(10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare)
By Lisa Messinger
Food and Cooking
at Creators Syndicate
Grilling isn't only a fun outdoor warm-weather activity - because of the way fat drips from meat while cooking in dry heat -
it's been named the most healthful cooking method of all time
by most nutritionists. It would increase your health benefits to grill year round. That's where
inexpensive countertop grills that are meant for indoors
come into play. Often available for just $20-$30 (George Foreman, of course, and his Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine has, for instance, sold multimillions), they are powerhouses that create kitchen convenience, too, by swiftly grilling foods on both sides at once, meaning a half-pound lean hamburger or turkey burger may cook in about just 8 minutes total with most of its grease dripping away. The possibilities - like seafood, veggie burgers, fruits and vegetables - are virtually endless (
including cleanup of the nonstick parts which is a snap!
) With just a little imagination that take just seconds of preparation each, full-blown gourmet dishes emerge, like grilled Cajun mushrooms and pesto atop crispy multigrain crackers and a super stuffed burger oozing with feta and blue cheeses nestled on a honey-Dijon drizzled toasted whole-wheat pita.
Cooking can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, fun - and fast - as these menus of split-second family-friendly sensations prove. They take just
10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare, especially since you can perform other tasks nearby in the kitchen while your food is grilling on the countertop
. The meals are delicious proof that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family time around the kitchen table that goes along with it! Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since
there are no right or wrong amounts
. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you - or your kidlet helpers - choose to use can't help but draw "wows" at the family table!
APPETIZERS
Glow-in-the-Dark Green Beans
Pluck off ends of fresh French green beans and marinate in orange juice. Dust with curry powder. Grill drained green beans according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions. Serve with a dipping sauce of store-bought lite Thousand Island dressing that's been combined with a dash of fresh lime juice.
Grilled Mushroom Bruschetta
Season sliced white button mushrooms with store-bought Cajun seasoning blend. Grill according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions. Spread multigrain crackers with store-bought pesto, top with grilled mushrooms as well as a sun-dried tomato.
SIDE DISHES
Trailblazing Tortillas
Lightly spread a mixture of corn and whole-wheat flour tortillas on both sides with olive oil. Cut into bite-sized triangles. Top with crumbled oregano leaves, chili powder, salt substitute and ground black pepper. Grill according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions.
Easy Potato Patch
Wash and dry baking potatoes. Cut into 1 / 4-inch slices. Season both sides with garlic powder, onion powder and salt substitute and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce and lite soy sauce. Grill according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions.
ENTREES
Super Stuffed Lean 'n' Mean Burgers
Make a well in center of a thick, lean hamburger patty. In a bowl, combine, feta cheese, blue cheese crumbles, fresh chopped cilantro and basil. Stuff into well and cover with additional beef. Grill according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions. Serve open-faced on toasted whole-grained pitas that have been spread with honey-Dijon mustard and sugar-free ketchup. Top with leaves of romaine lettuce.
Slingin' the Slaw on Some Scintillating Shrimp Tacos
Marinate shrimp in olive oil, garlic, cinnamon, cumin and chopped fresh cilantro. Grill drained shrimp and slices of turkey bacon according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions. Prepare a package of cabbage slaw, using low-fat Green Goddess store-bought dressing instead of mayonnaise. Tuck shrimp, bacon and slaw into warmed corn tortillas.
DESSERTS
Strawberry Sorbet Stunner
Soak fresh thick strawberry slices in sparkling white grape juice. Grill drained slices according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions. Serve atop lemon sorbet with graham cracker crumbles on top.
Angelic Dessert Idea
Slice store-bought angel-food cake (a good choice since it's nonfat and low-calorie) into 1 / 2-inch slices. Grill according to your indoor grill's manufacturer's instructions. Spread with almond butter and raspberry fruit spread (available in the jam aisle of most supermarkets) and top with a few fresh raspberries.
QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK:
You want to make your, your spouses' or your kid's lunch bag a lot lighter yet full of healthful energy? Substitute plastic bags filled with herbs and spices for some of the usual less nutritious staples. Many of these (such as black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, thyme, oregano and rosemary) have been named "super foods" by nutritionists because of their high levels of antioxidants and phytonutrients (compounds, even higher in antioxidants, that may fight inflammation). Either swap them into your lunch recipes or quickly add to either homemade, takeout (or maybe even school cafeteria!) soups, salads, sandwiches, even pizza, pasta or desserts, such as cinnamon sprinkled over a yogurt parfait or ground black pepper lightly dusted over slices of cantaloupe or honeydew - which have been dubbed super foods themselves.
Lisa Messinger
is a first-place winner in food and nutrition writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the National Council Against Health Fraud and author of seven food books, including the best-selling
The Tofu Book: The New American Cuisine with 150 Recipes
(Avery/Penguin Putnam) and
Turn Your Supermarket into a Health Food Store: The Brand-Name Guide to Shopping for a Better Diet
(Pharos/Scripps Howard). She writes two nationally syndicated food and nutrition columns for Creators Syndicate and had been a longtime newspaper food and health section managing editor, as well as managing editor of Gayot/Gault Millau dining review company. Lisa traveled the globe writing about top chefs for Pulitzer Prize-winning Copley News Service and has written about health and nutrition for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Reader's Digest, Woman's World and Prevention Magazine Health Books. Permission Granted for use on Dr.Laura.com.
