Making it Healthier!

In my post, Healthy Dinners for Two, I wrote about the “Garbage Plate.” I never had heard of this in my life, but twice my husband has lived in Rochester, NY, where this dish originated and became famous. Apparently there was a diner that catered to the late night bar scene (check out Nick Tahou Hots at www.garbageplate.com), and they came up with this slop of notoriously unhealthy foods that are just piled on top of each other in a big mess. He loves it.

For Christmas one year, I bought him a gift basket of special things specifically from Rochester (see my post on Great Gifts for the Man in Your Life), and it included hot sauce that’s used in making the garbage plate meat. So I thought, ‘I wonder if I could make him a version that still tastes good but has a healthier twist?’ I went to work on this, and came up with the following ideas for turning an otherwise pretty unhealthy meal into a much better alternative!

Based on his great reviews, I thought I would share the recipe.

All the Elements

The reason my husband loves this dish is that it includes several types of meat and is very filling, but therefore also full of fat and salt. But not this version! Below are the (many) things that compose your traditional garbage plate, and how I’ve re-worked them to be healthier but still really tasty. This is honestly so yummy people will think it’s the real full-fat thing. Share the secret if you want, or don’t!

Pasta Salad. I’m particularly proud of this recipe, since I really like it, yet don’t ordinarily like pasta salad at all. This recipe has very little in it that’s unhealthy- which totally fooled my husband. You replace tangy mayonnaise with sharp flavors like vinegar and mustard, and with all the crunchy veggies, it really does accompany the meats you’ll be adding later so nicely. Feel free to customize with whatever vegetables you like. I think cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and sun dried tomatoes work really well.

This pasta salad is great on its own or as a side. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a barbecue, picnic or late summer party!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Greek nonfat yogurt
• 2/3 cup light mayonnaise 
• 2 tbsp milk of your choice
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• 8 oz. whole wheat pasta (elbow, bowtie or fusilli)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Boil a big pot of salted water for the pasta
• While that’s boiling, mix the first six ingredients together in a small bowl
• Chop all your vegetables so they’re diced
• Boil your pasta according to package instructions, like 10 minutes on rolling boil
• Drain and cool the pasta, then add the wet yogurt mixture until blended well
• Add the chopped vegetables, and some salt and pepper to taste
• Store covered in the fridge for at least two hours so flavors meld

Meat Sauce. This is the thing that brings it all together. This packet came in the Rochester gift basket and is the real deal.

Note: The way to shave off a lot of fat and calories when a recipe calls for red meat is to just substitute it with white meat like chicken, turkey or pork.

For this recipe, you basically just brown a pound of ground turkey in a pan with olive oil, then add some water and the packet seasoning. I’ll warn you that I find this mix to be very spicy. If you don’t love heavy spice, definitely cut down the amount you are using.

“French Fries”. I absolutely love potatoes because they are filling and have zero points on Weight Watchers! So I make this version of healthy French fries all the time.

Simply cut as many potatoes as you want into wedges or strips. I tend to like more of a steak fry, but for this dish I try to simulate fast food fries.

Soak the cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water for at least ten minutes. This gets the starch out of them and makes them crispier. In 60 years of life and maybe 40 years of cooking, I never knew this until like a year ago!

Dry them well and season with salt. Mix with olive oil to coat, or to save more fat and calories, use a cooking spray.

If air frying- start out on a lower temperature first for 15 minutes (300 degrees), then bump it up to 425 for another 15. If baking, use 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Check and flip if necessary.

Hot dogs. Guess what to use? Turkey dogs of course! I do think they get a bad rap from hotdog connoisseurs, who swear beef hotdogs rule. Maybe, but these serve the purpose for this dish. I prefer my hotdogs boiled, and think that works best for this actually. Grilling is ordinarily a great way to cook them, but you don’t really want any extra charred-ness competing with other bold flavors here.

Hamburgers. More meat you ask? Yep. MORE. Use ground turkey, of course. When making the meat sauce earlier, use some of that meat to form patties for this part of the dish. Or see if you can find pre-made patties to save some time. Burgers can be made either on the stovetop or in the oven, depending on your preference. But know that turkey burgers do need olive oil and a good amount of seasoning like garlic and onion powder, as well as plenty of salt.

Onions. The original recipe naturally calls for fried, but baked or sautéed onions are just as good if not better. I love baking peppers and onions on a tray in the oven with a touch of olive oil; we make this all the time for our tacos. I highly suggest Farmers Market onions in the summer- we notice how much more firm and sweet they are! See my post on the best things to buy there!

Ketchup and Mustard. Everything on this plate has a place, even the condiments. So don’t forget the finishing touch. There is even a special mustard they make in Rochester (Rochester mustards). These sauces make complete sense, since you often eat them on top of burgers, fries and hot dogs.

Putting It All Together!

Start with a big pile of fries. Add one or two scoops of pasta salad. Cut the hamburger and hotdog into pieces and put on top. Cover with a few ladles of meat sauce. Add a few squirts of ketchup and mustard. There you are! I personally think relish or dill pickle is the perfect finishing touch!

This is traditionally served with a piece of white bread; to mop up everything (and add even more carbs!). If you opt for some bread to accompany your garbage plate-choose a healthier version such as whole wheat or sourdough.

Have you tried a garbage plate before? If you love them, give this version a try and enjoy them with none of the guilt!