This simple apple tart is attractive to serve, but also easy and healthy. It has only about 170 calories per serving…so move over, apple pie!

The tart comes together with only five ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. Use sweet but firm apples, like Fuji or Gala. Granny Smith apples also have a wonderful taste and texture for baking, but you will need to add more sugar because they are so tart.  Be sure to slice the apples as thinly as possible so they will cook quickly…

Simple Apple Tart

dough for one 9 inch pie crust, purchased or homemade*
3 or 4 large apples, peeled, cored, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons peach or apricot jam, heated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With the dough at room temperature, unroll into a 10 inch tart pan. Arrange the apple slices on the cutting board, then transfer by sections to the unbaked crust. Sprinkle the apples with sugar and dot with butter. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the apples are soft and bubbling. Remove the tart from the oven. While still warm, brush the apples with the jam to add sweetness and a shiny golden color. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

Delicious!

Most kids love fruit anyway, so enlist them to help choose a rainbow combination of their favorite fruits.  The more variety, the better the presentation and nutrition. And to make this dessert extra kid-friendly be sure the presentation rocks!

What could be simpler? Choose at least three or more fresh fruits to combine. Mix together bite-sized pieces of strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, pineapple and mango and mix together. No dressing necessary; the natural fruit juices combine for just the right amount of light syrup.

Serve the fruit salad from a large platter or glass bowl and ladle into sherbet cups. Make it fancy by adding a small dollop of low-fat whipped cream.

Pretty and delicious!

This is a quick, low-fat version of an Italian classic. My mother’s sauce took hours to prepare, but this hearty ragu won’t cost you all day in the kitchen. Make the sauce from scratch using homegrown or canned organic tomatoes, or use a high quality jar sauce (like Classico Organic Pasta Sauce with Tomato, Herbs and Spices) and add the meats to simmer. Flavors will meld in less than an hour!

Italian Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage

1 lb. Italian sausage (regular or turkey)

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef, 93% lean
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
1 tsp. dried sweet basil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 egg, slightly beaten

Sauce (omit if using purchased):
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) organic diced tomatoes, or 2 to 3 lbs. fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 can (6 oz.) organic tomato paste
1 cup water (more or less)
1 tsp. dried sweet basil or Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper; spray lightly with cooking spray. Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl, add the next 5 ingredients and mix well. Moisten hands, then loosely form meatballs using ¼ cup of the meat mixture for each meatball. Place the meatballs onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes (a light drizzle or spray of olive oil before baking will enhance browning). Oven-fry the sausage at the same time, making sure to prick the casing before placing on the rack of a shallow broiler pan.

While the meats cook, start the sauce. Cook the tomatoes until soft enough to break up, then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer covered, and when the meats are done, add them to the sauce. Simmer the sauce and meats together for an hour (less if using prepared sauce).

Serve with pasta, plenty of grated Romano cheese…and crusty Italian bread!

Buon appetito!

Expand your repertoire of recipes so every dish will be new and different. This is a savory version of green beans that is big on fresh taste. This recipe is simple, but be careful not to cook too long…overcooked green beans will be mushy and bland.

Green Beans with Shallots and Tomatoes is also a “recipe duet”…one recipe makes either a warm side dish or a cold green bean salad…

Green Beans with Shallots and Tomatoes

1 lb. green beans, about 2 cups
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 ripe but firm tomato, about ½ cup seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional for warm version)
Capers for garnish

Sauté the shallots in olive oil until translucent. Add the green beans and sauté until bright green in color and just tender. Add diced tomatoes and cook just 1 or 2 minutes more, until the beans are cooked but still crunchy. Serve warm as side dish.

For a cold green bean salad, steam the green beans until cooked but crisp. Rinse in cold water and set aside. Heat the olive oil and sauté the shallots; add the diced tomatoes off the heat and mix to blend the flavors. Chill. When ready to serve, arrange the beans on a platter with the tomato-shallot topping and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

Try to enlist the kids in at least the picking and washing of the veggie crop…and if they are too picky to even taste them, well take heart, we know all about picky kids!

Many kids just haven’t acquired the taste yet for complex, savory flavors. So when in doubt, keep it simple. The fresh taste of steamed green beans, even plain, is hard to beat. Try to be creative with the presentation; for example, serve chilled green beans standing upright in a short glass, like French fries just waiting to be dipped into Ranch dressing (instead of catsup). Finger foods are fun!

These are not your ordinary supermarket green beans, so pick them skinny and tender, only about ¼ inch in diameter. Steam for about 4 minutes, and remove from the heat quickly. Serve a kid-friendly version plain, or with just a dot of margarine or butter. Kids of all ages may enjoy them at room temperature or even cold the next day.

Nobody has to know that green beans are loaded with vitamins and minerals, even anti-oxidants. They are also low in calories for those of us who care about such things, only 43 calories per cup.

My grown-up version is savory, so stay tuned for Green Beans with Shallots and Tomato…

That’s the bad news. The good news is that a few simple precautions can keep most of us clear of staph infections, even MRSA. Staph is actually relatively harmless to normal, healthy skin. But a cut, scrape, bug bite, or even dry, cracked skin can let bacteria penetrate to start an infection.

Waterless hand cleansers can be very effective at killing bacteria, but most are so drying to hands that it’s not practical to use them frequently throughout the day. Noodle and Boo’s Instant Hand Sanitizer is different. I use it several times a day and I cannot believe how smooth and moisturized this product leaves my hands. But does it really kill germs? Yes, 99.99% of them, even MRSA.

Here are some simple steps to help protect you and your family from serious skin infections:

• Practice good skin care and wash hands frequently. Use Noodle and Boo’s Instant Hand Sanitizer whenever soap and water are not readily available.

• Don’t share towels and personal items (like razors). Bring your own clippers to the salon for manicures and pedicures.

• Keep wounds covered until they are healed to protect the open skin from bacteria, and also to prevent the spread of any infection.

• Have your doctor check any open wound or sore that is getting worse or not healing promptly.

Remember, your best defense against any type of skin infection is normal, healthy skin…by Noodle and Boo.

Read more by Dr. Pat in Healthy Lifestyles…

This is an unbelievable, over-the-top chocolate cake that packs 2 full cups of shredded zucchini to keep the cake more moist with less fat.

This cake is so good I like to skip the frosting and serve with just a dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of ice cream frozen yogurt!

Choco-chini Cake

2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup canola oil and ½ cup applesauce
2 large eggs and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low fat buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini*, dried well
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan (or a 9 x 13 inch pan) with Pam for Baking. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat sugar, oil and applesauce together in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the eggs and egg white individually, beating well after each is added. Add vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients by alternating with the buttermilk until all is well blended. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 55 minutes, or 40 minutes convection. (Tester should be moist; do not overbake.) Serves 16.

*The prep of the zucchini is important. Slice a medium zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds. Then shred the zucchini and dry very well on paper towels. (If the zucchini is wet, the batter will be watery and the cake will come out dry. Trust me on this!)

What will the kids say, you ask? Don’t tell…and once they taste this luscious cake they won’t care that they are eating zucchini! But if they are really, really picky, then peel the zucchini before shredding or they will be quizzing you about the little green specks!

Read more by Dr. Pat…or email comments, questions and requests…

Over and over I see wonderful mothers who can’t help but blame themselves for all of their child’s woes. When my son was only 15 months old, he sliced his hand on a can I had just thrown in the trash. I saw him go for it, but didn’t get there in time to stop him. He needed six stitches. I was fairly calm under the circumstances, but I knew it was my fault. Just like all the other mothers I see with injured children, I was blaming myself. I was guilty.

We know who we are. Did we feed them enough or too much? Are they warm or cool enough? Is the house clean enough? Too clean, too scheduled, too much?

I don’t really know where all that negative stuff comes from (maybe our mothers?), but I do know we don’t have to keep up the tradition. I spend the better part of my day reassuring parents that they are doing the right thing. And usually, they really are. It also turns out that our children will thrive in spite of us, in spite of themselves. Work for a balance as best you can, but try to leave guilt out of it.

Guilt ranks right up there with other stress hormones and they all take a big toll on our well being. Just say NO to guilt, and mean it. No, I won’t feel guilty or take responsibility for every failing, every problem my family encounters. Keep your sense of humor and life’s little crises won’t seem so bad.

Check out a few good books on the subject, like Motherhood without Guilt, by Debra Rosenberg or Mommy Guilt, by Julie Bort, Aviva Pflock and Devra Renner. If you don’t feel guilty anymore, your family won’t have to feel guilty for making you feel guilty. Then everyone feels better. Hooray!

More articles by Dr. Pat in Healthy Lifestyle.

Photo courtesy of Sourcebooks, Inc.

This recipe can’t be beat for simplicity and creamy good taste. I served it recently at a dinner for friends and even the folks who don’t cook were asking how I made it. It’s that good!

Start with a great potato (like Sierra Rose Red Skin Golden Gourmet Potatoes) to get the best taste and texture. Then take 30 minutes or more off the prep time by steaming the potatoes in a paper bag! Just put the washed potatoes in a brown grocery sack, fold the top over, and microwave. (My friend Mariel uses a plastic bag…either one works.)  Slide the skins off after cooking if you prefer, but I leave some on for color and nutrition.

Simply Delicious Potato Salad

2 lbs. (about 5 medium) red potatoes
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup mayonnaise*
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper (optional)

Cool and coarsely chop the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Place them in a bowl with the onion, mayonnaise, and salt. Mix gently and refrigerate before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

*Make this with Best Foods or Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise for a special dinner that is sure to impress. Otherwise, use light or cholesterol-free mayonnaise to cut cholesterol and fat. (You will notice the taste difference in a side by side comparison, but at least you can indulge guilt-free!)

Take things from simple to elaborate with one or more “add-ins” like Dijon mustard, chopped celery, chopped dill pickle or sweet relish, hard boiled egg, capers, etc.

Homemade just doesn’t get any better than…simple and delicious!

More recipes by Dr. Pat…

If you love blueberries too, buy plenty to freeze when they are in season. Just wash and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet (lined with wax paper) to freeze. Transfer the frozen berries to small containers and they will be ready to use all year long. Toss them straight from the freezer into your favorite pancake batter, or use them in recipes, like this fabulous blueberry muffin recipe!

Dr. Pat’s Blueberry Crunch Muffins

1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (but not thawed)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375 degrees convection) and prepare a muffin pan with Pam for Baking (not paper muffin liners; they will stick).

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl whisk the egg, oil and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter into the muffin cups.

Bake until lightly browned, about 16 minutes in a regular oven or 12 minutes convection. Cool for 2 minutes in the pan, then transfer promptly to a cooling rack. Serve warm.
Makes 12 muffins.

Did I mention healthy? These muffins have the nutrition of blueberries (with their vitamins and antioxidants) in a low fat, low calorie package, only about 100 calories per muffin! Yum!

Still hungry? Browse more by Dr. Pat…