Ever wish you could eat favorite fattening foods without gaining weight? It’s possible by learning about some creative ingredient substitutions recently presented by famous chefs demonstrating make-over recipes on a recent episode of the Dr. Oz Show.
Better Burgers: Instead of using beef, the chefs recommended tuna or ground white turkey breast. Chef Todd English made a “Smashed Tuna Burger” with ginger; Chef Aaron Sanchez made a turkey burger with soy sauce and hot chilies; and Chef Candice Kumai’s winning recipe for “Skinny Jean Sliders” was made with caramelized mushrooms and onions mixed into the ground turkey to create “juicy, flavorful, excellent” sliders (use whole grain bun). According to Dr. Oz, while “normal” burgers have 700 calories, two “Skinny Jean Sliders” only have about 400 calories.
Delivering Diet-Friendly Pizza: The recipes for healthier pizzas included Chef Kumai’s grilled white pizza with artichokes and a bit of hard parmesan cheese; Chef Sanchez topped his pizza with white beans, tomatoes and dried chili; and Chef English won the taste test with his “No-Dough Whole Wheat Pizza.”
Chef English suggests using whole wheat Naan brushed with an artichoke puree spread, cherry tomatoes, whipped low-fat ricotta, chopped basil, arugula and a sprinkling of low-fat mozzarella. According to Dr. Oz, a regular serving of pizza has as much as 830 calories while Chef English’s version has only 345 calories.
Taking the Fat out of Tacos: In lieu of pork or beef, the chefs agreed fish and seafood are healthier choices. Chef English prepared shrimp and butternut squash tacos with salsa; Chef Kumai made fish tacos with tequila lime sauce; and Chef Sanchez’s Mahi Mahi tacos were the taste testers’ favorite.
Chef Sanchez explained he seared the fish and cut it up in pieces placed in warm corn tortillas. Then he brushed on smoked jalapeño puree with roasted garlic and agave nectar. The tacos were topped with avocado slices, roasted mango/tomato salsa and arugula. Dr. Oz pointed out tacos at a typical restaurant have 1,142 calories – but two of Chef Sanchez’s fish tacos only have 305 calories.
Appealing Appetizers: Chef English proved you can indulge in hot artichoke and spinach dip – and not tip the scale! He replaced full fat cream cheese with half a portion of Greek yogurt and half a portion of reduced-fat cream cheese mixed with artichoke hearts and spinach. He added a little milk, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, a bit of parmesan and then let the mixture simmer on the stove for about ten minutes. He topped the dip with diced tomatoes and instead of chips for dipping, he used celery sticks. Dr. Oz noted Olive Garden’s version has 488 calories and 23 grams of fat – but Chef English’s dip only has 264 calories and 15 grams of fat.
Chef English also made guilt-free potato skins by scooping out baked potatoes and filling them with reduced fat cheddar cheese and turkey bacon. According to Dr. Oz, TGI Friday’s version is loaded with 624 calories and 41 grams of fat while Chef English’s version only has 178 calories and 9 grams of fat – and the best part is you can have three skins and still feel great about showing off some skin at the beach!
For complete recipes, visit www.doctoroz.com
