Tomato Pie

  Look at this pretty tomato pie! I decided to make this today because I had a yellow and a red tomato, and I thought it would look really pretty. It tastes amazing, too, and is low in saturated fat, with an oil pastry crust and vegetable oil topping. 

  Some of the ingredients are a little flexible. You can use your favorite oil for the topping or a few pats of butter. Remember, everything in moderation! An Italian seasoning blend can also be used in place of the dried basil. 

  Tomato Pie can be served alone or with soup or salad, similar to how you would serve a quiche.

Ingredients:
1 9-inch pie crust (I used the recipe for Oil Pastry from the Southern Living cookbook.)

2 large tomatoes

1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil

1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup shredded or 2 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

I bought this cookbook in college for a food composition class, and it's now a staple in my kitchen. I use the Oil Pastry recipe on page 355 anytime I need a pie crust.

Directions:
Slice tomatoes and place in colander to drain. 

Prepare pie crust, but don't bake it yet.

Layer the sliced tomatoes, you should have 2 layers. 

Drizzle with oil. 

Sprinkle with basil and then with pepper. 

Top with cheese. 

Bake according to pie crust directions. (I did 450 F for 14 minutes.)

Serve immediately.

Breakfast Bread or Biscuits

   Homemade bread is wonderful, but yeast breads can be exhausting to make and bread machines are kind of expensive. I developed this recipe to be a quick bread with the taste and texture (soft inside, crunchy outside) of good homemade bread. It is ideal as a breakfast bread as it is a little too sweet and crumbly for sandwich bread. The consistency of the dough also makes it great for biscuits. Plus, it has a boost of healthy whole wheat flour.

Breakfast Bread

   I have baked with whole wheat flour in the past and had products that turned out bitter. I wasn't sure if it was just the taste of the flour or if there was something wrong with the bread, so I googled bitter whole wheat bread and found the answer. The top search results, including a post by Cooking Light magazine, said that whole wheat flour spoils faster than white flour because the oils in it go rancid quickly. The fact that grocery stores often don't sell as much whole wheat flour can also mean that it has been setting on the shelf longer. 

   There are a few things you can do to remedy this problem. First, always check the expiration dates on the flour. Don't buy anything that is close to its expiration date and throw away any flour you may have at home that has reached its date. Second, if you can, buy whole wheat flour from a store that keeps it in a cooler, and store it in the refrigerator once you get it home. These tips should ensure that you have fresh, good tasting flour to work with. 

   Another noteworthy thing about this dough is that it contains sorghum molasses. The main difference between sorghum and regular molasses is that sorghum is the delicious stuff that you buy from farmers at roadside stands. It’s viscous like honey. You can eat it on toast or use it in baking. Molasses is the runny, slightly bitter stuff that you buy in major chain grocery stores. If you can't find real sorghum molasses, honey is an acceptable substitute.

Sorghum Molasses

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups self-rising white flour (White Lily is the best)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sorghum molasses

1 cup skim or 1% milk

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, leaving out 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil to use to coat the pan. 

Knead dough until mixed well. 

-For bread, add 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil to a loaf pan. Shape the dough into a loaf shape, roll it in the oil in the pan, and bake for 20-30 minutes. 

-For biscuits, lightly coat a baking sheet with oil, drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

Flexible Ice Cream recipe

  I'm calling this ice cream flexible for a few reasons. First, the ingredients are flexible. You can basically use any fatness of milk and cream because I've found that the egg yolks are really the key to a good texture. Of course, if you use whole milk and whipping cream, you will get the creamiest, dreamiest texture, but skim milk and half and half work just fine, too. I haven't tried to make this with soy milk, so I can't really say if that would work out well or not. The add-ins are also flexible-add melted chocolate (white, dark, or milk chocolate), fruit, caramel, etc. The vanilla ice cream is perfect on its own and ideal as a base for other flavors. 
  The preparation is also slightly flexible because, if you choose to use whipping cream, you can whip it and add to the mixture to make it even smoother and dreamier. 

This is the base recipe to start out with:

Ingredients: 

2 cups half and half

2 cups skim milk

2 cups store brand Splenda for baking

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

Directions: 

1. Add the half and half, milk, salt, vanilla, and 1/2 of the Splenda in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles form around the edge of the pan. 

2. In a mixing bowl, use a mixer with a whisk attachment and mix the egg yolks and the other 1/2 of the Splenda. Blend well. 

3. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk blend, whisking constantly with the mixer. Mix at low speed, then whisk on high until soft peaks form. 

4. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill. 

5. Transfer to ice cream maker and mix about 20 minutes. 

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Cherry Ice Cream

Flexible option 1: Use any fatness of milk-skim, 1%, 2%, or whole. 

Flexible option 2: Use any fatness of cream-half and half, heavy cream, whipping cream, etc. 

Flexible option 3: Add in fruit, cherry pie filling (my favorite), melted white chocolate, dark or milk chocolate chunks, or swirled caramel to taste. 

Flexible option 4: If you are using whipping cream in the recipe, save it out for the very last. Whip it into soft peaks with a mixer, then fold into the ice cream before transferring to the ice cream maker.

Cherry pie filling is one of my favorites, and it's so good with ice cream.

7-1-12: Coconut would be really good in this recipe, too! Just thought of this today, wanted to share. :)

Sauteed Baby Bella Mushrooms

  This recipe takes just a few minutes and only 4 ingredients. It can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. The portabella mushrooms have a meatier texture than regular mushrooms, and they hold flavors better and maintain a firmer texture when cooked.

 

Ingredients:

1 carton baby bella mushrooms

olive oil

garlic powder

dried basil

Directions:

Wash mushrooms thoroughly and drain to dry.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. 

Add whole mushrooms. Sprinkle with garlic powder and basil.

Saute mushrooms evenly on both sides. 

Serve immediately.

Soup Beans and Cornbread

  Whether you call them pinto beans or soup beans, beans really are a healthy food, especially when they're made without greasy fatback or loads of salt. This recipe uses plenty of flavor from lean ham and seasonings, and leaves out the hot mess of saturated fat and sodium in some traditional recipes. Enjoy this delicious fiber and protein rich food with Regular Cornbread or Hot Mexican Cornbread.

 

Ingredients: 

1/2 pound dried pinto beans

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1-1 1/4 pound ham, chopped

1 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Rinse beans well. Soak overnight. 

Drain water. 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Add fresh water, adjusting the amount according to how soupy you want the beans to be. 

Bring to a boil, then cook over low-medium heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serving size should be 1/2 to 1 cup. 

I like to eat my beans with ketchup, but chow chow, sauerkraut, hot sauce, or jalapeno peppers would all taste wonderful. The sauerkraut, some varieties of chow chow, ketchup, and jalapenos will add sodium, so use them sparingly. Hot sauce is actually a low sodium seasoning!

Pretzel Chicken

  These yummy pretzel breaded chicken tenders are so good they can be eaten alone or dipped in honey mustard. Since the pretzels are used as a coating, this recipe is really not too high in sodium. I also baked them instead of frying, which I prefer because it is not as messy, but you still get good flavor from the healthy oil used to coat the pan. 

Ingredients:

3 handfuls pretzels

3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

1 pound chicken tenderloins

2 eggs

Honey mustard dressing

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Put pretzels in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin. 

Add oil to a baking dish. 

Beat the eggs. Dredge chicken in eggs first, then in the crushed pretzels, coating thoroughly. Place in oiled baking dish. 

Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. 

Serve with honey mustard dressing, if desired. 

Oven Fried Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and Green Beans

  Today I have another meal that fits the MyPlate model. It's based around oven fried chicken made with Kentucky Kernel flour. Sweet potatoes really taste good with chicken, and green beans go with everything. Kentucky Kernel flour is a bit salty at 544 mg. of sodium in 4 tsps. and has a strong flavor, so I blended it with whole wheat flour. 

Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients: 

Vegetable oil

1 pound skinless chicken

1/2 cup Kentucky Kernel flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup skim milk

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Pour enough oil into a baking dish to keep the chicken from sticking.

Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl.

Combine the 2 flours on a plate.

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture first, then coat in flour. Place them in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes on each side, turning once. 

Sweet Potatoes

Wash and place desired number of whole sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake while the chicken is cooking. It should only take around 30 to 40 minutes for the potatoes to bake. 

Top the finished sweet potatoes with some tub margarine and cinnamon. 

Green Beans

Open a can of Shelley Green Beans and drain to reduce the sodium. Place in a saucepan and add water, a generous sprinkling of black pepper, and one thick slice of onion, chopped. Cook on stove-top over medium to medium-high heat while the chicken and sweet potatoes are baking.

Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Wedges

  Hopefully by the end of November you are not completely worn out with turkey, but even if you are, this recipe for Turkey Burgers should wake up the taste buds. The Sweet Potato Wedges served with it are sweet, savory, and delicious. Plus, sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber and vitamin A. According to the USDA, 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes provides 110 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 180% of the Daily Value of vitamin A. 

Serve turkey burgers on whole wheat buns, with lettuce, onion, Swiss cheese, ketchup, and mustard. Add tomato slices in the summer, when the quality of tomatoes is better. I used whole wheat bread in place of a bun because I like the taste and texture, and that's what I had on hand. 

Turkey Burgers
Ingredients: 
1 pound ground turkey (93/7 lean meat)
3/4 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions: 
Combine all ingredients and mix well with hands.
Form into 4 hamburger patties.
Spray a skillet with non-stick spray, and cook burgers over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes until well-done.

Be sure to use garlic powder, not garlic salt, for a low sodium dish.


Sweet Potato Wedges
Ingredients:
Whole sweet potato
Cinnamon
Dried basil

Directions: 
Plan to use one potato per person.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Wash potatoes, peel, and cut into wedges.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Arrange wedges on baking sheet, spray with non-stick spray, and sprinkle with cinnamon and basil.
Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

Fish Dinner

  Continuing with the MyPlate meals, this is a quick and easy dinner with baked fish, steamed vegetables, and a baked potato. All the ingredients for this meal are added to taste, so no measuring or strict recipes are required.

 

  To prepare the fish and potatoes, first preheat the oven to 350F. Scrub the potatoes, poke holes in the tops, and place them in the oven for about 40 minutes, they may need to bake longer if you prefer softer baked potatoes. 

  While the potatoes are baking, prepare the thawed fish. I used frozen whiting because it was on sale, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place the fillets in a glass baking pan and add olive oil, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of paprika. Bake the fish for about 20 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork. This fish was delicious, and had a meatier texture. 

  While the fish and potatoes are baking, cook the vegetables on the stovetop. I used fresh broccoli and frozen mixed vegetables. Just cook them in some water in a pan until the broccoli is lightly cooked (no mushy broccoli) and the frozen vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Then empty most of the water. Sprinkle cheese on the broccoli. The best and healthiest type of cheese to use for broccoli is the Mexican blend with reduced fat cheeses. It's available in a store brand and isn't any more expensive than the other types. Turn the heat down to low and let the cheese melt. The little bit of water left in the pan keeps it from burning. For the mixed vegetables, add some tub margarine like Country Crock Light, and stir it in thoroughly. 

  When the potatoes are finished baking, add tub margarine, reduced fat sour cream, and pepper. No salt is needed because the flavor is so good. Remember to eat the peel on the potato for a boost of fiber.    

MyPlate Complete Meals

  Since this blog is about healthy eating, I want to start featuring more full meals that match up with the MyPlate model and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. The MyPlate model is a quick and easy way to think about meal planning. Just fill half of the plate with vegetables or fruits, one quarter with grains (preferably whole grains), and the last quarter with a lean protein (animal or plant). Top it off with low-fat milk, yogurt, or soy milk. 

http://www.choosemyplate.gov

A well balanced meal.

  Four of my recent posts are featured in this photo. Lean meatloaf, cornbread with a heart healthy fat source, a few slices of fried green tomatoes, and fresh, sliced heirloom tomatoes make a healthy, delicious, and filling meal. Have an 8 oz. glass of milk, or some yogurt or sugar-free pudding for daily calcium.

Fresh Blueberry Muffins

This recipe for blueberry muffins uses heart healthy vegetable oil, sweetener in place of sugar, and lots of whole blueberries. The flour could even be substituted with whole wheat flour or a blend of whole wheat and white flour for a boost of fiber and whole grains.

 















Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sweetener for baking
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup skim milk
1 pint fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray or line 12 muffin cups. 
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add oil, sweetener, eggs, vanilla, and milk, stirring well with a mixing spoon. Fold in blueberries. 
Spoon batter into muffin cups. 
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. 

How to Make Healthy Nachos

As a dietitian, I'm always looking for ways to make foods healthier and to add extra vegetables to meals. Nachos are actually one of my favorite foods, but the typical nachos with salty cheese sauce would definitely be considered junk food. Preparing foods at home, rather than eating out, is a great way to reduce calories and improve the nutritional content of meals.

Start with tortilla chips, which are lower in saturated fat and sodium than most chips, just be aware of the serving size. Then add an assortment of your favorite vegetables, such as black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Top them off with part-skim mozzarella cheese, which is the lowest fat natural cheese. Add salsa for another serving of vegetables. You can microwave each plate of nachos, or heat the ingredients in pots on the stove top when serving a group. Garnish with fresh lime and cilantro for extra flavor. I like to add a side salad with fresh greens and ranch dressing, as well.

Fresh Salads

Today I have 5 fresh salad recipes ideal for summer. 

Chunky Chicken Salad
Ingredients: 
2 1/2 lb. chicken breast 

1 1/2 cups celery

1 1/2 cups grapes (any variety)

1 cup pecans

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 cup lite mayo

Instructions:

Boil chicken until cooked thoroughly. Tear into bite-sized pieces. 

Chop celery, cut grapes in half, and break pecans in half. 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. 

When boiling the chicken for this recipe, I like to use a chopped onion and a few stalks of celery, usually the yellow inner stalks from the bunch, with the leaves still on. Throw everything into a stock pot and cook the chicken. This makes the most delicious broth that can be drained and used later for any type of soup or dumplings! 

This recipe is also versatile. Any variety of grapes can be used, whatever you prefer or have on hand. The chicken salad is also good with some pineapple added. It's excellent on a green salad, a sandwich, or with some crackers.

Pear Spinach Salad

Ingredients: 

1 bag raw spinach leaves

1 ripe green pear

1 cup walnuts

2 cups raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Instructions:

Slice pears longways. 

Toss all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. 

Serve immediately. 

This salad is healthy, low calorie, and super quick and easy. The ingredients really don't even have to be measured. You can just toss everything together and add the dressing straight from the bottle. 

Summer Salad

Ingredients: 

1 small container cottage cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped green onion

1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped tomato

Instructions: 

Combine all ingredients. 

Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to mingle.

Simple and delicious! 

The final 2 salads for this post are linked from previous articles on my blog. 

The first is my absolute favorite fruit salad ever, so enjoy! 

http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/aunties-fruit-salad-recipe.html

And the second is a delicious crab salad.

http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/seafood-recipe.html

Fried Green Tomatoes

It's the time of year for fried green tomatoes. There are a myriad of good recipes, mostly involving corn meal, flour, egg, milk, and a pinch of salt. Use your favorite recipe, and, instead of deep frying in grease or shortening, just lightly pan fry the tomatoes in a heart healthy oil, like vegetable oil. This will reduce some of the calories and saturated fat. Heat the oil thoroughly before cooking to avoid soggy tomatoes, and don't over salt them. Ultimately, you want to taste the tomatoes, not the salt and grease. The serving size should be moderate.   

Fried Green Tomatoes

Quick Quiche recipe

  This easy and healthy quiche is one of my mother's favorites. It was originally a Bisquick recipe that she found about 30 years ago. She has continued to use the recipe, with a few adjustments.   
  One of the best things about this quiche is that it can be altered with different vegetables or cheeses to suit everyone's own taste. Tomatoes, chopped ham, spinach, mushrooms, part-skim mozzarella cheese, or pepper jack cheese would all taste great. 
  The fact that the quiche is crustless reduces the calories, saturated fat, and trans fat significantly. It also has only 3 whole eggs in the entire 6 serving dish, but the whole eggs can be replaced with egg substitutes to reduce the cholesterol and saturated fat even more. 

Ingredients: 
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli
   (Note: Do not cook the frozen broccoli.) 
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups skim milk
3/4 cup Bisquick
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 400 F (reduce to 375 F for glass bakeware). 
Lightly grease 10 inch pie plate. 
Place broccoli, onion, green pepper, and cheese in pie plate. 
Beat remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over vegetables. 
Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Banana Pudding

This is a traditional banana pudding topped with meringue, but the sugar has been replaced with sweetener for baking. Use sucralose (in the yellow package). The name brand is fine, but the store brand works well too and is much cheaper. 

Bananas are plentiful this time of year, and the price is almost always low. Use ripe or slightly over-ripe bananas. 

This recipe also uses real butter, regular vanilla wafers, and egg yolks because they are all used in moderation. There is just a small amount for the entire dish. Using skim or 1% milk cuts out saturated fat, while still providing calcium and vitamin D.  Stick to about a 1/2 cup portion for serving size.

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp. (separated) sucralose sweetener for recipes (the yellow package)

1/4 cup AP flour

1/8 tsp. salt

2 cups skim or 1% milk

2 eggs-separated

1 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

33 vanilla wafers

4 bananas

Instructions:

Combine sweetener, flour, and salt in a medium sauce pan.
Stir in milk and cook until thick. 
Separate egg yolks into a small mixing bowl, and set aside the whites at room temperature for later. 
Beat yolks, and stir mixture into them. Then return entire mixture to sauce pan.
Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, then add butter and vanilla. Continue stirring over low heat for 1 minute until butter is melted and vanilla is well mixed. 
Layer in a 2 quart glass baking dish. 
Place first layer of vanilla wafers in pan on bottom and around sides. 
Then add 2 sliced bananas, and then 1/2 of pudding.
Repeat second layer with remaining wafers, bananas, and pudding. 
Beat egg whites until foamy, then add 2 Tbsp. sweetener. Beat to stiff peaks for a meringue. Top the dish with meringue. 
Bake at 425 F for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown. 

For serving, let the pudding set for a few minutes and serve warm. It is also wonderful the next day served cold. 

Favorite Spice of the Day-Cumin!

Cumin is a wonderful spice to try in savory dishes. Add it to beans, bean dips, chili, and soups. It adds a delicious flavor to foods, and can be used in place of salt to add flavor rather than extra sodium.

Auntie's Fruit Salad recipe

1 can pineapple chunks

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. AP flour

1 bag red grapes

3 bananas

1 can peaches

Drain 1 can pineapple chunks over a sauce pan to get about 1 cup of pineapple juice. 

Combine juice, egg, sugar, and flour in the sauce pan at room temperature. Mix until the egg is thoroughly combined. 

Then cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  

Let cool. 

Combine fruit in a large mixing bowl. Pour cooled dressing over fruit and stir thoroughly until all fruit is coated.

Food and Nutrition Tips:  This recipe is ideal year round, since any type of fruit can be used.  Just plan on about 5 cups of fruit total, and add the pineapple juice. Canned fruit and any seasonal fruit works really well.

This salad is very bright and colorful and tastes great. It's perfect for special occasions, and is also a healthy fruit salad to have at home. 

I have prepared this recipe for groups before, and they asked about the egg yolk and the sugar, worried that the dressing wasn't healthy. The salad contains about 5 cups of fruit-a lot of fruit! The dressing only has one egg yolk and a little bit of sugar, so it is not enough to make a big difference in cholesterol and sugar intake for this salad.

Diabetics should have about a 1/2 cup portion. 

Seafood recipe!

Mom's Seafood Salad

This is a yummy recipe that my mother makes.  The recipe lists imitation crab meat as the main ingredient, but any seafood can be substituted, including real crab or shrimp.

8 oz. imitation crab

2 T. lite mayo

2 T. reduced fat sour cream

1/4 cup celery, chopped

2 T. onion, diced fine

          or dried mined onion

1 T. lemon juice

2 T. lemon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until crab meat is well coated. 

Serve this crab salad with whole wheat crackers, celery and carrot sticks, or on a sandwich. 

Nutrition tips: Crab and most seafood is a good source of protein and healthy polyunsaturated fats-the good fats. Lite or reduced fat mayo and sour cream also provide good fats with fewer calories.  Reduced fat products are typically better than fat-free because when fat is removed from foods like mayo and salad dressing, it is replaced with sugar. This replaces the healthy unsaturated fats with unhealthy sugar, which is not desirable. 

Lemon pepper can be a great low-sodium seasoning, but be sure to read the label. Some lemon peppers contain salt or sodium. So be aware of what you are using to flavor your food.

 

Dietary Guidelines Selected Messages for Consumers

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/SelectedMessages.pdf