Spice Up Your Diet

In my quest to cut calories, sodium and fat from my diet, I'm incorporating leaner meats and avoiding processed foods. That means, no ham, no bacon, no sausages or hot dogs, no bologna and definitely no Spam. It also means no prepackaged instant dinners, boxed or frozen.

This leaves me feeling like I'm going to lose out on flavor. I can't afford to eat boring food on my new eating plan or I'll just be setting myself up for failure.

I have to find a way to make ordinary brown rice taste better and be more interesting than "Rice A Roni." I have to find a way to make my own homemade hamburger helper and vegetable side dishes with a fraction of the calories.

I'm going to be experimenting with different marinades, spices, vegetables, and grains. It should yield some pretty interesting creations. Today I'm cooking a crock-pot full of black-eyed peas to which I've added some Liquid Smoke and onions with salt and pepper. I've never cooked beans without adding some kind of smoked meat for flavoring before. I think that in the end, it's not so much the smoked meat we need, as it is the smoked flavoring. They've been cooking for a couple hours already and they smell fabulous. It'll be interesting to see how they turn out.

I've planned ahead by making sure I have a freezer full of ready-in-an-instant diced green peppers and mushrooms. A quick zap in the microwave will thaw them perfectly for any dish. I have a cupboard full of spices, many blends of which I've created myself. From curry to bayleaf, to sage, rosemary and thyme, including everything in between, except maybe for sassafras. What I don't already have, I can pick up along the way.

I love a good challenge. Learning to cook healthier and more creatively is my chosen challenge of the New Year.