Well Fed Network

Posted by Alisa Fleming on Cook Smarter.

In an email to food allergy cookbook author, Linda Coss, I was lamenting about the horrible waste of an entire jug of juice, which I had purchased specifically for one meal.  The recipe called for a mere portion of the juice, a beverage we rarely consume.  Just when I was about to swear off all juice-containing recipes, she simply suggested, “…Buy children’s size juice boxes of apple juice and orange juice, the main juices that are used in recipes. When a recipe calls for juice you can just open up one of these.”  The ‘duh’ light went on as my hand met my forehead. 

At first, I felt a bit foolish that this basic solution had eluded me.  Then I realized that perhaps a few other cooks had not yet thought of this little kitchen trick.  While pondering the thought, a few other ideas from my collection of useful tips came to mind…

Lighten-up with a super-easy vegan cake – When you purchase a cake mix, skip the eggs, water, and oil.  Just add one can of pumpkin puree (15oz I believe), mix, and bake as directed.  This suggestion is perfect for those who avoid dairy and eggs, and apparently is an old Weight Watcher’s secret.  I was told that it makes a fantastic spice cake with vanilla mixes, but works equally well with chocolate.
 
Hide those veggies – The stats are in, and less than one-third of Americans are getting at least three servings of vegetables per day.  While kids and husbands may snub their noses at a plate full of broccoli, there are ways to get sneaky.  A little known secret: pureed spinach has virtually no flavor.  I blend handfuls of fresh spinach into my husband’s morning smoothie (blueberries also hide the green color nicely), and he is none the wiser.  I also discovered that chili and sometimes spaghetti sauce is an excellent way to hide extra Vitamin A.  I often add a ¼ to ½ cup of pureed carrots, pumpkin, or butternut squash near the end of cooking.  The added sweetness is often enjoyed, so long as I don’t mention what it is!  When it is time to get cruciferous, steam some cauliflower and blend it in with mashed potatoes.  These sneaky veggie tricks work on kids too.

Weaning off red meat – I kept trying to switch us to ground turkey, but my husband just didn’t find it “meaty” enough.  That is until he tried adding about 1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to a pound of ground turkey.  It added a bold enough flavor that he actually suggested we don’t purchase ground beef anymore.  Thus far, turkey has successfully worked its way into spaghetti and burgers in our house.  Be sure to check the turkey you are purchasing.  Some brands actually have more fat than ground beef. 

With luck, one of these tips just might prove useful in your kitchen.