The Good Stuff 411

Traditions tie us to memories of good times, good things, good experiences.  They also bind us to the generations that came before, and allow us to pass down those things we cherish to our children.  Traditions can be good.  This year I have come to conclude traditions can also be bad.  For me it has become a mission to REINVENT our Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve dinner, and Christmas Day (we eat all day long therefore no specific meal is being singled out).  For me special occasions have always been tied to delicious, but extremely fattening food.  Holidays, Birthdays, gatherings with good friends.  All excuses to eat food I would otherwise not eat, and lots of it. 

I am sure there are many who probably are thinking “She’s taking all the fun out of the Holidays (my Mom may be in this boat with you)”!  But actually I am not trying to remove the fun, I am trying to remove some of the fuel that can feed the fire so many of our bodies fight year-round now.  It struck me when I saw Dr. Oz talking about how the three days with the highest rate of heart attacks are Christmas Day, December 26th, and New Year’s Day, that my rethinking our meals during this time was perhaps not such a bad thing.  According to his discussion with fellow cardiologists and heart surgeons it only takes on fat-laden, artery clogging meal to trigger a heart-attack in someone with risk factors (which can simply be a “family history”).  The days mentioned are rarely one poor meal, but usually one followed by another, for two or three days in a row.

My goal for our family, and extended family, is NOT to remove all the casseroles, cheese dips, pies, cookies and cakes of the past…but to also provide some healthy options that people can opt for, if they wish too.  So far this has been pretty successful and most of the group has been open to changes like red-wine vinegar instead of the regular full-fat salad dressing, or roasted green beans with olive oil and sea-salt instead of a green bean casserole.  The egg casserole we have eaten for three generations has been revised to be enjoyed with less cheese, no bread, and low-fat sausage.  Hot buttered rum will now be mimosas…you catch my drift…not healthy, but BETTER.

The road-block I hit, and simply found myself unable to work with was the Christmas Day lunch of Generation’s Past!  Cube-Steak Sandwiches.  Yep, I think that my kids actually made this sandwich a 5th (or even 6th) generation tradition when they had a few bites last Christmas.  Steak.  Pan-fried.  Sourdough bread.  Mayo.  Fat, more fat, wrapped in a simple carbohydrate and lubricated with some more trans-fats.

So this year we will be enjoying a new Christmas Day Tradition.  I haven’t decided which one I will make yet, but we love both, and though neither are the optimal healthy meal, they are comprised of mostly healthy ingredients, and still speak to the comfort and warmth we all seek in a Holiday meal when we gather with family and friends.

Both of these recipes require ONE pot, not a lot of time, and will make your home smell fabulous, adding to the memory-building formula we all seek!

Tortilla Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil (could omit completely)
3 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried onion
1- 4 oz. can of chopped green chilis
1- 15 0z. can of beef broth
2- 15 oz. cans of chicken broth
2- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 tsp each of ground cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper
1 Tbsp steak sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2-2 cups of shredded chicken

Toppings:
grated cheddar cheese
baked tortilla chips
fat free sour cream

In a large dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in oil. Add rest of the ingredients (except for toppings) and let simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. To serve, top with chips, grated cheese and sour cream.

One-Pan Cajun Jambalaya

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium high heat
2. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and sausage and saute, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender (about 7 mins)
3. Add the rice, broth, Tabasco sauce, tomatoes and cajun seasoning
4. Stir until well mixed and bring to a boil
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, 20 – 25 minutes

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

Most of the fat in this will be from the sausage, so you can opt to not eat it, or cook with low-fat or turkey sausage. 

I like to add shrimp (already cooked and defrosted) and just toss them in right at the end, already warmed up.  Leftover chicken can also be added.

Also if serving children you may want to leave the Tabasco for ppl to add on their own, it is spicy!

And I want my family to be getting together for years to come!  Healthy and Happy!