Cooking Without Animal Fat
A Replacement for Animal Fat
Here are two ways to make vegetables taste great!
The Vegetarian Way
Art Smith says in the part of the South where he grew up, he called this the "Holy Trinity of Cooking." Use 2 tablespoons of onion, 2 cloves of garlic, minced, and 1 stalk of celery, chopped. These ingredients together make a great base for cooking vegetable dishes. He also likes to add a bay leaf, some thyme, and a pinch of red pepper, or sliced green peppers.
The Low-Fat Way
If you're cutting back on fat, Art says to take those same seasonings mentioned above and add bacon, hamhocks or smoked turkey parts. Cook them with water to make a strong broth, then remove the vegetables and meat and refrigerate the broth. Skim off the fat, and then use that liquid when cooking your vegetables. When he makes this, he figures about 4 cups of vegetables to 6 cups of water. For a meat broth, 2 pounds of bones to 4 cups of water, then simmer until you have a strong flavor.
You can also make a flavorful vegetable stock with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato and mushroom. Follow the directions above, and use it the same way you would a meat broth.
