Chicken Vegetable Chowder

June 4, 2015

One of the best things about GTLF is the fact that there are tons of recipes for truly delicious soups. I use the term "soup" loosely since I'm starting to see a real difference between chowders, soups, stews and all kinds of "soup" types foods. Today's version is a type of chowder. It's easy and I want to memorize it because I want to eat it again and again...

Chicken Vegetable Chowder

GTLF: Hearty Soups and Stews p. 11

Serves 4, working time 20 min., total time 30 min.

13 3/4 oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth, defatted

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 in. cubes

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 in. chunks

2 C coarsely chopped broccoli florets

6 tablespoons slivered Canadian Bacon (2 oz)

14 3/4 oz can creamed corn

1 C frozen corn kernels

1/3 C reduced fat sour cream

1. In a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, combine the broth, 1 C of water, the sweet potatoes, thyme, rosemary, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduced the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sweet potatoes are firm tender, about 6 min. Add the chicken and broccoli and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 min.

2. Stir in the Canadian bacon, creamed corn, and frozen corn. Return to a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the corn is heated through, about 2 min. Remove from the heat, stir in the sour cream, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 6 g fat, 353 calories, 2.1 g sat. fat, 48 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein, 63 mg cholesterol, 993 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF explains that this soup is supposed to be very thick. They suggest adding more water. I think that's a good idea. I like a little extra broth. 

Vegetarian Delights: Pasta with Vegetables in Creamy Cheese Sauce

June 3, 2015

This would be a great dish for my mom since she LOVES saucy sauces, especially white creamy ones with lots of butter and fat. Every times we go to an Italian restaurant, she needs to have the Alfredo sauce. This is not an Alfredo sauce, but man o man is it delicious and it's very low in fat!

Pasta with Vegetables in Creamy Cheese Sauce

GTLF: Vegetables p. 72

Serves 4, working time 30 min., total time 45 min.

2 tsp olive oil

 6 scallions, thinly sliced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 6 C)

3 tablespoons flour

3 C low fat (1%) milk

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

8 oz. rotini pasta

1/2 C shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese

1. In a large non stick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, until the scallions are tender, about 4 min. Stir in the bell peppers and cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 5 min.

2. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are well coated, about 1 min. Gradually stir in the milk. Stir in the salt, black pepper, and cayenne, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened and the vegetables are tender, about 5 min. longer.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just tender. Drain well. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss well to coat. Stir in the Cheddar and Parmesan and cook until the cheese is just melted, about 1 min. longer. Divide the pasta mixture among 4 shallow bowls and serve.

Nutritonal  Information: 11 g fat, 451 calories, 5.1 g sat fat, 67 g carbohydrate , 22 g protein, 24 mg cholesterol, 807 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF never makes a suggestion for whole grain pastas or quinoa or things like that, I suspect because those things weren't popular when the books were published... truthfully I only just started hearing about them a few years ago.... Since the Obama recipe suggested whole wheat pasta a while ago, I decided to use them in this recipe. It was lovely... although they do take some getting used to.

Delicious Dessert: Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

June 2, 2015

Hummm, balsamic vinegar and strawberries? You have to be kidding right? As it turns out, balsamic vinegar complements strawberries very well. I really enjoyed this dish, however, Brian argues that strawberries are already deliciously sweet and you don't need the sugar. He's probably right, but if you want to try a very tasty summery dessert, then this is a good one to try.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

GTLF: Italian Cooking p. 145

Serves 4, working time 10 min., total time 20 min.

1/3 C sugar

Three 3 X 1/2 in. strips of orange zest

Three 3 X 1/2 in. strips of lemon zest

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved

1. In a small skillet or saucepan, combine the sugar and 1/4 C of water, stirring to blend. Add the orange zest and lemon zest and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 min., remove from the heat, cover, and let cool to room temperature, about 20 min. Remove the orange and lemon zests and discard.

2. Transfer the syrup to a medium bowl and stir in the vinegar. Add the strawberries, tossing to coat. Spoon the berries and syrup into 4 bowls and serve.

Nutritional Information: 1 g fat, 116 calories, 0 g sat. fat, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF suggests that you can save the peelings of oranges and lemons in the freezer for any time you need zest. Cool!  You can also buy orange and lemon peel from the spice isle of grocery store. I figure there must be a difference, but I don't know what it is yet.

A Vegetarian Delight: Bright Summer Stir Fry

June 1, 2015

This dish truly is a vegetarian delight. It's beautiful to look at, delicious to eat and very low in calories. The best part is that since it's vegetarian, you don't have to "scrutinize" the calorie counts... Just be sure to watch the carbs... this recipe calls for 1/4 C of steamed rice. It's not much. Here's a secret, I make a bed of rice, make a well in the center (you know, like mashed potatoes) then I fill the hole with the stir fry. For me, it's all about illusion. If it pleases my eye and appears to be plenty, then I feel that way. It's a little weird.

Bright Summer Stir Fry

GTLF: Vegetables p. 67

Serves 4, working time: 40 min., total time: 40 min.

1 C long grain rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups small broccoli florets

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 in. thick slices

1 C reduced sodium chicken broth, de fatted, or reduced sodium vegetable broth

1/4 pound sugar snap peas

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 2 C of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 17 min.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smokin over medium high heat. Add the broccoli, celery, onion, bell pepper, and squash and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is softened, about 5 min. Stir in the broth, snap peas, and ginger and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 5 min.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the soy sauce mixture. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and is slightly thickened, about 1 min. Stir in the cilantro. Serve the stir fry with the rice.

Nutritional Information: 4 g fat, 299 calories, 0.5 g sat. fat, 58 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 682 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF suggests ways to change up the vegetables... here's the rule, find vegetables that have similar texture. Yellow squash / zucchini; broccoli/ cauliflower; snap peas/green beans... I'm so amazed I never thought about this before GTLF.  So, besides food couplings, food with similar textures also help with recipe versatility.