Pigs, No. Blankets, Yes.

An easy alternative to pigs in blankets is to wrap a hot dog or soy dog in a strip of pita, tortilla, chapati, lavash, etc.

Or wrap a seasoned tofu chunk in the same.

Veggies can serve as the wrap, too.

All you need to do is slice an eggplant or zucchini into strips, then soften them by baking, broiling, grilling, pan frying (lightly covered in oil) and filling them with dogs or tofu.

You can marinate the veggies or drizzle flavored vinegar or a salad dressing on top.

Want a different filling?

In a food processor add:

Onion
Garlic
Herb - cilantro, basil, etc.
Nuts - walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, etc.
Salt, pepper to taste
Hot - peppers or pepper sauce

Process until mixed (you can make it smooth or crunchy by altering processing time).

Place some at one end of a bread or veggie strip, then roll.

Cover with a sauce, if you like.

Eat.

Mexicandian, Indiopian, etc.

Gourmet-O-Matic (tm) visitors understand what we are about - creating variety by making logical substitutions to what already works.

Here are a couple more.

There is no reason you cannot mix cuisines - create your own fusions.

As examples:

Mexicandian: make a dish in the style of Indian cooking and instead of mango chutney as a side dish, try mango salsa (Mexican). You will save some Calories and add a different dimension to your meal.

Indiopian: make a dish in the style of Indian cooking and instead of naan as the bread, try injera (Ethiopian).

Give these and others a shot.

All you have to lose are your inhibitions.

Soybeans

Eating your soy does not mean tofu only.

Go straight to the source and do the beans.

Also known as edamame, soybeans are a quick way to add legumes to a meal.

Buy the shelled beans since they generally cost the same as the unshelled ones and there is more to eat.

Here are some ideas:

Soymole - edamame, cumin, fat-free sour cream/tofu, tomatoes, jalapeños (or use prepared salsa) ground together.

Burgers/Loaf - edamame, beans (pinto or black) ground together. Add onions, peppers, hot sauce or peppers. Bake or sauté (burgers). Top with herbs (cilantro or basil), cheese (low-fat, soy, rice) and put in a bun for burgers.

Salads - edamame, dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries, etc.), crunchy veggies (onions, peppers, carrots, celery, cabbage, etc.), meat or meat substitutes. Toss with sour (e.g., vinegar, citrus juice), sweet (e.g., honey, agave). Add an herb (e.g., mint) or leafy green (e.g., watercress, arugula) and nuts. The combinations are endless.

Pasta a'Plenty

First, watch the Calories.

Pick 4-6 ingredients from the list and mix.

Pasta - spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, macaroni, rotelle, orzo, orechiette, farfalle, rochetti, any other

Oil (go easy) - olive, nut, herb flavored

Dairy (try low- or no- fat) - Gorgonzola, Parmesan, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, yogurt

Herbs/leafy greens - basil, mint, arugula, watercress

Crunch - walnuts, garbanzos, kidney beans, pistachios

Veggies - tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sprouts

Spices/seasoning - crushed red pepper, black pepper, salt (go easy), garlic, onion

Added protein - flavored tofu, tempeh, soybeans, meat

Acid - lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, vinegar

Eat.

Mmmmm...

Acids

Acids add an "edge" to foods.

They can be found in fruits, wines, even cheeses.

When a recipe calls for vinegars, there are many type you can use.

Each imparts a different flavor to your meal, making the experience new.

Here are some to consider:

Balsamic Vinegar
Basil-Garlic Vinegar
Berry Vinegars – e.g., Blackberry, Raspberry
Black Currant Vinegar
Cherry Vinegar
Chile Pepper Vinegar
Chive Blossom Vinegar
Cranberry Vinegar
Dill Vinegar
Dill, Garlic and dried red peppers Vinegars
Fig Vinegar
Fruit-Flavored Vinegars, e.g., Orange, Raspberry
Herb Vinegars – e.g., Mint
Hot Pepper Vinegar
Jalapeno-Garlic Vinegar
Lemon Vinegar
Mint Vinegar
Mixed Herb Vinegars – e.g., Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Orange Vinegar
Peach Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Rosemary Vinegar
Strawberry Vinegar
Tarragon and Garlic Vinegar
Tarragon Vinegar
Wine Vinegars, e.g., Pinot Grigio

You can even make flavored vinegars yourself.

Recipes for flavored vinegars can be found here.

Sandwiches?

Yep.

After all, Thanksgiving Day just passed and many of you "had" to make sandwiches to deal with the leftovers.

So here is The Gourmet-O-Matic way to approach the 6-layer sandwich - a year round good eatin':

1. Bread/topper - white, wheat, whole grain, baguette, French, pumpernickel, waffle, pancake, tortilla, more. Toasted, grilled or not.
2. Sauce - mayo with or without spices or chiles or tabasco or herbs; mustard with or without honey or herbs; dijon mustard, stone ground mustard, spicy mustard, more.
3. Veggies - pickled carrots or cabbage (add vinegar and sweetener, let sit) with or without daikon radish, watercress, sprouts (bean, radish, alfalfa, more), lettuce.
4. Protein - turkey, chicken, beef, pork, seitan, tempeh, tofu (hot or cold).
5. Herbs - basil, mint, cilantro, more.
6. Bread/bottomer - See 1 above. Mix or match.

Eat. Enjoy.

Easy Thanksgiving!

Without a doubt, the one kitchen appliance that is set and forget, versatile and a real time-saver, is the crockpot.

A slow cooker can do just about anything.

For Thanksgiving, using the slow cooker can make life simpler.

You can cook it all:

Appetizers
Turkey
Stuffing - traditional, cornbread
Potatoes - sweet potatoes (with or without marshmallows)
Sides - rice, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce
Dessert - cake, pudding, cheescake

Make life less hectic.

Give the crockpot a shot.

And have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Maybe even a happier one from using the slow cooker.