Health Cooking …with Howard
is
a series of instructional videos focused on the “healthy preparation of nutritious foods”. The series is currently in production in the
studios of LexMedia, Lexington
MA’s local access cable channels and is scheduled to be broadcast beginning in
the winter of 2013. When released, they will also be available on this page, below.
The concept was conceived in part from my desire to “pay
forward” my good fortune to have participated in a series of group Wellness and
Nutrition programs conducted by my primary care physician and a licensed
dietitian in their practice the results of which have been transformative for
me. In the course of the programs, I learned how meals we consume in restaurants
or “take out” and eat at home make ‘weight loss’ and ‘weight loss maintenance’
problematic due to our lack of control over their ingredients and preparation.
That means what we prepare ourselves, at home, is of even greater importance
for the health of our family and ourselves.
Perhaps because I am in charge of food planning,
purchasing and preparation for my family, I observed that those tasks –
especially the prospect of cooking from “scratch” – appeared daunting. We also
live a hectic lifestyle and have become so accustomed to “instant everything”
that, at the end of the day, the effort involved in planning and preparing
healthy, nutritious meals seems, if not overwhelming, like too much work. As a
result, we are likely to succumb to the craving for a quick – and often
unhealthy – “fix” to satisfy our hunger.
Our challenge, if we are to move toward a
healthier lifestyle, is to alter our behavior around the food we eat. My hope
is that this series can make the process of “healthy”
cooking more transparent and accessible to the typical home cook and that a
viewer’s response will be:
·
“That looks delicious!!”· “I can do that and my family will love it!!”
NOTE: This effort ultimately 'morphed' into a separate collection of more than 100 recipes in 2020 (currently known as "The Book"). You can access the collection "here". Feel free to browse and/or download them.
Contents:
Episode #1:
“Oven-Fried Fish Fillets”: a healthy
alternative to oil-fried fish, accompanied by Raw Butternut Squash Slaw and Sautéed
Bok Choy.
What’s special:
Although the fillets are prepped in the usual manner, they are baked in the
oven on a wire rack over a baking sheet instead of fried in oil in a skillet;
both the Butternut Squash and Bok Choy are nutritionally “dense” per calorie
and easy to prepare.
Episode #2:
"Let’s Talk ‘Chicken’”: pan-roasted,
bone-in chicken breasts, accompanied by Herbed Corn Meal Polenta and Steamed
Sesame Broccoli.
What’s special:
The breasts are whole “bone-in”, split, trimmed, brined, then air-dried in the
fridge; pan-seared to start, they are finished in the oven. Because of the
brining they remain moist and tasty (no more dried-out chicken). They can be
prepped in quantity and frozen after air-drying, allowing for subsequent meals
with little or no prep. The broccoli, steamed instead of cooked in water, loses
none of its wonderful nutrients. Polenta is a delicious alternative to rice or
pasta, more nutritious than potatoes and goes perfectly with the flavorful pan
sauce made from the roasting juices while the chicken is resting.
Episode #3:
“Salmon 2 Ways”: two healthy easy ways to serve a fish high in omega-3 [etc.]
What’s
special: Whether
pan-seared and served on a bed of pureed fennel (adapted from a meal enjoyed at
Ristorante Siena, Stamford, CT),
or chopped and molded into salmon cakes and served with roasted beets, the variations are
simple to prepare, nutritious and makes for a great presentation. And because
the salmon cakes need to be frozen before
cooking (again, oven-fried – no oil), they can be prepped in quantity, allowing
for subsequent meals with little or no prep.
Videos:
Episode #1:
“Oven-Fried Fish Fillets”: a healthy
alternative to oil-fried fish, accompanied by Raw Butternut Squash Slaw and Sautéed
Bok Choy.
[INSERT VIDEO] [Shoot date: July 10, 2012. Broadcast date: TBA]
Episode #2:
"Let’s Talk ‘Chicken’”: pan-roasted,
bone-in chicken breasts, accompanied by Herbed Corn Meal Polenta and Steamed
Sesame Broccoli.
[INSERT VIDEO] [Shoot date: September 12, 2012. Broadcast date: TBA]
Episode #3:
“Salmon 2 Ways”: two healthy easy ways to serve a fish high in omega-3 [etc.]
[INSERT VIDEO] [Shoot date: December 5, 2012. Broadcast date: TBA]
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