Taste of Home February/March 2019

So when it came time to select recipes for our healthy takeover issue, I relied heavily on our registered dietitian, Peggy Woodward, to keep my affinity for salt and fat in check while offering up the comforting, homespun recipes you look forward to seeing in Taste of Home. In planning this issue, we started by trying to define what “healthy” actually means—and quickly realized that there’s no single formula that works for everyone. In our Healthy Your Way contest (page 53), you showed us that healthy eating comes in many tasty forms: low-carb sides, gluten-free mains, allergy-friendly snacks and more—like going meatless, as with the luscious lasagna to the right. It has plenty of cheese to go with those layers of veggies, yet has only 234 calories per serving. For…

HEALTHY IS DELICIOUS Food is one of life’s great joys—and we’d never deprive ourselves of the happiness found in a bowl of creamy mac and cheese (page 40). But we do strive to be healthier, so in recognition of National Nutrition Month in March, we’re sharing easy ways to trim fat and sugar from your favorite foods. You’ll find lots of health-spiration in this issue (like the Creamy Pesto Chicken on page 33), plus more online. tasteofhome.com/healthyeating Our editors and Test Kitchen pros put nine coffee roasts to the test to select the first three Taste of Home Roasts: Awake, Crave and Ritual. Get your free sample now! tasteofhomeroast.com/try FIELD EDITOR SPOTLIGHT Cyndy Gerken, Naples, FL True love sparked Cyndy’s interest in cooking. “One happy and lucky day, I met…

No-Guilt Brownies Yes, you can watch your diet and enjoy brownies, too! These light and luscious treats are the perfect cure for a serious chocolate craving. —Rita Ross, Delta, OH Takes: 30 min. • Makes: 16 brownies 3 large egg whites¾ cup 1% cottage cheese1 tsp. vanilla extract3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled1 cup sugar¾ cup all-purpose flour½ tsp. baking powder¼ tsp. salt2 tsp. confectioners’ sugar 1. Place the egg whites, cottage cheese and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add chocolate; cover and process just until blended, 15-20 seconds. Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt; add to cottage cheese mixture. Cover and pulse until just moistened. 2. Spread in an 8-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° until a…

Hand Scrub Mix 1 Tbsp. each raw honey, ground rolled oats, fresh lemon juice and fine brown sugar until well blended. Over the sink, apply half the mixture to hands and massage it in for 1 minute; leave on for 10 minutes. Wash off with warm water; rinse with cool water. Store remaining mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Apply twice weekly. Makes 2 applications. NO TIME TO DIY? Try this! IF WINTER HAS BEEN HARSH ON YOUR HANDS, NEVER FEAR. A SWEET MIXTURE OF KITCHEN STAPLES WILL LEAVE YOUR SKIN FEELING AS SMOOTH AS SILK. HERE’S WHY: Rolled Oats Ground rolled oats act as a gentle exfoliant. They’re also calming, anti-inflammatory and nonirritating to most skin types. Raw Honey Raw honey is…

RECIPES ON P.76 Counting carbs? With just 4 grams of carbohydrates per cup, cauliflower is edging potatoes and rice off our plates. To make the most of this versatile veggie: • Choose creamy heads free of spots, bruises or loose florets. • Store cauliflower heads in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to five days. • Once you’ve cut the florets, use them within two days. • To freeze, chop into 1-inch pieces, then blanch in salted water. Use 4 teaspoons of salt per gallon of water. + We tried three methods for making cauliflower rice. Discover our favorite. tasteofhome.com/makecauliflowerrice…

While our bodies can produce vitamin D from sun exposure, that’s in short supply this time of year. Take in the natural mood-boosting vitamin by eating salmon, which is A TOP SOURCE OF VITAMIN D, and a big help in combating seasonal affective disorder. Salmon is loaded with OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, which can help reduce your risk of depression. When you’re shopping, LOOK FOR WILD-CAUGHT SALMON. It’s significantly higher in vitamin D content than farmed-raised salmon. HERE’S OUR FAVORITE WAY TO PREPARE SALMON: Place a cast-iron skillet in a cold oven and preheat to 450°. Brush a 1½-lb. salmon fillet with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in the hot skillet. Bake until a thermometer reads 125°, 14-18 minutes. Cut into four…