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LOW-FAT BAKING AND COOKING

Whatever it is that you want to cook, there's a cookbook out there to help you.  Many cookbooks offer recipes that are light in calories and fat.  If you have a drawer full of your favorite recipes that are not on the light side, here are some tips to modify your recipes to fit into a more healthful eating plan.  Be sure to write down the modifications you make on your recipe so you know the changes you made the next time you prepare the recipe.  Recipe modification is not an exact science, so experiment!  You are now a food chemist! 

REDUCING THE FAT AND CALORIES IN CAKES, MUFFINS, COOKIES, AND DESSERT BREADS

When you reduce the fat in baked products, you often end up with a coarse, dense product.  The oil or margarine you add in a regular recipe acts as a tenderizer, creating a moist, light cake or muffin.  There are several things you can do to counteract the effects of the reduced-fat.

  • If a product contains less than 1 teaspoon of oil per serving, then it is not considered high in fat.  For example, if a recipe makes 8 servings, then you would not want over 8 teaspoons or ½ cup of oil per recipe.  
  • Substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour in cake and muffin recipes.  Cake flour contains less protein or gluten than all-purpose flour and will result in a more tender product.  
  • Sugar also acts as a tenderizer.  You can add sugar in the form of dried fruit or jams.  
  • When you reduce the fat in a recipe, you can also reduce the flavor (fat carries the flavor).  Add more flavoring agents such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, orange and lemon peel, fruits jams or extracts like vanilla or almond.  Make sure your spices are fresh and not older than 6 months.  Experiment with fresh grated nutmeg.  Purchase whole nutmegs and grind in a nutmeg grinder.  The fresh taste is exceptional!
  •   Select margarine with at least 70% fat when baking.  Fat-free margarine or reduced-fat margarine usually contain water in place of the fat and this water comes out when baking, resulting in a product that is gummy.  
  • Applesauce, fruit flavored yogurt, plain non-fat yogurt, or fruit flavored baby food can be substituted for an equal amount of oil in a recipe.  If using fruit flavored yogurt, reduce the amount of sugar by  4 teaspoons for every 1cup of yogurt that you add.  Avoid baking with yogurt that contains aspartame or gelatin.  Aspartame breaks down when heated and loses its sweet taste.  Gelatin dissolves into water and results in a gummy product.   
  • The new baking products on the market can be substituted for oil, but they are very similar to baby food and more expensive.  Baby food can be purchased in small 4-ounce jars.  Prune puree can also be substituted for the oil in a recipe.  Prune or plum baby food can also be substituted for an equal amount oil.
  •  There are a variety of fat -free and reduced-fat cake, muffin, and brownie mixes, as well as frostings on the market.  
  • When using lite cream cheese, add 1 ½ tablespoons flour to the cream cheese to hold it together with beating or mixing.   If a recipe calls for 16 oz. cream cheese, substitute ½ lite and ½  regular. If this works out, then the next time you make the recipe, substitute the lite with fat-free.  Fat-free cream cheese generally does not result in a good final product.  
  • Cookies are one of the hardest items to modify.  When making shaped cookies, use a margarine or spread with at least 68 to 70 percent fat.  If you find that your first batch of cookies spread too much, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.  If the batter is too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.  
  • Powdered spice chocolate and vanilla powder can be mixed with sugar as cookie toppings. These spices add a nice flavor.
  • Angel food cakes are typically low in fat and moderate in calories.

CHOCOLATE

  • One square of semisweet chocolate or 1/4 cup of semisweet pieces can be replaced with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and 1/4 cup sugar.  This will replace the saturated fat with a monounsaturated fat.  Dutch processed chocolate is not processed with alkali and does not contain the bitter flavor of other chocolate powders.
  • If your original recipe is for a chocolate cake product, prune puree or applesauce can replace the oil in the recipe. Use the same amount as the oil. 
  • Some chocolate recipes will call for replacing the oil in the recipe with yogurt.  Sometimes the acid of the yogurt and the alkali of the chocolate don’t mix and produce a bitter, off-flavor product.  Prune puree or applesauce are better substitutes than yogurt.   
  • The flavor of chocolate is intensified with one-two teaspoons of instant coffee.
  • Reduced-fat chocolate chips are available, but they have a somewhat grainy texture.  When they melt, they are not as smooth as the regular chocolate.  Mini morsels pack in chocolate flavor with a smaller particle size.  The chocolate will be more evenly distributed in the final product and you don't need to use as much chocolate.

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH EGGS

  • To reduce the fat and cholesterol in a recipe, replace one whole egg with 2 egg whites, or 1/4 cup egg substitute.  Purchase a low-fat egg substitute.
  • When a recipe calls for eggs and you are replacing the whole eggs with whites, whip the whites until they are stiff before adding to the other ingredients.  Fold the egg whites into the batter just before baking.  For muffins and quick breads, beat the eggs until foamy and add to the batter just before baking.

CASSEROLE, PASTA, and SOUP RECIPES

  • Fat-free non-dairy creamer can be used in place of cream in recipes such as turkey tetrazzini or cream soups.  Evaporated skim milk is another substitute.  Substitute equal amounts called for in the recipe.

  • Reduced-fat/sodium soups can be substituted in equal amounts for regular soups.

  •  Cheese can be added to casserole or any other dishes, but follow the tips below for working with reduced-fat cheese:  

-        fat-free cheese works best in recipes that do not require the cheese to melt, such as a topping for a salad

-         reduced-fat cheeses melt better when heated for a long period of time at a lower temperature; select finely shredded cheeses so they melt better

-         reduced-fat cheese work best in recipes in which they are combined with foods that contain moisture such as lasagna or Johnny Marzetti rather than on open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches

-          fat-free Parmesan in a can is good on hot Italian dishes such as spaghetti.  The particles are fine enough that you don’t notice the consistency is different than the regular.

-          the more intense the flavor or the cheese, the less you need to use.  Romano is stronger than Parmesan and sharp cheddar is stronger than mild cheddar

-          if you have every used fat-free ricotta cheese or cottage cheese, you’ve probably noticed they can be watery.  If you are substituting fat-free or lite in a recipe such as lasagna or stuffed shells, add 2 tablespoons of flour per cup of cheese to hold the product together.  An egg white can also be added to hold the cheese together.

  • Top casseroles with crushed fat-free croutons.

  • Reduced-fat biscuits in a can (found in the dairy case) are wonderful casserole toppers. Low-fat biscuit mix makes good dumplings.  

  • Here's a green bean casserole tip:  instead of using high fat French fried onions as a topper, combine 2 tablespoons minced onions and ¼ cup rice noodles and sprinkle on top of the casserole.  

  • Quick cooking tapioca can be used in soups as a thickener.  Begin with 1 tablespoon and add more if a thicker soup is desired.  Corn starch can be mixed with a small amount of broth in a recipe to thicken.  Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Start with 1 tablespoon and add more for a thicker soup.   

BEANS

  • When using canned beans, rinse with warm water to reduce the sodium by as much as 40%.  Do the same for canned vegetables.

  • For a quick soak bean method:  Cover beans with water in a pan, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand 2 hours.

CANNED VEGETABLES:

  • As for beans, rinse canned vegetables with water in a colander to reduce the sodium content.

YOGURT CHEESE:

  •  Yogurt cheese is a good topping for potatoes, chicken or fish.  You can make yogurt cheese by lining the bottom of a colander with a paper coffee filter.  Pour in gelatin free, fat-free yogurt and allow to drain into a bowl in the refrigerator.  Be sure to cover all this with plastic wrap.  The longer you let it drain, the firmer it will be (don’t allow to drain longer than 8 hours).  Add ¼ teaspoon dried dill, and 3 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard to ½ cup yogurt cheese for a baked fish and chicken topper.  After the chicken or fish is baked, spread on top and broil until golden brown.  One quart of yogurt will make 2 cups of yogurt cheese.

CHEESE SAUCE:

  • In a food processor or blender, process 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese and 3 tablespoons fat-free Parmesan cheese.  Be careful not to process too long or the cottage cheese will turn