by JoAnna M. Lund
Hi!
Welcome back into my kitchen, where the cooking is easy and the food is both
healthy and tasty! The holidays will be here and gone before we know it—but
how about a bunch of cooking tips to help you through this “goodies everywhere”
time? I’ll also share a few other cooking tips to make the most of our
everyday meals.
To make a delicious (and low-calorie) chocolate glaze for brownies, bars, or a cake prepared in an 8-by-8-inch or 9-by-9-inch pan, all you have to do is melt four teaspoons reduced calorie margarine and one (1-ounce) square of unsweetened chocolate in a medium-sized saucepan that has been sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in two tablespoons fat-free sour cream and one teaspoon vanilla extract. Add 1-1/4 cups Splenda Granular. Mix well to combine. Drizzle warm mixture evenly over top of brownies, bars or cake.
If you’d like to turn a quick bread recipe into muffins, start by (1) spraying the muffin pans with butter-flavored cooking spray or line them with paper liners and then spray the inside of the liners before spooning the batter into them. Usually one recipe of any quick bread will make 8 to 12 muffins. (2) Increase the baking temperature to 375 to 400 degrees. Muffins need a higher temperature to bake properly. (3) Shorten the baking time to 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the batter. Test the muffins with a wooden toothpick, and remove them from the oven when it comes out clean. You can turn muffin recipes into quick bread by doing the exact opposite!
If you’re planning on making a pumpkin or custard pie during the holidays, gently prick the bottom of the crust and bake at 425 degrees for about eight minutes. Then, gently pour the filling into the partially baked crust, lower the oven setting to 350 degrees, and continue baking as you normally would. This eliminates soggy crusts!
Crushing graham crackers for a cookie recipe? Place them in a self-sealed sandwich bag and crush away. It works great for releasing tension and for finely crushed crumbs!
If a recipe you want to prepare calls for mini chocolate chips and you can’t find them in the store you’re shopping in, simply purchase the regular size and put them in a nut grinder and coarsely chop. What could be simpler?
Pop goes the corn! Did you know you could make your own single-serve microwave popcorn? You can, by spooning two tablespoons of popping kernels into a paper lunch bag, folding the top over twice to seal and placing the sealed bag in the microwave, and microwaving on HIGH for two to three minutes, or until the popping stops. Then pour the popcorn into a large bowl and lightly spray with butter-flavored cooking spray. You’ll have three cups of virtually fat-free popcorn to munch on at a fraction of the cost of purchased microwave popcorn.
Want to know how to make the best mashed potatoes ever? I thought so! For a six-serving batch, boil six medium potatoes that have been quartered, in water until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, but do NOT toss the water away. Return the potatoes to the saucepan, whip them gently with an electric mixer, then add about 1/2-cup of the reserved potato water, 1/3-cup nonfat dry milk powder, and two tablespoons fat-free sour cream. Continue whipping with the mixer until smooth. Be prepared to share the “secret” of your creamy mashed potatoes!
This is almost too easy to be a recipe! To make the tastiest and easiest salad that will satisfy the palate of almost all tomato lovers, simply wash and coarsely chop up a fresh tomato, place it on a salad plate; take a handful of crushed baked nacho chips and sprinkle over the tomatoes, then drizzle a couple tablespoons of fat-free Thousand Island dressing over the top. Sink your teeth into this and smile!!!
Now for our Recipe Makeovers
CS, of FL, sent me a holiday goodie to lighten up. She wants to have these on hand to serve to both family and friends. All I can say is my husband thought they were wonderful. I should have served them first and then asked for favors—they’re that good!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
1/2 cup Splenda Granular
1/4 cup Peter Pan reduced-fat peanut butter
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Layer a baking sheet with a large piece of waxed paper. In a medium-sized microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine Splenda, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Cover and microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 30 seconds. Stir, then re-cover and microwave for another 15 seconds. Stir in vanilla extract and peanuts. Mix well to coat completely. Form into 16 balls and place onto waxed paper. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm.
Serves 8 (2 each)—Each serving equals: 149 calories, 9g fat, 5g protein, 12g carbo, 39mg sodium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fat, 1/2 meat, 1/2 starch/carbo; Carb Choices: 1
JH of IL requested I revised this appetizer (see the Shrimp Cocktail Pizza recipe at left) to make it both lower in fat and carbs but still high in flavor. If you like shrimp cocktails, then I think you are going to love this!!
Shrimp Cocktail Pizza
1 (8-ounce) can Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
1 (8-ounce) package Philadelphia fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup Land O Lakes no-fat sour cream
1/2 cup Heinz Cocktail Sauce
2 cups finely shredded lettuce
2 (6-ounce) packages frozen shrimp, thawed, cooked and chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a rimmed 10-by-15-inch baking sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray. Unroll crescent rolls and carefully pat into prepared baking sheet to form a crust, being sure to seal perforations. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Place baking sheet on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. In a large bowl, stir cream cheese with a sturdy spoon until soft. Stir in sour cream and cocktail sauce. Evenly spread mixture over cooled crust. Sprinkle lettuce evenly over sauce mixture. Evenly sprinkle chopped shrimp over top. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Cut into 16 pieces.
Serves 8 (2 each)—Each serving equals: 193 calories, 5g fat, 16g protein, 21g carb, 704mg sodium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 meat, 1-1/2 starch/carbo; Carb Choices: 2
I hope you enjoyed our time together in the kitchen. Remember, if you’d like me to revise one of your family favorites so it’s healthier, send your request to: JoAnna Lund, Healthy Exchanges, PO Box 80, DeWitt, IA 52742. Also, be sure to visit my Web site at www.healthyexchanges.com for more “common folk” healthy recipes to try. Until next time ... JoAnna