Cooking at home

Bella Magryta, daughter of Christopher and Nicole Magryta, helps chop vegetables for a healthy family dinner. Photo by Katie Scarvey, Salisbury Post.

Nicole Magryta, a registered dietician, helps daughter Bella prepare mushrooms to go into minestrone. Photo by Katie Scarvey, Salisbury Post.

The Magryta family Ñ Thomas, Chris, Nicole and Bella Ñ prepare a healthy dinner together in their home. Photo by Katie Scarvey, Salisbury Post.

Thomas Magryta measures out frozen peas, which will go in the minestrone his family is making for dinner. Photo by Katie Scarvey for the Salisbury Post.

By Christopher and Nicole Magryta

For The Salisbury Post

The time-honored tradition of cooking meals at home every night is long gone in most households. The availability of inexpensive food at multiple different restaurants has allowed for the skill to fade for many adults. The inability to cook is not a problem if we all have a large bank account and the dining choices at these restaurants are healthy.

Now usher in a recession and the need to save money.

Home-based eating has been a necessity for many in the last year. For those who have forgotten or who never learned how to cook or eat at home without resorting to boxed and processed foods that have limited nutritional value and unhealthy levels of salt and additives, it is time to revive the old tradition of cooking.

I often hear people say to me, "I can't afford to eat healthy." My reply is that with the current scenario of rising medical costs, one cannot afford to eat in an unhealthy way. The vast majority of our disease burden can be reduced, if not eliminated, with judicious lifestyle modification. Daily physical activity, healthy diet and a positive mental outlook is the cornerstone of disease avoidance.

Part one of this experience is learning how to cook simple and healthy meals that the whole family will enjoy.

Part two involves understanding the cost basis of good food.

Part three, if you are willing, is to educate yourself on what foods cause disease, i.e. refined sugars and processed meats.

In the cupboard, every recession chef needs extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, low saturated fat salad oils, vegetable and chicken stock, all types of dry or canned beans, whole grain pasta, canned fish, oatmeal/whole grain dry cereals, whole grain rice (not white), barley, vinegars, assorted nuts and dried herbs and spices. Most of these products are inexpensive, especially when purchased in bulk.

The fridge and freezer should contain assorted vegetables and fruits, especially seasonal varieties as they are usually on sale. I like to see low-sugar yogurt, cheese, eggs, whole grain breads and sauces like pesto and tomato marinara. Deserts like 70 percent dark chocolate and frozen fruit parfaits are nice in moderation.

The most expensive part of every grocery bill is from alcohol and meat or seafood. It would seem prudent to reduce alcohol and meat consumption and wait for sales and freeze quality meats for later use. Ways to make meat last longer include placing meat and beans together in meat loaf, soups or in goulash- type dishes. I would propose that a recession-buster diet reduces meat intake to at most once per day with preference going to lean meats and fish. Protein should be increased from beans, nuts and seeds to account for less meat protein.

A crock pot can increase the soup production in any house. By visiting Web sites like cookinglight.com, you can get simple non-cream based soup recipes like minestrone or chicken noodle with vegetables. Homemade soups are healthier than canned types because of reduced salt content and a lack of preservatives. Pasta and vegetable dishes can be thrown together with beans in the pot and served with little effort.

Making larger meals that can be frozen and reheated is a useful cost-saving measure.

Let's look at a hypothetical day for a family of four shopping at Food Lion and cooking at home.

Breakfast consists of two cups of Quaker oats, almond nuts, bananas and frozen blueberries. A tasty lunch would be apple slices with seed or nut butters, salmon sandwiches (made with canned salmon found on the tuna fish aisle) on whole grain bread and a small mixed green salad. So far, the cooking knowledge required is minimal. Dinner is vegetable soup, accompanied by whole wheat pasta cooked slightly firm, olive oil, peas and diced chicken and a dash of Greek seasoning.

The total cost of this whole-day meal plan is not a budget breaker, yet the meal is exceedingly healthy. If you compare this plan with eating out for four, including tip, at a healthy restaurant, a similar volume of food, of similar quality, would be much more expensive. If the food choice is cheap, low-quality fast food, then the pay-for- it-later scenario will occur with metabolic syndrome and heart disease.

If your budget is bottom dollar, then I would focus on beans, root vegetables like carrots and beets, sweet potatoes, rice, bananas, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, canned tomatoes, etc.

Cooking at home can be an exploratory, fun-filled experience, especially if you include your children in the process. Most children are more than interested in being a part of the family cooking ritual when invited to participate. Be ready for a little extra mess and laughter.

A nice by-product of this experience is family time. This has been shown over and over to be associated with a healthier childhood and mental state. It is in the child's best interest to learn from his or her parents rather than the video game du jour that I see children playing when dining out.

Good recipe sites include www.cookinglight.com, www.foodnetwork.com, www.mayoclinic.com, www.momswhothink.com.

Good Web sites for learning the ins and outs of food quality and nutrition include www.drweil.com and www.mayoclinic.com.

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The following are recipes served in the Magryta household, most of them created by Nicole Magryta, who is a registered dietitian. Her notes are included.

Roasted Butternut Squash

This recipe is easy and delicious. Let the squash brown and caramelize before taking it out of the oven. There won't be any leftovers.

1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash,

peeled and 3/4-inch diced

2 Tbsp. good olive oil

1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Combine the olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender.

Turkey Lentil Burgers

I am always trying to introduce new flavors to my family. These burgers are high in flavor and provide a novel way to improve the nutrient profile of a traditional burger. I created this recipe with my kids in mind. It is now served at my son's school to the entire student body! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

1 pound all natural ground turkey

1/2 C. brown lentils

2 C. organic beef or chicken broth

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. steak seasoning (McCormick

works great)

Wash lentils thoroughly. Place in small saucepan with beef broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft. In separate saucepan, saute olive oil, garlic and onions until translucent. Combine lentils, onion mixture and steak seasoning in blender and blend until pureed. Combine lentil mixture with ground turkey and form into patties. Grill and enjoy!

Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

Quinoa is one of my favorite whole grains because is it extremely versatile and highly nutritious. This ancient grain has a balanced set of essential amino acids and is considered a complete protein source. Use it as breakfast porridge, add it to soups, combine it with summer salads, or simply eat it as a wonderful side dish. Serves 6.

1 C. quinoa, rinsed

2 C. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 C. pine nuts (or any favorite nut like walnuts or slivered almonds)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 carrot, diced

1/3 C. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Salt and pepper

Put the broth and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions and carrots soften and begin to brown, about 8 minutes.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onion mixture, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Meeska's Minestrone Soup

This is a fabulous fall soup recipe that I make for my family regularly. Change up the vegetables as your taste prefers. Peppers, green beans or any other beans work well in this recipe too. When making for my kids I leave out the mushrooms and they gobble it up. This soup is nutritious, filling, and a great way to introduce vegetables to your family's palate. Serves 8.

1 large onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots, diced (leave skins

on)

24 baby portabella mush

rooms, diced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp.dried savory

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

2 quarts vegetable stock

28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

1 15-ounce can cannelloni beans

1 C. frozen peas

Salt and pepper to taste

In soup pot, saute onion and garlic in oil to soften. Add carrots and mushrooms; saute 5-8 minutes or until softened. Stir in thyme, basil, savory and oregano. Add stock, tomatoes, beans, peas, salt and pepper. Bring to boil; simmer 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.

30-Minute Red Clam Sauce

I can't take credit for this recipe as it was birthed by my husband who was motivated by his stomach and needed something quick and tasty. It's a great throw-together recipe that will satisfy your taste buds.

1 pound 100 percent whole wheat pasta

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 shallots

4 garlic cloves

1 15-ounce can chick peas

2 5-ounce cans clams

1 28-ounce can pureed tomatoes with basil

1/2 C. cabernet sauvignon (any red wine will do)

1 tsp.basil

Salt and pepper

In a pot, cook pasta until al dente (firm) and strain. While pasta is cooking, saute olive oil, shallots and garlic until tender. Add chick peas, clams and tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes to let flavors meld. Add wine and basil. Cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with whole wheat pasta.

Dr. Christopher Magryta is a pediatrician with Salisbury Pediatric Associates. Nicole B. Magryta is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in business administration.