by JoAnna M. Lund
Includes photo of JoAnna Lund.
Hi, I'm so glad you chose to join me in the kitchen again, for more of my "common folk" healthy cooking tips. Once again, I'll again share a couple of recipe makeovers I did, so you can enjoy them, too!
Did you know you can make your own evaporated fat-free milk, a half cup at a time, in a matter of seconds, and for a fraction of the cost of "store bought"? You can! When the manufacturers make evaporated milk, they boil it down to half its original volume. Using that "milk math" as the starting point, all we have to do is combine 1/3-cup nonfat dry milk powder and 1/2-cup of water. Instantly, we have 1/2-cup of JO's Evaporated Fat-Free Milk. You can stir this into your morning coffee, or any recipe that calls for evaporated milk. Following this basic formula, for one cup, you would combine 2/3-cup of dry milk powder and 1 cup water. To make the equivalent of a commercial 12-fluid-ounce can, like those found in any grocery store, simply combine 1-cup dry milk powder and 1 and 1/2 cups water. Store in a covered container; this will keep nicely for at least a week in your fridge. Just be sure to use a good-quality brand of nonfat dry milk powder, and your evaporated milk will never taste like, well, dry milk powder!
An excellent white sauce for creaming veggies can be made simply by combining 1and 1/2 cups of JO's Evaporated Fat-Free Milk (the cooking tip I just shared with you) and 3-tablespoons flour, in a small covered jar. Shake well to combine. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized saucepan sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, until mixture thickens and just starts to boil. Season as you desire.
Now -- if you want to make cheesy white sauce, stir in 1-cup of shredded, reduced-fat, Cheddar cheese, and continue cooking and stirring until the cheese melts. However, do NOT ever use fat-free Cheddar cheese and expect it to melt correctly -- and if you insist on using the fat-free, you are forbidden to tell anyone it was my recipe! Nothing turns families off from eating healthier quicker than fat-free cheeses!
Or maybe you're in the mood for Thai food and want to make a creamy peanut sauce. If so, then stir in 1/4-cup peanut butter (reduced-fat or regular, your choice) instead of the cheese and continue cooking and stirring until the peanut butter melts. Both creamy and chunky work well. Drizzle this over cooked carrots and celery and you won't have any problem getting your family to eat their veggies!
To help keep fresh fruits and veggies fresher longer, just give them a quick 'shower' with lemon juice. The easiest way to do this is to pour lemon juice into a kitchen spray bottle and store in the refrigerator. Then, every time you use fresh fruits or vegetables in a salad or dessert, simply give them a quick spray with your 'lemon spritzer.' You just might be amazed by how this little trick keeps your produce from turning brown so fast.
For a special treat that tastes anything like "diet," try placing 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of any flavor spreadable fruit spread in a microwaveable safe container and microwaving on HIGH for about 15 seconds. Spoon a half-cup sugar, and fat-free ice cream, into a dessert dish, and drizzle the hot fruit spread over top. Some combinations to get you started are apricot spread over chocolate ice cream; strawberry spread over strawberry ice cream; or blueberry spread over vanilla ice cream. Now, let your imagination be your guide and discover what combinations you can come up with!
Chunky salsa can be one of your best helpers in the kitchen! Here are a couple of suggestions you may not have thought of: (1) Heat one (15-ounce) can of green beans or carrots, then stir in 1/4-cup chunky salsa. Continue cooking on medium heat until mixture is heated through. It makes canned veggies sing notes they didn't even know they could! (2) To make a great dressing for a single-serving lettuce salad, combine 2 tablespoons fat-free ranch dressing with 2 tablespoons chunky salsa. It makes the dressing go twice as far, and adds twice as much flavor!
Back to those canned veggies--I never pay the higher price for the salt free versions. Instead, I buy national brands when they are on sale. When I'm ready to prepare one of my recipes that calls for canned veggies, I simply open the can, place them in a colander and rinse the veggies for a few seconds under warm water. I'm getting rid of most of the salt, and I'm saving money in the process!
Now for our recipe makeovers:
MJ of WA sent me a meringue pie to revise. She wondered if there was anything I could do to make both the meringue and the custard filling more "diabetic friendly." Boy, could I! Not only are both my meringue and custard filling sugar-free, they are so easy to make, and look so impressive, I'm thinking you'll be making this pie often, especially when you want to show off your culinary skill. No one need know how simple this is to prepare -- that is, unless you want to tell them!
Hawaiian Fruit Meringue Pie
1 Pillsbury refrigerated unbaked 9-inch piecrust
1 (4-serving) package JELL-O sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
2/3 cup Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, packed in fruit juice, undrained
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, rinsed and well drained
6 egg whites
1/2 cup Splenda granular
2 tablespoons flaked coconut
Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Place piecrust in
a 9-inch pie plate. Flute edges and prick bottom and sides with the tines
of a fork. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes
or until lightly browned. Place pie plate on a wire rack and allow to cool
completely. Meanwhile, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a medium
saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, dry milk powder, undrained pineapple, and
water. Cook
over medium heat until mixture thickens and starts to boil, stirring often.
Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2-teaspoon coconut extract and mandarin oranges.
Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool five minutes. Meanwhile, in a
large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on HIGH until soft peaks
form.
Add remaining one-teaspoon coconut extract and Splenda. Continue beating
with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Spoon fruit filling into piecrust.
Evenly
spread meringue mixture over fruit filling, being sure to seal to edges of
pie crust. Sprinkle coconut evenly over top. Bake for 15 minutes or until
meringue starts to turn golden brown. Place pie plate on a wire rack and allow
to cool
for 15 minutes. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Cut into eight servings.
HINTS: (1) Egg whites beat best at room temperature. (2) Meringue pies cut
easily if you dip a sharp knife in warm water before slicing.
Serves eight--Each serving equals: 187 Calories, 7gm Fat, 5gm Protein, 26gm Carbohydrate, 233mg Sodium, 1gm Fiber.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat, 1 Fruit
BH of NE sent a chicken recipe that needed a Healthy Exchanges makeover. The original version called for many more ingredients and involved much more preparation time. Once I was finished with this, I think I could have won any food election in the country--with my promise of (healthy and tasty) chicken in every pot!
Company Chicken Stroganoff Over Rice
1-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup Kraft Fat-Free Ranch Dressing
1/4 cup Land O Lakes no-fat sour cream
1 (2.5-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, undrained
2 cups hot cooked rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
In a large skillet sprayed with butter-flavored
cooking spray, sauté chicken,
green beans and onion for 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
Add ranch dressing, sour cream and undrained mushrooms. Mix well to combine.
Lower heat and simmer for five minutes, or until mixture is heated through,
stirring often. For each serving, place 1/2-cup rice on a plate, spoon about
1/2-cup chicken mixture over top, and garnish with 1/2-tablespoon parsley.
HINTS: (1) If you don't have leftovers, purchase a chunk of cooked chicken
breast from your local deli, and dice it when you get home. (2) One and one
third cup uncooked instant rice usually cooks to about 2 cups. (3) Thaw green
beans by placing in a colander and rinsing under hot water for one minute.
Serves four--Each serving equals: 246 Calories, 2gm Fat, 21gm Protein, 36gm
Carbohydrate, 450mg Sodium, 3gm Fiber.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Meat, 1 and 1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable.
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, c/o Voice of the Diabetic, 1412 I-70 Drive SW, Suite C, Columbia, MO 65203. Also, be sure to visit my website: www.healthyexchanges.com for more "common folk" healthy recipes to try. See you next time!