The best Tabbouleh!

I realize it's been awhile. I have unfortunately been short of good ideas - that is, until we went to Cincinnati's Lebanese Festival today! Here's the yummy food we had:

Tabbouleh (bulgur salad with tomatoes and parsley) is a Middle-Eastern staple that I fell in love with a few years ago. Not only it is delicious, it is healthy, inexpensive and a refreshingly different type of salad. Tabbouleh is typically served as a side dish, but I admit I often eat a larger portion for my meal!

Tabbouleh is one of those recipes that everyone makes a little differently. Here is my version:

Tabbouleh
Serves 4 as a side dish
[Easy to double or triple]

1/2 c. raw bulgur (cracked wheat kernels)
1 c. tomato, seeded and chopped (about 1 large)
1/4 c. red onion
1/4 c. diced cucumber (optional)
1/4 c. parsley, or more to taste (must use fresh in this recipe!)
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. water
1/4 t. salt, or more to taste
1/4 t. pepper, or more to taste

Rinse bulgur in a colander with cold water; drain. Place bulgur, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and parsley in a medium bowl, ideally with a lid. Combine liquid in a small bowl (I just use a liquid measuring cup), and stir to combine. Pour liquid over bulgur and vegetables. Stir, and season with salt and pepper. Salad should be thoroughly moistened, but with no excess liquid; if it's too dry, add extra lemon juice or water to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. I save a step of cooking the bulgur because it will soften as it sets; the flip side of this is you must refrigerate before serving unless you want hard bulgur!

Healthy Pizza Joes

This lightened-up recipe is a delicious, crowd-pleasing variation on the Sloppy Joe. It is also fast and easy enough for any night of the week! 


Healthy Pizza Joes
Serves 4-6

1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green (or other color) pepper, chopped
1.5 to 2 cups marinara sauce (depending on how "saucy" you want them)
~25 slices (about half of a 3 oz. package) turkey pepperoni or regular pepperoni, chopped
1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, oregano, black pepper
1/3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
Whole wheat hamburger buns, for serving

Add turkey, onion and green pepper to a skillet on medium heat (I don't add oil). Cook, breaking up the turkey, for 5-7 minutes or until turkey is cooked through; drain if needed. Stir in marinara sauce, pepperoni and seasonings. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve meat mixture on buns. If desired, top filling of each sandwich with 1 T. cheese.

Healthy Chicken Jambalaya

Not only is this recipe healthy, it is absolutely delicious, inexpensive AND ready in less than 30 minutes. It's one of our new favorites!

Healthy Chicken Jambalaya**
Serves 4-6

1/2 to 3/4 lb. raw boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 t. cajun seasoning
6 to 8 oz. fully cooked chicken sausage (or turkey sausage, or "rope" sausage), thinly sliced
2 large bell peppers (any color), cut in into strips or 1 inch pieces.
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
1 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes

Rice, for serving (if desired).*

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, toss chicken in cajun seasoning. Add chicken and sausage to skillet and cook, stirring, for around 5 minutes, or until chicken has browned and begun to cook through.

Add peppers and onions, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon. Cook for ~5 minutes more, until veggies are crisp tender and chicken is fully cooked through.

Serve with rice.

* I cook rice in a saucepan while I make the jambalaya. Brown rice takes a little more than 30 minutes, but it's much healthier. White rice can be done in 15 minutes if you are really in a hurry. Just bring 2 parts water and 1 part rice to a boil (I use ~1 1/3 c. rice and ~2 2/3 cups water), then cover and simmer until water is absorbed.
** This recipe was heavily influenced by a recipe in Better Homes and Garden magazine.

Delicious appetizer – Sausage stuffed jalapeños

If you still need a recipe for the Super Bowl, try this one! This is an amazing appetizer with only 4 ingredients. It's a little spicy, but still a crowd-pleaser. 

You can make this dish up to a day ahead if you’re making it for a gathering, and just bake when you’re ready. Dan and I usually just make these for us though, they are so good! With a salad and fruit, it’s not too unhealthy of a meal. =)

Sausage stuffed jalapeños 

Makes  roughly 2 1/2 to 3 dozen, but varies based on size of jalapeños  

1 lb jalapeños

½ lb. sausage (can use hot if you want really spicy!)

1 8oz. package cream cheese (lite works great for this), softened

½ c. shredded parmesan or other Italian cheese 

Cook and crumble sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Drain fat.

Meanwhile, prepare jalapeños by just slicing off stem and then cut in half horizontally; remove seeds, ribs and stems to have 2 halves; a grapefruit spoon works great for this if you have one. (Make sure to wash your hands very well afterwards and do not touch your eyes!)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

When sausage has cooled slightly, combine with cream cheese and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. 

Spray glass baking dishes (you probably need 2) with baking spray. Place jalapeños in dishes, cut side up. Fill each jalapeño half with about 1 T. filling; use more or less depending on the size.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Healthy Makeover by request: Beef Porcupines

If you are not familiar with this dish, Beef Porcupines are meatballs with rice served in a tomato sauce.

I received a request to make this recipe healthier on my Comments, Requests, and Questions tab from my mom; full request is at the bottom*. Everyone else, it’s your turn to send me something!

I love requests to make a recipe healthier, because it is a fun challenge. This makeover was unusual because I actually only changed the cooking method, and not the ingredients. My version is delicious and saves hundreds of calories per serving (all fat calories!) vs. the original recipe.

Healthier Beef Porcupines

Serves ~4 as a main dish

1 pound ground beef

1/2c raw white rice

1/2c chopped onion

1/2 t garlic salt

1/2 t pepper

8 oz. (1 c.) tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce

8 oz (1 c.) water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl (with your hands). Shape into evenly sized meatballs; I made about 20 but feel free to do 12 like the original recipe if you like them bigger. Place meatballs on a cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet (this will allow the fat to drain from the meat onto the cookie sheet). Bake for 12-16 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs, or until brown and meat is cooked.

Turn oven down to 350 degrees.

Put meatballs into an 8 or 9 inch glass baking dish. Pour tomato sauce and water on top of meatballs.  Put baking dish in oven and bake for 45 minutes; turn meatballs over after 20-25 minutes to ensure rice cooks.

* Here’s the request:

I have an old recipe I'd like to see if you can make healthier. It's called Beef Porcupines!! Mix meat, rice, onion and seasonings, and shape into 12 meatballs. Fry in 3T hot oil, turning frequently until golden brown on all sides. Pour one 8 ounce can tomato sauce and one can water over the meatballs, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Mercat’s White Beans – made easier and healthier

Happy new year, everyone!

I had a fabulous lunch over the holidays at Iron Chef Jose Garces’ restaurant Mercat in Chicago  http://www.mercatchicago.com/. It is wonderful – and not too expensive - so you should definitely go if you are ever in downtown Chicago.

I was quite excited that the chef shared a few of their recipes with me, including a killer white bean side dish. This is my modified version that is the right size for a family (not gallons!), and even easier and healthier than the restaurant's recipe. I bet these will be the best, most flavorful beans you have ever had.

This recipe is easily halved or doubled.

Gina’s easy Mercat white beans

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

2 slices bacon (raw, not precooked)

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 - 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 c. low sodium (or regular) chicken broth

1/2 t. salt

1 t. dried thyme*

1 t. dried rosemary*, divided

1/2 t. black pepper

Cook bacon in a saucepan on medium until crisp. Set aside bacon strips. In pan with bacon drippings, cook onion and garlic until translucent/a few minutes. Add beans, chicken broth, salt, thyme, and ½ t. rosemary. Simmer on low, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, crumble or chop the bacon when it is cool. Stir the remaining ½ t. rosemary, pepper and bacon pieces into beans just before serving.

* Two notes on herbs:

1.  I used dried herbs because I always have them on hand and fresh can be hard to find in the winter, but of course use fresh if you have it; you’ll probably need to double the amount.

2.  These beans are very flavorful, so if you are feeding kids or like things less robust, start with half the amount I have listed and adjust to taste.

Easy Slow Cooker Meal – Pork Roast

I love it when 15 minutes in the morning equals a delicious and healthy dinner! I made this yesterday, and it was great to have a hot and yummy meal waiting after a day of errands.

You can also prepare this meal the night before, and store the crock pot liner in the fridge overnight (but be sure to wrap the top in foil to try to keep the aroma from the rest of your refrigerator). You can swap in different meats – beef roast or a whole chicken are delicious - with these same vegetables and flavorings.

With a salad, this is an especially filling and healthy meal – not to mention inexpensive! The leftovers are also terrific.

Gina’s Easy Crock Pot Pork Roast

Serves ~8

~3 lbs pork shoulder, fully thawed*

1 ½ c. baby carrots (or regular carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces)

3-4 red potatoes, or 1 large russet potato, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces**

2 T. spicy or Dijon mustard

1 t. garlic salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. dried rosemary

1 t. dried oregano

½ onion, sliced

1-2 stalks celery, sliced (optional)

1 ½ c. water

Place prepared potatoes and carrots in the bottom of your slow cooker insert. Trim all visible fat off of pork shoulder (you can skip this step if you don't care about the fat content), and place pork on top of vegetables. Put mustard and herbs directly on pork, and rub into meat with your hands or a spoon. Top with onion and celery, if using. Add water to the side of the roast, as you want to keep the herbs and onions on top of meat.

Cook ~8 hours on low.

* Sometimes I can only find pork shoulders that are 5-6 lbs. If that’s the case, cut it in half and freeze the rest for another day.

** Until today, I always just used regular potatoes, so feel free to just use extra white potatoes. But I must say the sweet potatoes really jazz up the recipe and are delicious!

Easy, disappearing appetizer - Bacon water chestnuts

Just in time for the holiday season... you will be a star of the night if you bring this to a party or serve it at your home!

This recipe is (with few modifications) from my grandpa who made this at many, many holidays - miss you, grandpa!

Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts
Makes 3-5 dozen, about 1 9x13 pan. Feeds 8-12. [Easily doubled!]

2 cans whole water chestnuts
2 small or 1 large package(s) pre-cooked bacon (20-30 slices)*
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 t. worchestershire sauce
Toothpicks

Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap 1 bacon half around 1 water chestnut. Secure with a toothpick and place toothpick side up in a baking dish. Continue until all water chestnuts are used.

For sauce, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and worchestershire sauce in a bowl and stir until mixed. Pour sauce over bacon wrapped water chestnuts in baking dish (it's okay if some gets on the toothpicks!).

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until hot and sauce is bubbly.

* You can also use raw bacon for this recipe. You may want to cut slices in 1/3s depending on the size. Prepare the rest of the recipe as instructed, but they will take an additional 10 minutes to bake.

Easy, sneaky ways to make recipes healthier

This topic is by request, and one of my favorites (thanks, Laurie!). 

Question: I often try to substitute lower fat/calorie ingredients, but inevitably my family notices and scoffs. Any tricks to hiding healthier ingredients would be appreciated!

Answer: I'm going to expand the question a little bit and talk about how to make recipes healthier in general. Note that these apply more to cooking than baking, as you have to be more precise when baking. I hope these tips help!

1. Choose the right substitute for the recipe. I typically rely more on reduced fat ingredients than fat free, especially if they are a major ingredient in the recipe. For example, reduced fat sour cream and reduced fat cream cheese taste pretty much the same as the regular ingredients so you should be able to substitute these without anyone noticing. I have found that fat free ingredients do work in some cases; you can get away with them in recipes with very flavorful ingredients, such as sausage or buffalo sauce, or when they are a minor part of the recipe, such as creamy mashed potatoes.

2. Use less of the rich/fatty/caloric ingredients. Start by reducing the ingredient by ¼, and see how it tastes; you may be able to cut back even more next time! For example, a few casserole recipes I have call for 16 oz. of cheese on top for a 9x13 pan; I have been able to successfully top them with 8 oz. instead and they still taste very cheesy. Butter is a place that I nearly always cut back, and the recipe will still taste similar.

3. Use more of the healthy ingredients, especially veggies! This is the flip side of the last hint, and using extra healthy ingredients when you take out some less healthy ones will keep the total recipe size the same, or even make it larger. Instead of ½ of a pepper, use a whole pepper, for example. Vegetables (and fruit!) really stretch out meat and starch, and you’ll still get some of the heavier ingredients in each bite.

4. Add extra healthy ingredients to the recipe. My favorites are additional types of vegetables and canned beans. The key to no one noticing is to keep the new ingredients aligned with the cuisine (for example, tomatoes in an Italian dish, beans to Mexican, mushrooms and onions go with most anything…). I’ve added beans to all kinds of casseroles and salads and they really add a lot of nutrition and stretch out the meal a little bit.

5. Season well, and at the end. Don’t cut back on herbs or garlic; I usually tend to use even more as these ingredients add a lot of flavor for barely any calories and no fat. If you’re trying to cut back on salt, you might be able to use less by saving some for the end. I don’t use a lot of salt in general, but I try to use only about half the amount called for in the beginning, and then taste later. If and when you need to add more, sprinkle it on the top and you can probably use a little less than usual because it will be more pronounced.

What’s in Dan’s lunch – Healthy Taco Salad

Yes, an absolutely delicious taco salad without a shell, chips or even rice. This is so good Dan requested it for lunch 3 days in a row! It also makes a fast and yummy dinner in 20 minutes flat.

Feel free to adjust the ingredients to fit your liking. I make 1 lb. of meat (enough for 4 servings) at once, but you can easily make as much or little as you like. And, I really just use a handful of each ingredient but I tried to give an approximate measurement here.

Healthy Taco Salad

Per serving:

2-3 cups lettuce of choice

Vegetables of choice, chopped. Some good options include carrots, tomatoes, fresh peppers (green, red and/or hot), red onion, olives and corn

¼ cup canned beans (such as black, kidney or great northern), drained and rinsed

4 oz. taco-seasoned ground turkey *see instructions below*

½ small or ¼ large avocado, chopped (optional)

1-2 T shredded cheese of choice, such as cheddar

For topping: salsa, sour cream, and/or ranch or blue cheese dressing

Prepare taco meat as directed below*. If eating right away, layer all ingredients through cheese in order listed above. Drizzle/scoop toppings over the salad as a dressing. Enjoy!

* Taco meat – enough for 4 servings:

Cook 1 lb. ground turkey breast in a medium to large saucepan over medium heat, breaking up, until cooked through. Drain. Add ½ packet taco seasoning and 1-2 T water. Stir well. Best served hot.

Note: Per serving, this equates to ¼ lb. turkey and ~1 t. taco seasoning if you want to make a different number of servings at once.

Packing instructions: In a medium/large container, layer lettuce, beans, vegetables and cheese. Pack meat in a separate small bowl. Toss the chopped avocado with just enough lemon juice to coat, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Finally, you’ll want the salsa, sour cream and/or salad dressing in another container.

   

To serve: Reheat turkey in microwave. Add meat, avocado, and salsa/sour cream to lettuce bowl and enjoy!