I don't have a picture to post and no new recipe, but I do have good news, and since this is my little corner of the world to post whatEVer I want to...here goes!
Last week I had blood work done to check my glucose and cholesterol levels. It's been a long time since I had them checked and was pretty nervous about the results. I needn't have been. These are 'fasting' numbers: glucose - 108, triglyceride - 127, cholesterol - 178! I was extremely relieved! When you carry a lot of extra weight, your health condition is always at the forfront of your mind. While we do try to eat healthy, it still concerns you that there is weight to be lost and it's not coming off!! GRRRR
This proves two things. I have really good genes, and weight is not a measure of health. I know someone who is not overweight and eats healthy but has very high cholesterol! The reason I decided to post this here is that I truly believe our DIET has everything to do with these test results! I have pretty much quit eating red meat. I might have some on occasion, but rarely, and only in small amounts. We have fish at least once a week, and other than that, I might have grilled chicken and very rarely, bacon but usually as a small addition to add flavor to a dish. Salads and fresh veggies and fruits are our main menu items. When cooking or sauteeing I use a nice extra virgin olive oil, and once in a while I use canola oil. We never buy margaine and use butter in controlled amounts.
As for fried foods...okra, green tomatoes, and zucchini, but usually in olive oil or a bit of canola. Do I miss beef? NO. Do I miss fried foods? YES! My mom made the most amazing fried chicken and I can duplicate it, but it does require frying the chicken in oil and bacon grease!! Imagine!
Now, if I could just get some of the weight to fall off without the use of a machete everything would be just great!~! Talking about weight issues is never comfortable, but today I just wanted to 'toot my own horn' as they say!!
So, I will keep spreading the word about eating "MEATLESS MONDAY" and will continue to post pictures and recipes on this blog about EATING CONSICOUSLY! I guess it works!
Now, I'm off to make my second batch of Hot Pepper Marmalade. I will have pictures and a recipe to follow. This is the most delicious little gem! It's not terribly hot, you can control the heat, and it's supposed to be delicious served with cream cheese on crackers. I purchased a wheel of Brie and will serve the marmalade with a warmed Brie and some nice crackers to my mother-in-law who is visiting us for 2 weeks. It's a special treat! It looks gorgeous in the jars after it's canned and will make a really nice presentation as a gift.
It's also MONDAY, so I might also have something to show for our dinner tonight. I haven't decided for sure what we'll be having but I do know it will include fried zucchini. Eat Well!!
Is there a way to make healthy fried food?
ReplyDeleteI love it, too. :)
Healthy fried food! I wonder if that is an oxymoron? lol
ReplyDeleteOne thing that does make a difference is the temperature of your oil. Did you realize that? For instance, when making my fried zucchini, green tomatoes or okra, I make sure that the oil is hot before adding the vegetables.
If the oil and pan are brought up in heat beforfe cooking,the vegetables don't absorb as much. Olive oil doesn't stand up to heat the way canola oil does. Canola has a low smoking point so it's good to use for fried foods. Olive oil is better for you, though, so I use it when I can. If I am frying something at a high heat, I usually use canola for that reason.
When making fried chicken, my recipe calls for part oil and part bacon grease. The addition of bacon grease changes the flavor of the final result. Even though it's not good for you, if I only make this dish once or twice in a year, I'd rather have it taste amazing as to cut back the taste and eat it more often. That's just my preference.
The other thing that can dtermine how good it is for you is how you prepare the food. I generally do NOT use a 'batter' to bread my foods. When I fry the chicken, I do bread it by soaking first in buttermilk, then do an egg wash and flour dip so it does have a pretty 'hefty' coating.
For the veggies that I fry, I only use a minimal amount of corn meal or flour. I don't use bread crumbs, which have high glucose corn syrup in them unless you make your own. You can tell from the picture of my okra that I don't bread heavily. It's just as good and better for you!
So, while frying food generally is not the best for you, it can still be tasty and reasonably prepared so that you can enjoy it on occasion. I think having a nice dinner of fried, delicious chicken along with a green salad and some brown rice is a healthy meal if you don't eat it every day and end the meal with a hot fudge sundae.
We usually don't eat desserts, but we have tea every evening and Richard has a very needy sweet tooth so he likes to have a cookie to eat with his tea. I can do without the sweets...except of course...on my BIRTHDAY..when I want CAKE!!! :)
I just thought of this...one time when I was making my fried chicken, I measured the oil both before & after cooking and there was very little oil absorbtion! It has to do with the oil being HOT when the chicken is placed in it!
ReplyDeleteWhat is flash frying? I had heard it was healthier and quicker and some food places did that when they made their chicken. BTW I like to hear good health news that you just shared. The weight thoughts are very good to hear about too. I know it is hard for you to see it not coming off as you said but I think just talking about it openly is a good thing. It is what it is and I think you are wonderful for sharing both the good and frustrating parts of life with all your readers. Rock on sista T :)
ReplyDeletethe above comment was me ... Jim Schoch
ReplyDelete