SOUTHERN COMFORT! TGIF: Lemon Pound Cake

When I was a chunky-monkey of a child, one of my favorite things to snack on was my grandmother`s pound cake.  She`d slice it when it was still warm and top it with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries from my Pop`s garden!  It was and still is the best pound cake I`ve ever had. But with almost twice the number of eggs as the recipe below and a heaping of shortening, it definitely doesn`t win any awards for the healthiest dessert ever. Though my adult metabolism is a lot more forgiving than my childhood one was, I still like to try and develop lighter versions of my favorites!  In honor of my grandmother, a native to central North Carolina, I tried my best to find and develop a healthy version that could rival her pound cake.  Though it doesn`t quite carry the comfort and nostalgia that hers did (and does), I think she`d be proud of this one if she tried it......

Lemon Pound Cake

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened

3/4 g white sugar

3 eggs

1/4 c unsweet applesauce

1 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp lemon zest

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Begin adding eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add applesauce, flavoring, and zest.  

In a separate bowl, combine flour with baking powder and salt.

Add flour mixture to egg batter and beat until just blended. (Do not over-beat!)

Pour batter in a greased standard-size loaf pan.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.  Let cool and serve with fresh berries and frozen yogurt or light whipped cream!

Yield: 12 slices

Per slice....

Calories? 181

Total fat? 8.8 g

Protein? 2.8 g

Fiber? 0.4 g

Cholesterol? 66 mg

Carbohydrate? 23 g (1.5 carb servings)

Sodium? 66 mg

*Sources: recipe adapted from Makeover-Pound-Cake-Recipezaar

SOUTHERN COMFORT! HDF: Chicken-N-Whole Wheat Dumplings

Some comfort food to get you through the rest of the week...

Chicken & Dumplings...if you`ve never had it, you are missing out.  It`s a trademark southern dish that`s not really a soup, but definitely not a casserole either.  In fact, I`m not quite sure what to call it! How about...just plain GOOD!  Where my parents are from, in North Carolina, it`s called "Chicken & Pastry".  My grandfather`s restaurant used to serve it.  The dumpling part is in the form of a pastry that tops the chicken, rather than a fluffy biscuit that sits in broth.  The latter is what I grew up eating in Tennessee.

Dumplings are tricky and can turn out a little gross if not made right.  My mom`s were almost always perfect, but I have had ones that were a total fail...gummy, sticky, doughy...ugh.  Dumplings are traditionally made with white flour, but since this is a blog that promotes health I searched long and hard to find a recipe that incorporated whole wheat flour.  I found the following one in Food & Wine magazine (my favorite magazine EVER) and the only thing that I really changed up was a few of the vegetables. (Turnips and leeks aren`t really my thing!)

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-soup-with-whole-wheat-dumplings

(Nutritional info listed on the webpage)

Suggestion? Sprinkle with parsley for garnish!

*Sources: Food and Wine

Southern Comfort! SNN: Mac & Cheese

Broccoli Mac & Cheese...YUM

I am a Southerner and proud of it!  We have good weather, nice people, hospitality, and.....good FOOD!  What I`m not so proud of is the lack of moderation when it comes to adding fat and sodium into foods.  As a region, we are infamous for use of lard and deep fryers and for adding bacon to well...just about anything. Can traditional Southern dishes be made with less fat, less salt, and more nutritious ingredients and still taste amazing? Will they satiate the comfort you seek when you eat them?  Let`s give that a try this week beginning with your Sunday Night Nosh: Mac & Cheese! Two different recipes with two separate concepts:

First: Broccoli Mac & Cheese....Concept: Adding a veggie to for both color and nutrients!

8 oz whole wheat penne pasta

1/3 c butter

1/3 c all purpose 

3 c skim milk

3/4 grated parmesan

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp thyme

1.5 c shredded 2% cheddar cheese

1.5 lb frozen broccoli, thawed & cooked until al dente

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta as directed on package, but do not add salt or oil to the water. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.  Add cooked broccoli to the pasta and set aside.

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Add flour and milk and stir until mixture boils.  Let it thicken to a roux and then add cheese, garlic, and thyme.  Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and broccoli and toss to coat.  Pour this into a 9 x 13 greased glass baking dish.  Baked, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Yield: 9 servings

Per serving...

Calories? 312

Total Fat? 12 g

Cholesterol? 29 mg

Sodium? 652 mg

Carbohydrates? 32 g (2 carb servings)

Protein? 17.5 g

Another suggestion?...
*Italian-style: Sub a can of tomatoes and a can of mushrooms (both drained) and some Italian seasoning for the broccoli and sub 2% mozzarella for the cheddar.

Second: Macaroni and 4 Cheeses....Concept: "Hiding" a veggie in the dish to provide nutrients without anyone knowing! (Great for kids who are anti-vegetable eaters!)

This recipe is Ellie Krieger`s, a Registered Dietitian who has her own food network show!  

Here is the link: Macaroni & 4 Cheeses

I can vouch for this recipe too because I made it during a cooking class I held for the patients where I work.....

*Sources used: foodnetwork.com, James Osbourne`s suggestions :)!

Meals for 2! TGIF: Ground Turkey Tacos & Skinny Margaritas

I found this recipe on the Mayo Clinic website and actually made it for the first time in a cooking class I taught for the local senior center.  They loved it!  The challenge was to try to take a sodium-packed dish and  make it healthier!  I didn`t add any salt to the meat so it gets its flavor from the spices and onions.  My two additions to the recipe were black pepper (for a little kick) and plain Greek yogurt (to replace sour cream).  The yogurt is a trick I learned in undergrad from one of my professors.  We had it on a baked potato and it turned out to be a great substitute for sour cream!

Ground Turkey Tacos

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 oz extra-lean ground turkey

1/2 c chopped onion

4 whole wheat tortillas (6" diameter)

1/4 c shredded 2% cheddar cheese

2 c shredded bibb lettuce

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 c salsa

1/2 c cilantro, chopped

1/4 c plain 0% Greek yogurt

Combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, and black pepper.  Set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook turkey and onion until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent.  Drain.

Combine meat and onions with spice mixture.  Divide evenly among the four tortillas and top with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, and cilantro.  Dollop a tablespoon of plain greek yogurt on top of each taco and serve.

Yield: 2 servings (2 tacos each)

Per serving...

Calories? 356

Protein? 30 g

Carbohydrates? 33 g (2 carb servings)

Total Fat? 13 g

Saturated Fat? 4 g

Cholesterol? 49 mg

Sodium? 425 mg

Fiber? 7 g

I chose to have margaritas to accompany these tacos for two reasons: The first being that if you have Mexican food, you have to have a margarita (or at least a Mexican beer).  The second being that margaritas are my absolute favorite!  I have tried the original Skinny Margarita which was created by Bethenny Frenkel, but didn`t care for it.  It`s too tart and harsh!  Call me a wuss, but I like to enjoy a liquor drink and I definitely did not enjoy this.  So I googled (yes, that`s a verb) "skinny margaritas" and sort of combined a few recipes.  Here`s what I came up with....

Skinny Margaritas

1.5 c Sprite Zero or Diet 7-Up
3 oz clear tequila
1 oz Triple Sec (or Grand Marnier)
2 packets Great Value margarita mix (OR if you can find the Crystal Light version, use that!)
1/4 c lime juice


Combine all the above ingredients and pour over ice.  Garnish each glass with a lime wedge.  (Skip the salt...low sodium is the way to go!)

Yield: 2 servings

Per serving...

Calories? 155 

Pictures to follow...I`m having a friend over for dinner and this is what I`m making so I`ll post after that :)!

*Sources: hungry-girl.com, skinnytaste.com, mayoclinic.com

Meals for 2! HDF: Strawberry Fields Salad

My friend Dora always serves the best salads.  When I want a salad, I want an entire garden in a bowl which is what she does!  She combines lots of different fresh ingredients, including herbs.  Many times, she`ll throw chopped cilantro in with the greens and it is absolutely fabulous! It gives a regular greens a pungent smell and taste.  Other herb-to-salad ideas?: fresh basil leaves, dill, fennel (actually a vegetable, but whatever).

Strawberry Fields Salad

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (~3-4 oz each)

1 c strawberries, sliced

3 c spring greens

1/2 c shredded carrots

1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1/2 c blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles

C`s poultry marinade (recipe below)

Greek or Balsamic Vinaigrette (light)

salt

Cover a wooden cutting board (or your countertop) with wax paper.  Lay both chicken breasts down and cover them with wax paper.  Using a meat tenderizer, pound chicken through the wax paper until tender (use your best judgement).  Sprinkle salt on both sides of chicken breasts and place in a deep dish.  Pour marinade over chicken breasts and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Heat a George Foreman grille (I`m terrified of fire so I have to use a George! You are more than welcome to use a charcoal or gas grille if you`d like.) Spray both top and bottom of grille with cooking spray. Place the marinated chicken breasts on the grille and close the lid.

While the chicken cooks, prepare salads using the rest of the ingredients (excluding the vinaigrette). Divide ingredients equally among two bowls. When chicken has been browned on both sides and is cooked thoroughly (which means NO pink in remains inside), remove from grille.  Slice each piece against the grain.  Top each salad with slices of chicken.  Drizzle each salad with the 2 tablespoons light vinaigrette.

Yield: 2 servings (a full meal per serving)

C`s marinade (for 6-8 oz meat):

1 tsp spicy ground mustard (such as Zatarain`s)

2 tsp Thai chili sauce

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp honey

Combine and use as a marinade for any type of poultry. 

Per serving....

Calories? 500

Protein? 36 g

Carbohydrates? 19 g (1.5 carb servings)

Fiber? 4.5 g

*Sources: Dora Jennings` culinary expertise

TOM: What`s a probiotic?

......This is a copy of the new Dannon Pure yogurt label.  Divert your attention to the phrase

written in italics at the bottom.

The "active yogurt cultures" these labels are referring to are called probiotics.  Pro...what?  Sounds like some type of medicine! 

Probiotics are actually a main reason why yogurt is so heavily marketed and pushed nowadays!  As a society, we overuse antibiotics.  Antibiotics get rid of the bacteria in your body....including the good stuff!  Yes, there is such a thing as good bacteria.  It lives in your gut.  In the absence of this healthy "flora", your intestines can`t digest like normal.  Symptoms of the missing "good gut bacteria" can be diarrhea, constipation, discomfort, malabsorption, etc.  The "active cultures" in yogurt help to pro-mote the growth of or change the bacteria in your gut, restoring your digestive processes to normal.  Hence the term pro-biotic! :-) 

Different probiotics are have different MO`s.  Here are examples of a few:

*Lactobacillus acidophilus: Common in yogurt and cheese...this is the one you`ll see most commonly on a food label!  It helps with easier digestion for those who with a lactose intolerance and also prevents 

yeast infections.

*Bacillus coagulans: Increases good bacteria particularly in the colon.

*Saccharomyces boulardii: This is less common in food and more common in medical supplements.  It helps to treat and prevent Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea (AAD) and C-diff. (Ugh...you don`t even want to know what the last one is!)

Source: Medical Nutrition USA, Inc., eatright.org 

ASIAN FUSION! TGIF: Mango Ice Cream

Happy Friday!  To welcome the warm weather season, I thought ice cream would be perfect! I admittedly had a lot of difficulty coming up with an oriental dessert for today.  Most of what my mind went to was rice pudding and those fried doughnut things that sit on a Chinese buffet.  However...I started google-ing, of course, and recipes for mango flavored Oriental desserts started appearing.  It sparked a memory of some mango ice cream that I had once tried at a Thai restaurant and LOVED. I found a recipe and tweaked it a little and was really happy with the result.  It`s not the healthiest, but the flavor is so different that you don`t want a whole lot at one time!   Just a scoop was enough for me.  

Mango Ice Cream

2 cups fresh mango, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups skim milk

1 tsp vanilla

nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

Combine the fruit and half the sugar and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the mango and puree it in a food processor until smooth.  Then, add it back to the sugary liquid.  

Heat cream and half and half over medium until it simmers.  Stir for 1 minute, then remove from heat.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and the vanilla.  Spring nutmeg and cinnamon to your liking and stir.

Pour over mango puree and sugar syrup.

Using a mixer, beat until frothy.

Cover and freeze.  Check after an hour and continue checking until mixture is partially frozen.  Beat again with a mixer and return to freezer.  After the ice cream has solidified it is ready to serve.  Scoop into ramekins and garnish with mint or basil leaves.

Yield: 12, 1/2 c servings

Per 1/2 c serving...

Calories? 297 

Protein? 2.3 g

Saturated Fat? 9 g

Carbohydrates? 41 g (2.5 carb servings)

Sodium? 32 mg

Cholesterol? 55 mg

Fiber? 0.5 g

Source used: asianonlinerecipes.com

ASIAN FUSION! HDF: Chicken Pad Thai

Any Thai food fans out there?  I certainly am!  My favorite dish, of course, is the classic Pad Thai.  In fact, I never order anything else when I`m at a Thai restaurant!  When made correctly, it has the perfect balance of sweetness, spice, and texture.  Many restaurants make it with shrimp or tofu, but I always order the chicken.  Take a break from the stress of your work week and disappear into Bangkok for an evening....

Chicken Pad Thai

1 egg

3 cloves garlic, minced

black pepper to taste

1/2 c onion, minced

1/2 package Thai rice noodles (6-8 oz)

1 c mung bean sprouts

1/2 T fish sauce

3 t thai chili paste

limes

3 T brown sugar

2 T tamarind paste

2 T canola oil

cilantro

2 medium-sized boneless skinless chicken breasts 

Start by slicing chicken against the grain into very thin pieces. Set aside.

Next, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.  Once a rolling boil is reached, turn off heat and remove pan from burner.  Add rice noodles and set aside to soak. The desired consistency that you want to achieve is soft, yet still somewhat tough because you will be cooking the noodles even more later in the stir fry step.  Once noodles have reached this consistency, drain and set aside.

In a wok or deep skillet, heat oil over medium.  Saute garlic and onion for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.  While this is cooking, prepare sauce by whisking together fish sauce, chili paste, juice from 1/2 a lime, sugar, and tamarind.  Set aside.

Add the chicken to your wok or skillet and turn the heat up slightly to medium high.  Saute until cooked through.  Then add noodles and sauce.  Begin to toss the noodle and chicken mixture while it cooks (like tossing a salad- use tongs or wooden spoons!)  You are essentially "frying" the mixture, so be mindful of anything that splashes up while you are tossing because it could burn you.  Make room on the bottom of the pan (or side of the wok), crack the egg, and scramble it as it cooks.  Constantly make contact with the egg and "chop" it as you go.  Once completely scrambled, begin to toss in with the rest of the mixture to fry everything at once.  Once some of the liquid has absorbed, turn off heat.  Add bean sprouts and a pinch of black pepper and toss again.

Squeeze other half of the lime over the mixture.  Heap onto plates and garnish with cilantro, cashew pieces, and lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings

Per serving...

Calories? 349

Protein? 20 g

Saturated Fat? 2.5 g

Carbohydrates? 31 g (2 carb servings)

Sodium? 399 mg

Cholesterol? 82 mg

Fiber? 1.5 g

*Sources used: thaitable.com, thaifood.about.com