Cucumber Sandwiches

  These cucumber sandwiches are delightful. They remind me of the appetizers that were served at weddings when I was a child, and I love going to weddings. They're also a great way to enjoy the fresh cucumbers in abundance throughout the summer, and the leftover cream cheese spread can be used as a dip for other seasonal vegetables. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

1 8-oz. package 1/3 less fat neufchatel cream cheese

3-4 Tbsp. dried chives

1 medium cucumber

4-6 slices dense texture whole grain bread

Directions:

Mix the cream cheese and dried chives by hand in a small mixing bowl. Use 3-4 Tbsp. of dried chives, depending on your taste preference. 

Use a whole grain bread with a dense texture so it doesn't fall apart with all the cream cheese and cucumber slices on it. Bakery style breads work really well for these sandwiches. 

Cut the cucumber in half and then slice it longways. It can be peeled or unpeeled, depending on your preference. 

Spread some cream cheese mixture on 2 pieces of bread. Then place the cucumber slices. 

Sandwiches can be served whole or cut into halves or thirds. 

Save any leftover chive cream cheese to use as a dip for tomatoes, carrots, or any of your favorite seasonal vegetables.  

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.

Grapefruit Jalapeno Fish

  This recipe was inspired by an article I read in the September 2011 issue of Vogue magazine. The author had traveled to Mexico and wrote about a chef that used grapefruit with chili peppers. A lot of spicy Mexican dishes use lime to balance the heat from the peppers, so grapefruit seemed like a nice change up on the usual citrus fruit. I kept this idea floating around in my mind for a few months trying to figure out the best base for the sauce. Then a Foodista fish recipe caught my attention. It was a more typical lime and pepper recipe, but it had mayonnaise as the base. Mayonnaise is used more frequently in actual Mexican cooking, as opposed to the Tex-Mex that most Americans are used to. The taste of this dish is phenomenal, even if I did make it!

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup lite mayo

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1/2 red grapefruit

1/4 cup sliced, pickled Jalapeno peppers with the juice

12 ounces of Pollock fillets

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425F. 

Combine the first 4 ingredients to make the sauce. Be sure to remove the juicy grapefruit segments from the tough membranes. Also, there's no need to chop the peppers, the slices from the jar are perfect! 

Stir together the ingredients for the sauce, mashing grapefruit with the spoon.  

Place fillets in a glass baking dish. 

Cover with sauce. 

Bake 9 to 11 minutes.

  Here is a picture of the feast I served with the fish. Fresh corn on the cob with tub margarine, a scoop of fat-free vegetarian refried beans with shredded mozzarella cheese, a cucumber, tomato, and buttery red leaf lettuce salad, and some chips and salsa for good measure.

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.

Tomato and Okra Vegetable Soup

  It's cold outside today, and this healthy soup is the perfect meal for warming up. The base of the soup is corn and tomatoes. I used a combination of no added salt and regular canned vegetables, simply because the grocery store didn't have everything I needed in the no added salt variety. This soup contains primarily canned and frozen vegetables, with the exception of a fresh onion and a green pepper, making it ideal for late fall and winter. A little bit of sugar and white vinegar add a boost of flavor.

 

Ingredients: 

2 cans no added salt whole kernel corn

2 cans no added salt diced tomatoes

1 can shellie beans

1 can sliced carrots

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 12 oz. bag frozen okra

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

  Serve soup with hot, fresh cornbread.

 

Friday Night MyPlate

  I love to cook, obviously, but I also enjoy dining out, especially on the weekends. Restaurant meals, even pizza, can be healthy if you keep in mind the MyPlate model and Dietary Guidelines. Tonight I had carry-out veggie pizza and added a salad to make half my plate vegetables. A few olives and the salad dressing added heart healthy polyunsaturated fats. It was delicious! 

Not gonna lie, I had 2 pieces. 

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.

Fried Green Tomatoes

  Since tomatoes are now coming in from my little garden, I decided to fry up some of the green ones today. When made right, fried green tomatoes taste better then candy, and these are really good. I used whole wheat flour along with cornmeal, a small amount of sugar, and just a dash of salt, and lightly pan fried them in heart healthy vegetable oil. Draining on a wire rack helps to avoid sogginess. This recipe makes a lot of the coating, but it can be halved if needed. 

Ingredients:

4 to 5 green tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons sugar

dash of salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions: 

Put cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt on a dinner plate and stir together with a fork until well combined. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. 

Dredge sliced tomatoes in coating and fry on both sides until light brown. 

Place fried tomatoes on a wire rack to drain and cool. Eat within a few minutes of cooking.

Tomato Garden

  This an update on two previous posts about gardening and my delightful tomato plants. I'm still waiting on the cantaloupes to grow, and the raspberries and cherries unfortunately didn't make it. However, I do have a wonderful harvest of fresh heirloom tomatoes! 

  The ripe tomatoes are perfect for slicing on sandwiches and salads, or to eat fresh. I fried up some of the green tomatoes today (recipe and picture to follow)! 

Omelets

  Good Morning! One of my favorite breakfast foods is omelets. Not only are they are a good source of protein to keep you full during the day, they also allow you to have vegetables for breakfast! 

Tomato omelet. Yum yum.

  The omelet I made this morning has chopped garden fresh heirloom tomato and part-skim mozzarella cheese. Any vegetables that you like can be added. 

  Start off with a skillet on medium heat and spray it with some non-stick cooking spray. If you like onions and green peppers, add them first since they need to cook longer. Then add the softer veggies, like tomatoes, mushrooms, or raw spinach leaves. I would have never thought of putting spinach in an omelet until I had a veggie omelet at The Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta, and it was amazing.

  Next, beat an egg with about a tablespoon of skim milk and pour it over the veggies. This is a Julia Child tip. Adding a little milk to an egg before you scramble it gives it a light, moist, fluffy texture. 

  Then top with some shredded cheese. I prefer part-skim mozzarella because it is the lowest in fat of all the natural cheeses. Specialty reduced fat cheeses tend to be kind of expensive, but they do taste good and are better for you.

Surviving Summer Cookouts

  The 4th of July has passed, and I hope everyone had a good time grilling out and watching fireworks shows. Although the holiday is over, we are still in the middle of summer cookout season. Here are some tips for lower calorie foods and healthier cookouts. 

The Grill: 

  Meats typically used for grilling-hotdogs, sausages, and hamburgers-often contain high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. Look for reduced fat hotdogs, sausages made with chicken, lean hamburger meat, ground turkey for turkey burgers, or veggie burgers that can be grilled. 
  The grill is not just for meat, try grilling marinated vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and peppers. They can be put on skewers or into aluminum foil. Chopped potatoes with the skins on are also great grilled in foil. Just spray some non-stick cooking spray onto aluminum foil, place a handful of potatoes or other vegetables in the middle, and wrap them up into little potato boats.
  Another opportunity to add some extra vegetables is in toppings, slice fresh tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers to top burgers and hotdogs. Also try whole wheat buns rather than white.

Salads and Side Dishes: 

  A nice, fresh salad is another great way to get some extra servings of vegetables. Top tossed salads with reduced fat dressing to lower the calories, but still get the health and taste benefits of polyunsaturated fats. Leave the peels on vegetables and fruits for more fiber and nutrients. Make potato salad with lite mayo and unpeeled potatoes. Use whole wheat pasta for pasta salads. Also try one of these Yummy Salads.

  Baked beans are a good source of fiber and protein, but can often contain a lot of extra sugar and saturated fat. If you are preparing baked beans, limit the amount of brown sugar and bacon fat that you add. Have a moderate sized serving, about 1/2 cup. Have chips in moderation, too. If that bag of potato chips is calling your name, go ahead and have a few to avoid feeling deprived and eating the whole bag.

Desserts:

  One of the best desserts in the summer is fresh fruit. Any variety is available this time of year, especially yummy berries. Try blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries over frozen yogurt or sorbet.

  Throw together your own Fresh Fruit Salad , or try my Fruit Salad recipe. Frozen bananas or other types of frozen fruit can be refreshing on a hot summer day.
  My American Flag Cake recipe is also a lighter option for a more traditional dessert.

Beverages:

  The best thing to drink in the heat to cool off and rehydrate is ice water. Since it can be a little boring sometimes,and not everyone likes water, lower calorie drinks like sugar-free lemonade or diet sodas are good, too. If you're planning to have alcohol at your cookout, go for light beer and spritzers.  

  Cookouts are a staple of the summer season. These healthy tips should keep you on track and eating right all summer long.

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