Healthy cooking (recipes & tips)

[honeybunny]

I've decided to start eating healthy after i realized how short life is... It sounds too advanced for me to act this way since i'm just in my mid 20s but i think eating what's right and good for your body is an investment. It started with stopping the use of ginisa mix or any MSG, now i'm gonna try using less oil when cooking or as much as possible, avoid frying. Also, i'm bad at cooking veggies, i always overcook them, and the only way i know how to cook a fish is to fry them. Do you have any tips, suggestions, or recipes for healthy cooking? Post them here!

Edit: another thing that bothers me is yung lasa ng food, baka di na ganun kasarap dahil medyo babawasan ko ang fat. Also, since namention ko na rin ang pag avoid sa MSG, i switched to using herbs  like oregano, basil, lemon grass, etc

[u8mypinkcookies]

instead of frying, try grilling/ roasting or steaming fish, chicken or meat

use olive oil and stay away from butter or mayonnaise (and other fatty condiments)

[honeybunny]

^i guess i need a grilling pan too, ano bang brand maganda pero di gaanong mahal? Do you have a recipe for steamed fish? Thanks

[ishi90210]

i'm not very consistent when it comes to healthy cooking kasi i can't still give up completely my love for butter, eggs, cheese, and cream. but when i do cook something healthy, i use less salt and add more herbs instead. use brown rice or if you don't like it use basmati rice instead kasi low GI yun. you can still use your recipes pa rin naman but substitute some ingredients for a healthier alternative. like olive oil instead of veg oil, soy sauce with a low-sodium counterpart, and so on.

with veggies, start grilling them. or bake them. the more you do it, the better you'll be.

fish naman, well, i only eat fried or grilled fish. but my mum gave me a recipe for steamed fish:

1 tilapia
diced onion
diced tomato
chopped chilli
sliced lemon
banana leaves or foil

just put onion, tomato and chilli inside the tilapia then put lemon slices on top. wrap in banana leaves or foil. make sure it's sealed properly so flavors won't escape through steam. steam for 10-12min or depending on the size of the fish.

you can also grill the fish using the same recipe.

another fave of mine is just rubbing the fish with sesame oil, lime, and ginger then grill it.

[muahmuahmuah]

bake. everything becomes easy when you start baking. 
we never used msg in cooking then we even stopped using salt in prepping some dishes. stop lang the msg and use a little bit of salt to bring out the flavor of the dishes. use himalayan salt if available or rock salt. olive oil or grapeseed is good. iba lang heating points nila.

baking veggies mix in spices and  oil to coat the veggies and then bake. minsan it takes 30 mins.
boil carrots till you can poke a fork in it you can mash it or place honey. same as with yams. serve salads you can even use thinly chopped cabbage and carrots to make a filling salad.

with chicken and fish just season with some dry rub or whatever flavor you want just grease the pan or cover the pan with foil. chicken takes 45mins to an hour if its a whole leg. fish pag fillet takes 8 - 10 mins less no flipping and depends on thickness.

an alternate to baking fish is to wrap it in foil and put  ayun like how ishi does hers.  get to know your spices din with what flavor works for you and experiment don't get scared in using spices as long as di ka mag over sa salt you'll be fine. check for salt free seasonings too..garlic rin gives a lot of flavor so if you love garlic enjoy consuming it.

i like broiling too sometimes i put a grill mesh on the pan para lumusot the oil and it gives it the barbecue effect need to bantay lang baka masunog especially with chicken boobies.

alternate for rice for the super cautious is make cauliflower rice. chop cauliflower until it looks like rice and microwave for 8 mins. don't put water and season after.

eggs naman try poaching. getting an egg poacher is easier if you're not confident in doing it by yourself. 

maski snacks you have to be watchful in what to serve if your going that route.

[fides00]

i'm into healthy cooking nowadays too. not out of want, but of need since i had a heart attack recently. and i'm not even old enough to have one.

i went to culinary school at medyo feeling ko factor din yun sa nangyari sakin. pano naman kasi, walang araw na ndi ka kakain ng pagkain na may butter or heavy cream. masarap talaga. pero umalma na yung puso ko. luckily, i didn't die. but i don't regret going to culinary school. thankful ako dahil ngayon feeling ko kaya kong dikartehan yung lasa ng pagkain sans the fat and the salt.

anyway, what i eat now are food low in cholesterol, salt and fat. i don't believe na mawawala yung sarap ng pagkain pag lessened yung mga yan. it just depends on your cooking technique and your ingredients. mas maganda pag fresh talaga. =) saludo ako sa paggamit mo ng herbs and spices. friends natin yan.

with regard to your dilemma of overcooking veggies, i suggest blanching. blanching is good kasi na-cucut yung cooking time and na-reretain mo yung nutrients nung veggies. it also kills the enzymes responsible for the loss of flavor and nutritional value of vegetables. tsaka if you blanch, you cut down on fat din. kasi pag mag-gigisa ka in oil, pag blanched na yung veggies mo prior to sauteing, ndi mo kailangang lutuin pa siya ng matagal sa mantika. thus, ndi rin ganun kadaming mantika yung maabsorb nung veggies mo at kakailanganin mo too cook in the first place. also kasi, may certain vegetables na nagtutubig pag naluto. blanching takes care of this. minsan kasi diba parang na-didilute yung lasa nung sauce or parang napapakuluan yung veggies sa wok so by the time na nag evaporate na yung liquid, malambot na masyado yung vegetables o wala na yung lasa kasi na leech out na dun sa liquid na nag-evaporate. so para maiwasan yan, blanch muna talaga.

madali lang mag blanch. pakulo ka lang ng tubig, as in dapat rolling boil. add a little bit of salt. this helps with retaining the vibrant color of vegetables as well as to sanitize. however, do not put salt if you're going to blanch fruit vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant kasi magiging soggy yung vege. anyway, lagay mo lang yung precut veggies mo in the boiling water and cook until al dente. after that, you put the cooked vege in iced water to stop the cooking process. pagkatpos nun, you may cook it na according to your preference. or pwede niyo i-freeze in individual containers para next time, diretso luto na lang. how long you blanch veggies depends on the type ng vege. if mas dense, mas matagal. as a guide, i got this sa net para sa iba na ndi pa ganun ka-bihasa sa timing.

    Green Beans, 3 minutes
    Broccoli, chopped or stalks, 3 minutes
    Beets, small, 25-30 minutes; medium, 45-50 minutes
    Brussels Sprouts, small, 3 minutes; medium, 4 minutes; large, 5 minutes
    Carrots, tiny, whole, 5 minutes; diced or strips, 2 minutes
    Cauliflower, 3 minutes
    Corn on the cob to freeze on the ear, small ears, 7 minutes; medium ears 9 minutes; large ears 11 minutes
    Corn on the cob to cut for whole kernel corn, 4 minutes-cool and cut from ear
    Corn on the cob to cut for cream style corn, 4 minutes-cool and cut from ear, scraping the cobs
    Greens like spinach, 2 minutes
    Shelled Peas, 1½ minutes
    Snow or Sugar Snap Peas, 2-3 minutes
    Summer Squash like zucchini, slices or chunks, 3 minutes; grated, 1-2 minutes

pagdating naman sa fish, i agree with cooking it "en papillote" or "in paper" gaya ng sabi nila sis ishi. instead of wax/parchment paper, you could use foil naman or banana or lotus leaf. fish parcels kumbaga. you can opt to steam this or cook in in the oven for 15 minutes. pwede rin sa microwave kung yung parchment gamit mo. although less yung cooking time. para di magsawa, use different accompaniments. kunwari para mediterranean style, cook the fish with zucchini julienne, cherry tomato halves, white onion julienne, minced garlic, a lemon slice, basil julienne, thyme, 1 tbsp of white wine and 1 tbsp of olive oil. para asian style, lay the fish on a baguio pechay leaf (either buo or cut into strips, then top with bird's eye chili, wansuy or kinchay, minced or julienned ginger and garlic, leeks or spring onions, slices of shitake or oyster mushroom, a dash of sesame oil, a thin slice of lime, a tsp of honey/sugar, and a tablepoon of soy sauce. add ka rin ng chinese cooking wine if you want. para medyo thai ang datingan, you can add kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass/tanglad to the mix and instead of sesame oil, use canola oil. kung chinese-ish ang peg, add 2 to 3 "petals" of a star anise. if you want na parang indian, omit the sesame oil then add 2 tbsp of coconut milk or cream para mas rich as well as curry powder or a mixture of ground cumin and coriander and top with eggplant slices/julienne. if you want na parang moroccan, combine the fish with carrot julienne, raisins, garlic, ginger, thyme, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon and olive oil.

prior to this dapat, seasoned ang fish with a little salt, freshly crushed pepper and a sprinkling of lemon or lime juice. pwede din calamansi. you can also add some lemon or orange zest para mas masarap.

aside from this, you can also POACH the fish. to poach fish, dapat sobrang hina lang ng apoy. ndi dapat siya mag form ng bubbles ala boiling or simmering. meron namang bubbles pero sing liit lang ng uncrushed pepper. ganun lang dapat kahina. you can opt to poach on top of the stove thru a "court bouillon" or mas maganda kung sa oven (poaching with little liquid). poaching is an ideal cooking method since ndi titigas yung fish. ang ending, moist and yummy yung fish. at yung "liquid" na matitira after cooking the fish can be used to make a flavorful sauce (this is applicable when you poach in the oven). flavorful dahil dun napunta lahat nung lasa nung fish. if you do it sa oven, make sure na yung gagamitin na vessel eh pwede sa stove top at oven. to do this, first you season your fish with salt, white pepper and lemon/calamansi/lime juice. then you brush the bottom of the pot with olive oil or butter. then sprinkle minced shallots (maliliit na onions) sa ilalim nung pan then top it with the seasoned fish. after that you top it with sliced mushrooms. tapos nun, you put a little white wine and a little fish stock sa pan. ndi dapat humigit yung liquid dun sa height nung fish. dapat until half lang nung fish, maximum. tapos bring it to a very slow boil on top of the stove to rev up the cooking process. painitin lang kumbaga. pag medyo uminit na, takpan yung pot with aluminum foil or parchement paper brushed with olive oil or butter. then poach it in the oven 165 degree C (mahinang setting lang) for 15 minutes (depends on the size of the fish). when the fish is cooked you can opt to make a white sauce from the liquid. para shempre healthy, you can make use of a soy-based cream like yung nestle d'lite. tanggalin mo lang yung fish and set aside on a warm place. put the pot on top of the stove again. add cream to the liquid then you can thicken it with cornstarch diluted with stock or beurre manie (equal portions of fat like butter or olive oil and flour mixed into a paste). whisk mo lang until thickened and lumpless. pag beurre manie yung gamit, dapat simmer pa yung sauce for 15-20 minutes to get rid of the floury taste. so i suggest yung cornstarch na lang gamitin para mas mabilis. season lang yung sauce accordingly and at the end you could also add herbs to the sauce like tarragon, basil, parsley, etc. gourmet na yan kahit pa tilapia pa gamitin. hehe sa restaurant they would call that poached (insert fish name) fillet topped with (insert herb here) cream sauce. o diba. you could use chicken fillet instead of fish too. same cooking process lang pero longer cooking time ng slight. you could also add other veggies aside from mushrooms to top the fish. pwede rin dagdagan yung shallots ng ibang aromatics like ginger or garlic or kahit pa lemongrass. yung liquid din, pwede kahit anong mixture. you could make use of different fruit juices/liquors or even milk for malalangsa na fishes depende sa peg na cuisine.

OHMAYGAHD. ANG HABA NG POST KO. sorry. haha

[carrieso]

oh thanks ,, i'll try this..

[berna15]

@sis fides whew super haba ng post but super informative. Btw what culinRy school did u enroll? Plan ko din kasi mag aral since nag start na kami to eat more veggies and no meat, sobra effect sa amin ng book n nabasa ko about the effect of eating meat these days sobra dami chemicals, kaya ayun puro veggies na kmi.

[fides00]

^ i graduated from ISCAHM sis.

also mga sis if i might add, a lot has to do with the proper equipment used in the kitchen. it really helps if you make use of good cookware. medyo mahal pero ok siya na investment in the long run. kasi kung gusto talaga mag fry carry naman yan. pwede naman mag add ng fat sa diet basta sobrang minimal lang. i think mas beneficial if gagamit non-stick or kung ndi non-stick eh heavy-bottomed pan or a cast iron skillet na "well-seasoned". then use cooking spray lang. or kung walang spray, you can opt to drop little oil onto a pan tas brush it all over the cooking surface. use a silicon brush para ndi ma-absorb nung bristles yung oil at ma0distribute talaga sa pan. to use less oil din pag nag papanfry but get that brownish color you get from frying, you can opt to dredge the fish in flour prior to putting it in the pan. also, make sure your pan is screaming hot before you put it in so that ndi siya mag stick sa pan kahit pa walang masyadong oil. IMO, maganda yung cast iron pan talaga since mas even yung pagluto sa food. madali siya maka-crisp up or maka sear even if ndi ka mag oil masyado.

pagdating naman sa salads, you can make your own vinaigrette na lang instead na store-bought. that way, you can control the amount of salt that's put in the vinaigrette tsaka alam mo kung ano yung laman. what i do is mix 1 part of vinegar (balsamic, raspberry, cava wine, red wine, white wine, apple cider, cane etc) or any other acid like orange, lemon or lime juice to 3 parts of olive oil or canola oil in a jar (medium sized). tas i add half a teaspoon of mustard to act as an emulsifier (i use pommery kasi i like its grainy texture but any kind will do.. usually dijon ang gamit), a teaspoon of honey or cocosugar (to  balance out the flavor), a teaspoon of minced shallots or red onion, lemon or orange zest, minced clove of garlic, a pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. i also add chopped herbs para mas malasa. usually i use chives or spring onions kung walang chives, flat leaf parsley, mint or thyme. kahit ano, depende din sa vinegar na gamit. i shake this up then put it in the chiller. pag gusto ko mag salad, i just pull it out of the fridge, shake it then take less than a tablespoon to drizzle on my salad greens. mas sumasarap pa siya habang tumatagal. i like to do it this way para ndi ako tamarin pa if i wanted to eat salad kasi ndi na ko mag prep pa. minsan kasi nakakatamad mag whisk the oil slowly into the vinegar para mag-emulsify or umalsa yung vinaigrette diba...iniisip mo pa lang siguro na gawin yun, nakakain ka na ng kung ano.

as for the salad accompaniments, instead of using store-bought croutons na laced with oil, butter or whatnot, i just get a slice of whole wheat bread then slice them into 1-cm cubes. kung tinatamad, minsan i just leave it whole. haha then i toast it on top of the stove. added crunch na yun agad sa salad. i also try to make use of different food items para ndi magsawa. i also put in unsalted nuts that i toast sa stove-top. sometimes i even put a few cubes of herb-marinated kesong puti to mimic marinated feta cheese. i make this by cutting up the kesong puti in 1-cm cubes, putting it an a microwavable bowl with a lid then topping it with herb-infused oil. i make this herb-infused oil naman by heating olive oil or canola oil in a pot for 15 minutes with a little lemon juice, bay leaves, garlic slivers or roasted garlic (you can roast garlic in a microwave), peppercorns and other herbs like thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil or rosemary (pwede dried, actually mas maganda pag dried para ndi mag thrive yung bacteria if you plan to store it for a long time). super low heat lang dapat. this herb oil can also be used when making vinaigrette para mas malasa. or you can use this to cook your dishes. if you're gonna store it, make sure you put it in a jar or bottle with an air-tight lid. a little goes a long way and habang tumatagal, mas nagiging pronounced yung flavor nito. both herb-infused oil and marinated kesong puti should be stored inside the ref.

when i crave for pizza naman, i make my healthier alternative by toasting a slice of whole wheat bread on a teflon pan. super low heat land. pag slightly toasted na yung one side, i flip it. then i top it with a few cubes of my herb-marinated kesong puti. i then add tomato (mine are sliced in quarters, deseeded then sliced into thin vertical strips), 1/3 of tuna chunks in water (without the water na shempre hehe) or if gusto mo mas may zing yung hot and spicy variant, minced garlic and sliced leeks or scallions. i cover the pan with a lid until the cheese melts and the tuna gets heated through and the bottom of the bread becomes toasted perfectly. i then add basil julienne the last minute para ndi mangitim yung basil. i then splash a little balsamic vinegar on it, and add a little freshly cracked black pepper. then yun na yun. yun na snack ko or sometimes lunch na yan. hehe sometimes i add arugula din which i slice into strips. you can also drizzle a little bit of herb-infused oil.

dami ko na namang sinabi. hehe

[fides00]

@sis fides whew super haba ng post but super informative. Btw what culinRy school did u enroll? Plan ko din kasi mag aral since nag start na kami to eat more veggies and no meat, sobra effect sa amin ng book n nabasa ko about the effect of eating meat these days sobra dami chemicals, kaya ayun puro veggies na kmi.

i believe ISCAHM now offers a short course for healthy cooking. you might want to try that sis.

[honeybunny]

^^thanks sa advise sis, since you mentioned blanching, first time ko nagawa sa repolyo when i made cabbage roll, it's not that difficult pala

madalas ko maovercook talaga ang veggie kasi alam ko may lasa sya at type ko yung napupunta sa sauce ng niluluto ko yung lasa nya like yung sa cabbage, brocolli, etc. kaya feeling ko pag di ko niluto ng maigi yung veggie di sya lalasa sa food at di ganun kasarap magiging outcome. hehe yeah, i know i need to change the kind of thinking

when it comes to herbs naman, ang herb pa lang na alam ko pag nilagay ko sya sa food na niluluto ko is yung oregano, kagaya nung sa mga food na may kamatis (like sarciado, menudo), alam ko pag nilagay ko sya sa food na yan alam ko sasarap sya or lalasa,

yung iba herb/spices like cumin, basil, di ko alam saan sya gagamitin unless nakalagay sa recipe heeheh

sa fish naman, ang fish lang na kinakain ko, or should i say familiar ako, is yung galunggong (fried/sarciado) at bangus (daing na nababad sa suka at garlic?) minsan tilapia din. pero fry lang ang alam kong pagluto sa kanila.

i know i need to stay away from fried foods like eto nga, fish at chicken, sa fish i've been wanting to try yung cream dory na fish pero nung nalaman ko na family sya ng catfish parang na turn off ako ehheeh i dont eat cat fish kasi pero di ko pa naman sya kasi natry pati

gusto ko rin mag try ng ibang variants ng fish. also, ok lang ba kung instead of frying, i'll bake them instead? like if the recipe calls for frying, i'll bake them na lang?

chaka bibili na kasi ako ng oven, actually i'm choosing between a convectional oven and a turbo broiler, pareho lang naman sila ng function right? and i can use either of them? say yung fried chicken, can l use either one of them, like broiling/baking them instead of frying?

thanks a lot

[fides00]

when it comes to herbs naman, ang herb pa lang na alam ko pag nilagay ko sya sa food na niluluto ko is yung oregano, kagaya nung sa mga food na may kamatis (like sarciado, menudo), alam ko pag nilagay ko sya sa food na yan alam ko sasarap sya or lalasa,

yung iba herb/spices like cumin, basil, di ko alam saan sya gagamitin unless nakalagay sa recipe heeheh

try lang ng try sis pagdating sa herbs sis. kahit paisa-isa lang. tama ka diyan. bagay ang oregano sa tomatoes kasi na-cocounter niya yung acidity ng kamatis. if you want, you can combine oregano with basil and thyme. yang tatlo ang trifecta ng italian seasoning. you can use it to flavor your pasta sauces. bagay rin sa eggs at eggplant dishes ang oregano. pagdating naman sa chicken, bagay ang tarragon (poached chicken with tarragon cream sauce), basil (marinate chicken in basil, lemon and garlic then grill or bake), rosemary (roasted chicken sprinkled with rosemary) and thyme (chicken cacciatore--chicken stew made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper, parsley and bay leaf). yung fish at seafood naman, bagay sa dill (marinated salmon with honey-dill mustard sauce), rosemary, tarragon and chives (dahon ng garlic).

as for its singular use, bagay ang parsley sa halos lahat kasi neutral ang taste niya. you could even use it as a main ingredient sa salad (mix it with grated coconut, lemon juice and salt and pepper). mint naman eh bagay sa vinaigrette and lamb (although di healthy ang lamb. haha). important ingredient din siya sa tzatziki (dip made with yoghurt, cocumber, parsley, lemon juice and mint).

as a rule of thumb, pag fine yung herb (malambot yung stem), you should add it towards the end of cooking para ma-preserve yung lasa. pero kung matigas yung stem (thyme at rosemary), you could add it anytime. hard-stemmed herbs din are more aromatic when they're dried so mas okay din gumamit ng dried form ng mga yan. pag fine herbs, mas magandang gamitin na fresh.

pag chinese yung dating ng dish, bagay diyan ang wansuy (cilantro), kinchay, spring onions or leeks. ang spices naman na pang chinese eh five spice, star anise at cinnamon. pag indian, gamit ka ng turmeric (nagpapa-yellow...o kung may fresh ka na luyang dilaw, yun gamitin mo kasi yun na yun. hehe), kaffir lime, cumin (eto yung amoy putok kaya use sparingly), coriander (seeds ng cilantro plant), fennel seeds tsaka curry powder. although i suggest use curry paste para medyo maiba naman sa usual na lasa ng curry powder. hehe ang wansuy, coriander at cumin, pwede rin yan aside from indian cooking eh sa mexican...sa mga salsa and other latin american dishes. actually ang cumin at coriander ginagamit din sa greek dishes (like sa gyros). so maganda kung meron ka nito at hand. other spices na magandang meron ka is chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika (used widely in spanish dishes, use smoked paprika kung gusto mo mas spicy or mild/sweet paprika for less heat and a more mellow flavor). you could rub these spices onto fish or chicken before grilling, roasting or baking them if you don't want to marinate them in liquid.

sa fish naman, ang fish lang na kinakain ko, or should i say familiar ako, is yung galunggong (fried/sarciado) at bangus (daing na nababad sa suka at garlic?) minsan tilapia din. pero fry lang ang alam kong pagluto sa kanila.

i know i need to stay away from fried foods like eto nga, fish at chicken, sa fish i've been wanting to try yung cream dory na fish pero nung nalaman ko na family sya ng catfish parang na turn off ako ehheeh i dont eat cat fish kasi pero di ko pa naman sya kasi natry pati

don't worry about cream dory sis. it tastes nothing like hito. i like cream dory kasi neutral yung taste niya so it takes on the flavor of the sauce you make or the ingredients you pair with it. it has a wonderful texture rin. it stays moist and succulent basta ndi mo siya i-overcook. yungfish and chips actually ng fish and co, eto yung gamit AFAIK. if you really don't want to try it out, you may try sole fillet or parrot fish. madami niyan sa supermarket na naka-fillet na para mas madali gamitin. you can try poaching these white-fleshed fish. bongga yan sis. aside from this, lapu-lapu and maya-maya are always great choices for fish. or pwede ring bisugo (mullet). bagay yan i-escabeche. kung may budget, try salmon and tuna. good source yung mga yan ng omega 3 fatty acids. good for the heart and the skin! if you want to make your own gravlax (marinated salmon), i can teach you. salmon is also good, grilled or marinated in teriyaki sauce. tuna is nice naman if you make it into tuna tartar. mix mo lang yung tuna cubes (half a cm cube) with some olive oil, lime juice and zest, wasabi, soy sauce (preferably low sodium), grated ginger,  a little bit of sugar, salt, hot sauce (preferably sriracha), toasted sesame seeds (dry roast mo lang sa pan over medium heat until it changes in color and releases aroma), freshly cracked black pepper, siling labuyo chopped without the seeds and the spring onions. you can top this on whole wheat crackers or serve it in lettuce cups.

chaka bibili na kasi ako ng oven, actually i'm choosing between a convectional oven and a turbo broiler, pareho lang naman sila ng function right? and i can use either of them? say yung fried chicken, can l use either one of them, like broiling/baking them instead of frying?

i'm a big fan of the turbo broiler. pero iba pa rin talaga yung conventional oven. ako kasi minsan, maramihan magluto so gusto ko yung idea na pwede ako gumamit ng malaking rectangular pan tas malalagay in one layer lahat ng niluluto ko. medyo limited kasi yung space sa turbo broiler. tsaka may mga recipes kasi na kailangan mo pang i-adjust yung temperature and yung time kung turbo broiler ang gagamitin mo. medyo iba kasi sila ng mechanism na gamit. tsaka matagal masira ang oven. yung turbo ko kasi sira na. na-overuse ata. haha

regarding the baking instead of frying thing, yes you can do this sis. pwede ring grill instead of fry. pero kung may batter yung recipe, omit mo yung batter. i prefer grilling kasi iba yung lasa na nagagawa pag grilled eh. para mas malasa you could add rosemary or thyme sa uling para yung amoy nung herbs eh nasasama dun sa smoke na kumakapit naman sa grinigrill mo.

also sis, para maiba naman sa pag saute or boil ng vege, you could try grilling them. marinate mo muna yung vege (zucchini, tomato slices, eggplant and onion) sa balsamic vinegar, thyme, olive oil, a little bit of sugar and pepper. don't add salt since fruit vege ang mga yan and salt is hygroscopic meaning it sucks out the water content of stuff. so magiging soggy yung zucchini, tomato at eggplant mo pag nilagyan mo yung salt [textspeak!] marinade. season na lang with salt right before grilling.

sorry talaga ang daldal ko. haha

[honeybunny]

^ok lang sis, grabe naooverwhelm ako sa dami ng alam mo   sana meron kang blog where we could see your healthy recipe, or kahit dito na lang sa girltalk mo ipost sa recipes exchange hehe

yung recipe blog kasi na tinitingnan ko masasarap naman yung recipes nya at mostly herbs din gamit, hindi sya nag MSG kaso mas gusto ko yung parang pang health conscious yung mga sahog hehe

[fides00]

^ hmmm...sige. bilang nasabi mo na rin sis. i'll work on that blog so i could share my recipes. wala rin ako magawa sa bahay kasi kailangan ko mag rest after ng angiogram ko. i'll let you know about the progress! =)

[muahmuahmuah]

^angiogram? hope nothing serious.

[fides00]

medyo OT pero yes sis. had a myocardial infarction weeks ago kasi. super pagod sa work and stressed out rin ako with problems nun. overweight din ako, pero nung time na na-MI ako i actually lost weight already. naging mildly obese na kasi ako.  hard to believe rin pero la akong hypertension at diabetes. kaso nasa lahi talaga namin. my uncle who's an athlete died of a heart attack at 28. athlete na yun ah. :/ ako 25 pa lang tas babae pa. kaya lahat nga sila sa makati med (where i did my angiogram) at sa paranaque doctors (where i was brought to nung inatake ako), ndi makapaniwala na ako yung nag MI. tinatanong pa nila kung nag drugs ba raw ako. which is malabo ko namang gawin kasi smoking pa nga lang eh ndi ko magawa. ako pa nga sumusuway sa mga magulang ko pag naninigarilyo. haha kinakausap ng mga nurse nung simula yung mom ko o yung dad ko kasi akala nila sila yung pasyente. haha

drastic yung ginawa kasi after ko ma-confine initially, ok naman na ako. nag-papalpitate nga lang ako ng slight minsan. pero ok naman...nag angiogram para panigurado lang raw at nang makita kung may bara kasi i'm too young daw.  so pwede magworsen pa yun overtime. but the results were ok naman. walang bara. pwede raw nawala na ng kusa because of the meds. surprisingly healthy daw yung heart ko at wala naman akong hypertension pero yung isang vein ko daw kasi parang nakaipit (dapat daw nakasampa lang yun sa may heart or something). tsaka malapot yung dugo ko. kaya baka yung mga yun daw naging cause dati. tsaka yung muscles ng heart ko rin matigas siya kahit sa relaxed state. haha pano pa raw pag ndi ako relaxed. haha maybe genetics na daw yun.

so by having a healthy diet, yun ang aim ko... na ma-maintain ang healthy heart ko. dati rin kasi wala akong pakundangan sa paggamit ng butter or ng cream thinking na mas masarap ang food pag meron niyan. ndi ako takot sa fat sa mga meat, thinking na "fat is flavor". nung asa culinary school ako, tumaas rin yung panlasa ko sa salt. i eat naman veggies. pero natatawa na lang ako isipin ngayon kasi kakain ka nga ng vege eh buttered or creamed vegetables naman. haha nyorx. dati, tapang ko pa. kumbaga kasi nasa utak ko na "bata pa naman ako". tsaka i thought, ndi naman mangyayari yun sakin. pero hindi pala uubra yung ganung mentality. walang imposible eh.

so ngayon, healthy living na. i shall exercise when nagbigay na ng go signal si doc. i read na ang weight natin is 80% a product of our diet and 20%, of exercise. so dapat total lifestyle change. happy ako kasi so far, thru healthy eating, i've lost 20 lbs na. i'm glad kasi masasabi ko nang hindi na wimpy ang willpower ko sa pag-shun ng unhealthy food. pano ba namang ndi kung kamuntikan ka nang ma-deds? haha para sa akin, may mga paraan pa rin to make food enjoyable without the guilt and copious amounts of death-inducing ingredients. tsaka kahit pa medyo mas mahal yung mga ibang ingredients para sa healthy cooking, eh kebs na lang. kasi mas magandang investment naman yun kaysa sa magbuhos ka ng pera sa hospital bills...o kaya naman enjoy na enjoy ka sa kinakain mo pero unti-unti mo na rin palang pinapatay sarili mo. dehins na diba... masarap talaga kumain ng ice cream, isaw, bulalo, lechon, inihaw na liempo at kung ano pa, pero shempre mas masarap mabuhay.

[muahmuahmuah]

^oh my! thanks for sharing. ang dami mong pinagdaanan at the same time funny the side remarks. a good friend din i think same kayo sa kanya hereditary almost everyone sa family di nagtagal by age 50. so he kept a strict healthy diet and exercised talaga.  when he reached 50 to stop the paranoia he had to see a couple of top doctor friends to see if he needed angioplasty or a bypass they gave him a good bill of health naman so happy sya and he owes it all to  exercise and healthy eating, problema nalang niya ang pagiging narcoleptic ng sobra

anyhow. i like your 80% diet phrase. true the last line you wrote iniisip ko nalang din minsan natikman ko na lahat yan i'm good with that na just to stay away from it. pero it takes talaga a lot of discipline and drive so good that you have that. i'm sure when you set your blog up it will be a good and inspiring read.

[fides00]

^ i hope so. and true sis, disiplina talaga ang key. kasi balewala ang ganda nung diet at exercise routine mo if wala kang follow-thru. madali magsimula eh. but it's up to you pa rin if you'll stick to it for life.

[bhel_ledesma2001]

hello mga sis... pls help me naman how to cook a grilled chicken with lemon....

[avesoriano]

Fides those are good post. Can you advise re batch cooking... Di ba masisira freshness kaag lulutuin na yun for 1 week