Simple Easy Ways to Update Loved Recipes to Healthy

There are small tweaks you can do to update and still retain the pleasure of eating well!  3 videos included.

People are always wondering how to update recipes they have loved over the years to a healthier version. Too often the kitchen folks take it too far and either ruin the texture or kill the taste. There are small tweaks you can do to update and still retain the pleasure of eating well!

Sometimes I see a wonderful chef’s recipe on the internet and gasp at the oil, sugar and salt levels and start my adjustments immediately!

This simple casserole is yummy with melted cheese and with some crunch - not the usual breadcrumbs or crackers topping!

To update for healthier tastes of fewer fat calories and less salt: Make sure as you drain the canned French green beans that you also rinse them with cold water a few times while they are still in the can to lose some of the excess salt.

You are going to need some fat from the sour cream to make this dish work but I’d use a low-fat sour cream. A no-fat sour cream won’t work well here as you will lose the creaminess and flow of the melted cheese.

I’d stay with regular Swiss cheese if it’s American. If it’s European and high in fat content you could probably step down on the fat level and be fine. Just don’t go to no-fat versions.

As opposed to using white sugar I’d prefer organic Blue Agave syrup as it is low on the Glycemic Index for diabetics. Granted Agave syrup is still quite expensive but only 1 Tablespoon is required for this dish so in relation it is cost effective.

What I like about the Agave syrup is that it has a clean fresh taste and I noticed that there is none of that sugar rush high or sugar ride on the blood sugar levels from it. I’m not a diabetic and actually prefer it to regular sugar. You can find Agave syrup/sweetener at Whole Foods Market or other health food stores as it is easy to find.

If you really want to take your healthy food to the next level but still prefer real butter, here is an idea of how to beat back the cholesterol monsters: clarify your butter. Put the stick of butter in a shallow sauté pan and turn up the heat to about medium, maybe a little higher if you have an electric burner as opposed to my gas burner.

The object is to separate the milk solids from the oil as it is the milk solids that are the plaque-clogging menace to your arteries. You can go for traditional clarified butter and gently heat to separate the solids and foam that you skim off or go the distance like folks in India do.

In India they call it ghee and what they do is start the process of clarifying the butter to remove the milk solids. Then they continue until the solids are lightly browned and you get this wonderful toasted buttery scent. It’s a real OMG moment! :) It’s also easier to skim off the more consolidated milk solids. A certain amount of the solids fall to the bottom of the pan and stay there.

Make sure you strain the ghee once it is cooled enough to place in a container. I live in the hot humid Gulf Coast so I store the ghee in the refrigerator where it gets solid again. The oil goes a lot further than just using butter as you require less. It also imparts this awesome taste to food. Try cooking your morning eggs in it!

I’d add some garlic powder to this and more onion. Then, instead of black pepper I’d use white pepper as it more subtle and also adds weight loss. Black pepper is a great expectorant and is useful especially during cold and flu season as it has a stronger effect to clear and improve your breathing ability.

Here’s the original recipe I found in my stacks of Food section newspapers locally. There are a lot of great cooks here in Louisiana! You may prefer the original recipe as it is quite good!

My tweaked version will follow the original recipe.

Swiss Cheese Green Bean Casserole

From: Debbie Malone

Yield: 8 – 10 servings

Ingredients:

3 (15 ounce) cans French-style green beans, drained very well

1 cup sour cream

½ pound Swiss cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon white sugar

1 Tablespoon minced onion

Pinch of black pepper

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups cornflakes

Directions: Mix together the drained green beans, sour cream, Swiss cheese, flour, sugar, onion and pepper. Place in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

Stir melted butter and cornflakes together until mixed. Place on top of beans.

Bake in a preheated 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

Fresh green beans, cut into Frenched style and lightly blanched in hot water - if it's the time of year and you can find fresh, best choice! Then you don't have to worry about the salt level and the texture is superior as they are not overcooked.

OR when fresh green beans are not available:

3 (15 ounce) cans French-style green beans, drained 4 times in the can with cold water to lose the excess salt from canning

1 cup low-fat sour cream

½ pound American Swiss cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoons Blue Agave syrup/sweetener

3 Tablespoons minced red onion

½ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons ghee style butter, melted

2 cups cornflakes

Extra-virgin olive oil in a spray bottle for spraying the casserole dish

Directions: Mix together the drained green beans, sour cream, Swiss cheese, flour, sugar, onion and pepper. Place in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with extra-virgin olive oil.

Stir melted butter and cornflakes together until mixed. Place on top of beans.

Bake in a preheated 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes.

The choice is yours! It really doesn’t take too much effort to alter good recipes you find above your tolerance level for too much salt, sugar/wrong kind of sweetener or fat.

Check out the Glycemic Index to better understand what you are eating:

Glycemic Index for simplest explanation and short list of foods

Glycemic Index of long list of foods

Glycemic Index explained at Wikipedia

hub #35 

Swiss cheese dog photo by JSF539 @ flickr

Green beans growing in the field photo by wanko @ flickr

Greens beans and guardian lizard at market photo by mahalie @ flickr

Clarifying butter photo by iLoveButter @ flickr

Video of making ghee – for dairy issues and healthy facts -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uyl6Gzn73

Video of clarifying butter - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXK5CzCvIv0

Video of how butter is made, historical facts - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwb2uZLSLhw