Recipe for Success!
As a chef, I can not even tell you how many recipes I have read over the span of my career. From books to magazines and the internet, there is no shortage of recipes to be discovered. In this modern age anyone can put a recipe on the web to share. With this wealth of information it is important to be able to distinguish the good from… well the not so good.
The majority of recipes I have seen on the internet are inherently unhealthy. Most deal with ingredients that are preprocessed or are not balanced. By this I mean they might taste pretty good, but they will not give your body what it really needs. I am not saying taste should be secondary to nutrition, what I am saying is that taste needs to go hand in hand with nutrition. It’s like having an amazing looking car with no motor. This analogy is how we need to look at the recipes we chose to make.
Here are a few tips on how to pick a great recipe.
- Make sure your recipe comes from a credible source. Not all recipes are created equal.
- Less is more. Recipes do not need to be complicated.
- Buy seasonal ingredients, then find a recipe that fits those ingredients. Most people do just the opposite.
- Read the recipe completely and make sure you have the proper tools before you commit.
- Look for recipes that include fresh ingredients.
With this simple information you will be able to fine tune your recipe searches. Here is one of my recipes to get you started.
Firecracker Salad
Yield 4 Servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Florida honey
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups fresh Florida corn kernels (from 4 ears)
6 medium Florida radishes, halved and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup fresh Florida flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
Preparation
To make the dressing, purée the lime juice, jalapeño, honey and cumin in a blender. With the machine on, add the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. In a large bowl, toss the corn with the radishes, parsley, red onion and dressing. Season the salad with salt and pepper, transfer to plates and serve.
Nutritional Information:
One serving contains the following: Calories 231; Total Fat 14g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 126mg; Total Carbohydrates 28g; Protein 4g. Cholesterol Free, High in Vitamin C.
That looks wonderful, and very refreshing! Reminds me of summer (sigh). Beautiful site as well! Although I have to say that regarding the countless recipe shared online, people should be able to judge its nutritional value, and I believe it’s the people’s responsibility to be more health-conscious in their eating habits. Not that of whom decides to share a recipe they like
- Kloé