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Make Your Low-fat Meals Sizzle
With Healthy
Marinades
Finding something healthy to grill can be a challenge.
Greasy hamburgers? Preservative-filled hot dogs? High
cholesterol steaks?
There are tasty, lower fat, healthier alternatives to
typical barbecue fare. Grilled vegetables, fish and chicken
can be the stars of the show with a little flavor boost from
zesty marinades. In addition to adding flavor, marinades
have the added benefits of tenderizing food and keeping it
moist during cooking.
When using a marinade, there are a few things you need to
keep in mind:
* Use a non-reactive container (one made of glass,
porcelain, clay or stainless steel) to marinate your food.
Zip-lock plastic food bags also work well. Avoid aluminum
and cast iron, which can react with acids in the marinade.
* The container you use should be shallow, so the marinade
covers as much of the food as possible; turn the food at
least once an hour.
* When marinating meat, fish or chicken, do it in the
refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter, to avoid
contracting harmful bacteria.
* Do not reuse leftover marinade. During contact with raw
foods, the marinade can pick up harmful bacteria that could
make you ill. For the same reason, it's wise to cook
leftover marinade before using it to baste with or to add to
a sauce (boil for five minutes to destroy any harmful
bacteria).
The flavors you can use to marinate your food are limited
only by your imagination. However, if you have more
imagination than time, there is a wide variety of choices on
your grocer's shelf. If your goal is a healthy meal, just be
sure to choose a marinade that doesn't include a lot of
added fat, chemicals, preservatives and salt. Read product
labels carefully to make sure you know what you're getting.
Michael Chiarello, chef, author, and host of the PBS
television cooking series "Season by Season," has teamed
with Consorzio to create an all-natural line of marinades
with fresh, bold flavors. These products use only natural
ingredients and no preservatives, and marinate in 10
minutes.
Best of all, you only need to marinate your food for 10
minutes for fabulous flavor. That means your food will be
ready to cook by the time you heat up the coals. If you just
can't wait even 10 minutes, simply brush the marinade onto
the food as it cooks. There are nine flavors to choose from,
including three new flavors: Jamaican Jerk, Sesame Ginger
and Dijon Peppercorn.
To get you started toward healthy grilling, here is a recipe
for a surprising "steak" sandwich.
Portobello "Steak" Sandwich with Gorgonzola Butter and Red
Pepper Vinaigrette (serves 4)
1/2 cup Consorzio Roasted Garlic & Balsamic 10-Minute
Marinade
4 jumbo portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed flush with caps
4 1/2-inch-thick slices of crusty bread
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (about 1/4 cup) at room
temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Red Pepper Vinaigrette:
1 red bell pepper, roasted, (or 1/3 cup chopped, drained
bottled roasted red peppers)
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 tablespoons bottled roasted
garlic)
Fresh thyme leaves for garnish
Place mushroom caps and marinade in large, resealable
plastic bag and seal, pressing out excess air. Marinate at
room temperature for a minimum of 10 minutes or for up to
two hours.
Blend all vinaigrette ingredients together and allow flavors
to mingle.
Prepare grill.
Grill one side of bread on a rack set about five inches
above glowing coals until golden, about one minute. Divide
bread, toasted side down, among four plates. In a bowl, use
a fork to mash together Gorgonzola and butter, and spread on
soft side of bread.
Remove mushrooms from marinade and grill about three minutes
on each side, or until tender. Transfer to a cutting board
and thinly slice.
Arrange warm mushrooms on toasts and spoon vinaigrette over
each open-faced sandwich. Garnish with thyme.
For more recipe ideas and for information on (or to order)
all of Consorzio's products, visit www.consorzio.com or call
(800) 288-1089.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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