Recipe Conversion 101 Is About To Start

Recipe conversion is easy if you are willing to give it a try. Don’t be afraid to try your hand at converting recipes and before you know it you’ll be an expert at putting together stunning recipe makeovers. If you are a seasoned expert (get it? seasoned) at it already, please share any additional tips you have with our visitors. Sharing is what this website is all about and your stories are always welcome.

Let’s get started.

✓ Rinse your ground beef. Yes you heard me I said, “Rinse it.” When the meat is browned, pour it into a colander and rinse with hot water. Wipe the pan with a paper towel and pour the meat back in. If I’m sautéing an onion I rinse that along with the meat. Wait until after the rinsing to add any seasonings. Believe me, no one will notice, but you will have saved them from eating a lot of animal fat.

✓ Use ground turkey instead of ground beef. This works okay from a flavor standpoint but the turkey can be dry, so be sure to compensate for the dryness. Shredding an apple into your turkey meatloaf or turkey burger meat will keep it moist and add a nice sweetness.

✓ If you really want your beef then mix a little ground beef with a larger quantity of ground turkey. You’ll get the flavor of the beef but not the fat.

✓ Roast your veggies. Almost any vegetable can be roasted. I just spray the vegetables with a little olive oil cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Their natural sweetness shines and you don’t feel you have to cover them with butter or sauces. Roasted yams (in their skin) can be frozen in baggies and then nuked right before serving to provide a pasta or rice alternative. The skin separates from the yam when you reheat it and peeling is a snap!

✓ Roasted fruit is great too. I halve peaches and throw them in the oven. When they rest they make a gooey sweet natural syrup. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and you’ve got a great dessert.

✓ In casseroles, use the low fat or non fat version of soups that are called for and look for the low sodium version of these soups as well. Canned soup products tend to be very high in sodium content. Click here if you would like some help with the ingredient list on packaged foods.

✓ Sometimes eliminating fat is not the answer. Just adjust the quantity. A teaspoon of oil goes a long way. I cook vegetables this way. Just sauté in minimal oil and then add chicken broth and cook down until the broth evaporates. The concentrated chicken flavor is delicious. All of the summer squashes are great this way.

✓ Buy lean meats.

✓ Take the skin off of chicken.

✓ Use tuna packed in water instead of oil.

✓ Lower the amount of meat in a recipe and increase the amount of vegetables. I like to stuff Pasilla chilis with a mixture of ground turkey, mushrooms and fire roasted tomatoes. I use very little turkey, lots of mushrooms (brown ones have a meatier flavor) and no rice at all. When they come out of the oven, I top each pepper half with ½ teaspoon of quality romano cheese (grated)and they are heavenly. Guests who have had this had no idea they were eating an entrée that was nearly meatless. If you develop your ability to season foods well, no one will notice the difference because the dish will be delicious and satisfying.

✓ Substitute a lower fat version of dairy products like milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt etc. In most cases this will not affect the recipe.

✓ When recipes call for ingredients that are fattening but not necessary, reduce the amount. Do you really need to cover the entire casserole with sliced olives? It will be just as good with a light sprinkling of olive slices over the top. The same goes for cheese on top.

✓ The same goes for nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips when you bake. The half that you eliminate will not be missed.

✓ Replace butter with oil whenever possible. Your body needs fats to maintain health. Just be sure to use the healthy fats as much as possible.

✓ Reduce the amount of sugar when you bake. In most cases, it’s not noticeable.

✓ Make your own salad dressing. I love a balsamic vinaigrette. I just make sure I go heavy on the balsamic vinegar and very light on the oil. Fats have a certain mouth feel and when you eliminate them you eliminate your satisfaction with the food as well. Use some fat, just keep it minimal.

✓ Add volume to your foods without adding calories by adding high fiber vegetables like celery, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage and many more. I make a Greek salad by using all cabbage instead of lettuce. Then I add feta cheese and whatever vegetables I feel like that day. I dress it with rice wine vinegar and a dab of olive oil and I am a happy camper. The cabbage requires a lot more chewing and I always feel more satisfied with less of this salad than a lettuce salad and it’s delicious. I highly recommend this.

✓ Make French fries by slicing strips of white potatoes or sweet potatoes and spraying them with olive oil cooking spray and then baking at 500°. Delicious and fat free.

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