New Year's Dining Excitement

Forget those tiresome resolutions and create a revolution in your kitchen with some inspired techniques.

by Clifford Pleau

February 2, 2008

I f you find that the notion of yet another diet to kick off the New Year leaves you less than enthusiastic, you’re not alone. Dieting has its place to be sure, but revolutionizing the way you cook can save calories and fat without sacrificing flavor and enjoyment. Finding inventive ways to prepare seasonal, fresh ingredients with minimal added fat is the mission of Seasons 52. Preparations use no butter or cream, and every dish has fewer than 475 calories. However, flavor and taste come first. I challenge the notion that fat adds flavor. Fat transitions flavor through the mouth, but it also coats the palate and has a desensitizing quality. Keeping your palate open with things like wine, acids from lemon, or aromatic spices allows your taste buds to experience more. Add in the freshest, most seasonal ingredients available and healthful eating is easily within your reach. By purchasing ingredients at the height of their ripeness (and hence their flavor profile), it’s easy to let the ingredients do most of the work for you.

Restock Your Cupboards
However, before getting started, it is vital that home chefs change out their pantry to suit the season. It is important to remember that spices tend to lose flavor after six months, so use this as an opportunity to freshen things up a bit. Generally speaking autumn and winter call for darker ingredients such as maple syrup, dried fruits, grain mustard and darker vinegars and spices such as cloves, juniper and cinnamon. Spring and summer are all about lighter vinegars, citrus and softer herbs such as chives, chervil and cilantro.'

Roasting
Roasting is a basic, no-fuss technique that imbues deep, distinct flavors with minimal effort (and no added fat). Take an ordinary vegetable such as butternut squash, cut in half, add a sprinkle of mint or a brushstroke of olive oil and place it in the oven. Serve it as a side to chicken or quail or simply puree it into a soup, using some chicken broth to get the texture and consistency you prefer. When preparing corn for salsas and salads, avoid simply boiling the corn. Instead, try roasting it in the husk and then finishing it on the grill with a final spritz of olive oil.

Get Saucy
An aromatic and savory sauce can be the centerpiece of any great dish and a fine way to improve an ordinary plate of chicken or salmon. We prepare Curry Yogurt Sauce for any grilled protein, using half for the marinade and saving the rest for the accompaniment. It is also ideal as a dip for cut vegetables. For heavier sauces, start with bouillon or stock; add a source of sweetness (such as molasses), a splash of vinegar for brightness and a bit of spice from dried chili peppers or pepper corns. Add salt last, only as necessary. Keep in mind the power of exotic spices and produce (mango, chipotle, curry) to give your cuisine even more kick. Make a batch of Seasons 52’s simple Mango Vinaigrette (see recipe) to liven up fresh greens, seafood or chicken with no added fat.

Grilling
Use a variety of grilled vegetables to add depth of flavor and create satisfying meals. Peel and puree roasted red peppers for a concentrated sauce for fish or grilled chicken. Grilled eggplant slices add a note of earthiness to sandwiches, or layer grilled peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and fresh tomatoes for a vegetable stack. Chef Clifford Pleau is the executive chef at Seasons 52, a fast grill restaurant with locations in Buckhead and Perimeter Center. www.seasons52.com.

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Roasted Acorn Squash
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
12 spritzes of olive oil, extra virgin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Pinch black pepper, fresh ground

Procedure:
Wash acorn squash in cold water.
Cut squash in half.
Scrape out all seeds with large kitchen spoon.
Cut acorn squash into 4 wedges.
Place wedges on a sheet tray.
Spritz squash with extra virgin olive oil.
Season squash with salt and pepper; stand squash cut-side up on tray.
Roast in 425 degree oven for 40 - 45 minutes total.
Sprtiz twice with olive oil during roasting and turn tray in oven.
Remove from oven and brush squash with spiced cider glaze.
Serves: 4

Mango Vinaigrette
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 mango, peeled and seeded
1 fluid ounce rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chipotle tabasco sauce
1 pinch Kosher salt

Preparation:
Prepare mango by removing skin and pit.
Combine all ingredients in a blender.
Puree until smooth.
Transfer to squeeze bottle.
Reserve refrigerated for use as needed.