Jennifer Iserloh discusses
how to restock your pantry.

Flavor is extremely important to me – so when I create new healthy recipes, I am always mindful to make the new dish really tasty. Another component of healthy cooking is to have the right staples on hand, so that you don’t have to run out in the middle of cooking.

Did you realize that small changes in kitchen staples can help your family get healthy, almost effortlessly?

In my latest video feature on AOL Food, I share smart grocery shopping swaps to pack maximum health benefits into everyday eating.

After analyzing my friend’s kitchen pantry, I zeroed in on canned soups, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, cereals and mac & cheese to introduce healthier swaps for your entire family. Watch my video on AOL Food!

Click on image to watch movie

My mother-in-law has huge pots of blossoming lavender that line her long terrasse. Lavender has a refreshing clean smell that is unmistakeable, which has made it a scent in the forefront of the perfume industry. But lavender isn’t just for soap and shampoo, I use it to flavor summer dishes!

Pairing Lavender

Lavender pairs well with a lot of other foods that you might be more familiar with such as pork, lamb, lemon, olives, vanilla, honey, pistachio, pears, ginger and rosemary.

If you are experimenting with it for the first time, try using the leaves and buds sparingly since it can be an overpowering strong herb. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and taste as you go.

Lavender is also refreshing in mixed drinks and cocktails, like my favorite martini they served at Employees Only. Place a few sprigs of lavender into a bottle of gin and store in the freezer until you’re ready to make your own.

Related Posts

• Try my homemade bug bite remedy made with lavender that soothes bug bites.
• Read more about the history and health of lavender.
• Read about the history of lavender on lavenderfarm.com.

Licorice is an acquired taste for some, but I’ve always loved it. When I was a kid, I used to beg my uncle who had these hard licorice drops – with a black and white striped wrappers dotted with black hearts and spades.

“You like licorice, right?” my husband said, on our recent trip to Germany, pointing to an outdoor candy stand. Munster has a huge farmer’s market with all sorts of treats, and we soon zeroed in on a Dutch candy stand with hundreds of coin-sized pieces of licorice, divided into two sections: salty and sweet.

Very soft to hard and even in the shape and texture of gumballs, faces, shoes, turtles, and spiders, these licorices come in a multitude of shapes and the only difference I could see at first was that some of the shapes were a little more unique.

Salmiak or salmiakki, the salty version that we don’t produce here is very different however – we’re not talking “Good and Plenty” people! The salty flavor comes from Ammonium chloride or ammonia salt, but to me it tastes very much like any other salty snack. I nibbled on one piece, mixed sweet and salt, it was a rock show happening in my mouth.

Ok, so what about the dreaded double salt, I mean how salty is it really? One piece was so strong it can be a jolt – when I bit into it, I actually had to pull it out of my molars with a tissue and rinse my tongue. So in the future, I’ll avoid those “double salt” pieces.

But as a way to curb a rampant sweet tooth, licorice chews are one of those candies that can be a delicious low fat and low sugar treat to have when you’re watching calories. While it’s difficult to find the salty licorice here, there are plenty of healthy versions of sweet licorice chews that are soft, tasty, and also have added herbs – I like the Panda brand.

Used in Chinese herbal medicine and many folk remedies, licorice is currently being studied for its active ingredients in cancer research. But if you are on serious medication or suffer from heart disease, blood pressure issues, or diabetes doctors advise avoiding any licorice at all since it may interact with drugs or increase blood pressure.

Related Posts

• Cinnamon: Should It Be Taken as a diabetes medication?
• Read more about cinnamon from nutritionist, Leslie Dantchik.
• Try adding spiced goodness to homemade ice cream with my Cardamom Ice Cream recipe.
• Read about the history of lavender on lavenderfarm.com.

Under the new rules:

• the FDA will help the food industry establish better tracing systems to track the origins of a bacterial outbreak.
• a new network will be established to help the many agencies that regulate food safety to communicate better.
• egg and poultry producers will have to follow new standards designed to reduce salmonella contamination.
• the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Agriculture Department agency that inspects meat, will increase sampling of ground beef ingredients in an effort to better find E. coli contamination.
• the FDA will recommend ways that producers of leafy greens, melons and tomatoes can reduce disease strains, and require stricter standards in those industries within two years.
• the FDA and the Agriculture Department also will create new positions to better oversee food safety.

Read the full story »

I remember the first time I bought tomatillos, peeling back the husk to reveal a green orb covered with a slight tacky film that made my fingers stick together. Unfortunately, I bit right into the fruit that looks like an unripe tomato! I was disappointed with the taste – like a cross between celery and cucumber with a sour tang of uncooked rhubarb.

I’m not fond of raw tomatillos, but once they are gently cooked – either roasted in a pan or boiled for a few minutes in water – and mixed with chilies, cilantro and lime, they transform into a bright and tangy sauce, fresh and cool for warm summer days. I like to serve this sauce with chicken enchiladas or on top of baked fish.

Learn more about tomatillos and check out my recipe for Salsa Verde in my latest post on AOL’s Slashfood.

Chronic stomach pain isn’t fun – I used to be a chronic overeater, and it was tough to teach myself to put the fork down when I started to feel full. Once I got a handle on my overeating, I still suffered from stomach pain.

After many visits to internists we realized that I had IBS, otherwise known as irritable bowel syndrome, so I had to be conscious not only of how much I was eating, but what I was eating! Once I ditched the deep-fried food, processed sweets, and started to incorporate the right foods into my daily meals, my IBS slowly went away.

1. Ginger

Ginger has been found effective in multiple studies for treating nausea caused by seasickness, decreasing the pain of arthritis or even helping ease the pain of chemotherapy. My neighbor even uses it as a home remedy against heartburn. Ginger has natural compounds that work as a light analgesic and sedative, and its antibacterial properties make it the right choice to calm stomach pain. Many Asian recipes contain ginger, but if you want a fast way to try it just boil 2 tablespoons of sliced fresh ginger, then add your favorite tea bag.

2. Kefir

Traditional Kefir is a fermented milk product which contains a blended mixture of several live probiotics, instead of just one that you’ll find in most commercials yogurts. Some kefirs contain up to 10 different live cultures that can help stimulate digestion. These bacteria can also stop the growth of pathogenic microbes that can be the cause of stomach trouble. Most grocery chains carry kefir and it tastes very similar to your favorite yogurt. I use it as a base for my daily morning breakfast smoothie and just add in whatever fresh fruit I have on hand.

3. Cardamom

Cardamom is valued by herbalists for its amazing carminative, stimulant, laxative, calming yet vitalizing properties. It has been prized in ancient Indian medicine and cooking for its ability to improve digestion and has even been used to combat that embarrassing side effect of tummy aches, flatulence! Cooking with cardamom is easy, just use it sparingly since it can be overwhelming. Make yourself a traditional Indian chai tea as a great place to start.

4. Rooibos Tea

Rooibos or redbush comes from a bush that grows in Southern Africa. I love its golden red color when it’s steeped and the fact that it is caffeine free – since coffee and other caffeinated beverages can imbalance digestion and irritate the intestinal tract. People believe that red bush has the ability to calm stomach cramps because it works as an anti-spasmotic but I like it because it has a round, even flavor and also happens to be high in antioxidants like flavanols. You can find red bush in many flavors in your local grocery store. Its rich yet mellow flavor can be enjoyed hot or chilled as a superb iced tea for summer.

Related Posts

• Which is better – 2% or skim milk?
• Granny knows best, check out these five health secrets she knew, but never shared.
• What is naturopathic medicine?

Enjoy Summer!

It finally feels like summer to me here in the New York/ New Jersey area, since the sun has finally come out to play. Don’t forget the sunscreen as you fire up those grills for healthy delicious summer fare.

As many of you have noticed over the last few weeks, I have started to post updates (nearly) every day – and below you’ll see a small selection of posts from last month. For a complete listing, check out the June 2009 archive of “Chew On This” »

To make it even easier to stay in touch, you can follow me several different ways… scroll to the bottom to find out.

Happy and Healthy Cooking,

Jennifer

Drinking Man’s Diet

“Oh, it was the “Drinking Man’s Diet!” he said casually as my eyes bugged out. The diet consists of several tablespoons of safflower oil every day, as well as all the cheese, meats, and vegetables you want – but no bread or pasta – oh and all the booze you can drink…

Artificial Sweeteners Revisited

Constantly keeping an eye on news about food additives and artificial sweeteners, several recent reports on stevia – a newly approved “natural” sweetener – peaked my interest: Is a chemical sweetener isolated from Stevia leaves really “natural”?

Avoid Catching Summer Colds

Nobody wants to catch a cold or get the summer sniffles right before they’re ready to head out on that long awaited vacation. Air travel, planes with recycled air and confined spaces can be incubators for germs, but how can you strengthen immunity before you take that flight?

Bacon’s Bad Rap?

Bacon is a delicious treat, no doubt. It adds a lot of flavor to everything from your favorite breakfast to gourmet chocolates, and is a perfect match for refried beans. But, just how unhealthy is bacon, and could bacon be part of a healthy diet?

Summer Fun: The Edible Garden

Want to the freshest fare this summer or maybe find out how to grow Martha Stewart’s culinary herb garden? The New York Botanical Garden will present “The Edible Garden”, a summer-long celebration of growing great food.

Eat Around Food Allergies

With food allergies more prevalent than ever, how can you eat around the eight problematic food items that are responsible for 90% of all incidences? Here’s easy ways to still enjoy the flavors of the foods you love – itch and scratch free!

How To Salt

Salt is one of the quintessential components of restaurant cooking – and just like for many home cooks – it’s a challenge that every cook is eager to pass under the watchful eyes of the sous-chef. Whenever I eat out, it’s one of the key things I notice right away…

How To Cook Fish

By now we all know that eating fish is good for you. Just as your grandma told you, it’s brain food! Well, it turns out that fish is also a great preventative food and a great food for your heart!

Kick Start Better Eating Habits!

No matter WHAT you crave… you can enjoy your favorite foods without worrying about your weight! I want to show you that looking and feeling great has nothing to do with diets – it’s about great-tasting foods, and it’s about simple concepts that will last you a lifetime.

The Artist’s Way to Healthy Living

When I changed careers to become a chef, I was feeling pretty daunted, and one of my friends recommended to pick up a copy of Julia Cameron’s “An Artists Way”. It’s been one of my favorites ever since, so applied one of her chapters to becoming the healthier you.

Is Butter Better?

Nothing smells better than melted butter – and many readers ask why don’t I use butter in my recipes more often. Is butter really bad? Or could it be better as some of the latest health trends indicate?

How to Stop Overeating

I used to be a chronic overeater, and it was tough to put the fork down when faced with home-cooked food. But my secret tips don’t tell you to stop eating – in fact, I prescribe enjoying food more!

Yoga: Learning to Meditate

Meditate takes a little time. This may be seem like an impossibility with your busy schedule, but putting aside time for yourself, just ten minutes is a great start on your way to a calming meditation practice.

Dietary Supplements Explained

When I first posted on dietary supplements, one of my readers asked about resveratrol and what to look out for when considering different brands. It’s an interesting question, so let me explain my thoughts on the topic.

Get Your Kids to Love Whole Grains

Parents want their kids to eat healthy, but no one wants to hear “yuck” or “gross” when they put dinner on the table. Getting kids to eat whole grains is not hard when you start with things that kids know and already like. Try these easy swaps before trying something totally new!

Making Summer Burgers Slimming!

Check out the Iatest issue of “First For Women” if you want my tips on making summer burgers slimming! In its June 2009 issue, Stephanie Izard, June Lin and I share our “chef’s secrets” on getting more flavor into burgers with less beef!

Did You Know?

Did you notice? You can now get a daily dose of Skinny Chef – new stories about unusual foods, interesting ways to tweak recipes healthier, and my exclusive content for AOL Food. To make it super-easy to stay up to date, many people have discovered the convenience of receiving the posts as email – why don’t you try it for a few days and see if you like it? Or follow me on the social media platform of your choice:

Here’s how to activate email delivery of my posts

1. Scroll to the bottom of this page (really any page on SkinnyChef.com). See where it says “Can’t Wait?”
2. Type your primary email address into the white box, then click the SIGN UP button
3. A blue popup window from FeedBurner will appear, asking you to enter some text to help prevent spam. After you’ve entered the text, click the COMPLETE SUBSCRIPTION REQUEST button.
4. Next, you’ll receive an email in your email inbox (check the trash or spam folder if you don’t see it there). The subject line will say “Activate Your Email Subscription”
5. Open the email, and click on the confirmation link inside. It’s only after you’ve clicked the link that email delivery becomes active.
6. And as always, if you change your mind, it’s just as easy to unsubscribe

When I was a kid, ice cream was synonymous with summer. I had a trained ear and could pick out the perky chimes of the ice cream truck from miles away.

Ice cream is a cool, satisfying summer treat, but a scoop a day can keep the bikini away.

Most people don’t know that one pint of many commercial ice creams contains more fat than you should eat in a whole day. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy this calcium-rich treat.

Making your own is immensely satisfying, and without having to worry about loading up on fat and calories while avoiding crazy preservatives that no one can pronounce.

Get my recipe for vanilla ice cream on AOL Food »