Making pizza a healthy meal

When you think of healthy meals, pizza is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. Typically it is pictured with lots of fat meats such as pepperoni or sausage and a thick coating of cheese. While you certainly can order it that way, there are lots of lighter options that can make pizza a healthy meal.

Buying pizza at a restaurant takes away most of your control of exactly what ingredients will be used on your pizza. You can ask if the restaurant you choose makes a whole wheat crust, some places do. Whole wheat flour has more fiber and nutrients and is a healthier choice. 

If you want to keep the calories down you need to consider the thickness of the crust. Thin is lower in calories just because there is less of it.

When it comes to making pizza a healthier choice, it isn’t just about calories, it is about fat. Pizza without fat would probably not be too good but by using real olive oil you can at least make it healthier. If you want to have meat on your pizza, make sure it is precooked and the fat drained off. Bacon, for instance, is better at least partially cooked so that the entire pizza isn’t dripping in bacon fat.

Another healthier meal option is chicken but again you need to consider how it is being cooked and what is being put on it. Grilled chicken with natural seasonings will keep it fresher and less heavy than barbecue sauce for instance. If you are looking for beef, opt for hamburger over breadcrumb filled meatballs.

One of the healthiest choices in pizza is the original Neapolitan pizza, the Margarita. It is a fresh combination of a light red sauce, fresh basil, sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese applied lightly. With the addition of a drizzle EVOO it is as near to healthy perfection as you can find.

Making your own healthy pizza is the best way to control the ingredients. Mozzarella cheese comes in skim and whole milk varieties and both taste the same. Vegetables are a great healthy addition to almost any pizza. Mushrooms, peppers, onions, olives, and eggplants are all easy to incorporate into a pizza. Pineapple is perfect in combination with lean ham or bacon.

If you are a salad lover, cook your pizza crust and in the meantime mix up your favorite salad in a bowl. Apply EVOO to the crust with a pastry brush and then place your salad on top. What a delicious way to enjoy a healthy pizza.

Pizza doesn’t have to be unhealthy and a diet buster. Keep the ingredients simple and fresh and apply them in moderation. You can make pizza a healthy meal and a delicious one too.

Homemade baked mac and cheese

Baked macaroni and cheese is the quintessential comfort food. When the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, a steaming bowl of delicious macaroni and cheese baked to crispy perfection is the ideal choice for a quick and filling meal. It is something that offers the opportunity to be creative or to just keep it simple. This is a family favorite that has a little zing to add interest.

The sauce:
8 -10 ounces of mild cheddar cheese or sharp if you prefer
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Worcester sauce

The topping:
1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers crumbled

The macaroni:
1 pound of pasta. Our family likes penne but elbows or spirals work just as well.

Cook the pound of pasta as per the package directions and drain. Leave it slightly al dente so that it will keep its shape during the baking. Drain when it is finished cooking and cover the pan so that the macaroni stays warm.

You can grate the cheese or you can buy it already grated. I usually buy it grated since it cuts the preparation time. 

In a skillet melt the butter, add the flour and make a roux. Add the milk slowly stirring constantly. Add the Worcester sauce and the cheese, continue to stir add the salt and pepper to taste. 

When the cheese is completely melted, remove from heat and pour the cheese over the macaroni in the pan and stir. Pour into a 9 by 13 baking dish.

I take a few Ritz Crackers in my hands at a time and crumble them over the top of the pan. Leave an even coating over the entire pan.  

Place in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with a tossed salad and you have the perfect meal.

If you prefer a more adult version, change the cheese to pepper Jack or a combination of cheeses. Swiss and Monterey Jack is a nice combo or the bags of mixed Italian cheeses work well. Gouda will add a smoky taste and American is very mellow. Use your imagination and you can make your dish a little different every time.

This recipe has a smooth and creamy texture that makes it a perfect comfort food. It has stick to your ribs goodness. This is one of our all-time favorite meals any time of year. Serve it with a salad for a little crunch. 

Creative meals with holiday leftovers

Everyone has them, the turkey, the ham, the mashed potatoes, miscellaneous vegetables, cakes, pies, and cookies. What you do with them depends on the people you share your holidays with. If you are sharing your meals with family and friends,  you will want to share your bounty.

There are several ways to make sure that all the leftovers are used and enjoyed. One way is to send everyone home with some of them. One of the best ways to do this is to use Chinese takeout boxes. These are available online and at local party stores and discount outlets. They are inexpensive and come in several sizes, one of which is sure to be perfect for every member of your party.

Within one box you can package a single serving of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. You can also pack a small container with cookies or candies. Ham and scalloped potatoes also make an excellent leftover container.

After you have given away as much of your leftovers as possible make sure that the rest of them are placed in containers in your refrigerator as quickly as possible to keep them fresh. When you open the fridge door, it can sometimes be overwhelming to look at all the containers and try to think of what to do with them. It is a good idea to look for recipes before the holidays for dishes to utilize the main items in your menu.

If you have items that were purchased and never opened such as dinner rolls and or pre-made pies and they are things that you won’t use on your own, you can make a call to your local soup kitchen. In my area, they will not take anything that has been opened or cooked. These days, they are obviously just as vulnerable to being sued as everyone else is. Any opened food is a liability that they are not able to take advantage of.

Casseroles and soups are two of the meals that are the best for using leftovers. One of my favorites is turkey pot pie. The pot pie uses leftover turkey, peas, creamed onions, gravy, and stuffing. The turkey carcass can be turned into a turkey soup. This will, of course, be after you have eaten as many turkey sandwiches as you can tolerate.

Ham is perfect for ham salad sandwiches, ham omelets and frittatas, ham and scalloped potato casserole and the proverbial ham sandwich.

With a ham bone, some dried yellow peas, an onion and some summer savory you can fill your crock pot with water, go to work and come home to a delicious pea soup.

If you have leftover rolls you have several choices. You can grind then up and make bread crumbs or you can just take the pieces and throw them outside for the birds. Another good use is to make a bread pudding. All you need is milk, eggs, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and vanilla extract and you have a very memorable dessert.

Mashed potatoes can be made into fried potato cakes. Pan fried in butter these are great for breakfast or as a side dish.

The next time you have a surplus of holiday leftovers, don’t panic. Pack it up, give it away and make enough meals to feed your family for several weeks. Everyone will have a happy holiday and beyond.

How to make a basic Bechamel

One of the most useful sauces in the world is the basic Bechamel. I am sure that mine is not traditional. Well, I should say, I always thought it was traditional since I learned it from my mom and she is French Canadian and a great cook. Looking at recipes online made me realize that everyone does not make their's as simply as I do. 

What you need:

• Butter
• Wondra
• Milk

I begin by making a roux. A roux is just butter and flour. You can make as little or as much as you want, all you need to know is the basic proportion. One tablespoon of butter, one tablespoon of flour (I use Wondra) and 1 cup of milk. 

I use a non-stick skillet. Melt the butter and add the flour, Stir until you have a thick paste. Slowly add in the milk. Cook on high but don't boil and still the entire time. It can take a few minutes to thicken up. After about 5 minutes it should be done and if you are making a cheese sauce, you can add it now and stir.

A basic Bechamel doesn't have cheese and is excellent on vegetables or things like canned salmon. We often ate this on Fridays when I was a kid. Creamed mushrooms, asparagus,  and salmon all found their way onto toast. My mother favorite was broccoli with Bechamel, she never added cheese. I use this sauce as the base for my mac and cheese. 

Heart Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Heart health is an issue that is on the mind of many people as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. Is it possible to create side dishes to enjoy on this special holiday that are both delicious and heart healthy? Yes, it is. It just requires that you keep the normal rules for heart healthy dishes in mind. Side dishes are the delicious extras that make that turkey really shine.

The Mayo Clinic has developed a heart healthy diet plan. By incorporating their suggestions into your Thanksgiving dining plan, you can create a dinner that is both delicious and heart healthy.

Stay away from processed food

Processed food is high in sodium so it is best to create as many dishes from scratch as possible. What that means is not opening a box or a bag to make stuffing and using fresh cranberries to make a delicious cranberry relish.

Heart healthy cranberry relish

This is a simple very basic recipe for cranberry-orange relish. It is not cooked but to develop the flavors it should be made at least 24 hours in advance. You will need:

One bag of fresh cranberries washed and drained

1 large thin-skinned seedless orange (you can manually remove the seeds) cut into pieces

1 cup white sugar

½ cup walnuts (optional)

Food processor

Place the cranberries and orange into the food processor and chop until the pieces are small and it looks well incorporated. Add the walnut and give the mixture a few additional chops.

Place in a glass bowl, add the sugar and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

Use whole grains

When you are making your stuffing, this is the place to add the whole grains. Instead of white bread, use whole grain bread. Be sure to check that the fiber content is at least 2 grams per slice, more is better. One good way to add additional fiber to your dish is to add ground flax seeds. If you must use a bagged or boxed stuffing mix, be sure to check the sodium content. 

Pepperidge Farms Herb stuffing mix has 600mg of sodium and a small amount of fat but it also has 3g of fiber. By adding lots of veggies and the flax seeds you can turn this into a much more heart friendly side dish. Don’t however; cook the stuffing inside the bird as this will really raise the fat level.

Avoid the fat

Thanksgiving is all about being indulgent but indulgence does not have to include a lot of bad fats. By using low and no fat additions to your dishes you can keep the taste high and the fat low. Roast butternut squash in the oven with just a drizzle of olive oil.

Mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a side dish that is found on most Thanksgiving tables. The typical recipe calls for milk and butter. In order to make the dish more heart healthy, use no-fat milk or for a nice twist how about buttermilk. The addition of no or low-fat sour cream and chives also makes for a tasty dish where no one will notice that missing butter. Many people enjoy garlic and by roasting it and adding it to the mashed potatoes there will be a complex flavor profile with the added health benefit of garlic.

If your family loves sweet potatoes, using them in place of the white potatoes is a very heart healthy option.

Green veggies

No Thanksgiving feast is complete without the green veggies. Green bean casserole is a staple of many American households on Thanksgiving. It is such an iconic dish that changing it would be unacceptable to many people. The best thing to do is to try to find a low sodium cream of mushroom soup and use skim milk. While this may not make it exactly heart healthy, it will make it healthier.

Broccoli is one of the super foods. Adding it to the Thanksgiving feast is a very good idea. Creating a light cheese sauce with skim milk and low-fat cheddar cheese makes if feel and taste luscious without all the fat and calories.

These are just a few of the heart-healthy side dishes you can add to your Thanksgiving table. Visit the Mayo Clinic website for additional ideas for how to make your favorite dishes heart healthy.

Traditional Thanksgiving favorites

What could be more traditional than Thanksgiving dinner? The foods that can be found on Thanksgiving tables across the country are filled with the bounty of the season. The reason for Thanksgiving is to celebrate a good harvest and the foods that we eat reflect items that are local and seasonal.

Turkey is the traditional meat of Thanksgiving. It can be a huge bird if you have a large family or it can be a simple turkey breast for two or three. There are many ways to prepare it. Deep frying has become very popular in the last few years and it makes a delicious and juicy bird.

You can also cook it on a rotisserie or grill it if you want something a little less traditional. The traditional method is in the oven, roasted to a golden brown. If you want to guarantee a juicy flavorful turkey consider brining it before you roast it.  Some families wouldn’t think of eating it any other way.

Dressing or stuffing is also one of the most traditional of Thanksgiving foods. Made from bread, this is the starch that the protein needs. The bread is mixed with liquid and vegetables, chestnuts, fruit or even sausage. Some people prefer to use bread cubes and others use cornbread. Deciding whether to cook it inside the bird or out is a decision every Thanksgiving cook must make.

Making homemade biscuits or rolls is another Thanksgiving tradition. These days it is often easier to use store bought rolls that you just warm up. You can use frozen ones or one that you crack open from the refrigerator case.

In order to have a groaning sideboard, there needs to be a wide selection of side dishes to tempt the appetite of all the guests at the Thanksgiving table. Some of the most traditional vegetables are potatoes, yams, turnips, butternut squash, pearl onions, and green beans. 

These days if your family is more health conscious, you may use less butter and salt but the basic vegetables are the same.

Fill out the meal with salads and of course cranberry sauce or relish. These along with rich, smooth turkey gravy are the traditional foods that many families have feasted on for generations. However, there is nothing saying that you can't start a new tradition with any additions that your family enjoys.

When the table has been cleared, it is time to bring out the desserts. The most traditional dessert for Thanksgiving is pies. Pumpkin, sweet potato, pecan, and apple are the most popular pies. If you are a little less traditional, you can add lemon meringue or chocolate cream.

Pumpkin should be included in at least one of the desserts. It can be a luscious pumpkin cheesecake, a pumpkin flavored pudding or a pumpkin nut cake. Add some pumpkin flavored whipped cream and you have the perfect dessert. Finish with some coffee or tea, some dessert wine or some apple cider and you have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that should provide memories aplenty and meals for several more days.

The turkey sandwich is the finale of the Thanksgiving celebration. Often it is the last thing that is consumed later on Thanksgiving Day and it is a universal favorite.

Thanksgiving is all about family, great food, and tradition. If you haven’t started your own yet, this might just be the year to do that.

Traditional Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays. The first Thanksgiving set the tone for sharing the bounty of the earth with family, neighbors, and friends. In some ways, not much has changed over the years. These days the food may not be home grown but families still take great pride in putting a bountiful spread out on the dining room table on Thanksgiving.

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the turkey. A turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table. While turkey is delicious and there is nothing quite as delectable as a crispy brown turkey, it would be a pretty sad meal without all the wonderful side dishes.

Every family has its own traditional side dishes to make the Thanksgiving meal complete. The ones that you consider to be the best depends a great deal on your family expectations and also where in the country you live. There are dishes which are more common in some areas of the country than others.

Cranberries in some form are almost always on the table. It may be that you like the cranberry jelly with or without the whole fruit or it may be that you prefer to make a cranberry relish that combines orange with the cranberries. No matter which form your cranberries are served under, they add a fruity tartness to your Thanksgiving meal.

Potatoes are also an almost universal side dish. Potatoes especially mashed or whipped ones are the perfect accompaniment to turkey and gravy. The potatoes beg to be enjoyed with a ladle filled with rich turkey gravy. If you prefer something a little more decadent, potatoes dauphinoise, scalloped or au gratin would all be delicious.

Turkey without gravy would be a sad meal. There are many ways to prepare gravy, some families prefer a more golden gravy while others a darker color. The table would be incomplete without the gravy boat.

Turnip is a perfect side dish at Thanksgiving. Turnip is a root vegetable that is at its best in the fall at just around the time that you will be celebrating Thanksgiving. It is usually served mashed with a knob of butter melted on it.

Creamed pearl onions are a rich and delicious side dish for Thanksgiving. The little onions are cooked separately and then placed in a white sauce with a light dusting of ground pepper.

Sweet potatoes are a traditional side dish as well. They can be simply baked and served half or whole or they can be candied and have pecans and brown sugar added. Candied sweet potatoes can be served mashed in a casserole. 

For many families, it isn’t Thanksgiving without the green bean casserole. These beans are mixed with a creamy soup and onion rings and baked in the oven. You can add a variation with green beans and bacon.

Butternut squash is another of the fall vegetables that are a perfect complement to the turkey and the other sides.

Salad has a place on the Thanksgiving table. It can be a simple green salad, a wedge, or the classic Caesar. The more modern salad with fresh pear, Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts is a perfect side dish to add a lighter touch.

Don’t forget the bread or the rolls for those guests who love to eat their turkey in the form of a sandwich and if the commercial is true you really must have crescent rolls.

The last but not the least important side dish is the dressing. Every family has their own dressing recipes, some like a cornbread stuffing and others like to add things like chestnuts, giblets, potatoes or sausage to the bread. Fruit can also be added as well as nuts, whatever your family enjoys. It can be cooked in the bird or out according to your preference.

Thanksgiving is a day to serve the bounty of the season to the ones you love and all of these side dishes will add to the feeling of a feast. Try to save room for some of the desserts that are waiting on the sideboard, it’s not Thanksgiving without the pumpkin pie and whipped cream.