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Susan M. Selasky

Pump up stir-fry flavor, slash sodium

Last updated Monday, April 30, 2012 - 3:12pm

One of the beauties of making a stir-fry is that it lets you use up that one carrot or the half a red pepper tucked away in the crisper drawer. Plus, stir-fries cook up quickly in a minimal amount of oil, and you only need one skillet or wok. It's a little tedious cutting up all the vegetables and protein, but that's part of why it cooks so fast.

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SUSAN TUSA/Detroit Free Press
Grains are newly popular for taste and health benefits. Pictured: bulgar, red quinoa, pearl barley, amaranth, farro and white quinoa.

Newly popular grains offer taste and health benefits

Susan M. Selasky Detroit Free Press

Last updated Tuesday, March 13, 2012 - 10:01am

During March, National Nutrition Month, it's worth taking another look at the Agriculture Department's My Plate, the daily food plan tool unveiled in June. It shows that a quarter of a typical healthy plate should be filled with grains -- at least half of them whole grains.

Eating more whole grains, the USDA says, can help reduce the risk of certain diseases. Folks at the Harvard School of Public Health take it a step further, saying that whole grains should fill up the entire quarter of our plates.

Features, Barley, Food Read more Comments

KATHLEEN GALLIGAN/Detroit Free Press
Whip up an easy pot of chili for a wintertime bash or family get-together.

Warm up on chilly days with a pot of chili

Susan M. Selasky Detroit Free Press

Last updated Monday, February 20, 2012 - 3:21pm

A big pot of chili is popular fare for a wintertime bash or family get-together.

One reason, I am sure, is that it is a fairly simple dish to put together. And it can be one of those "anything goes" dishes.

You start with a big pot. Then you start adding stuff. Meat, onions, tomatoes and anything else you like. Eventually you end up with a dish called chili.

You can add beans, too, although folks from Texas consider that a no-no. And forget about beans for competition chili.

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Substitute chicken for that hamburger

Detroit Free Press, Susan M. Selasky

Last updated Tuesday, June 7, 2011 - 9:40am

Something happens to cooks once the warm weather hits. They start polishing that burger flipper and waving those tongs around.

You can ease into things with a lighter option of a ground chicken burger with hints of fresh chives for a little wow factor. Chopped fresh chives have a mild onion taste and give the ground chicken a flavor boost.

You can use chives raw or cooked. They're a good match for so many foods, including baked potatoes and potato salads. You also can add them to egg dishes, casseroles and soups.

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Affordable asparagus a sure sign of spring

Detroit Free Press, Susan M. Selasky

Last updated Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - 4:07am

When you start seeing an abundance of asparagus at a decent price in stores, it's a good bet that spring is here. Thick spears from California are common in stores now, and Michigan-grown asparagus will soon follow.

Choose spears that are brilliant green with closed tips that have a purplish tinge. Asparagus is a good source of folic acid, fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. If you're counting calories, the bonus is that five spears (about 3 1/2 ounces) have 25 calories, no fat and 2 grams of fiber.

Asparagus is usually sold banded together.

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J. Kyle Keener/Detroit Free Press
After salmon is cooked in parchment paper with asparagus and rice, the salmon releases aromatic steam when the parchment is opened.

BODYWISE RECIPE: Prepare foods en papillote with parchment paper

Detroit Free Press, Susan M. Selasky

Last updated Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - 8:50am

Cooks may wonder about the difference between wax paper and parchment paper. Can they be used interchangeably in baking?

Wax paper is lightweight tissue paper coated on both sides with paraffin. Parchment paper is heavier nonstick paper that is treated with sulfuric acid and coated with silicone. It is sold bleached and unbleached. Parchment paper is grease-proof and moisture-resistant. Wax paper is not as moisture-proof.

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Susan Tusa/Detroit Free Press
Think spring with asparagus and peas in Spring Barley Risotto, and add veggies and whole grain to a meal.

BEING BODYWISE: New suggestions easy to follow

Detroit Free Press, Susan M. Selasky

Last updated Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - 9:21am

Shake the salt habit, especially in processed foods.

Eat more seafood, fruits and vegetables, and choose fat-free or low-fat dairy.

And please get moving.

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REGINA H. BOONE/Detroit Free Press
Spaghettini With Sweet Italian Sausage and Spinach

BODYWISE RECIPE: Modified spaghettini recipe slashes calories and fat

Detroit Free Press, Susan M. Selasky

Last updated Tuesday, March 1, 2011 - 3:03am

If you dine out and order a pasta dish, chances are you're getting a huge serving.

In the just-released 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, pasta ranks eighth among the top 25 sources of calories for Americans age 19 and older.

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Rashaun Rucker/Detroit Free Press
Don't throw away what's left of your holiday ham the bone is great for making soup.

Sometimes, what's left over is the best part

Detroit Free Press, Susan M. Selasky

Last updated Tuesday, January 25, 2011 - 4:06am

A ham is loved for more than just its meat -- the bone is great for making soup.

Once the ham is pretty much picked over, cut up any big chunks of meat still attached to the bone into bite-size pieces along with the leftover ham. The chopped ham and the meaty bone can go into a freezer bag and into the freezer.

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