You might think that European cuisine is unhealthy and heavy. Especially when it comes to Swiss cooking and Swiss recipes, everyone thinks, cheese, chocolate, potatoes, meat, etc. but that’s just nonsense. Cooking light recipes is what the Swiss are great at. Their lunches and dinners tend to be much smaller in proportion, and not as filling as American dishes. Often times, European dishes are thought of as heavy, greasy and overwhelming, but in reality, when you visit Europe, the meals tend to be light and perfect proportioned.
I personally remember when I traveled across Europe. So often, I would still be feeling hungry even after a regular meal. Typically a breakfast will be small, either oatmeal with fruit, maybe some bread and cheese, or even just a soft boiled egg and some yogurt. The typical meal is just enough to keep you feeling less hungry, but not overstuffed.
Here in the United States, too many restaurants believe in overstuffing their customers. Unlike many European restaurants, we Americans are allowed to take things home in a “doggie bag” or “to go” container. In many European restaurants, if you don’t finish your food, well, too bad, it will be thrown out. Generally they do not give you “to go” containers. You may even take the chances of insulting the Chef if you don’t finish your food. They will assume you did not enjoy your meal, or something was wrong. It’s better just to come hungry and eat all that you can.
The Swiss are great at cooking light recipes. Bircher Muesli, is the perfect example of a tasty, light recipe. It is basically chilled oatmeal with fresh fruit slices of oranges, apples and even raisins. Not only does it taste great, but it’s a healthy way to start the day. It will give you tons of energy and is very low in calories. For lunch, you could try a Sausage salad, otherwise known as Wurstsalat. I know it seems pretty heavy, but it is quite light. You can make thicker slices of saugage if you are still hungry. Just like any salad, you can use as much or as little sausage as you would like. I generally cut enough just to cover the top of the salad and leave the rest for onion slices, pickles, lettuce and other ingredients.
Being healthy does'nt mean you have to discard flavor. There are many recipes that are delicious and simple. If you are into cooking light recipes, and want to try something new, you may consider Swiss Recipes. There are dozens of great Swiss Cooking websites and recipes to be found online. Here are a few:
- http://swisscookbook.com
- http://www.about.ch/culture/food/wurstsalat.html
- http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?categ=15,187
- http://homecooking.about.com/b/2009/07/07/swiss-cheese-recipes-hole-y-delicious.htm
When it comes to making your own food, you can choose to cook light and cook healthy. Choose your ingredients correctly and you will always have delicious, healthy meals that you will love.