I do my best to keep the recipes on here free of hard-to-find or strange ingredients. I know how I am when I read a recipe, if there’s 40 ingredients or several I’ve never heard of and have no idea where to get, I move on. Thus, with some basic staples, you can cook almost all of the recipes I post. But adding new ingredients keeps things fun, so I’m going to share some of my not-terribly-mainstream favorites, and invite you to try some of them out. To make things less intimidating, I’ll also tell you exactly where to find them, and how to use them. Let me know if you try any of these, and if you have something to add to the list, leave it as comment!
1. Sriracha sauce: This sauce is only for those who like it hot! Sriracha sauce is a condiment made from made from sun-ripened chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It originated in Thailand but is also commonly eaten with Vietnamese dishes. It’s becoming increasingly popular in the states, and you can find it in many mainstream grocery stores. It’s great for seafood, chicken, soup, dumplings, egg rolls, or anything else you think could use a spicy kick. Ribs, meatballs, veggies, it’s good on a lot of things. And because it’s low in calories and has no fat, it’s a great way to add flavor even if you’re watching your diet.
2. Purple potatoes: Have you seen purple potato chips? Well before they were sliced and fried those spuds were well, just purple potatoes. (The chips aren’t colored.) The pigments that provide the purple color are the same anthocyanins that give blueberries and red cabbage their hue. Purple potatoes contain about the same calories as the white ones we’re used to, but the extra phytochemicals boost the antioxidant potential. Most importantly, they’re just fun and colorful. They taste just like the white ones. Check out this blogger’s enthusiastic take on purple spuds: (plus a gorgeous recipe!) http://purplefoodie.com/2009/05/herby-purple-potatoes.html. I found them at the local farm market, but you can also find them sometimes at a regular grocery. Use them just like you would any other potato, baked, boiled, roasted, etc.
3. Shirataki noodles: As they the name would imply, these are a style of Japanese noodles. I stumbled across them in an Asian market near my house and discovered that they have virtually no carbohydrates, and only a fraction of the calories of regular pasta, because they are made almost completely from a soluble fiber called glucomannan. They are thin, soft, and translucent, not as chewy as normal pasta. Some people use shirataki instead of normal pasta for everything from fettucini alfredo to spaghetti with meatballs, but my favorite use for them is to add to miso soup or stir-fry dishes. They are most easily found in Asian stores, but are popping up more and more in mainstream markets. They are sold packed in water, always refrigerated. Some people dislike the texture, but others rave about them. I say try them yourself. A quick internet search and you can find a ton of recipes.
4. Kefir is a probiotic (think: good bacteria) drink, very similar to yogurt. In fact, if you just imagine yogurt that’s not quite as thick, you’ve got it. It comes plain as well as in fruit flavors, and makes a nice drink or base for a smoothie. It comes in quart bottles and if you look in your grocer’s refrigerator near the yogurts, I bet it’s already there, you just never noticed it. Just be sure to look for the lowfat varieties. I also recommend adding your own fruit or sweetener instead of buying the flavored kefir – they tend to be way too sugary. Like yogurt, kefir is a great source of calcium, protein, and beneficial bacteria that may help your immune system. In fact, kefir has 10 different probiotic strains, compared to 2 or 3 in yogurt.
5. Lightlife GimmeLean sausage. I’m not a vegetarian, but I ADORE this veggie sausage. And with no fat, soy protein and some fiber, it’s a healthy way to add some variety to a hot breakfast. I first tried this product at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Expo several years ago…and it was so good I hunted it down once I got home! You’ll see it in the refrigerated case, almost always in the produce section of supermarkets, along with other veggie foods and nondairy “cheeses”. I slice about 1/7th of the tube, peel off the wrapping, and drop it into a skillet with some olive oil spray. Then I lightly spray the top (so it doesn’t stick to my spatula) and flatten it into a patty. Brown it on both sides, and it’s great! Alternately, check out Morningstar Farms sausage patties from the freezer section, they are my second pick for taste and nutrition stats, but admittedly more convenient since they’re already in patties! Sausage, egg and cheese anyone?
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awesome Georgie
any thoughts on hot sauce? how adaptation works?
this is my "new food" quest – it's new condiments without sugar.
sorry kinda a tangent
new food: purple or blue natchos from blue corn – that is unless one has an issue with gluten grains.
your take on the anti-gluten grains (a la paleo)
mc
Oh yeah, sriracha is just one of the many hot sauce varieties in my arsenal! I like the plain, no sugar kind just as much, and if they made sriracha without it- I'd be in line with you to pick it up! I know it not much though, maybe a gram. I woudnt consider it a high sugar food by any stretch.
I think Tabasco Chipotle is my pick of the moment, but also Ken's Red Hot. I don't actually like the original Tabasco, and the green one.. so-so. Most often I use dried hot pepper flakes instead of any condiment. Or salsa if it needs moisture.
Tried making your own condiments? Got some to share?
Right on with the blue/purple corn, it expresses anthocyanins just like the spuds. I have yet to see fresh blue corn…but that would be so cool. I'm picturing that corn salad with purple kernels…
My take on the gluten grains: if you don't have celiacs disease or a diagnosable allergy, you're fine with gluten. There isnt any scientific evidence that healthy normal people have any ill effects from gluten. It is my inclination that people who "feel better" after cutting out gluten are simply eating less refined/starchy carbohydrates and enjoying a less glycemic diet overall. But I'm not one to discount someone else's experience – so if someone decides to try a gluten free diet (even without a celiac's or allergy diagnosis) and they feel great…I'd say keep doing it!) It's certainly not going to hurt to avoid gluten-containing grains, provided that care is taken to meet nutrient needs overall.
True story – my mom always had GI issues that were dismissed as IBS. After an allergy test showed she was allergic to corn, potatoes, turkey, pork, seafood, dairy AND soy (all foods she normally ate!) she said, this sounds nuts but I'll try it. She cut all those foods out by carefully reading labels and wouldnt ya know, she's never felt better. No GI problems since. So to her, its been worth it to cut those foods out.
For me, never had an issue with corn, wheat etc, and I don't have any symptoms which would make me think I ought to change something, so I continue to include them in my diet.
(Ive never had an allergy test.) Frankly after her results, I'm scared! lol.
thanks for the comment!
G
thanks for the reply, georgie. drop me a line to let me know how your studies are going.
mc