Chef's Corner: Infusing Flavor Into Low-Fat Food

PITTSBURGH (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Think low-fat means no flavor? Think again! Chef Josephine Impola of the River Moon Café in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Lawrenceville specializes in making flavor-filled, low-fat food that looks good and tastes even better. Recipes follow report!

"One of the ways we take out fat and leave in flavor is by using strong-flavored ingredients," says Impola, who co-opened the café with her husband in 2004.

To make her Chicken Mario recipe, lightly coat the chicken with flour before gently patting it off.

"This takes all the excess fat and flour out of the dish," Impola says. Peppers, mushrooms, garlic, onions and tomatoes add extra flavor.

"One of the ways that you can fuse flavor into any dish, of course, is alcohol," Impola says. A little Marsala wine is all it takes to add zing to Chicken Mario while fruit adds flavor to Impola's Pineapple Pepper Shrimp. To create your own, start by carmelizing the pineapple. Next, coat shrimp with lemon pepper and sea salt before cooking and stack smothered in pepper jelly. Impola says both dishes are sure to wow your taste buds.

"Let the shrimp be the main player, and let the fruit sauces, the juices, the vegetables and the alcohol play the supporting roles for a symphony of flavors," she says.

Impola admits to overeating, but since she shifted her focus to healthy, flavorful food two years ago, she has lost a lot of weight.

"How I have managed to stay very healthy at my age, 62, and having no heart disease, having none of those terrible things, is by eating the right food," she says.

Impola's flavor-filled meals are sure to satisfy your senses without sabotaging your waistline.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Chef Josephine LaRussa-Impola
Owner, River Moon Café
Pittsburgh, PA
info@rivermooncafe.com