Comfort Food - Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

It's the weekend and with more snow in the forecast and a cold snap on the way next week, we could all use a little comfort.  Frankly, potatoes are calorie heavy as a rule, but you can make the mashed variety healthier and at least not pour on the fat.  (Read, no gravy.)  Fried chicken is pretty bad for you, no matter what.  But if you don't really fry it, use chicken breasts instead of dark meat and keep the breading lighter, you have a fighting chance.

This recipe is from Eating Better America and is called "Healthified Mashed Potatoes".  It's called such because it cuts out the butter and adds heart healthy olive oil in its place, which I had never tried before. Then they keep it simple with salt and pepper and fresh chives.  Nice job!

As for the "Fried Chicken", I LOVE the folks at "America's Test Kitchen"!  They try all the techniques, so you don't have to.  In fact, if you ever want a no-fail recipe, go here.  There is a membership fee, but if you are a serious cook or just starting to learn, this site is unbelievable.

As for a recipe, I will let you choose what fits your fancy.  However, these are the tips from America's Test Kitchen for getting it to come out as closed to tasting 'fried' as possible:

Oven-Fried Chicken

Crunchy-coated, tender, juicy fried chicken is utterly irresistible, but it can be a real pain to prepare. There’s the multi-step breading to contend with, and then there’s all that hot, spattering oil. We wanted to mimic the best of fried chicken with a minimum of fuss, and bake it, not fry it. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Marinate the chicken in highly seasoned buttermilk flavored with mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Soak the chicken for at least one hour, or even better, overnight, so that the flavors have a chance to penetrate deep into the meat.
• Use a blend of corn flakes and breadcrumbs for the crispest coating. Seasoned heavily with spices and lightly coated with oil, the coating bakes up as crisp as a deep-fried crust.
• Bake the chicken in a hot (400-degree) oven on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. The rack allows hot air to circulate beneath the chicken so that all sides of the pieces become crisp.
• Traditional homemade fried chicken has 552 calories, 34 grams of fat, and 10 grams of saturated fat per serving. Cook’s Country Oven-Fried Chicken has 216 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 4 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Nice calorie savings, huh?  We have tried this at home, very tasty and crispy.  And that's coming from a girl that used to love the Colonel's extra crispy!

Yours in Health,
Kate

Holiday Dinner Planning 2010 - Healthier Appetizers/Dip

Today's subject - the meal before the meal.  This can be one of the biggest pitfalls of any person trying to be healthy, not just now, but all year round.  You go to any event and the appetizers can be a calorie bomb.  I have decided to combine the concept of dip with appetizer.  I pulled together two healthier, but hearty, options that will compliment the always necessary crudités (veggie plate).

I will skip the elementary - fat free sour cream with Lipton Soup mix - because you know those tricks.  These two appetizers/dips are currently both popular and trendy AND they are healthier because they have veggies and fiber.

Kate’s Healthier Spinach-Artichoke Dip - Yes, it's really my reworking. :)

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz.) can of artichoke hearts in water
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
6 oz. - low-fat or fat free sour cream, your preference

½ cup - shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

½ cup – 2% mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons non-fat Greek style yogurt
1/8 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon of crushed red peppers (if you want it spicier)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400°F.

Drain and finely chop the artichoke hearts and place them in a medium bowl. Add spinach, sour cream, yogurt, the mozzarella and spices – mix well.  Add half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano (we use this cheese because it’s really flavorful). 

Now taste – this is where you add more spices to your preference.  When you are happy, spread the mix into a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Serve warm or at room temperature with carrots, endive leaves and pretzels for dipping.

Makes about 3 cups dip.

Our other dip is a lower fat version of hummus.  I hesitated on trying this one forever, with my roomie constantly saying, "Hummus is Yummus!"  I finally tried it and she's right, although I prefer it warm.  When it's warm I LOVE it.  The benefits are the fiber in the beans and as it was pointed out the other night on "Bones" - the B6, which helps with morning sickness among other ailments. It's from About.com's Middle Eastern Foods section.   It's traditionally served with warm pita wedges, but it's great with veggies, keeping your calories down.  

There you are, your shield for the hoards who will be chomping at the bit to get dinner underway.  And a healthier nosh for you to stave of the mega-hungries so you don't over indulge during the main event.

Tomorrow:  A health break - how I improved my outlook during the ever stressful holidays and it might help you too. 

Yours in Health,

Kate

Holiday Dinner Planning Begins - The Breakfast Smoothie

I have been putting together recipes for a "healthier" holiday dinner.  I have used parenthesis because, as you know, we could cut all the fat and calories in the world and if you binge, it no longer matters.  With that in mind today we start with the most important meal of the day, breakfast.  It's particularly important on a holiday - you know why.

What? You're going to make me explain it?  LOL.  Okay, fine, eating breakfast has many benefits:  it fires up your energy, which you are going to need to get through the day; it gives your brain the fuel so that you remember to put the salt in the potatoes, not the sugar; and it helps stave off binges when dinner is finally ready.

This recipe for Emeril's Yummy Wake-up Smoothie is super easy and very healthy.  It's full of fruit, fiber and a little protein.  Use non-fat yogurt and it's even healthier.

I went with a smoothie because all it requires is a blender and a little time AND it's for YOU.  Yes, Y-O-U, the one who will be up before the crack of dawn making sure there will be food for everyone else later in the day.  Plus, there are a couple more servings for the little ones who couldn't stay in bed because there are presents under the tree.

Tomorrow, "healthier" appetizers and a reasonable dip.

Yours in Health,
Kate

Cookie Week - Cranberry-Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Over the past ten years or so, cranberries have come into vogue.  Sure, they've always been gelatinous for a turkey side, but for a decade this berry's profile has been raised by research into its nutritional value.

Cranberries are packed with vitamins and antioxidants.  These properties have been shown to help with everything from bladder infections to heart health.  Plus, their tartness is a great compliment to sweet.

Today's recipe is from Cooking Light Magazine.  My roomie made it last year and, though cranberries aren't my favorite, this cookie was awesome. 

The recipe mixes cranberries, whole wheat flour, egg white, walnuts and mini chocolate chips with some of the standard ingredients.  In the end this healthier little treat is a bundle of complimentary tastes.  Enjoy!

Yours in Health,
Kate

Cookie Week - What Can I Substitute to Make Cookies Healthier?

So far this week I have shared two recipes, that have been made a bit healthier by others, to help fill your holiday cookie jar.  But today I am going to give you the tools to slim down your favorite family recipes without taking away the taste that makes them a holiday staple.

This list of substitutions has been put together by my friends at the Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center.  It covers the baking of sweets, one of the hardest things to transform, but it also offers tips for the savory dishes in your arsenal.  Some of these are common sense, others are downright creative.

Instead of using:                                                    Try:

Whole milk ............................................................ Skim milk

Sweetened condensed milk .................................... Non-fat sweetened condensed milk

Cream ................................................................... Evaporated milk or fat-free half & half

Whipped cream ..................................................... Light or fat-free whipped topping

Cream cheese......................................................... Light or fat-free cream cheese.

*Note: fat-free cream cheese may change the consistency of finished product

Butter, margarine or oil ........................................... Fruit puree (unsweetened applesauce)

Whole egg .............................................................. 2 egg whites or a ¼ c. egg substitute

White or brown sugar ............................................. Splenda® or decrease the total amount by 1/3 to a 1/2

1 oz. baking chocolate ............................................ Three Tbsp. of cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp. oil

Sour cream ............................................................. Low-fat or fat-free sour cream

                *Note: fat-free sour cream may change the consistency of finished product

Mild Cheddar Cheese ............................................. Reduced-fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese

White rice ............................................................... Brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat couscous

1 c. chocolate chips ................................................. ½ c. mini chocolate chips

Hopefully this helps you create magic in your kitchen and your family never misses the calories.

Yours in Health,

Kate

The Holidays Have Begun - Low Fat Oyster Stew

I know... you don't want to hear that.

You didn't want to hear it when Younkers put up their display in August or when the Christmas commercials started the morning after Halloween or possibly even two weeks from now.  But, it is inevitable, so why not be prepared.

That's why I will be posting recipes on a regular basis between now and the end of the year.  I plan to search out healthier versions of my favorites.  Today is oyster stew or in this recipe, bisque.  I beg my mother to make it every year for Christmas eve.  No one else in the family likes it.  But my mommy loves me and most years I get a small batch.  However, her recipe is all butter and cream - y-uh-ummmm!

Knowing that we should be a little better than that, I went digging at Cooking Light magazine and found this version.  Substantially less fat and it looks pretty good too.  In fact, it sounds good now, fall weather makes me constantly want soup.


Your in Health,
Kate