Healthy eating

Comfort Food, Warmth – Bring On Winter!
Written and photographed by Nancy Monaghan

Warm, Tart, Creamy Oatmeal
1 6-oz container fresh raspberries
1 6-oz container fresh blackberries
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp ground cloves (optional)
Oatmeal for four

Combine berries, sugar and lime juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook stirring frequently until berries break down, about 20 minutes, lowering heat to simmer when they boil hard. Cool slightly. Prepare oatmeal: Combine cloves with old fashioned or instant oatmeal to serve four. Fill each bowl half full of oatmeal, spread fruit mixture on top, add remaining oatmeal, and top with more fruit mixture. Yield: Four servings. (Note: Fruit can be prepared ahead of time and warmed in the microwave when ready to serve.)

Chicken Noodle Soup
For chicken stock:
1 small chicken
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
3 celery stalks chopped into large chunks
1 head garlic (remove loose skin but keep head intact)
1 red onion (remove loose skin)
1 white onion peeled
8 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper corns
1 tsp white pepper corns
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

For soup:
2 quarts chicken broth
1 onion, chopped or sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3-4 celery stalks, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp flour
¼ tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 large bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1-2 tbsp nonfat evaporated milk
3-4 cups no-yolk wide noodles

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a large, oven-proof Dutch oven. Insert whole cloves in the white onion, add onion and all remaining stock ingredients to the pot, topping with the parsley bunch.

Place pot in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove pot to stovetop, add water to cover (about three quarts), bring to a soft boil and reduce heat to low. Cook for about two hours until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate to cool, remove all solids from broth and discard. Strain broth through cheesecloth, and once cool, skim off fat. Meanwhile, take chicken meat apart and shred or chop into bite-sized chunks.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven and sauté onion, carrots, celery and garlic until they begin to soften, about four minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, stir well and cook about two minutes more. Add cooled chicken stock, chicken, red pepper, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.

Stir well and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to low and cook about two hours, tasting frequently to adjust seasonings. Add evaporated milk during last half hour of cooking. Cook noodles separately and add desired amount to soup.

Note: To save a lot of time you can skip making the stock. Use two quarts of prepared chicken stock and some left-over chicken chopped into bite-sized chunks.

Spaghetti and meatballs
1 lb spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm oil in a large saucepan and sauté onion, garlic and     pepper flakes about 8 minutes. Puree the tomatoes. Add tomato paste to onion mixture and stir just briefly, add pureed tomatoes and remaining ingredients, and bring to a bubbling simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked meatballs about halfway through.

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions, mix with sauce and hot meatballs.

For the meatballs:
1 lb hot Italian turkey sausage
½ pound lean ground turkey
¼ cup egg substitute
¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp golden raisins, diced
3 tbsp toasted pine nuts, crushed
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except sausage and turkey in a large bowl and mix well. Add meats and mix with your hands to combine. Form into meatballs and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until cooked through.
---Meatball recipe adapted from Simply Perfect Italian

Potato Leek Soup
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup diced celery
5 leeks, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only (about 2 cups)
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
4 cups low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 bay leaf
½ tsp fresh thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh-ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ tbsp butter

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add celery and garlic and sauté about two minutes. Add leeks (save a few green slices for garnish) and cook about five minutes until softened. Add potatoes, thyme and bay leaf, stir and cook about one minute. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.

Simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft, adding salt and pepper halfway through. Transfer two cups of soup to a food processor and blend until pureed. Return puree mixture to the pot, and adjust seasonings. Add cayenne pepper and butter, stir to melt, and serve. Garnish with reserved leeks, or chopped green onions or fresh thyme, if desired.

Meatloaf
½ cup minced Portobello mushrooms
½ cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 lb lean ground turkey
¾ cup fresh bread crumbs (whole grain bread)
¼ cup catsup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp catsup
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a small skillet, add mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and saute until soft, about four minutes. Cool to room temperature. Place 2-3 slices stale or crusty whole grain bread in a food processor and pulse until crumbed. Place turkey in a large bowl and add oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix spices into meat. Add sautéed vegetables, bread crumbs, ¼ cup catsup and Worcestershire sauce, and mix with hands to combine. Turn into a small loaf pan. Combine three tablespoons catsup and balsamic vinegar and brush on top.

Bake for one hour or until meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Let meatloaf sit in pan for 5-7 minutes after removing from oven. Carefully remove from pan and keep warm. Place pan on stovetop and boil until pan juices are reduced by about half, and use for gravy, below.

Gravy:
1 small shallot, minced
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 bay leaf, crushed
1/8 tsp dried thyme
Reduced pan drippings from meatloaf
2 tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups fat free low sodium beef broth
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a small saucepan, add shallots, bay leaf and thyme, and sauté until onions are soft, about four minutes. Add pan drippings from meatloaf and stir to combine. Sprinkle in flour, stir, and cook about 45 seconds. Add beef broth and chicken broth, and boil softly stirring frequently until gravy thickens, about six minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: Because this recipe calls for lean turkey instead of the traditional meatloaf combination of beef and pork, the flavor comes from the mushrooms, onions and spices.
---Gravy recipe adapted from Cooks.com

Chili
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 14.5-oz cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
1 cup water
¾ cup red kidney beans
6-8 tbs chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
½ tsp allspice
1 bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg
¾ cup grated low-fat sharp cheddar cheese such as Cracker Barrel (optional)

In a wide soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until almost smoking.  Add turkey meat and let it brown for a few minutes without stirring, seasoning the top with salt and pepper. Flip meat and let the other side brown, then break it up with a spatula or wooden spoon so the meat is crumbled. Cook until no longer pink and drain off excess fat. Add cumin and one tablespoon chili powder, stir to blend and cook another minute or so.

Puree tomatoes, including juice, in a food processor or with a stick blender to break up big chunks. Add tomatoes, water, four tablespoons chili powder, allspice, bay leaf, oregano, basil and kidney beans to turkey, mixing well. Bring to a soft boil and reduce heat to medium-low.

Cook chili about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, tasting for seasoning. Add remaining chili powder and a pinch of nutmeg and continue to cook another 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Macaroni and cheese
2-1/4 cups reduced-fat 2% milk
¼ cup flour
8 oz uncooked macaroni
1 cup reduced-fat extra sharp grated cheddar cheese (such as Cracker Barrel)
½ cup reduced-fat grated Swiss cheese
1 cup reduced-fat Velveeta cheese
1 tsp sharp mustard
2 tbsp bread crumbs
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Cut Velveeta cheese into small cubes. Measure ¼ cup flour into a small mixing bowl and add ¼ cup milk, whisk into a slurry and slowly add remaining milk, whisking to incorporate all flour. Cook milk-flour mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about six to seven minutes. Remove from heat and add cheddar, Swiss and Velveeta cheeses, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk until cheese is melted. Combine cheese and macaroni and pour into a baking dish lightly coated with fat-free cooking spray.

Combine bread crumbs and grated Parmesan and sprinkle on top. Bake for about 25 minutes until bubbly. Slide dish under the broiler for about four minutes until top is golden.

Note: The secret to healthier macaroni and cheese is to eliminate the butter by using a white sauce of flour and reduced-fat milk and using reduced-fat cheeses in the right combination. You may want more or less of a specific cheese but beware using all reduced-fat cheddar as it will be a little gritty.