Healthy food has taken a bad rap. People hear the "H" word and immediately think, "Oh no, not another gaggy health-nut recipe!" It's not fair - it's entirely possible for healthy foods to taste amazingly wonderful. It's all in the recipe used and the preparation techniques. When done well, healthy recipes can be "to die for!"

For instance, in the 2012 May/Jun issue of Cook'n Magazine (which unfortunately will no longer be printed), we shared the recipe for an amazing casserole contributed by Angela of www.onesmileymonkey.com. We made this casserole and found she was absolutely right: "Not a broccoli lover? Prepare to be persuaded otherwise! The taste and texture of this casserole is wonderful. Second helpings are common with this dish."

So here I share Angela's creation. This neat recipe only takes about 15 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to bake. For a busy day, this is a good way to get a healthy dinner started.

But what about the technique? Well, whenever you make a casserole calling for vegetables, lightly steam them before adding them in. Lightly steaming means no more than 4 or 5 minutes.

(See this? YUK!) You can tell when any veggie is steamed to perfection - it doesn't have a strong odor and it does have a bright, vibrant color. For instance, you've steamed broccoli far too long if it has turned a pale green. For exceptional taste and appearance, it should be a BRIGHT and DEEP green.

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

whenever you make a casserole calling for vegetables, lightly steam them before adding them in. Lightly steaming means no more than 4 or 5 minutes. You can tell when any veggie is steamed to perfection - it doesn't have a strong odor and it does have a bright, vibrant color. For instance, you've steamed broccoli far too long if it has turned a pale green. For exceptional taste and appearance, it should be a BRIGHT and DEEP green.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 cups lightly steamed broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Mix flour into butter; add milk slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. When mixture thickens, add cheese and continue stirring until a thick sauce results. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place broccoli in an 8-inch square baking dish; pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over all. Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

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And let's talk beans - hummus actually. Because of the fiber and high vitamin content, this healthy snack is tops on many snackers' lists today. Made with garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), this healthy snack is so good and hearty, that when paired with whole grain crackers, it could even be the main course of a meal. But have you tried to make your own? Unless you know a couple technique tricks, it can come out a little nasty.

First, a thorough rinsing of the garbanzo beans is needed to clear away the taste of any ingredients used in the canning process. Folks tend to skip this step, and so the resulting product will have an annoying aftertaste. Also, the key to brag-worthy hummus is to let the flavor of the beans come through by using a light hand when adding the lemon juice. It's easy to get careless when adding ingredients, thinking if a little is nice, a lot will be better. Especially not so in this case. Too much lemon overpowers the tahini and bean flavors, so be sure to accurately measure the lemon juice.

Here's the recipe, contributed by Evelyn Clausen, that we used in the same Cook'n Magazine issue (May/Jun 2012). It takes 5 minutes to put together, and everyone we tested this on was begging for the recipe!

Hummus with Tahini

A thorough rinsing of the garbanzo beans is needed to clear away the taste of any ingredients used in the canning process. Folks tend to skip this step, and so the resulting product will have an annoying aftertaste. Also, the key to brag-worthy hummus is to let the flavor of the beans come through by using a light hand when adding the lemon juice. It's easy to get careless when adding ingredients, thinking if a little is nice, a lot will be better. Especially not so in this case. Too much lemon overpowers the tahini and bean flavors, so be sure to accurately measure the lemon juice.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups canned garbanzo beans drained and rinsed well
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sesame tahini
2 cloves fresh garlic crushed
1 to 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup water
parsley for garnish


Directions:

Put all ingredients except the garbanzo beans and parsley into a blender; blend for 5 seconds. Add the beans and blend on high until mixture reaches the consistency of a granular sour cream, approximately 10 to 15 seconds. If the hummus is too thick, add a little water slowly and blend until it reaches the desired consistency.

Transfer to a serving bowl; cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. The flavors will meld well if given a chance to sit for awhile. When ready to serve, drizzle a little olive oil over the top and garnish with parsley. Serve with pita wedges or slices of whole grain bread.

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In conclusion, give "healthy" a break and an open mind. GOOD and GOOD FOR YOU is not an oxymoron when the right recipes and techniques are applied!