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Dinner Recipe Rehab: Editors' Picks
Posted on Oct 15th 2010 12:00PM by That's Fit EditorsFiled Under: Recipe Rehab with Tanya Zuckerbrot, Diet & Weight Loss
Every week, nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot makes over recipes for our readers. From appetizers to desserts, there is no menu item that she can't tackle in her Recipe Rehab column. Sometimes making a home-cooked dinner can be overwhelming if you're short on time or don't want to stray from the classics. As That's Fit editors, we want to help make it easy, so we picked our Recipe Rehab favorites for you to dish up tonight.
Fettuccine Alfredo
With almost no nutritional value, an 800 total calorie count and loads of saturated fat, I have been looking for an alternative fettuccine Alfredo recipe that I can enjoy without the guilt.
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With almost no nutritional value, an 800 total calorie count and loads of saturated fat, I have been looking for an alternative fettuccine Alfredo recipe that I can enjoy without the guilt.
I like the base of the lightened-up dish: Shirataki noodles (while they have no taste) have great texture, are easy to make and have only 20 calories per serving. The recipe rehab calls for Laughing Cow Light spreadable cheese, low-fat ricotta and Parmesan. Personally, I'd prefer to use a smaller portion size of full-fat cheese than more low-fat cheese. I also don't particularly love the texture of Laughing Cow Light, so I picked out a block of Parmesan cheese and a container of regular ricotta cheese. I grated 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (I went for it!) and 1/4 cup ricotta cheese.
I really like the addition of veggies to this dish, as they add texture, color and flavor. I loaded up the recipe with extra veggies, and I'm a huge tomato lover, so I added in one large tomato as well. It added juice and delicious flavor.
Overall, the dish was excellent. I'm not one to cook many low-fat or light dishes, so I was impressed with the amount of flavor in this dish. Usually I find when a classic recipe is altered, it is stripped of its intended intense flavor. -- Hilary Walke, Social Media Editor
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Vegetable Lasagna
I'll be honest; the recipe made more than enough sauce for the lasagna, so I ended up with a lot leftover. The veggie-heavy sauce will be great for other dinners, however, and could even be frozen for another lasagna. But if you're looking to save a little time, you could cut the entire sauce recipe in half with the exception of the garlic and spices.
The recipe also called for 16 ounces of part-skim ricotta cheese, which is sometimes sold in 15-ounce containers. I bought two containers of ricotta, but you could just as easily cut out the 1 ounce. The cheese can be a little hard to spread, in my opinion. Most full-fat recipes call for an egg to make the mixture creamier, but this one didn't even use an egg white, which I would add in the future.
Overall, though, the lasagna was great. Those who aren't used to using reduced-fat cheese won't know the difference, and the whole-wheat noodles hold up to the weight of the sauce and cheese. The vegetables make the lasagna incredibly filling, too. A small slice is all you need. -- Amber Greviskes, Assistant Editor
I'll be honest; the recipe made more than enough sauce for the lasagna, so I ended up with a lot leftover. The veggie-heavy sauce will be great for other dinners, however, and could even be frozen for another lasagna. But if you're looking to save a little time, you could cut the entire sauce recipe in half with the exception of the garlic and spices.
The recipe also called for 16 ounces of part-skim ricotta cheese, which is sometimes sold in 15-ounce containers. I bought two containers of ricotta, but you could just as easily cut out the 1 ounce. The cheese can be a little hard to spread, in my opinion. Most full-fat recipes call for an egg to make the mixture creamier, but this one didn't even use an egg white, which I would add in the future.
Overall, though, the lasagna was great. Those who aren't used to using reduced-fat cheese won't know the difference, and the whole-wheat noodles hold up to the weight of the sauce and cheese. The vegetables make the lasagna incredibly filling, too. A small slice is all you need. -- Amber Greviskes, Assistant Editor
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Toasted Ravioli
I'm going to start with a confession: I didn't grow up on fried ravioli, which this recipe makes over. However, I have worked with wonton wrappers before in Asian dishes and I was intrigued to see them substituted for ravioli. The filling was easy to make, and while constructing the ravioli took a little bit of time, it was really easy and would be a great recipe to have the kids help out with in the kitchen. Otherwise, if you're really short on time, they could be made in advance (I put them between layers of wax paper so they didn't stick together).
The mix of cheese and spinach was right on, and they toasted up crunchy and tasty in just a few minutes. I made my own simple tomato sauce with some fresh herbs and extra garlic and served it over the ravioli -- it was delicious!
I'm already dreaming about what I'm going to put in the ravioli next. I think I'm going to bake a butternut squash and puree some with the same cheeses. This easy, fun variation on ravioli is a great dinner served with a big salad or served in a smaller portion as a side dish. -- Katherine Tweed, Articles Editor
I'm going to start with a confession: I didn't grow up on fried ravioli, which this recipe makes over. However, I have worked with wonton wrappers before in Asian dishes and I was intrigued to see them substituted for ravioli. The filling was easy to make, and while constructing the ravioli took a little bit of time, it was really easy and would be a great recipe to have the kids help out with in the kitchen. Otherwise, if you're really short on time, they could be made in advance (I put them between layers of wax paper so they didn't stick together).
The mix of cheese and spinach was right on, and they toasted up crunchy and tasty in just a few minutes. I made my own simple tomato sauce with some fresh herbs and extra garlic and served it over the ravioli -- it was delicious!
I'm already dreaming about what I'm going to put in the ravioli next. I think I'm going to bake a butternut squash and puree some with the same cheeses. This easy, fun variation on ravioli is a great dinner served with a big salad or served in a smaller portion as a side dish. -- Katherine Tweed, Articles Editor
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Chicken Enchiladas
I love enchiladas, but between the carb-loaded wrap, gooey cheese and the margarita that usually accompanies them at a restaurant, this dish can turn into a diet disaster fast. That's why I was excited to give Tanya's Recipe Rehab a try at home. Let me tell you -- delicious!
I made a few modifications, but the overall result was moist, juicy chicken covered in a sauce that had all the flavors I want in enchiladas. I further reduced the carbs by skipping the wraps all together and turning this into an "enchilada bowl" and tossed in a little cayenne pepper instead of hot sauce for some heat. My favorite part? Swapping out sour cream for nonfat Greek yogurt. I've been using Greek yogurt for dips and toppings ever since. -- Kimberly Papa, Editor
More Recipe Rehabs:
Healthy Apple Pie
Seafood Gumbo
Guilt-Free Calzones
I love enchiladas, but between the carb-loaded wrap, gooey cheese and the margarita that usually accompanies them at a restaurant, this dish can turn into a diet disaster fast. That's why I was excited to give Tanya's Recipe Rehab a try at home. Let me tell you -- delicious!
I made a few modifications, but the overall result was moist, juicy chicken covered in a sauce that had all the flavors I want in enchiladas. I further reduced the carbs by skipping the wraps all together and turning this into an "enchilada bowl" and tossed in a little cayenne pepper instead of hot sauce for some heat. My favorite part? Swapping out sour cream for nonfat Greek yogurt. I've been using Greek yogurt for dips and toppings ever since. -- Kimberly Papa, Editor
More Recipe Rehabs:
Healthy Apple Pie
Seafood Gumbo
Guilt-Free Calzones
