Burgers, Hot Dogs, 'n Fries

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By Jill Place, MA, RD

I don't know about you, but I LOVE All-American food. Barney and I eat burgers or dogs at least once a week. But I won't go to a fast-food place. And I'm not willing to put up with all the fat that fast food has in it. So I've decalorized the burger and hot dog experience for you . . . and for Barney and I . . . by using soy or turkey substitutes. I really like the "Boca" or "Gardenburger", but I've included a recipe for Szechwan Turkey Burgers that are meaty, slightly sweet and sour . . . and moist as can be. I also like to use soy hot dogs, but my recent favorites are Cantella's "Turkey Hot Dogs" from Trader Joe's. They're big, plump, smell like my childhood in New York . . . and taste like Nathan's Hot Dogs at Coney Island. And at a skinny 100 calories and 5 grams of fat, they bring your entire dog to under 30% fat with the non-fat bun, mustard, and relish. You can also use the wide variety of other chicken and turkey sausages now available at Trader Joe's and in your market. For a change from burgers and dogs, I like Gardenburger "Meatless Riblets". They only take a few minutes in the microwave and, on a whole-grain hot dog bun, are so much healthier than a fast-food rib sandwich . . . and just as scrumptious!

I avoid wheat most of the time, but wheat-free buns don't cut it for me. So I indulge once a week with whole-grain rolls—the best quality that I can find—and freeze the rest for later use. I use Food for Life or some other good health food store brand.

I've also included a recipe for the fastest beans I've ever made. This is an old Cooking Light recipe, but I've modified it to suit my Eastern taste. With sauteed chopped onions, the way I prefer to make them, these beans only take about five minutes to make. If you use onion powder like in the original recipe, the preparation time is a speedy three minutes. Beans provide a fat-free alternative to more calorie-laden All-American choices such as potato salad . They're also packed with fiber . . . about 10 grams per 3/4-cup serving. Fiber is necessary for overall health, and one generous serving of these beans give you HALF of the minimum daily requirement. Health aside, these are GREAT . . . the best beans I've even eaten.

And what would burgers and dogs do without fries? But, instead of frying, you can oven-bake your frozen packaged fries so that you don't feel fries-deprived. I used to make half a package for Barney and I , but now I include a serving of the fat-free beans and cut the fries down to a third of the package. At 160 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving, Trader Joe's "Crinkle Wedge Potatoes" are my favorites, but there are many other frozen fries out there. Simply throw them on a baking sheet and cook according to package directions.

I like to finish this meal with a fresh fruit salad, but a green salad or some skinny coleslaw would also do the trick. Barney and I also love dessert, but I don't do dairy because I'm lactose intolerant. But there are a growing number of milk-alternative ice "creams" now on the market today. I especially like Soy Delicious . . . it is! I hear the tinkle of the Good Humor truck . . . and taste the creamy-tart goodness of 50-50 bars in the Long Island street of my youth . . . when I dig into their new Orange Vanilla Swirl. Eat up!

All-American Menu

Boca or Turkey Burger, Turkey Hot Dog, or Riblet on Whole-Grain Bun

Baked Beans

French Fries

Green Salad, Cole Slaw or Fruit Salad

Soy Ice Cream with Fat-free Cool Whip

Szechwan Turkey Burgers

This makes four burgers. I like to grill my burgers and hot dogs, but you can pan-fry or make them any way you want. I grill up four burgers and then save two for another heat-em-up and eat-em-up meal. My favorite kind. For grilling, I use a gas grill with a non-stick grill insert. They cost only about $11 but last through a whole season of grilling and clean up fairly easily in soap and water. These inserts are absolutely essential if you're grilling low-fat.

1 pound lean ground turkey or turkey breast

1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. Teriyaki Sauce

1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. San-J Szechwan Sauce

1 tsp. Chinese hot mustard

1/4 cup Sweet and Sour, Hoisin, or Spicy Szechwan sauce

Combine all ingredients. Broil or grill until done.

My Favorite Baked Beans

These beans take no time to cook and have less than 1 gram of fat per serving. Feel free to double or quadruple the recipe. As simple as this recipe is, I like to make a bunch and freeze half for my heat-em-up and eat-em-up meals.

Vegetable cooking spray

1/2 cup chopped onions (or 1/4 teaspoon onion powder)

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 (16-oz.) can vegetarian beans in tomato sauce

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 Tbsp. molasses

1/2 tsp. liquid smoke or to taste

Coat a medium saucepan with cooking spray. Place over medium heat until hot. Add onion and green pepper (or just green pepper if using onion powder) and saute 3 to 5 minutes. Add baked beans and the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until heated through. Correct liquid smoke seasoning if necessary.