Comments

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  Lesley

  I'd like to know more about this, too. I've got a real weakness for the cheesy dishes, and I'm never sure what to use. It seems the low-fat cheeses never melt as well or have the same flavor as what they're using in restaurants.

  about 1 year ago
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  Sandy (Community Guide)

  Use real raw Organic cheeses. When I make Mexican expecally I try to think of how that dish is actually made. Also you dont have to fry if you do not want to in a recipe. If you can grill. Also say if you do not want to use all cheese why not make a cheese sauce yourself that way the cheese is thinned out. Fat isnt all that bad. Just keep it a good souce and you can also have an idea of where that fat is coming from (example is the cow being fed free range or stuffed with hormones and such to make its fat toxic?). Have fun! Experiment!

  about 1 year ago
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  Barb

  Sandy's right; there are good fats and bad fats... But just the same, you can watch where yours are coming from. Instead of frying in lard or oil, fool around with different cooking methods like grilling or baking, instead. You can make your own tortilla chips, and even season them with spices, herbs or lime juice, and then just bake them. If you really want to do a beef dish, use a lean cut of meat (like flank steak).

  about 1 year ago
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  Shane

  So what about refried beans? I never like the rice in Mexican restaurants, but the beans are great.

  about 1 year ago
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  Donna (Food on the Table)

  I've definitely adopted baking and slow cooking as a replacement for frying, most of the time, and at first it was because my kids were so little and I worried about having a hot pot of oil on the stove with two little ones running around. But the flavor's definitely still there, and if you season something like baked tortilla chips right after they come out of the oven, it'll really help. We all watch salt intake, but as long as it's used sparingly, it shouldn't be a problem. I save my salt for where it really makes a difference...

  But there's still a place for frying, too. One thing to make sure of, though--and this will help reduce the fat and calories--is that if you do fry, the oil temperature needs to be hot enough. If you fry at too low a temperature, more oil goes into your food. If the temperature is high enough that your food crisps up quickly as soon as it goes in, you're better off.

  about 1 year ago
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  Lesley

  Refried beans--they're not really fried, are they?

  about 1 year ago
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  Donna (Food on the Table)

  Lesley, no, they're not. Well, not technically. Two things to consider here... If you're cooking refried beans at home, you can automatically make them healthier by making them yourself. I'm always surprised at how many people steer away from cooking dried beans, peas and lentils when it's so easy, and canned foods are one of the less healthy options out there. Can't beat cooking from scratch... So, all you have to do is soak your beans overnight--no salt in the soaking water, though, because it makes them tough--and then cook them until tender the next day. Give them a little sprinkle of salt when they're done, and hit them with whatever herbs you like--cumin, oregano, garlic--maybe even a little jalapeno, and then mash them. That would be the healthiest way to go, but it's not the traditional method. Usually they'd then be cooked with some lard or oil for a time (so I guess that's where the 'refried' comes in), but you can still eliminate that by adding a little cooking liquid--veggie or chicken stock, or even water--and let it bake a bit to let all the flavors come together. Healthy beans!!

  about 1 year ago
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  Sandy (Community Guide)

  Refried beans are so easy. I agree with what Donna wrote. Depending on what bean I use I might go weird and put a little lime or lemon juice in, dollop of real butter. or melt some real cheese in to help make it smoother.

  about 1 year ago
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  Donna (Food on the Table)

  Exactly, Sandy. And I meant to add that if you have one of those nifty immersion blenders, they're great for refried beans.

  about 1 year ago
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  Barb

  Another thing would be to not use the pre-made taco seasonings and things like that, because they're way higher in sodium than anything you would make fresh, and are probably loaded with preservatives...

  about 1 year ago
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  Donna (Food on the Table)

  This got me thinking about sauces, so I looked up some nutritional info on sour cream vs. Cacique crema (which I what we see in the stores around here). Very interesting, actually... For a serving size of 2 tbs (which is obviously much less than you would get in a dish where the whole plate is sauced and then covered with cheese), you're looking at this:

  about 1 year ago
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  Donna (Food on the Table)

  SOUR CREAM: Total Fat 5g; Saturated Fat 3.5g; Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 15mg; Total Carbohydrate 1g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Sugars 1g; Protein 1g

  CREMA: Total Fat 5g; Saturated Fat 3g; Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 20mg; Total Carbohydrate 2g; Sugars 2g; Protein 0g.

  (These figures are from livestrong.com.)

  So, for sour cream—it's higher in saturated fat and protein, but marginally lower in sodium and with half the carbs and sugars, but the same as Cacique Crema in cholesterol.

  I'm thinking I'd probably stick with sour cream, but most of all, I'd think of going really easy on the cream sauce entirely, no matter what it was!

  about 1 year ago
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  Chef Heather (Food on the Table)

  @Donna~ A great substitute for the sour cream would be Greek yogurt. Same consistency as sour cream and once mixed with some salsa or seasoning no one will know!

  about 1 year ago
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  Chef Heather (Food on the Table)

  @Barb~ You are completely right, those pre-made taco seasonings are loaded with sodium, MSG, and who knows what else! I will share a recipe for homemade taco seasoning below:

  about 1 year ago
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  Chef Heather (Food on the Table)

  Homemade Taco Seasoning

  4 tablespoons chili powder
  3 tablespoons paprika
  3 tablespoons ground cumin
  1 tablespoon onion powder
  2 teaspoons garlic powder
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  2 teaspoons dried oregano
  2 teaspoons sea salt
  2 teaspoons black pepper

  Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well to blend. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

  Note: Use 2 tablespoons to replace 1 package of taco seasoning in recipes. Or brown ground beef, drain grease. Add 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning and ½ cup of water. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

  about 1 year ago
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  beth

  I think that if you do some research into AUTHENTIC mexican cooking, you will find that it isn't all that 'unhealthy.' the Americanized "mexican" food is pretty horrible for our health i think. But I have sought out cookbooks that are specifically for authentic mexican and its a lot of spices you have to find at specialty markets, slow cooked meat, and fresh veggies, and tasty rice...

  about 1 year ago
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  Ksenija

  Right, Beth. You're talking more about traditional Mexican, not the Tex-Mex. I'm really interested in this--do you have any favorite cookbooks or recipes to recommend? Thanks.

  about 1 year ago
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  Dee

  I have a couple of favorite cookbooks for great mexican food. Anything Rick Bayless has done is fabulous. Authentic and fresh and even healthy.Start with "Mexican Kitchen". He has a website as well with great recipes. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipes/ Diane Kennedy is also great but I find her books to be more for a foodie or food anthroplogy fix than for a quick dinner recipe.

  about 1 year ago
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  beth

  Ok, here's one that is a good place to start:
  THE GRINGO'S GUIDE TO AUTHENTIC MEXICAN COOKING by Mad Coyote Joe.

  about 1 year ago
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  Ksenija

  Thanks, Beth--will look it up!

  about 1 year ago