When you think about cooking healthy and light, do you only think of boiled vegetables, grilled breast and a bland and boring taste to satiety? Well, change the chip, since it doesn't have to be that way. Cooking in the oven is a good alternative to eat healthy, light and with all the flavor. And in Clara we tell you all the secrets to do it.
Healthier foods
- Better whole pieces. To avoid a great loss of nutrients, the ideal is to cook the food in the oven in whole pieces (whether vegetables, potatoes, fish, poultry or meat), or very large pieces (legs, shoulders, round, etc.).
- Seal meat and fish. Another tactic to keep nutrients from escaping off a tangent is to mark the pieces first at high heat. This creates a golden surface crust that works as protection and keeps the vitamins and minerals inside.
- Cook at a low temperature. It is considered that the healthiest thing is to always cook at a maximum of 180º. The higher the temperature and the longer the cooking duration, the more nutrients are lost.
- Reduce the amount of fat. Very fatty foods, such as certain cuts of meat, put them on a rack with the baking tray underneath, so that the fat that is released does not return to the food. So you can lighten them a bit.
- Bake in cocotte. Baking the food in a well covered cast iron container or straining it will lose less nutrients.
- Cook in papillote. This technique works for all kinds of foods, be they vegetables, fish, white meat (chicken, turkey) or even fruits. It has the advantage that, when cooked in its own juice, the food preserves its nutrients and its original texture very well. Also, it is almost unnecessary to use fatty sauces and condiments once cooked so it will be lighter.
- Avoid aluminum foil. Both for the papillote and to line the oven trays, it is preferable that you use brown paper; it is more ecological and less polluting than aluminum.
And tastier foods
- Putting vegetable beds. Both the meat and the fish are very juicy if you cook the pieces on beds of vegetables cut in julienne (onion, carrot, etc.). In addition, by not having to add oil because it is cooked with the steam of the vegetables, the recipe will be much lighter and digestive. Dare with this hake with vinaigrette.
- Add broth to meat and fish. They are more succulent if during cooking you water them with broth or other liquids, such as wine or spirits.
- Let the meat and rice rest. Let the meat and rice rest out of the oven, but covered, for a few minutes. Makes the moisture distributed evenly and the dish is much juicier.
- Do not cover the blue fish. Sardines or salmon, being richer in fat than other fish, are juicy without the need to cover them with greaseproof paper.
- Marinades and marinades. They are a good way to give flavor to the pieces that will later be cooked in the oven, especially meat and fish. Don't miss out on these salmon rice timpani.
- Bet on the fillings. Not only meats can be stuffed in the oven, but also vegetables, for example some zucchini, some peppers or some aubergines. The combination of ingredients and the herbs and spices you use are a feast for the palate. Also try stuffing the fish! For example, how about these Sea Bass Rolls with Ratatouille?
- Baked paellas. Finishing the cooking of the paella in the oven (the last 14 minutes) makes the rice grain looser and cooking is more homogeneous.
If you also want to eat healthy and suck your fingers with boiled or steamed foods, do not miss these other tips.
