Just how good does a "light" recipe have to be?

[KLynn]

I made a pasta salad recipe from an old CL this week, and was underwhelmed to say the least. It wasn't bad - just didn't have much flavor. But, I started thinking about the fact that the dressing was made from pureed fat-free cottage cheese and light mayo! How could I expect it to have as much flavor as a non-light pasta salad???

That got me thinking - just how good should a "light" recipe be? Are you willing to sacrifice some amount of flavor and quality for it to be light? Or do you think a light recipe should be absolutely just as good and flavorful as a non-light recipe?

What are your thoughts?

[Terrytx]

I think a "light" recipe can be every bit as good as a fat loaded recipe. I have been cooking light for some time now, and do not feel I have had to give up any flavor.

[Grace]

My thoughts on this is that most of CL recipes have LOTS of flavor, and only occasionally is there a "dud". I absolutely do not believe that eating light means having to sacrifice flavor. If the recipe is bland or boring, we just don't make it again. I have pages of CL recipe favorites that are far from bland. So rather than just give up and go back to full-fat recipes, I just keep trying other light ones. I think for me, I average at least 8 out of 10 CL recipes as keepers!

And I do think that CL has come a long way in the last several years making their recipes more flavorful. Don't forget this whole country used to eat nothing but boring, bland food, and the ethnic explosion is only fairly recent. There are still folks out there that complain to CL their recipes are too "wierd", too ethnic, and not plain and "American" enough!

[Dewey]

I agree with Terry, a light recipe doesn't (and shouldn't) be any less flavorful than a regular recipe. Of course, there are some things that rely on fat for their flavor, so they probably aren't good candidates for lightening (I can't think of any right now, because I rarely eat such things.) I usually go for spicy/ethnic type recipes, so I find that I don't miss the fat or sugar, since they have so many other flavors.

[Scout]

I agree with what everybody has said. Flavor does not have to be lost when cooking light.

Anne

[valchemist]

I agree with what everyone is saying. I eat light all the time and I don't feel like I am missing anything at all!

but just to present the other side (and to give an example of what Dewey mentioned) I don't think you can lighten fried foods, like chicken and onion rings, and get the same deep fried flavor.

maybe an "oven fried" recipe tastes good, but it can't compare to the original.



I don't even know why I am making this point since I rarely if ever eat fried foods and since I have never in my life tasted "real" fried chicken.

[aggie94]

I agree with Val. For the most part, I don't think I'm missing anything when I make CL recipes. But on the other hand, I do think there are things where you do sacrifice taste and quality for them to be light, especially with desserts.

[ClaraB]

I think a light recipe should always taste great, as others have mentioned. However, I also accept that a lightened recipe will often be different from its high-fat equivalent - not better or worse, just different. If you expect a light recipe to always be exactly the same as its high-fat counterpart, you may be in for a disappointment, but if you let the recipe stand on its own merits, you may find you like it just as much.

[Dewey]

Val just reminded me of the perfect example of foods that just don't "lighten" well -- the Country Fried Steak (aka Chicken Fried Steak) from a few months ago. Everyone that has had "real" country fried steak thought the lightened version was nothing like the original. The people that had never had the full fat kind tended to think the lightened version was OK, but not very special. It was definitely one of those foods that shouldn't be messed with, IMHO. I think that most American comfort foods tend to be that way -- we make them because we want to rekindle a memory, and a lightened version just can't do that.

[Jewel]

I think it depends on the original recipe. As it has been pointed out, dishes that rely on high-fat cooking methods such as Country Fried Steak and real fried chicken can lose flavor when lightened, but dishes that usually contain only high fat ingredients, such as heavy cream, cream cheese and butter can be lightened successfully, and the taste is usually improved because of the use of herbs and spices!

I never would have enjoyed light cooking if I hadn't discovered real herbs and spices. In my opinion, too many high fat dishes rely only on the butter/cream/cheese to flavor a dish and they can be boring. When you're forced to find alternatives to these ingredients you can find that the use of more natural flavorings actually improve on the original dish and be better for you too! ;)

[KLynn]

However, I also accept that a lightened recipe will often be different from its high-fat equivalent - not better or worse, just different. If you expect a light recipe to always be exactly the same as its high-fat counterpart, you may be in for a disappointment, but if you let the recipe stand on its own merits, you may find you like it just as much.

I think this is where I am coming from when I ask the question. Maybe my problem is too much comparison - light to non-light. Rather than appreciating the dish on its own merits, as you say. Maybe it will take time for my palette to adjust fully.

I should have mentioned before that I have made tons of CL recipes that I have loved. It was just this pasta salad recipe that got me thinking.

[ElinorC]

I've rarely liked a dish with cottage cheese for one of the 'light' ingredients. I'd rather go with yogurt, light sour cream and light mayonnaise. The cottage cheese doesn't have enough flavor IMO. Here's a lightened pasta salad that we like as much as the full fat variety.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Macaroni Salad


1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons parsley -- chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups elbow macaroni -- cooked (about 8 oz)
1/2 cup onions -- chopped
1/2 cup cucumber -- chopped
1/2 cup frozen green peas -- thawed
1/2 cup carrots -- diced
1/2 cup green pepper -- diced
1/2 cup celery -- sliced

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well.

2. Add macaroni and remaining ingredients; toss well to coat. Cover and chill.

Yield: 8 servings

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 191 Calories; 5g Fat (23.9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 7mg Cholesterol; 162mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Or perhaps this recipe:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Recipe By :Southern Cooking
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta Salads
Salads-Pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

8 ounces pasta -- cooked
6 ounces artichoke hearts -- drained and chopped
8 olives -- sliced
1 cup frozen peas -- thawed
1 medium red pepper -- chopped
1 small zucchini -- chopped
1/2 small red onion -- chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese -- grated
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1. Cook spaghetti according to package direction, omitting salt and fat; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.

2. Combine artichokes and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pasta, tossing well.

3. Combine mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients, stirring with a wire whisk until blended. Add to pasta mixture, and stir well. Cover and chill.

Yield 8 servings

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 202 Calories; 5g Fat (23.5% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 6mg Cholesterol; 412mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

[LGBurns]

Just to add to what everyone is saying, my personal goal with eating light has been to discover a new way of eating that emphasizes recipes and foods that are delicious and low in fat and calories in their original incarnation. I am not as big on recipes that take something high in fat and lighten it up. In other words, I would prefer to find ways of emphasizing food that doesn't use a lot of cream, cheese, etc. rather than using a lot of fat free half-and-half, fat-free cheese, etc. For example, I prefer to make marinated, grilled flank steak rather than trying to lighten country-fried steak. Or switching to tuna salad made with olive oil and chickpeas, rather than using fat-free mayonnaise.

There are some exceptions to this, for example some low-fat versions of high-fat desserts are great (like cheesecake). But my goal is to eat less sweets in general rather than replacing tons of high-fat sweets with tons of low-fat sweets.

Also, I prefer to use less of something high in fat but full of flavor than trying to make it low-fat and lose the flavor (a good example of this is salad dressing).

[Valerie226]

After cooking lighter, your tastes change. I had a bite of a Dove bar that I used to think was "to die for" and it tasted like frozen grease, awful! it didn't seem sweet, just overwhelmingly rich. The first time I had mild salsa I thought it was hot. now I eat things 10x hotter and love it. You can choose a direction to go in. I think your tastes can be redirected by what you eat regularly. it can take several exposures to new flavors to develop a taste & there are huge differences in how individuals perceive food tastes, much of which comes thru smell. peasantly spicy to one can be 5 alarm to another. light can taste just as good and (maybe better) than rich. depends on the state of the taster. One thing I think of is cilantro. People love it or hate it. descriptions of it's flavor are all over the map. And that's just a simple little herb!