The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (3 page)

Kitchen Scales

I have put this at the top of the list because too many people consider it optional. But when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a kitchen scale is indispensable because portion size is usually measured by weight. In the DASH diet, it is especially important to weigh your meat portions. Protein is important to help keep you feeling full, but too much will load on the calories. (There is an old trick you can use, equating the size of a 3-ounce portion of cooked meat, poultry, or seafood to the size of the palm of a woman’s hand—but that may seem pretty antiquated in the digital age.) In fact, in some recipes, I have given
nutritional analyses for the regular portion as well as a smaller serving for times when you are reducing calories for weight loss, or if you just have a smaller appetite.

Therefore, every kitchen should have a scale. Digital scales are the most efficient (the springs in spring-operated scales can get tired and malfunction with use), and they are surprisingly inexpensive. You can purchase one at any kitchen store or many online stores. You will find lots of uses for it beyond weighing your protein portions—for example, double-checking produce weights.

Skillets

Too often, a cook makes do with a single skillet to cook everything, big to tiny. You will find cooking much easier (and more successful) if you have a trio of skillets: small, medium, and large. Especially with meat, poultry, or seafood recipes that make more than four servings, it is important not to crowd the individual pieces when you cook. If the protein portions are placed too closely together, the steam released from the meat (or poultry or seafood) will collect in the skillet, and the food’s surface won’t crisp and brown. Those crusty brown bits add lots of flavor to food without adding calories.

A small skillet, measuring about 6 inches across the bottom, is perfect for individually sized omelets and for cooking small amounts of side dishes. A medium skillet, with a diameter of 8 inches or so across the bottom, will make larger egg dishes (such as frittatas) and two servings of meat, chicken, or seafood. A large skillet, about 12 inches across, will be welcome when you want to cook four portions (say, of boneless pork chops or chicken fillets) without crowding the food in the pan. And I recommend skillets with ovenproof handles, so you can use them for dishes that require extra browning in the oven.

Other Kitchen Appliances

Take advantage of the various gadgets, utensils, and tools that you have in your kitchen to get dinner on the table quickly.

Countertop grill

I often use my electric grill for quickly cooking two portions of lean meats, fish, and poultry. The newer versions have removable grill surfaces for easy cleanup.

Toaster oven

Great for making small meals or reheating certain leftovers.

Microwave oven

Always useful for reheating leftovers or cooking fresh or frozen vegetables.

Blender

This indispensable appliance purees vegetables into sauces and soups and makes great smoothies.

Food processor

Many cooks can’t live without this appliance, which is useful for chopping and slicing vegetables. Just be aware that you can easily cross the line between chopped onions and onion puree, so use caution.

Mandoline or V-slicer

The mandoline is the classic hand tool used for slicing vegetables uniformly, but it is big and expensive and can be a bother to clean and store. A plastic V-slicer is reasonably priced and easier to use and store. In either case, be sure to use the hand guard, as the blades are very sharp.

Oil pump sprayer

Some recipes call for cooking oil even if you use a nonstick skillet. The problem with using a canned spray is that in addition to the calorie-rich oil, the product also contains propellants that adhere to the skillet surface! It is much better to use a pump-style oil sprayer. Also, this way you can be sure of the quality of the oil you are using in your cooking.

Instant-read digital thermometer

To get an accurate reading for roast meat or poultry, you must use a thermometer. An instant-read model gives a quick readout, and the thin probe won’t leave a big hole in your food. I also use mine to ensure that reheated leftovers have reached at least 165°F, the temperature at which most harmful bacteria is destroyed.

Knives

When I teach my cooking classes, I see a variety of skill levels. Some people can chop an onion in twenty seconds, and others take two minutes or longer. People who say “I can’t cook” often may just need to improve their knife skills. Get a good book (some even come with DVDs) or take a local class on the subject so you can wield your knife like a contestant on a cooking show. I speak from experience. My husband, Richard, and I took a series of cooking classes at a local culinary school a few years ago to up our game, and it worked wonders.

You need only three knives: a large chef’s knife for chopping, a thin utility knife for slicing, and a small paring knife for trimming. Serrated knives are really meant to slice bread, and do not cut vegetables well at all. A good knife will last forever if you remember to hone it with a knife steel and to send it out every year or so to the neighborhood knife sharpener for a professional sharpening. There are a few name brands for knives, and all are good. I prefer thinner knives that slice easily through harder vegetables. Just be sure to pick a knife that
can
be sharpened.

Planning Ahead

We all lead busy lives these days, so look for ways to save time in the kitchen. Whenever possible, make extra food for dinner to create leftovers to serve at another meal. After all, it takes the same amount of time if you are roasting six or eight salmon fillets instead of four, and the same goes for chicken breasts. Turkey breast and beef eye of round roast yield large amounts, all the better to have extra servings in reserve. Use the following recipes to plan ahead and produce extra protein-rich foods to have on hand:

Classic Poached Chicken (
here
)

Basic Roast Chicken Breast 101 (
here
)

Roast Turkey Breast with Root Vegetables, Lemon, and Garlic Cloves (
here
)

Spiced Roast Eye of Round (
here
)

Roasted Salmon Fillets with Basil Drizzle (
here
)

Weights and Measures

Each recipe includes a nutritional analysis along with DASH diet serving groups, as opposed to diabetic exchange serving groups. Although they mostly overlap, there are some differences.
Beans, nuts, and seeds are a specific food group in the DASH diet. However, in diabetic exchanges beans are a starch, and nuts and seeds are fats.

All meat, fish, and poultry serving sizes reflect the cooked serving size, as is used in the diabetic exchanges. For example, ¼ pound (4 ounces) of ground beef provides a 3-ounce serving when cooked.

Bags of lettuce or slaw are sold by weight, not volume. For example, a 5-ounce bag of broccoli slaw actually weighs 5 ounces on the scale, rather than filling 5 fluid ounces in a measuring cup. And, certainly, you are not obligated to use bagged produce. We have provided these suggestions as time-savers, but we always applaud your use of fresh-from-the-market produce.

Any diet plan is only as good as the food that can be made following its guidelines. I am confident that these recipes will become favorites, not just because they follow the DASH diet’s recommendations, but because they taste and look great.

Breakfasts

Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwich

Tartine
with Cream Cheese and Strawberries

Broccoli and Pepper Jack Omelet

Make It Your Way Granola

Apple and Spice Oatmeal

Cinnamon-Almond French Toast with Raspberry Sauce

Whole-Wheat Pancakes with Strawberry-Maple Compote

Cornmeal Waffles with Blueberries and Yogurt

Banana-Berry Smoothie

Chocolate–Peanut Butter Smoothie

Kale and Apple Smoothie

Mango Lassi

Papaya and Coconut Breakfast Shake

At-Home Cappuccino

Gingered Green Tea

Never skip breakfast. This meal fuels you for the entire day, and it is no fun to try to make it through the morning on an empty stomach. Be sure to include protein in the meal to help keep you feeling satiated. An omelet made with liquid
egg substitute (seasoned egg whites) is one of my favorite ways to start the day, since it takes very little time to whip up a hot meal. Smoothies are a popular quick breakfast, but be sure to include yogurt, nuts, or milk to up their protein content, and have them only occasionally, since they are less filling and satisfying than whole fruit and yogurt or milk. I’ve also included a few recipes for pancakes, waffles, and French toast for relaxed weekend brunches or when you feel like indulging.

Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwich

Here’s a tasty fork-and-knife version of a breakfast sandwich that you will find with many more calories at a fast-food place. You will use only half of the English muffin, so save the other half for tomorrow’s breakfast or whirl it in a blender and freeze to use as bread crumbs in another recipe.

MAKES 1 SERVING

½ whole-wheat English muffin

1 slice reduced-fat (2% milk) Swiss cheese, torn into pieces to fit the muffin