Better-for-You Eggnog

Recipe created by David L. Katz, MD

Photo: John Kernick

Start by skipping the more mundane foods you can eat any day of the year. (The mere presence of something edible does not mean it belongs in your mouth.) Next, prepare for the holiday buffet, which makes restraint difficult because variety stimulates appetite. Limit what you put on your plate at any one time. Try to start with raw veggies (ten slices of green pepper: 5 calories). A bit of nutritious, filling, low-calorie fare will leave less room for more fattening items.

Whenever possible, skip the buffet in favor of a sit-down meal, which has the benefit of built-in boundaries. And keep in mind that the dinner table is a place for socializing. Pause to enjoy the company. Research shows that extending a meal gives your body a chance to register fullness before you overeat.

As you're raising a glass of holiday cheer, remember that the disinhibiting effects of alcohol can cause you to eat more. In addition, a glass of red wine has about 125 calories; a cup of eggnog, as many as 340. My gift to you: an eggnog makeover that uses less sugar and replaces whole milk and cream with skim milk. Cheers.
— David L. Katz, MD

Ingredients:Serves 6 (about 100 calories each serving)

6 cups skim milk

1 cup egg substitute

1/2 cup nonfat powdered milk

6 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. rum extract

Ground nutmeg or cinnamon

Sugar-free whipped topping

In a medium pot over medium heat, whisk together skim milk, egg substitute, powdered milk, and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring, 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and rum extracts. Let cool, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 3 hours.

Stir well and pour into cups. Sprinkle each with nutmeg or cinnamon, and add a dollop of whipped topping.

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Oatmeal Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggsealth

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Combine the milk and rolled oats in a bowl, and set aside.

2. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the buttermilk and whisk together. Then whisk in the vanilla extract and the oil.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and quickly whisk together. Do not overbeat; a few lumps are okay. Fold in the oats and milk. Let sit for one hour, or refrigerate overnight.

5. If necessary, spray the hot griddle with pan spray. Drop by 3 to 4 tablespoons onto the hot griddle. Place six or seven blueberries on each pancake. Cook until bubbles begin to break through, two to three minutes. Turn and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute on the other side, or until nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and continue until all of the batter is used up.

6. Serve hot with a small amount of butter and maple syrup.

Yield: A dozen pancakes.

Advance preparation: You can keep these, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze for up to a few months.

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

Granola For Breakfast

Image by Sifu Renka via Flickr

Web site called www.mixmygranola.com, where users can order up a custom mix of granola beginning with a crisp base of sweetened oats and rice. After selecting your base, you can choose from a wide selection of added dried fruits, nuts and “extras.” (Unfortunately there are some questionable options, like M&M’s and gummy bears, which negate the virtues of the healthy base). Then they send you the granola with your own customized label.

If you like hot cereal for breakfast and you’re not familiar with steel-cut oats, I urge you to try them. Also known as Irish or Scottish oatmeal, steel-cut oats are creamy and chewy at the same time. Since steel-cut oatmeal takes a while to cook and doesn’t really work in the microwave, I’ve been cooking up a pot one night a week, then heating it by the bowl in the morning.

If a bowl of cereal isn’t your thing, there are other ways to work whole grains into your breakfast. I add softened rolled oats to buttermilk pancakes and granola to muffins, which are handy if you are a grab-something-and-run sort of breakfast eater.

Granola

I used to make a rich holiday granola, but often it burned and stuck to the baking sheets. One of the reasons: I used wheat germ, which browns more quickly than oats.

The granola below is gluten-free, and now I keep the heat low in my oven and line my backing sheets with parchment. Be sure to stir the granola every 10 to 15 minutes, and switch the trays from top to bottom each time you stir. If you want to make a smaller amount, you can halve this recipe.

6 cups flaked or rolled oats

2 cups oat bran

1/2 cup flax seeds, coarsely ground

1/2 cup coconut, flaked or shaved (optional)

1 cup chopped nuts (I recommend almonds and pecans)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)

2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon (to taste)

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup mild honey, such as clover

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 to 2 cups raisins (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Toss together all of the dry ingredients except the raisins in a very large bowl. Combine the oil, honey and vanilla in a saucepan or in a measuring cup, and warm over low heat or heat at 50 percent power in a microwave. Do not let the mixture come to a simmer. Stir into the dry ingredients. Stir to coat evenly.

2. Spread the granola mixture on the sheet pans, and bake for about 45 minutes to one hour until golden, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes and switching the pans from lower to middle racks. Remove from the heat, stir in the raisins if using, and allow to cool on the pans. Store in well sealed jars, bags or containers.

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 quarts.

Advance preparation: This will keep well for several weeks in the freezer.

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.