Healthy Substitutes: Fool Your Taste Buds.

So you're trying to lose weight and doing pretty well. Suddenly you're hit with a craving for potato chips. One or two would be ok, right. Two bags into it, you realize, "Probably not a good thing." The man in your life may think a diet without steak is ridiculous. And those of you carb-lovers out there cannot live for two weeks without potatoes.

As I've tried to add full flavor to my vegetarian recipes over the last week of the detox plan, I've made a couple of interesting discoveries. Vegetables cooked a certain way that could be stand-ins for their less-healthy cousins. Try some of them and see if you agree.

Grilled Portobella Mushroom
I love a good steak. Especially a ribeye...medium rare. But it's a once-a-month treat...at the most. Too full of saturated fat, and definitely not a part of the detox plan. I've learned though that a Portobella mushroom makes a great substitute. Here's how I do it.

Take a Portobella mushroom and marinate/season just as you would a steak. I drizzle both sides with olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic pepper and seasoning salt. Then I grill until well-browned on both sides, about ten minutes total. Cut into with a steak knife and you might just fool yourself into thinking you're having sirloin.

You can also prepare on the stovetop in a hot grill pan. And I have always said that the best and easiest grilled vegetables are made on a George Foreman indoor electric grill. Might as well grill a whole batch of vegetables while you're at it. Onion, squash, bell pepper...just slice and use the same marinade you do on the mushroom.

Zucchini Oven Chips
One of my favorite comfort foods is fried yellow squash. Slices of crookneck squash dipped in milk and then coated in cornmeal and fried. The crispy coating is the perfect complement to the tender fleshiness of the squash. I can eat platefuls of the stuff. Last summer, I tried this healthier alternative. When I fixed it again this last week, I realized it also could be a good stand-in for potato chips. The thin slices of zucchini end up nice and crisp with just the right amount of saltiness. (Note: The breadcrumbs, milk and Parmesan are all "cheat" ingredients in the first couple of weeks of the detox plan, but if it prevents me from grabbing a bag of Ruffles, I think the end justifies the means!)

From Cooking Light

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Butter-Braised Radishes
I know you think I'm crazy to say that radishes are a substitute for anything, but I was surprised when I tried this recipe last week. I expected the radishes to be slightly tender with their bite tamed a little, but was pleased to see that they ended up tasting an awful lot like boiled new potatoes. (And, of course, if you're having a total potato craving, try steamed cauliflower mashed with a little butter and garlic. Much healthier than traditional mashed potatoes.)

Adapted from Food and Wine magazine

1 cup vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds radishes with their greens removed, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet, bring the vegetable stock and butter to a boil over moderate heat. Add the radishes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are crisp-tender and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a shallow bowl.

What do you think? Did you fool yourself at all?