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Just because it’s cold outside (especially here in New England where we live) doesn’t mean vegetables are out of season. Cruise the supermarket produce section and you’ll see an array of colorful winter veggies – everything from broccoli and Brussels sprouts to snow peas and squash. In this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we tempt your family’s taste buds with two vegetable side dishes: Saucy Spaghetti Squash and Mashed Potatoes & Turnips.

It’s that time of year again when most of us ring in the New Year with some sort of resolution stating what we’d like to change in the coming year. What’s yours this year? Some of the most popular resolutions we hear about are getting fit, losing weight, managing debt, eating right, quitting smoking, and volunteering more in order to help others.

On this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we share our resolutions – can you believe we’ve both resolved to get more organized? – along with tips for helping you and your family stick to yours.

We also have two recipes to make eating right in 2009 easier than ever. The first is an easy-does-it recipe for Confetti Chicken Wraps, a makeover of fast food Mexican fare. Why drive into the drive through with your kids when you can make this yummy meal instead? Our second recipe for Smooshed Sweet Potatoes is a kid-friendly side dish that’s sure to help everyone get more veggies on the table.

Tell us about your New Year’s resolutions and how you plan to stick with them. We welcome any and all ideas. Most important of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Spinach balls are one of those quintessential holiday favorites that seem healthy – after all, they’re made with spinach – but are typically loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat.

When Jen M., a mom of three from Overland Park, Kansas sent us her recipe for Spinach Balls and asked us to give it a healthy makeover, we couldn’t resist the challenge. “Spinach Balls are a special treat for the kids and a great party food,” said Jen, “but they’re so greasy.” After looking at Jen’s recipe, made with a stick and a half of butter (that’s 12 tablespoons!), we had to agree.

Athena, age 7, loves her mom's new recipe

3-year old Orion eats with gusto

The Rescue:

Hmmm. What to do with those 12 tablespoons of butter? While we’re not opposed to butter all together, the 7 grams of saturated fat in just three of the spinach balls pushed us over the edge. For our rescue, we used four tablespoons of butter plus four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat). We also cut the Parmesan cheese from one cup down to a half.

When made with less fat and Parm, the spinach balls turned out a bit dry. Jen had the same problem when she initially tweaked this recipe at home. “I experimented with less butter and I even used some olive oil but it didn’t work – they were too dry.”

Our final fix was the addition of half a cup of shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. This did the trick and we were happy with the results of our recipe rescue. More importantly, Jen and her family were happy too. “They stayed moist without that greasy quality of the original, and we liked the new flavor,” Jen told us when we spoke on the phone recently. At first, 7-year-old Athena said, “Never make this again,” but then proceeded to devour them! Jen made a batch and froze half. She plans to serve them to friends over New Year’s. We hope she’ll report back and tell us what her friends think of the Recipe Rescue.

Cheesy Spinach Bites

Makes 16 servings (about 48 “bites”)

• Two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 2 cups crushed herb-seasoned stuffing mix (we like Pepperidge Farm made with white & whole wheat bread)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two large, rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Drain the spinach well by pressing in a colander and using paper towels to remove excess moisture.
3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, stuffing mix, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, eggs, flaxseed, oil, butter, onion powder, thyme, and pepper and mix very well.
4. Roll the mixture into 48 balls (about 1 to 1 ¼-inches in diameter) and place on the prepared sheets. Bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving (3 “bites”): 150 calories, 10g fat (3.5g saturated, 0.5g omega-3), 210mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 6g protein, 90% vitamin A, 10% calcium

For comparison sake, the original recipe had 160 calories, 12g fat (7g saturated), and 300mg sodium in three “bites.”

If you want us to give your favorite family recipe a healthy “rescue,” send it to moms@mealmakeovermoms.com.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, consider the abundance of vegetables that will undoubtedly appear on your holiday table. It’s an ideal time to introduce kids to old favorites – green bean casserole anyone? — and some new ones too. If you’ve never cooked Brussels sprouts before, we have a recipe for Finally-Edible Brussels Sprouts on page 317 of The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers that you and your family may like. We also have a new recipe for Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts, featured earlier this year in an article we wrote for Kiwi magazine called Veggie Love! While we see Brussels sprouts as the Rodney Dangerfield of veggies (they get “no respect”), you’ll be surprised how much kids like them.

Sweet potato casserole is another vegetable side dish kids seem to want to eat. Years ago — 1996 to be exact — Liz found a recipe for Streusel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole in Cooking Light Magazine. She’s been making a version of that recipe ever since. Coincidentally, Janice found that same scrumptious side dish, and made her own recipe revisions for Thanksgiving (instead of folding in three beaten egg whites, she simply adds two whole eggs). Even though there are no marshmallows on top, we guarantee your guests – kids included – will gobble it up.

Streusel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

Makes 12 Servings

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

• 3 pounds unpeeled sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 ¼ cups finely chopped, unpeeled Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 to 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender. Let cool; peel and mash. Combine potatoes, orange juice, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl and stir (orange zest, optional)
2. Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until soft peaks form. Add ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth egg white mixture into sweet potato mixture. Gently fold remaining egg white mixture into sweet potato mixture. Spoon mixture into 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray and set aside.
3. To make the topping, combine apples, pecans, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl and stir well. Spoon evenly over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until puffed. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Feel free to share your ideas and recipes right here on our blog!

This week, Janice and I are attending the Mediterranean Diet Conference in Cambridge, MA sponsored by a group called Oldways. Fifteen years ago, I covered Oldways’ first Mediterranean Diet Conference for CNN (in my pre-Meal Makeover Mom life, I was a nutrition producer and reporter for CNN). Back in 1993 the group got together to talk about the taste and health benefits of eating the Mediterranean way – a lifestyle approach to healthful eating filled with fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, nuts and whole grains as well as olive oil, rich in good-for-you fats.

Some of the same people who spoke 15 years ago are at the meeting this week including cookbook author, Nancy Harmon Jenkins. I was excited to see Nancy because I’ve been cooking from her book, The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, since before Josh was born! One of my favorite recipes in the book is Risotto Alla Zucca (Risotto with Pumpkin or Squash).

Whether you’re a huge fan of risotto – a rich and creamy, traditional northern Italian rice dish — or have never made it before, I think you and your kids will love Nancy’s recipe. Sometimes I use sweet potato instead of the squash.

Risotto Alla Zucca

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

(Adapted from The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook)

• 6 cups all-natural chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and coarsely chopped, 2 to 3 cups
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste

1. Heat the broth to a bare simmer and keep simmering very gently while you prepare the risotto.
2. In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, gently sauté the onions in the oil over medium-low heat until the onions are thoroughly softened but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add the squash and stir well to coat the pieces with the oil. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the squash is soft enough to be broken up with a spoon. If the squash starts to scorch, add a little water or broth. The squash should be very soft, almost a puree.
3. When the squash is soft, add the rice and stir to mix well. Add a ladle or two of the simmering broth and stir. As soon as the rice has absorbed the liquid, add more, and continue adding simmering liquid, ladle by ladle stirring constantly. There should always be liquid visible in the pan. Do not add all the liquid at once; this will produce boiled rice or pilaf instead of risotto. The rice is done when it is al dente, with a bit of a bite in the center. Each grain should be well coated with brilliant yellow sauce, which should be dense and rather syrupy looking. When it is done, the risotto should be thick enough to eat with a fork. You might not need to use all the liquid. Total cooking time varies from 20 to 30 minutes.
4. When the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in about ¼ cup of the cheese and the pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes or so, to settle the flavors, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt as needed. Serve immediately and pass more cheese at the table.

By the way, the reason I’m at home right now posting to the blog rather than hanging out with Janice tasting olive oil is because Simon woke up sick today. Luckily Tim was able to come home from work this morning while I spoke at the conference (more on my talk as well as Janice’s when we post again later this week). In the meantime, if you have a traditional Mediterranean dish you and your family love – something from Greece, Morocco, Italy, Spain, etc – feel free to add it to the comments section of this post, and by all means, let us know if you try this recipe.

~ Liz

Sometimes the craziest recipes make the biggest impression on kids. A few weeks back, Simon joined me on my weekly trip to the supermarket. I’m sure he would have preferred staying home with his soccer ball, but he tagged along anyway without complaint (probably because he knew he could play his favorite sneak-as-many-boxes-of-cookies-into-Mom’s-shopping-cart-without-being-noticed game).

On this particular trip, Simon had his sights set on soup (and cookies, of course). It seemed bizarre but he insisted on a Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup – one of the all-natural soups from Imagine. I kid you not.

So that night, I took the soup, added a few nutritious ingredients to jazz it up, and presented “mud” with dinner to the delight of everyone.

Muddy Mushroom Soup

Makes About 5 Servings

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• One pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 32-ounce carton Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup
• 1 cup oyster crackers

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add the soup and bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Serve in individual bowls and top with oyster crackers (look for trans-fat free oyster crackers from companies like Westminster Cracker Company or Trader Joe’s).

Nutrition Information per Serving: 160 calories, 7g fat (0g saturated), 360mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 6g protein, 10% iron

While Simon ate it happily, Josh was a bit skeptical. That’s when I came up with the name, Muddy Mushroom Soup. In the end, Josh also gave it two thumbs up and said he really loved it. The only complaint from the boys and hubby Tim was that the soup needed more mushrooms — can you imagine kids actually asking for MORE vegetables!? (I originally made it with 10 ounces of mushrooms, but have since increased it to a pound — use the 10 ounces if you think your troops would prefer a bit less).

For more soup ideas, tune into this week’s Soups that Satisfy podcast. But before you leave our blog, feel free to share any of your own silly recipe success stories.

~ Liz

There are more squash varieties out there than acorn and butternut and one in particular that has huge kid appeal.  For the past week, we’ve been testing a new side dish recipe using delicata squash.  On the outside, this long, oblong-shaped squash is creamy in color with stripes running down the sides, and on the inside it has a beautiful golden color.  Delicata squash is also called sweet potato squash because it tastes a bit like sweet potatoes, and it has a similar creamy texture.

We’re confident your kids – even if they’re averse to vegetables – will gobble up this naturally sweet side dish.  All of our children – Janice’s daughter’s Leah and Carolyn and Liz’s sons Simon and Josh – gave the new recipe two thumbs up.  That’s what we call “veggie success.”

Delicious Delicata Squash

Makes 4 Servings

• Two 1-pound delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Generous pinch ground cloves
• Pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into four small pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Place the squash halves, cut side up, in a glass baking dish.
2. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.  Top each squash half with the butter, and sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture.  Bake, uncovered, until the squash is very tender when tested with a fork, about 1 hour.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 70 calories, 2g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 75mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein, 130% vitamin A, 25% iron

We wanted to let you know about a promotional event that Beans. The Vegetable with More® campaign has just launched. It’s a contest to encourage America to reinvent the classic schoolyard chant, “Beans, beans the musical fruit.”

For years, children and parents have recited variations of this memorable chant, but what they don’t realize is that something in the lyrics is wrong – beans are a vegetable, not a fruit! While 3 out of 4 adults know the bean chant, only 1 in 4 know that beans are actually a vegetable. It’s time to set the record straight!

We heard this afternoon from Charity, who posted and shared a recipe that she makes with the green beans she gets from her CSA. Well, it just so happens that Janice’s parents were coming for dinner and were bringing green beans from their friend Mo’s garden. Since the recipe looked so yummy Janice made it tonight. The adults all loved it and the kids, while a bit less enthusiastic (there is a lot going on in this dish), also gave the recipe a ‘thumbs up.’ So you don’t have to search our blog for it, here is what Charity sent along. There are no ingredient amounts so just wing it. Janice cooked hers in a nonstick skillet and used extra virgin olive oil and lots of almonds, and garlic from her CSA. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Here’s my “recipe” for green beans:
1. Cut green beans into 1-2 inch lengths. Add a bit of water and cook in microwave for about 5 minutes.
2. In a small sauce pan, saute plenty of garlic in a little canola or olive oil. After the garlic is tender, add slivered almonds. Stir constantly until almonds are toasted.
3. Add cooked green beans and just a bit of chopped dried apricots. Mix well.
4. Serve sprinkled with feta cheese.

For the past few years, Janice has been a member of the Farm Direct Coop CSA (community supported agriculture). We talked about CSAs this week on our podcast, Cooking with the Moms, and promised to provide information about joining one. But before we do that, for those of you who are not familiar with CSAs, they help to forge a relationship between consumers and local farms. When a consumer becomes a”member” or “shareholder” of a CSA, they pay an annual membership fee and in turn, receive a weekly basket of produce — whatever happens to be in season. There are many websites out there devoted to CSAs. A good place to start is http://www.localharvest.com/. If you’re a member of a CSA, tell us what you got this week and feel free to share any new or tried-and-true recipes.