Dear Chef Kathleen,
 
I've been diagnosed with heart disease. My mother passed away from a stroke. My doc wants me to lose 50 pounds.

Now I'm really worried about my 10-year-old daughter who is about 20 pounds overweight. All she likes to eat is junk food, especially anything from Taco Bell. I'm trying to cook nutritious meals at home.

Do you have an easy recipe she might like that's healthy?

Celie


Dear Celie,

You're right to be concerned about your daughter's health. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports, "Obese children between the ages of 10 and 13 have an 80 percent chance of being obese adults."

Another New Jersey medical study found that "obese girls between the ages of 13 and 14 are 4 times more likely to experience low self-esteem ... have higher rates of loneliness, sadness and nervousness ... and were more likely to smoke and drink alcohol compared with obese children with normal self-esteem."

A University of Minnesota study reveals that "children who were teased about being overweight were more likely to have poor body image, low self-esteem, and symptoms of depression."

According to the study, "26 percent of teens who were teased at school and home reported they had considered suicide, and 9 percent had attempted it." According to a report in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, "Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents."

Your commitment to cooking healthy meals at home is one of the greatest gifts you can give your daughter, Celie.

Teaching her how to take care of her nutritional needs responsibly at such a young age is a gift she'll have for the rest of her life.

Involve her in the menu planning and invite her to help you in the kitchen. If she's a true Taco Bell fan, I'm pretty sure she'll love my Chicken Taco Casserole. As an adult who can't afford the indulgences of my Taco Bell youth, I love to have this dish. It has all the flavors of cheesy, beefy tacos with a fraction of the calories.

Here are some tips:

Ground chicken usually contains white meat, dark meat, chicken fat and skin. Get your ground chicken directly from the butcher. Ask to have white meat only chicken ground for you right then and there.

Portion control is important with the cheese: Cut a 1/2 pound block in half or weigh it. If you don't have a kitchen scale, this is the perfect excuse to buy one. Use the microplane of a box grater for your cheese. Because it grates the cheese so fine and fluffy, you'll end up with a huge pile before you get to 4 ounces, so you can get away with using as little as an ounce to cover the entire casserole. If you want to cut calories, this is one way to do it.

You can use taco seasoning mix, but keep an eye on the sodium content listed on the label.

Chicken Taco Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place one diced onion, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/4 cup water in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.

Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and completely softened, 15 to 18 minutes. If you need to add a splash of water to keep the onion and garlic from burning, add it.

Add 1 bunch scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more or until softened. Add 1 pound ground chicken breast, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Cook until chicken is crumbly and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup water and 1 (15-ounce) can low-fat, low-sodium refried beans. Add cracked black pepper to taste. Cook and stir often until combined and heated through. Spread evenly into a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.

Pour 1 (14.5-ounce) can low-sodium diced tomatoes with jalapeños and juice over chicken mixture and top with no more than 4 ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese. Bake until cheese melts and casserole is heated through, about 25 minutes (or longer if you want the cheese golden and bubbly). Cut 1/2 head iceberg lettuce into thin strips and sprinkle evenly over casserole. Serve with dollops of light sour cream and low-sodium salsa.

Makes 5-7 portions.

kd@chefkathleen.com