Eating Healthy? Get Out the Cast Iron Skillet
By Harriet Hodgson

As a kid I think every family in the neighborhood had a cast iron skillet. The skillets were pretty much the same, but the meals that came from them were as diverse as the families. Our next door neighbors were from St. Paul, MN and they fixed Swedish Meatballs in their skillet.

My family came from German and English stock and our meals reflected this heritage. Often my mother fixed German Fries, sliced onions and potatoes fried to a crispy brown. When I try hard I can see the German Fries in the skillet and smell the delicious smell that permeated the house.

When German, Swedish and Europan immigrants came to America some brought their cast iron skillets with them. These skillets accompanied them on the Westward migration. Later, chuck wagon cooks used cast iron skillets, baking pans, and Dutch Ovens to fix meals.

A cast iron skillet seems dated when compared to today's electric appliances. But cast iron skillets are making a comback and for good reasons. Consider these features.

DURABILITY. Cast iron skillets have stood the test of time. They're so durable they've been passed down from mother, to daughter, to grandaughter.

USABILITY. You may use a cast iron skillet on your stove top, in the oven, over an open fire, on charcoal or gas grill. Better yet, today's cast iron skillets come with a non-stick coating.

VARIETY. A six-inch skillet is perfect for fixing a meal for one. The larger 10-inch skillet is just right for family meals. Grill pans - skillets with ridges on the bottom - are also available.

COST. You'll search far and wide before you find a better value. A six-inch skillet costs about $8 and a 10-inch skillet costs about $17,not bad for a lifetime investment. The cost of a grill pan varies, depending on whether the exterior has an enamel coating.

You'll need to re-season your skillet if you've had it for a long time. Lodge, the primary manufacturer of cast iron cookware, says you should wash the skillet in hot soapy water first. Dry the skillet and let it stand on the counter for a few hours.

Next, Lodge says to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat the skillet with solid or liquid shortening. Place the skillet on a jelly roll pan to catch any drips. "Bake" the skillet in the oven for one hour. Turn the oven off and let the skillet cool completely before you open the door. Last, wipe off any residue with paper towels.

Never wash a skillet in soapy water or scour it after it's been re-seasoned. Instead, rinse the skillet under hot water and swish away food residue with a stiff brush. Make sure the skillet is dry before you put it away. You may also rub the skillet with salt to clean it. Rinse the salt off with hot water.

Over time a dark coating will develop on the bottom of your skillet. Don't worry, this is exactly what you want. In fact, some professional chefs think this coating gives food extra (and maybe secret) flavor. A well seasoned skillet needs only a coating of baking spray for shortening. Some recipes may not need shortening at all.

I have two skillets, a plain one and a griddle pan. What do I fix in them? A better question would be, "What don't I fix in them?" Marvelous food comes from these skillets: chunky applesauce flavored with cinnamon, stir-fried onions, peppers, mushrooms, and pea pods, fried brown rice with lots of veggies, chicken scallops with lemon sauce, lean hamburger patties, grilled asparagus with a hint of garlic, and more.

Cooking healthy? Forget those fancy, shmancy pans. Get out the cast iron skillet and fix healthy meals for yourself and your family.

Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson. For more information on her work please go to http://www.harriethodgson.com.

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the former "Rochester Magazine," in her hometown of Rochester, MN. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with co-author Dr. Lois Krahn, is available from http://www.amazon.com

Hot Barbeque Recipes
By Hans Dekker

Anyone can create delicious homemade hot barbeque recipes once they know the basic ingredients. The main ingredient is of course some type of tomato base.

You can use, tomato sauce, a combination of tomato paste and tomatoes, a combination of tomato paste and either tomato juice of V-8 juice, and ketchup. Then everyone uses ingredients such as garlic, mustard, and onions. The other items that enhance the flavor of your barbeque sauce are items such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vegetable oil, olive oil, liquid smoke, and Tabasco sauce.

Spices that are preferred include garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. These are just a few of the ingredients you will see when you read a barbeque sauce recipe.

To make hot barbeque recipes you can begin with an ordinary store bought brand of barbeque sauce like Heinz or Hunts. Pour the entire bottle of sauce into a medium saucepan. Add items such as jalapeno peppers, Tabasco sauce, and cayenne pepper or chili powder. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Now, you can use this sauce to baste your favorite meat before baking, grilling, or broiling.

Another hot barbeque recipe that you are sure to enjoy needs the following ingredients, 1 large chopped onion, 3 chopped and de-seeded jalapeno peppers, ½ cup of ketchup, ½ cup of water, ¼ cup of vinegar, ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar or honey, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke, ½ teaspoon of cayenne powder, salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium saucepan mix together all ingredients until well blended and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Use on all of your favorite meats before barbequing to give them that hot spicy flavor you crave.

Hans is author of http://www.steaks-guide.com / and the barbeque and grill section of http://www.patio-furniture-ideas.com

Low Carb Barbeque Sauce
By Hans Dekker

Is there such a thing as low carb bbq sauce recipes? The answer is yes! You can enjoy all that barbequing has to offer with several different low carb barbecue recipes.

The main item in BBQ sauce that causes the high carb levels is of course sugar, so you should look for recipes that do not have any sugar or substitute the sugar with a substitute like Splenda. You can make your sauces sweet if you like, but not all barbeque sauces have to sweet to be delectable.

Try this one on. You will need:

1 minced onion,
1 small can of tomato sauce,
2 cups of water,
¼ cup of apple cider vinegar (one with no sugar),
¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, paprika,
chili powder,
cinnamon,
cloves,
salt and pepper all to taste.

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for around 15 minutes. All done and you have a low carb barbeque sauce that everyone at your dinner party is sure to love.Of course you can adjust if you are serving seafood, beef, pork, chicken or plain hamburgers.

For any barbacue sauce you will need some type of tomato product such as tomato sauce, ketchup, or a combination of tomato puree and tomatoes. Then all the other ingredients are pretty much taste.

You can add onions, green pepper, red pepper, jalapeno peppers, orange juice, pineapple juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or anything else to enhance the flavor and aroma of your barbeque sauce. But, to keep it low in carbs stay away from sugar or any items that have sugar added. Some ketchup's have sugar added, so be sure to read the label before you purchase the items to prepare your BBQ sauce.

Enjoy your low carb cookout!

Hans is author of http://www.steaks-guide.com / and the barbeque and grill section of http://www.patio-furniture-ideas.com

How to Make a Tantalizing White Lightening Chili
By Paula McCoach

Chili cooks always want to discover that award-winning chili recipe that will be tantalizing for their family and friends and maybe even impress a few chili contest judges. Wouldn't it be exciting to UNLEASH your chili and rock your family and friends' worlds, save money and have a great time preparing it?

In my interviews with outstanding chili cooks, I have developed some tantalizing chili recipes that are easy, time and money saving and make your body tingle from the first taste right down to your toes.

The secret ingredient is the key to this tantalizing recipe. This secret ingredient sets this chili apart from the rest. Actually, it is so sensational that it makes this easy and timesaving chili unbelievably flavorful.

Finding a recipe that uses your local grocery store ingredients is another time and money saving benefit of this chili. There are no fancy ingredients that you have to go to a specialty shop to buy. So, you can get the ingredients during one of your weekly food shopping trips.

This recipe produces a sultry chili that your family and friends will think came from a high-class restaurant.

Try this recipe and send us your comments and suggestions.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. of pork, chicken or turkey
2-4 cloves of garlic to taste
1 large chopped onion
1-2 tablespoons of cumin
1 large bell pepper - green, yellow or red
4-6 16 oz. cans of your favorite white bean
1-3 finely chopped jalapeno peppers

If using pork, use a pork shoulder and cook about 2 ½ - 3 hours until you can pull it. With chicken or turkey, cook it for about 1½ hours in an inch of water at 350 degrees in a large covered roasting pan with a good lid to hold in the steam.

Use chicken or turkey breasts with the skin and bone for the extra flavor. Not necessary to use boneless breasts because more flavor is available with the skin and bone and it is more economical too.

If the chicken does not pull apart at 1½ hours, cook an additional 15 minutes until it does pull apart. With chicken or turkey, before you add the following ingredients, pull out the bones and unwanted gristle, etc. Only the meat is used in the chili.

The last half hour of the cooking process, add the following ingredients.

Cook chili mixture an additional ½ hour. Add 4-6 16 oz. cans of your favorite white bean.

Stir in the beans and leave it in the oven until the beans are warm and let it cool for 20-30 minutes. Reheat to serve.

To discover the "Secret Ingredient" that makes this chili tantalizing plus 5 SECRET TIPS for "unleashing" your chili, email pmccoach@mchsi.com