Cooking Without Oil

COOKING WITHOUT OIL

BROWNING VEGETABLES

Browned onions have an excellent flavor and can be used alone or mixed with other vegetables to make a dish with a delicious taste. To achieve the brown color, as well as to flavor your foods, place 1 1/2 cups of chopped onions in a large nonstick frying pan with 1 cup of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir for a minute, then add another 1/2 cup of water, loosening the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid evaporates again. Repeat this procedure 1 or 2 more times, until the onions (or mixed vegetables) are as browned as you like. You can also use this technique to brown carrots, green peppers, garlic, potatoes, shallots, zucchini, and many other vegetables, alone or mixed in a variety of combinations.

BAKING WITHOUT OIL

Eliminating oil in baking is a real challenge because oil keeps the baked goods moist and soft. Replace the oil called for in the recipe with half the amount of another moist food, such as applesauce, mashed bananas, mashed potatoes, mashed pumpkin, tomato sauce, soft silken tofu, or soy yogurt (keep in mind that: tofu and soy yogurt are high-fat foods). There are several new fat replacers in the market, for example, Wonderslim Fat and Egg Replacer and Sunsweet Lighter Bake.

Cakes and muffins made without oil usually come out a little heavier. For a lighter texture use carbonated water instead of tap water in baking recipes. Be sure to test cakes and muffins at the end of the baking time by inserting a toothpick or cake tester in the center to see if it comes out clean. Sometimes oil-less cakes and muffins may need to be baked longer than the directions advise, depending on the weather or the altitude at which you live.

SAUTÉING WITHOUT OIL

To sauté implies the use of butter or oil, but in McDougall cooking, oil is eliminated. Instead, we use other liquids to...