Recipes: Veggie Pizzas and Pancakes

Like most moms who want their child(ren) to eat vegetables and other healthy foods that aren't always so pleasing to a young palate, I have become a little creative with working veggies into Eli's meals. What I end up doing a lot is adding vegetables to one of two foods that almost all kids like: pizza and pancakes. Both can be made nutritiously and quickly. Here are the "recipes" I use for each:

Veggie Pizzas


Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pita
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped cooked veggies (I like to use spinach, broccoli, or broccoli rabe)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

This really couldn't be much simpler. I like to use Best Pitas because they are very thin, are 100% whole wheat, and have very few other ingredients, but any brand will do. For tomato sauce, I usually use a very simple sauce I make (which is so easy- canned diced or crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, salt, and pepper), but I've also sautéed fresh chopped tomatoes with olive oil if I happen to have some hanging around. You could certainly use a canned or jarred sauce too, but opt for one without a lot of added salt or sugar. You can also use any vegetable. I happen to like the dark green vegetables because they have the most nutrition packed into each serving.

Assemble the pizza, as you imagine you might assemble a pizza. Put it on a cookie sheet, lined with tin foil if you're like me and don't want to have to wash the cookie sheet afterwards, and bake at 375 degrees until the cheese is melted and the pita is getting a little browned around the edges. It usually takes 5 minutes or so.

Veggie Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour)
1 egg
1/4 cup 1% milk
1 cup cooked, finely chopped or shredded vegetables
1 oz. strongly flavored cheese (I like Cabot Extra Light Sharp Cheddar), finely diced or shredded
Salt, pepper to taste
1/2 tbs canola oil or oil spray

Whisk the flour, egg, milk, salt, and pepper together. Stir in cheese, veggies, salt and pepper. Cook in a frying pan coated with oil spray or canola oil, like you would pancakes. A few minutes on each side on medium-high heat should do it. This recipe is very versatile because you can use virtually any vegetable. I can see this working well with shredded zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, cabbage, or mashed cauliflower. I've also added cooked chicken breast. You could add herbs or spices, and experiment with different kinds of cheeses. You can be really creative!


Here are some broccoli/cheese pancakes I made:

 
And these are some I made with broccoli slaw, which I sautéed for a few minutes to soften before adding to the pancake batter:

 

 

 

And Eli enjoying them (okay so he's actually eating a tomato here, but he did eat the pancake!)

 

 


















I want to qualify this post with an admission: there are times when Eli just doesn't want to eat whatever culinary masterpiece I've created, no matter how masterfully I've worked the veggies in with flavors he likes. This is bound to happen with toddlers. I don't get upset about it. I just try again another time. And usually, the next time he devours them!

Just because a child doesn't eat something one day, doesn't mean he or she won't eat it the next. Don't get discouraged. Keep offering healthy foods, even if they get turned down from time to time (or all the time!). It can take many, many exposures for kids to develop a taste for foods that aren't intrinsically hyperpalatable, like chicken nuggets or French fries.

Spiced Butternut Squash

I know a thoughtful, substantive blog post is well overdue, but for now, a brief recipe will have to do. Unfortunately, it's mid-semester which means that I am studying, reading, or grading assignments pretty much all the time. And when I finally have a minute to myself, the last thing I want to do is think!

Hopefully I'll have something better to post soon, but I am really excited to share this "recipe" nonetheless. I use the term loosely because I don't usually follow recipes, per se. They're more like suggestions for cooking vague quantities of ingredients. This one is something that I decided to try on a whim and really loved.

I was inspired by a couple of butternut squash dishes I've had. My aunt makes  a delicious mashed butternut squash on holidays, but the hefty measures of butter and brown sugar that make it taste so delicious, also add a ton of empty calories and saturated fat. I have also enjoyed some unique salads that included chunks of cooled roasted butternut squash. I thought maybe I could combine these two techniques for preparing the squash to come up with something that was seasoned with fall spices and slightly sweet- reminiscent of pumpkin pie- while retaining its best nutritional qualities. What I love about butternut squash is that it has all of the nutritional benefits of a vegetable- lots of fiber, loads of vitamin A, and low calorie content- with the satisfying texture and weight of something starchier (like its flavor cousin, the sweet potato).

I discovered that I also love cold, roasted sweet potatoes after trying them at aWhole Foods Market salad bar a few months ago. But when I tried to replicate them at home and realized that even a generous 200-calorie portion looked like what one might feed a 2-year old, I was discouraged. But butternut squash tastes similar to sweet potatoes, but has about half the calories! One cup of cooked sweet potato has 180 calories, but a cup of butternut squash only has 80. So, this leads me (finally) to the recipe...

1. Start with a 20 oz. package of pre-cut butternut squash, or a whole one if you're masochistic and want to chop it up and remove the seeds yourself. Place the squash in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving a small part open to vent the steam.

2. Microwave the squash for 5 minutes, stir, and microwave for 2 another two minutes. Repeat until the squash is tender but not falling apart.

3. Spray a large sautee pan with an oil spray, get it warm, and add the squash to it being careful not to add any water from the bottom of the microwave bowl.

4. Add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2 tsp of butter or butter substitute (optional), and a few sprinkles of pumpkin pie spice (to taste).

5. Sautee until the squash is browned.

At this point, the squash is done. You have multiple options for serving it. I prefer it chilled or at room temperature. It just so happens that this also makes it easy for me to take it with me to classes and eat it where I may not have a microwave available. But, it is also good warm.



Enjoy!

A salad featuring 3 superstar ingredients

I recently adapted this recipe for a salad with shaved fennel, manchego cheese, and figs. I can't imagine a better trio of ingredients. I have written previously about my love for roasted fennel, but I have discovered that thinly sliced raw fennel is equally delicious when allowed to marinate in a vinaigrette. Manchego cheese, on the other hand, would taste good on the bottom of a shoe. Dried figs provide the perfect sweet foil to the manchego's salty nuttiness. Together, these 3 superstars combine to produce one of the best-tasting salads I've had.

Here is my version of the recipe:

2 bags of arugula salad mix

1 chunk manchego cheese (about 8 oz)

8-10 dried figs (or as many as you'd like)

1 bulb fennel

Juice from 2 lemons
~ 1/2 cup olive oil
salt, pepper

Cut the stems and end off of the fennel bulb and slice it in half. Then slice each half as thinly as possible with a knife, or with a mandoline. Put the fennel in a bowl and set aside.

Mix the lemon juice with an equal volume of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a bowl or cruet.

Pour about a third of the dressing over the fennel and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

In the meantime, cut up the dried figs into quarters and shave the manchego cheese with a vegetable peeler. Alternatively, you can soak the figs to rehydrate them (as described in the recipe linked above) or use fresh figs. Place the arugula salad in serving bowl and top with figs and cheese.

When ready to serve, add the fennel to the rest of the salad. You can add the fennel to each portion individually or mix the fennel in; it is up to you. Serve the remainder of the lemon vinaigrette on the side.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Reduced-fat "Anginette" muffins

Lately, I've been on a muffin-baking kick, which is kind of ironic because I don't even eat muffins. I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance a while back, so I mostly bake for other people now. My most loyal customer is my husband, Steve. I try out all of my new muffin recipes on him and I also get to live vicariously through him. A couple of days ago, I decided to try to make some low-fat muffins that would taste like my favorite Christmas cookie: anginettes. I made a few batches of anginettes before Christmas for family members and friends, so I guess I still had them on the brain.

If you aren't Italian, or just haven't tasted an anginette before, let me tell you what they are. Anginettes are small, cake-like cookies flavored with lemon and orange juice, topped with a sugary glaze and sprinkles. They are so simple, but so delicious. The trick with anginettes is not to overbake them. Many of the anginettes you might find in a bakery cookie platter have been dried out from too much time in the oven. A properly cooked anginette will be soft and moist and will stay that way for many days.

I came up with the following recipe in an attempt to recreate the taste of an anginette, in a muffin form. Unfortunately, because I don't eat gluten, I cannot vouch for them myself. However, Steve's reaction when he tasted them and the speed with which they disappeared assures me that they are in fact good.

Note that the nutrition facts provided here are based on a recipe yield of 8 muffins and the assumption that you use half of the glaze (no need to completely enrobe the muffins in sugar!).

Anginette Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs lemon extract

Cooking spray

Glaze

½ cup confectioner’s sugar

2-3 tbs. whole milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°

Combine all-purpose flour and other dry ingredients (including sugar) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine juice, applesauce, egg, and extracts in a separate bowl. Stir into flour mixture. Spoon batter into 8-12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the glaze:

Pour confectioners sugar in a small bowl. Add 1 tbs. of milk and mix until absorbed. Add 1 tsp of milk at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until the glaze reaches desired consistency (it should be thick enough to coat the muffin tops without running).

When muffins are completely cooled, turn each upside down and dip in the glaze to coat. Place muffins on a plate or baking sheet and sprinkle with decorative candy sprinkles before the glaze dries.

Italian comfort food makeovers

If you are Italian, or just love Italian food, you probably already know how high in calories some of the most-loved dishes are. Why? Because Italians like fatty meats (sausage, ground beef, pork) and tend to drown everything in olive oil before topping it with a thick layer of cheese. Occasionally you'll find a leaner meat, like chicken breast, on an Italian menu but it's typically going to be dipped in egg, dredged in flour, and fried in oil- a process that adds enough calories to completely negate the benefit of the low-fat meat. Even seemingly "light" meals like chicken Florentine or sole Francese are often loaded with oil and/or butter. And then there's eggplant parmigiana... leave it to the Italians to take a vegetable and turn it into the nutritional equivalent of a triple cheeseburger.

Being part of an Italian family and having married into another one, it has been a challenge to cook satisfying and authentic meals without sacrificing my principles. But, it can be done. Today I will share a few "recipes" (we Italian cooks don't follow recipes; we make it up as we go) that I have used to convert some traditional dishes into healthier versions of themselves.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage-esque Turkey

Broccoli rabe is definitely one of my top 3 favorite vegetables. I posted a general recipe for broccoli rabe a while back, but in this follow up, I provide instructions for making your own turkey sausage. As I discussed a couple posts ago, commercially available turkey sausage isn't always what it's cracked up to be. If you make it yourself, you know for sure how lean it is. The recipe for the rabe is the same (see above link). To make the turkey sausage, simply combine 1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey with the following (approximate measures):

1/2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted

2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted

1 - 2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. dried sage

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Then cook the turkey in a skillet, sprayed with oil spray, and add the steamed broccoli rabe.

"Stuffed" Artichokes

Another traditional Italian appetizer is whole artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and olive oil. Aside from having a less than optimal nutritional composition, this recipe is also somewhat labor-intensive to make and to eat.

Here is a super simple and light version:

Halve 1 can of whole artichokes and dry with paper towels

Place artichoke halves on an oil-sprayed baking sheet

Top with 1 tbs. seasoned breadcrumbs, 1 tbs. grated parmesan cheese, salt & pepper to taste, and another light spray of oil

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until lightly browned

Finally, my favorite lightened-up Italian recipe,

Eggplant Parmigiana

You will need:

Eggplant

Tomato sauce (homemade or store-bought, heated)

Part-skim shredded mozzarella (you may use 2% reduced-fat mozz, but don't use fat free)

Parmesan cheese, grated (1- 2 tbs.)

Slice the eggplant into 1/2" slices

Lay eggplant slices on layers of paper towel, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for a few minutes to half an hour (depending on how much time you have to wait!)

Press on the eggplant with the paper towels to absorb excess water

Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprayed with canola or olive oil spray and broil each side until golden brown

Remove the slices and place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil

Add enough tomato sauce to coat the bottom of a baking pan

Layer the eggplant slices on top

Continue alternating sauce and eggplant, and (optionally) cheese

Top the final layer of eggplant and sauce with mozzarella and grated parmesan

Place the baking pan under the broiler (on low setting) until cheese is melted and slightly browned

Because this recipe does not call for breading or frying the eggplant, it will be substantially lower in calories than the traditional version. The actual calorie content will depend on the type of sauce you use and the amount of cheese. Here are some tips for keeping the calories low: choose a tomato sauce that has 40-50 calories per 1/2 cup, use 1/4 cup or less cheese for each person or serving.

As an example, I made a large portion of this (enough for an entree for normal people) for my husband and these were the nutritional stats:

Calories: 365

Total fat :11.5 g

Saturated fat: 6.5 g

Carbohydrates: 47 g

Fiber: 22 g

Protein: 29 g

This recipe is also packed with vitamins and minerals, and with the unhealthy stuff left out, it is a nutritional powerhouse of a meal. Unfortunately, I can't find a reliable source of nutrition information for a restaurant serving of eggplant parm, but take my word for it- it would be a lot more calories and saturated fat!

A quarter pounder with cheese, hold the fat please

I think one of the most common pitfalls of dieting is the assumption that the formula for success involves simple addition of healthy, if unpalatable foods and subtraction of favorites that are tasty but pernicious. It seems to me that many people try to tolerate a bland, meager diet for a period of time to lose weight and are inevitably disappointed and (inexplicably) surprised when they revert back to old habits and regain the weight they lost. Although the strategy of muddling through one's days eating celery sticks and cottage cheese will technically work, I have yet to meet anyone without a serious eating disorder who is able to do this indefinitely to maintain a svelte physique.

To my knowledge, the only way to keep oneself at a healthy weight permanently without sacrificing sanity is to eat foods that are both nutritious and delicious. But finding such foods can be tricky. When I cook for myself, my husband, or my family, I usually re-work traditional recipes to make them healthier. More often than not, the result is something that retains a lot of its original appeal.

A good example is the hamburgers I frequently make for by husband, Steve. His nutritional needs are pretty restrictive-- calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates must all be within a specified range. Depending on the day, I might make burgers from 95% lean ground beef, 93% lean ground turkey, or extra-lean ground turkey breast. The higher the percentage, the more challenging it is to make a flavorful, juicy burger. Last week, Steve requested extra-lean burgers. If I were to make patties with the ground turkey and simply throw them on the Forman grill, they would be extremely dry and tasteless. So, I added a few things I had on hand to increase the moisture and flavor of the burgers. Then, I formed patties and cooked them in a skillet sprayed with oil spray. After they were seared on both sides, I also added a little water to the pan and covered it with a pot lid to steam them. I can't tell you how long I cooked them because I didn't keep track, but I assume most people can figure out when a burger is cooked! The ingredients for the meat are listed below. If you'd like to try this recipe out, cook the burgers as described above, top with a small amount of 75% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, and serve on low-calorie buns with your favorite toppings (for Steve, this was lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mustard).

Ingredients (for 2 medium/large burgers):

8 oz. raw ground turkey breast (99% fat free)
1/4 cup black beans, mashed
2 tbs. ketchup
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs. real bacon bits
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 oz. reduced-fat cheese for topping, 2 low-calorie buns



If these burgers are lean enough for a bodybuilder, I think they will meet anyone's standards! They are low in fat and very high in protein. I have included the nutrition information for a single burger, below. If you have high calorie needs, you can easily eat 2 or 3 of them. If you are a lighter eater, I would suggest making smaller patties, as these are pretty thick.

Top 5 side-dish recipes

As a quasi-vegetarian, my meals usually consist primarily of side dishes. I just don't find meat thrilling enough to waste my time with it (unless it's filet mignon). But I've always thought that sides are the best part of a meal anyway. Unfortunately, they often contain a lot of butter, cheese, cream, and/or white starchy stuff. And if they don't, they might be bland. I for one love a good bunch of steamed broccoli, but not everyone has my plain jane tastebuds. So, I am going to highlight my 5 favorite healthy (and delicious!) side-dish recipes. Some are my own and some I have gotten from other sources. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Yukon Gold Potatoes: Jacques Pepin stye.

I made these for the first time on Christmas, after reading the rave reviews online, and was AMAZED by how delicious they were! The technique is very simple and the recipe requires very few ingredients: baby Yukon Gold potatoes, chicken stock, butter (I used Smart Balance to improve the nutritional profile), parsley, salt & pepper. But these are not ordinary potatoes. They are soft and moist inside with a salty, flavorful crust on the outside. Better than saturated-fat-laden au gratin potatoes any day.

2. Anise-Roasted Green Beans.

Who would have thought to roast green beans with anise seeds?? It sounds strange, but they are SO good! This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, but I just use about a tablespoon. Olive oil may be healthy, but it still has lots of calories, so I don't see the point in using more than I need to. And you definitely don't need much here.

3. Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I had these for the first time at a restaurant and fell in love. It may seem like an odd pairing, but the smoky-spicy flavor of the chipotle works very well with the sweet potatoes. And making them couldn't be easier! Microwave or bake a sweet potato, pull the flesh out of the skin and mash it with a little salt, and as much chopped chipotle (canned in adobo sauce) as you want. A little goes a long way, so start with maybe 1/4 or 1/2 a pepper for a large potato. Then, add a little low-fat milk or fat free half and half to desired creaminess.

4. Italian-style Broccoli Rabe

One of my favorite foods growing up was broccoli rabe with sausage. It was garlicky with a little spice from the sausage, and like most things Italian, enough oil to endanger aquatic life if it were ever spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. My grown-up nutritionist take on this dish is a lot lighter on the oil, but still heavy on taste.

1 bunch broccoli rabe

sliced garlic cloves (to taste)

red pepper flakes (to taste)

2 tbs freshly grated parmigianno reggiano cheese (it's worth the expense)

1 tbs olive oil

Serves: 2-4 (1-2 in my house)

Rinse the broccoli rabe and chop into medium-ish pieces

Steam until just tender in vegetable steamer

Remove steamer from heat and add olive oil to a pan on med/high heat

When oil is hot, add garlic and pepper flakes

When garlic is just browned (not burnt!), add broccoli rabe and toss to coat

Remove from heat. Add salt/pepper and cheese.

To make this side dish an entree, you could add turkey or chicken sausage, lean beef or turkey meatballs, chicken breast, and/or cannelini beans.

5. Herbed Spaghetti Squash

I came up with this idea last Thanksgiving. I love spaghetti squash because it is a great low-calorie substitute for pasta or rice. Instead of having one cup of pasta, you could have 3 cups of this stuff! And, it just happens to be fantastic. Bear with me with this "recipe" because I really don't measure things when I'm making them. Here is the general gist:

1 spaghetti squash

1-2 tbs. smart balance (or butter, if you must)

handful chopped basil

handful chopped tarragon

handful chopped sage

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4-6

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds

Place halves cut side down in a microwave-safe dish with a little water in the bottom and cover with plastic wrap

Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until squash is very soft and can be easily pulled out of the skin like spaghetti. You can't really over-cook, but you can under-cook so it's better to cook longer if you aren't sure

When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to pull the strands out into a serving bowl

Add all of the other ingredients and mix to combine

So there you have them. If you try any of these recipes, please post a review!

Eat this veggie!

Over the weekend, I made one of my favorite vegetables to accompany my lunch; one that I think few others ever eat. Fennel. As I took my first bite, taking in the taste of the lightly salted, crunchy/soft, toasted pieces of the licorice-scented plant, I thought "why don't more people eat this?" I think everyone should know about this tasty and healthful food, so here I am, telling you about it.
This is what fennel looks like when you buy it in the store. Sometimes it's labeled "anise."


To prepare it, cut off the green stems and slice the bulb like you would an onion. I cut the bulb in half and then slice each half. You can eat it raw on a salad or, as I prefer it, roasted in the oven. Actually, I broil it technically. Grilling is another option. Once it's sliced, I lay the slices on a baking pan sprayed with oil spray (like PAM), spray another coat of oil on top of the slices, and season with salt & pepper. Then, I put the pan under the broiler until the fennel is browned, flip the slices once and let them cook until lightly browned on the other side.

I love fennel just by itself, but it's also very good with carrots, potatoes, other root vegetables, and fish. It has a unique flavor unparalleled by other vegetables and plenty of nutrition, too. Fennel is low in calories and high in vitamin C and fiber. So next time you're in the mood for something a little different, give fennel a try!

My favorite salad dressing

Okay, so I've been slacking on the blog posts. I think it's because all of my posts end up being these long, drawn-out diatribes that require a lot of thought and research to write. It's a little daunting to try to keep that up on a regular basis. So, I think I'll give shorter, less-intense posts a try. For today, I'd like to share with the world (or my 6 readers at least), a recipe for the best low-fat salad dressing I've tasted. It is based loosely on a dressing I tried at a local vegetarian restaurant, Claire's Cornercopia. Unfortunately, I don't really measure things, so it's not so much a recipe as a list of ingredients, which you can adjust to your own taste:

nonfat plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
salt, pepper
lime juice (or lemon juice, alternatively)
fresh or dried herbs - I recommend dill and/or chives

I prefer my dressing to be simple, as above, but feel free to add as many additional flavors as you like.

The best thing about this dressing is that it has only 22.5 calories per 1/4 cup and 0g fat. This is compared to the typical commercial dressing which has 290 calories and 31g of fat!! So you can feel free to drench your salad in this dressing with NO guilt whatsoever.