peppers.
Baking and roasting
Use the minimum of oil for roasting vegetables, chicken, meat and fish – just a light spray. Check and turn the food occasionally so it cooks evenly. If it seems to be drying out, you can add a spoonful of stock to moisten it or even some lemon juice.
Poaching
You can poach chicken, salmon and other fish in some water or stock in a saucepan on the stove or in a covered baking dish in the oven. This cooking method retains the food’s natural moisture and prevents it drying out.
Steaming
It’s worth investing in a steamer basket to place above a saucepan of simmering water. Steaming vegetables keeps them slightly crunchy and preserves their nutrients as well as their colour and natural flavours. It’s a very healthy way to cook fish and shellfish, too.
Stir-frying
You need only a couple of sprays of oil to cook a complete meal in a wok. The trick is to place the wok over a high heat and use foods that have been chopped into small pieces so they cook through quickly. Keep stirring all the time so the food does not stick. Flavour it with stock, soy sauce or Thai fish sauce just before serving. This is the quickest and easiest cooking method of all.
Dry-frying
If you use a preheated non-stick pan set over a medium heat, you can dry-fry meat and chicken without any oil. Sear it on all sides in the hot pan and then reduce the heat immediately before adding vegetables and other ingredients. You can cook low-fat minced (ground) meat in this way, too. When it releases its fat, strain it off through a colander or sieve and then wipe out the pan with some kitchen paper before returning the meat to it or adding onions and other vegetables. You can also dry-fry vegetables, but you may need to add a tablespoon or two of stock to keep them moist and stop them drying out.
Oil spray
Many of the recipes in this book use spray oil – for grilling, frying and roasting. A tablespoon of oil or butter comes in at around 120 calories, so spray oil can save hundreds of calories every time you cook. You can buy ‘one-calorie’ oil sprays, or simply fill a spray bottle with olive oil and use to lightly spray a non-stick pan before heating it.