Eat right

Published 8:22 am Thursday, September 11, 2014

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be tasteless or time consuming to prepare — that was the message BestLife Iberia Chef Patrick Mould was promoting Saturday at the grand opening of the Delcambre Seafood and Farmers Market at Bayou Carlin Cove, the new dock, pier and pavilion in Delcambre.

Mould, a chef, educator, cookbook author and culinary innovator who has been at the forefront of Cajun and Creole cuisine, was getting the attention of visitors as they gathered to watch his healthy cooking demonstrations throughout the day and pick up a few tips on preparing nutritious dishes with flavor.

“You don’t have to sacrifice taste for healthy. Cooking is all about the depth of flavor,” Mould said as he stirred a pot filled with Shrimp, Corn and Tomato Soup.

Oohs and aahs can be heard among the crowd as visitors savored the flavor of the chef’s tasty soup made with fresh corn, herbs and Vermilion Bay Sweet Shrimp.

“I’ve removed the fat and lowered the salt content in the soup, but replaced the flavor with fresh ingredients and herbs. It’s just not as good when it isn’t fresh. The fresh gulf shrimp and the fresh corn gives the soup added flavor,” said Mould.

With some prep time the night before, the savory soup can be prepared in about the same amount of time it takes to pick up food at the McDonald’s drive thru.

When purchasing shrimp harvested in the United States, Mould said it is easy for the consumer to get confused by the labels.

“Labels marked with packaged in the United States often lead the consumer to believe the shrimp is harvested in the United States.

“The label should read ‘a product of the United States,’ ” Mould said.

Mould, who has contributed much to the cooking landscape to that of Southwest Louisiana, said he sees a trend in the change of eating habits as people look for healthier foods and are not opting for take out or fast food.

“More and more people want to know where their food is coming from and are looking for healthier options. We have the best of all food worlds here with an abundance of fresh ingredients, seafood and grass fed beef. People need to take advantage of it,” he said.

“We have more young people that are getting involved in farming and that is encouraging.”

The cooking demonstrations and recipes were made possible by a Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana Grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, which was initiated by the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation.

With September declared as Whole Grains Month, BestLife Iberia was making an effort to get more people on the whole grains bandwagon.

“It’s all about promoting healthier eating,” said Marti Harrell, special projects manager for IDF.

Mould also demonstrated how to prepare a Farro Salad with Veggies and Vinaigrette. As the main ingredient, the salad featured 2 cups of farro, the hearty grain that was a mainstay of the daily diet in the Mediterraneans and is still referred to as the “mother of all wheat.”

Today this “Old World” heirloom grain is still highly regarded in Italy, where it has been grown for generations by Tuscan farmers and is featured in many traditional dishes.

Tossed together with cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers and green beans, the colorful salad is enhanced with a flavorful vinaigrette dressing made with extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, hot sauce and Cajun seasoning.

The renown chef also shared his recipe for Shrimp Ratatouille prepared with Vermilion Bay Sweet gumbo shrimp and fresh eggplant.

More healthy and nutritious recipes can be found at www.facebook.com/BestLifeIberia.