Mouth-Watering Makeovers

Springtime is just around the corner. This month is a good time to get in shape for warmer weather by serving some classic comfort foods with the fat and calories trimmed. It’s not called comfort food for nothing. This type of food triggers feelings of cozy goodness that can’t be matched by more sophisticated dishes. But there’s one teensy problem. Typically loaded with fat and calories, comfort food can become a once-in-a-while treat rather than a staple. But there is help available. Many health websites take some of our favorite dishes and give them a healthy makeover. Cozy without the extra calories! You would never guess food this delicious could help you lose the winter waistline!

Made-Over Salisbury Steak with Gravy

In addition to being low-fat, this tasty recipe almost put itself together. It is that quick and easy to prepare.

1/2 c. fat-free milk

14 fat-free saltines, crushed

2 Tbsp. dried minced onion

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 jar (12 oz.) fat-free beef gravy

2 Tbsp. ketchup

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the milk, saltines, onion, and parsley. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties. Place in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine gravy, ketchup, Worcestershire, and pepper; pour over patties. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. 4 servings.

Festive Rice Medley

This versatile rice side dish is a perfect companion to the Steak and Gravy recipe above. Fresh cilantro and brightly colored peppers punch up the flavor and nutrition without adding fat and calories. Serves 4-5.

2 1/2 c. to 3 c. already-cooked brown rice (or 1 1/2 c. uncooked instant brown rice)

1/4 c.  to 1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper

1/4 c. chopped sweet yellow pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. chopped green onion

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp. paprika (optional)

Warm cold rice in a saucepan with a small amount of vegetable or chicken broth, or cook instant rice according to package directions. In a large skillet, sauté the peppers in oil for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the cilantro, green onion, garlic, and salt, and sauté briefly. Stir in the warmed or instant rice and paprika, if desired, and cook until heated through and flavors are blended.

Caesar Salad Make-Over

One of America's favorite salads, Caesar Salad, is notoriously high in calories, but Good Housekeeping Research Institute has given the recipe a healthy makeover. They coated the croutons with cooking spray instead of olive oil, then replaced egg yolk with light mayonnaise to keep the classic dressing’s creamy texture—without the classic guilt.

4 oz. Italian bread

1 clove garlic, cut in half

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

1/4 c. light mayonnaise

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. anchovy paste*

Coarsely ground black pepper

1 pkg. (18 oz.) hearts of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Rub bread slices, on both sides, with cut sides of garlic. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes; place on a jellyroll pan. Spray bread liberally with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes or until golden-brown and crisp. Cool croutons in pan. Meanwhile, in large salad bowl, with wire whisk, mix together mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, anchovy paste, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add lettuce and croutons to dressing in bowl; toss to coat.

*Look for anchovy paste in the same area of cans of tuna or shrimp in your grocery store, or online at one-stop shops like Amazon. Of course, you can leave the anchovy paste out of the dressing, but don't expect the "classic" taste.

For a happy, healthy ending to your dinner, indulge in this heavenly dessert:

Chocolate Tofu Mousse

François Payard, a world-renowned pastry chef and author of Chocolate Epiphany, created this recipe using soy milk and silken tofu, which reduces the fat content without sacrificing flavor. This recipe tastes every bit as decadent as the traditional version, and contains nearly 19g of fiber per serving. If you are avoiding dairy for health reasons, soy or almond milk and tofu, as used in this recipe, are ideal substitutes for high-calorie dairy.

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup soy or almond milk

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

10 ounce silken tofu, drained

1-2 pkgs. Stevia powder to sweeten to taste, if desired

1/4 c. raspberries

1/4 c. blueberries

Prepare ganache. Place chopped bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, combine soy milk and scraped vanilla bean or vanilla extract. Bring to a boil; pour over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Remove vanilla bean (if using) and whisk until smooth. If using vanilla extract, add and stir in. In a blender, process drained silken tofu until creamy (10 seconds). Add ganache and stevia; blend until smooth (20-30 seconds). Spoon into 5 individual bowls; refrigerate until mousse is firm (1 hour). Before serving, divide 1 Tbsp. each raspberries and blueberries among bowls.

By Arlene Bascom