WCA Cookbook | 1

WCA Cookbook | 1 WCA = Health and Wellness Westmoreland Community Action has always been a leader in Westmoreland County in so many ways over the years. Whether it is our terrific programming or building our social enterprises, WCA is always out front. WCA now wants to lead in a different area and in a different way. WCA wants to be the leader as an organization through health and wellness and we want all of you to be a part of our mission. We as an agency would like to eat healthier and exercise more while promoting healthier lifestyles and leading by example. This cookbook is one way to eat healthier and enjoy good tasting food. We also want to develop agency exercise groups and get back to having a 5k run/walk. We promote this attitude through Head Start and now we want to expand our horizon. We at WCA want you to be a part of leading by example. Please volunteer to lead a walking group, organize soup and salad bars, or even write up a special recipe for our staff and families. Thank you for your support. Here’s to your health! Tay WCA Cookbook | 2 Table of Contents A Guide to Ingredient Substitutions 4 Main Courses 8 Dessert 31 WCA Cookbook | 3 Before plunging ahead with a recipe, look it over and think about what you can change to turn it into a healthy recipe. Make notes of any alterations, so you can refer to them the next time you prepare the recipe. You may have to make the recipe a few times before you get the results you want, but that is OK! Once you find the right combination of ingredients—for the desired taste, consistency and nutrients—is well worth the trouble. Use this guide to help reduce the amount of fat, salt, sugar and calories as you prepare healthy recipes. Your guide to ingredient substitutions for healthy recipes If your recipe calls for this Try substituting this ingredient: ingredient: Bacon Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham) Bread, white Whole-grain bread Bread crumbs, dry Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal Butter, margarine, shortening or oil in Applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil; butter baked goods spreads or shortenings specially formulated for baking that don't have trans fats Note: To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don't substitute oil for butter or shortening. Also don't substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for regular margarine. Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to Cooking spray or nonstick pans prevent sticking Cream Fat-free half-and-half, evaporated skim milk Cream cheese, full fat Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel, or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth Eggs Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg Flour, all-purpose (plain) Whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour in baked goods Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is less dense and works well in softer products like cakes and muffins. Fruit canned in heavy syrup Fruit canned in its own juices or in water, or fresh fruit Ground beef Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey breast (make sure no poultry skin has been added to the product) Lettuce, iceberg Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress WCA Cookbook | 4 Mayonnaise Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise Meat as the main ingredient Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in casseroles, soups and stews Milk, evaporated Evaporated skim milk Milk, whole Reduced-fat or fat-free milk Oil-based marinades Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth Pasta, enriched (white) Whole-wheat pasta Rice, white Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley Salad dressing Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars Seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, or use celery salt or onion salt finely chopped herbs or garlic, celery or onions Soups, creamed Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, or pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions canned meat, fish or vegetables Sour cream, full fat Fat-free or low-fat sour cream, plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt Soy sauce Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce Sugar In most baked goods you can reduce the amount of sugar by one-half; intensify sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon Syrup Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup Table salt Herbs, spices, citrus juices (lemon, lime, orange), rice vinegar, salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends Yogurt, fruit-flavored Plain yogurt with fresh fruit slices Source: Mayoclinic.com 23 July 2012 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00585 Healthy cooking techniques can capture the flavor and nutrients of your food without adding excessive amounts of fat, oil or salt. Try these preparation techniques for healthy recipes: WCA Cookbook | 5 Cooking method: Healthy cooking techniques include braising, broiling, grilling, poaching, sautéing, and steaming. Basting liquid: If the direction say to baste the meat or vegetables in oil or drippings, use a small amount of cooking wine, fruit juice, vegetable juice or fat-free vegetable broth instead. Nonstick cookware: using nonstick pans or spraying pans with nonstick spracy will further reduce the amount of fat and calories added to your meals. No matter how much you reduce, switch or omit ingredients, some recipes may still be high in sugar, fat or salt. You can help your diet by cutting back on the portion size instead. Still intimidated by the idea of having to substitute things? Take a look at the recipe on the following page, which shows a before-and-after ingredient list. As you can see, making a few small changes can make a big difference in the amount of fat, calories, and salt in a serving. By making the changes listed, you save 110 calories, 9 grams of fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium and 9 grams of table sugar per muffin. Healthy Recipe Makeover: Morning Glory Muffins Original Healthier Option …why? 2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour 1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour To increase fiber, replace HALF the all- 1 cup whole-wheat (whole- purpose flour with whole-wheat flour. meal) flour 1 ½ cups sugar ¾ cup sugar To reduce the amount of calories, cut the sugar in half. 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking soda To avoid flat or dense muffins, do not alter baking soda as it is an ingredient needed for proper leavening. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon A bit more cinnamon can enhance the sweetness of the muffin. ½ teaspoon salt Omit Salt is not needed because baking soda contains salt, which leavens and adds enough flavor. 3 large eggs ¾ cup egg subsititute To reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, replace each egg with ¼ cup egg substitute. 1 cup vegetable oil ½ cup vegetabile oil To reduce the amount of fat, replace half ½ cup unsweetened the oil with unsweetened applesauce. Like fat, applesauce acts to retain applesauce moisture. ½ cup coconut Omit To reduce saturated fat and calories, leave out the coconut. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons vanilla extract To enhance the sweet flavor of the muffins, double the amount of the vanilla. 2 cups peeled and chopped apples 2 cups chopped apples To increase the amount of fiber, do not (unpeeled) peel the apples before chopping. ½ cup raisins ½ cup raisins To control the number of calories, do not increase the amount of raisins. Raisins are calorie dense, meaning they have a WCA Cookbook | 6 lot of calories in a small portion. ½ cup grated carrots ¾ cup grated carrots To increase the amount of nutrients, including Vitamin A and fiber, add another ¼ of grated carrots. The added carrots also serve as a good substitute for the omitted coconut. ½ cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons chopped To reduce the amount of fat and calories, pecans decrease the amount of pecans used by ¼. Source: Mayoclinic.com 23 July 2012 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00584/NSECTIONGROUP=2 Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, Calories 180 Sodium 163mg baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk to blend evenly. In a Total Fat 7g Total Carbohydrate 26g separate bowl, add the egg substitute, oil, applesauce and Saturated fat 1g Dietary Fiber 2g vanilla. Stir in the apples, raisins and carrots. Add to the flour Monounsaturated fat 2g Protein 3g mixture and blend just until moistened but still slightly lumpy. Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 Cholesterol 0 full. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and bake until springy to the touch, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely. WCA Cookbook | 7 Main Courses “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.” ― A.A. Milne WCA Cookbook | 8 Pesto Chicken Florentine Yields 4 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips 2 cups fresh spinach leaves 1 (4.5 ounce) package dry Alfredo sauce mix 2 tablespoons pesto 1 (8 ounce) package dry penne pasta 1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese Directions 1.

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