GertieMae

Partially freeze meat and poultry to easily skin and trim fat.

Visit your grocer's frozen food section and let Lean Cuisine do the cooking. We recommend their Glazed Chicken, Santa-Fe Style Rice & Beans, and their new Thai-Style Chicken.

Replace one-quarter to one-half ground meat or poultry with cooked brown rice, bulgur, cous cous or mashed beans, in casseroles and meat sauces.

To thicken soups use pureed cooked vegetables, like carrots, potatoes or cauliflower or soft tofu instead of the higher-fat eggs, cream or roux.

Nuts and spices will impart more flavor is toasted and chopped finely to be distributed more evenly throughout the recipe.

In non-baked items like fruit sauce, and beverages, reduce the sugar by 25 %. Add a pinch of cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg to enhance the sweetness.
Use pureed vegetables in pasta sauce (carrot, red pepper or mashed potato).

In soups, sauces, muffins and cakes replace fat with mashed yams or sweet potatoes.

When using lower-fat milks in cream soups and bisques, add white potatoes to thicken.

Substitute Nestle Carnation Evaporated Fat Free Milk for heavy cream in sauce and soup recipes.

Sauté without fat by using low-sodium chicken, beef or vegetable broth in place of oil.

In vinaigrette dressing, switch the ratio to 1 part vinegar to 1 part oil.

For a nonfat salad dressing or marinade, use fruit juice. White grape, apple, orange and pineapple juices are all light-flavored alternatives to oil. Or combine the juice with defatted chicken broth for a less fruity liquid. We recommend Libby's Juicy Juice Apple Juice

For each whole egg, use two egg whites.

Make your own low-fat cream soup to use in recipes instead of canned soups. In a small saucepan, use a wire whisk to stir together 1 cup Nestle Carnation Evaporated Fat Free Milk, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon instant low-sodium bouillon granules. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more.

Use these fat replacements when cooking on the stove.
low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
fruit juices
garlic wine
flavored vinegars
plain water
low-fat milk or evaporated skim milk
nonfat sour cream
wine
regular or nonalcoholic beer
other liquor like brandy, vermouth