Read From Mama's Table to Mine Online
Authors: Bobby Deen
From Mama's Table to Mine (27 page)
Overstuffed Dagwood Sandwiches
A good tailgate menu is essential in my life. I spend so many weekends during college football season hanging out with friends before the big game. We throw the ball around, have a couple beers, and get ourselves pumped up for the game. This menu features easy, do-ahead dishes that are tailor made to take on the go. I guarantee that it will get your game-day spirit on without a whole lot of extra work and without a whole lot of extra calories. Go, Dawgs!
W
HEN I FIRST DECIDED TO
commit myself to a healthy lifestyle makeover, I found that the easier I made it for myself to make the right food decisions, the more successful I was. And key to that goal was building a pantry, fridge, and freezer that were stocked with the ingredients for creating delicious meals that were leaner and lighter. Out went the bags of chips and cartons of cream and in came an array of simple and delicious foods for building meals that would keep me satisfied and fit. I found that all the ingredients I needed, or that you will need, were readily available at the supermarket. With these ingredients at your fingertips, you’ll see that it’s just as fast and easy to whip up your own fresh meals at home as it is to drive to the take-out counter. And I guarantee you’ll feel a whole lot better enjoying a meal that you’ve made yourself over anything you can eat out of a Styrofoam carton.
Baking mix, whole-wheat
Baking powder
Baking soda
Chocolate—dark, milk, and white
Cocoa powder
Coconut—flaked and shredded
Cream of tartar
Cornmeal
Cornstarch
Flour—all-purpose and whole-wheat
Muffin mix
Sugar—brown, confectioners’, granulated, and superfine
Vanilla extract, pure
Yellow cake mix, packaged
Beef, low-sodium
Chicken, low-sodium
Cream of chicken soup, low-fat and low-sodium
Cream of mushroom soup, low-fat and low-sodium
Vegetable, low-sodium
Black beans
Black-eyed peas
Chickpeas
Corn—creamed and kernel
Kidney beans
Peaches
Pineapple—crushed and rings
Water chestnuts
White beans
Honey
Ketchup
Oil—canola, olive, and cooking spray
Soy sauce, low-sodium
Vinegar—apple cider, balsamic, red and white wine
Worcestershire sauce
Crabmeat
Salmon, water-packed
Tuna, water-packed
Apples
Bananas
Butternut squash
Garlic
Lemons
Limes
Onions—red, sweet, and yellow
Oranges
Potatoes—sweet and white
Air-popped popcorn
Coconut milk, light
Corn flakes
Evaporated milk—fat-free and 2%
Gelatin mix
Marshmallows—mini and Marshmallow Fluff
Nuts—pecans, walnuts, peanuts
Oats—instant and rolled
Peanut butter
Pudding mix
Raisins
Salsa (jarred)
Taco seasoning packets
Bread—whole-wheat and white
Bread crumbs—dried and Japanese panko
Grits, quick-cooking
Pastas—whole-grain and white flour in different shapes and sizes
Rice—brown and white
Tortillas—corn, whole-wheat, and flour
Wraps—whole-wheat and low-carb
Crushed
Diced, low-sodium, plain or with chiles
Paste
Sauce
Whole
Bay leaves
Black pepper
Cajun seasoning
Cayenne pepper
Crab boil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Dried basil
Dried Italian seasoning
Dried marjoram
Dried minced garlic
Dried minced onion
Dried oregano
Dried parsley flakes
Dried rosemary
Dried thyme
Dry mustard powder
Garlic powder
Ground cinnamon
Ground coriander
Ground cumin
Ground nutmeg
Onion powder
Paula Deen House Seasoning
Salt—coarse sea salt
Applesauce
Artichoke hearts
Barbecue sauce
Chutney
Eggs, large
Hot sauce—Sriracha, Tabasco, etc.
Maple syrup, light
Mustard—Dijon, honey, spicy brown, yellow, whole-grain, etc.
Pickled vegetables—dill cucumbers, jalapeños, okra, relish, pimientos, sauerkraut, yellow pepper rings, etc.
Tahini
Tofu
Butter—unsalted, low-calorie butter substitute (spread and stick)
Buttermilk—1% and 2%
Cheese—blue cheese, low-fat Cheddar, low-fat feta, light garlic and herb spread, low-fat Italian and Mexican cheese blends, low-fat Monterey Jack, part-skim mozzarella, low-fat pepper Jack, low-fat Swiss, Parmesan, and fat-free ricotta
Cottage cheese, low-fat
Cream cheese—fat-free and low-fat, whipped and bar
Greek yogurt—fat-free, low-fat, and 2%
Half-and-half—fat-free and low-fat
Mayonnaise—fat-free and light
Milk—1%, 2%, and skim
Sour cream—fat-free and low-fat
Crabmeat, lump
Dark-meat fish—salmon, tuna, etc.
Scallops
Shrimp
White-meat fish—grouper, tilapia, etc.
Avocados
Bell peppers
Berries
Broccoli
Carrots
Celery
Coleslaw mix
Corn on the cob
Cucumbers
Eggplants
Grapes
Green beans
Hot chile peppers
Lettuce, bagged and heads
Mushrooms—white, cremini, etc.
Okra
Scallions
Spinach and other dark leafy greens, such as collards
Tomatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Basil
Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Bacon—Canadian, pork, and turkey
Beef—boneless chuck, cube steak, lean ground, and tenderloin
Chicken—boneless, skinless breasts and thighs; ground; sausage; and whole roasters
Deli meats—fat-free and low-sodium turkey, ham, and roast beef
Ham, lean steaks
Pork—chops, ribs, shoulder, and tenderloin
Turkey—boneless breast, cutlets, ground, sausages, and smoked neck or wing
Berries
Black-eyed peas
Butter beans
Corn
Lima beans
Mixed vegetables
Okra
Pie shells, whole-wheat
Peaches
Peas
Spinach
Waffles, whole-grain
Whipped topping—chocolate, fat-free, and light
W
HILE MY DIET HAS CHANGED
in a big way, there are some dishes I refuse to give up. Case in point: fried chicken. As a good Southern boy, I’d be lost without fried chicken in my life in some form or another. For my un-give-up-able dishes, I had to find ways to swap out the big fat and calorie offenders for some healthier alternatives. These swaps are the key to eating right without depriving myself of the dishes I’ve always loved most. I’d like to share with you some of my most successful healthy subs and swaps. These are low-fat, low-calorie ingredients that act as stand-ins for full-fat alternatives but still deliver delicious, authentic-tasting dishes.
Applesauce is a healthy staple in my fridge. It’s an awesome tool in the fight to cut fat. It keeps casseroles moist without changing the flavor and it’s a fantastic substitute for oil. You’ll have good success swapping out oil for applesauce in most baking recipes.
I simply can’t do without buttermilk. But while I used to keep a carton in my fridge for fried chicken and pancake cravings, I now keep one in the fridge as my low-fat substitute for whole milk, cream, and sour cream. Buttermilk works like a dream in baked goods and is a great base for creamy salad dressings. It’s also what we Southerners dip our fried foods into before dredging them in a dry coating. In the past, I wouldn’t dream of frying up okra, chicken, or green tomatoes without first marinating them in buttermilk. And even though I’m doing more oven roasting than deep-frying these days, I still never skip the buttermilk marinade.
When a dish calls for whole eggs, I swap in a mix of egg whites and whole eggs, going heavier on the whites than the yolks. The way I see it, the egg white is the best part of the egg. Egg whites are packed with protein and contain no fat or cholesterol. But don’t go throwing the yolks out with the trash. While they do contain fat and cholesterol, they also provide a lot of nutritional value, such as calcium, iron, and potassium.
Some desserts just scream out for a scoop of ice cream on top. Fat-free frozen yogurt does the trick instead. And because yogurt has more protein than heavy cream, it’s better for you in more ways than one.
If you haven’t discovered Greek yogurt yet, let me be the one to sing its praises. I always have a tub in my fridge. It’s such a versatile ingredient, good for desserts, dressings, and garnishes alike. You can use it pretty much anywhere you’d use sour cream or mayonnaise and still achieve a nice creamy texture without the extra fat. As a bonus, it just happens to be loaded with protein and calcium.
With these two ingredients in my pantry, I can give my food an authentically textured “fried” coating even when I’m oven roasting. If it’s Crunchy Fried Chicken or Chicken-Fried Steak with Cream Gravy that I’m putting together, crushed corn flakes is what I reach for every time. For crunchy toppings on casseroles or a hearty coating on vegetables, panko is the way to go.
High-sodium packaged broths and salted butter are in the past for me. Now I use low-sodium broth and unsalted butter in all my dishes. That way, I’m in control of how much salt goes into my meal. Remember, you can always add salt to your dish if you think it needs it, but you can’t take it out once it’s been added.
Cooking spray is a great way to cut calories, fat, and cholesterol in your food. I always have a can or two in my kitchen. And you’ll find there are all sorts of different varieties out there, from olive oil to canola to grape seed oil. They provide the same nonstick surface as oil or butter without making your food greasy.
I’ve made a real effort to cut down on the amount of beef I eat. During the workweek, I mostly turn to fish, fowl, and lots of veggies. And when I’m cooking up a dish that I used to make with ground beef, I either cut the beef amount in half and swap in ground turkey for the balance or sub in ground turkey entirely. I’m telling you, I find I don’t miss the beef at all. It really doesn’t get much leaner than turkey.
It’s as simple as this: The complex carbohydrates found in whole grains are better for you than the refined carbohydrates in milled (or white) grains. Brown breads, pastas, and rice are the right choices over white bread, pasta, and rice. You see, the process of refining the white grain–based foods strips them of key vitamins and minerals that are native to the whole grains. As often as you can, choose whole grains over refined grains, and I guarantee you’ll see and feel a difference in your body.
When it comes to sandwiches, wraps are a great alternative to bread, especially if you’re watching your carbs. There are so many different flavors and varieties of wraps out there, from sun-dried tomato and garlic to multigrain and reduced carb. Why, there’s so much choice out there that I can do the same sandwich a few times a week using different wraps and it will taste different each and every time.