Don’t throw away flavor when you cut calories

Cutting too much fat from recipes often means blah food. And nothing kills those New Year’s resolutions faster than boring, tasteless food.

Here are some tricks to restore flavor:

One handy ingredient for low-fat cooking is fat-free half-and-half. This nifty product gives soups a luscious texture and some dairy flavor for half the calories of real half-and-half – and without any fat. It’s also great in sauces and mashed potatoes, on cereal and in coffee. You can even bake with fat-free half-and-half – as long as there is some added fat in the recipe.

Herbs and spices are another way to add flavor to diet foods. Don’t be afraid to use more than one spice or herb at a time. For Southwestern dishes, try chili powder, cumin, oregano and cilantro.

For Indian dishes, try coriander, cumin, curry powder and a little cayenne pepper. For fish and chicken, try tarragon, rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic.

To get the most flavor out of your spices, try toasting them – whole or ground – in a dry skillet over medium heat (don’t do this with herbs). Shake or stir the spices just until they are fragrant. As soon as they are toasted, quickly remove them from the pan so they don’t burn.

Citrus zests also add a bright note to an ordinary dish. Lemon zest, fresh parsley and garlic chopped together is a classic combination called gremolata. It is traditionally sprinkled over osso buco or braised lamb shanks, but it would take a simple piece of broiled fish or chicken to a whole new level. Or, instead of lemon and parsley, try pairing lime zest with cilantro or orange zest with rosemary – delicious!

And don’t forget the old standbys: garlic, onions and fresh ginger.

Sautéing these foods in just a touch of oil will coax out their sweet goodness. But you can also add them raw to soup stocks and sauces, simmering just until they are tender and sweet. They will add complex flavors to any dish.