Relax, Make Mother’s Day Meal Ahead Of Time

Can a healthy, low-fat food strategy be applied to a Mother’s Day brunch?

You bet it can. As the mother of three, I can tell you that there is nothing more hair-raising than cooking for this very special day, while taking care of the kids and watching calories to boot. That’s why I’ve developed this brunch that can all be prepared ahead of time - and with the kids’ help.

Whenever I make it, the assembly part is so easy that it’s a breeze and helps make Mother’s Day the enjoyable occasion it should be for the whole family.

The menu includes Lemon-Raspberry Muffins, Egg and Green Chile Casserole and Hot Fruit Compote.

Now, don’t be too shocked when I tell you that none of these dishes contains more than 30 percent of calories from fat, the guideline set by the U.S. Surgeon General for a healthy diet.

And if you think you’ll be shopping all day for those hard-to-find ingredients that many reduced-fat recipes call for, think again. I got all of the ingredients for this menu in one trip, at a single grocery store near my home in Baton Rouge, La.

My motto is “Moderation for a practical way of living,” and it allows me to use the real food that we’re all used to. No tofu, no egg beaters, no butter buds find their way into my kitchen.

Remember, the day before, get your children involved in this meal. It’s a simple way to have some fun with them in the kitchen. And as the last dish is safely tucked away in the refrigerator, they’ll feel good about themselves - one of the best Mother’s Day gifts you could ever want to receive.

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

This is a great muffin for raspberry lovers, and works equally well with fresh or frozen berries. If you make them the day before, store the muffins in airtight bags in the refrigerator, then just reheat before serving.

2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup nonfat milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (if frozen, no syrup)

Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in large bowl and mix well.

Combine milk, oil, lemon extract, egg and egg whites in separate bowl, blending well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until ingredients are moistened. Carefully fold in raspberries.

Line muffin cups with paper liners and fill 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown, 18 to 23 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

Yield: 12 to 16 muffins.

Egg and Green Chile Casserole

Here is proof that you can have your cheese and eat it too, as long as it is reduced-fat. Each serving contains only 5 grams of fat. I especially like this casserole because you can put it together the night before and then pop it in the oven the next morning.

1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, drained

1 bunch green onions, chopped

5 eggs

7 egg whites

3 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

1 tomato, thinly sliced

Coat 3-quart glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cheeses, chiles and green onions. Spread evenly on bottom of dish.

Beat together eggs, egg whites and yogurt. Pour over cheeses, making space with fork so eggs will go through to bottom. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, place uncovered in cold oven. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Arrange sliced tomatoes along top of casserole and bake until done, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Yield: 12 servings.

Hot Fruit Compote

If you can open cans, you can make this recipe; that’s how simple it is. To make it ahead of time, mix all of the fruits together, except for the bananas and refrigerate overnight. Then add the bananas, place in a cold oven if you are using a glass ovenproof baking dish and bake 15 minutes longer than directed.

1 (29-ounce) can “lite” sliced peaches

1 (16-ounce) can “lite” pear halves, sliced

1 (16-ounce) can “lite” apricot halves, sliced

1 (16 1/2-ounce) can pitted Bing cherries

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, in own juice

2 bananas, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

6 tablespoons light margarine, melted

Drain peaches, pears, apricots, cherries and pineapple chunks. Sprinkle bananas with lemon juice. Mix all fruits together with bananas. Transfer to 3-quart glass baking dish.

Mix together cornstarch, brown sugar and curry in small bowl. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle melted margarine over top. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 15 minutes longer.

Yield: 12 to 15 servings.

MEMO: Holly Berkowitz Clegg is the author of “A Trim & Terrific Louisiana Kitchen” and appears regularly on the NBC Weekend Today Show.