Say CHEESE!

So in my whole label-reading experiment, I have learned one thing: cheese adds calories.

And by now all you expert parents of CFers are saying “no duh.”

Cheese adds calories to crackers (think Cheez-Its over Wheat Thins). Cheese adds calories to casseroles and fajitas. And it does it all without adding too many carbs. Yup, there’s no doubt about it, cheese is a CFers best friend.

The good news is when I was researching fat content of different cheeses, I came across Linda Stradley of “What’s Cooking America” and her great nutritional chart, including a long list of fat content by cheese type. Thanks Linda!

http://whatscookingamerica.net/NutritionalChart.htm

The bad news is that some of my personal favorite cheeses actually are lower in fat than I would have thought. And be careful – swiss is a great higher fat cheese unless you accidentally buy the low fat brand.

But I was pleasantly surprised to see Gruyere listed as one of the higher fat cheeses, which is great because I have a fantastic recipe to share for Quiche Lorraine.

Quiche Lorraine

3 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded/grated gruyere cheese*
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/8 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onions (we use white ones)
8 large slices of crispy bacon (the less fat the better)
1 9-inch deep dish pie shell frozen for 24 hours then thawed for 10 minutes

* The secret to a great quiche is the quality of the cheese. If you have the means and budget, find a gourmet cheese shop and ask for a recommendation for the best gruyere to bake with. You won't be disappointed.

Fry the bacon and break into small bits, trimming fat where necessary. Beat the eggs, milk and cream together. Then add the cheese and stir well. Next, add the onions, salt and pepper. When the pie shell is thawed, spread the bacon bits in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the cheese mixture over the bacon bits, making sure that the cheese is spread evenly over the bottom of the pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees Farenheit for 35 minutes or until the crust starts to brown. Remove from oven and use a pie crust shield or just cover the crust edges with thin strips of tinfoil. Return the quiche to the oven for 15 minutes or until a fork comes out clean in the center of the quiche.

To truly low carb it, I found a crustless receipe using bread crumbs as a base here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Crustless-Quiche-241749

More “cheesy” articles here:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/379153-fat-grams-in-cheese/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/409887-cheese-nutrition-guide/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/296334-the-calories-in-sharp-cheddar-cheese/

Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf Sandwiches

I have to give credit to Giada DeLaurentiis for the original recipe, and my best friend from my high school years for showing me how to make it with some alterations that make it easy for a novice cook like me.

Photo courtesy of the Food Network

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs (alternatively you can use Italian breadcrumbs and just leave out the next ingredient)
• 1/4 tsp of Italian seasoning
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/2 cup grated Romano (don't use the shredded kind)
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (look around the veggie counter at your local grocery store, sometimes they sell ones that are already julienned and come in a resealable bag)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat (I really like Perdue's version)
• 1 package of bacon, preferrably without too much fat on it (cooks easier that way)
• 4 to 6 Italian rolls (We like Gonnella's cut top hamburger buns)

Sauce

• 3 cups arugula, about 3 ounces
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (we prefer Hellman's)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, seasoning, eggs, milk, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently mix to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Sometimes I use my hands to get it all together and shape it into a loaf.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (NOT wax paper), lay out the bacon strips vertically, overlapping the edge of the slices slightly, until you've made a large rectangle shape. At one end of the rectangle, place the turkey loaf. Using the parchment paper, wrap the bacon up and around the turkey loaf to cover completely. You might need to fold the ends (with the ends of the bacon) under the loaf. This is the trickiest part of the whole recipe, you can always reshape the loaf in the parchment paper if it gets squished in this process.

Place the parchment paper-covered loaf on another sheet of parchment paper - this will help absorb the grease that will come out from the bacon while cooking and won't make as much mess of your baking sheet. Bake the loaf until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. This usually takes about 1 hour 15 minutes in our oven and we cut the meatloaf in half about 45 minutes into baking to make sure the center is cooked well. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Sauce (optional) In a blender, combine the arugula, mayo and sour cream and process until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make the sandwiches, slice the rolls and spread with the sauce. Slice the turkey meatloaf and place on the rolls to make sandwiches.

My Notes

Once you get the hang of rolling up the loaf inside the parchment paper, this is an easy recipe for the whole family to enjoy. Unfortunately the original recipe doesn't list any nutritional information. But anything wrapped and baked in bacon is bound to be heavier on the fat content, right?!

To add extra calories for CFers, toast the bread and spread some butter on it, add a slice or two of cheddar cheese, and don't be afraid to use that sauce (or sub in some ranch dressing).

If you're trying to low-carb it, serve it like regular meatloaf (but I have to tell you it's delicious on a gourmet hamburger bun). To strip calories for non-CF family members, you can skip the sauce and trim off the bacon before serving.

 

 

 

Lay out strips of bacon, place meatloaf at one end. Starting from the right, roll the meatloaf down to the left with the parchment paper.

 

Fold the extra ends of the parchment paper (with the bacon) underneath the meatloaf; reshape the loaf if some shifting has occured.

 

 

 

Cut meatloaf in half about 45 minutes into baking to help center cook nicely. Note the extra parchment paper helps soak up the bacon grease!



When fully baked, cut parchment paper away from loaf and slice into thick burger-style slices.
 



And serve! CFers don't forget the extra mayo/sour cream topping! (Yes, ,that is Chinet.)

Kraft Dinner vs. Annie’s – and the bunny wins by a nose!

I’m not sure the makers of Annie’s are going to be happy about this post…

Macaroni and cheese is a staple food in our home. My Canadian husband calls it Kraft Dinner and refuses to eat any other brand. My personal choice is Annie’s. Regardless of preference, mac and cheese is one of those great quick meals that is easy to customize for the CFers and non-CFers in your household. Just cook the pasta and split the portions, then add whole milk and extra butter to the CF bowl and skim milk and less butter to the non-CF bowls.

One Saturday I was embarrassed to find our pantry filled with not one...not two...but EIGHT different boxes of macaroni and cheese. All had the same serving sizes but recommended different preparations (as noted in the prior paragraph). Still, there were some interesting differences in nutritional content just with the mix in the box.

Who knew that little rabbit was such a porker?!
I have to say, Annie’s wins this contest hands down. It was the highest in overall calories and calories from fat than any of the KD mixes. Plus the Annie’s mixes alone had less sugar and more fiber in the carb count, and a bit of extra folic acid and Vitamin B1. I think this is because they use organic wheat shell pasta instead of an enriched macaroni product. The cons? Annie’s was a bit lower in iron and sodium than the KD dinners but extra salt can always be added.

(mix only)	Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar	Annie’s Regular Mac & Cheese	Annie’s White Cheddar Shells	KD Veggie Mac & Cheese*	Regular KD and KD Spirals	KD Sponge Bob Shapes	KD Organic
Calories	270	270	270	260	260	250	240
Fat Calories	40	40	40	35	30	20	20
Total Fat	4.5g	4g	4.5g	3.5g	3.5g	2.5g	2.5g
Saturated Fat	2.5g	2.5g	2.5g	1.5g	1.5g	1g	1g
Sodium	510mg	510mg	500mg	550mg	580mg	580mg	630mg
Carbs	46g	46g	47g	47g	47g	49g	49g
Fiber	2g	2g	2g	3g	1g	1g	2g
Sugars	4g	5g	5g	7g	6g	7g	8g

After comparing, I think I’ll try to convert Lil Guy over to my Annie’s preference – we can always add more salt to the mixture to increase sodium content but I like the idea of more fiber and vitamins, particularly for a carb-heavy meal.

*A word about KD Veggie Mac and Cheese – don’t expect this to be on the shelves long, it is nasty stuff! I picked up a box thinking it was just a marketing gimmick. When I started to cook it, the smell of broccoli permeated my kitchen. Turns out they substituted cauliflower as one of the main ingredients. I’ll eat a lot of stuff but this was just gross.

Update: The "creamy" version of any boxed mac & cheese (the one that comes with the liquid cheese package inside) packs twice as much fat but isn't a big hit in my house. Of course, nothing beats the fat content of homemade mac & cheese!