Healthier Eating for 2007

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to eat healthier in 2007. Now, this doesn’t mean that I’m not going to indulge in my favorite pies, Paula Deen’s Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake or baked goods. This resolution just means that I’m going to try to eat more green veggies, salads and cut down on sugar.

It’s fairly easy to makeover your old favorite recipes into new healthier meals. All you have to know is what needs to be changed. It has been discovered by food scientists that the majority of people don’t notice some of the following changes in their meals:

Reduce sugar by one-third (Example: If a recipe says 1 cup, use 2/3 cup.)

This works best in canned and frozen fruits and in making puddings and custards. In cookies and cakes try using 1/2 cup sugar per cup of flour. For quick breads and muffins, use 1 tablespoon sugar per cup of flour. To enhance the flavor when reducing sugar, add vanilla, cinnamon, or nutmeg.

Reduce fat by one-third (Example: If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup use 1/3 cup.)

This works best in gravies, sauces, puddings and some cookies. For cakes and quick breads, use 2 tablespoons fat per cup of flour.

Omit salt or reduce by one-half (Example: If a recipe says 1/2 teaspoon, use 1/4 teaspoon.)

This may be more acceptable if you gradually reduce the amount each time you make the recipe. Herbs, spices, or salt-free seasoning mixes can enhance flavor. Do not eliminate salt from yeast bread or rolls. It is essential for flavor and proper texture. Trust me on this, I've tried it....not very pretty.

Next step is to reduce your fat intake.

All fats and oils are high in calories and provide lots of flavor but you can make a healthier choice by choosing those with less saturated fat. Likewise, when you use lower fat milk products, you reduce fat, calories and cholesterol.

The best oils to use are: canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut, olive and soybean oil, contain the lowest amount of saturated fat (6%-15%). Coconut oil, butter, palm oil, animal fat and lard contain the most (41-54%).

This was one of the best choices I have made: Use reduced fat sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt in sauces and dips. I tried skim milk, but I couldn’t do it. I like my 2% milk way too much. Just be aware of how much milk you drink a day and don’t over do it.

Here are some other healthy ingredients I’ve tried:

Instead of 2 whole eggs try 1 whole egg plus 4 egg whites
Instead of whole milk try 2% or skim milk
Instead of cream try evaporated or evaporated skim milk
Instead of cream cheese try light cream cheese or Neufchatel (I love this kind of cheese)
Instead of whipped cream try homemade non-fat whipped topping (recipe follows)
Instead of cottage cheese try non-fat ricotta cheese
Instead of 1 ounce baking chocolate try 3 tablespoons powdered cocoa plus 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Instead of mayonnaise try half light mayonnaise and half non-fat yogurt

Here is a great trick when you want a no fat whipped topping.

No Fat Topping Recipe
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/3 cup ice water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. In a thoroughly chilled small bowl, beat milk and ice water. Beat in lemon juice. Add sugar and vanilla and beat to soft peaks. Add gelatin mixture and beat. Yield: about 1 1/2 cups.

Calories: 12 per tablespoon

Take Time to Smell the Roses

It’s a beautiful day in Mid-Mo today. The forecast is for 52 degrees and sunshine, which is always a plus in the winter months.

It amazes me that we are almost ready to dive into 2007. I remember when I was young how months and weeks seemed to drag on and on, but now it seems as though time just flies by. It was in 2004 that I graduated Mizzou and married my husband and now we are almost ready to celebrate our third year wedding anniversary.

I was telling my mother and father during the Christmas break that Charlie ( my husband) and I had said we would wait five years before having kids. That seemed so far away when we got married, but now I look at the date and that is really only two short years away.

We sometimes get caught up in our day-to-day lives and forget to “smell the roses.” My father used to say this phrase to me when I was a child and it has really stuck with me as I have grown. It seems hard to find time to sit down on the couch at night and watch a movie and relax or take time out of your weekend to teach your children a new board game or even try a recipe that you have had on your “To Do” list for months. In 2007 I’m planning on taking more time to “smell the roses."

Here is another recipe you can add to your to try recipe box. This recipe is easy and great the next day.

Mexican Chicken
by Cyndi Young - Puyear
(I won second place with this in the 2001 Illinois Products Expo Celebrity Cook-off. The basic recipe came from an old Scott County Illinois Home Extension Cookbook, but I’ve “perfected” it to fit my family’s tastes. It is an easy recipe to double.)

Whole Chicken
Chopped onion (1 or more – depending upon your taste)
1 stick butter
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of celery
1 small package Mexican Velveeta
1 bag Doritos
Shredded cheese
2 jalapenos (again, depending upon your taste)

Boil and de-bone chicken. Separate into “bite sized” pieces.

Butter a casserole dish and layer with ½ bag of Doritos. Sauté onion in remaining butter in a large skillet. Add soups and Velveeta. Simmer 5 minutes. Add peppers and chicken.

Pour over chips. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 20 – 30 minutes. Serve with remaining Doritos. This is great re-heated.

Iowa Farmer Today Article

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas over the weekend.

We got back late last night from southern Missouri after visiting our families and friends. It was a long holiday trip, but a much needed one. Spending time with our families during the holidays is what we look forward to the most. Presents are great, but it’s family time that makes your holiday memories.

When I arrived at work this morning a saw a copy of Iowa Farmer Today (Missouri Edition) on my desk. I was reading through the most recent edition and came across the interview I recently took part in with the paper for the Farm Cook section.

I got a call from the paper the beginning of December about my cooking blog and my recipes. McKenzie Keedy Disselhorst, the Director of Communications for the Missouri Cattlemen Association had submitted my name to the paper as a great cook. Thanks McKenzie!

Mindy Ward of IFT Missouri Edition came to visit me at my home on December 5th to take some photos and interview me about Home Cooking is What I Like. The article that Mindy wrote, "Cook archives family recipes" is very good. I thank her for bringing a simple story to life like she did.

Now to some recipes from some of my co-workers. I love quiche and I really enjoyed making Karla’s Quiche Lorraine. It’s a fairly simple recipe that can be prepared in a snap. I’ve also included a great pork chop recipe from Clarice that dresses up your traditional pork chop recipe.

Quiche Lorraine
by Karla Mantle

Pastry for a single-crust pie
Dash ground nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
6 slices bacon, fried crisp & crumbled
1½ C. milk
1½ C. shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 T. bacon drippings
1 med. onion, sliced

Prepare pastry for single-crust pie. Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes more or until pastry is nearly done. Remove from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Cook onion in bacon drippings over medium heat until tender; drain. In a bowl stir together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Toss together shredded cheese and flour. Add bacon-onion mixture to Swiss cheese-flour mixture to egg mixture; mix well. Pour egg mixture into hot pastry shell.

Bake at 325 degree for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Pork Chops Teriyaki
by Clarice Brown
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 boneless pork chops, ¾ inch thick
½ cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
¼ cup water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame seed, toasted
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
½ cup finely chopped green onions and tops
Drain pineapple; reserve juice. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown pork chops on both sides in hot oil.

Combine reserved juice, Teriyaki sauce, ¼ cup water, garlic, sesame seed and ginger; pour over chops and simmer, covered 30 minutes. Turn chops over and continue cooking, covered 30 minutes longer, or until chops are tender. Remove.

Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir in pan juices. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in pineapple chunks and green onions, cooking until pineapple is heated through. Return chops to pan and coat both sides with sauce.

New Year's Chocolate Truffles

Here is a great recipe for a New Year's get together that is very impressive and easy to make. Everyone loves chocolate...I gurantee these truffles will make your party guests go back for more.

Chocolate Truffles
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004
From the Food Network Show: Good Eats

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.

Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own pie pan and set aside.
In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to maintain it.

Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.

Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.

A Blessed Holiday

On Monday night my husband and I had our Christmas where we open gifts and celebrated this beautiful holiday. As many do, we travel to our parent’s homes every holiday. We have always had “our” Christmas before we leave to drive down south to visit our families.

Our Christmas this week was wonderful. I got my husband some fishing items he had wanted, plus hiking boots and a very nice watch. He gave me a very special gift though….A Paula Deen Cookbook to add to my collection. It’s not just a cookbook though, it’s even signed by Paula herself! When I opened the book and saw her signature I was in awe to see my book was signed by my favorite cook.

It was a very special gift and took a lot of thought from my husband. He also gave me a 7-cup KitchenAid Food Processor, which I’ve been wanting for about 6 months now. I’m very excited to get home after the holidays and try making some wonderful pastries with it.

If you are still trying to decide on what you will be serving this holiday I’ve got some wonderful ideas for you. Maybe one of these recipes will fit perfectly on your family’s Christmas table. The Cherry Almond Glazed Pork is an absolute show stopper, it’s a favorite by our company’s owner – Clyde.

Honey Roasted Pork Loin
by Randy and Emma Williams

2 – 3 lb. boneless pork loin
¼ c. honey
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. mixed or black peppercorns, crushed
½ t. dried thyme
½ t. salt

Place roast on a lightly greased rack in a shallow roasting pan. Combine honey and next 4 ingredients; brush half mixture over roast. Bake at 325 for 1 hour; brush with remaining mixture.

Bake 30 additional minutes. Our Christmas favorite!

Corned Beef & Cabbage
by Clarice Brown

Prepare corn beef as directed on package. Place corn beef in roasting pan, fat side up. Add spices supplied. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour per pound or until tender.

Trim off excess fat and slice. Place back in roaster. Add 1 head quartered cabbage and one onion, chopped coarsely. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake until cabbage is tender. (In a top of the counter roaster, 4 hours at 300 degrees.)

Cherry Almond Glazed Pork
by Sue Lear
(Sue doubles the sauce recipe for this.)

When you brown and cook the chops, be sure they do not overlap in the skillet, so each one will be evenly glazed with the cherry sauce. For 2 or 4 servings, you’ll find the pork chops easier to prepare and serve than a tiny roast. But when it comes to a dinner for 6 or more, we recommend the pork loin roast with the same glaze.

2 servings:
¼ cup cherry preserves
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1 tablespoon of slivered almonds, toasted

4 servings:
1/2 cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
2 tablespoons of slivered almonds, toasted

6 servings (3 pounds):
12 ounce jar, (1 cup) cherry preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
2 tablespoons of slivered almonds, toasted

8 servings (4 pounds):
12 ounce jar (1 cup) cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup of slivered almonds, toasted

For Pork Chops (2-4 servings):
In skillet, brown chops on both sides. Drain fat. Sprinkle chops with a little salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon water. Cover, cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine in small saucepan the cherry preserves, corn syrup, vinegar, and seasonings. Heat mixture to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Keep cherry sauce warm ‘til ready to use. When chops have cooked 30 minutes, spoon on just enough sauce to glaze; cover and cook 15 more minutes more, ‘til chops are tender, basting one or twice with the remaining sauce.

Pork Loin Roast (6-8 servings):
Rub roast with a little salt and pepper. Place on rack in shallow baking pan. Roast, uncovered, in slow oven (325 degrees) for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Meanwhile, combine in small saucepan the cherry preserves, corn syrup, vinegar, and seasonings. Heat mixture to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Keep cherry sauce warm till ready to use. When meat has roasted 2 to 2 ½ hours, spoon enough hot cherry sauce over the roast to glaze; return to oven for about 30 minutes more, ‘til meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. Baste roast with sauce several times during last 30 minutes. Pass remaining sauce with the roast.

Food Porn?

Willamette Week Online had a great online article that a fellow co-worker passed along to me regarding an interesting topic: Cooking Porn.

Now, it’s not what you think. The article discusses the beautiful lush food photos inside many of the cookbooks we view today. The article explains the way the photos are intriguing, but how us average folks can make the recipes, but never make the food look as glamorous as the photos inside these cookbooks. Reason why: Simple, because these photos are full of food stylists, photographers and art directors that are trained at making food look its best. In my opinion, all that really matters is that your food tastes wonderful.

The article is still worth a read in my opinion. I am like most cooks. I love for my food to not only taste superb, but also look like those cherished cookbook photos. We see a recipe from a photo and then we have the desire to make the treasured recipe, expecting our own attempts to look just as the cookbook photos. But, the reality is that doesn’t happen because we are not food stylists and food artists. We are just cooks, and that is good enough.

Here’s a quick recipe for enchiladas that has become one of my favorite quick fixes at my home. I do, however make one change to this recipe. I add two cans of green chilis and some garlic powder. This recipe comes from another co-worker, thanks for sharing Paul. If you like this recipe you will also enjoy my own Mexican Lasagna recipe.

*Side Note: Our Learfield Family Cookbook is complete. It's been such a hit around the office, even our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Clyde Lear, talked about the cookbook on the company blog. View his comments at the Grow Learfield Blog.

San Diego Chili Enchiladas
by Paul and Leah Roberts

12 corn tortillas
1 can Rotel
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 16 oz carton of sour cream
1 can diced green chilies
3 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In medium sized pot, blend and warm Rotel, cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Warm the corn tortillas using a skillet or microwave, spraying each tortilla lightly with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil and then warming.

Assemble enchiladas: Place the desired amount of shredded chicken in warmed tortilla, sprinkle cheese, add three to four diced chilies, and spread a spoonful of cream sauce. Roll tortilla and place in oblong pan. Repeat. Spread remaining cream sauce over top of tortillas, sprinkle remaining cheese across top and sprinkle additional chilies to taste. Warm in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Best served with Lipton Spanish rice.

Stuffing Recipe for Your Holiday Meal

Here is a great stuffing recipe from one of my fellow co-workers. This is an easy way to dress up your holiday turkey this Christmas.

Sourdough Bread Stuffing
by Randy and Emma Williams

1 ¼ lb. sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, cubed
¾ lb. bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled, dripping reserved
2 c. celery
¾ c. onion, diced
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ T. dried sage leaves
2 t. thyme
1 t. salt
¾ t black pepper
1 ½ c. canned chicken broth
2 eggs
1 ½ t. baking powder

Prepare bacon, reserving ¼ c. drippings. Add onion and celery to the drippings and sauté for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and seasonings. Pour mixture over bread cubes, add bacon and toss to blend. Mix in 2 c. broth. Beat eggs and baking powder together and add to mixture. Moisten stuffing with additional broth, if needed. Bake for one hour or until cooked through and golden brown on top.