Not the Old Country's Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is one of those dishes that I sadly often forget I LOVE and thus it is sorely neglected. It almost never occurs to me to make it even though I almost always have the necessary ingredients in my fridge (and I would bet most of you foodies do too).

When you order this in restaurants it is generally a heavily cream based dish with a type of pasta or egg noodle. This recipe I tweeked to make it a little less fattening and significantly low carb. Instead of a pasta or noodle I opted to use Spaghetti Squash as the starch. I am obsessed with spaghetti squash and all you can do with it (It really is an amazing substitute for pasta or potatoes but more on that later). Generally beef stroganoff is served over the noodles. When using the spaghetti squash I opted to just put it on the side so the seasoning on the squash had a chance to stand on its own instead of just playing a supporting role in this cast.

Background: Beef Stroganoff or Beef Stroganov is a Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with sour cream. The first known recipe for Govjadina po-strogonovski, s gorchitseju "Beef à la Stroganov, with mustard" involves lightly floured beef cubes (not strips) sautéed, sauced with prepared mustard and bouillon, and finished with a small amount of sour cream: no onions, no mushrooms. A 1912 recipe adds onions and tomato paste and serves it with crisp potato straws, which are considered the traditional side dish in Russia. The version given in the 1938 Larousse Gastronomique includes beef strips, and onions, with either mustard or tomato paste optional. In the version often prepared in the USA today in restaurants and hotels it consists of strips of beef filet with a mushroom, onion, and sour cream sauce and served over rice or noodles.

Spaghetti Squash, also called vegetable spaghetti, or noodle squash is an oblong variety of winter squash. The fruit can range from ivory to yellow or orange in color or even green with white streaks. Its center contains many large seeds like a pumpkin. Its flesh is bright yellow like margarine or orange or white for the latter varieties. When raw, the flesh is solid, similar to other raw squash; but when cooked, the flesh falls away from the fruit in strands like spaghetti. The fruit can be baked, boiled, steamed or microwaved and can be served with or without sauce as a substitute for pasta and noodles. When it is steamed, and lightly salted, it has a sweet and buttery taste to it similar to buttery mashed sweet potatoes. The seeds can be roasted, in the same way as pumpkin seeds.

Herbed Spaghetti Squash

I got this recipe idea from an Emeril Lagasse Recipe. For the most part I kept it the same but I got lazy and instead of cooking the squash with all the ingredients at the end, I just let them cook in the heat of the squash straight from the oven.

Ingredients:

1 Small Spaghetti Squash

Olivio *Recipe calls for regular butter, but you could use olive oil or any nondairy butter substitute you like

2 1/2 tablespoon Herb mix: equal parts basil, chives, chervil, parsley and sage *If you don't have the necessary herbs or don't feel like making your own herb mix, you can just use Herbs de Provence

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side down in a baking dish with raised edges. Add enough water to the dish to come about half way up the sides of the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes until the squash is easily pierced with a paring knife. Turn squash over, recover with foil and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Remove the seeds using a spoon and discard. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel, place the squash in a mixing bowl. Add the Olivio, salt, pepper and herb mix and combine thoroughly.

Nutrition Facts: Makes 4 servings, calculations per serving

grams: 164.5; calories: 64; fat: 2g; saturated fat: .5g; protein: 1g; carbs: 10.5g; sodium: 345 mg; fiber: 2g; sugar 4g

Beef Stroganoff Ingredients:

1 lb Beef Eye round steak (cut into 2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide strips with the fat trimmed off)

2 tbs Olivio *May use butter or any nondairy butter substitute

1 small onion * I used 1/4 white onion and 1/4 red onion because that is what happened to be left in my fridge

8-10 baby portobello mushroom(caps only)

1/2 cup vegetable broth *Generally most stroganoff recipes call for Beef stock

1 tbs dijon mustard

1/2 cup soy creamer *Can use any sort of heavy cream or nondairy creamer NOTE: make sure if you are using a nondairy creamer that it is plain and unsweetened (vanilla is a terrible taste to add to this dish)

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt *If you are making this kosher, use a soy sour cream or yogurt

2 teaspoons whole wheat flour

Dash of Sea Salt

Dash of Black Pepper

2 tbsp parsley

2 tbsp dill

Directions:

Heat large stainless steel skillet over high heat and sear meat on all sides for 1 min. Do this in small batches so you can turn the pieces of meat quickly without the meat giving off any liquid. Remove to plate. PERSONAL NOTE: Generally when a recipe asks me to brown or sear the beef and remove to a plate before the juices escape I never listen. I have learned my lesson because this time I followed the rules and I have never created a beef dish that was so tender and juicy AND full of amazing flavor. So word to the wise...if you have to follow just one part of the recipe, make sure its the part that involves preparing the meat.

In a clean, wide skillet heat the Olivio. Finely chop the onions and add to the skillet. Sweat the onions (cook them just until they start to wilt and turn clear). Thinly slice the mushroom caps and add to the skillet. Saute until deep golden (about 20 min).

While the onions and mushrooms cook, blend the vegetable broth, dijon mustard, soy creamer and greek yogurt over medium heat in a skillet. Lower heat, and whisk in the whole wheat flour. Continue whisking and add in juices from the seared beef plate. Add sauce to onions and mushrooms. Simmer (without boiling) until thick. Return meat to sauce and heat without boiling until beef is warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley and dill.

Serve over spaghetti squash or with squash as a side dish.

Nutrition Facts: Makes 4 servings. Calculations per serving (Stroganoff only)

grams: 273; calories: 244.5; fat: 9g; saturated fat: 2g; protein: 29.5g; carbs: 8g; sodium: 250.6 mg; fiber: 1g; sugar: 5g

Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

Lets face it, no matter how committed to a diet or eating plan you may be, there are just some days when you need that indulgent comfort meal to get you through the day. We've all been there. And I'm not talking about the little bit of chocolate or decadent dessert. My previous posts have already shown that you can have those things without the guilt. I'm talking about that full on comfort meal that takes you to that special comfy place in your mind where you can really recharge your batteries. For me that food is chicken pot pie.

Normally Chicken Pot Pie is one of the unhealthy dishes out there, with the cream, buttery pastry, potatoes and dark meat chicken. Now I should point out right off the bat that this is still an indulgent meal that probably shouldn't be made into a daily selection. However this recipe significantly cuts down on the fat, calories and carbs so that you can have your indulgence and save yourself some of the guilt. I like to make the pot pies as individual pies so that some can be enjoyed immediately and others can be frozen for another indulgence down the road, but this can easily be made into one large pie for all to share.

To make individual pot pies, make sure you have good porcelain ramekins (mine are from Crate and Barrel and are fabulous). This recipe makes 4 individual pot pies

Ingredients:

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts *You can also use bone in chicken and peel the chicken from the bones yourself. NOTE: Bone in chicken will help give a lot of flavor to the chicken stock but will be a little fattier

1/4 tsp dried Thyme

1/4 tsp dried Rosemary

1/4 tsp dried Sage

1 dried Bay Leaf

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

5 slices of dried garlic *May use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder

2 sheets of premade puff pastry crust *Pepperidge Farms is pareve for those keeping kosher PERSONAL NOTE: I only had one sheet and ended up using Phyllo dough for the top. To cut down on the fat use Phyllo dough for the bottom and top

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

8 baby carrots, chopped

3/4 cup green beans, frozen *Can use fresh or frozen green beans or peas instead

1/4 cup all purpose flour *May use whole wheat or oat flour, whatever you have in your kitchen

3 tbsp soy creamer, plain *May use any type of low fat or nondairy creamer. NOTE: Make sure to use PLAIN creamer and not sweetened creamer

Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To prepare the ramekins spray the insides lightly with some cooking spray (I use Pam). This will give the pot pie crust a buttery taste without the fat.

Thaw out the pastry sheets/phyllo dough according to the package instructions. If you want to make the pastry from scratch, here is a good healthy pastry recipe, just substitute the butter with a nondairy butter like Olivio or low fat cottage cheese. Once the pastry is at room temperature, cut into large squares that exceed the size of the ramekins (I cut them into squares into between 1/3 and 1/2 a sheet). Mold the square into the ramekin creating a small crust border on the top. Be sure to cut away excess pastry that falls over the edge because that will burn in the oven. Once all the ramekins are prepped, cover with a damp paper towel to keep the dough moist while you prepare the filling.

In a large saucepan boil 4 cups of water with the thyme, rosemary, sage, sea salt, black pepper, bay leaf, garlic, and chicken. Boil the chicken for 15-20 minutes until outside of chicken looks cooked. Remove chicken and shred roughly or cube. Personal NOTE: I like to use a fork to shred the chicken roughly leaving some chunks larger. Set chicken aside and save the stock (seasoned boiling water) for later. Remember to remove the Bay leaf or the flavor will become to strong and overpowering.

Spray a large skillet with Pam. Saute the celery, onion, shallot until celery begins to turn clear, about 2 min. Add 2 cup of the saved chicken stock and simmer. Add the carrots and green beans. Cook until liquid reduces down by half.

In a separate small sauce pan add the about half of the remaining chicken stock over medium-low heat. Combine the flour, whisking until thick and smooth. Slowly add the remaining chicken stock and continue whisking to maintain the thickness of the roux (pronounce ROO). Add in the creamer and worcestershire sauce and continue whisking until the roux has a peanut butter color to it. NOTE: Make sure there are no flour clumps otherwise it will creating a floury taste and the texture of sand in your filling.

Add the chicken to the cooked vegetables. Slowly mix in the roux making sure to thoroughly stir it in to maintain the gravy consistency. If the gravy is too thick alternate between adding small amounts of water and creamer.

Divide the filling into four and pour into the preppared ramekins.

DISCLAIMER: Working with Phyllo dough can be very frustrating and difficult if you don't follow the proper process. The dough MUST be thawed in the refrigerator first then left outside to come to room temperature. Make sure that you have plenty of counter space to work in. Lay down a silpat sheet on a large space of counter or lightly flour a flat surface. Lay the first thin sheet of phyllo. Lightly spray the top with Pam (can use a brush and melted butter) and sprinkle some flour or very fine bread crumbs over the Pam. Gently place another sheet on top being careful not to break the dough or let it get folded or wrinkled. Continue the Pam and flour process and laying the sheets until you have one thick sheet about 8 sheets thick. NOTE: The flour is necessary to help placing the layered sheets without the dough sticking and making it impossible to slide into place. Try to smooth out any air bubbles in between the sheets. Cut the sheet into squares large enough to make a top for the pot pies.

Place the dough on top of the filled pies. Press the edges into the pastry (using Pam if necessary to create an adhesive to make sure the seam seals) creating a seam to seal the pot pie. Leave some edges unsealed to allow steam to escape during baking. You brush the top with an egg wash to help give the phyllo dough a golden glazed look. Place the pot pies on a baking sheet and bake in the oven on the bottom rack for 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly and then enjoy!

Nutrition Facts: Makes 4 pies, Serving Size is 1 individual pie

grams: 329; calories: 750; fat: 30 g; sfat: 15g; protein: 30g; carbs: 78g; sodium: 1400 mg; fiber: 5g; sugar: 9g

NY Restaurant Review: Favela Cubana

Cuisine: Brazilian and Cuban

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village/NYU

Price range: $15-20 main course

Website: www.favelacubana.com

Address: 543 LaGuardia Place (between Bleecker and West 3rd St)

Pros: Laid back Atmosphere, Good Food, Nice Music (Live Music , Reasonably Priced

Cons: NO CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED, Don't come late if you want to try the Pao de Queijo

Other reviews:

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/favela-cubana/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/favela-cubana-new-york

My Take on Things:

I have to admit that fairly early on I had developed a sort of complex about Cuban food. I didn't quite understand it (probably because my only idea of Latin food was some form of Tex-Mex, Spano- Mex, or Mexican food). Then when I was probably in my pre-teens we went to a family friends house where I had "authentic" Cuban food for the first time. Unfortunately our hostess was not a fan of spice or intense flavor and had a very sensitive pallete/stomach. So what we were left eating was very bland, and maybe just a little too alien for my 12 year old brain to process. Since then I have steered clear of Cuban food thinking that its going to be bland and made up only of pork or seafood dishes (I have a bit of an allergy to seafood and for me pork is probably the last of the meats I go to if given a choice). Needless to say I was sort of skeptical going into this place.

My boyfriend and I have probably been walking by this place every weekend for a year. Finally we decided to branch away from our usual go to eating out places and give this place a shot. I had some glimmer of hope seeing that it was really a Brazilian Cuban restaurant. I have recently been trying out Brazilian food and from what I have had so far, I'm in love.

We decided to sit inside since the NY summer humidity was just a bit too much for us. The atmosphere inside was very laid back and nice. I sort of felt transported to a beach side eatery in Mexico or Florida. The decor is probably a little kitschy but the laid back vibe of the wait staff and the soothing Bossa Nova music playing in the background make up for it. The place is small and looks like it is definitely staffed by friends or family of the owner which sort of adds to the charm.

The place was relatively empty when we went (mostly because everyone was out eating on the patio), but the wait staff was just the right balance between attentive and standoffish (I honestly hate when it feels like the waiter is going to hover over me and chew my food for me but I also don't like feeling like I'm gonna have to go tend the bar myself).

We had planned on ordering the Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread) but sadly we had come too late and they had already run out. It seems you generally have to be in for an early dinner or just come for lunch if you want to be able to get in on that action on the weekends. I am sort of obsessed with this bread so I recommend making the effort if you can to try it. The waitress seemed to feel bad about being out of the bread and instead recommended trying one of the Empanadas. The mpanada fillings change daily they day we happened to go the specials were chicken or maiz empanada. I saw a plate go to another table and they sure did look appetizing but I'll admit I had my heart set on the Pao de Queijo and was in no mood to be deterred by a Maiz Empanada.

Instead we went for an order of Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains $3.50 a plate). I have in the past had plantains in more of a Jamaican cuisine setting so I was interested in seeing if there was any difference here. First of all, at $3.50 a plate they sure did give us ALOT of plantains. Its listed as a side dish but it sure did make for a perfect appetizer. I found these plantains to be less sweet than the Jamaican ones I've had before and they were not so much fried as they were sauteed. Not being a stickler for authenticity in this case (mainly since I'm not even close to an expert in the matter) I have to say I really liked them. They where too intensely greasy or crispy and they had a little saltiness to them that I liked with the natural sweetness of the plantains. I think we would have honestly ordered more sides and made it more of a tapas style meal (not too bad an idea since the side dishes are huge and range from $3-$4) but I was in a serious mood for some Brazilian beef. Deciding to try something different than my standby favorite of Picanha na Chapa (Grilled Black Angus sirloin steak) I ordered the Ropa Vieja (Braised beef with olives, onions and peppers). It came with Cuban black beans and white rice. I didn't have the rice but the beef and the black beans were AMAZING. I'm sort of finicky about beans but these were very good. I think I would have finished the whole bowl if I hadn't had the Maduros earlier. My boyfriend ordered the Salmao (grilled salmon in port sauce). Not being the type to be very verbal about his eating experience I can only imagine he liked what he got since he cleaned the entire plate.

All in all I liked this restaurant. The menu seemed to have a variety of dishes all of which sounded delicious. If anything I want to come back to try out some of the other sides, main course and their Pao de Queijo. As a side note I will point out that the menu was very evenly balanced between pork, seafood, chicken, beef and even vegetarian dishes so anyone who had the apprehensions about Cuban food that I had can rest assured that there is something for everyone on the menu.

Homemade Frozen Yogurt (Without a Machine)

Its that time of year! Time to put away the puffy coats and sweaters and bring out the ice cream scoop. However for those of us trying to maintain an appropriate figure to rock our summer swim wear, the usual creamy rich ice cream packed with toppings just isn't going to fly. Even most commercial frozen yogurt substitutes out there are equally as unhealthy. Because of the way most commercial frozen yogurts are processed they lack any of the nutritional value of actual yogurt (mainly all the healthy bacteria in the yogurt gets killed before it is frozen) thus it really only is marginally healthier than commercial ice cream.

Rather than let waist line take a nose dive and subject myself to moo-moos and cover ups on the beach this summer, I decided to try my hand at making my own healthy frozen yogurt. Also since I don't have the ready cash to be purchasing an ice cream maker, I decided to give it a go the old fashioned way. Also by making frozen yogurt at home, you basically have carte blanche (essentially a blank slate) to work with and can create your very own flavor pairings.

The key to making sure the frozen yogurt stays healthy and maintains all the healthy bacteria and nutrients is to make sure that you never let the yogurt get below room temperature (that kills the bacteria), and also try not to blend the yogurt in the mixer too much because it breaks up the yogurt making it into a soupy mess.

Below are three recipes I tried out this weekend, feel free to use these or make your own and enjoy!

Coconut Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond milk *You can use any type of milk you want for this

1/3 cup evaporated milk

2 tbsp agave nectar *You can use any sort of sugar or artificial sweetener you want, honey also works well

1 1/2 tsp coconut extract

2 egg whites

2 cups strained, plain or vanilla greek yogurt *I used 2 individual sized tubs of Chobani plain, non fat Greek yogurt with pomegranate seeds at the bottom.

Coconut Shavings (optional)

In a medium sauce pan heat milk over medium high heat. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except for the egg whites and greek yogurt) until smooth. Heat on medium heat for about 10 minutes constantly stirring to ensure that a filmy residue does not form on top. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature

In a separate bowl beat (with an egg beater or electric blender) the egg whites until frothy and cream like in color and consistency. Combine the egg whites with the room temperature milk mixture (Be sure the milk mixture is sufficiently cool otherwise the eggs will get cooked). This will make up the base custard mixture necessary for creamy frozen yogurt.

In a blender, or with an electric mixer, blend together the Greek yogurt and the room temperature custard mixture. Mix in with a spatula fresh pomegranate seeds (optional) and coconut shavings (optional). Taste for flavor or sweetness and add sugar/splenda or coconut extract if need be.

Pour the yogurt mixture into a pre-chilled shallow glass baking dish (If you have an ice cream machine this is the point you would put it in there and follow the machine instructions). Every 20-25 min blend the yogurt mixture with a whisk or electric mixer (on slowest mode) to break up the ice crystals (this ensures a creamier frozen yogurt). Continue doing this for about 2.5 hours until the frozen yogurt is a thick creamy consistency.

Nutrition Facts: Recipe makes about 4 cups. Serving size is 1/2 cup

grams: 107; calories: 75; fat: 1g; saturated fat: .5g; protein: 5g; carbs: 11g; sodium: 75 mg; fiber: 0g; sugar: 10g

Hazelnut Raspberry with Chocolate Chips Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 tbsp Agave nectar

2 tsp Hazelnut extract

Pinch of cocoa powder (for color and to enhance the hazelnut flavor)

2 egg whites

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup dark chocolate chips *I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla, strained, non fat Greek Yogurt

To create the custard base, combine almond milk, evaporated milk, agave nectar, hazelnut extract and cocoa powder and heat over medium-high heat in a saucepan until smooth and creamy. Continually stir with a whisk to prevent filmy coat from forming on the top. Remove from heat and let cool until room temperature.

In a separate bowl, beat with an electric mixer the egg whites until frothy and light with the color and consistency of milk. Add the egg whites to the room temperature milk mixture.

In the blender, blend the frozen raspberries and chocolate chips.

Add the Greek yogurt and blend in the custard mixture until smooth. Transfer to a chilled glass baking dish (or place into ice cream machine and follow machine instructions). Place in the freezer, removing it every 20-25 min to blend the mixture and break up the ice crystals forming. Continue the process for about 2.5 hours until it is a thick and creamy consistency.

Nutrition Facts: Makes about 4 cups. Serving size is 1/2 cup

grams: 131; calories: 129; fat: 4g; saturated fat: 2g; protein: 6g; carbs: 19g; sodium: 59.5 mg; fiber: 2g; sugar: 16g

Vanilla Mint with blueberries Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 tbsp Agave nectar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 egg whites

1 cup frozen blueberries

A few sprigs of fresh mint leaves (optional)

1 1/4 cup plain or vanilla, strained non fat Greek yogurt

Create the custard mixture as directed above using the milks, nectar, and vanilla and peppermint extracts.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites as described about and add to the milk mixture once it has cooled to room temperature.

In the blender, blend slightly the frozen blueberries and the mine leaves. Add in the yogurt and blend in the custard mixture. Pour into a chilled glass baking dish (or ice cream machine) and follow the freezing process described above.

Nutrition Facts: Makes about 4 cups. Serving size is 1/2 cup

grams: 116; calories: 66; fat: 1g; saturated fat: 0g; protein: 5g; carbs: 9g; sodium: 48 mg; fiber: .5g; sugar: 8g

There literally hundreds of flavors you can make when you make frozen yogurt at home. I personally love the three flavors I created above (the Coconut Pomegranate is my favorite though). Here is what the end result looked like. Enjoy!

Fiesta Friday goes Greek

Ok, ok...first a little disclaimer: The only thing Greek about me are my sorority letters. So I will not even pretend to be any sort of expert on Greek cuisine and flavors. I do however LOVE LOVE LOVE Greek food (as I know it).

With Summer here and in full swing, my culinary biological clock is telling me its Fiesta Friday time! I know, I know, its only Thursday...but I won't be cooking tomorrow so I had to jump the gun a bit. One memory growing up that I will always love was Friday night dinners which were special because it was the day my mom took a break from cooking and we would order in from somewhere. Almost always we would settle on Macayo's, our favorite Mexican Restaurant. To this day EVERYONE in my family is obsessed with the salsa from that place. So of course as the smell of Summer lingered in the air, I felt the sudden urge for my usual Friday Mexican food fix. But considering how terribly unhealthy traditional Mexican food is and given the total lack of necessary ingredients in my refrigerator, I decided to do a little spin. Taco's are a really great dish because they are very easy to make and you can pretty much prepare all the components in advance (especially for party situations) and truly there are thousands of ways to do them. So here is my attempt at Greek tacos.

Meat Filling: A Greek take on the usual ground beef taco filling

Ingredients:

1 lb ground lean beef, lamb or both *I used 90/10 lean beef (10% fat) for this recipe

PERSONAL NOTE: I really suggest for an "authentic" greek flavor, using lamb. The beef is equally delicious but the lamb gives it an extra umph

1/4 tsp Greek Seasoning (dried garlic flakes, oregano, cinnamon, peppermint, dill, nutmeg, cayenne, chives) *You can buy this pre-made seasoning in the Spice section of your grocery store or make the mixture from scratch using equal parts of all components

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp oregano leaves *This is in addition to the oregano used in the Greek Seasoning

1/4 tsp black pepper

NOTE ON SEASONINGS: The great thing about cooking is that recipes really serve as guidelines. Always season to taste. This is your chance to experiment and make the dish your own. If you like more or less of some seasoning or flavor adjust accordingly. I personally added extra mint, cumin and nutmeg as I browned the meat because I felt (from the smells) that these seasonings were lacking

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 white onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 tbsp water *This water is optional. Add it in the pan when browning the meat if you are using a really lean meat that is drying out too quickly.

Directions: In a medium bowl, hand mix thoroughly all the ingredients (except for the water). When the seasoning, onion, and garlic look evenly blended into the meat, transfer to a skillet that is heated on medium-high heat and coated with a small amount of Pam (if not using a non-stick skillet). Cook on medium heat until meat is completely browned.

Nutrition Facts: about 3 oz serving of meat filling (fills 1 taco)

grams: 94; calories: 180; fat: 8g; saturated fat: 3g; protein: 22g; carbs: 2g; sodium: 281 mg; fiber: .5g; sugar: og

Cucumber-Mint Yogurt (Tzatziki): A sweet and salty replacement for sour cream or guacamole

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strained Greek Yogurt *Low or no fat Greek yogurt will not need to strain as long. To make this kosher friendly, use soy yogurt (plain, NOT VANILLA...seriously)

2 tbsp minced fresh Mint leaves *The amount of mint used may vary based on taste but don't let the mint over power the entire sauce. Some traditional Tzatziki recipes call for fresh or dried dill instead. Either one works.

1/2 peeled, pared and chopped cucumber

1/2 tbsp sea salt (for salting cucumber)

Dash of sea salt

Dash of sugar *May use a sugar substitute. I used 1 splenda packet

Directions:

To strain the yogurt, place a mesh strainer over a measuring cup or small bowl. Line the strainer with two layered pieces of cheese cloth. Place the yogurt in the strainer and let sit for anywhere between 30 min to 2 hrs (depends on the fat content and type of yogurt). Once strained the yogurt will have a firmer (somewhat like cream cheese) consistency.

To pare the cucumbers, first peel the 1/2 cucumber and cut in half (so as to make 2 canoe like shapes). With a melon baller or sharp spoon, scoop out the center seeds and watery insides. Chop the cucumber into large chunks. Place in a colander/strainer over a bowl and salt the cucumbers throughly. Leave the salted cucumber for about 20 min. The salt will release the excess water from the cucumbers. The salt will wash off as the water is released but if you are trying to keep a low salt diet, just rinse the cucumbers quickly before chopping them into smaller chunks and add them to the yogurt.

Add the minced mint leaves, salt and sugar and mix completely. NOTE: If you want it smooth like "authentic" tzatziki, blend the cucumber and mint in a food processor first then add to the yogurt. PERSONAL NOTE: I prefer to keep the cucumber and mint chunky because it gives a refreshing crisp bite to the dish.

Nutrition Facts: 2 tbsp serving (per taco)

grams: 31; calories: 10; fat: 0g; saturated fat: 0g; protein: 1g: carbs: 1g; sodium: 37 mg; fiber: 0g; sugar: 1g

Toppings: (These are just suggestions to Greekify the typical Mexican components)

Shredded spinach or iceberg lettuce (roughly1/2 cup per taco) *I used baby spinach

Chopped tomato and olive salsa (roughly 2 tbsp per taco) *I used heirloom tomatoes, black and pitted kalamata olives. If you want to cut out some of the fat, use less or no olives. Rinse the olives to get rid of the excess oil and juices used to preserve them.

Reduced Fat Feta Cheese (roughly 1 tbsp per taco) *To make this kosher friendly use soy goat cheese. NOTE: Feta is a great lower fat alternative to the traditional Mexican crumbled cheese traditionally used.

Hummus - any flavor store bought or homemade (about 1 tbsp per taco) *This is really great alternative to refried beans which are often used to bind everything to the walls of the taco shell/tortilla. I used store bought Sabra Black Olive flavored hummus (because honestly I was too hungry to wait to make it from scratch).

Whole Wheat Pita - Warm in the toaster/conventional oven for a few min. to soften the pita. Slice in half, open pocket and fill with taco deliciousness (1/2 pita per taco) *I used some local brand that was low fat as well. NOTE: When using whole wheat flat breads, the breads tend to be very fragile and break easily, so be careful when assembling and enjoying your tacos.

Nutrition Facts: Per 1 Taco serving

grams: 226.5; calories: 327; fat: 12g; saturated fat: 3.5g; protein: 29g; carbs: 22g; sodium: 582 mg; fiber: 2g; sugar: 1g