Healthify Your Summer with Fage! Recipe 3: Macaroni and Cheese

Our Healthify Your Summer with Fage Total Greek Yogurt Series continues with the third recipe in the summer series and it's a personal favorite! Macaroni & Cheese is definitely a comfort food for me, and something I already know I would never be willing to give up, but I am definitely open to ways to make this favorite healthier and Fage did just that! A small substitution makes this recipe not only healthier, but sacrifices absolutely nothing in taste. It comes out just as creamy and delicious as you want your Mac & Cheese to be, I've already tried this recipe out on family and they had no idea there was a yogurt substitution in my recipe! So if your kiddos are Mac N Cheese lovers, here is a great way to sneak in some Yogurt and they won't be able to tell the difference (you can even sneak in some veggies!).

FAGE (pronounced “fah-yeh”) is known for Total, the authentic Greek strained yogurt. This summer, Ascending Butterfly and FAGE Total takes you on a mouthwatering journey from plainly plain to plain extraordinary!

FAGE Total Greek Yogurt Macaroni and Cheese

@Photo by Yder Laya

Serves:

4-6

Ingredients:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - 8 ounces Elbow Macaroni

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 cup Onion, finely diced

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 cup Red Pepper, finely diced

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup Butter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 ½ cup Whole Milk, warm

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup FAGE Total Classic

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 10 ounces Cheddar Cheese, grated

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup FAGE Total Classic

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add red pepper and salt and continue cooking until vegetables soften. Remove from heat and reserve.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart casserole.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour, stir and continue to cook for 2 minutes or so. Gradually whisk in warm milk and yogurt, whisking constantly to keep smooth. Add nutmeg. Bring to a low simmer and remove from heat. Stir in 10 ounces of cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and Tabasco. Combine macaroni, onion mix and cheese sauce and transfer to prepared casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Combine remaining cheddar cheese, feta and bread crumbs. Remove casserole from oven and top with crumb/cheese mix. Return to oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

Recipe created by Edward Magel on behalf of Fage Total Greek Yogurt

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FTC Disclosure Information: I attended a hands on cooking session at the International Culinary Council as a guest of Fage Total Yogurt, I was taught how to make the recipes I am sharing on my blog, I am under no obligation to do so. This is a non-compensated post. This is a non-sponsored post. As someone who has shed 26 pounds via lifestyle changes, I love to share those tips and tricks with my readers.

Healthify Your Summer with Fage! Recipe 2: FAGE Total Greek Yogurt Lemon Coleslaw

My apologies for skipping last week, the Healthify Your Summer with Fage Total Greek Yogurt Series continues with the second recipe in the summer series! This time with another summer favorite, Coleslaw! Just like it took me a long time to embrace Yogurt just in general, I didn't always eat ColeSlaw and when I was little was known to pick it out when I went to KFC!  It was last year at BlogHer 2010 that I tried a Yogurt that I really liked, and have begn experimenting with other brands since. The event I attended where we learned to use Yogurt in our favorite recipes to make them healthier, still surprises me. For someone that never really ate Yogurt, I was surprised that cooking with it, yielded that much flavor, and in many recipes I couldn't really tell it was there at all. This ColeSlaw was a very pleasant surprise!

FAGE (pronounced “fah-yeh”) is known for Total, the authentic Greek strained yogurt. This summer, Ascending Butterfly and FAGE Total takes you on a mouthwatering journey from plainly plain to plain extraordinary!

FAGE Total Greek Yogurt Lemon Coleslaw

@2011 Photo Provided by Fage USA

Serves:

4-6

Dressing Ingredients:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - 1/2 cup FAGE Total 2%
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/3 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 teaspoons Lemon Zest
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 tablespoon Sugar
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 tablespoon Prepared Horseradish
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 teaspoon Salt
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Celery Seed
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl.

Slaw Ingredients:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 8 cups Green Cabbage, shredded (approximately 1 ½ pounds)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup Green Pepper, small dice

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 cup Red Pepper, small dice

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 cup Scallion, green and white, thinly sliced

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped

Directions:

Combine slaw ingredients and toss with dressing. Let chill for 30 minutes to an hour, adjust seasonings and serve.

Recipe created by Edward Magel on behalf of Fage Total Greek Yogurt

Want to connect with Fage?

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˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure Information: I attended a hands on cooking session at the International Culinary Council as a guest of Fage Total Yogurt, I was taught how to make the recipes I am sharing on my blog, I am under no obligation to do so. This is a non-compensated post. This is a non-sponsored post. As someone who has shed 26 pounds via lifestyle changes, I love to share those tips and tricks with my readers!

Healthify Your Summer with Fage!

Last week yours truly had the opportunity to attend a hands on afternoon of cooking at the International Culinary Council in New York City thanks to Fage Greek Yogurt! Ascending Butterfly alongside many fantastic New York City Bloggers had the chance to learn how to make simple recipe substitutions to favorite recipes, making them a whole lot leaner and much healthier! As you guys know I am down 26 pounds this year and when presented with the opportunity to make my favorite recipes even healthier you know I jumped at the chance.

I want to share with you each recipe that I prepared that day, since there were quite a few, I'm going to present you guys with one per week until I've shared them all!

I'm going to start with a summertime favorite that I'm sure many of you enjoyed over the Independence Day Holiday Weekend, Fried Chicken. Yes I know what you are thinking because I thought the same thing, Fried Chicken + 'Healthy' = I don't think so, right? But you can make substitutions to make this recipe a lot more heart AND hips friendly!

FAGE (pronounced “fah-yeh”) is known for Total, the authentic Greek strained yogurt. This summer, Ascending Butterfly and FAGE Total takes you on a mouthwatering journey from plainly plain to plain extraordinary!

FAGE FRIED CHICKEN

Serves: 4 – 6

Directions:

Marinade Ingredients:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 cups FAGE Total

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 teaspoon Salt
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two 3 ½ - 4 pound Chickens

In large mixing bowl, combine all marinade ingredients.

Remove wing tips and backs from chickens. Cut each chicken into 8 pieces for 2 legs, 2 thighs, and each breast half-cut into 2 (breast/wing and breast). Combine chicken with marinade and marinate 6-12 hours.

Ingredients:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Marinated Chicken pieces – wipe until as dry as possible
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 cups All-Purpose
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 teaspoon Dried Basil

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 teaspoons Salt

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 cups Canola Oil

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients, then combine with the chicken pieces in a large bag and shake to coat thoroughly. Remove from bag and shake off excess flour.

Preheat oven to 350*.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Oil should be about an inch deep. When oil is shimmering, carefully lower the legs and thighs into the hot oil. Cook slowly until golden brown, turning to give the chicken an even golden color. When well browned and cooked, 8 – 10 minutes, remove and drain on paper towels.

Then place on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes to complete cooking.

When finished with the dark meat, repeat procedure with the breast pieces.

Check pieces for doneness and serve hot from the oven.

Oven Fried Option:

Replace All-Purpose flour with Panko bread crumbs. Season and “bread” the chicken pieces as described.

After coating chicken pieces with bread crumbs, place on a foil lined baking sheet. Spray chicken pieces with a “Pam-like” spray or an oil mister. Bake at 350* for 15 minutes, turn pieces over, re-mist and return to oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Check for doneness and serve hot from the oven.

Recipe created by Edward Magel on behalf of Fage Total Greek Yogurt

Want to connect with Fage?

Follow them on Twittter @fageUSA
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˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure Information: I attended a hands on cooking session at the International Culinary Council as a guest of Fage Total Yogurt, I was taught how to make the recipes I am sharing on my blog, I am under no obligation to do so. This is a non-compensated post. This is a non-sponsored post.