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Recipes

  

According to Pat Baird, nutrition consultant and National Heartburn Alliance Board member, you don't have to give up all of your favorite foods. Just a few minor changes in what you eat and how you prepare your food can make a major difference in how you feel after your meal.

• Enjoy a Heartburn-Free Holiday Season. We doubt you'll even notice these tasty desserts have less fat. Celebrate with Snowflake Cookies, Apple Snack Cake and our No-Fuss Pear Shortcakes.
• Start from Scratch: Forget the store-bought baked goodies. Muffins and breads made from scratch can contain less fat without troublesome ingredients such as pepper or spice (see Whole Wheat Corn Muffins Recipe).
• Prepare Pasta Properly: Don't drown your pasta in tomato-based or high-fat sauces. Instead, prepare a light "broth-type" sauce, and perk the dish up with heartburn-friendly herbs (see Bow-Tie Pasta with Peas and Ham Recipe).
• Cool the Summer Burn: Avoid the heat of summer heartburn - check out our heartburn-friendly recipes for Herbed Orzo Salad with Corn and Marinated Lamb Loins.
• Bypass Burgers: Instead of burgers, try meats that are lower in fat, like chicken, turkey or lean flank steak (see Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Recipe).
• Forgo the Fat: Substitute high-fat side dishes like potato salad with healthier alternatives such as roasted potatoes (see Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Summer Vegetables Recipe).
• Try This Heartburn-Friendly Holiday Fare: These festive recipes will bring warmth to your holiday table without igniting the flames of heartburn: Wild Mushroom Stuffing and Roasted Onion and Shallot Gravy.
• Have a Heartburn-Free Valentine's Day: Fan the flames of desire rather than indigestion this Valentine's Day - try these delicious heartburn-friendly recipes for Spinach Stuffed Sole and Angel Food Cake.

Heartburn-Friendly Cooking Techniques

Did you know that certain cooking techniques can contribute to heartburn? To minimize heartburn episodes, prepare food using as little fat as possible. Foods cooked in oil or butter tend to linger in the stomach and are likely to cause digestive problems. Preferred cooking methods include roasting, baking, broiling, poaching or steaming, all of which decrease the amount of fat, but maintain a dish's flavor. To cook food quickly with little or no added fat, use a microwave, pressure cooker or wok.

It's wise to avoid frying, deep-frying, and sautéing whenever possible. In lieu of frying or sautéing, try steaming vegetables, seafood or poultry using broths, juices, water, wine or dry vermouth. This can be done on top of the stove or in the microwave in a covered container. With some foods like chicken or potatoes, roasting achieves an effect and flavor similar to deep-frying. This glossary of cooking terms will serve as a reference to better, healthier food preparation techniques.

Bake - a method of dry-heat cooking done in an oven. Pans may be covered or uncovered. When applied to meat, fish, or poultry the term roasting is used.

Barbecue - a method of dry-heat cooking where foods are roasted over coals, under a flame, or in an electric unit. Foods are generally basted (moistened) with a seasoned mixture or sauce, during cooking.

Boil - a moist-heat method where food is cooked in water, or other liquid, at or above boiling (212° F).

Braise - a moist-heat method where food is cooked in a small amount of liquid, over low heat (may also be done in the oven).

Broil - a dry-heat method where food is cooked directly under a heating element.

Grill - a dry-heat method where food is cooked directly over hot coals or heating element.

Microwave - high-frequency energy which is converted into heat when it is absorbed by food; these energy waves are especially attracted to water, liquid, sugar, and fat in foods, and cook more quickly than most other methods.

Pan-Fry - a dry-heat method where food is cooked over high heat with little or no fat (preparation starts with cold skillet, and any accumulated fat is poured off during cooking).

Poach - a moist-heat method where food is cooked over low heat in liquid.

Pressure Cook - a moist-heat method where food is cooked in a special air-tight, covered pan which creates pressure and steam to cook foods more quickly than most other methods.

Roast - a dry-heat method done (uncovered) in an oven; generally refers to meats, poultry, fish and vegetables.

Stir-Fry - a Chinese method of cooking food over high heat, with a small amount of fat (oil), stirring constantly.

Steam - a moist-heat method where foods are placed on a rack or special piece of steaming equipment over boiling water, or in a covered pan with boiling water.