Recipe Makeovers: Do they curve your cravings?

In almost all of the food magazines I've read in the past several years, I have come across at least one "recipe makeover" article in each of them. These are the type of recipes where they take your favorite high fat, high sodium, high sugar concoction and try to make it healthier but still taste just the same. Personally, I get very excited when I see these articles. This probably comes from my undeniable weakness for foods that I shouldn't be eating very much of, like fettucine alfredo, wings, french fries, and mac and cheese. The list goes on and on and on. . . .

I'm also a married woman, cooking for my husband who rarely enjoys eating the boring "grilled-chicken-steamed-veggies-brown-rice" combo that I would prefer we eat. So I have to get creative with my dinner, and sometimes these recipe makeovers do work. Take for instance, Food Network's Baked Fish and Chips recipe from the Magazine (which I really am starting to love). Zach loves fish and chips, so I thought I would try this one out a couple months ago. We LOVED it. Not the same as your typical fish and chips, but still very tasty. I made it again a couple nights ago for Zach and my brother. Here is the final product.As you can see, I added a side of lightly dressed greens to add some veggies to the whole mix. If you check out the recipe, the fish is dipped in egg whites then coated in panko crumbs. I dredged the cod fillet pieces in flour first, then egg white, then panko. I found that this really helps keep the panko from falling off the fish during baking.

The fries are russet potatoes cut thinly, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with cayenne and salt. I tried to use as little oil and salt to cut the fat and sodium. Both the fish and the fries are baked at a high temperature (450 degrees) to help give them a crispy texture. I really liked their tip for preheating the baking sheet for the fries before you place the fries in the oven. This helps them get an extra crisp on them.

I think what we like most about this meal, however, is the crispiness of the fish. The panko actually makes this version crispier than the fried version of fish and chips. Don't get me wrong, it does taste different than the original, BUT you are saving a lot of saturated fat in the process. And you wont feel as bad about your dinner the next day

But does this meal satisfy our craving for the real fish and chip greasy goodness? Maybe and maybe not. Personally, I could go a long time without eating fish and chips, but that's probably not true with Zach. I will say that this recipe gives me a reason to make fish and chips at home, because this recipe is actually less scary than the fried version. The idea of frying in my kitchen seems like a lot of work, too. You have to have a good amount of oil on hand, and you have to worry about spatters, hot oil, and grease fires. Not really how I want to spend a relaxing Wednesday evening.

BUT if the taste of the "makeover meal" is really that different than the original food you were craving, is it even worth it to make the less fat version? In some cases yes. I would bet that the next time we go to a pub, Zach might not feel like he "needs" that big plate of fried fish and french fries. If I make this, then maybe I wont order the mac and cheese at James Gate the next time I want some good comfort food.

But in other cases, I totally recommend you go for the real thing. It depends on your tastes too. For example, I am perfectly fine subbing a real beef patty for a black bean burger at a restaurant at a great burger joint. But others might really be craving that beef patty taste. If it's going to cure your craving, and keep you from going crazy then go for it. Just remember. . . In moderation. Maybe cut the burger in half and take the rest home. Or get a salad on the side instead of the french fries. And dont beat yourself up about it. You had the meal. You enjoyed it. Now get back on track

How do you feel about "recipe makeovers"? Do you have any great ones that taste just like the real thing? Let me know!

Also, here are some links to makeovers I want to try soon:

Hot artichoke spinach dip

Chicken Zucchini Alfredo

New England Clam Chowder

Hamburger Buddy --if this tastes anything like Hamburger Helper, I will be happy =)

Boneless Buffalo Wings

A look into my culinary past. . .

For the past three weeks I have doing my public health rotation at the Cambridge/Somerville WIC offices. It's been a great opportunity to work with low income individuals of many different cultures and stories. The kids are absolutely adorable and the vibe is pretty laid-back. However, I do have quite a bit of free time either waiting on participants to show up, or sitting out on an appointment because I don't speak french or portugese.

Even though I have some other work I should be doing, I seem to float toward reading my favorite blogs/twitter feeds when I have down time. This inspired me to look through my folder of recent food pictures and see if I had anything exciting to write about. Unfortunately, all of my kitchen shots are from the past two years of cooking, including pics from my old kitchen in Bloomington, Indiana. But instead of keeping these photos from the world, I might as well share them in some other way.

Soooo, below I have included several pics of dishes I've made in the past few years and a short edited version of the recipe. If you would like a more detailed recipe to any of these dishes, please leave a comment and I will post the full recipe in the near future.

And remember, for me this is like airing out all of my old forgotten clothes that I don't wear anymore. Some of these dishes are experiements that I never made again, and others are recipes that I have improved upon. So, enjoy. . . .

Also, please excuse the blurry photos. Some of these were taken with my ex-iPhone.

Grilled Chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccolini, and crispy onion.
This is a throwback to our first apartment in Bloomington for me and my husband (at the time boyfriend). Pretty self explanatory recipe, with the crispy onions being made especially for Zach.


Turkey and Sweet potato dumplings.
I had LOTS of leftovers from Thanksgiving that year, so I got creative with a basic chicekn and dumpling recipe. I substituted turkey for chicken and devised a potato dumpling out of sweet potatoes. Pretty delish.


Wedge Salad
Zach loves a good wedge salad. It is surprising how filling they can be! This one was done with a low fat yogurt ranch dressing.


Squash Casserole
I was obsessed with the squash casserole from "Ted's Montana Grill" at the time, so I took advantage of the summer bounty and tried to recreate a healthy version. This one had corn and summer squash. Pretty good, but I will improve on it this summer after tasting the real thing =)


Beef and Broccoli Curry
This is kind of embarrasing, but I guess it's good to show the kind of improvement I've had throughout the years. This was the beginning of my curry phase, and I hadn't quite gotten the hang of it. I make MUCH better curries now. Ask Zach if you dont believe me.


Eggplant Parmesan
Ah, one of my favorite recipes from studying in Italy. I have made this many times for friends and families and it's always been a hit. I grill the eggplant instead of frying to cut back on fat and calories. Homemade tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil make this an irresistible summer combo. I look forward to making this soon, while thinking of Italy.


Summer Zucchini Salad
Can you guess what vegetable was pouring out of baskets at farmer's markets during the development of this recipe??? A lovely mix of zucchini, summer squash, and onions along with a refreshing basil ricotta creme was perfect for the late summer months. I will definitely be pulling this recipe out again when the warm weather comes back (and I hope it's soon!).


Zucchini Soup
Another late summer recipe. A chilled soup made with zucchini from my Mom's garden in Indiana. It tastes amazing after a steamy hot August day.


Homemade mozzarella
I have recently tried my hand at making homemade mozzarella cheese. This one looked good, but tasted a little off. I'm planning on doing another try within the next few weeks.


Homemade pizza
Zach and I love a relaxing night making pizza and watching the tube. This was the first time making homemade pizza in Boston, and it was a particularly tasty one. I also think this was during our obsessive Lost phase. Whole wheat dough with my homemade mozzarella, sausage, fresh tomatoes, and arugula. Very tasty!


Barbeque pork chop, quinoa salad, and summer vegetable salad with ricotta cream.
This pork chop was basted with Squealers barbeque sauce (which is amazing btw). If youa re ever in Indianapolis please check this place out. Boston has NO idea what real barbeque is lol.


Truffle goat cheese, dried figs, precorino romano, and dried cherries
This was our appetizer spread for Thanksgiving 2010. This was my first time making Thanksgiving without my mom and grandma, which was a little emotional. The meal turned out great and I think they both would have been very proud.


Amazing turkey that Zach prepared.


The whole Thanksgiving spread, complete with turkey, stuffing, 3 Philosophers cranberry sauce, potato parsnip puree, roasted and shaved brussel sprouts, and many many other dishes. All I can say is--food. coma.

And this now concludes the tiny snapshot of my past few years in the kitchen. Now I can move forward with more exciting and current posts. Stay tuned more info on cooking, recipes, nutrition, and food policy. Cheers!

I'm back! / Farro Salad

Please don't assume that my absence from this blog means I have been absent from the kitchen. That couldn't be further from the truth. I've actually been in the kitchen a lot in the past few months. Everything from pizza, cranberry orange scones, and pear pecorino ravioli to curry, frittata, and lots of soup have been leaving my stove and entering me and my husband's stomachs. The next few posts will be recaps of several of those dishes and new ones thrown in randomly. I hope you enjoy.

As a dietetic intern, packing a healthy, tasty, and exciting lunch becomes an art. I have to admit, I sometimes fall into the rut of making the same large batch of bulgur salad or soup every couple months. This winter I have been especially prone to making lots of pureed vegetable soups. I'm starting to think I am preparing myself for some sort of dysphagia diet in my future. Definitely not good! Consequently, I am going to introduce you to a recipe I'll be eating this week for lunch and it doesn't include any pureeing.

Farro salad holds a dear place in my heart, mostly because I learned the recipe while taking classes two summers ago in Florence, Italy. Farro, which is an ancient wheat grain, is used commonly for cold salads and risotto dishes in Italy.



This particular farro salad recipe was given to me by an Italian dietitian who taught my class on the Mediterranean Diet. The salad was so simple, yet all the ingredients were top quality. I'm talking spicy, herbaceous tuscan olive oil, sweet cherry tomatoes, and the most wonderful cheese I've ever had in my life......fresh pecorino.

The reason I haven't made this dish since my travels to Italy is mostly due to a lack of access to great Italian ingredients. I couldn't find farro grains in any of my co-ops in Indiana and had failed to find any in Boston, until a couple weeks ago. Thanks to Capone Foods in Cambridge, I finally found some authentic farro grains, as well as fabulous tasting olive oil and homemade pestos and fresh pastas.

AND, thanks to Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge for always offering a fantastic variety of cheeses. This is where I FINALLY found a fabulous tasting young pecorino cheese from Tuscany. See usually, I can only find pecorino romano in the stores. This is the hard pecorino that you grate over pastas and salads, much like parmeggiano reggiano. I wanted to find a soft, young pecorino, just like the pecorino they used in the salad in Tuscany. When I made my first trip up to Cambridge to the store, I was delighted to see that they indeed had some young pecorino. Formaggio has almost any kind of cheese you could ever want, so check it out if you are in the Boston area.

Anyway, the recipe goes like this. . . .

First you want to cook the farro in a medium sized pot. The ratio of farro to water is 1 cup farro to 2 1/2 cups of water. I did 1 1/2 cups of farro so that I could have lots of leftovers to eat for lunch this week.

Combine the farro and water and bring to boil. Then let simmer for 20 minutes covered (or until they have a soft texture with a nice bite to it).



While the farro is cooking, you can dice the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and pecorino cheese.



Make them about a 1/2 inch dice and try to make sure they are all about the same size. It just makes the salad easier to eat.



Next, you can make the dressing. Just a simple vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, dijion mustard, and good olive oil.



Take about a 1/4 c of red wine vinegar and combine it with 1 T of dijion mustard, a healthy pinch of salt and some cracked pepper.

Next, while continuously whisking, drizzle in a 1/4 c of olive oil. Make sure that the dressing is completely emulsified.
*** You can also use this dressing for tuna salads, white bean salads, lettuces, and anything else you would like to dress***

Once the farro is cooked, drain in a colander and run under cool water for 30 seconds (just to cool it off a bit).



Toss the cooked farro, chopped veggies and cheese, and dressing and toss to coat. It is ready to eat immediately or can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.



And that's it. Now for the next week I can relive my time in Florence at every single lunch. And considering all the snow and cold we have in Boston, a daily vacation will be much needed =) Enjoy all!

Weekend in NYC

I. Love. New York City. It's a fact. Even though I am very excited about moving to Boston, I still have a special spot in my heart for that great big city. During our recent moving trip to Boston, we decided to stop by New York to visit my brother on our way back to Indiana. Since we were only there for a day we relied on my brother to suggest some places for us to eat. We had a great experience on Sunday morning, eating brunch at a great place called Kitchenette near Columbia University on the Upper West Side.

Aside from being an adorable diner-like setting, it was right across the street from my brother's apartment. And considering we were having a late start we didn't want to travel all the way downtown and end up waiting in line for some breakfast. The food was great! I had an artichoke and tomato omelette with cheese grits and homemade biscuits. First of all, any place that offers cheese grits as a side is an A+ in my book. And all of this topped off with a peach bellini made for a fabulous breakfast. Too bad I was stuffed, because I would have also dug in to some of these yummy looking treats in the window.

All in all, we had a great experience. The staff was attentive, polite, and quick. We all enjoyed each of our dishes immensely and I will definitely be stopping back in on my next trip to NYC. Probably just to try those desserts too =)