Mac and Cheese with a (Healthy) Fall Touch

As the weather turns cold I always find myself starting to crave comfort foods, and in my mind few things scream comfort more than good old mac and cheese. Being a clean eater, I'm not as fond of the processed cheesy version I loved so much in my childhood and decided it needed some cleaning up and a fresh take. As always I like to incorporate in season ingredients, and for me a quintessential ingredient of Fall is the butternut squash. By roasting the seasoned squash and caramelizing the onions before baking, the flavors are allowed to reach a higher potential. As an added bonus this recipe is gluten free!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

 Serves 4


Ingredients:
8oz Brown rice pasta (can use whole wheat pasta, but will not be GF) [Trader Joe's - $1.99 for 1lb, $1 used here]
12 oz Raw butternut squash [Trader Joe's - $1.29 for one squash, ~ $.75 used here]
4oz Lite shredded mozzarella [Trader Joe's - $3.99 for 1lb, $1 used here]
1/4c Grated Parmesan [Trader Joe's - $2.99 for a tub, $.50 used here]
1 small onion [Trader Joe's - $.50]
1/4c Low sodium chicken stock [Ralphs - $.79 for a can, $.20 used here]
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop butternut squash into chunks and arrange on a baking sheet lined with foil. Coat lightly with olive oil cooking spray and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until very tender and easy pierced with a fork.

• Meanwhile saute sliced onion over medium heat until translucent and slightly brown and caramelized. Cook pasta according to package directions until cooked but slightly al dente.

• Combine roasted squash, caramelized onions, and chicken stock in a food processor and pulse until completely combined and pureed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• In a casserole dish, combine pasta with butternut squash mixture. Top with an even layer of mozzarella and then the parmesan. Put under the broiler until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 7 minutes.

Total cost: $3.95 total, $.99 per serving

Nutrition facts: 333 calories, 5.9g fat (2.6g saturated, 0g trans), 16mg cholesterol, 337mg sodium, 55.7g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 3.7g sugar, 14.6g protein, [187% Vit A, 32% Vit C, 27% Calcium, 26% Iron].

Banana Bread Featured on Eat Clean Diet Newsletter!

While scrolling through my emails, I found that my Gluten-Free Banana Bread was featured in the October 17th edition of the Eat Clean Diet newsletter! This is an awesome honor for me since I'm a huge advocate of eating clean as a personal trainer and cook. Check out the website for comments and below for a snapshot of the newsletter:

Bloody Good Dinner!

In honor of Halloween, I cooked up a festive little dinner with lots of guts (pun, however bad, intended!) that can stand up to the most hearty of meals. Alternately, it makes for a great dish on Valentine's Day or to cook for your significant other. Start with your basic meat and potatoes. Grill a beautiful ribeye steak until medium rare and top with a thick, savory red wine sauce. On the side take mashed potatoes to a new level by substituting sweet potatoes and plenty of fresh garlic and a sprinkle of parmesan to top it off.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
11oz Sweet potatoes [Trader Joe's - $1.99 for 2lbs, $.68 used here]
2 cloves Garlic, minced [Ralph's - $.50 for one head, $.05 used here]
2tbsp Unsweetened almond milk [Trader Joe's - $1.99 for 1L, $.06 used here]
2tbsp Low-fat cottage cheese [Trader Joe's - $1.99 for a small container, $.25 used here]
2tbsp Shallots, chopped [Ralph's - $.50 for one large shallot, $.20 used here]
2tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded [Trader Joe's - $3 for a tub, $.20 used here]
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

For Steak with Red Wine Sauce:
1 Bone-in Ribeye, about 13oz raw, for two 4oz servings [Ralph's - $4.67/lb, $3.79 used here]
4oz Red wine [Trader Joe's - $4 for bottle, $1 used here]
2tbsp Shallots, chopped [Ralph's - $.50 for one large shallot, $.20 used here]
2tsp Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:


For Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

• Wash potatoes and prick several times with a knife. Steam in microwave until very soft, about 4-5 minutes. Chop into large pieces.

• Put sweet potatoes, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, cottage cheese, and almond milk in a food processor and whip until smooth.

• Top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Total Cost: $1.44 total, $.72 per serving

Nutrition Facts per serving: 179 calories, 2g fat (1.1g saturated, 0g trans), 5mg cholesterol, 513mg sodium, 34.5g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 7.1g sugar, 6.6g protein, [446% Vit. A, 8% Vit. C, 13% Calcium, 7% Iron].

For Steak with Red Wine Sauce:

• Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and very lightly brush with olive oil. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Place steak in pan once the grill is heated through. 

• Cook until desired doneness is achieved, about 7 minutes per side for medium rare on a 1/2-3/4" thick ribeye.

• Meanwhile, over medium heat bring olive oil, wine and finely chopped shallots to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and almost syrup-like, about 10 minutes.
•  Pour red wine sauce over steak and serve warm.

Total cost:  $4.99 total, $2.50 per serving

Nutrition Facts:  327 calories, 14.7g fat (4.5g saturated, 0g trans) 103mg cholesterol, 3.4g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 33.1g protein, [2% Vit. A, 1% Vit. C, 3% Calcium, 15% Iron].

(Serving Suggestion.)

Slimmed Down Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of those foods with a deceiving name. Because it starts with "banana," most people automatically assume that it's healthy. What they don't realize is that banana bread is usually closer to being banana cake than anything else, loaded with sugar and butter. With a few simple tweaks, you can serve a lower calorie, healthier version of this classic favorite to bring in the fall. Even better, this recipe is gluten-free!

Yields 9 slices.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour (can use all-purpose flour instead) [Whole Foods - $1.99/lb, $.91 used here]
3 ripe bananas, mashed [Trader Joe's - $.57]
3/4 cup walnuts [Trader Joe's - $5.99 for 1lb, $1.60 used here]
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp ground flaxseed [Bob's Red Mill from Trader Joe's - $2.49 for a 1lb bag, $.07 used here]
2 eggs [$1.49/dozen, $.24 used here]
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce [Mott's Organic from Ralph's - $2 for 6, $.33 used here]
3/4 cup stevia in the raw cup-for-cup [Ralph's - $7.99 for 275g bag, $.73 used here]
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roughly chop the walnut pieces into small chunks.

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, flaxseed, and cinnamon with a whisk.
• In a larger bowl, mix together the bananas, eggs, applesauce, stevia, and vanilla until well combined.

• In two batches, mix in the dry ingredients until just incorporated; do not overmix. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

• Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan on wire rack before removing and allowing to cool completely.

Total Cost: $0.45 per serving , $4.45 total



Nutrition Facts per serving: 214 calories, 8.4g fat (0.7g saturated, 0g trans), 41mg cholesterol, 143mg sodium, 30.6g carbohydrates, 3.8g fiber, 6.3g sugar, 6.5g protein, [Vit A 2%, Vit C 6%, Calcium 5%, Iron 7%].

Revamped French Fries

Who doesn't love a good side of fries with their meal? Unfortunately the "fry" part means lots of extra oil and, more often than not, excessive amounts of salt, particularly if coming from a fast food chain. Fortunately fries are extremely simple to make at home for very little money. The key to a crispy outside with a soft, tender inside is to toss the potato lightly in oil before roasting, to create a brown crust on the edges. Another advantage of making your own french fries is the freedom to add whatever flavors you like to create a more interesting and complex flavor. I personally like to add a little thyme and garlic to mine to enhance the dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 medium Russet potatoes (about 250g each) [Trader Joe's - $.79 each, $3.16 total]
  
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced (optional)
  
• 2 tbsp Fresh Thyme, chopped (optional) [Trader Joe's - $1.99 for a package, $.25 used here]

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

• Slice potatoes into rectangular french fry shapes. Rinse in cold water and pat dry.

• Put potatoes in a bowl with remaining ingredients and toss to coat evenly.

• Bake for 25-30 minutes on a foil-covered cookie sheet, until outsides begin to crisp and brown.

Total Cost:  $.85 per serving, $3.41 total
Nutrition Facts per serving: 263 calories, 7.1g fat (1g saturated, 0g trans), 0mg cholesterol, 304mg sodium, 46.6g carbohydrates, 3.8g fiber, 1.6g sugar, 5.6g protein, [Vit A 1%, Vit C 26%, Calcium 6%, Iron 22%].

 

(Serving suggestion)

Warm Summer Side

As summer gets into full swing, using in-season produce makes finding the perfect side dish easy. For those evenings when you're enjoying dinner on the patio, or you just want to add some more healthy fats and veggies into your diet, Green Bean Almondine is a wonderful way to celebrate the flavors of the summer.
The high fat content comes from olive oil and almonds, the sources that you keep hearing you need to eat more of. Traditional Green Bean Almondine is made with slabs of butter, but in substituting for olive oil you are free to use less to coat the beans and reap the benefits of the heart healthy fats.

Green Bean Almondine

Serves 2

 Ingredients:
12oz Trimmed Green Beans [Trader Joe's Yellow and Green Beans - $2.99]
35g Almonds, roasted or raw, unsalted [Trader Joe's - $6.99 for 1lb, $0.55 used here]
2tbsp Shallots, chopped [Vons -$0.50 for one, $0.25 used here]
1tbsp Olive Oil, divided
Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Coarsely chop almonds, preferably in either quarters or thirds to ensure flavor and crunch will not be lost.
• Heat half the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute shallots with almonds until shallots are translucent and almonds are fragrant.

•  Meanwhile steam green beans in bag for two minutes. Remove from the bag and let cool until easy to touch. Cut beans in half if desired.
• Add beans to pan and toss with tongs. Continue cooking until green beans are soft, but still slightly crunchy. Remove from heat and toss with remaining half tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Total Cost: $1.90 per serving
Nutrition Facts per serving: 220 calories, 15.6g fat (1.6g saturated, 0g trans), 0mg cholesterol, 302mg sodium, 17.8g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 3.1g sugar, 7.1g protein, [Vit A 26%, Vit C 48%, Calcium 11%, Iron 15%].