40 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • JULY 20, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Easy ways to lighten up your cookout
Th e mouthwatering taste of grilled
foods, the indulgence of rich desserts
and the joy of entertaining with family
and friends - a cookout is always a
crowd-pleaser, no matter the time of year.
Th e food and fun make for a memorable
time, but sometimes all those savory
sauces, scrumptious salads and succulent
sweets can be a little heavy. Fortunately,
you can cut calories and lighten up your
menu without sacrifi cing taste.
Try these eight ideas at your next cookout
for lighter foods bursting with fl avor.
Go lean: Hamburger and red meat can
be high in fat content and calories. When
grilling meat, opt for leaner varieties, such
as chicken breasts, turkey burgers or fi sh.
Guests will love the variety. If you just
can’t forgo the classic American hamburger,
look for leaner meat such as a
90-10 ground mix.
Skip the barbecue sauce: A cookout
without barbecue sauce? It can be done.
Try marinating or rubbing spices on
meats and sides instead. For example,
citrus juice, olive oil and chopped fresh
herbs are a healthier marinade for chicken
or fi sh that brings out natural fl avors.
Cut sugar in desserts: Bake with Stevia
In Th e Raw, a zero-calorie sweetener with
extracts from the stevia plant. Try replacing
about half the sugar in any of your
favorite baking recipes with Stevia In
Th e Raw Bakers Bag to cut calories and
reduce sugar, while still achieving the
proper browning, rising and caramelizing
desired. Th e Bakers Bag is a smart pantry
staple and measures cup for cup with
sugar so there is no conversion needed.
Th ink outside the bun: Iceberg and butter
lettuce are smart alternatives for buns
for those who want to cut calories or have
gluten sensitivities. If you do want to
include buns in your menu, opt for whole
grain rather than plain old white ones.
Drink up: Soda, punch, blended frozen
drinks and adult cocktails are packed
with calories. Swap or add in fl avored
water to the menu for a light and refreshing
alternative. Fill pitchers with water,
ice and add in fl avor enhancements, such
as sliced lemons, cucumbers, strawberries
and raspberries.
Want more inspiration? Try these two
recipes for decadent desserts that are
ideal whether you’re hosting a cookout or
attending a potluck.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Sugar In Th e Raw + 1/2 cup
Stevia In Th e Raw Bakers Bag
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose fl our
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
• 1 cup chocolate chips
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl,
beat together the melted butter, egg,
vanilla extract and the Sugar In Th e Raw/
Stevia In Th e Raw Bakers Bag combo.
Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients (fl our,
baking soda, salt) in a separate bowl.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
and stir well to combine. Slowly add
nuts and chocolate chips until well combined.
Drop the dough in spoonfuls onto
ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10
minutes.
Nutrition information:
Per serving (1 cookie): 144 calories, 9
g fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 16 g carbohydrate,
1 g protein, <1 g dietary fi ber, 75
mg sodium.
Cranberry Crisp
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
• 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons Sugar In Th e
Raw, divided
• 1/4 cup Stevia In Th e Raw Bakers Bag,
divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 cup all-purpose fl our
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut
into cubes
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter an 8-inch
square pan or 9-inch pie dish. In prepared
baking dish, toss together cranberries,
1/3 cup Sugar In Th e Raw, 2 tablespoons
Stevia In Th e Raw, cornstarch and zest.
In a medium bowl, combine fl our, oats,
2 tablespoons Sugar In Th e Raw, 2 tablespoons
Stevia In Th e Raw, salt and nutmeg.
Add butter and use your fi ngers to
work it into fl our until mixture is crumbly.
Stir in pecans. Sprinkle crumble mixture
over cranberries. Bake until fruit is
bubbling and crumble is browned, 45-50
minutes.
Nutrition information:
Per serving: 220 calories, 12 g fat (6 g
saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 26 g carbohydrates,
2 g protein, 3 g dietary fi ber, 150
mg sodium, 11 g sugar.
Courtesy BPT