Fried chicken. Biscuits and gravy. Barbecued everything. Some foods from the American South have migrated throughout the nation. Even if you want to eat healthy, using deep south seasoning and recipes can bring that famous southern touch to your table.
Deep frying was popular for both meats and vegetables in the good old days. Fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, fried okra, and hush puppies were popular favorites. However, this is no longer considered an acceptable way to prepare food. This is primarily because extremely high heat alters the nature of vegetable oils, creating harmful 'trans fats' which are bad for our hearts. Saturated fats, like pork lard, goose grease, and bear fat, hold up better to high heat than do vegetable oils, but they have their own health concerns.
This is where the spices used by southern cooks come in. If the pan-browned and then baked chicken tastes divine, your family won't miss the crunchy crust. Garlic, onion, paprika, sage, salt, and pepper give flavor to the meat and the flour you use to coat it.
Salt is used widely in southern dishes. In fact, salted fish are often eaten for breakfast. Today too much salt in the diet is known to be unhealthy, and care must be taken to use other, healthier spices to make foods appealing. Sea salt is better than the common, refined kind, but even it should be used sparingly. Other spices used widely in 'soul food' - red and black pepper, onion and garlic, and paprika - cut down the need for salt to make food palatable.
Cayenne pepper, which is a big part of many Creole and Cajun dishes, is actually so healthy that it's sold in capsules as a dietary supplement. It is an anti-inflammatory, has more vitamin C than citrus, and helps other nutrients work better in the body. It also boosts circulation and promotes normal clotting of the blood.
Some people who find cayenne irritating might have to stay away from Cajun and Creole foods, but there are blander choices in southern cuisine. Onion and garlic enhance the flavors of meats and vegetables. Salt pork was commonly used to flavor collard greens and beans; today there are seasoning blends that impart the same taste without the added fat.
Other vegetables were often cooked for a long time. This can seem strange to those who are used to lightly steamed beans and tossed salads. However, these healthy veggies taste great with southern stand-bys like sweet potatoes, Cole slaw, and cucumber pickles. Actually, baked sweet potatoes and low-sodium pickles are considered true health foods.
There are so many things that southern cooks have made famous. Coastal chefs have a way with seafood, while those who live near mighty rivers know how to make catfish delectable. Gumbo is one thing that even those who won't eat it recognize, while shrimp have become a universal favorite. Comfort food is synonymous with this part of the country: molasses cookies, corn bread, pan gravy and biscuits. And, of course, there is peanut butter. Turning these and more into part of a balanced diet is a pleasure as well as a duty.
Deep frying was popular for both meats and vegetables in the good old days. Fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, fried okra, and hush puppies were popular favorites. However, this is no longer considered an acceptable way to prepare food. This is primarily because extremely high heat alters the nature of vegetable oils, creating harmful 'trans fats' which are bad for our hearts. Saturated fats, like pork lard, goose grease, and bear fat, hold up better to high heat than do vegetable oils, but they have their own health concerns.
This is where the spices used by southern cooks come in. If the pan-browned and then baked chicken tastes divine, your family won't miss the crunchy crust. Garlic, onion, paprika, sage, salt, and pepper give flavor to the meat and the flour you use to coat it.
Salt is used widely in southern dishes. In fact, salted fish are often eaten for breakfast. Today too much salt in the diet is known to be unhealthy, and care must be taken to use other, healthier spices to make foods appealing. Sea salt is better than the common, refined kind, but even it should be used sparingly. Other spices used widely in 'soul food' - red and black pepper, onion and garlic, and paprika - cut down the need for salt to make food palatable.
Cayenne pepper, which is a big part of many Creole and Cajun dishes, is actually so healthy that it's sold in capsules as a dietary supplement. It is an anti-inflammatory, has more vitamin C than citrus, and helps other nutrients work better in the body. It also boosts circulation and promotes normal clotting of the blood.
Some people who find cayenne irritating might have to stay away from Cajun and Creole foods, but there are blander choices in southern cuisine. Onion and garlic enhance the flavors of meats and vegetables. Salt pork was commonly used to flavor collard greens and beans; today there are seasoning blends that impart the same taste without the added fat.
Other vegetables were often cooked for a long time. This can seem strange to those who are used to lightly steamed beans and tossed salads. However, these healthy veggies taste great with southern stand-bys like sweet potatoes, Cole slaw, and cucumber pickles. Actually, baked sweet potatoes and low-sodium pickles are considered true health foods.
There are so many things that southern cooks have made famous. Coastal chefs have a way with seafood, while those who live near mighty rivers know how to make catfish delectable. Gumbo is one thing that even those who won't eat it recognize, while shrimp have become a universal favorite. Comfort food is synonymous with this part of the country: molasses cookies, corn bread, pan gravy and biscuits. And, of course, there is peanut butter. Turning these and more into part of a balanced diet is a pleasure as well as a duty.
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