But Never on a Sunday!

Andy Warhol — Campbell’s Soup Cans — at the MOMA

I know there are people who just don’t cotton with using convenience foods — items such as gravy and soup mixes, pudding mixes, condensed soups, pasta mixes, instant foods and sauce mixes, and the like. I do understand and respect that — often, convenience foods tend to be higher in sodium and, depending upon the product, may likely be higher in fat and will probably contain preservatives.

But while I try not to rely heavily on convenience foods, they are, well, convenient, and I’m not above using them because they are, well, convenient! I do, however, try to find healthier versions of convenience products when I can — lower sodium, reduced fat, preservative free, and so forth.

I’m very sad to say that my 80-year old father-in-law has been doing very poorly of late. It’s been a strain on the family, of course, and everyone is doing what they can to help out. This past Monday, I offered to prepare supper and bring it to them if they wanted. They said yes, please. I rifled through my cookbooks, pantry, and freezer and decided that the situation called for a delicious, hearty, but easy one dish casserole that I’ve not made in ages: Sunday Rice Bake.

This recipe is my take on a recipe for Sunday Chicken-Rice Bake in my Better Homes & Gardens All-Time Favorite Casserole Recipes. Using convenience products such as condensed soup, dehydrated soup mix, and tinned or jarred mushrooms, it comes together quickly and makes for a nice one dish meal. Once you have it all together and in the baking dish, you just put it in the oven, set the timer, and go on about your business until it’s done. If you like, you can make it ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake it (which is what I did for my in-laws — I made up the dish in a disposable aluminum baking pan and brought it to them with the baking instructions written on a Post-It).

The original recipe calls for using a whole, cut-up, bone-in broiler-fryer chicken. You can do that, of course, but I have always made it with boneless, skinless chicken breast. However, this past Monday, I realized I had lean, boneless pork chops (bought on sale, no less!) in the freezer, but no chicken. So instead of using chicken, I used pork chops — which was fortuitous, as one of my sisters-in-law who was partaking of the meal with my in-laws had been craving pork chops of late, so this dish hit the spot with her.

But you know, despite the name of this dish, I don’t think I’ve ever made it on a Sunday! Perhaps I should remedy that.

Regardless of what day of the week you make this casserole, it smells — and tastes! — so yummy, you’ll find yourself breaking into song!

Sunday Rice Bake (Serves 4)

• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use reduced-sodium, heart-healthy mushroom soup) (NOTE: You could also use cream of celery or cream of chicken soup)
• 1 cup milk (I used 1%)
• 1 envelope dehydrated onion (or onion mushroom) soup mix
• 1 small tin or jar sliced mushrooms or mushroom pieces and stems
• 1 cup regular white rice
• 10 ounces frozen vegetables, thawed (I used mixed vegetables — corn, green beans, carrots, and peas)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR 4 lean, boneless pork chops (approximately 1 1/2 pounds — you could also use chicken breast tenders)
• Course ground black pepper, if desired
• Paprika

1. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together condensed soup, dehydrated soup mix, milk, and UNDRAINED mushrooms. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside.
2. In the remaining soup mixture, stir in the rice and vegetables. Season with some coarse ground black pepper, if desired.
3. Lightly spray or oil a baking dish (12″ X 7 1/2″ X 2″ is what’s called for in the original recipe; I’ve never come across a dish that precise size. 13″X 9″ will work, as will a slightly smaller casserole dish).
4. Pour the soup/rice/vegetable mixture evenly in the pan. Top with chicken or pork chops. Spoon reserved soup mixture over meat. Sprinkle top of casserole with paprika.
5. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375F until rice is tender and meat is done, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
6. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

You Don’t Have to Feel Chilly…

…to want to eat chili!

Or soup.

Or Cheesy Chili Soup.

Last week, I was casting about for something different for our weekly meatless meal, and using a Cheesy Chili Soup recipe from the Kraft website as inspiration, I did my own take on it.

And peoples…it…is…YUMMY!

This delicious and easy soup is a nutritional powerhouse:

• good source of calcium
• high in fiber
• good source of protein
• good source of vitamins A and C
• nice source of iron
• low in calories

Seriously, how much more could one ask for from a quick and easy meal? The colorful variety of vegetables and beans gives you lots of delicious flavor and makes you feel full without packing in calories or fat. The reduced fat cheese lets you feel as though you’re being indulgent, but it’s providing you with calcium.

Draining and rinsing the tinned beans reduces not only the sodium present, but also reduces their gas-causing tendencies  You can use whatever combination of beans suits your fancy and your pantry — I used a can of Ranch Style beans and a can of kidney beans, but black beans, pintos, Navy beans, garbanzo beans — almost any kind of beans will be yummy.

And do yourself a favor — grate your own cheese! Not only is it more affordable, but the cheese will have a better flavor. HINT: To make cleaning the cheese grater a breeze, lightly spray the grating surface with cooking spray before you begin.

This tastes so yummy that you’ll forget that it’s also so good for you.

So go on, sing the Chili Song while you get this delicious Cheesy Chili Soup simmering on the stove.

Cheesy Chili Soup (Makes 4 to 5 generous but low-calorie servings)

• 2 cans (14 – 15 ounces each) diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED (I used no-salt added tomatoes)
• 1 – 2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon and 14 – 15 ounces of water (fill a tomato or bean tin with water and pour it in) (NOTE: You could also use chicken stock if you prefer)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, scraped and chopped
• Minced garlic to taste (we like the equivalent of a couple – three cloves)
• Splash of vinegar
• 2 cans (14 – 15 ounces each) beans, drained and rinsed (I used one can of Ranch Style and one can of kidney beans)
• Splash of Worcestershire (Vegetarians: Leave out or use a substitute)
• Chili powder to taste
• Cumin to taste
• Splash of Tobasco sauce
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Dressing (for each individual serving): reduced-fat shredded cheese and any other desired accompaniments: crackers, tortilla chips, jalapenos, dollop of reduced fat sour cream, whatever you enjoy with your chili or soup

1. Lightly spray or oil a medium to large (preferably non-stick) saucepan. Sauté onion until it begins to soften. Add minced garlic. Add the celery, carrot, and a splash of vinegar.
2. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the “dressing” for the chili soup and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Dress each individual serving as desired.
4. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

Do You Merengue?

Oops! Beg pardon; I mean meringue.

As Wikipedia tells us:

Meringue, (pron.: /məˈræŋ/, mə-rang) is a type of dessert, often associated with Swiss and French cuisine, made from whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acid such as cream of tartar or a small amount of vinegar. A binding agent such as cornstarch or gelatin may also be added. The addition of powdered sugar, which usually contains corn starch, to the uncooked meringue produces a pavlova, a national dish of Australia and New Zealand. The key to the formation of a good meringue is the formation of stiff peaks formed by denaturing the protein ovalbumin (a protein in the egg whites) via mechanical shear.
Meringues are often flavoured with vanilla and a small amount of almond or coconut extract although if these extracts are based on an oil infusion then this, if used in excess, may inhibit the egg whites into forming a foam due to the fat from the oil. They are light, airy and sweet confections. Homemade meringues are often chewy and soft with a crisp  exterior, although a uniform crisp texture may be achieved at home, whilst commercial meringues are crisp throughout.

The merengue, however, is a type of music and style of dance from the Dominican Republic:

Merengue (pron.:/məˈrɛŋɡeɪ/) is a style of Dominican music and dance. Partners hold each other in a closed position. The leader holds the follower’s waist with the leader’s right hand, while holding the follower’s right hand with the leader’s left hand at the follower’s eye level. Partners bend their knees slightly left and right, thus making the hips move left and right. The hips of the leader and follower move in the same direction throughout the song. Partners may walk sideways or circle each other, in small steps. They can switch to an open position and do separate turns without letting go each other’s hands or releasing one hand. During these turns they may twist and tie their handhold into intricate pretzels. Other choreographies are possible.

Merengue was made the official music and dance of the Dominican Republic by Rafael Trujillo. In an origin’s version, the dance originated from the slaves working in sugar beet fields. These slaves were connected to one another by a chain strapped to their ankles and had to walk in such a manner as to drag one leg.

Merengue rhythm.

Although the tempo of the music may be frenetic, the upper body is kept majestic and turns are slow, typically four beats/steps per complete turn.

In the social dancing of the United States the “empalizada” style is replaced by exaggerated Cuban motion, taught in chain ballroom studios for dances of Latin American origin (cha-cha-cha,rumba, mambo, salsa).

Several weeks ago (sorry it’s taken me so long to get ’round to this post, but life has been intervening *sigh*), I made us some cream puffs and I made the filling from scratch (essentially, I made three cups of vanilla pudding, using Splenda granular in lieu of the sugar and 1% milk). This meant I had three perfectly good egg whites that had no purpose.  I hated to just throw them out, so I placed them in a scrupulously clean container and set them in the ‘fridge.

What to do, what to do?

After some thought and some perusing, I decided to take inspiration from my Splenda Simple & Sensational Recipes cookbook and do my own take on their Chocolate Chip Meringue Crisps. Me being me, I reduced the amount of sugar (their recipe calls for Splenda for baking, which is half sugar; I reduced the amount of sugar even further), used no-sugar-added semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate chips, and adjusted the recipe for three egg whites instead of two.

And peoples, these were YUMMY!

Meringues — aka, Little Chunks of Heaven

Because these have so little sugar, they don’t have the same shine or brown the way that a full sugar meringue would, but they taste incredibly indulgent — like cotton candy with chunks of nuts and sugar-free chocolate chips.

IMPORTANT! When working with egg whites, remember to use a scrupulously clean bowl and scrupulously clean beaters, as the least spot of oil or fat will prevent the eggs whites from whipping properly. Also remember than when the humidity is high, your whites may not whip up quite as easily or well as they normally would.

These taste so yummy, you’ll being dancing the merengue while they bake (Go on, take a few minutes from your day and watch — it’ll make your heart smile and get your feet to tapping LOL!)

 

If you have fewer or more than three egg whites, you can adjust the recipe up or down easily enough.

No-Sugar-Added Chocolate Chip Meringue and Nut Crisps (Makes 3 to 4 dozen crisps, depending upon size)

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped nuts, toasted (suggest walnuts or pecans)
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Splenda granular (or other favorite sugar-free sweetener that measures for measure like sugar)
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar-free semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 200F.
2. Toast or bake nuts in a shallow pan about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside and let cool.
3. Beat egg whites and vanilla at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy.
4. Gradually (a tablespoon or two at a time) add in Splenda and then sugar until stiff peaks form.
5. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.
6. Spoon rounded teaspoons onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.
7. Bake for two hours. Cool slightly on cookie sheet. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Fancy a Holiday?

How about a Roman Holiday?

Honestly, who doesn’t love Audrey Hepburn? Graceful. Beautiful. Intelligent. Elegant. A talented actress and a humanitarian (think of all her work with UNICEF). A survivor of Nazi-occupied Netherlands in WWII, she spoke fluent English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Italian.

So on Friday, when I saw Audrey’s face on the May 2013 issue of Vanity Fair at the checkout line in Target (where I purchased three — yes three! — fabulous shirt dresses), I just had to snag the magazine!

In addition to some gorgeous pictures of the seemingly effortless and timeless elegance we associate with Audrey, the accompanying article includes some recollections from her youngest son, Luca Dotti, as well as a brief excerpt from the upcoming book, Audrey in Rome, which he co-edited.

In the Vanity Fair article, Luca talked about how much his late mother loved Rome and how she became “Roman” when she married his father, Andrea Dotti. According to Luca, her favorite dish to make and share with friends was Spaghetti al Pomodoro.

Huh! Intrigued, I Googled and learned that it’s a very simple, very basic tomato pasta sauce. Fresh ingredients are ideal, and as with Pizza Margherita, it’s one of those dishes that is best kept simple — it’s the simple flavors of a few ingredients that make this dish so yummy!

Seeing as 1) we’ve had some lovely weather (not too hot) and 2) we hadn’t yet had our meatless supper this week, I decided we would dine al fresco and have a tossed green salad, Spaghetti al Pomodoro with a (frozen) cheese toast, and a dessert of fresh fruit with a dollop of whipped cream (eyeing what was available at the store, I ended up with cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, and seedless green grapes). Light, healthy, easy, and YUMMY!

Based on my Googling, many argue that Pasta al Pomodoro should be made with garden-fresh tomatoes. While that would be delicious, with the exception of a few weeks each year, I seldom have access to such bounty, so I took advantage of diced tinned tomatoes, which are affordable and readily available year ’round. And while I did use fresh basil leaves (we snagged a couple of basil plants for our herb garden while at the store), I think dried basil would be perfectly acceptable in this dish, also.

While I liked this delicious  recipe from Bon Appetit, it was far and away too heavy for my tastes: too much oil, too much pasta. So, using it as a guide, I did my own (lighter) take on Spaghetti al Pomodoro. The meal turned out utterly delicious and will definitely be repeated on our menu. And while I’ve never been (at least not yet!) to Italy, much less Rome, we had a lovely meal al fresco, pretending we were on a Roman Holiday — the only thing missing was some Italian music! (Note to self: Search out a CD of Italian music.)

So the next time you’re wanting an easy, yummy, utterly delicious meal, go on a Roman Holiday and have Pasta al Pomodoro. (Go on, take a few moments from your day and watch — you know you want to!)

Pasta al Pomodoro (4 servings)

• Splash (1 to 2 tablespoons) olive or canola oil (or lightly spray or coat a non-stick skillet)
• 2 cans (14 – 15 ounces EACH) diced tomatoes (I used unsalted tomatoes)
• 1 small or 1/2 of a large onion, finely minced/diced (I whizzed it up in my wee food processor)
• Minced garlic to taste (I used a small spoonful of prepared minced garlic)
• Sprinkling of red pepper flakes to taste
• Splash or two of red wine (Optional, but I like a bit of wine in a pasta sauce)
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce (Vegetarians: Leave out or use a substitute)
• Salt to taste (if using salted tinned tomatoes, leave out)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• Fresh basil leaves or dried basil to taste (I used about 5 basil leaves)
• 8 ounces pasta (whatever you like — spaghetti, angel hair, penne, etc.), cooked al dente
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup pasta water

1. In a food processor or blender, whiz UNDRAINED tomatoes into a puree (it will be like a rather thick and somewhat chunky tomato juice).
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté finely minced/diced onion until it it begins to caramelize (this will bring out the sweetness of the onion). Add in minced garlic and brown for a moment, then sprinkle in red pepper flakes. Deglaze pan with a splash or two of red wine (white would likely work, also).
3. Reduce heat and stir tomatoes into skillet. Season with a light (and I do mean LIGHT) sprinkling of salt (I used coarse sea salt). (If your tinned tomatoes have salt, you will likely want to skip adding salt.) Add in a splash of Worcestershire sauce. (If using dried basil, add now.) Simmer, with a spatter lid or with lid cocked or vented lid open, stirring occasionally, until thickened — about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in torn, fresh basil leaves.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta to just under al dente in lightly salted water. (You’ll simmer the pasta with the sauce for a few minutes, which will cook it further, so you want it a bit less done than you might normally prepare it.)
5. Drain the pasta, but reserve some of the starchy cooking water (the starchy pasta water will help “loosen” and also thicken the sauce). Toss the pasta and the butter with the sauce. Add in some of the pasta water and cook over low heat until heated through and of desired consistency — anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes.
6. Dress each serving with some grated cheese (Parmesan or whatever you like), if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

I Think Ikea, I Think Ikea…

Remember the story of “The Little Engine that Could”? As Wikipedia tells us:

The Little Engine that Could is an illustrated children‘s book that was first published in the United States of America in 1930 by Platt & Munk. The story is used to teach children the value of optimism and hard work. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children.

The story’s “signature phrases” such as “I think I can” first occurred in print in a 1902 article in a Swedish journal. An early published version of the story, “Story of the Engine that Thought It Could“, appeared in the New York Tribune, 8 April 1906, as part of a sermon by the Rev. Charles S. Wing.

I thought of the little engine that could when I took my first-ever (and thus far only!) trip to an Ikea store last year with our son, daughter-in-law, and perfect little granddaughter. After having heard many friends wax rhapsodic about the Swedish Meatball lunch available in the Ikea cafeteria, that is what I ordered — and after two deliciously yummy bites, I knew then and there I was going to have to try and replicate this yummy-ness at home.

As Wikipedia tells us:

A meatball is made from an amount of ground meat rolled into a small ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, minced onion, spices, possibly eggs and herbs. Meatballs are usually prepared and rolled by hand, and are cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce.

In Sweden, köttbullar (meatballs) are made with ground beef or a mix of ground beef, pork and sometimes veal, sometimes including breadcrumbs soaked in milk, finely chopped (fried) onions, some broth and often including cream. They are seasoned with white pepper or allspice and salt. Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with gravy, boiled potatoes, lingonberry jam, and sometimes fresh pickled cucumber.Traditionally, they are small, measuring one inch in diameter. In the United States, there are a number of variations, based on the assimilation of Swedes in the Midwest.

Like the little train engine, I just kept telling myself “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…”

From my experience in the Ikea cafeteria, I was fairly certain I could replicate the yummy, rich-tasting gravy by adding in some light sour cream. I also thought it would be equally tasty made with either extra-lean ground beef or turkey.

After some Googling, I came across two recipes that, I felt, could serve as a springboard inspiration for me to replicate those yummy flavors on my own — one is an Alton Brown recipe and the other is a delightful account and recipe posted at Simply Recipes by Elise Bauer.

But I never got around to making them.

Several weeks ago, ‘though, I was craving something different, yet comforting, and I decided to give Swedish Meatballs a try. I used a combination of extra lean (93/7) ground turkey and ground turkey sausage because that’s what I had on hand, but it would be equally yummy made with extra lean (93/7) ground beef and reduced fat pork sausage.

I prefer to bake my meatballs in the oven because 1) it’s a leaner cooking method, 2) for me, it’s easier to ensure the meatballs keep their shape, and 3) once they’re shaped and in the oven, I can tend to other things while they bake.

Do these taste exactly like the meatballs from Ikea? Neigh of course not. (Forgive me, but I simply could not resist the punny opportunity.)

But are they yummy?

Oh, you betcha!

So go on, next time you’re wanting some Swedish Meatballs, give this recipe a try — it’s so yummy, you’ll feel happy inside! (Go on, take 60 seconds from your day and watch — you know you want to!)

Swedish Meatballs (Serves 4 to 6)

• 1 pound extra lean (93/7) ground turkey (or ground beef)
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey sausage (or reduced fat pork sausage)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Splash (tablespoon or two) of milk
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 slices sandwich bread, finely torn or whizzed through a food processor (I used slices of WhiteWheat bread because that’s what I had on hand, but virtually any soft sandwich bread will do)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1/4 to 1/2 finely chopped onion
• Coarse ground black pepper to taste
• Light sprinkling of allspice (just a hint!)
• Light sprinkling of nutmeg (just a hint!)
• 3 cups (eyeball it) beef stock* (If you prefer to use chicken stock, add a beef bouillon cube to the stock to enrich the flavor and enhance the color)
• 3 – 4 tablespoons all purpose flour shaken/whisked until smooth with about 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup (eyeball it) reduced fat sour cream

*Note: Through reading labels, I’ve realized that I can get a beef or chicken stock that is lower in sodium than even the reduced-sodium broths. Read nutrition labels and compare!

1. In a non-stick skillet (the same one you’ll finish the meatballs in), melt the butter over medium heat and cook the onion until it’s softened. Let cool slightly.
2. While the cooked onion cools, in a medium to large bowl, lightly beat egg. Add in bread crumbs, splash of Worcestershire, and splash or two of milk. Season to taste with some coarse ground black pepper, nutmeg, and allspice. (Remember, go easy on the seasonings, most especially the nutmeg and allspice — you want just the barest hint of their flavor in the background. You can always add in more seasoning, but you can’t take it back out!)
3. Stir onion into bread crumb and egg mixture.
4. Mix the ground meat and ground sausage into the bread crumb mixture. Add additional seasonings if needed. (Alton Brown uses a mixer to combine it all.)
5. Lightly oil or spray a baking sheet. Shape the meat mixture into small meatballs (Alton recommends they be approximately an ounce in size, which is small, but not minuscule.)
6. Bake meatballs in oven (no need to preheat) until they are browned and cooked through (about 30 minutes at 375F, 45 minutes at 350F, or an hour at 325F; your oven may vary).
7. In the same skillet in which you sauteed the onion, bring three or so cups of stock (broth) to a boil. Whisk/shake together the flour and water (I shake mine up in a small jar saved just for this purpose.) Stirring vigorously and continuously, pour the flour/water mixture into the stock. Boil for one minute. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring as needed to prevent sticking, to thicken. (Remember that gravy will also thicken some more upon standing.)
8. Steadily whisk/stir in reduced fat sour cream (you need to whisk/stir steadily to keep the sour cream from curdling). Add in meatballs and enjoy! Traditional accompaniments are mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce, but cranberry sauce can do in a pinch.
9. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

God aptit!

It’s All in the Past…

…or itsio??

Ah, Pastitsio — it’s been on my radar to make for a long time. Sometimes referred to as a “Greek Lasagna,” Wikipedia tells us:

Pastitsio (Greek: παστίτσιο, pastítsio; [paˈstitsio]), sometimes spelled pastichio, is a Greek and Mediterranean baked pasta dish including ground beef and béchamel sauce in its best-known form. Pastitsio is a version of the Italian dish pasticcio di pasta.

The typical Greek version has a bottom layer that is bucatini or other tubular pasta, with cheese and egg as a binder; a middle layer of ground beef, veal or lamb with tomato and cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice; another layer of pasta; and a top layer of sauce, varying from an egg-based custard to a flour-based Béchamel or a Béchamel with cheese (known as Mornay sauce in France). Grated cheese is often sprinkled on top. Pastitso is a common dish, and is often served as a main course, with a salad.

I have a couple of different recipes for Pastitsio: a no-doubt authentic one in a Greek cookbook and one that is similar to it, yet a bit more accessible (Americanized measurements, etc.), in a casserole cookbook. But even by using extra-lean (93/7) ground beef or ground turkey and doing all one can to lighten up the traditionally rich béchamel sauce, it wouldn’t be what one would consider a healthy dish — and sauces such as béchamel take some time and skill to make.

So, I hadn’t been in any rush to make Pastitsio – while the recipe intrigued me and sounded yummy, I’d never eaten it before, so it’s not something I had cravings for.

Last Saturday, though, I was wanting something a bit different for supper. I felt a bit like puttering about in the kitchen, but I didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. And that’s when I stumbled across a simpler, healthier version of Pastitsio on the Kraft web site! The rich and more time-consuming  béchamel sauce is replaced with a lighter, healthier, easier yogurt-based sauce. Inspired by this delicious recipe, I made my own take on it, and peoples, it was sooooooo yummy!

Vegetarians: Don’t despair! While you could substitute the meat with a favorite vegetarian meat substitute, I think this would make an outstandingly yummy dish by substituting the meat with eggplant: Peel the eggplant if desired, dice it, sprinkle it with some salt and let it drain a bit in a colander, then continue on as directed in the recipe and saute it in the skillet along with the onion. Or, you could substitute the meat with zucchini, yellow squash, and/or mushrooms — or a combination thereof — and have the totally yummy taste of pastitsio without the meat.

I made our Pastitsio with my favorite non-fat Stonyfield Greek yogurt (thank you, Mom, for turning me on to this yogurt!). Not all yogurts are created equal — make sure you check the ingredients so that you can avoid any added sugars or flavorings.

This recipe still takes a bit of time to make, but it’s not difficult and comes together relatively quickly. I made ours with extra-lean (93/7) ground beef because that’s what I had on hand, but ground turkey would work equally well, and lean ground turkey sausage (or reduced-fat pork sausage) could add a yummy something-something to it, as well.

Authentic? I doubt it. But yummy and healthy and chock full of magnificent flavors? Absolutely!! This has such a rich, yet comforting, flavor, you’ll make folks who think “healthy” means “tasteless” or “boring” change their minds after their first or second bites.

You’ll be drinking ouzo and air-playing a bouzouki while you dance in your kitchen! (Go on, give it a try — it’s fun!!)

Pastitsio (Serves 6 to 8)

• 2 cups (7 ounces) macaroni, cooked al dente and cooled slightly (NOTE: Ziti or penne would work, also)
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (or lean ground turkey or lean bulk sausage) (Vegetarians: See suggestions above)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 can (14 -15 ounces) diced tomatoes (Mine were seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano)
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste (I used paste seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano)
• Couple splashes (2 or 3 tablespoons) red wine OR red wine vinegar
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce (Vegetarians: Leave out or use a substitute)
• Seasonings to taste: basil, Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1% milk)
• 1 tablespoon or so cornstarch (You won’t need this if you use whole or 2% milk)
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups plain, fat-free Greek yogurt (I used a bit more than a cup, and it made for a creamier sauce)
• Sprinkling of nutmeg
• 1/4 to a 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (Vegetarians: Use a vegetarian substitute or use another favorite white cheese)

1. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the 2 cups (7 ounces) of raw macaroni to al dente. Drain and let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a lightly oiled or sprayed non-stick skillet, brown meat and onion. (If you’ve used an extra-lean meat, there should be little to no fat to drain.) Deglaze pan with wine or red wine vinegar. Stir in UNDRAINED tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in a splash of Worcestershire. Season to taste (basil, Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, and/or onion powder) and let simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, uncovered or with a spatter lid, until sauce thickens (15 – 20 minutes).

3.  Also meanwhile , in a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter. Stir cornstarch into milk (if using 1% or skim milk) and stir into saucepan with butter.  Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until mixture begins to thicken somewhat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

4. Stirring vigorously, whisk yogurt into the milk and butter mixture. Season to taste (but lightly!) with ground nutmeg (I just sprinkled a bit onto the surface of the mixture, stirred it in, smelled it, and added a bit more as warranted — the nutmeg flavor should be in the background, giving just a hint of scent and flavor.) Stir in cooked macaroni. (This was the point I decided to stir in a bit more yogurt, to give it a creamier, moister texture.)

5. Lightly spray, oil, or butter a 13″ X 9″ pan. Spread meat sauce and tomato mixture along the bottom of the pan.

Pastitsio — Yummy First Layer

6. Then, spread the macaroni and yogurt sauce layer over the meat sauce layer. Sprinkle with Parmesan (or other) cheese.

Pastitsio — Yummy Second Layer!!

7. Bake at 350F until bubbly and browned, 45 to 60 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes or so before serving. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

Pastitsio Devoured!

So It’s Not the Plaza…

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

…but the Waldorf-Astoria is none-too-shabby, either, eh?

When I was planning out our Fat Tuesday meal, I decided I wanted a salad to have with the jambalaya, but I didn’t want a typical tossed salad. After some pondering, I thought that the sweet fruit taste and crunch of a Waldorf Salad would make a nice accompaniment.

As Wikipedia tells us:

A Waldorf salad is a salad traditionally made of fresh apples, celery and walnuts, dressed in mayonnaise, and usually served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer or a light meal.

The salad was first created between 1893 and 1896 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City (the precursor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which came into being with the merger of the Waldorf with the adjacent Astoria Hotel, opened in 1897).

Oscar Tschirky, who was the Waldorf’s maître d’hôtel and developed or inspired many of its signature dishes, is widely credited with creating the recipe. In 1896, Waldorf Salad appeared in The Cook Book by ‘Oscar of the Waldorf’; the original recipe did not contain nuts, but they had been added by the time the recipe appeared in the Rector Cook Book in 1928. The salad became popular enough that Cole Porter featured it in his 1934 song “You’re the Top.”

Waldorf Salad is a tasty way to deliver the super nutrition of apples:

Basic research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Apple peels contain ursolic acid which, in rat studies, increases skeletal muscle and brown fat, and decreases white fat, obesity, glucose intolerance, and fatty liver disease.

Apple peels are a source of various phytochemicals with unknown nutritional value and possible antioxidant activity in vitro. The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a typical apple serving weighs 242 grams and contains 126 calories with significant dietary fiber and vitamin C content

So armed with my Big Red Betty Crocker Cookbook for inspiration, I got to chopping and slicing and made a Waldorf Salad. Me being me, I lightened it up by using light mayonnaise. I also reduced the amount of nuts by a bit and toasted them for extra flavor.

Waldorf Salad — Yummy!

We ate our salad plain — no lettuce — but it would be good that way, too. It makes a yummy appetizer, side dish, or light meal. It’s easy to adjust the amount of servings based on the amount of apples you use. You could also add in some grapes if you liked.

So the next time you want a different kind of salad, whip up a Waldorf Salad while singing Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top.”

Waldorf Salad (Makes 6 or so appetizer or side servings)

• 2 medium to large eating apples, coarsely chopped (do NOT peel)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped nuts, toasted (suggest walnuts or pecans)
• Lemon juice (1 to 2 tablespoons)
• Splash of milk (about a tablespoon), if desired
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1. In a medium bowl, toss chopped apples with some lemon juice (a tablespoon or so). (This will help keep them from turning brown.) Stir in celery.
2. Lightly toast nuts (you can do this in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat, or in the oven or toaster oven at 325F – 350F for 5 to 8 minutes). (Toasting enriches the flavor.) Allow nuts to cool; toss with apples and celery.
3. Whisk together reduced-fat mayonnaise, a splash of lemon juice, and a splash of milk (if needed). Toss together with apples, nuts, and celery. 
4. Refrigerate leftovers.