Cheese

Rarely do I shock myself with how great a made-over dish can taste. I’m pretty realistic. Apple pie is pretty much an impossibility if I want it to taste like traditional pie and be lower in fat and calories because of all of the butter. There really is no substitute for butter in a traditional pie crust. I thought this dish would be an impossibility as well. But when we pulled the chicken out of the oven the first time, everyone in my test kitchen was shocked at how fattening it tasted. We knew it would be good, but we had no idea it would actually be great, especially given how much quicker it is than the traditional version! Just be sure you don’t overcook the chicken. If you do, not only will the chicken be dry, the breading will fall off.

Everyone who knows me knows chicken parmesan was one of the major reasons I was overweight. Though I certainly don’t eat the deep-fried version these days, I do still love the incredible combination of tender chicken, perfectly seasoned marinara sauce, and gooey cheese. Here is one of the all-time easiest versions that’s especially great for low-carbers, as it’s not breaded. If you prefer the more traditional breaded chicken parmesan, I have a quick answer for you too: Just pop over to page 118 and try the Unbelievably Easy Chicken Parmesan. Or, better yet, try both!

These meatballs are great as a party appetizer served with pretty toothpicks for munching or excellent as a quick weeknight dinner served over brown or Mexican rice. If you have trouble finding Mexican seasoning, you can substitute lower-sodium taco seasoning. If you are serving them at a cocktail party, you might consider tossing them in only half of the sauce and adding the remaining sauce to a small bowl for dipping. Save time by having your children roll the meatballs. It’s fun for them and will give you more “you time.” The next day, save even more time by using the leftovers as the meat for throw-together tacos using soft corn tortillas.

I know a lot of people who love to eat apples and Cheddar in tandem. And I’m no different. One of my favorite 100-calorie afternoon snacks is a light string cheese and a small apple. It’s well balanced and contains protein and calcium and is thus quite filling. So I created these skewers as a more festive version of this classic pairing. I love to serve it along with dessert when hosting a girls’ night for my friends. Be sure to thread the cheese onto the skewers gently to keep the cubes from breaking. I tend to use red-skinned apples because they’re the most colorful, but any variety will be delicious. For even more variety, try the skewers with cut-up lowfat string cheese instead of the Cheddar.

It can be a bit tricky to spread the cheese over the cucumber because the cucumber pieces are so moist. But this super-simple snack is more than worth the mini-challenge!

Who doesn’t love pepperoni pizza? This recipe is a quicker, healthier alternative to the ordinarily fat-filled pie. It’s also simple enough for kids to take part!

You really can’t beat this ridiculously easy and much healthier version of the pizza rolls you might find in your grocer’s freezer. It’s just as gooey, and it’s guilt-free for you . . . and the kids. In fact, it can even be made with all-natural ingredients.

When I first saw the “herbs in tubes,” as I call them, referring to Gourmet Garden’s herb blends, I thought I wouldn’t like them. But with one try, I became hooked, particularly to the garlic blend. This rendition of a margarita pizza is one of my favorite applications for them. It’s insanely easy to throw together and especially tasty, considering the little amount of time it takes. If you’re having trouble finding these herbs, visit gourmetgarden.com and check out their store locator. Or you can look for herbs frozen in trays. At my local Trader Joe’s, they sell frozen chopped garlic and chopped basil in trays from a brand called Dorot. Just be sure to measure the herbs yourself instead of relying on the measurements listed on the package (I found 1 teaspoon of basil was more than 1 cube, though the package says that 1 cube is equivalent to 1 teaspoon).

Having been raised on the East Coast, I thought everyone knew what stromboli is—you really couldn’t go into a casual Italian restaurant without seeing it on the menu. Plus, my mother made it often. When I moved to the West Coast, I found most people had no idea what stromboli is. In case you aren’t familiar with it, stromboli is traditionally made by taking bread dough, flattening it into a rectangle, layering it with Italian ingredients (my family’s favorite was pepperoni and provolone), and then rolling it, jelly roll style. You seal the ends and bake it, so it’s like a stuffed loaf when it emerges from the oven. When we served it at cocktail parties, we would always cut it into slices and serve the pieces on their sides so they looked like pinwheels. This recipe is a much less fattening version of this Italian favorite. It is still a treat, but you won’t need to spend hours and hours on a treadmill after you eat it.

When I was a child, we went to Chuck E. Cheese’s for our birthdays. In addition to all of the cool games and the characters, I loved that they cut their pizzas into squares instead of wedges. Not only could you get more crust or less crust as you like (I’m a less-crust girl), I got to eat a number of pieces, since they’re petite. Here, I’ve cut the flatbread into squares to distinguish it from other pizzas . . . and because it just feels more decadent. If you’re making this pizza on a charcoal grill, heat the coals until they are hot and covered with gray ash. Then place the pizza on the grill about 5 inches from the coals for best results. Cover and grill for 3 to 4 minutes.

This dish is a simple marriage of an enchilada and pizza that has become a favorite of mine. If you’re craving enchiladas, this is a great shortcut, because it doesn’t involve laboring over a big pot of sauce or the time-consuming process of rolling enchiladas. Canned enchilada sauce is a great ingredient to have on hand because it’s generally low-fat and has great flavor, and it can be used for more recipes than just enchiladas, like my Mexican Cocktail Meatballs (see page 107).

This wrap is a quick and easy twist on one of my favorite pizzas. I love the combination of barbecue sauce and goat cheese dripping from meaty bites of fresh chicken with a kick of fresh cilantro. Yum! I think you will too.

Some fresh salsas or pico de gallos contain a lot of moisture. If your salsa or pico de gallo seems watery, drain it in a strainer to prevent the burrito from becoming soggy. Though it will take a bit longer, you can use turkey filets and cut them into strips if your store doesn’t carry the strips. Or, better yet, ask your butcher to cut the filets into strips for you so you don’t spend any unnecessary time in the kitchen.

When using your broiler, pay close attention to the cooking time of whatever it is you’re making. The cheese on the top of this sandwich can go from perfectly melted and bubbly to burned in just a few seconds. And keep in mind that oven settings vary, especially broiler heat. I found this sandwich was perfectly warmed and melted around 1 minute, but that time could definitely be different based on the intensity of your individual broiler.

To brie or not to brie . . . that is the quandary for many. Well, now that I’ve found ways to stave off the cravings without overindulging, I’m definitely a happy camper. Though the flavor is subtle here, the brie is great paired with the cranberry sauce and arugula leaves. In minutes, you’ll feel like you’re eating at a gourmet sandwich shop, but without the gourmet sandwich consequences.

This sandwich is great as a snack. The recipe makes only a half-sandwich, but it’s a meaty half-sandwich (great protein-to-carb ratio). I often eat it with an orange or banana, and it’s the perfect amount of food. Did you know that 4 ounces of deli turkey (or other deli meat) often contain as much as 1,200 mg sodium? If you’re watching your sodium, oven-roast your own skinless turkey breast at home and slice it down very thinly for deli meat. This will not only save you money but also allow you to control the amount of salt in the meat. If you can’t roast your own turkey breast, be sure to look for lower-sodium varieties of deli turkey.

Growing up on the East Coast, it wasn’t hard to find all sorts of pickled peppers, both sweet and hot. You couldn’t go anywhere near a cheesesteak place in Philly without seeing them. In Los Angeles, they’re less common, but most grocery stores have at least one or two varieties. One of my favorites is sweet cherry pepper rings. They add plenty of flavor without any fat—you can’t go wrong with that.

I’ve found people—even those concerned about sodium—often turn to the good old turkey sandwich as if it’s the perfect healthy lunch. This always amazes me, because 4 ounces of your typical deli turkey (as opposed to homemade) have about 1,330 mg sodium, while its lower-sodium counterpart (which rarely has great flavor) still has 680 mg sodium. Two slices of bread have about 320 mg, a 1-ounce slice of cheese has 140 mg, and light jarred mayonnaise has about 120 mg per tablespoon (mustard has 170 g per tablespoon). Add those together, and this otherwise healthy sandwich has over 2,080 mg sodium. If you’re ordering it out, it could have even more. Though I do believe the turkey sandwich has a place in our diets, this is must-know information.

One of the keys to making great extra-lean turkey burgers is to add moisture. Here, I quickly throw some egg substitute and bread crumbs into the turkey. Another key is the extra kick of flavor from the fresh jalapeños.

Looking for a tasty, healthy variation of a beef or turkey burger? Skip those processed veggie burgers and go for this all-natural alternative, the portobello. A portobello mushroom smothered with reduced-fat blue cheese crumbles is just as healthy as it is mouthwatering, and it is hearty enough to serve to even a meat lover.