Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Lower Fat Soul Food Cooking

By Kathy Smith


Soul food is a type of southern cooking and it's commonly mentioned that this form of southern food has the distinction of being the most popular cuisines originated exclusively in the South. For instance, Natchitoches, Louisiana, is well-known for its meat pies. In the past, when soul food was just becoming popular young ladies learned to prepare conventionaltraditional foods such as fufu, which is made using vegetables and pounded sweet potatoes. Typical soul food meals are black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, cornbread and oxtails, for starters. Probably the most delicious soul food dishes is North Carolina style Baby Back Ribs. The best pots and pans for creating soul food dishes are heavy pots and cast iron skillets. Most of the more popular hiphop soul food dinners include chicken, boiled black beans, white rice and seafood.

Furthermore, conventional soul food dishes typically include collard greens, black-eyed peas and other home grown vegetables. Some other Southern staples, like grits, are found in multiple recipes. I use salt sparingly if at all in many of my southern dishes.


Any time you think soul food recipes you think seasonings and spices. There's no way around that. However today's seasonings have changed from standard fatback, ham hocks and the heavy use of salt. Today more natural and healthy seasonings contain garlic powder, onion powder, apple cider vinegar, tumeric, rosemary and as well as other natural seasonings, for instance. In addition, collard greens, black eye peas, and butter or lima beans seasoned with fat-free smoked turkey meat takes the place of ham hocks, fatback and bacon. Conventional southern cooking represented not only rich food but rich and heavy cooking techniques like deep frying. Frying was obviously a popular cooking way of soul food meals among African American slaves. You may be recognized for your ability to be able to "burn" soul food meals, but your health does not have to go down in the fire flames, too. Nowadays, you can pan-fry or perhaps saute ingredients for a much healthier meal.

Traditional soul food dishes always used ingredients just like grease, sodium, sugars and high calories. Soul foods are sometimes high in fat, like fatback and pig used as basics for seasoning southern food dishes, which increases the risk for developing obesity. Other favorite dishes are centered around one main and unhealthy ingredient: fried gizzards. Scrumptious, but not healthy.




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