Week of November 30, 200

Grilled or Baked Foil Packet Cooking

It's one of the few traditional cooking methods that doesn't call for any added fat. And instead of fighting to retain flavors, it naturally intensifies and mingles them.

• Center the recipe ingredients on a 12-inch by 18-inch sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil.
  
• Spray with a little cooking oil spray to keep some foods like potatoes and the fish from sticking.
  
• Layer the food for a pretty presentation. For example: Pork chop, onion, tomato, green pepper - all like a deck of cards.
  
• Bring up the sides of the foil evenly. Double fold the sides of the foil together. Repeat the double folding at each end. (Do not fold the foil too tightly over the food. You need to leave room for heat circulation.) This will leave room for steam that will keep the meat moist.
  
• Repeat the process with each packet.
  
• Place the packets on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven on a cookie sheet in preheated oven. (The temperature and baking time will vary from recipe to recipe due to type of meat and how many vegetables you use.) OR grill on medium-high in a covered grill.)
  
• Chicken will be about 18 to 22 minutes baked and 13 to 15 minutes grilled in a covered grill.
  
• Fish can vary widely due to each species and the thickness of the fillet. 12 to 22 minutes baked and 10 to 20 minutes grilled in a covered grill.
  
• Pork will take 22 to 24 minutes to bake on a cookie sheet or 10 to 15 minutes in covered grill.
  
• After the food is cooked, open the end of foil packet away from you first to allow steam to escape, then open top of foil packet. Make sure you do this for children.

Great Chicken Combinations:

• Chicken breasts, lime juice, soy sauce, ground ginger, garlic salt, pepper, carrots, bell pepper
  
• Chicken breasts, soy sauce, frozen stir fry vegetables, garlic salt, pepper, brown sugar
  
• Chicken breasts, barbeque sauce, green pepper, onion, frozen whole kernel corn
  
• Chicken breasts, basil, lemon zest, fresh parsley, salt, yellow squash, bell pepper, black pepper
  
• Chicken breasts, Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, diced canned tomatoes, black olives, chopped onion
  
• Chicken breasts, lemon, lime or orange juice, chili powder or paprika, black pepper, garlic salt
  
• Chicken breasts, teriyaki sauce, pineapple chunks, green pepper, green onions, brown sugar, grated ginger, salt, black pepper

Great Fish Combinations:

• Cod, diced fresh tomato, mushrooms, chopped onion, capers, minced garlic, black olives
  
• Flounder, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped onion, dry dill weed, yellow squash and or zuchinni squash, carrot

Great Pork Combinations:

• Pork loin medallions, orange juice concentrate, cubed sweet potatoes, cumin, garlic salt
  
• Boneless pork chops with little or no fat, Worchestershire sauce, tomato slices, onion slices, green bell pepper slices, salt, pepper
  
• Boneless pork chops with little or not fat, honey mustard, orange marmalade, cubed sweet potatoes, cubed apples, salt, pepper

Week of November 23, 2003

A rich flavored broth can make all the difference in a recipe. The concentration of flavor makes a soup tasty as well as fragrant. When cooked down or reduced it can actually replace fatty sauces and gravies. The best broth is made from bones. So don't throw away the turkey carcass. (Save the breast bone, back bones and leg bones, if available, and the roasting pan the turkey was cooked in). If you do not have time or the inclination following the hassle of the holidays, freeze the bones in a zip lock bag for soup or broth later.

Very Rich Homemade Turkey Broth
Carcass bones from a 16-20 lb. cooked turkey
4 large carrots
6 stalks of celery, leaves and all
4 large yellow onions
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped parsley, stems and all

Pour off fat from roasting pan and set aside. Break bones into pieces so they are lying flat in the roasting pan. If you prefer, you may use a clean roasting pan. Brown the bones in a 400 degree F. oven for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven with lid, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Remove 2 cups and set aside.

Remove bones from oven and add the 2 cups boiling water to pot and deglaze pan. Scrape up all the brown bits from the pan and add to the bones.

Add all remaining ingredients and enough water to cover the bones by 2 inches, use about 5 quarts total. Remove any foam that forms as water comes to a boil.

Over high heat, bring to boil, reduce to a very low simmer and continue simmering for 4 - 6 hours.

Using a strainer or colander, strain the broth into a large bowl. Refrigerate. Remove fat from the broth after it has cooled (it will congeal on the top). Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

You may use this rich broth for a soup base or reduce it for gravies or "au jus" style sauce.

Week of November 16, 2003

We all love tasty cranberry sauce with our Thanksgiving turkey. The berry is one of three fruits that are native to North America and Canada. Native Americans not only ate cranberries, but also used them as medicine and clothing dye.

Today cranberries are raised on farms in bogs (beds of sand, peat, gravel and clay). The tiny berries grow on vineswhich are very close to the ground. They need sandy, acidic soil which has a high water table.

Cranberries are rich in vitamin C. Cranberries are also reputed in being helpful in the prevention and treatment of bladder and urinary tract infections. Current research is underway to determine whether cranberry juice plays a role in preventing cancer. So this holiday season, pick up a bag at your grocery store and enjoy this healthful little berry in more than just cranberry sauce with your turkey.

Try this very EASY recipe for Low Fat Cranberry Muffins.

Cranberry Muffins
Great for a low fat breakfast, tea time or a coffee break.

Servings: 12

• 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups reduced fat baking mix (like Bisquick)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg

Combine cranberries and powdered sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Combine Bisquick and remaining ingredients. Stir until moistened (will be lumpy). STir in prepared cranberries. Pour in cooking oil sprayed muffin pans. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 120 Calories; 2g Fat (12.8% calories from fat); trace Saturated Fat; 3g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 268mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Week of November 9, 2003

Tips For a Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner

1. Eat the turkey breast, but skip the skin.
   
2. De-fat the meat drippings before making the gravy. You will save about 2 grams of fat per tablespoon of gravy!
   
3. Cook the stuffing outside the turkey- it will not absorb all of the fatty pan juices and it is safer from salmonella bacteria.
   
4. Steam or sauté vegetables with little or no butter or oil or fatty sauces.
5. Leave the butter out of the sweet potatoes. Try adding a small amount of brown sugar and orange juice.
   
6. Serve a low fat pumpkin pie or fruit with fat free whipped topping or a low fat trifle made with angel food cake for dessert.

Light Old Fashioned Cornbread Stuffing
Serves 18

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (16 ounce) package dry corn bread mix (prepare using egg substitute)
1 (1 pound) loaf day-old white bread, torn into small pieces
4 tablespoons light margarine
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 (10.75 ounce) can low fat condensed cream of chicken soup
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ cups egg substitute or egg substitute to equal 6 eggs

Place the chicken breast halves in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and easily shredded. Shred chicken and set aside. Reserve 4 to 6 cups of the remaining broth.
Prepare an 8 x 8 inch pan of cornbread according to package directions using egg substitute and skim milk. Crumble the corn bread into a large bowl. Mix in the white bread.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine and stir in the onions and celery. Slowly cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir the onions and celery into the bread mixture. Mix in the chicken, 4 cups reserved broth, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, pepper and eggs. Blend with a potato masher until the mixture is the consistency of gelatin. Use more of the reserved broth as necessary to attain desired consistency and moisture. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake in the preheated 350 degree F. oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Per Serving: 273 Calories; 7g Fat (23.5% calories from fat); 2g Saturated Fat; 13g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 17mg Cholesterol; 714mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Week of November 2, 2003

You know it is fall when you begin to see mounds of sweet potatoes at produce stands or at your supermarket. They taste wonderful baked in their skins or added to an entrée or used to bake breads, pies and cakes.

The health benefits of this tasty root vegetable are tremendous. Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and a good source of vitamins A and E. This luscious tuber is also one of the top three vegetables as a source for adding potassium to your diet. They are also low in fat and cholesterol, but rich in antioxidants and beta-carotene.

So enjoy fresh sweet potatoes while they are in season and reap the health benefits.

• One cup of cooked Sweet Potatoes provides 30 mg (50,000 IU) of beta carotene. It would take 23 cups of broccoli to provide the same amount.
  
• Sweet Potatoes are a great source of vitamin E and they are virtually fat-free. Most Vitamin E rich foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts and avocados, contain a hefty dose of fat. Just two thirds of a cup of Sweet Potatoes provides 100% of the USRDA for Vitamin E, without the unwanted fat.
  
• Sweet Potatoes provide many other essential nutrients including Vitamin B6, potassium and iron.
  
• Sweet Potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber which helps to promote a healthy digestive tract. Sweet Potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal.
  
• Sweet Potatoes are virtually fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium. A medium Sweet Potato has just 118 calories.