Light Summer Suppers - Southern Style

In this growing culture of food people are encouraged more and more to buy as locally as possible in order to enjoy the fruits of the land around them. This is easy down south where the longer growing season means more fresh produce and farm fresh foods year-round. Although southern food places an emphasis on lots of vegetable dishes, they're not usually very healthy because they include lots of saturated fats. Here are a few ways to enjoy the sunny taste of southern cooking with a lighter touch.

One of the most popular appetizers in the south are buffalo chicken wings, although a "Yankee" invented them. They're mostly deep-fried chicken skin dipped in high test blue cheese dressing; your basic diet nightmare. Yet it's possible to create a healthy version that you might like even more. Substitute wings with chicken tenders and brush all sides with buffalo sauce. You can bake them at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or sauté them with some spray oil until done. In a bowl combine equal parts light mayo and nonfat sour cream. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic, salt, pepper, chopped chives or green onions, the juice of a lemon, and a small amount of crumbled blue cheese. If you use a good quality cheese you can really cut back on the amount. Now pour in some light buttermilk until it's the right consistency. Serve the buffalo chicken "wings" with the blue cheese dip and carrot and celery sticks.

Fried chicken is a southern staple. Instead of deep frying try baking your bird. Soak chicken breasts in light buttermilk laced with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to your taste. You can use boneless skinless breasts but for optimum flavor and juiciness use bone-in skin-off breasts. Mix together panko or homemade whole-wheat breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. After the breasts have soaked in the fridge for at least ½ hour dredge them in the breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with spray oil. Bake them at 375 for approximately ½ hour-45 minutes, or until interior temperature reaches 170 degrees. For a lighter side than mashed potatoes try oven baked fries. Slice red skinned potatoes into wedges, using only one potato per person for portion control. Drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil, and a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss and bake at 450 on a baking tray until crispy brown on the outside. You could also use the same technique with sweet potatoes, which have a lot more vitamins and antioxidants than regular potatoes. Serve with a side salad and you have a lighter take on a traditional southern favorite.

Southerners love shrimp, and one of their favorite ways to entertain is with a lowcountry boil. It's easy, healthy, and you can fix enough for 2 people or 20! It's also a good dish to cook outside for a picnic or 4^th of July party. Use an appropriate size pot for the amount of food you want to cook. Slice up lean, hot smoked turkey sausage and place it in the pot. Fill the pot with water and enough Old Bay seasoning for the whole boil. The Old Bay box will have directions. Add a couple of halved lemons and some crushed garlic cloves. Boil for 15 or 20 minutes and then add 1-2 small red skinned potatoes per person. Boil about 10-15 minutes. You can also substitute sweet potatoes cut into medium sized chunks, or use a half and half combination. Then add some fresh corn on the cob, broken in half, to the pot. I also like to add something colorful, such as fresh green beans or sliced red or orange peppers. Boil that for 5-10 minutes. When everything is just about done add your shrimp to the top. Watch carefully because shrimp cook extremely quickly. Depending on the amount you use it's only a matter of 1-5 minutes. Drain it as soon as they're done. If you're serving it outside do it the old-fashioned way and just spread newspapers over your table and dump the whole pot on top. Watch out for the steam. Serve with cocktail sauce, lemon wedges and extra horseradish on the side, and/or lowfat tartar sauce and you'll have a light, hearty meal in one pot!

The South definitely has a sweet tooth. For a unique twist on strawberry shortcake make your own lowfat cornbread muffins. While they bake slice strawberries, sprinkle with a little bit of sugar, and let macerate in the fridge. When the muffins have cooled off slightly, top them with the berries and a small scoop of lowfat frozen vanilla yogurt. For a lighter, less sweet riff on pecan pie make your own light butterscotch pudding or use the fat free boxed version. Fill small phyllo cups with the chilled pudding, top with a tablespoon of chopped, roasted pecans and a scoop of cool, lite whipped topping.

Down south sweet tea is super sweet; they don't mess around with their tea. Brew up your own iced tea, and instead of sugar add a shot of pomegranate juice. Then add slices of lemon, orange, sprigs of mint and a generous pour of bourbon for a southern cocktail.

These recipe ideas maintain the basic integrity of Southern comfort food while making it possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One thing southern cooks know is that the hot sun and long summer days make the food taste all that much better. Good eatin' and Cheers to y'all!