Mac & Cheese, light but good!

As far as macaroni and cheese goes, nothing beats the real, cheesy, full fat deal. That's just not always a feasible way to eat, though. For little kids or big kids. This lighter version has great flavor and we all really like it, but it just doesn't have that traditional mac & cheese feel we're sometimes looking for. I ran across this version in an old Cooking Light, and it hits that hot from the oven, ooey, gooey spot.

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 pound uncooked cavatappi
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.
4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.
6. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

The cheeses for this, especially the  Gruyère, are pricey, but they are a big part of the flavor. I'm sure sharp cheddar or maybe even Swiss could be substituted to keep it more budget friendly. The butternut squash not only added a lovely creaminess, it also added a bit of sweetness. G2 said it was some of the best macaroni and cheese he's ever had. I wouldn't go that far, but it is a definite winner. I made the full recipe, than froze half so I can thaw and reheat on a night when I have class or just don't feel like starting from scratch.

*According to Cooking Light, here is the break down of the original v. the lighter version.
Original                         Light Version
908 calories                   390 calories
963 mg sodium              589 mg sodium
36 g saturated fat           6.1 g saturated fat (Wow!)
And, the butternut squash is a great source of vitamins A, C and E. Leaps and bounds healthier than the traditional with a bunch of butter and whole milk.

Taco Night with Baked Taco Shells

I have made tacos with tempeh, tofu and boxed TVP. But never in a million years would I have thought of lentils! I tested a great recipe for lentil tacos from the The Chubby Vegetarian whose cook book is due out in Spring 2013. Yum! The main purpose of this post, though, has to do with taco shells.

Originally, I wanted to make my own shells for taco salads. But, I didn't want to use flour shells. Corn shells are just not big enough to make a taco salad shell. Since I already had it in the works, I just decided to make the crispy taco shells. I searched around, and found this blog post to tell me what to do. It's pretty straight-forward, I just never would have thought to drape them over the rack like that. Nutritionally, there really isn't that much difference between the fried and baked, other than, of course, the fat content in the fried. Plus, the home baked ones had that stand-up quality thing going on, and that was pretty cool. The shells also get a little "fluffy" (for lack of a better word) when you bake them, and they have this crunchy, yet, chewy thing going on. I think it's totally worth doing again. Especially as a vessel for The Chubby Vegetarian's incredible lentil taco meat.

*As I mentioned, the store-bought crispy shells and soft shells are almost nutritionally identical, except the crispy shells have 7 grams of fat for two shells. That's not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but if you're watching your fat intake, maybe it would be nice to save that fat for something like more avocado. Or chocolate.

Stir Fried Noodles with Tofu, Mushrooms and Kale

Occasionally, we order from our favorite Chinese delivery place, Wang's, usually when I'm craving egg drop soup. I have yet to replicate restaurant egg drop soup, and I'm not even sure I want to. I'm sure it has something to do with the chicken broth. But, G2 always gets his favorite, Family Style Tofu, and we order vegetable lo mein for Graham because he loves it. When we make stir-fry at home, it's pretty much always over brown rice, so I thought I'd give a noodle dish like Graham's favorite a try.

16 oz whole wheat linguine
14 oz tofu, diced small
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 green onions, chopped diagonally
3 cups kale, chopped
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
juice of a lime
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp chile paste (more if kids aren't involved or can handle it)
3 large eggs, slightly beaten

Cook linguine to package directions, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, toss the tofu with the soy sauce and garlic and pop into the oven at 350. While that's going, heat canola oil in a wok or very large skillet and add the mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes until beginning to brown, then add garlic, green onions and kale and cook another minute. Mix together soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, sesame oil, ketchup and chile paste and add mixture to wok. Bring to a boil, add noodles and tofu and toss to coat. Then add the eggs and cook a few minutes until set.

I have never understood adding eggs into pasta, although I've seen it in many recipes over the years. I've got to say, it's amazing. The eggs add this crazy richness to the noodles, like alfredo or something, without all the cream. This makes a TON of food, probably enough for 6-8 people, and it's a good thing because Graham ate that entire plate of noodles. Even though I haven't figured out the egg drop soup, I definitely have a noodle dish that's delicious and much lighter and less oily than the one we order sometimes. Not to say we won't ever order from them again...

*I wanted to use whole wheat noodles for this, not only because they are packed with more fiber and protein than their semolina cousin, but also because I thought the texture would hold up better to the heat of the wok and the sticky sauce. I happen to like the taste of whole wheat pasta, but I think in a dish like this even those who don't could appreciate the toothiness they lend.

Bulgur Salad with Carrot-Pistachio Pesto

I saw this in recipe Whole Living, an awesome magazine my lovely sister-in-law gave me for my birthday. I was skeptical, as it has a LOT of fat, although only 2 grams of it is saturated, but intrigued because I had never used bulgur. Which, by the way, is awesome. You barely even have to cook it! And, of course, the carrot-pistachio pesto sounded interesting. It was surprisingly a big hit with me and both Grahams and it was very filling, much more than I anticipated. Graham really loved it because of the raisins, and ate almost his whole bowl. I slightly altered the recipe from the original.

1/2 cup cracked bulgur
3/4 cup boiling water
15 oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp shallot, minced
1/4 cup raisins (I just discovered they have organic raisins in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh spinach

Put the bulgur in a big, heat proof bowl with the hot water and cover for 30 minutes. (This is literally a "if you can boil water" recipe because that's all the cooking that's done!). Pulse the carrots, garlic, lemon juice and pistachios in the the food processor until combined then drizzle the olive oil in as the processor runs to make the pesto. Add the chickpeas, shallot, raisins and cilantro to the bulgur, then toss with the pesto. Season with salt & pepper and serve on a bed of fresh spinach.

The big take-aways from this recipe are that bulgur might be my new favorite grain, and that you can make pesto out of anything. I've tried herbs and even spinach, but it never crossed my mind to use carrots. Armed with this knowledge and knowing that I almost have some sort of pasta, nuts, garlic and vegetables around means I always have something for dinner! I'm thinking broccoli pesto or maybe kale pesto next.

*As I mentioned this recipe is high in fat, the magazine lists 19 grams in the nutritional info. But, only 2 grams is saturated. That means the rest is unsaturated, which is the "good" kind of fat because it decreases LDL (low-density lipoproteins) and increases HDL (high-density lipoproteins). LDL fat is the kind that contributes to atherosclerosis, other heart complications and hypertension. HDL fats actually help lower cholesterol. It's good to keep in mind that calorie wise fat is fat. Whether unsaturated on saturated, it contains 9 calories per gram (protein and carbohydrates both have 4/gram).

Broccoli and Baked Tofu Stir-Fry

I have been cooking our tofu in a little oil in a pan a lot lately, and had forgotten how much I like the texture of baked tofu, not to mention the ease of doing it that way. Tossed into a stir-fry with some fresh veggies and a little seasoning makes for a quick, healthy dinner. This is also easily adjustable to whatever veggies your family likes, but I like broccoli because it always seems filling to me. Plus, it looks like little trees. What better way to get kids to eat veggies, right?

For the tofu:
1 block of tofu, drained and pressed, then cubed
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of crushed red pepper

Place tofu into a square glass baking dish (baking in glass gives it the best texture). Mix all other ingredients and pour over the top. Let marinate in the fridge for 30-45 minutes, tossing occasionally to make sure tofu gets coated. Pre-heat oven to 350, then bake the tofu for about 30 minutes. The longer it bakes, the firmer it gets.

For the rest:
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
1 inch ginger, peeled and grated (about  1 Tbsp)
3 green onions, chopped
1 broccoli crown, cut into florets, long stems chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp corn starch
1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Brown rice, cooked

Heat a wok or large skillet and add sesame oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 30-45 seconds). Toss green onions in and stir around. Add broccoli and red peppers and stir-fry until they begin to become tender and broccoli tips begin to brown a bit. Mix together broth, corn starch, soy sauce and balsamic. Add to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add baked tofu. Cook until sauce is thickened and all the veggies are coated. Serve over brown rice.

This really is a great, simple way to get a wholesome meal that's much lighter than anything from a Chinese delivery place!

*Broccoli is a great source of anti-oxidants, like vitamin C and vitamin A. Anti-oxidants have the ability to neutralize free radicals in the cells of the body. Free radicals are atoms with unpaired electrons in our body. That makes them very reactive and can cause damage by attacking the components of cells, and may even cause cancer. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals either by providing the extra electron needed to make the pair, or by breaking down the free radical molecule to make it harmless. Free radicals occur naturally as by products of the body, but also from environmental antagonists like cigarette smoke and air pollution. What this all boils down to is, eat your broccoli! 

Spinach, Artichoke and White Bean Dip - Review

We had a few people over last night for a Rock n' Romp meeting. I wanted to have a few appetizers on hand, and ran across an interesting recipe in my Cooking Light magazine. It was a spinach and artichoke dip that used white beans for the creamy base. I think it might have worked, if it was all eaten right away. As soon as it cooled, it became pretty rock hard and dense. So, although it had a great flavor, I don't know that I'd do it for this sort of get together again. I love the idea of the white beans to lighten it up in place of lots of mayo and sour cream, so I might just need to work on it a bit. Anyway, it was worth giving it a try! Find the recipe here. I also served hummus and with a Mediterranean style salsa - tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, parsley, feta cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. Seems that hummus is always a hit!

1 can chick peas, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
1 clove garlic
1-2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp corriander
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Put ingredients through lemon juice into food processor. Pulse until combined. Drizzle olive into the food processor spout as it runs until hummus is smooth. Serve with pita chips. Make your own by buying whole pita, cutting into strips, spraying or brushing with olive oil and baking on 250 until crispy.

*Chickpeas, like lots of beans and legumes, are one of those great sources of iron, protein and fiber. Win, win, win.

Yogurt "Ranch" Dip

Kids just love to dip stuff, and if it gets them to eat some raw veggies then that's a bonus. I'm not crazy about that commercial where the kids are drowning all their veggies in dressing, especially considering some of the things on their ingredient list, like maltodextrin, salt, MSG, lactic acid, calcium sterate, and carboxymethylcellulose. I guess whoever wrote that commercial never saw this growing up:



Anyway, using healthy Greek yogurt as a base rather than sour cream and mayonnaise, and other ingredients that I can pronounce, make me feel pretty good about Graham dunking his broccoli in this version of ranch dip. I took this to a play date and the kids and mommies liked it, and also served it at Graham's birthday party along with some hummus.

1 cup  plain non-fat Greek Yogurt (I like Stonyfield Farms organic)
2 Tbsp chives, chopped
1/4 tsp dried dill
2 tsp onion salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients and chill for about an hour. Serve with veggies and/or crackers.

*We like all kinds of yogurt around here, but it's hard to beat the creamy consistency of Greek yogurt in dips. Greek yogurt has more protein than regular, and it's lower in sugar and sodium than it's regular counterpart. It does have a little less calcium than regular, but still packs a good calcium punch with about 20% of the RDA in a 6 oz serving.