Cooking Up Classic Comfort Foods With Fiber

(NAPSI)-Whether it's chocolate chip cookies, macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes, many home chefs say favorite comfort foods are the cooking equivalent to a warm blanket or a heartfelt hug.

However, classic comfort foods often lack the fiber the body needs to work and feel its best, possibly leaving you at a nutritional loss.

"Getting the right amount of fiber promotes regularity, increases energy and impacts overall digestive health," explains registered dietitian and director of nutrition marketing at Kellogg Company, Cheryl Dolven.

Fortunately, there are simple ways to boost fiber content without sacrificing taste. For instance, you can find a number of simple and tasty comfort-food recipes made with Kellogg's All-Bran cereal to help you more easily fit fiber into every meal. The new recipes include:

• Herb-Topped Pork Tenderloin Casserole

• Tuscan Apricot-Berry Crostata

• Sloppy Joes

• Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

• Tomato-Artichoke Casserole

• Gruyère and Ham Quiche.

Pair the great-tasting recipes with the All-Bran 10-Day Promise to get nearly half the daily fiber the body needs to work and feel better. Simply add one serving of any All-Bran product, which include four varieties of cereal, crackers and now, any of these new, simple recipes, into your daily diet. Try these recipes:

Herb-Topped Pork

Tenderloin Casserole

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

11/2 cups fat-free half-and-half or milk

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 medium white potatoes, very thinly sliced (about 11/2 lbs. total)

2 cups Kellogg's All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes cereal (crushed to 1 cup)

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or chopped fresh sage

Fresh rosemary sprigs or whole sage leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. In small nonstick saucepan, cook onions and garlic in 1 teaspoon of the butter for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. In small bowl, whisk together half-and-half, flour, salt and pepper. Stir into onion mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened and boiling. (Mixture will be very thick.) Remove from heat.

2. In 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish or shallow 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray, layer half of the potatoes. Spread half of the onion mixture over top. Repeat layers. Tightly cover with foil. Bake, covered at 350° F, for 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, melt remaining 5 teaspoons butter. In shallow dish, combine cereal and Parmesan cheese. Coat pork slices with butter. Roll in cereal mixture.

4. Arrange pork on top of hot potatoes. Sprinkle with any remaining cereal mixture. Drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake uncovered at 350° F for 30 minutes more. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon rosemary. Bake uncovered at 350° F about 10 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and pork is done. Garnish with rosemary sprigs (if desired).

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 260; Total Fat 7g; Saturated Fat 3.5g; Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 410mg; Total Carbohydrates 32g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugars 6g; Protein 18g; Vitamin A 6%DV; Vitamin C 25%DV; Calcium 10%DV; Iron 8%

Tuscan Apricot-Berry

Crostata

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

11/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup Kellogg's All-Bran Original cereal (crushed to 2/3 cup)

1/2 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups fresh blueberries or red raspberries

1 cup apricot all-fruit spread or apricot preserves

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, stir together flour, cereal, 1/3 cup of the sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. In small bowl, combine egg, milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

3. On lightly floured surface, knead for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough just clings together. Remove one-third of the dough. Cover and refrigerate. Press remaining dough onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Arrange berries in bottom. Gently dollop apricot spread over berries. (Filling will look skimpy.)

4. On lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into 10-inch circle. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips over fruit in lattice pattern. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° F for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 340; Total Fat 15g; Saturated Fat 9g; Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 100mg; Total Carbohydrates 52g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugars 34g; Protein 4g; Vitamin A 10%DV; Vitamin C 6%DV; Calcium 8%DV; Iron 6%DV

For more information and recipes, visit www.all-bran.com.


-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Green Bean Casserole: A Tradition For More Than 50 Years

(NAPSI)-Green Bean Casserole is a time-honored holiday side dish that was created 53 years ago and is still just as popular today. Here's the dish on this iconic holiday staple:

• An estimated 30 million households serve this creamy, crunchy favorite year after year.

• The traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe calls for a combination of green beans, Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom soup and French's® French Fried Onions. Through the years, people have started adding their own special touches, making it an integral part of their families' holiday recipe repertoire. Custom touches include garlic, red pepper or hot sauce, bacon, almonds, pecans and cheese.

• Save some for the next day! Try cutting leftover turkey into bite-sized pieces and stirring into the leftover casserole for an all-in-one meal.

• Love the flavor of Green Bean Casserole but prefer a lower-fat or lower-sodium variation? Try substituting 98 percent fat-free or 25 percent less sodium cream of mushroom soup.

No matter how you choose to enjoy it, this is one side that serves up rave reviews each and every time. For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.campbellskitchen.com.

Green Bean Casserole

Prep: 10 minutes

Bake: 30 minutes

Makes 6 servings

1 can (10¾ ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Dash ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut green beans

1⅓ cups French's® French Fried Onions

1. Mix soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and ⅔ cup onions in 1½-qt. casserole.

2. Bake at 350° F for 25 min. or until hot.

3. Stir. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 ounces each) green beans or about 1½ lbs. fresh green beans for this recipe.

For a change of pace, substitute 4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets for the green beans.

For a creative twist, stir in ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ cup additional Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.

For a festive touch, stir in ¼ cup chopped red pepper with soup.

For a heartier mushroom flavor, substitute Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup for Cream of Mushroom Soup. Omit soy sauce. Stir in ¼ cup chopped red pepper with green beans.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Stuffing: A Quick And Comforting Dish

(NAPSI)-In the top-10 list of comfort foods, stuffing is surely high on the list and the favorite part of the meal for many. Some insist on calling it "stuffing" while others prefer "dressing." Purists make a distinction between a stuffing, usually cooked inside meat, and dressing, baked separately in a casserole. What it's called at your dinner table may depend on regional differences or simply family traditions.

Onion, celery and bread are the classic components of stuffing, while dried fruits appear in many a dressing. According to the experts at Sun-Maid Growers of California, natural dried fruits such as raisins, apricots and apples perform best in dressings as they take up some of the liquids, blending well with other ingredients.

For stuffing and dressing ideas, visit www.sunmaid.com.

Easy Everyday Dressing

¾ cup chopped onion

½ cup sliced celery

¼ cup butter or margarine

1¾ cups (14.5-ounce can) chicken broth

½ cup Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

1 package (8 ounces) herbed stuffing mix

⅓ cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Cook onion and celery in butter over medium heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and raisins. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 3 minutes. Stir in stuffing mix and pecans. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Casserole dressing: Spoon mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Cover with foil. (If desired, refrigerate until ready to bake.) Bake 30 minutes at 350°F. Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer for a crisp top.

Waldorf Stuffing

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced celery

¼ cup butter or margarine

1 cup tart apple, cored and chopped

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

8- to 10-ounce package herb-flavored stuffing mix, prepared

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. In a saucepan, sauté onion and celery in butter. Stir in apple, nuts and raisins. Toss mixture with prepared stuffing. Stuff turkey, chicken or Cornish hens as desired.

Casserole dressing: Spoon into greased 1½-quart baking dish. For a moist stuffing, cover during baking. For a drier stuffing, bake uncovered. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 servings.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page