Chef shows holiday meals can be lighter, healthier

Miniature mixed-berry shortcakes look delightful to the eye and provide a pleasing low-sugar, low-fat treat. Chef Shane Mischler served the bite-sized dessert during the Healthy Woman Girls Nite Out, held earlier this month at the Dyersburg Country Club at The Farms. [Click to enlarge]

When it comes to holiday entertaining, sometimes a simple salad and a scrumptious dessert is all you need - especially if you're on a diet.

Mischler

Chef Shane Mischler of the Dyersburg Country Club at The Farms created just such a menu for the Healthy Woman Girls Nite Out this month and shared the salad recipe with everyone. Copies of the Smoked Turkey Cobb Salad were included with each place setting.

Mischler, 39, tweaked a traditional Cobb Salad to make it more healthful - and more holiday oriented - for the Healthy Woman program.

"They need to know that it is truly healthy," he said.

He substituted smoked turkey for the standard chicken and low-fat turkey bacon for the traditional bacon. A baby corncob placed on the side of the salad symbolized the harvest season.

For dessert, Mischler tapped into one of the newest food trends: small bites.

"To me, small-bite desserts is a trend that's been coming in the last few years," he said. Small-bite desserts provide a touch of sweetness to the end of the meal without tempting you to eat so much that you ache, he said.

The tiny desserts served that night consisted of a sugar-free sponge cake topped with a fruit-juice glaze, sliced strawberries and blueberries and a dollop of no-sugar-added whipped cream.

The dessert offered a low-sugar, low-fat treat.

Mischler, who graduated in 2002 from the American Culinary Federation in Tampa, Fla., and joined The Farms in April, said he strives to provide a healthful menu and enjoys sharing his recipes. He said he plans to do that during every Healthy Woman program at the country club.

Smoked Turkey Cobb Salad

2 ounces spring mix lettuce

3 ounces shredded iceberg lettuce

1 grape tomato

1 cucumber slice

1/2 ounce chopped turkey bacon

1/2 ounce hard-boiled egg, chopped

1 ounce diced avocado

2 ounces smoked turkey, julienne

1 ounce shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish with baby corncob and fresh chives

Yield: 1 serving.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

2 cups light mayonnaise

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup white vinegar

Mix together.

Yield: 16 servings.

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The Healthy Woman program is coordinated through the Dyersburg Regional Medical Center. Membership is free. Monthly programs focus on a variety of issues of interest to women. For more information, call Healthy Woman Coordinator Judy Boehmler at 287-2109,