Healthy Foods

(ARA) - Tender, juicy and golden brown. Three great “tasting” words that you can think about when preparing a meal for your family or friends. But the question is, can you get those great flavors while still preparing a meal that’s not only healthy, but quick? Yes you can! The secret is convection cooking.

One way to add flavor to meats, for example, is to add lots of rich sauces filled with calories, fat and carbohydrates. Not a good idea if you’re watching the waistline or concerned about your health. The other way is to cook it fast, sealing in all the natural juices. That’s what the Nesco/American Harvest Jet Stream Oven does best.

The Jet Stream Oven, which originally came out in the early 1990s, uses hot forced air, or convection heat, to cook the food. By circulating hot air around the food, it disrupts the natural “cold barrier” that surrounds food as it cooks. By moving the air, it allows the heat to get to the food quicker, browning the outside, and sealing in many of the natural juices. Nesco/American Harvest calls it “cyclonic cooking action.” It helps the food cook quicker, creating a beautiful golden brown appearance on the outside, while keeping it tender and juicy on the inside.

Chicken breasts are a perfect example of how to compare different methods of cooking. In the conventional oven, they’ll take about 30 minutes to cook after preheating the oven. Total time your oven is using energy, 40 to 45 minutes, and it heats up the whole kitchen in the summer. Or you can microwave them, which is quick; but microwaved meat often tastes “rubbery” and has an unappetizing grayish-brown color. Grilling is always a favorite, but it takes time to heat up the grill, stand outside and cook dinner. If the weather’s bad, it’s a double whammy. Pan fry, and you’re adding grease or oil. But, using high speed convection cooking in the Jet Stream Oven, you combine all the advantages -- it’s golden brown like the grill, and moist like the oven, but with the speed of a microwave. It uses a fraction of the energy, saving money, too, and doesn’t heat up the kitchen.

Baking up some rolls instead? Convection cooking does the same thing. There’s no preheating an oven, and they cook in just minutes. In addition, with all that air circulating around, it helps “lift” the top of the roll, biscuit or bread, making it taste lighter and fluffier. Your friends will be amazed at how great things taste, and you’ll be thrilled with how little time it takes to cook them! Add a quick and easy clean-up, and you can thank yourself for trying something new.

Here’s one of Nesco’s quick and easy Jet Stream Oven meals that’s light, delicious and easy to prepare:

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

1 egg, beaten

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons lemon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

Directions: Mix together all dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip each of the chicken breasts into the egg, then into the seasoning/cheese mix to coat thoroughly.

Place on the bottom rack of the Jet Stream Oven and bake at 400 degrees, low fan speed, for 8 to 9 minutes.

Serve with rice or your favorite vegetables.

The newest generation Jet Stream Oven, the JS-4000T, features digital programmable time and temperature controls. The basic unit is just the right size for many meal or snack ideas, but it’s expandable with patented Expander Rings to a unit that’s large enough for a whole turkey!

It’s perfect for use at home in the kitchen, and storage is easy with its handy stand-up design. It’ll store just about anywhere. And, it’s compact enough to use in a small apartment or dorm room. If you travel in an RV or camper, it’s great there, too, because it cooks so fast and doesn’t heat up the inside of the room or kitchen area. It’s a great wedding or gift idea, too!

For more information on the Nesco/American Harvest Jet Stream Oven, visit the company’s Web site at www.nesco.com, or call them at (800) 288-4545. Their Web site is filled with recipes and cooking ideas, along with a complete selection of cooking appliances to make your kitchen-life easier!

Courtesy of ARA Content