Fast Food Alternatives

injected with any number of not-so-healthful chemical
additives and preservatives. Unfortunately, a good many
folks (especially young’uns) have been literally brought up
on such fare and have an acquired taste for it (even if
their families have since “converted” to unprocessed food
diets).

However, you can wean your children (or yourself) from such
“junk foods” as ready-made burgers, fries, and tacos by
simply preparing some nutritious “fast food” right in
your own kitchen. The homemade goodies will be crammed with
nutrition, they’ll cost less than the store-bought
varieties, and–best of all–you’ll know exactly
what goes into them.

I started experimenting with fast food alternatives when I
decided to put our hyperactive son on a diet that allowed
no white sugar, no preservatives, and no food coloring. To
vary the boy’s meals and satisfy his longings for the
“standards” he loves (but which contain the very chemicals
that seem to trigger spells of bad behavior), I devised
several recipes based on nutritious whole foods that
wouldn’t aggravate his condition. Now he can down one of my
homemade “Big Macs” (and all the trimmings) without
suffering any ill effects, and as a bonus our whole
family is able to resist “the lure of the Golden Arches.”

Non-Hamburgers

You may be surprised to know that burgers don’t have to be
made of good old U.S. Grade A char-broiled beef to satisfy
a hearty appetite. In fact, you can whip up delicious
patties from soybeans. The protein-packed beans can be used
either cooked or sprouted to make a soy burger that
should appeal to the most confirmed fast-food fanatic.

Soybeans do take a long time to cook, but they don’t need
much tending to. Simply soak 1 cup of the legumes,
overnight, in enough water to cover them. On the following
morning, cover the pan and boil the beans (in the same
water) for about three hours. After they’re cooked and
thoroughly tender, let the “beef to be” cool down a bit … then drain off whatever water is left (save it for your
soup pot), mash the beans, and mix in about 1/2 cup of
uncooked oats. Flatten the mixture into thick patties (the
recipe will produce four to six, depending on size) and the
burgers will be ready to fry in a tablespoon or two of hot
oil.

You can also make sprouted burgers (which offer even more
nutrients than do those made with ungerminated beans, since
the shoots are bursting with vitamins and minerals) by
first sprouting 1/2 cup of soybeans together with 1 cup of
pinto beans. After 3 or 4 days, simmer them in water (to
cover) until they’re tender (it’ll take about 15 minutes).
Then chop up the cooked sprouted beans and combine them
with 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 1/2 cups of bread
crumbs. Shape the mixture into four or five patties, roll
each one in whole wheat flour, and fry them in vegetable
oil.

As still another nutritious alternative, you might like to
fix rice and vegetable burgers. To do so, simply combine 3
cups of cooked brown rice (see the instructions in the
recipe for taco filling that follows), 3 grated carrots,
half a bunch of chopped parsley, 1 large minced onion, 1
clove of garlic (crushed), 1 egg, and 1/2 cup of whole
wheat flour and stir the mixture well. Season the
fixin’s to taste, form the patties (this recipe, too,
should produce four or five burgers), and brown each of
them on both sides.

Of course, once you’ve created your delicious and healthful
sandwich fillers, you certainly won’t want to serve them on
any old bread. Here’s how to make your own whole
wheat hamburger buns. First, dissolve 2 tablespoons of
active dry yeast in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Stir in 1
tablespoon of honey, and set the liquid aside. Then, in a
medium saucepan, scald 1 cup of milk and let it cool to a
lukewarm temperature before adding 1/3 cup of oil, 1/3 cup
of raw sugar, and 2 teaspoons of sea salt. Stir the mix
into the softened yeast. Next, beat in 2 eggs and enough
whole wheat flour to make a nice soft dough (you’ll
probably need about 4 or 4 1/2 cups). When all the
ingredients are well blended, cover the bowl before
refrigerating it overnight.

Two hours prior to the following day’s dinnertime, remove
the bowl from the icebox and let it stand at room
temperature for 30 minutes. Then knead the dough for a
short while (until it becomes fairly elastic) and pinch off
pieces about the size of a large chicken egg. Flatten each
one into a round bun shape and place it on a greased cookie
sheet to rise for about half an hour. (If you want to make
the buns look really authentic, brush the top of each one
with a little egg white, and sprinkle the “painted” area
with sesame seeds.) Bake the bread at 375°F for 15 to
20 minutes and you’ll end up with two dozen
scrumptious rolls.

When you’re ready to serve your soybean or vegetable
burgers, split the buns open and spread them with a mixture
of 1/2 cup of real mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of prepared mustard,
and 1/4 cup of ketchup. (If you want to avoid sugar–which
is often a prominent ingredient in these condiments–you can
find honey-based brands at almost any health food store.)
Finally, slap a homemade patty on each bun, top the burger
with a slab of cheese, an onion ring or two, a tomato
slice, several pickle strips, and some shredded lettuce, and succumb to a Big Mac attack, naturally!

Tacos With a Difference

A lot of folks in the southwestern states patronize their
local taco stands as often as–if not more frequently
than–they visit hamburger restaurants. If you’re a
fan of Mexican food, you’ll be glad to know that you can
easily produce south-of-the-border delicacies with your own
fresh (and often homegrown) ingredients. A nutritious
filling for homemade tacos starts with well-cooked
brown rice.

The secret of getting the little kernels to come out nice
and tender (rather than hard as pebbles) is patience!
First, bring 2 cups of water to a full boil, and then
gradually pour in 1 cup of unwashed brown rice. (Be sure to
do this so slowly that the liquid never stops boiling.)
Lower the heat, cover the pot tightly, and let the rice
cook for about 45 minutes or until all the water is
absorbed by the grains.

While the rice is simmering, fry up a combination of about
1 cup each of finely chopped onions and green peppers. (If
your tastes run to really spicy foods, you may also want to
add cayenne peppers–or even the still hotter
jalapenos–to taste.) Then stir those vegetables into
the finished grain, along with a cup of cooked pinto beans.
(The legumes will combine with the rice to create a
complete protein.) With that done, throw in your
seasonings: 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of
chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and a dash of salt. Stir
this mixture over low heat for about five minutes, and
then pile it into taco shells.

If you don’t want to use the commercially packaged
tortillas, you can make your own “Mexican sandwich bread”
too, preparing either a traditional maize flavor or a
wheat-based variation. To make a batch of 18 corn tortillas,
mix in a large bowl 2 eggs, 2 1/2 cups of water, 1 cup of
unbleached white flour, 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, and 1/2
teaspoon of salt. Drop the batter onto a hot, oiled griddle
to form five-inch “pancakes.” Fry the circles for about two
minutes without turning them over and then set
them out to dry on racks. While the tortillas are still
soft, fold each one in half  and fry it in four cups of hot oil for
five minutes or until it holds its shape (keep it closed with a
pair of tongs if necessary).

To prepare wheat taco shells, first mix together two cups
of whole wheat flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then stir in
from 3/4 to 1 cup of water (use just enough to make a stiff
dough). Knead the mound until it’s smooth, then break it
into one-inch balls (this recipe also makes about 18
tortillas) and roll each one into a large, thin sheet. Cook
them on a greased griddle over low heat, turning each piece
once or twice. Then, after folding them with tongs, fry the
whole wheat tortillas in bubbling oil until they’re firm.
The process will take several minutes.

After the folded shells have become dry and crispy, spoon
in your bean-and-rice stuffing. Top it off with
shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.
Finally, pour taco sauce over the filling. (You can, as you
probably have guessed, make your own spicy condiment:
Simmer together 2 cups of tomato sauce, one tablespoon of
honey, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of garlic
powder, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and, again,
hot peppers if you prefer fiery foods.) Ladle the hot sauce
over the contents of your homemade tacos, and you’ll have
some of the best eating this side of Baja!

Now That’s Italian!

Submarines, hoagies, grinders, heroes, or poor boys:
Whatever you call them, the long sandwiches are all pretty
much alike. They’re tasty, sure, but they are rather
heavy on the sodium nitrate and other preservatives. Well,
even confirmed carnivores can solve that dilemma (and still
have meat in their subs) by using fresh homemade cold cuts!

Mix together 2 1/2 pounds of freshly ground hamburger,
1 1/2 cups of crushed cracker crumbs, 3 beaten eggs, 1/3
cup of heavy cream, 1 large grated onion, 1 1/2 tablespoons
of salt, 1/2 teaspoon each of nutmeg and pepper, and 1/4
teaspoon each of thyme and allspice. (You can, of course,
use other spices, peppers, or chopped olives, cheese, etc.
to produce a variety of flavors.) When the mixture is well
blended, divide it in half and shape each “blob” into a
long, firm roll.

Then–on a large sheet of wax paper–lay out half a
pound of home-smoked (if you can get it) bacon slices. Being sure their edges overlap. Place one of the meat rolls
on top of the bacon, and then wrap the slices around the
cylinder. Peel the paper away, and wrap the entire
“sausage” in aluminum foil (twisting the ends tightly
shut). Prepare the other roll of beef in the same way, and
bake them both at 350°F for 1 1/2 hours. When you
remove the packages from the oven, place them in a pan and
punch several holes in the side of each wrapper to let any
accumulated fat drain out. Then chill the rounds and–when
you’re ready to put together a hero, hoagie, or
submarine–just unwrap and slice your custom-made cold
cuts.

To make long Italian bread for your sandwiches, first
dissolve 1 1/2 packages of active dry yeast in two cups of
warm water. Add a tablespoon of salt, another of raw sugar
or honey, and five cups of unbleached white flour. Knead
this mixture for about five minutes, then put it in a
greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours.
When the dough has doubled its bulk (more or less), punch
the mass down and shape it into two long, skinny loaves.
Place the bread on a cookie sheet, slash the top of each
loaf, and brush them both lightly with a mixture of 1 egg
white and 1 tablespoon of water … then put the bread in
a cold oven, turn the temperature to 400°F, and bake it
for 30 to 40 minutes.

When the crusts are golden brown on top, remove the pan
from the oven, slice each loaf in half lengthwise,
and let your “customers” build their own creations with
layers of cold cuts, provolone cheese, sliced tomato, dill
pickle, shredded onion, green pepper, etc. Season the
sandwiches with salt and pepper, then drizzle a
dressing–made from 1/2 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of
vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano–over the
filling.

Kentucky “Sly” Chicken

You can provide the Colonel with some competition by trying
this homemade imitation of his secret recipe. First, cut up
a whole chicken and dip the frying parts into a mixture of
one egg and 1/2 cup of milk. Then, roll each piece in a
combination of 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of cornmeal, 1/2
teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder,
1/4 teaspoon of paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of basil, and a dash
of salt and pepper. Deep-fry the coated parts for 20 to 30
minutes. Next, arrange them on racks placed over a roasting
pan full of boiling water. Let the whole thing steam in a
warm oven for 10 or 15 minutes, then let your hungry family
go at a platter of crispy, golden-fried chicken … just
like the “real thing.”   

The Trimmings

Fast food cookery doesn’t end with the main course,
however. You can also produce a batch of delicious homemade
French fries or fruit pies similar to the ones sold
in some convenience restaurants. To make up a few orders of
shoestrings, wash several large potatoes (use one for each
person) and chop them into long, thin strips. (You
can peel the potatoes before cutting them, but the fries
will taste better–and provide more fiber and
nutrients–if you cook them up in their skins.) Toss
the raw spuds briefly in vegetable oil, and spread them
over an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake them at 425°F for
10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F for
another 20 or 30 minutes. When the fries turn crispy and
golden brown, sprinkle on sea salt and serve them with lots
of ketchup.

Another fast food favorite is the hot apple turnover. You can make a wholesome version of that dessert with just
about any honey-sweetened fruit. First, make enough
dough–using a standard whole wheat pastry
recipe–for a double-crust pie, roll it out to a
thickness of 1/8 inch, and cut the sheet into small squares
(depending on the size you prefer, you can probably make 8
or 10 from a single batch of dough). Pile sweetened fruit
on half of the rectangles, sprinkle a little cinnamon on
top, and then cover each one with another piece of pastry.
Seal each mini-pie’s edges by pressing its seams together
with a fork, and prick a few air holes in the top. Fry the
fruit tarts in deep hot oil for about three minutes, then
let them drain and cool slightly. Be sure to serve them up
while they’re nice and warm, but be careful. The spicy
innards will be hot!

From the recipes I’ve presented here, you can see that
there’s no need to run down to the local fast food eatery
(where what you get usually amounts to an overpriced dose
of chemicals) every time the urge for a little edible
self-indulgence hits. You can satisfy your cravings with
better eats at home while spending a lot less money and
swallowing fewer “mystery” additives. So the next time
someone in your household comes down with a case of the
munchies, don’t take off for the nearest burger, chicken,
or taco stand. Head for your own kitchen instead!