Eggs. Fair game any time of the day

2 eggs with 2 toast 4 dinner

I've always enjoyed eggs and I'm sure I've eaten enough to keep more than a few egg farms in business over the years. I know they are high in cholesterol but I don't have trouble with my cholesterol levels likely because I'm not overweight. I also know that eggs are high in fat but I don't have trouble with that either because, well, see above....

When I was in university and living in my basement apartment scraping by with next-to-no-money, eggs were one of the few things I could afford. They were cheap, filling and easy to make on my hotplate. Fast forward a gazillion years and here I am, still enjoying eggs as much as ever. They are still cheap (thank goodness) and very easy to prepare. My favourite dinner lately has been a couple of eggs fried in a bit of olive oil and served on toast, sometimes with grated cheese, usually with ketchup. It's quick to do and very filling so when there aren't enough left-overs for all of us, I'll feign disappointment then run and grab my crepe pan.

So next time you're caught a little short on supplies and the dinner bell is about to ring, grab the eggs out of the fridge and ask everyone how they want theirs done. You might feel like a short order cook, but dinner will be on the table in no time and happiness will prevail. Maybe.

Pizza your way

Homemade pizza means you control the calories

Pizza is a big deal in our house. It's on the menu every Sunday night and has been for years. I used to buy some of the popular store brand pizzas when they were on sale, but when I'd bake them up and see all the oil on the surface and taste all the salt, I really questioned whether I was doing myself or my family any favours by serving it. Sure homemade pizza is more work, it's probably one of the more involved meals you make during the week, but when you think about the control you have over the ingredients, it's a classic case where the pros (health benefits) far outweigh the cons (time it takes to prepare).  You're in control of the calories and in the 'big picture' approach to your new habits for a healthy weight and healthy lifestyle, this goes a long way. Health is not about sacrificing and self-denial, it's about being smart; cooking smart and eating smart. 

This is the pizza I made last night. It has "no vegetables" on the kids' half, orange and yellow peppers on our half and hot hot hot peppers on my section. Made to order. Which is a lot easier than picking off the toppings the kids don't like from the store bought pizzas.

Pizza making tips

• make your own dough. Switch some of the all purpose flour for whole wheat (no more than 1/2 cup) and add some oregano. You'll have a crust way better than any you can buy.
• use your favourite pasta sauce with vegetables instead of pizza sauce. They boys throw a fit if they think there are any vegetables on their pizza. By using pasta sauce with the chunks of tomato and carrot in it, they have no idea there are veggies lurking under the pepperoni and cheeses
• buy skim milk (or light) mozzarella cheese, NOT the mozzarella cheese that's marked 'For Pizza'. The 'For Pizza' cheese is much higher in fat and adds nothing but calories so choose the light cheese instead
• store the mozzarella cheese in the freezer and defrost it when it's time to make the pizza. The lower fat content in the cheese makes is very easy to crumble when it's been frozen. This is a big time-saver because instead of grating the cheese, all you have to do is rub 2 chunks of it together and it falls apart into little beads. Super easy to spread.
• be smart when you choose your toppings. Orange peppers, yellow peppers, green onions, anything goes. If you're using mushrooms, cook them in the microwave first to get rid of the moisture, then put the cooked mushrooms on the pizza. Zucchini is the most gutless vegetable out there, it has absolutely no flavour so adding slices of it to your toppings doesn't ruin your pizza but it does give it more vitamins.
• slice the pepperoni THIN and if you like, cut each slice in 1/2 (so they look like 1/2 a circle). Spread them over the pizza but not so they're touching. The pepperoni is adding flavour and you don't need a lot of it.
• cover the entire pizza with fresh ground black pepper. It adds a really nice twist.

So when you're doing your grocery shopping this week, plan ahead and pick up a few extra things so you can make pizza on the weekend. I guarantee it will turn into a family tradition.

Time for an oil change

I don't use a lot of cooking oil but for the times that I do, I use a better quality oil that hopefully won't be too damaging to our hearts. Sure they cost more than the cheap stuff but that's money well spent in my opinion. And a bottle of oil will last you a long time; it's not an item that should be out on your kitchen counter every time you prepare dinner.

There are 2 oils I buy; Becel and Crisco. The Becel is canola and sunflower oils, the Crisco is soyabean. Both are a source of omega-3s. Neither have any flavour and I certainly can't tell the difference between them. I tend to use the Becel in recipes and the Crisco for frying.

I'm guessing you've got cooking oil in your house, and if you've got a few less-than-ideal habits that you're trying to modify as you head toward a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body weight, changing the oil in your cupboard is a simple improvement you can make right now. Look for a product that is a source of omega-3 and - obviously - has no Trans fats. Keep an eye on how much oil you're using when preparing your meals and cut back when you can. If cooking oil is on your shopping list more than once every few months, you've got other work ahead. But an oil change right now is a good start.

Red potato fries

You're looking at delicious french fries.

I could live without french fries but it's not all about me so over the years I have tried various products in the endeavour to serve edible fries for dinner. Not much luck. The no-name frozen fries weren't that bad so I used to buy those, fry them up in the pan and pretend they were ok. Once I tried the McCains SODIUM REDUCED frozen fries and they were so salty only my husband could eat them. I never bought them again.

Then one day when I was buying the no-name frozen fries, I started to think about the plastic bag they were in, the manufacturing process to peal, slice and package the potatoes, the salt and oil that the company added to coat the strips of potatoes and I began to get annoyed with myself. Was I so incredibly lazy that I couldn't wash and cut a few potatoes myself? It would be cheaper and healthier. And I'd much rather support the farmers directly than some manufacturing plant.

I put the bag of frozen fries back in the freezer and returned to the produce section to buy some big red potatoes and support those American growers (Ontario reds were not in stock).

Now any of you who have made fries from scratch know that it takes forever for the potatoes to actually cook in the oil. No matter how thinly you slice and how high the temp, you're looking at an hour of stirring and turning, minimum. So try this method instead, you'll be thrilled with the results and think nothing of whipping up these potatoes at the drop of a hat:

Red Potato Fries

• wash potatoes, do NOT peal!!! Most of the vitamins and good stuff are in the skins and right near the surface. You want to eat that part!
• cut potatoes in wedges. If the potatoes are small to medium in size, 4 wedges per potato, otherwise 5 or 6 so the wedges are not really thick
• spread in microwave, cover and cook on high for 4 mins (until wedges are cooked)
• heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
• remove wedges from the microwave and place in the hot oil, cut side down
• brown one cut side, then turn to brown the other cut side. Don't bother trying to brown the outer skin side
• put a napkin (or paper towel) on your serving plate and lay fried wedges on the napkin, cover with another napkin (or paper towel) to keep them warm
• continue to cut potatoes, microwave, then fry the wedges in oil until you've made enough for everyone. Then make some more, I'm not kidding, there won't be left-overs.

Oh my gosh, they are amazing. And for some strange reason, the potatoes do not absorb the oil. You will see a lot of oil soaked into the napkins, and if you don't use a napkin on your serving plate, you will see the excess oil left behind on it's surface. Who'd a thunk eh?

Red potato fries are simple to make, and healthier and cheaper than store-bought fries. Do yourself and a farmer proud and serve some up tonight.

Let's talk turkey bacon

Try it. You'll like it.

Considering the things my Dad ate, it's a wonder he lived to 89. 

When I was growing up, bacon was not exactly a mainstay but we did have it once a week. Dad got the most number of strips and Mom would make 'dips' for him - bread fried in the bacon fat left in the pan. Imagine.

I've successfully ignored bacon for a number of years until last summer at the cottage when I was cruising the meat section at the grocery store and noticed a product I had not seen before. I thought I'd give it a try and I've been buying it ever since.

Before you turn your nose up at turkey bacon, let me tell you that it has a ton of flavour, it's already cooked so it can be eaten right from the package, and it's incredibly lean - not even a teaspoon of fat will remain if you try frying it. Warm it up in the microwave between 2 sheets of paper towel and it's ready to be added to your sandwiches. Cut strips right from the package to add to your scrambled eggs. Or what I use it for mainly is an added topping on our weekly pizza. 

So if you've been clever and cut pork bacon from your menu a long time ago (as well you should!) but you're still missing it terribly, cruise through the meat section again at your local grocery store and have a look for turkey bacon. Times have changed, better options are available and bacon doesn't have to be the walking heart attack it used to be.