Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of not getting fatter, but when I cook there are just some things that make a difference to flavor. Once I get in to the kitchen, I become all about taste and calorie and fat content is far from my mind. It's only during meal planning or grocery shopping that I am able to pretend that I am watching what I eat. Here are some of the naughtiest things that make food delicious and my waistline larger:
- Bacon Grease: I can blame my husband for this one because his family introduced me to the concept of saving bacon grease. I remember laughing initially, that is, until I realized what a wonder-food bacon grease is. The problem with having a small bowl of it in the fridge at all times, means it is easy to add to just about everything. Here are some naughty uses of bacon grease:
* When making breakfast, cook your bacon first, remove from skillet, then cook your hash browns or eggs in the remaining grease. It really does add a ton of flavor.
* Beans: Adding a tablespoon to homemade refried beans adds a smokey, salty flavor
* When sauteing veggies (especially greens) throw a little in with the olive oil and voila - instant bacony deliciousness!
- Heavy Cream: I know, from experience, that you can substitute regular milk for most recipes that call for heavy cream and little harm is done, however, if you have heavy cream in the fridge-- it must be added to everything! I mean, you don't want it to go bad! This is precisely the reason I never buy it, or I opt for its lower fat cousin Half 'n Half. The best (well, worst really) uses of heavy cream:
* Obviously in any cream sauces: mac and cheese, alfredo, scalloped potatoes, etc.
* A little dab in your coffee is delish!
* Throw it in the food processor with a little sugar and whip to make homemade whipped cream. Likewise, throw it in with a little salt (or other spices) and whip a bit longer to create homemade butter.
* I have even used heavy cream to make sausage gravy for a breakfast of biscuits and gravy (which is its own guilty pleasure) - it was a special occasion... don't judge :)
- Oil: As in the frying variety. I know you can make just about any fried food in the oven, but we all know that it's 100 times better when you actually fry it. We don't fry things often, but what I like about "fry night" is that the husband helps and we stand in the kitchen, waiting for said fried good to cook, and we talk and pick at the finished fried goods so that by the time we sit down to eat we aren't even hungry anymore! Things I have (or have attempted) to fry over the years:
* Chicken (of course)
* Fish
* Homemade onion rings and mozzarella sticks
* Asparagus, mushrooms
* Homemade donuts
- Butter: I usually saute things in olive oil, but when I get butter on the brain - look out!
* Caramelized onions: I slow cook onion slices in olive oil AND butter - I could eat these right out of the pan! Actually the oil/butter combo is good when sauteing any vegetable.
* We all know that baked goods like banana bread and blueberry muffins don't need butter on them, but they are so much better when butter is added!
* Noodles: I could eat buttered noodles (with a little sprinkle of Parmesan) all day long
* Sometimes, just sometimes, I grease my baking pans with butter rather than Pam. It's only a tiny bit more time-consuming, but then your baked goods have a yummy buttery outer coating.
*Or how about shrimp scampi? Shrimp simmered in a dish of melted butter? yes please.
So leave a comment - what's your cooking guilty pleasure?
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