"Everything in moderation … including moderation." This is one of my favorite Julia Child quotes.
The Grande Dame of French cooking understood that some dishes should not be altered or modified in any way, especially for the purpose of creating a healthier version. Just eat a bit less.
I couldn't agree more. Who wants a big bowl of chocolate mousse made with reduced-fat whipped topping instead of cream? I think I'll pass. I'd prefer a small bowl of the real thing.
That said, I've spent many years writing both healthy and not-so-healthy recipes. What I've noticed is sometimes when I'm creating a healthier version of an otherwise more decadent dish, there are ways to reduce fat or sodium without sacrificing any of the deliciousness. In fact, you can often remove a considerable amount and not notice it at all.
For instance, I almost always reduce the oil or fat a recipe calls for when sautéing meat or vegetables. I know if I preheat my pan before adding the oil, I won't need nearly as much fat to prevent the food from sticking. If a sauce calls for 3 tablespoons of butter to be swirled in just before serving, I add one and taste it to see if that does the trick. It often will. If it doesn't, I add a little more until I like what I'm tasting.
The point is that we sometimes follow a recipe to the letter because that's what we've always done. If our mother added a stick of butter to her famous hot dish, so do we, even though it's possible that half the amount could have been omitted and no one would have noticed the difference.
Don't believe me? This weekend might be the perfect opportunity to test the theory. Many of us will be watching the Super Bowl and I think it's fair to say we may also be mindlessly munching on any number of full-fat snacks. One of my family's favorites is a layered Mexican dip. Traditionally, the dip consists of refried beans, layered with loads of cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa. Of course, it's usually served with a bag of tortilla chips.
To lighten this dip a bit, I simply took a can of black beans and mashed them together with some sautéed onions, garlic and spices and used these as the base of the dip. Instead of guacamole, which could easily have taken two or three avocados to make, I fold one diced avocado into my favorite salsa. A little light sour cream mixed with chipotle chiles and fresh lime juice replaces the full-fat sour cream. A sprinkling of cheese on the top, rather than several layers of cheese throughout, does the trick, and homemade baked tortilla chips make perfectly satisfying dippers.
