Although modern salad lovers have more healthy baby greens to choose from than ever before, too often they’re drenched in a pool of store-bought salad dressing. The Star’s Citrus and Strawberry Chicken Salad features an easy-to-make tangy strawberry and citrus juice emulsion that dresses the salad in a splash of hot pink — no additives required.
Chimichurri sounds like a Latin dance step, but it is actually the barbecue sauce of Argentina. The Star’s Arugula Chimichurri Pasta cuts down the amount of olive oil, replaces parsley with nutrient-rich arugula and pours the sauce over whole-wheat pasta for a meatless dish with plenty of fiber.
Casually add or subtract an ingredient when baking and you may have a flop on your hands, or at the very least, a cake that is as appetizing as cardboard. The Star’s Peach Streusel Coffeecake makes a variety of careful substitutions that significantly alter the nutritional content of a traditionally rich, cakelike bread without ruining the flavor or texture.
While gluten-free products serve a need for people who suffer from celiac disease, they can be pricey. When it comes to figuring out an alternative crust, inexpensive potatoes can fill the bill. The Star’s Potato-Crusted Quiche uses shredded potatoes to make a nest of hash browns.
If you really want to buck tradition, try The Star’s Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob With Creamy Herb Sauce. First, the corn is grilled rather than boiled to highlight the natural sweetness. Then the gently roasted kernels are kissed with a delicious low-fat spread made from reduced-fat mayo and low-fat sour cream flecked with parsley, Parmesan and herbes de Provence.
The irresistible flavor of a juicy mango is no longer just for sipping in tropical drinks.
The Star’s Red, White and Blue Parfaits combine nonfat flavored yogurt with layers of nutrient-rich blueberries and strawberries. The use of fresh frozen blueberries whirled in a food processor lends the yogurt a mousse-like consistency that is perfect.
Put the phone down. Before you call for delivery pizza tonight, consider creating your own gourmet version. The Star’s Mediterranean Beef and Vegetable Flatbread is easy to assemble, and the nutrition facts show it is far better for you than a stuffed-crust pizza.
Pasta salads are perennial favorites at backyard barbecues, potlucks or picnics. Too bad they’re usually made with plain white pasta and drowning in oil or mayonnaise. The Star’s Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Pasta Salad tweaks the ingredients to create a tasty, more nutritious alternative that’s sure to become a summer classic.
Rhubarb is commonly known as the “pie plant.” The tart vegetable is often baked into pies or processed into jams, jellies and preserves. The Star’s Roasted Rhubarb Parfaits are a clever way to indulge in the sweet-tart taste of rhubarb without adding a boatload of sugar.
Key Lime Tartlets fit perfectly with a miniature mind-set. The Star’s recipe offers a satisfying three- to four-bite treat made with fat-free condensed milk and fresh juice. Yet the tiny pie still manages to deliver big flavor — at just 151 calories and 3 grams of fat.
Editor’s Note: this column originally ran May 6, 2006 and is one of the recipes in “The Eating for Life Cookbook” available at thekansascitystore.com.
Ayurvedic medical texts indicate caperberries are good for you, helping to relieve rheumatism and inflammation. But like any brined or pickled food, caperberries are high in sodium. To remove excess sodium, rinse caperberries before using as a garnish for The Star’s Grilled Chicken With Mediterranean Relish.
Pomegranate molasses, a sweet and sour ingredient common to Middle Eastern cuisine, is trendy with the gourmet crowd. The Star’s Roasted Asparagus Salad With Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette uses the molasses to add punch to tender, roasted asparagus.
Is a pretzel still a pretzel if you take away the salt? The Star’s Chicken Pretzel Piccata, a remake of a classic Italian dish, swaps the veal for chicken and coats the meat with the crumbs of unsalted pretzels. We also tweaked the high-calorie sauce made from the pan drippings.
The Star’s Cherry Chia Walnut Muffins are flecked with — sing it with me now — ch-ch-ch-chia seeds. Yup. We’re talking the same seeds as the Ch-ch-ch-chia Pet. But instead of sprouting, chia seeds mixed with water form a gel that acts as a fat-replacer in baked goods.
Does anybody really need two all-beef patties? Portion-conscious carnivores might want to consider swapping the second slab for a soul-satisfying slice of earthy portabella mushroom featured in The Star’s Beef and ’Bella Burger.
It’s probably safe to say that average Americans turn up their noses at Brussels sprouts. The Star’s Orange Glazed-Brussels Sprouts combines the ever-popular flavor of orange juice with the less familiar flavor of Brussels sprouts for a fresh take on vitamin C.
Scones are easy to bake a batch from scratch, but many recipes are high in fat. The Star’s Mini Currant Scones contain less than half the amount of butter and substitute fat-free half and half for the heavy whipping cream.
Say what you will about the nutritional value of butternut squash, but it is one tough-skinned cookie. The Star’s Harvest-Time Chicken Vegetable Stew not only marries the delicious flavor and nutritional benefits of this orange-fleshed squash, it includes some tips that make removing the rind easier.
Commonly used in baking, rolled oats are an ingredient that readily lends itself to low-fat alterations. The Star’s recipe for Oatmeal Spice Cookies is an example of how a few tweaks add up to a healthy treat.
Similar to Southern-style grits, polenta is cornmeal that can be cooked and eaten as porridge for breakfast or cooled until firm, sliced into wedges and topped with savory toppings for lunch or dinner. The Star’s recipe for Parmesan Polenta With Chunky Italian Vegetables can be served as a vegetarian main course, a side dish or a starter.
Got the breakfast blahs? The Star’s Breakfast Berry Enchilada is a clever spin on a typical egg-meat-cheese wrap.
Eat more kale.
Everyone loves a good skinny dip. But sadly most dips are pools of hidden saturated fat and calories that manage to push us off the dietary deep end. If your New Year’s resolution is to snack better, try whipping up The Star’s White Bean Hummus Dip for your end-of-year party.
