Yes, it's healthy but worth it

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Karen Freeman

February 24, 2010

Karen Freeman The Daily Southerner Wed Feb 24, 2010, 10:52 AM EST

I keep telling myself that spring and summer are coming some time soon. This past weekend gave me hope that it really will get here. In addition, my 17-year-old granddaughter, Kalie, is taking an aerobics class at school and has challenged me. We go to the beach every summer, and she is working on her “beach body”. So that means that Grammy has to do the same. If I have to eat healthy and exercise, so do you!

Whether you accept my challenge to eat better and move more or not, these are tasty and easy recipes. You and your family will enjoy them and not even care that they are healthy.

The first recipe is turkey casserole. The recipe calls for six cups of turkey pieces. To make it better for you, use only turkey breast. This is a ready in 15 recipe.

The second recipe is a great snack or dessert. Keep this in the fridge for those late night cravings. The recipe is cherry flavored, but you can use whatever flavor you like. I use lime most of the time.

The third recipe is chicken salad with fruit. If you have everything on hand, you can make this in 10 minutes. But, it needs to chill for an hour or so in the refrigerator. Like the turkey recipe, if you want healthier, use chicken breast.

The fourth recipe is a great dressing. It’s called zero because it has zero fat and almost zero calories! But it has lots of flavor.

The last recipe is meatloaf. What guy can resist a good meatloaf? Mine can’t. this one has green beans in it! Sometimes I use other beans instead. They add texture and taste and you can hide the veggies from the kids!

I hope you enjoy these great dishes. Let me know how you like them and share your best healthy recipes. Remember you can make just about any recipe better for you. You can almost always cut the butter in half in a recipe and you can often substitute something better for you for many ingredients.

Turkey Casserole

6 cups turkey pieces

1 can mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup (use fat free)

Small can mushrooms

1 can Chow Mein noodles

Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole dish, except 1/2 the noodles. Put remaining noodles on top and heat through.

Cherry Fluff

1 cup boiling water

1 pkg. cherry flavored dietetic gelatin

1 cup cold water

2 egg whites

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in cold water and chill until gelatin is consistency of egg white.

Beat with egg beater until light and fluffy. In a medium size bowl, beat egg whites to form soft peaks. Fold in whipped gelatin until smooth.

Can be put into 6 sherbet glasses or a glass Pyrex dish.

6 servings

Fruity Chicken Salad

1/2 Dietetic pineapple chunks, drained

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup cooked chicken, diced

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1/2 cup cooked chicken, diced

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved

lettuce leaves

Combine pineapple, chicken, grapes, celery, mayonnaise and pecans. Mix and chill. Serve on lettuce

Zero Dressing

1 cup tomato juice

1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion (optional)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Put ingredients in a jar and cover tightly. Shake well and store in refrigerator. Shake well before using. Makes 1 cup.

Meat Loaf

1 lb. ground beef (chuck)

3 Tablespoon chopped onion

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup green beans, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon oregano

water to moisten

Mix meat well with finely chopped pepper, green beans, onion and seasonings. Moisten slightly with water, shape into loaf and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Did you know?

1. Use nonstick cooking spray instead of butter or oil; or at least choose liquid oils over solid fats (preferably canola oil or olive oil)

2. Choose extra-lean meat and skinless chicken breasts

3. Trim all visible fat from meat

4. Grill, broil, bake, braise, steam, poach, slow-cook, and microwave foods instead of frying them. Sautéing is ok with minimal amounts of oil, or use nonstick spray, or broth instead

5. Drain fat from cooked meats and blot them with kitchen paper if necessary

6. Use vegetables, beans or whole grains to replace some of the meat content of burgers, meatloaf, and chili

7. Coat chicken and fish in breadcrumbs rather than batter, and bake them instead of frying them

8. Choose chicken or turkey sausages instead of pork or beef sausages9. Choose Canadian bacon or turkey bacon instead of regular bacon

10. Use one egg and two egg whites per person in your favorite egg dishes or cakes; or cut fat and cholesterol completely by using egg substitute

11. Substitute two meat dishes each week with fish or vegetarian meals12. Use fat-free chicken broth or fat-free milk in mashed potatoes, soups, gravies and stews

13. Try fat-free evaporated milk in creamy soups and casseroles instead of heavy cream

14. Top your pies or line your tarts with phyllo dough instead of regular pastry

15. Oven-fry potatoes instead of making or buying French fries

16. Use herbs, spices, fruits and salsas to flavor your food

17. Substitute reduced fat cheeses for full-fat ones, and cut the amount you use

18. Choose reduced fat sour cream or yogurt instead of full-fat versions for stews, dips, spreads, and dressings

19. Use reduced fat or fat-free cream cheese instead of the regular version for cheesecakes

20. Replace some of the fat in baked goods with applesauce, plain nonfat yogurt or low fat buttermilk

(http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatbasics/qt/20waystolowfat.htm)

Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/

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