Healthy Soul Food Recipes

Can you really make a chicken-fried steak that isn't loaded with saturated fat and salt? Absolutely. We skip the deep frying, but with rich country gravy as consolation, you won't miss it. Our pan-fried, crispy cube steak has less than one-third of the fat and about 80 percent less sodium.

Kale becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender in this recipe. Assertive garlic and salty country ham stand up to kale's bold flavor.

The South's version of creamy polenta, grits are easy to make on a weeknight--especially when topped with quickly broiled shrimp and scallions. Use the sharpest Cheddar you can find for these cheesy grits. Serve with: Sautéed greens and a tall glass of iced tea.

This traditional cornbread is made without flour, isn't sweet and has a crumbly texture. You can change the adaptable recipe to suit your cornbread preference. For a variation, substitute 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for the baking powder and use buttermilk instead of milk. If you're looking for a more muffinlike texture, substitute flour for half the cornmeal.

Collard greens are meltingly tender when cooked for a long period of time. Smoked turkey in place of bacon adds the traditional smoky taste.

Savory, smoky and slightly sweet, these are great with roast pork loin, a hearty bowl of black bean soup or barbecued chicken legs and coleslaw. Dotted with creme fraiche, they make an exotic appetizer.

A Louisiana favorite, our version of this spicy dish uses whole-grain Wehani rice. Long-grain brown rice also works. Traditionally made with chicken liver, which gives it a “dirty” color, we use healthy lean chicken sausage instead.

There's no need to feel guilty over this classic creamy combination of chicken, peppers and mushrooms. Our version uses low-fat milk and flour for thickening to make it plenty rich without all the saturated fat. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles.

There is no form of corn that a Southerner can't use. This recipe is designed for corn that was picked a few days ago or has otherwise lost some of its sweetness. In the country it's called fried corn, but the corn's really boiled in milk or cream to soften and sweeten it.

Antioxidant-rich collard greens and fiber-packed black-eyed peas have a starring role in this nutritious soup. There's no need for loads of ham or salt pork--just a small amount of bacon gives it a wonderful smoky flavor. You can skip the bacon and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth for a great vegetarian dish.

Waffles aren't just for breakfast anymore! This savory variation with crispy chicken and a delicious herb gravy is comfort food at its best.

With all that delicious fruit an apple pie should be healthy, but the truth is a slice can have as much as 750 calories and 30 grams of fat. For the most part, the culprit is the crust. We use whole-wheat pastry flour to add fiber and lower the saturated fat by replacing some of the butter with canola oil. The brown sugar-sweetened filling in this pie is made with two kinds of apples for the perfect balance. A slice has half the calories of a typical version and only 10 grams of fat--sweet!

This bourbon-spiked lemonade cocktail recipe is a spirit-lifter at the end of the day. If bourbon isn't your thing, rum, gin or vodka would all make delicious substitutions.

Here we've combined two favorite Southern side dishes--grits and greens--into one casserole; it's a natural choice to serve with Easter ham. Try omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth to make it a vegetarian dish.

Although the classic Cajun stew, étouffée, is usually made with crayfish, it's also delicious with catfish. The cooked butter-and-flour mixture, also called a brown roux, gives the sauce a nutty flavor. We added a bit of reduced-fat sour cream and stewed tomatoes to make the sauce rich and flavorful without a lot of extra calories or fat. Serve with brown rice.

Plenty of dark leafy greens deliver the moisture needed to balance lean ground pork and beef in this spicy meatloaf recipe. Serve any leftovers with extra ketchup as meatloaf sandwiches.

Invented at Antoine's in New Orleans in 1889, oysters Rockefeller was named for John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest Americans at the time, for its rich sauce. Antoine's has kept the original recipe secret, but basically it includes a cream sauce with spinach and other greens, flavored with Pernod or anisette. This version omits the cream sauce but is still full of flavor.

In this healthy chicken breast recipe, bottled barbecue sauce--often loaded with sodium and high-fructose corn syrup--is replaced with a homemade barbecue sauce recipe. Use the barbecue sauce to baste the chicken breast while cooking--but if you want to also serve the barbecue sauce at the table, separate some before grilling to avoid cross-contamination.

Kale is simmered with leeks and garlic then “creamed” with flour and milk in this healthy take on creamed spinach. Serve alongside steak or roast chicken and a baked potato.

This Southern favorite is a simple blend of Cheddar, mayonnaise and pimientos. If you like spicy foods, add a few shakes of hot sauce. Serve with crackers for an appetizer or as a sandwich spread for lunch!

Stewing okra with onion and tomatoes is absolutely traditional all through the South. Small amounts of meat are often added for seasoning. Add corn to this, too, if you like, and serve it over rice, hot cornbread or grits.

In this black-eyed pea dip recipe, black-eyed peas are pureed with extra-virgin olive oil, red-wine vinegar, garlic and thyme--a nice alternative to hummus. Try this protein-rich black-eyed pea dip with your favorite fresh vegetables or baked pita chips.

This fast, confetti-colored slaw recipe is an exceptional accompaniment to grilled foods. To make it vegan, use agave in place of the honey.

Try this recipe when you've got a craving for old-fashioned soul food.