Healthy Cooking by Vusumzi Matomane

Cook Healthy — Without Buying a Thing

There's no need to shop for special tools or costly appliances to make healthier meals — your kitchen is likely already stocked with the necessary tools to whip up lower-fat, lower-calorie dishes.

Keep in mind these seven no-gimmick guidelines. In addition to eating healthfully, check out gear and gadgets that help you shed those extra pounds.

·         Use your blender to make creamy vegetable soups without a drop of cream. Cook four cups of any vegetable along with a small potato, an onion, salt, pepper, and two cups of water until very tender. Then puree until smooth with a cup of low-fat milk and return to stove to bring back up to temperature. Heavenly!

·         Steam veggies in your microwave — don't buy a special steamer. Broccoli, green beans, and carrots actually come out better — tender and never brown or withered. Even sturdy and nutrient-dense greens like collards, chard, and broccoli rabe (which are generally boiled, drained, and sautéed) can be cooked in one step in the microwave. Combine about a pound of cut-up leaves and stems with a tablespoon of oil, and chopped onion or garlic. Cook for about five minutes or until softened and tender, stirring once or twice during cooking; Season with salt, hot pepper flakes, and vinegar or lemon juice.

·         Cook meat and fish in the microwave, too. Boneless chicken breasts and fish fillets will steam evenly and taste great with no oil, and won't shred or flake. Rule of thumb: Add a tablespoon or so of water and a dash of salt, cover, and then zap for five minutes for every pound. For a flavor boost, substitute lemon juice or white wine for the water and/or sprinkle with dried or fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, tarragon, or a spice blend.

·         Heat up a heavy cast-iron skillet instead of investing in an indoor grill or special stovetop grill pan. Turn the burner to medium-high for 3 to 5 minutes, and then add lean sirloin or sliced veggies. They'll come out just as browned as if they were cooked outdoors. While a ridged pan will yield appealing grill marks, in Cookrite Al Dente Research Institute tests, it didn't reduce the amount of fat that winds up on your plate any more than a flat-bottomed one.

·         Don't purchase a rice cooker to make brown rice. To be sure it comes out right every time; choose a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Next, measure (don't eyeball) the amount of water specified on the package. Rig up a tight-fitting cover by topping the pan with a piece of aluminum foil, wrapping it tightly around the rim, then placing the pan lid on top of the foil.

·         Make lower-fat grilled cheese sandwiches in a nonstick skillet — no Panini grill necessary. Start with whole wheat bread, reduced-fat cheese, and juicy tomato slices. Very lightly grease the pan with olive oil — a teaspoon should be enough — and preheat on a medium setting for about 3 minutes. Place sandwich in the skillet with a dinner plate on top to lightly press it down. Cook sandwich one side until golden brown, and then flip over to brown the second side.

·         Think smashed (not mashed) potatoes. To whip up everyone's favorite side dish, you don't need a mixer, blender, food mill, ricer, or even potato masher. After boiling potatoes with their skins on (bonus: you've eliminated the potato peeler), smash and stir with a regular fork. If you chose red-skinned spuds, you get a colorful garnish with no extra work. Yukon Golds produce a buttery flavor without adding butter. If you do need a touch of seasoning beyond salt and pepper, drizzle in a good peppery olive oil.

Choose the Best Cookware

Choosing and Buying the Best Cookware

With all of the different brands, shapes, materials and price points out there, buying cookware can be a confusing proposition. But it doesn't have to be. With a little bit of knowledge of cookware shapes and terms, and a little thinking about your own cooking style, you will be able to outfit your kitchen with a selection of pots and pans that will be most useful to you.
There are dozens of different cookware shapes, from everyday workhorses like a skillet to specially shaped fish poachers. Familiarize yourself with the different cookware shapes and their names, and then decide which ones you'll actually need.
Although buying 7- or 10-piece sets often seem like a good deal, don't buy one unless you're sure you will use all the pieces regularly. Often there will be a few essential pieces, combined with odd shapes or sizes that you'll never use, which wastes both money and cabinet space. Instead, build up a collection over time as your budget and kitchen allows.
A few basics to start with:

• A medium- to large-sized skillet (10 to 12 inches) for sautéing and stir-frying
• A nonstick skillet for cooking eggs (8 to 10 inches)
• A 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven for cooking stews and soups, and for boiling water for pasta or potatoes
• A saucepan or saucier for cooking smaller batches of soup, as well as sauces, rice and grains, and vegetables.

Once you have the basics, build upon your collection with other pieces that make sense for your cooking style.

Other useful cookware pieces include:

• A small saucepan (1 or 2 quarts) for melting butter, boiling an egg or heating a can of soup
• A wok if you do a lot of stir-frying
• Additional sizes of nonstick or uncoated stainless steel skillet, depending on how many people you cook for. A small nonstick skillet is great for cooking 2 scrambled eggs or an omelet, while a very large one can be used to cook a big batch of eggs, pancakes or bacon.
• A cast-iron skillet (10 to 12 inches) for searing meat, making cornbread and more.
• A grill pan for indoor grilling
• An inexpensive stock pot for boiling water for pasta or potatoes, or for making stock
• Additional sizes of saucepan
• If you don't have one already, a or saucier for cooking risotto and grains, or for making custards and delicate sauces
• A steamer insert
• A double boiler for melting chocolate or making delicate egg-based sauces.

• Learning About Metals

The type of metal or combinations of metal used to make a piece of cookware is key to having a pot that works effectively, whether you'll looking for a piece of cookware that will retain heat for a slow, steady cooking process, or you need a pan that will conduct heat quickly but also allow you to adjust the temperature quickly.

You'll often see references to the gauge of the metal used for the cookware. This refers to the thickness of the metal, and the smaller the number, the thicker and heavier the piece will be.

These are the metals most commonly used in cookware, and their properties:

• Aluminum: Conducts heat quickly and evenly, and is sensitive to temperature changes, so it cools nearly as quickly as it heats. Aluminum is also lightweight and durable, but it can adversely react with acidic or alkaline foods so it's often coated with another material, such as stainless steel or nonstick finish.
• Anodized Aluminum: An electrochemical process makes aluminum nonreactive and resistant to scratches. It also gives the cooking surface nonstick properties. The anodization process also seals in the aluminum so that it is less likely to corrode into food.
• Cast-Iron: Produces heavy, thick, durable pans that are slow to heat but are excellent at retaining and distributing heat. Regular cast iron, or enamel-coated cast iron, are good for deep frying and dishes requiring long cooking periods like braises or stews.
• Copper: Excellent at conducting, distributing and retaining heat, but copper tarnishes and dents easily. Because it is an expensive metal, it's often used in combination with other metals, such as in only the base or a pan or in a thin layer in the construction.
• Stainless Steel: Durable, non-porous, nonreactive and resistant to rust, corrosion and pitting. Because stainless steel is not very conductive, it is often combined with other metals, such as copper or aluminum.

Knowing what pieces you'll need, and the best materials to choose, will go a long way in helping you outfit your kitchen with the best cookware for your needs.

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Kitchen Safety Tips

Kitchen Safety Tips

This is an overview of what Chef has found to be the most common ways people can get hurt in a kitchen, and the ways you can avoid being hurt, or hurting a friend.

A busy kitchen on a professional level is a dangerous place indeed, with many sharp edges, hot pans and fire, breakables and burnables, oils and acids, and a lot of people working very fast. The level of cooperation in a good fast professional kitchen is incredible, and the attention to safety, both your own and your co-worker's, is all pervading. Here is some of the most valuable knowledge regarding kitchen safety that I have learned.

No matter who you are, or your skill level, this site is worth a quick look-through to remind yourself of the basics, and to check and make sure you have not missed anything. You may also want to use it as you teach your children or beginning employees to work a kitchen.

Probably the two most dangerous characteristics of a kitchen are: Knives and Other Sharp Edges, and Fires and Other Hot Things. These both have been given their own pages. In addition I have a page on General Kitchen Safety page which covers "Food Poisoning, Spoilage and Temperature Control," "Chemicals" and "Slips and Falls."

Knife Safety

Here are some tricks that will help you keep from being hurt when you work with your kitchen knives and the other sharp edges around the kitchen..

• Keep your knives sharp. If your knife is sharp, it will slide easily through what you are cutting, with little force involved. If the knife is dull, you have to force it to do the cutting, and if you slip a little, there is all that force that makes the knife glance off anything in its way, and often cut the heck out of it.
• When you are using a knife, don't cut with the edge toward you or your fingers. If you slip, the blade keeps going toward you, and can easily get you. Pay a lot of attention to where the edge of your sharp blade is pointing, and make sure it can not get you if you slip a bit.
• Don't leave sharp knives loose in a drawer. Not only will banging around in a drawer ruin the good sharp edge you have on your knives, someone for sure will reach in the drawer and come out with a handful of knife, and it will probably be you.
• If you are working with or handling a knife, and you drop it, stand back and let it fall, don't try to catch it. This sounds elementary, but lots of instincts say catch it, and that can really hurt.
• If you have a dirty knife, don't toss it in the dishwater. There is a good chance the dishwasher, which may be you, will come up with a handful of sharp knife edge. Banging around in the dishwater will also ruin a good edge. Wash the knives separately.
• When you are working with a knife, and you lay it down, don't lay it down with the edge pointing up. It is hard to see the edge, and someone will put their hand down on it, making lots of blood.
• Any kind of broken glass is incredibly sharp and dangerous. Clean it carefully up, and make sure you don't leave pieces of it in the sponge for the next guy who grabs the sponge to find. Don't just toss broken glass in the trash bag to bite the guy who picks up the bag, wrap it in old newspaper or something, and if there is a lot of it, warn all concerned. Don't ever break glass on purpose and toss it in the trash bag you are going to throw over your hip.

Fire and Hot Oil Safety
in the Kitchen

Here is some very important knowledge that can help you keep from being hurt when you work with fire and other hot things around the kitchen.

• "The Fat is on the Fire, Beware..."

This is an old and well known saying that means that things are happening, important things that you should pay attention to. This is most literally true around kitchens. Most kitchen fires, and lots of the restaurants that burn down, burn because someone started heating fat or oil and forgot about it. The oil gets hotter and hotter, smokes a bit, and then bursts into flame, and it makes great fuel! A cardinal rule in the kitchen: when "The Fat is on the Fire", PAY ATTENTION!

• Deep Fat Fryers

In addition to being fire hazards from the oil, deep fat fryers have other dangerous traits. One thing to pay particular attention to is never, ever get a glass of water, a drink, or any other liquid that is not cooking oil where it can spill into the fryer. If it does, it turns into steam instantly, and can violently spray hot oil in all directions.

Watch the electrical cord carefully. Don't leave it where something might snag it, and dump the load of hot oil about. I had a friend once who left the cord to his deep fat fryer across a doorway, and there were kids in the house. One of them ran through the door, and the cord dragged all that hot oil right at him.

Also, be careful even when you add food to a deep fat fryer. If the fat is too hot, or if there are pockets of liquid in the prepared food, the hot fat can spray about.

• Steam is Invisible, and Very Dangerous

Steam is often thought of as the cloud of visible vapor that comes out of a teapot. Wrong! The visible part is just the part of the steam cloud that has cooled down to under the boiling point of water and is visible as a cloud of condensed water droplets. Real, live, dangerous steam is water vapor that is above the boiling point of water, often way above it, and escaping confinement. It can be highly pressurized and moving very fast, and is almost invisible as it escapes its confinement. It causes real nasty burns. Be particularly wary of pressure cookers, steam pipes, water into super heated envoirments, and boilers.

As a small, operant reminder of steam, always remember that it will rise out of a boiling pot of water when you take off the cover. Remove the cover far side first so the rising steam doesn't scald your hand.

• Here are some other Burn Safety tips to remember:

If you take a hot pan or a cover from the fire and put it on a counter, leave a hot pad on the hot lid or utensil as a warning to the others in the kitchen that it is hot. (And tell them this is the way this message is conveyed.) In many kitchens a dusting of flour on the utensil is the warning that it is fresh off the fire and hot.

Always have at least a couple of fire extinguishers available and learn how to use them. Get some professional training in this, the people that service your extinguishers can probably arrange a bit of training, and you should get as much as possible. A good quick person that knows what they are doing can stop a fire in its tracks with an extinguisher. Someone who doesn't know what they are doing around a good, quick kitchen fire can easily get themselves killed.

For an added layer of security, especially if you have children who cook, or have a history of forgetting things, there are some excellent kitchen fire suppression systems available. One that I might recommend is the Guardian III. The Guardian III is a unique, state-of-the-art residential range-top automatic fire suppression system for your home. For more information, visit their site at: Guardian III. Use your "Back" button to return here.

Don't let the pan handles on the stove stick out over the floor. Not only can curious kids get to them, but they can snag on clothing ect and spill. Turn them to the side, but make sure their handles do not extend over adjacent burners.

In a professional kitchen, someone should always be trained in first aid. This is also a fine idea for any cook. Always have a first aid kit on hand. Keep it well stocked and know how to use it. Burns are one of the worst hazards in a kitchen. For small burns, an aloe plant is good to have around. For more serious burns, your first aid kit should have professional quality burn medications on hand.

General Safety Around the Kitchen

Probably the two most dangerous things around the kitchen are: Knives and Other Sharp Edges, and Fires and Other Hot Things. Both of these have their own pages. Here we will try to cover the rest of kitchen safety.

First Aid

There can always be a mistake, and someone in the kitchen, preferably you, should be trained in at least basic first aid. Contact the American Red Cross for a class or two, it is one of the most valuable things you can do for you and your friends.

Food Poisoning, Spoilage and Temperature Control

Keep foods either hot or cold. The bacteria that cause spoilage and food poisoning grow best when food is luke warm. Be especially careful with raw poultry, seafood and foods with a base of eggs, such as mayonnaise or egg salad, or bread, like stuffings or puddings.

• Make sure the temperature in your refrigerator is 40 degrees or under. Get a good thermometer for the fridge, keep it in there where you can see it, and check it often.
• Keep shrimp, lobster, oysters and such in the refrigerator on ice. Ideally, put the seafood on top of the ice, and the ice in a colander or other bowl with holes in it so that when the ice melts it can drain into another container.
• When you want to refrigerate a hot dish, first leave it for a bit in a cool spot with the lid ajar so that it can cool down before you put it in the refrigerator. If you put a hot dish in before it cools, it will warm up the refrigerator, endangering everything else in there.
• A soon as you have served a stuffed bird such as a turkey, remove the stuffing that is left in the bird so that it can cool down faster.

Chemicals

In addition to the foodstuffs, there are a lot of chemicals in the kitchen compliment. Here are some that are pertinent to safety:

• Drain cleaners, bleaches and strong acids can be dangerous. Never mix different types of these products, explosions or dangerous gasses may result. Make sure these are always used strictly according to the directions on the package, and make sure that the containers are properly sealed when not in use.
• Carbon monoxide results from incomplete burning of fuel. Monoxide poisoning can result from improperly adjusted or poorly vented gas appliances. Have your's professionally checked occasionally. Also, never use charcoal briquettes or the like to cook or heat indoors.
• Volatiles, such as cleaning fluids, gasoline, kerosene and such are often flammable, can easily cause fires and explosions, and should never be stored in a kitchen.
• Pesticides such as bug killers, roach poison and rodent bait should be considered dangerous. If you get them on your hands, wash them off. When you use them, make sure there is no uncovered food they can get into. Be sure they are not accessible to children or pets. Store carefully, and preferably not in the kitchen.
• If you must store cleaning chemicals and other possibly toxic non-food items in the kitchen, always store them on shelves below foodstuffs, so if they leak, they can't get into your food.

Slips and Falls

Soapy water, grease and oils, and things like the traditional banana peel are standard in kitchens and are all slippery. Here are a couple ways to keep slips and falls to a minimum.

• If you spill something on the floor, clean it up. Keep a mop or such handy for this purpose.
• Often when you are working in the kitchen you are moving fast. Don't leave boxes, stools, bags of groceries or anything else out on the floor where they can trip up a fast moving cook.
• Glazed floor tile is beautiful, but dangerous. Not only does glazed tile guarantee that anything breakable that is dropped on it will break, but a thin coating of oil or soapy water can make it slick as ice. If you have a choice, avoid glazed tile for kitchen floors.

Safety around Kitchen Electricity

Keep your eyes on the electricity in your kitchen, it can electrocute you, or burn your place down if it gets loose.

• Keep an eye on all electrical cords. Watch for any breaks or cuts, or frayed areas where the cord passes over an edge or something has sat on it. Repair any damage you find.
• Don't overload circuits by using multiple plugs, extension cords or the like. If you have old wiring, it is often a good idea to get it checked by a professional for load carrying capacity.
• Don't use appliances near the sink or other water. If one falls in, it can electrocute anyone nearby. If you must have a wall socket near the sink, make sure it has a "Ground Fault Interrupter" type socket assembly

How to Care for Commercial Stove-Top Cookware

Stove-top cookware can easily get damaged and rust over time if not properly cared for.
To extend the life of the cookware, it is important that the cookware remains rust free, and that the outer coverings of your pots and pans remain undamaged. Stove-top cookware generally falls into 3 main categories: stainless steel, cast iron, and aluminum. Here are some basic tips on how to care for each common type of commercial grade stove-top pots and pans:

Stainless Steel pans are a great accessory in any commercial kitchen, as they are sturdy, attractive looking, and relatively light in weight. To prolong the life of your stainless steel pans, it is especially important to take proper care of the outer layer of the stainless steel cookware to prevent it from getting damaged and, subsequently, rusting. The best way to clean stainless steel is with warm soapy water, using a soft cloth. This will prevent dings and scratches to the surface of the cookware. If stains are persistent, try soaking the pan in warm water with a pinch of dishwasher detergent to loosen the stain. Do not use bleach and do not use abrasive cleaning pads as both of these will damage the steel finish and cause rust. Dry your stainless steel cookware thoroughly. This will help prevent water spots caused by hard water and build up of minerals, which over time may damage the steel.

Cast Iron. Pans made out of cast iron are durable, ideal to use in a commercial kitchen, and are an excellent heat conductor. Cast iron pots and pans are incredibly versatile, and can be used on stove-top, in the oven, on the grill, or in the open fire. It is, however, important to properly care and maintain iron cast cookware as it will rust easily if not maintained correctly. Knowing how to cook properly in a cast iron will also reduce the amount of cleaning later on: the basic tip for cooking in cast iron is to preheat the pan until it is hot enough to cook the foods but not so hot as to scorch the ingredients. When cleaning, use warm soapy water and clean the cast iron only after it cools off after cooking. Use soft cloth and do not use abrasive cleaning accessories, such a metal sponges or abrasives to wash the insides of the pans. Abrasive cleaning items will create scratches and cause your cast iron pans to rust. Dry the pans immediately after washing. Do not soak the pans in the water, and don’t store cast iron pans if they are still damp or wet. With proper care, durable cast iron pans can last a lifetime.

Aluminum. Aluminum cookware is not as sturdy as cookware made from cast iron or stainless steel. However, it is a popular choice for certain uses in a commercial kitchen, as aluminum cookware is light weight and is a great heat conductor. When cooking, do not use metal utensils as they can scratch the coating of aluminum pots and pans. Instead, use wooden or plastic cooking utensils. To clean your aluminum pots and pans, use warm soapy water and soft cloth. Do not use abrasive cleaning pads as they can damage the outer aluminum layer. Instead, use vinegar to get rid of hard-to-clean spots and to brighten your aluminum cookware.

Tips To Look After Your Kitchenaid Microwave Oven

o Always cover your food placed in the microwave oven with a covering dish, paper towels or wax paper. This would avoid spatters and keep your oven clean. If there are any spills, they should be cleaned at once and you should regularly wash your microwave oven with a mild detergent and water. While cleaning the oven, do not use abrasive products.

o To remove any odor, you can use a solution of baking soda and warm water to clean the interior of the microwave oven.

o Never use your kitchenaid microwave-ovens for deep-frying, boiling eggs or heating of infant bottles.

o Be very careful while making popcorn in the microwave as there is huge heat buildup inside the oven which can even cause a fire. Follow the exact cooking time as prescribed on the pack; it is better to stick to lower range as higher wattage of the oven can cook the food faster.

o It is very important for you to use only microwave safe bowls and utensils. Some kind of plastics tend to melt inside microwave-ovens, so it is better to use glass utensils to heat food that is going to take longer time to heat. Also, not all glass and ceramics are safe to use inside microwave-ovens. You can take a quick glass test - heat the container in a microwave for one minute. If the container remains cool it is perfect for cooking. If it becomes slightly warm then the container can be used for reheating. If the container becomes hot it is not safe to use it inside microwave oven.

o Do not ever operate empty kitchenaid microwave-ovens as it can sometimes damage the magnetron tube.

o If you find that the inner body of the microwave has developed rusting then it is better to get it checked and repaired by a reputable servicing company.

o Always stick to the instruction manual provided by the manufacturer for operating the microwave oven safely.

o There are some concerns over the use of microwave oven by pacemaker patients because some earlier models of heart pacemakers were found to be interfering with electromagnetic radiations from microwave-ovens. Though the recent technologies have prepared safe pacemakers against such interference, it is still be advisable to consult your doctor if you use a pacemaker.

o For uniform cooking of food, it is better to follow the directions included in the recipe and periodically turn and stir the food while cooking. It is also better to let the food stand after cooking which aids in heat dispersion inside the food.

o Try to avoid metal pans and aluminum foils inside microwave-ovens as they can reflect the microwaves and result in uneven cooking.

Follow the above tips to maintain kitchenaid microwave-ovens in perfect manner.