Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 07:15 AM
What is the most common dinner made in America? We’ve bantered this question around the offices at NuVal while working on presentations and tools for our Supermarket Retailer Partners. While there are certainly regional differences, overall we’ve come to the consensus that Spaghetti Dinner is the most common, most typical or most popular meal served on dinner tables across the country. Here in New England, the easiest, quickest form of Spaghetti Dinner is called American Chop Suey.
There are many different ways to prepare American Chop Suey, but this recipe from Family Fun Magazine is very close to the way in which I make it. I find that the oil is not necessary.
For me, as a somewhat creative and very health-conscious cook, making American Chop Suey is like raising the white surrender flag. It’s my last resort – when times really get tough. I can make it very quickly, the kids love it and we get two nights out of it. But healthy? I can think of many other dinners that are healthier – that have more vegetables, that have less fat.
However, by using NuVal scores as a guide, it is possible to make a much more nutritious American Chop Suey.
Consider the Traditional American Chop Suey:
- 1 onion (NuVal score of 93)
- 1 pound ground beef, 70% lean (NuVal score of 24)
- 1 box elbow macaroni (NuVal score of 57for Mueller’s or Ronzoni)
- 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (NuVal score of 27 for Newman’s Own All Natural Marinara Pasta Sauce)
Now see how you can trade up for better nutrition.
Trade Up American Chop Suey:
- 1 onion (NuVal score of 93) Hey, an onion is an onion. You can’t get any better than a 93!
- 1 pound ground beef, 95% lean (NuVal score of 32)
- 1 box of elbow macaroni (NuVal score of 91for Barilla Plus, Ronzoni Smart Taste, or Giant Eagle Whole Wheat)
- 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (NuVal score of 91for Francesco Rinaldi No Salt Added Traditional Pasta Sauce)
I feel better knowing that my Throw in the Towel recipe is nutritious.
So, what’s my method for making American Chop Suey? So easy:
- Get out a skillet and a large pot.
- Fill the large pot with water and bring it to a boil.
- While waiting for the water to boil, heat the skillet and add chopped onion and ground beef. Break up the ground beef as it browns.
- Cook pasta according to package directions omitting oil and salt. Drain
- While the pasta is cooking, go back to your skillet. Drain the fat from the ground beef. Add the jar of sauce and simmer.
- Combine the drained pasta with the sauce mixture (I do this in a big metal bowl). Add grated cheese if desired.
Yum!
Question of the Day
Does anyone know where the name American Chop Suey originated?
Facebook
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Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Dinner Recipes, Pasta
Tags: American Chop Suey, Pasta
Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 07:01 AM
Welcome to Trade Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday I blog about a trade up I’ve made and I give away some of my favorite products to one lucky Commenter. Today, in the spirit of easy summer cooking, I’m giving away the fixings for an easy pasta dinner.
Pasta and pasta sauce are definitely two categories that I’ve made Trade Ups in. Before I learned about NuVal, I was most likely to buy whatever pasta was on sale. I now know that the scores for most of those plain pastas hover around a 61. That’s not a bad score, but once I started working for NuVal, I learned that there are several pastas with much, much better scores. Like these three:
Barilla Plus Thin Spaghetti: 91
Dreamfields Linguini: 87
Hodgson Mill Spaghetti: 91
After trying them out, I was amazed that I did not have to give up taste for better nutrition. My kids love them too, so I feel great on those nights when all we have time for is boiling up a quick pot of spaghetti.
Likewise, before I started working for NuVal, my Go To sauce was Classico. While there are some varieties of Classico that have fantastic scores, the highest scoring selections (like Spicy Red Pepper, Score: 68) are a little too spicy for my kids’ taste. And the Classico brand that my kids do like (Tomato & Basil), only scores a 43. My Go To Sauce these days is Pastene The Chateau Marinara Sauce with a NuVal score of 66. Everyone in the family loves it, so it’s worth the $4.99 price tag at our local Stop & Shop.
Today’s GiveAway
One lucky commenter will win The Chateau pasta sauce and the 3 boxes of pasta that you see in the picture above. Just leave a comment below answering the following question:
What food or product are you willing to pay more for because it has better nutrition?
I will choose one winner at random at 7 am EDT on Wednesday. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Barilla Plus, Dreamfield's, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Barilla Plus, Dreamfield's, Pasta, sauce
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 07:05 AM
Do you have a recipe that people ask you to make again and again? I do. With the upcoming cookout season coming, I know I will get requests for Avocado Salsa, Pepperoni Pizza Dip, Holy Guacamole and White Bean and Basil Dip.
My good friend, Heather, will get requests for her Chinese Vermicelli. Fortunately for me, Heather has shared this recipe, so I can make it in my own home. And, boy, do I at this time of year. It is cool and delicious. And now that I know that I can make it with a super-high scoring pasta, it goes down even easier!
You remember Heather, don’t you? She is one of my Fit Friends at Forty!
Heather and Her Daughter
Heather is one of the best cooks I know! She has taught me a lot over the years – like how to make the most decadant chocolate cake ever – but that is a post for another day.
Back to the Chinese Vermicelli
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sesame oil (House of Tsang Pure Sesame Oil scores an 8 on the NuVal scale)
1/4 cup black soy sauce (I used Kikkoman regular soy sauce which scores a 9. I should have used Kikkoman less sodium soy sauce, because it gets a 23)
2 T sugar (NuVal score: 1)
2 T balsamic vinegar (not scored)
1 lb vermicelli (I used Dreamfields spaghetti, which scores an 87)
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted (Simply Organic sesame seeds score an 82)
1 cup green onions (NuVal score: 100)
2 T chili oil (we have not yet scored the brand that I used, but Sun Luck makes one that scores a 24)
Mix sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, chili oil and vinegar. Cook vermicelli in boiling water until barely tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Toss the pasta with the dressing. Add sesame seeds. Top with onions before serving.
This recipe is so quick and easy. Seriously, the only hard part of toasting the sesame seeds without burning them. The blend of flavors that come from combining sesame oil, chili oil, balsamic vinegar and sugar is so unique. And it is even better the next day. The colder this pasta is, the better it tastes. So a night in the fridge really brings out the flavor. Make this for your next cookout and you will be asked to bring it again – promise!
Question of the Day
What is your most requested recipe?
Popcorn Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to Commenter #27, Amanda! You’ve won some Old-Fashioned Popcorn and a NuVal t-shirt. Please email me at abetterbagofgroceries@gmail.com with your mailing address and t-shirt size. Thanks to all who entered!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Pasta
Tags: Chinese Vermicelli, Pasta
Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 07:17 AM
So, here we are having record warm temperatures in Boston this week and I decide to blog about a baked pasta casserole! Counter-intuitive, I know. I should be here telling you about the best-scoring recipes for the grill. But, let’s face it. Spring weeknight dinners are all about speed and while the idea of having a little soiree with your grill, cold beverage in hand is a pleasant thought, it’s probably not happenin’ ’til the weekend.
Yes, Spring is about the busiest season of all. Especially if you have a child who is in Little League. Luckily for me, my kids are not, but I do have some Mommy friends who are out at the fields at least three nights a week. With sunset not until well after 7 pm, it sure puts a dent in your schedule. And it is on those crazy-busy nights that Moms have no choice but to (cue evil-sounding music here) resort to the McDonald’s or Wendy’s drive-through. I admit, I’ve been there myself. Sometime between swimming lessons, sports class and Cub Scouts. I (unfortunately) have McDonald’s Kidzbop CDs to prove it.
So, this Spring, I challenge Moms to make some healthy, high-yield recipes on the not-so-busy nights and use their microwaves to reheat leftovers when the going gets tough.
This Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage is one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes. My kids love it, we usually get two dinners plus lunch leftovers out of it, and it has some great ingredients with high NuVal scores.
3/4 lb mild turkey sausage, casings removed (NuVal score of 20 for Shady Brook Farms 65% less fat sweet Italian turkey sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped (NuVal score: 93)
1 medium red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (NuVal score: 96)
One 28-oz can diced tomatoes (*see my note below on diced tomatoes)
One 10-oz package frozen peas, thawed (NuVal score: 96)
2 Tbsp tomato paste (NuVal score of 75for Cento tomato paste)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
12 oz dried whole wheat ziti, cooked according to the package’s instructions and drained (*see my note on Ziti below)
6 oz mozzarella cheese, grated (NuVal score of 21 for Price Chopper’s Part-Skim Low Moisture mozzarella)
On the Diced Tomatoes:
Boy, do the NuVal scores vary when it comes to canned tomatoes. It’s all about the additives. One of the best brands you can choose when your recipe calls for diced tomatoes is Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with No Salt Added.
They score a 77 on the NuVal scale. Compare that to Del Monte’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano which only score a 28. That’s what I mean about those additives.
On the Ziti:
This recipe does call for Ziti and I do like the smooth texture of that particular pasta cut for this recipe. But I also like to buy a very high-scoring pasta and for some reason, the whole wheat and multi-grain pastas do not seem to come in the form of Ziti. The best-scoring Ziti I could find in my supermarket scored only a 61. So, I opted for Barilla Plus Multigrain Penne which gets a Rock Star score of 91. To measure 12 ounces, I used my ancient Weight Watchers scale.
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes.
- Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the pasta and half the grated cheese. (I usually do this part in an extra-large metal mixing bowl to keep things from getting too messy). Spread evenly into a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese.
- Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Serves 8.
The photo came out a little blurry, I know, but you get the picture. 
Serve this right out of your casserole dish and then (once it has cooled), store the casserole in the refrigerator for Leftover/Microwave nights. You can zap a plate faster than you can get through the long line at the Drive Through.
As for warm pasta meals, they will still fit the bill here in New England. The forecast for the rest of the week looks much chillier. I hope my Little League Mom friends remember to wear their Long Johns. Those benches get cold!
Enjoy!
Question of the Day
What is your favorite reheated dinner?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Dinner Recipes, Pasta
Tags: Baked Ziti, Pasta
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 07:12 AM
Hello Blog Friends! It’s Trade-Up Tuesday, the day where I blog about a Trade-Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal and give some of it away. Do you remember me telling you how dreamy Dreamfields pasta is? I love it so much I just had to make it a GiveAway! And it is worth you taking the time to comment because Dreamfields retails for $2.79 a box at my local grocery store. So it ain’t cheap. I’m giving away 4 different boxes: spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, and rotini. All of these Dreamfields varieties get Rock Star scores of 87on the NuVal scale. Why, oh why, eat plain pasta? I’m also giving away a fabulous NuVal T-shirt! Which I would advise you NOT to wear while eating your Dreamfields smothered in tomato sauce.
Speaking of tomato sauce, I highly recommend my friend Heather’s amazing marinara sauce. I made some last week and it was incredible.
It is the perfect accompaniment to your Dreamfields pasta.
So, why do I love Dreamfields so much that I’m willing to pay a higher price for it? Well, long-time readers of ABBG know that I’ve traded up to whole wheat pastas (most notably, Barilla Plus, score of 91) since learning about NuVal scores. What I love about Dreamfields is that there is nothing wheaty about it at all. It tastes just like regular pasta. Actually better. It’s so smooth and creamy. That is the only way I can describe it.
To Enter:
In keeping with the Dreamy theme of today’s giveaway, leave me a comment below telling me either:
- A “carb” score that you find interesting in the Scores section of the NuVal website. (Bread, crackers, cereal)
OR
- What you most like to daydream about
Leave your comment by 11:59 pm Eastern time tonight. I’ll randomly select one lucky winner. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Dreamfield's, Pasta, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Dreamfield's, Pasta
