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Cooking healthy meals is a good way to start the New Year, especially if you’ve overindulged during the holidays. All those cookies, special drinks and nibbles can pack on the pounds, as well as upset your digestive system. Get back on track to healthy eating with one simple trick.

Use spices and herbs instead of salt.  You might not realize it but most Americans consume double the amount of salt they require.  If you eat one fast food burger you’ve consumed all the salt for the day, half the calories you require and all the fat.  Only 15 percent of the salt most people eat is consumed by salting their food while eating or cooking.

Cut down on the salt by reading labels.  Did you know one serving of a popular canned chili has 30 percent of the salt you’re allowed for the day? And a serving isn’t the entire can it’s one cup.  Make your own chili and freeze it in meal-size portions.  Pick up low sodium cheese and use no-added sodium roast deli beef for sandwiches.

Most people have an acquired taste for salt. Parents actually salt their purchased baby food because the food tastes flat to them.  The baby of course, not being used to eating salt, doesn’t mind the taste. The easiest way to readjust your taste buds is to go cold turkey for three or four days. That means not only not adding salt, but preparing meals from salt-free ingredients.  It will take some extra time but at the end of the time period you’ll recognize just how salty most food is. You might even lose a few pounds because you can’t eat fast food that’s loaded with salt and fat.

Replace the salty flavor with strong tasting herbs such as rosemary, basil, dill or oregano.  Add heat instead of salt by adding in diced fresh jalapenos, cayenne pepper or even hot pepper sauce.  Boost flavor with spices such as fennel seed, cumin or cinnamon.  Try cinnamon in meat dishes such as chili or meatloaf.

Make your own dips using fat-free yogurt instead of sour cream and mayonnaise. A quick and easy dip that can be thinned with apple cider vinegar to use as a salad dressing is to mix one cup of fat-free yogurt with 1 tablespoon of dill seed, 1 teaspoon of dried onion flakes or 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (not onion salt), 1/4 cup of chopped scallions, 1/4 cup of minced cucumber, throw a tablespoon of fresh chopped dill if you have it.  You won’t miss the salt or the extra calories in purchased onion dill dips with this recipe.

The holiday season is here and that means busy days and nights. If you’re looking for quick and easy dinners, stop right here. Three entrees that depend on cheese, fill the bill to fill your family’s tummy. The first is cheesy broccoli and rice. Even children who don’t like broccoli like this dish. The second is a spicy enchilada casserole and the third a gourmet take on mac and cheese. All three dishes are vegetarian which means they save you money. Start off with a preparing a silky cheese sauce in one of your sturdy saucepans

Combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of flour until smooth. Heat in the saucepan until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese. You’ll need one cup of this sauce for every two servings. Since the ingredients below make dishes that serve four, make 2 cups.

Cheesy Broccoli
Cook 2 cups of broccoli in the microwave until it’s softened but still crisp. The broccoli will finish cooking in the oven. Combine with 2 cups of cooked rice. Or use instant rice with water as the directions specify. Add 2 cups of the cheese sauce. Stir well.

Top with an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Either freeze this in an air tight container for a dinner you only have to bake later or bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the cheese melted.

Enchilada Casserole
If you can layer you can make this dish. You won’t be using the cheese sauce for this dish. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to two 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce. Add more cayenne pepper for a hotter kick or add several chopped jalapeno peppers.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Layer in five or six corn tortillas. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce and spread over the tortillas.

Slice one medium onion and layer over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the onions. Finish with 1/2 cup of sauce and another layer of tortillas. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake 45 minutes in a 350 F oven.

Gourmet Mac and Cheese
Butter the bottom of a casserole dish. Combine 4 cups of cooked macaroni with 2 cups of cheese sauce and 2 cups of frozen defrosted peas. You don’t have to cook the peas. Place in the casserole dish. Cover with a layer of breadcrumbs — about 1 to 1/2 cups and an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Heat at 350 F until the breadcrumbs are brown and the cheese topping melted. This is oh so much better than the boxed stuff.

If going vegetarian isn’t your thing. Add 1 cup of chopped chicken to the rice and broccoli, 1 cup of chopped turkey, cooked ground beef or cooked diced pork to the enchilada casserole and 1 cup of cubed ham to the mac and cheese.

November 30, 2011

The Italians have a way to turn pasta into perfection. A fresh tomato sauce bathes pasta accented with peas, basil and sprinkled with a smidge of Parmesan cheese. Chop one medium fully ripe tomato for each serving of pasta. For example if you’re feeding four for dinner, chop four tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. Cook your choice of pasta until it’s nearly done. Add 1/2 cup frozen peas for each serving of pasta and add to the pasta just a minute or two before you remove from the heat. Strain the pasta and the peas. Chop a handful of basil leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and basil leaves to the pasta and peas and toss well. Sprinkle each serving with one tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

November 8, 2011

You’ll be shouting olé when you taste this South of the Border treat. Use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. For four servings: make a marinade of the juice of three limes. Add a bit of lime peel to the juice if you wish. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, `1/4 teaspoon of crushed chili peppers or more if you like spicy food, a clove of chopped garlic, and four chopped scallions. Combine with 1/2 cup of tequila. That sounds like a lot, but remember all the alcohol will evaporate during cooking, you just want the flavor. If you don’t want to use tequila use white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar instead. Place the marinade and the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and marinate for at least an hour, up to over night. When ready to cook remove the chicken from the marinade and bake. You can also grill the chicken breasts. Serve with a black bean, corn and tomato salad and a couple of toasted tortillas.

October 15, 2011

Deep dish pizza is one of the dishes the city of Chicago is known for, so what better way for the Green Bay Packers to treat the bears than to bury them at home. Homemade pizza is a snap to make and fun if you set up a pizza bar.

Roll out premade pizza dough into individual disposable greased pie pans. Make sure the dough comes up the sides of the pan to create the deep dish.  Let rise 30 minutes in a warm place during pregame activities.

Set out tomato sauce, ranch salad dressing, and a white sauce such as Alfredo.

Offer an assortment of toppings with suggested combinations for those who are culinarily  challenged much like the Bear’s quarterback’s offense line is challenged.

Combine chopped bacon, spinach, and fresh tomatoes and parmesean cheese for a BLT pizza.

Use tomato sauce, chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and mozerella cheese for a classic Chicago pizza.

Go upscale with cooked chicken breast, olives, artichoke hearts and ranch salad dressing, smothered in mild Havarti cheese.

Always use raw vegetables and cooked meats.  Bake in a 425 F pre-heated oven until the pizza dough browns on the bottom, about 20 minutes.

Use your imagination with the toppings.  A Mexican pizza could be black beans, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, chorizo sausage and tomatoes blanketed by cheddar cheese.

An oriental pizza could be pork, scallions, shredded carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts.  No cheese but brush with plum sauce before baking.

Spicy pork sausage, sweet shrimp and chunks of  succulent chicken all wrapped up in a zippy tomato-based sauce and served over rice.  Take the traditional jambalaya out of the pot and onto the grill. This recipe is fast, easy and pretty low fat.  There is some fat in the sausages but each person only gets half a sausage. Recipe makes four servings.

2 cooked Andouille sausages or any spicy sausage, cut into four pieces each.

16 shrimp – the 13 to 15 per lb. size

2 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes.

1 cup tomato juice combined with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 to 3 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp. each dried thyme, black pepper, dried onions and three minced garlic cloves.  Divide into three zip lock bags. Add each meat to a separate bag.  Marinate for two hours.

Slice one red and one green pepper into eight equal sized chunks.  Slice two small onions into eight equal sized chunks.  Put in the bag with the Andouille sausage.  It’s cooked so you won’t be contaminating the raw vegetables.

Thread the vegetables, chicken, sausage and shrimp onto skewers.  Baste with the marinade from the sausage and veggie bag while they’re grilling.  Discard the marinade from the shrimp and chicken.  Chicken should be grilled until no traces of pink remain.  The shrimp is cooked when the shell turns bright pink and the flesh is no longer translucent.  If you use the 12 to 15 per lb. shrimp and 1 inch chunks of chicken they should both be cooked and ready at the same time.

If you don’t want to use skewers, grill the chicken breasts and sausages whole and the shrimp in a fish basket.  Keep the shells on the shrimp to keep them moist. The shrimp will cook faster than the chicken so put it on when the chicken is about 10 minutes away from being done. Cut each sausage and chicken breast in half.  Each person gets four shrimp, half a sausage and half a chicken breast.

Serve over seasoned white rice. Add chopped scallions, parsley, salt, pepper and butter to hot cooked rice.  Finish the meal with a crisp green salad to offset the heat from the Jambalaya.

Jambalaya on a stick makes great little appetizers. Remove from the skewers after they’ve been grilled. Cut the chicken and sausage chunks in half.  Serve a shrimp, chicken chunk and sausage threaded on a smaller skewer.

Why use a mix when it’s easy to make fresh, tasty potato soup yourself? The salty bacon compliments the sweetness of the sauteed onions. Wrap it up all together with a little heavy cream and lots of potatoes. The trick is to mash some of the potatoes and leave some in chunks. Decrease the fat by substituting turkey bacon for regular bacon and skim milk for the cream. Because you’re browning the onions in the bacon fat the soup will not be pure white but take on a beige color from the bacon and lots of flavor.

Cut three slices of low sodium bacon into one inch slices. Fry until the bacon browns. If you’re on a low fat diet, drain the fat. Or use turkey bacon instead. Chop one medium onion into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop two slices of celery into 1/2 inch cubes. Sautee the veggies over medium heat until they’re soft. That should take, maybe five minutes. Keep an eye on them. Onion contains sugar and they’ll burn quickly at too high a heat.

Add one quart of low sodium chicken broth, or 4 cubes of low/no sodium chicken bouillon cubes and four cups of water. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. No, we haven’t forgotten about the potatoes.

Peel three medium to large potatoes and chop into 1/2 cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup and let simmer on low heat another 10 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove about a cup of the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cream. If you’re on a low fat diet add 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the flour into the milk, add the mashed potatoes and then add back to the soup.

Bring up to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. The flour will continue cooking as the soup cools.
Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

Leftovers are great the next day. If you don’t have quite enough soup left, add 1- 2 cups more chicken broth, 1 cup of frozen corn, and one cup of little cooked shrimp.

It’s easy to vary the potato soup by adding a few different ingredients. Add clams for clam chowder. Smoked sausage goes nicely with the potatoes. Or try chopped leeks and dill and leave out the bacon. Add chicken and peas and chopped parsley.

Make up a double batch and freeze half for another night’s supper.

Guests love bite size snacks they can carry with them. Just about everyone loves macaroni and cheese. You can make it special and portable by hollowing out a small dinner roll and stuffing it with mac and cheese. They won’t even need a spoon.

Stuff cherry tomatoes with a mixture of one cup of cottage cheese mixed with one quarter cup of Parmesan cheese.

For a variation stuff the tomatoes with chicken salad or tuna salad.

Chicken wings are fun and easy. Cut a chicken wing in three pieces. Save the bony wing end for making chicken broth. Bake the wings at 350 degrees until done. Serve at room temperature with dipping sauces. Mix equal parts honey, lime juice and mustard for a tangy dip. Or try equal party ketchup and brown sugar for a BBQ like sauce. Each guest gets their own little cup of dipping sauce.

Miniature hot dogs and buns are always a hit. Buy the little franks and refrigerator biscuits. Cut the biscuits in half. Place one little frank in the center and roll up. Bake as package directs.

Grill baby burgers and place in a cut dinner roll, top with a slice of tomato, a lettuce leaf, and favorite condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

Keep portions tiny.

Salad to go. Wash endive leaves. Fill the broad end with a teaspoon of your favorite prepared salad. Wash butter lettuce leaves, selecting the smaller more pliable leaves. Spread out the lettuce leaf and put a tablespoon of salad on the end nearest you. Roll the leaf forward covering the salad. Tuck the ends of the leave under as if you were rolling up a burrito.

Lightly fill celery stalk with cream cheese. Press dried cranberries or raisins into the cheese. Cut into bite sized pieces. For a change use flavored cream cheese.

Mini pizzas. Use refrigerator biscuits. Lightly flour a board. Roll each biscuit flat doubling the size of the biscuit. Place biscuits on cookie sheets. Spread with a teaspoon of tomato sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. An alternative is to use a slice of fresh tomato. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake as package directs.

A veggie platter and dip can be made special by using baby vegetables. Carrots, summer squash, patty pan squash, string beans, both yellow and green should be blanched by immersing in boiling
water for one minute and then in immediately in an ice bath. Add snap pea pods, grape tomatoes, both red and yellow, and boiled baby potatoes.

Mini tacos are fun and easy. Use the corn chips that are made for dipping and have a bowl shape. Fill with a teaspoon of cooked taco meat, a bit of refried beans and top with shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese just melts.

One bottle of beer, one chopped onion, two cloves chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Use this marinade on meats overnight for extra flavor and tenderness to the meat.