The Greek Yogurt Miracle Solution (8 page)

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Tuna salad seems like a great, healthy choice, but full-fat mayonnaise adds an incredible amount of fat per serving. Because tuna is so lean, I used a combo of low-fat mayonnaise and non-fat Greek yogurt to keep the creamy texture. Use this tuna mixture for regular sandwiches, mix it with whole-wheat pasta to make a salad or just enjoy it with some veggies.

2 cans (6 oz/170 g each) low-sodium, water-packed chunk albacore tuna, drained

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 celery rib, finely chopped

3 tbsp finely chopped dill pickle

3 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp low-fat olive oil mayonnaise

1/2 tsp dry powder mustard or 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Pinch cayenne pepper or a few dashes hot sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices whole-grain or rye bread, lightly toasted

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 1/3 cups shredded low-fat aged cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat broiler to high. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, flake tuna with a fork. Stir in green onions, celery, pickle, yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper.

Top each bread slice with tuna mixture and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Top tuna with tomato slices and cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with paprika.

Per Serving

Before: 537 calories, 17.8 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 303 calories, 8.3 g total fat

Nutritional information: 2.6 g saturated fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fibre, 5.4 g sugar, 33.2 g protein, 647 mg sodium, 41 mg cholesterol

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Simple, classic chicken salad is perfect in so many ways: it's a great way to repurpose leftover chicken, a quick and easy lunch and, best of all, just pure comfort food when tucked between soft fresh bread with crisp lettuce. For this do-over, I cut down significantly on the mayonnaise and swap half of it for non-fat Greek yogurt. I've also opted for whole-grain bread. To lower the calories even further, omit the bread, leave the romaine leaves whole and scoop the chicken salad into the lettuce, like tacos.

2 cups shredded or chopped cooked and cooled boneless, skinless chicken breast

2/3 cup finely diced celery

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp finely chopped dill pickle

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

3 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp low-fat olive oil mayonnaise

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Pinch cayenne pepper

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 slices whole-grain bread or 4 medium whole-grain buns

4 leaves romaine lettuce, thinly sliced

In a large bowl, mix together chicken, celery, green onions, pickle, tarragon, yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper.

Top 4 bread slices with chicken salad and lettuce. Sandwich with remaining bread slice.

Per Serving

Before: 510 calories, 19 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 394 calories, 8 g total fat

Nutritional information: 1.4 g saturated fat, 42.6 g carbohydrates, 7.6 g fibre, 7 g sugar, 36.9 g protein, 598 mg sodium, 63 mg cholesterol

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes + 1 hour minimum chilling time

Burgers will always top the list of favourite comfort foods, but a greasy burger topped with cheese and mayonnaise tips the scales at over 50 grams of fat! To cut the fat, I swap regular ground beef with extra-lean ground beef or sirloin, but the big trick to cut even more fat and still keep the burger moist is to use cremini mushrooms to replace half the meat in the patty. A smoky, tangy spread with a non-fat Greek yogurt base replaces the mayonnaise, and sweet caramelized onions top everything off with a big punch of flavour and virtually no fat.

8 medium cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dry mustard

4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp low-sodium tamari or soy sauce

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 lb extra-lean ground beef or sirloin

1 batch
Caramelized Onions

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup shredded low-fat aged cheddar cheese

4 whole-grain or gluten-free burger buns

2 cups lightly packed arugula, sprouts or roughly chopped iceberg lettuce

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced

2 dill pickles, sliced

In a food processor, finely chop mushrooms, onion and garlic. Transfer to a large bowl and add 2 tsp paprika, mustard, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, tamari, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper, mixing well to combine. Mix in beef, then shape into patties that are 4 1/2 inches thick. Transfer patties to a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

While burgers are chilling, prepare caramelized onions.

For burger sauce, in a bowl, combine yogurt, remaining 1 tsp paprika, remaining 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, green onion, Dijon, honey, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and cayenne. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Preheat non-stick skillet or cast-iron pan to medium-high heat. Mist patties with cooking spray and cook, turning once, until juices run clear, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-well doneness. If desired, after flipping, sprinkle cheese on top of each burger during the last 2 minutes of cooking time, to melt.

While burgers are cooking, toast buns in oven cut side up on a baking sheet, until golden brown.

To assemble burgers, divide arugula, tomatoes and pickles over bottoms of buns. Top with burgers, caramelized onions and sauce; sandwich with tops of buns.

Per Serving

Before: 890 calories, 53 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 555 calories, 18.5 g total fat

Nutritional information: 6.7 g saturated fat, 60 g carbohydrates, 10 g fibre, 22 g sugar, 41.4 g protein, 1527 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

The shrimp could easily be lightly sautéed or grilled to make it healthier, but I love the combo of crunchy breaded shrimp, creamy rémoulade and crisp lettuce on a nice crusty bun. The sauce tastes best if you allow the flavours to blend for at least 1 hour. Be sure to choose rolls with a crusty exterior.

Rémoulade

3 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp low-fat olive oil mayonnaise

2 tbsp finely chopped dill pickle

1 tbsp Creole or deli-style mustard

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 small shallot, minced

1 green onion, minced

2 to 3 dashes hot sauce

Sea salt or freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches

1 large egg, whisked

3 tbsp 1% buttermilk or skim milk

2 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 lb peeled and deveined extra-large raw shrimp

4 whole-grain hoagie rolls or 1 16-inch whole-grain baguette, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 tbsp whole-wheat flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Prepare rémoulade: In a bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, pickle, mustard, Cajun seasoning, shallot, green onion and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate. [
Make-ahead:
Sauce can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance.]

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare sandwiches: In a large bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk and Cajun seasoning. Add shrimp; toss to coat.

Cut bread in half lengthwise, leaving one side attached. Hollow out buns, leaving a 1-inch crust. In a food processor, pulse torn bread until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cornmeal, flour and remaining Cajun seasoning.

Working with a few shrimp at a time, dredge shrimp in bread crumb mixture, gently tossing to coat. Arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all shrimp are coated. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, spread rémoulade onto cut sides of bread. Layer lettuce, shrimp and tomatoes over bottom half of bread and sandwich with bread tops.

Tip:
Creole mustard is a spicy mustard traditionally used in Louisiana cooking. The brown mustard seeds are marinated in white vinegar, then often blended with fiery horseradish for extra heat. Deli-style mustard is made from pungent brown mustard seeds rather than from the more mellow yellow seeds used in regular yellow mustard. Find either in the gourmet section of major supermarkets or in gourmet grocery stores.

Per Serving

Before: 929 calories, 49.2 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 483 calories, 10.6 g total fat

Nutritional information: 2 g saturated fat, 46.7 g carbohydrates, 8.3 g fibre, 8 g sugar, 49.3 g protein, 901 mg sodium, 308 mg cholesterol

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes + 1 hour marinating time

Tostadas are Mexican open-faced sandwiches using deep-fried tortillas. When tortillas are not fresh enough to be made into tacos, they are fried until golden and crunchy. Deep-fried tortillas, refried beans, avocado, full-fat cheese and sour cream take the fat content of this simple street food through the roof. I bake the tortillas instead, use low-fat feta cheese and non-fat Greek yogurt, and mix the avocado into a tangy salsa verde. While the ingredient list may look extensive, the recipe is simple and all the ingredients can be prepared at least a day ahead.

1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

Juice of 3 limes (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

2/3 cup jarred all-natural salsa verde

1/2 ripe medium avocado, coarsely mashed

8 6-inch corn tortillas

1/2 large white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

8 oz
Perfect Marinated Chicken Breast
, cooled and shredded

1/4 batch
Black Bean Dip

2 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese

8 sprigs cilantro

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt (optional)

4 leaves romaine lettuce, shredded (optional)

Combine red onion, lime juice and 1/2 tsp salt in a small resealable bag or container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, mixing occasionally to marinate evenly. [
Make-ahead:
Marinated onions will last 1 week in the fridge.]

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup salsa verde and avocado.

Position racks in top and bottom thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Arrange tortillas in a single layer on prepared baking sheets. Mist with cooking spray and bake for 6 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven, flip tortillas over, mist again, season with salt and return to oven, switching racks and rotating baking sheets so tortillas bake evenly. Bake for about 8 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; mist with cooking spray. Add white onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add paprika, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with 3 tbsp water, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in chicken and remaining 1/3 cup salsa verde and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

To assemble tostadas, evenly spread black bean dip on baked tortillas. Top with tomatoes, avocado, chicken, feta, pickled onion, cilantro, and yogurt and lettuce (if using).

Per Serving

Before: 584 calories, 46 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 472 calories, 19.9 g total fat

Nutritional information: 6.2 g saturated fat, 44.2 g carbohydrates, 10.5 g fibre, 9.3 g sugar, 32.5 g protein, 1177 mg sodium, 60 mg cholesterol