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Substitute herbs and spices for fat, salt and sugar By Brooke Wagenheim Americans spend over a billion dollars a day on food away from home. Almost everyone I know has commented in one way or another how much it costs to eat out these days. Since it is summertime, reluctance to prepare a cooked meal is intensified because of the heat it creates in your kitchen. This is the biggest reason why I, personally, eat out sometimes. Cooking for yourself and your family can be a huge chore but it can also be fun and artistic, depending on your choices. Healthy food does not come in aluminum cans and frozen packages. The vitamins and minerals that our bodies need come from fresh vegetables and other whole foods. Whole foods do not mean pasta, bread and cereal. Whole foods are just that, in their whole form, the way nature intended; |
Spices and herbs have played a dramatic role in the development of Western civilization. Spices today are plentiful and are used mostly as flavorings. However, in ancient and medieval times, they were rare and precious products, used for medicine, perfume, incense, and flavoring. Wars have been fought and countries discovered because of treasured spices. Marco Polo’s stories of his trip to China in the late 1200s told of the spice trade in these then unknown lands and brought many Europeans in search of spices. In the 15th to 17th centuries the Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Dutch traders competed in the spice trade from the Far East. By the 1800s America was involved in the spice trade. America’s first millionaires made their money in the spice trade. Many families in the colonies had their own herb gardens. Herbs and spices were also imported. These were used for cuisine specialties, as preservatives for the food supply, and for special medications. The use of herbs and spices in cooking offers the chance to prepare exotic, gourmet dishes, or cultural meals and a way to cut or save calories and fat in cooking. Diet related diseases (heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis) account for a very high percentage of death in this country. Using herbs and spices can moderate dietary levels of fat, sugar and sodium. For example, removing a tablespoon of fat removes about 10 grams of fat and 100 calories—an amount which could represent a 10-pound weight loss in a year. The calories in herbs and spices are far less than in breadings, batters, gravies, sauces and fried foods. Cost savings are realized by reducing the number of ingredients in preparation and/or by the possibility of dressing up inexpensive foods for a special meal. Many people are looking for flavors to substitute for salt or sodium. A teaspoon of salt has 2300 mg sodium—almost the amount recommended as the daily requirement. Many other condiments as well as packaged and processed foods contain around 1000 mg salt. Seasoning salts are regular salt with seasoning. A teaspoon of most herbs and spices contains few calories and little or no sodium. Herbs and spices add zest and flavor to unsalted foods. Herbs are leaves of low-growing shrubs. Examples are parsley, chives, marjoram, thyme, basil, caraway, dill, oregano, rosemary, savory, sage and celery leaves. These can be used fresh or dried. Dried forms may be whole, crushed, or ground. Many herbs can be grown in the United States in or out of doors. Spices come from the bark (cinnamon), root (ginger, onion, garlic), buds (cloves, saffron), seeds (yellow mustard, poppy, sesame), berry (black pepper), or the fruit (allspice, paprika) of tropical plants and trees. Condiments are usually a combination of herbs and spices blended in a liquid form. Examples are prepared mustard, catsup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and many of the steak sauces and specialty vinegars. Many of these contain plenty of sodium. Seasoning blends are mixtures of spices and herbs. Some examples of seasoning blends are: Chili powder (red pepper, cumin, oregano, salt, and garlic powder), Curry (coriander, tumeric, cumin, fenugreek seed, white pepper, allspice, yellow mustard, red pepper and ginger), and Pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves). An easy way to preserve fresh herbs is to put the chopped herbs into an ice cube tray (1 tablespoon per cube) and fill with water, then freeze. Store in a heavy plastic bag in the freezer. Whole herbs and spices last much longer than crushed or ground forms. Many consumers prefer to buy the whole form and crush or grind as needed for greater freshness. Dried whole herbs and spices last up to 2-5 years, while ground or crushed spices and herbs last a maximum of 2 years. Herbs and spices can be crushed with a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, by using a rolling pin with spices between two cloths, or by using the back of a spoon in a cup. Check ground or crushed herbs and spices for freshness at least once a year. If no aroma is detected after crushing, the seasoning needs to be replaced. Mustard seed and poppy seed aromas will be difficult to detect. Buying the smaller size instead of the economy size container will save money if the large package is not used while it is still fresh. Store in tightly covered glass containers, away from moisture, in a cool dry place, (dampness causes caking and a loss of quality). Use clean, dry spoons for measuring. Do not store in a window or in sunlight, or near heat sources such as the cooking areas or the dishwasher. In hot climates, store spices such as paprika, red pepper, and chili powder in the refrigerator to maintain quality. Enhance flavor with sweet tasting spices instead of sugar: allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg; and use savory flavored herbs and spices in place of salt/sodium and fat: basil, bay leaf, celery seed, chili powder, cumin, curry powder, dill, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, pepper, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme. The art of using herbs and spices is learning how much to add and how to combine flavors. Several guidelines suggest amounts to use in developing recipes: use strong, pungent spices such as red pepper in small amounts. More delicate seasoning can be used in greater amounts without ruining the final product. Although the herb or spice should enhance and not overpower the flavor, cultural preferences will influence your decision. Start with a tested recipe. After it has been prepared, decide if more or less seasoning is needed for the next time. Spice and herb companies recommend about 1/4 teaspoon (a pinch) of spice per pound of meat or pint of liquid when creating recipes. Only use 1/8 teaspoon of stronger seasonings such as red pepper and garlic. Remember, it is easier to add more than to try to compensate for too much. More than one herb or spice can be used in a recipe. When creating a recipe, start by using only one or two choices. As you gain experience in cooking with herbs and spices, taste will tell if others might be added. Tie whole spices and herbs in a muslin bag or cheesecloth and add to the pot at the beginning of an extended cooking time, this makes it easy to remove them at the end and eliminates the possibility of biting down on them while eating. The flavors in crushed or ground spices and herbs are released quickly; add them to the pot near the end of the cooking time. They can even be toasted lightly in a dry pan, to bring out their flavors even more. As you learn to cook with herbs and spices, you become an artist as well as a scientist. It takes some practice and research, but it is well worth the effort. |
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