Everyone hopes for a re-vamped version of their absolute favorite foods but often the "re-do" just doesn't stack up in flavor and texture as the original. But every once in a while, luck may be with you, and somehow you get more compliments on the re-worked version than what you ever heard on the original.
An important component to this trick though, keep your secrets to yourself as the chef and do not ever tell your family that tonight's version is a "new recipe" of their favorite food. The subconscious mind alone will immediately mutiny and no matter how good the taste or the quality of tonight's meal, their mind is just not going to think this version is as good as the original.
So just play it safe, serve the new version and reap the compliments for tonight's dinner and then the next time you can just casually mention you tried it this way again since everyone loved it so well. Before long, all of your slimmed down, lower calorie, reduced fats, sodium and carbohydrate foods can become a normal part of your family's healthy diet.
Five Easy Re-Do's For Classic Favorites
What's the number one favorite of every casserole ever invented?
Ask this to a group of people and the number one answer is always Macaroni and Cheese. But the fats, sodium, and carbohydrates in this fantastic meal tend to go overboard on any kind of diet plan. So let's keep all the flavor and texture of your own recipe but lose some of the artery clogging fats.
change the use of whole milk to 1% milk to drastically reduce the fats
do not salt the water when pre-cooking the macaroni. Just stir the pasta a few times during cooking and this will help prevent your pasta from sticking together.
change up the full-fat Velveeta cheese product (or American cheese) to a smaller quantity of sharp cheddar. Because the flavor is stronger, you can use less cheese to obtain that great flavor. Some people also like to add about 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to the top of the casserole for a great taste change.
as a thickener for your casserole, remove the flour from your recipe and add some cornstarch. I know some people who even prefer this done by adding some 100% whole grain oatmeal to the casserole dish before baking to help absorb the excess liquid and give it just a slight flavor twist..
if you need to get some more vegetables into you and your family's diet, add some diced onion, celery or fresh parsley. By using all or any of these singly, it will give just a slight different flavor without adding any measurable amount of calories or fats.
Now getting those vegetables into your child's diet can often be pretty hard, especially with the school age kids. But carrot sticks are really pretty darn boring, but how about carrot curls, radish or tomato roses, green onion daisies, cucumber fans etc.. A few simple swipes with a knife and a glass of water can often work miracles when it gets your kids to eating vegetables.
Another fast and simple method which somehow makes those vegetables a whole lot tastier is Vege Kabobs. A simple wooden skewer, an assortment of fresh vegetables, cooked or raw, and a simple side of tasty salad dressing is all it takes to take vegetables from bland to exciting.
Your third makeover suggestion, if you have a child, who hasn't heard of chicken nuggets? Sometimes I actually wish the chicken had never gave us such a quick fast food favorite. All of that grease or oil, breading mix and egg wash is a waistline's downfall any day of the week. So a few tweaks to dress up the chicken and make him just a little more compatible to a slimmer waistline include:
use all white meat instead of the dark meat
remove the skin before coating
do not deep fry. Use a small skillet with a small amount of olive oil or even better is use the oven for a baked version of chicken nuggets
use a homemade breading mix which is lower in fats, calories and sodium than the standard fast food faire.
For a quick summertime treat on a hot summer day you need to head to the freezer and grab a popsicle. But the amount of sugars, artificial colorings and dyes and artificial flavors in those can take this treat and blow your health concerns all out the window.
Don't worry though, a couple of super easy ingredients and your own freezer is all it takes to make your own homemade versions without anything artificial on Mom's homemade label.
And finally the kids are starved, Mom and Dad are still at work and what are they supposed to grab. Most kids hit the junk foods or the freezer and there grab a box which can be zapped in the microwave. But from now on, forget the deep-fried, pre-cooked pizza pockets, or breaded mushrooms from the microwave. Potato chips straight out of the cooking oil aren't any better.
But what you can fix simply at home ahead of time and store for when the kids need a few bites is fresh veggie chips. Pick an assortment of fresh veggies, slice thinly, season lightly and bake until done. You just saved yourself a ton of money over the grocery store gourmet foods selections and you have still served a fast, fresh and delicious, nutritious snack the kids will still love.
So when you need to makeover a few old-fashioned classics that become the new generation favorites, a little ingenuity and some kitchen time can solve your whole family's quest for some fast, simple but still delicious fast food treats.
Kathi Robinson
For most of the easy recipes above but some popular sugar free snacks that no one will ever tell are sugar free, check at my website at http://www.allergyfreeandsugarfreesnacks.com/
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