Rebam98

Favorite Foods

I grew up on traditional American food: mac & cheese, meatloaf, spaghetti, lasagna, Hamburger Helper, etc. I was also a VERY picky eater. But I wanted to learn to eat healthy so I've been experimenting and expanding my tastes. Here are some of the foods I have discovered that I really like:

Beans: black, chickpea, black eyed, red. I love salsas with beans. I love bean salads. I love beans in my salads. They just need dressed up a bit with some dressing, no need for heavy BBQ sauces.

Fish: swordfish, halibut, tuna, mahi mahi, salmon, trout, flounder, tilapia. A lot of Americans don't like fish. But think about it: there are DOZENS of different types of fish and you are bound to like one of them. Most think of haddock or cod when they think of fish which have that traditional fishy taste (think fish sticks). I DON'T like either of these fish but I love the above mentioned fish. If you like chicken, you can definitely learn to love fish.

Pineapples. Simply love. Try grilled!

Peppers: green, yellow, red bell peppers. I can't get enough. I have them on salads, in sandwiches, grilled.

Caribbean food. Lime, tequila, blackened anything, fish, chicken, black beans, salsas, pineapples ... love, love, love. Great way to eat tasty and healthy things.

Pork tenderloin. It is as lo cal as chicken but an obvious different taste. Very tender.

Smoothies: strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, peaches. I don't like most fruit alone. I have to have something creamy with it. With milk, fruit, and some sugar sub, fruit can be delicious.

Brussels sprouts. Ok, I don't LOVE them. But I've learned to find tasty ways to eat them and they are a nutritional power house.

Stirfry: usually chicken. Combine soy with some type of sugary liquid like fruit juice ... it's good. Also, a great way to eat vegetables. Homemade is so much better ... I definitely would NOT eat Chinese when I was younger.

Tomatoes. I didn't like tomatoes until I had garden fresh ones. Tomatoes combined with onions or mozzarella or vinegar ... YUM.

And, finally, anything garden fresh. I started to grow my own food and I can't tell you the difference in taste.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE COOKING:
1. A good knife is irreplaceable. I recommend a Santoku knife. Don't forget the steel to hone it.

2. A digital thermometer is also irreplaceable. It should have a probe which has a long wire so it can go in the oven with the meat and read the temperature of the meat constantly. Why bother guessing? I had one too many roasts come out not done.

3. Don't EVER put liquid butter on a hot pan, or any fatty substance on a hot pan. It will catch on fire!

4. An oven thermometer is not a bad idea, especially if you have an older oven.

5. Mandolins work great for slicing things (e.g. potatoes) to 3/8" or smaller thickness.