Recipe Rehab: Eggs Benedict
Filed under: Recipe Rehab with Tanya Zuckerbrot, Nutrition & Supplements
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Paula, from Anaheim, Calif., has lost 60 pounds and is working to keep it off. She's doing this by eating more vegetables and finding recipes that are lower in calories. Bravo, Paula! She occasionally has "cheat days" on the weekends, and one of her favorite foods is eggs Benedict. Even though she has already done her own mini-rehab on this recipe by substituting egg whites and turkey sausage, she feels guilty about the rich hollandaise sauce. She would like to be able to start the weekends on a healthier note by reducing the calories of this dish even further.
Hollandaise sauce is horribly high in calories due to the large amount of butter needed to make the thick, creamy sauce. For my rehab, I will reduce the amount of butter by replacing it with fat-free buttermilk. Adding a little bit of cornstarch as a thickener will make the sauce just as creamy as the original without all the calories.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch paprika and cayenne pepper
2 whole-wheat English muffins, toasted
4 slices low-sodium turkey bacon, cooked
4 egg whites, poached in simmering water for 3 minutes
Instructions:
1. Melt the butter in a pan on the stove or in the microwave and keep it warm.
2. Whisk together the buttermilk and cornstarch in the top of a double boiler. Heat over boiling water until the sauce begins to thicken.
3. Whisk in the egg yolks and water and continue beating until the mixture comes to a simmer. Once the mixture starts to bubble, heat for another 15 seconds and remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, melted butter and spices.
4. Serve by layering 1/2 English muffin with 1 slice turkey bacon (split in half), 1 poached egg white and 2 tablespoons hollandaise sauce.
Serves: 4
Nutrition Content (per serving):
204 calories, 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 17 g carbohydrates, 5 g sugars, 2 g fiber, 14 g protein, 445 mg sodium
Try serving my lightened-up hollandaise sauce over steamed vegetables or fish for a dinnertime treat.
For another healthy breakfast idea, try my banana French toast.
Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.
Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach, Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!
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Desserts are often the downfall when trying to cut down on cholesterol and sugar. Ellen from Lindenhurst, Ill., loves to bake, but she is a senior citizen and is trying to be cautious about what she eats because she is in the high-risk category for developing heart disease and diabetes. 7Up cake was very popular in the 1950s and one of Ellen's family favorites. The recipe is similar to pound cake but uses the carbonation from 7Up soda as the leaning agent and for its lemony flavor. With three cups of sugar and three sticks of butter, the cake is drowning in sugar and saturated fat. It's definitely in need of a recipe rehab.
I was able to cut the calories in half by replacing some of the butter with nonfat Greek yogurt and reducing the amount of sugar. Using Splenda will reduce the calories even further. I also used a combination of whole-wheat pastry flour and cake flour in order to add fiber without weighing the cake down. And for a little boost in fluffiness, I replaced the eggs with stiffly beaten egg whites.
Top with fresh berries for a sweet summertime treat.
Ingredients:
o.1/2 cup butter
o.1 1/2 cups sugar or 3/4 cup Splenda
o.1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
o.2 tablespoons lemon extract
o.1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
o.1 1/2 cups cake flour
o.3/4 cup 7Up
o.5 egg whites, beaten until stiff
Instructions:
1. Grease and flour a Bundt or angel food pan. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (original recipes call for 20 minutes of hand mixing, but 5 to 7 minutes with an electric mixer will work). Add the yogurt and lemon extract. Stir to combine.
3. Alternately stir in the flour and 7Up until they are incorporated into the mixture.
4. Fold in the egg whites and pour into baking pan.
5. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes.
Serves: 12
Nutrition Content (per serving):
279 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 52 g carbohydrates, 27 g sugars, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein, 36 mg sodium
Note: Using Splenda instead of sugar and Diet 7Up will reduce the calories to 181, carbohydrates to 26 g, and sugars to 2 g.
Try some of my other lightened-up sweet treats: chocolate cake and carrot cake.
Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.
Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe! 
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Southern foods are known for being robust and filling, and the traditional recipe for Southern-style green beans is no different. Usually seasoned with fatback, bacon or ham hocks, the beans are boiled until they are tender and have a dark green color and a salty taste. One of our readers wrote us with a request to make over his mother's green bean recipe so that the calories represent a reasonable side dish rather than an entree.
Fatback and ham hocks add quite a bit of sodium to the green beans, not to mention unwanted calories. But there is no question that they add a lot of flavor, which green beans on their own tend to lack. I will spice up the green beans with onions, garlic, black pepper and crushed red pepper to add flavor without extra calories. Cooking vegetables in large amounts of water until the color runs out leaches nutrients, which are then lost when the water is discarded. Other nutrients, like vitamin C and folic acid, are completely destroyed in the cooking process because they are not heat stable. It is best to cook veggies on a griddle or steam them. I am actually going to stir-fry the beans in a little bit of olive oil to help absorb the fat-soluble vitamins and intensify the flavors of the dish.
Now this rehab may be a step away from your mother's Southern cooking, but it is a delicious low-calorie way to spice up green beans.
Ingredients:
o.1 tablespoon olive oil
o.1 medium onion, sliced
o.3 cloves garlic
o.1 pound green beans (frozen or fresh)
o.1/4 teaspoon salt
o.1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
o.1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are tender.
2. Add the green beans and cover to keep in the steam. Cook for about 3 minutes. It may be necessary to add a little bit of water (1 to 2 tablespoons), especially if using fresh green beans.
3. Turn the green beans and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cover of the pan and add the spices. Finish cooking with the cover off until the green beans are slightly tender but still crunchy.
Serves: 4
Nutrition Content (per serving):
80 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 11 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 3 g protein, 154 mg sodium
Spice up another side dish vegetable: Try my Brussels sprouts!
Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REAHB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.
Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe! 
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There are a lot of sauce variations for meatballs, including both sweet and savory varieties. One of the more popular recipes comes from the traditional gravy-based Swedish variation, which tends to add calories with either a butter-based roux or heavy cream.
Wendy writes in from Chicago, Ill., with the request to rehab her mom's recipe for Swedish meatballs, which is made with cream of mushroom soup. She explains that her mother replaced the traditional butter-based roux with soup mainly for ease in preparation, as she was trying to feed a hungry family with seven children.
The cream of mushroom soup was so similar in taste and consistency to the traditional sauce that her husband was unaware, and she successfully hid it from him for many years by disposing of the evidence.
Wendy already lightened up the meatballs for me by using ground turkey and chickpeas to lower the fat and add fiber, but she would like to replace the canned sauce with a healthier version.
The classic Swedish meatball recipe does not contain mushrooms, but I think they are a wonderful addition to this dish, especially as they are full of antioxidants and may help to boost the immune system.
However, canned cream of mushroom soup is high in fat calories and loaded with sodium. I will make a simple sauce with chopped mushrooms and evaporated skim milk thickened with flour to create a lower-sodium, lower-calorie sauce that really compliments the ground turkey meatballs. Enjoy over brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
Ingredients:
o.1 can (15-ounce) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
o.1 small onion, chopped
o. 1 pound ground turkey breast
o.1 egg
o.1/4 teaspoon salt
o.1/4 teaspoon black pepper
o.1 clove garlic, diced
o.2 teaspoons olive oil
Sauce
o.1 small onion, chopped
o.8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
o.2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
o.2 cans (12-ounce) evaporated skim milk
o.1/2 cup all-purpose flour
o.1/2 teaspoon sage
o.1/4 teaspoon salt
o.1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
1. Process the onions and chickpeas in a food processor until well chopped but not smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, chickpea mixture, egg, salt and pepper until combined. Roll about 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time into balls.
3. Heat the oil and garlic in a skillet and add the meatballs. Brown on all sides and simmer for about 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from pan and let the meatballs rest.
4. Add the mushrooms and onion for the sauce to the hot skillet. Cook until onions are translucent, adding some of the broth if necessary. Remove from pan and process in food processor until desired consistency.
5. Add the broth to the hot skillet. While this is heating to a boil, combine the milk and flour and beat until all the flour has dissolved (I like to put it in a jar with a tight-sealing lid and shake to combine the mixture). Add the milk mixture to the broth, stirring consistently. Continue to heat until thickened but do not boil.
6. Remove from heat and add the spices and mushroom mixture. Add the sauce to the meatballs and return to heat until meatballs are heated through.
7. Serve over rice or pasta.
Serves: 6
Nutrition Content (per serving):
386 calories, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 44 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 31 g protein, 657 mg sodium
If you like meatballs, be sure to try my Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs!
Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.
Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach, Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!
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Most breakfast options tend to be high in simple carbohydrates (pancakes, muffins, cereals, toast or bagels, for example) or fats (such as bacon, sausage or biscuits). This recipe for cheddar and cherry muffins from Constance is an interesting mixture of sweet and savory.
These muffins are naturally lower in sugar than traditional sweet muffins, and they are a great grab-and-go option for mornings on the run. The problem is that they are high in both simple carbohydrates and fats, which tend to make you sluggish midmorning and leave you with a rumbling stomach long before lunchtime.
To lighten this recipe, I will pump up the protein and reduce the calories and fat by using fat-free milk and Greek yogurt to replace the regular milk and butter. By using extra-sharp cheddar cheese, I will be able to keep the intense flavor but use a smaller amount. In order to add the filling power of fiber to these muffins, I will swap out the regular flour for a combination of whole-wheat flour and cornmeal.
This is a great twist on a breakfast favorite, but the muffins also make a healthy snack or side dish!
Ingredients:
o.1/2 cup dried cherries
o.1 cup whole-wheat flour
o.1 cup whole-grain cornmeal
o.1 tablespoon sugar
o.1/2 teaspoon salt
o.3 teaspoons baking powder
o.1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
o.1 cup skim milk
o.2 eggs, beaten
o.6 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
Instructions:
1. Put cherries in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes to reconstitute. Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder and cheese.
3. In a smaller bowl, mix the milk, eggs and yogurt.
4. Stir liquid mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened. Do not beat. Drain the cherries and fold them into the mixture.
5. Spoon batter into muffin cups until they are two-thirds full.
6. Bake at 350° F until golden brown (about 20 minutes). Cool on wire rack.
Makes: 1 dozen muffins
Nutrition Content (per muffin):
144 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 24 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 7 g protein, 278 mg sodium
Want more muffin recipes? Check out my Blueberry Bran Muffins.
Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.
Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach, Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!