Today Show host Joy Bauer offers tips for healthier, cheaper summer entertainment
According to Today Show host Joy Bauer, SUMMER entertainment can be even more fun if you follow a few frugal tips.
The health and nutrition expert creates inexpensive barbecue tricks and decorative designs that will save you time and money.
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HUGE, JUICY BURGERS
Bauer told The US Sun how to get the most out of your burger.
“Instead of regular burgers, you can also take ground turkey, or any other meat of your choice, add all the spices, take a bag of baby spinach leaves and chop them up really finely,” she said.
“You mix it directly with the meat and it increases the volume, giving you big, solid burgers,” she continues.
You also get more nutritional value, because spinach contains a good dose of vitamin C, fiber and many antioxidants, she explained.
For extra flavor, the certified nutritionist recommends adding soy sauce, garlic, onion and Worcestershire sauce.
HEIL CAESAR SALAD
She also has tasty tips for making a classic Caesar salad with grilled chicken even more delicious.
For even more savings, it’s best to buy in bulk.
“If you go to a Costco or Sam’s Club, you’ll get more romaine hearts in a bag,” she said.
“You want to keep the ends intact so they stay together. I cut them both in half and you just put them on the baking sheet and spray them with a little olive oil,” she continued.
“I add some salt and pepper and grill them until they’re charred black. They’re insanely delicious and everyone gets one or two.”
To speed up cooking, she grills the chicken at the same time.
SECRET HEALTHIER
Another tip for a professional party is to use healthy substitutes.
“Instead of carb-laden croutons, I use toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts for a crunchy finish,” she says.
“I make a Caesar dressing out of avocados. It’s so good that your guests won’t even know it’s not a Caesar dressing, except that it’s green.”
Bauer also always counts on her buffalo chicken coleslaw to be the tasty and affordable star of any party.
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“I buy cheap rotisserie chickens. I peel the skin off and pull it all apart with my fingers. Then I add scallions and hot sauce,” she said.
Her “velvety” orange buffalo sauce consists of cottage cheese, lemon juice and herbs, along with some pre-chopped coleslaw.
MONEY SAVING BEAUTY
By upgrading your outdoor space in a few simple and affordable ways, you can become the Martha Stewart of every summer party.
“You can buy outdoor dispensers that will produce delicious spa water if you put cucumber slices, lemon slices, lime slices or floating strawberries in them,” she said.
“Those things don’t fit through the dispenser, but they look really nice. And if you keep refining the water, you get all the colors.”
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She also suggested using basil, mint or dill, which gives the impression that you are a ‘foodie’ who has spent hours planning everything.
“It’s a last-minute solution that you can count on,” she said.
According to Bauer, be prepared for your next party by having plastic jugs or vases ready.
She said it is ideal to have plastic items on hand in case people bring flowers, rather than having to worry about accidents involving broken glass.
“It’s great as a host or hostess to show that you’re putting their flowers to good use by cutting them and putting them outside right away,” she said.
MORE HEALTHY TRICKS
For extra grilled flavor without the unhealthy stuff, she recommends using an olive oil-based marinade or dry rub.
“The marinade acts as a protectant and you can let that sit for 15 to 30 minutes before putting it on the grill,” she says.
“It serves a dual purpose: it gives the dish an elevated and flavorful look and it also makes your food healthier,” she continued.
By choosing lean cuts of meat and smaller pieces of meat, and reducing the fat, you also have less to worry about the harmful risks associated with grilling.
“When fat comes into contact with heat and flares up, substances are released. The goal is to reduce grilling time.
Skinless chicken thighs and fillets are also a healthy option.
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If you really want to keep eating Bauer, make some kebabs. This way you reduce the ‘bad ingredients’ and add vegetables to the mix.
She especially recommends her ratatouille skewers, which she makes by pouring marinara sauce over the meat of her choice after it has caramelized from the grill.
Even picky eaters can fool her grilled mushroom caps, which she turns into portabella pizzas.
She also believes that one food item doesn’t get as much attention as it should: corn.
“It’s really high in antioxidants and corn on the cob is really easy to make,” she said.
EASY EXCHANGES
She also has some easy ways to satisfy your summer cravings without the carbs—and without sacrificing flavor.
She replaces the mayonnaise with a combination of peach-pecan-coleslaw with a fat-free peach-flavored Greek yogurt, which means there are juicy, naturally sweet peaches throughout the dish.
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Bauer’s Thai cabbage salad features shelled edamame, rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the “easiest” homemade peanut sauce ever.
For her mango cashew salad, slice ripe mangoes or use frozen mango chunks.
Her pesto macaroni salad uses basil, a common summer produce, while her sweet potato and carrot salad cuts back on the carbs by using carrots instead of regular potatoes.
“It has the same creamy, sweet taste and orange color,” she said.
“You won’t even miss the extra potato.”
If you want to copy her grilled peach caprese burger, top the grilled peaches with a vegetable or meat of your choice, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, and a balsamic glaze.
If you grow mint or basil and want to do something with it, just make a Mediterranean quinoa salad with pistachios, parmesan cheese, and as many summer herbs as you can grow.
Bauer is also preparing to launch her own multivitamin line for the over-50s and no-sugar-added muffins under her Joyly brand.
“They are super tender and taste exactly like the delicious comfort food we crave, but they are packed with protein and there is no added sugar, just a little monkfish,” she said.
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