Whether it's a stuffed breakfast burrito, a rich marinara or a hearty soup,
Coover-Stone's cuisine adheres to the guidelines of the American Cancer
Society and American Heart Association: unprocessed, portion controlled,
low-fat and low-salt.
"When talking about heart disease, I know where it will end up if people
don't eat healthy food," Coover-Stone said, referring to her nursing
experience. "Seeing people in the hospital, it just drove it home to me.
There are a lot of consequences (to eating poorly). People forget what they
are doing to themselves."
Coover-Stone achieves flavor beyond salt with herbs such as lemon pepper,
or vinegar and capers. And kicking the salt habit extends to dining out as
well as home cooking.
"When you go out, food is highly salted," said Coover-Stone. "I can taste
it, and then I'm much more thirsty.
"When I cook at home, I just don't add it," she said. "If a dish needs
salt, I sprinkle a little bit on when I'm eating. I'm not heavy-handed with
it."
Coover-Stone also likes Better Than Bouillon, a granulated soup base
(found in the soup aisle of supermarkets) because she can scale back the
prescribed amount and still make a flavorful broth with less sodium.
And recipes, even ones in health-conscious magazines such as Cooking
Light, are not gospel to Coover-Stone. She is not always wed to following
the stated measurements of fat and salt.
If a recipe calls for butter, for example, she will cut the amount in
half, or combine a little bit with olive oil rather than banish it from a
dish entirely.
"Butter has an appealing flavor, but you don't need much," she said. "I
will use a tablespoon of it, but if the dish gets too dry, I add water. I
don't keep adding butter. It's not quite as creamy, but it still has the
taste."
Substituting fat-free half-and-half or even 2 percent milk thickened with
a little flour is another dandy way to sidestep full-fat half-and-half or
artery-clogging heavy cream in recipes, she said.
Reading labels is important, too, she said. A product may be low in fat
and sodium, but if you eat the whole package, you've done yourself no
favors.
"It takes time and effort," Coover-Stone admits of maintaining
heart-healthy cooking and eating habits. "But that is one thing people need
to be aware of — know what a portion is. Know what the guidelines are."
CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE, MINT AND LEMON
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
1 whole chicken breast
1 large onion, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
3 sprigs fresh mint
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1_4 teaspoon dried)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 black peppercorns, crushed
2/3 cup white rice
1 teaspoon lemon juice, or more to taste
Salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Lemon slices, for garnish
makes 6 (2-cup) servings
In a 4-quart saucepan over high heat, bring water, chicken base, chicken,
onion, zest, mint, parsley, thyme, garlic and crushed peppercorns to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until chicken is tender, 30 to
35 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a cutting board to cool. Strain
soup in a large heatproof bowl, discarding all solids.
Return soup to the pan, set over high heat, add uncooked rice, and boil,
uncovered, until the soup has reduced slightly and the rice is done, about
10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred the chicken. Add to soup along with lemon juice, salt
and chopped mint. Heat about 2 minutes more. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish
with lemon slices and mint, if desired.
Per serving: 181 calories, 5 g fat (24.5 percent calories from fat), 13 g
protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 31 mg cholesterol, 338 mg
sodium.
From Vonnie Coover-Stone
Caroline Dipping writes about food for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
COPYRIGHT 2010 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE.
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