Easy Chinese Sauces Turn Simple Entrees Into Festive Chinese New Year DishesAmerican Institute for Cancer Research WASHINGTON, DC - To help celebrate the Chinese New Year, which occurs on February 12 this year, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) offers easy recipes that convert simple entrées into elegant Chinese dishes. These specially-created recipes, which serve as both marinades and rich-tasting sauces, can be used with any steamed, broiled, or grilled entrée or vegetable dish. The traditional Chinese diet contains a high proportion of vegetables and rice and a comparatively small proportion of meat. According to AICR's Vice President for Research, Dr. Ritva Butrum, "An Asian diet high in vegetables and fruits significantly reduces the incidence of many types of cancer, especially those of the breast and colon, which are much higher in the United States than in China."  Chinese cuisine uses a variety of seasonings and flavorings in sauces and marinades to enhance the flavor of vegetables and meats. All the basic tastes - sweet, salty, sour, hot and even bitter - are incorporated, sometimes "from scratch," but often using commercially-prepared products. The sauces and marinades serve to harmonize a dish's ingredients. Flavor-Enhancing Marinades Can Also Help Protect Health Chinese cooking makes frequent use of high-temperature cooking like stir-frying or grilling. Scientists have found that cooking muscle meats - beef and other red meats, chicken, or fish - at high temperatures produce carcinogens. But they have also discovered that marinades offer protection against the formation of cancer-causing substances. According to Melanie Polk, R.D., AICR's Director of Nutrition Education, "Marinades may be the single most effective way of reducing the formation of cancer-causing substances created during grilling. This benefit could be particularly important now that indoor kitchen grills have become so popular." Several studies by research scientists have found that marinating meats before grilling or other forms of cooking at very high heat reduces the amount of carcinogens that would otherwise form - in some cases by as much as 92 to 99 percent. Even brief exposure to a marinade has been found to help prevent carcinogens from forming. "Researchers don't know exactly how this protective effect is created," Polk says, "but it may be related to cancer-fighting antioxidants, like Vitamins C and E, which are found in many traditional marinade ingredients. Or, the marinade may serve as a barrier between the meat's muscle fibers and the smoke or direct flame." Marinades contain three basic components: an acidic ingredient (vinegar, citrus juice, or cooking wine), flavorings (sweeteners, herbs and spices) and some form of enabler (usually oil) that binds the ingredients and helps the marinade perform effectively. AICR's recipes function as both marinades and sauces for chicken, fish, or red meats. Chicken and red meats should be marinated several hours or overnight, turning several times during the process. Fish should be marinated up to two hours. All meats should be refrigerated during the marinating process. Polk advises discarding marinades used for animal meats after their use. She says, "Never baste with marinating liquid, or use it as a sauce, as it may be contaminated by potentially harmful bacteria in raw meats and could lead to food-borne illness." Separate batches of AICR's recipes should be prepared for use as finished sauces to accompany entrées. Chinese Peanut Sauce 1/2 cup non-fat, reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth In medium saucepan over high heat, bring broth to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. In blender, place hot broth, peanut butter, soy sauce and garlic. Pureé until smooth. Add vinegar and sugar and blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to container. Stir in cilantro. Season to taste with red pepper. Mixture can be used as a marinade immediately. Place mixture in shallow, wide pan and add chicken, fish, or meat, turning pieces so all sides are coated. Before using as a sauce, let mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour or covered and refrigerated up to 1 day to allow flavors to fully develop. Heat mixture over medium heat until hot. Transfer sauce to pitcher. When ready to use, drizzle small amount of sauce in center of plates, place cooked chicken, fish, or meat on top and drizzle small amount of sauce over top. * Those who do not care for the taste of cilantro can omit it. Makes about 1 3/4 cups. Per tablespoon: 29 calories, 2 g. fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 1 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, 0 g. dietary fiber, 75 mg sodium Chinese Black Bean Sauce 1 cup non-fat reduced-sodium chicken broth To use as a marinade: In blender, mix together broth, black bean and garlic sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, ginger and red pepper until smooth and well blended. Transfer mixture to a container, stir in green onion. To use as a sauce: In blender, mix together until smooth and well blended all ingredients except green onions. Transfer mixture to small saucepan and stir in green onion. Over low-medium heat, bring mixture to simmer, stirring constantly, about 1-2 minutes. Drizzle small amount of sauce in center of plates, place cooked chicken, fish, or meat on top and drizzle small amount of sauce over top. * Some commercially-prepared sauces are labeled "black bean and garlic sauce," others, simply "black bean sauce." Either is suitable for this recipe. Makes about 1 cup. Per tablespoon: 5 calories, 0 g. fat (0 g. saturated fat), 1 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. protein, 0 g. dietary fiber, 51 mg. sodium. Hoisin-Style Sauce 1/4 cup prepared Hoisin sauce Place all ingredients in blender and pureé until smooth. Mixture can be used as a marinade immediately. Place mixture in shallow, wide pan and add chicken, fish, or meat, turning pieces so all sides are coated. Before using as a sauce, let mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour or covered and refrigerated up to 1 day to allow flavors to fully develop. Heat mixture over medium heat until hot. Transfer sauce to pitcher. When ready to use, drizzle small amount of sauce in center of plates, place cooked chicken, fish, or meat on top and drizzle small amount of sauce over top. Makes 1 cup. Per tablespoon: 25 calories, 2 g. fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 2 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. protein, 0 g. dietary fiber, 116 mg. sodium.
For more information, or to contact American Institute for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.aicr.org |
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