Conference turris::cooks

    I was on Weight Watchers for a while and though I was allowed the
    foods you aren't most were in small quantities. If you're truly
    allowed all the veggies you want, make the most of them by:
    
    Saute {onions,peppers,garlic} in {water,buillion,wine} in a nonstick
    skillet. Add crushed or whole tomatoes. Add {basil&oregano, chile
    powder&cumin&tabasco}. Use as a sauce over broiled chicken or fish.
    Vary amounts and seasonings to your tastes. Try other vegetables
    -- eggplant, zucchini, etc. 
    
    Good Luck!
    

    I've had good luck cooking fish in the microwave in about 1/4 inch
    of milk.  This keeps it from drying out, and the fish tastes quite
    good.  I top the fish with my herb-of-the-day (marjoram, basil,
    thyme, parsley all work well - I'm growing lemon thyme just for
    this dish!).  It takes only about 5 min for fish to cook - I
    test it after 3 min, and again every min until it's done.
    
    I expect that Chicken would also benifit from cooking in milk,
    or any broth-type liquid.  Especially if you've got to take the
    skins off, it's important to keep the meat from drying out while
    you cook it.  How 'bout cooking chicken in chicken broth to which
    you've added a bit of sherry, ginger, and garlic.  Then serve it
    on rice with a side order of stir-fries (done with Pam to avoid
    the oil), and make up a large pot of tea.  Add some fruit for
    dessert, and the meal should be pretty much balanced.
    
    --Louise

    Thanks for all your replies so far...
    
    We are under the care of a nutritionist (he is an MD), he wants
    us to burn our stored fat, that's why we can't have any fat in
    our food. I should have added to my list of "nos"
    
    			No booze (including sherry, so that
    	                          heavenly chicken recipe is
    				  out!)
    		        No fruit juice (can't have the V-8, besides
    					it's LOADED with salt!)
    
    I appreciate all your suggestions so far. Even if I can't follow
    them word for word, it gives me more ideas on what I could do.
    Thanks for your input!!!
    
    -clc-who-is-already-five-pounds-lighter-and-counting
    

    You might ask him if COOKING with sherry/wine is out.  When
    you cook booze, the alchohol evaporates out, and all you
    have left is the flavor-part of it.  Sherry is a great
    seasoning.  One caution - stuff sold as cooking wine (the
    Holland House et al stuff) sometimes has added salt.
    
    You could try buying a juicer and making your own carrot/
    celery/cucumber/tomato etc juices.  Then you'll know there's
    no added salt or preservatives.
    
    --Louise

    I love to cook my fish in the microwave. I tend to put the
    fish in a dish with a little lemon juice then throw in the
    veggies on top and cook for 4-5 min. I think break the fish
    up and mix in with the veggies. It's a good way for me to
    eat fish (without sauces) and yet not feel like I'm eating
    it (I hate to eat it).

    re .5: stuff sold as cooking wine ALWAYS has salt added (1.5% by
    volume), or they can't sell it as cooking wine (they must sell it
    as wine, which requires a liquor license, etc.)
    
    Scott

    I have a GREAT salid recipe, which I first tastes in Chicago.  It's
    very simple:
    	lots of lettace
    	one orange, in sections with each section in 3 - 4 pieces (no
    		seeds please!)
    	cup up cold chicken breast, no skin
    	cashew nuts - unsalted
    
    As for a dressing, I use a sweet and sour dressing made with papaya
    seeds, but it has oil and sugar in it so I assume you don't want
    that.  You are on your own for the dressing!
    
    I eat this at least once a week, tonight in fact.
    Good luck!
    

    Sounds like one I have that uses pineapple instead of orange and
    almonds rather than cashews (variations on a theme??). We mix
    ours with a little bit of Weight Watchers mayo, but your dressing
    sounds better. We'll have to save that for post-diet (sigh!).
    
    -clc-

    It's been several years since I've been on a diet, but I remember
    one of my diet staples was yogurt--it's very versatile.  I used
    to
    make a salad dressing by mixing yogurt with Hidden Valley Ranch
    packaged salad dressing mix--you probably can't do this because
    I imagine the packaged mix has salt in it, but you could probably
    experiment on your own by mixing different herbs and spices with
    the yogurt.  Once you get the right combination, it also makes a
    good sauce for chicken or fish--I poured it over either before baking.
    I used it as a topping for baked potatoes.  I mixed it with cold
    chicken to make chicken salad.  Hope you like yogurt!

    I agree, yogurt is wonderful, but..... make sure you buy low- or
    non-fat yogurt.  Yogurt can have upwards of 220 calories and loads
    of fat and sugar - it's important to stay away from fat when on
    a diet.
    
    Mike

    re .12
    
    Absolutely...that's why we can't have it!!! See, it's not so
    easy is it?!?!?
    
    Fortunately, we have turned into real fish eaters so that helps.
    I'm planning to try a no butter/no oil shrimp scampi this week.
    If it omes out ok I'll post the recipe here.
    
    clc-who-is-now-fourteen-pounds-lighter

    RE .13
    
    Just out of curiosity...why can't you eat the plain, non-fat variety
    of yogurt that's made from skim milk???  That's what I was referring
    to, not the flavored type that's loaded with fruit and sugar.