A fresh cucumber salad

January 8, 2015

There are certain foods that constantly rotate when a person thinks about dieting. Cucumbers are one of them.  I have always been fortunate that cucumbers are the one vegetable I actually like and really enjoy eating, otherwise dieting would be such a nightmare.  In my family home, cucumbers are served in a variety of different ways from garnish to stand alone dishes.  I am often floored by how low calorie they can be. For example, this dish is just 70 calories and the salad portion size takes up a significant part of the dinner plate.  On this day I baked chicken with lemon pepper and made mashed pototoes GTLF style... a recipe I'll share eventually.  My entire dinner came in under 500 calories very easily and it was very filling.

Cucumber Salad

GTLF: Vegetable p. 140

serves 4, working time 30 min., total time: 30 minutes plus chilling time

1/2 C plain nonfat yogurt

2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream

1/2 tsp. grated lime zest

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 pounds cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 C julienne cut radishes

1/2 C thinly sliced scallions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1. In a large serving bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper.

2. Add the cucumbers, radishes, scallions, and mint and toss gently to combine.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.

Nutritional Information: 1 g fat, 70 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 3 mg cholesterol, 319 mg sodium.

Tips: This dish works best cold,  GTLF says you can make it as much as 8 hours ahead of time.  However, if it's longer than that, the salad can become a little watery.

Spiced Chicken Couscous

January 7, 2015

Never in my life did I ever experience Couscous.  GTLF has opened my eyes to a great variety of different foods.  While I think I still need more experiences with this tiny pasta, the following dish is delicious!

Spiced Chicken Couscous

GTLF: Chicken p.47

Serves 4, working time 15 minutes, total time 20 minutes

3 C reduced sodium chicken broth, defatted

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

8 drops hot pepper sauce

1 1/3 C couscous

1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2 in. chunks

3 zucchini, cut into 3 in. long strips

2 carrots, cut inot 3 in. long strips

1/4 C dark raisins

3 Tablespoons blanched slivered almonds, toasted

1. In a large saucepan, combine the broth, 1 1/2 C water, the cumin, tumeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 3 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the couscous and lemon juice.  Transfer 1 C of the boiling broth to the bowl, cover, and let stand until the couscous has softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add the chicken, zucchini, carrots, and more water to cover, if necessary, to the remaining broth.  Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

4. Fluff the couscous with a fork and spoon onto 4 serving plates.  With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and vegetables from the broth, place on top of the couscous, and sprinkle with the raisins and almonds.  Pour the broth into a sauceboat and serve along with the stew.

Nutritional Information: 9g fat, 488 calories, 1.6 g sat. fat, 66g carbohydrate, 35 g protein, 94 mg. cholesterol, 609 mg sodium.

Hamburgers.... I mean chicken burgers

January 6, 2015

In my childhood household, occasionally, the whole family would be put on a diet.  One favorite low fat meal that my parents would make was the hamburger patty meal. They would grill or broil a frozen patty bought in bulk at the grocery store and then steam some vegetables.  Being too young to understand the point, hamburger night was always a little frustating.  As I became older, I appreciated the dish, rather, I didn't hate it, but would find myself looking desperately for a bun and some ketchup.

I think my parents had the right idea, and apparently so does GTLF.  Here is a recipe for a very tasty "hamburger" patty.  Only it's chicken not beef.  As it turns out, GTLF has several patties to try.  This is one of my favorites.  And with the delicious sweet potato chips you won't be looking for buns.

Chicken Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips
GTLF Chicken p. 81

(This recipe will require some work with a food processor)

serves 4, working time 20 minutes, total time 1 hour 10 minutes

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 in. thick slices

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces

1/3  C finely chopped scallions

1/4 C plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 C dried bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 C cranberry sauce (not jellied)

3 Tablespoons apricot jam

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with cold water to cover and let stand for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.  Drain the sweet potatoes and pat dry.  Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the potato chips are crisp.

2. Meanwhile, in a food proccessor, process the chicken until a coarse paste forms.  In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, scallions, yogurt, bread crumbs, 2 tsp. of the mustard, rosemary, oregano, and salt and mix gently to just blend.  Shape the mixture into 4 patties.

3. In a large nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat.  Add the patties and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove the sweet potato chips from the oven and set aside.  Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the burgers are cooked through.

4. In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, jam and remaining 1 tsp. mustard and stir to blend.  Place the burgers, sweet potato chips and sauce on 4 plates and serve.

Nutritional Information: 8 g fat, 409 calories, 1.6 g saturated fat, 59 g carbohydrate, 26 g protein, 94 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium

Tips:

Don't let the time scare you.  1 hour is required to prepare the sweet potato which can all be done early with a little planning.  The patties require the least amount of time.  If you're pressed for time omit the sweet potato chips.

Your life will be much easier with this recipe if you invest in some sort of kitchen gadget that has the ability to cut 1/8 in. pieces and grind meat.  They can be expensive, but if you enjoy these chips as much as I do you'll be making them all the time. I have a food processor.

GTLF explains that overhandling the meat will cause it to be too compact which will toughen them.  Handle gently and cook in a skillet so the patty is sure to hold together.

I wasn't able to try the cranberry sauce because I couldn't find cranberries in September when I made this recipe.  If you all have ideas of where to get cranberries outside of Christmas time let me know.

Tandoori Chicken

January 5, 2015

Curry powder continues to surprise me.  I can't believe I've gone this far through my life without ever really having the chance to experience this truely marvelous spice. Here is a simple dish that is really tasty.  What I love about it is how little time it takes to prepare, not to mention it's low calorie count.

Tandoori Chicken 

GTLF: Chicken Breats p. 104

Serves 4, working time: 15 min. Total time: 25 min.

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. paprika

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon plus 1 tsp. honey

1 C plain non fat yogurt

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 scallions thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped dried apricots

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts halves (about 1 pound total)

1. In a large bowl, stir together the curry powder, turmeric, paprika, ginger, salt, and black pepper.  Stir in the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the honey until well combined.  Remove 1 tablespoon of the mixture and set aside.

2. Add the yogurt, the remaining 1 tsp. honey, and all but 1 tablespoon each of the bell pepper, scallions, and apricots to the remaining spice mixture, stirring to combine.  Refrigerate the yogurt sauce while you cook the chicken.

3. Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill.  Brush the chicken with the reserved spice mixture and broil or grill 6 inches from the heat, turning once, for 8 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.  Cut the chicken into thin diagonal slices, and divide among 4 plates.  Top the chicken slices with yogurt sauce, sprinkle with the reserved bell pepper, scallions, and apricots and serve.

Nutritional Information: 2 g fat, 203 calories, 0.5 g saturated fat, 16 g carbohydrate, 30 g protein, 67 mg cholesterol, 394 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF suggests that to intensify flavor, rub the marinade on the chicken up to 8 hours in advance.  Also, the yogurt can be prepared up to a day in advance.

2. I have been using the broiler for most of my grilling recipes because I didn't have a grill so I know they work and taste great with a broiler, but Christmas just past and my in laws gave us a small grill that I have come to love!  It's electric and is designed to be used in the house or outside... so I'm not limited by the weather.  

3.  The nutritional information is for the chicken and yogurt only.  Prepare to add about 200 calories if you add a starchy side such as mashed potatoes or rice. When I served it we ate it with mashed potatoes.  The book's picture is with rice.  If you choose the rice option go with Jasime rice.  It's lightly fragrant, not sticky, very delicious and easy to steam. 

4. Of course, you could just squeak by with a vegetable and add only 50 to 100 more calories which would take this dish to an all time low calorie count.  It's surprising how rich the yogurt makes the dish so a starch isn't necessarily necessary.  I have noticed in my own weightloss goals that I don't mind losing weight slowly.  It makes the dieting process less stressful if I just keep to a 4-5 hundred calorie count for dinner.  What's the difference if weight comes off eventually right?  Consistency is what matters.

Surprise! Chickpeas are Delicious

January 3, 2015

GTLF has a way of using ingredients that I don't really think about to create interesting dishes. Growing up in a Mexican household, Chickpeas... garbanzos are typically used in stews my favorite being Cocido which, within my family unit, is typically a beef stew made with a clear broth and plenty vegetables.  My parents always add garbanzos and I always eat them.

When I was in my early twenties I traveled to Israel to live on a kibbutz and discovered Falafel and Humus which are both made with garbanzos.  Before then I never really knew that garbanzos could be so tasty but they are.  Here is a recipe which uses garbanzos prominently and adds apricots.  GTLF uses many dried and fresh fruits in their culinary designs which is yet another thing I never really thought about... I've always eaten fruit on its own and fresh.  Using them in savory dishes has been really interesting and fun.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Chick Peas

GTLF Chicken p 61

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

1 tsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 bone in chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds total), skinned

14 1/2 oz. can no salt added stewed tomatoes

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C orzo or other small pasta

1 C canned chick peas, rinsed and drained

1/4 C chopped dried apricots

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat.  Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon.  Add the honey and salt, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the orzo until just tender.  Drain well.

4. Stir in the chick peas into the chicken mixture and cook, uncovered, until the chick peas are just heated through, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the dried apricots and parsley.  Spoon the chicken mixture onto 4 plates, place the orzo on the side, and serve.

Nutritional Information:

6g fat, 422 cal, 1.1 g saturated fat, 65g carbohydrate, 26g protein, 67 mg. cholesterol, 448 mg sodium.

Tips

I don't know what the difference is between "bone in" and "boneless" other than the obvious when it comes to chicken.  To me chicken is chicken so I just adjust for boneless... I figured 1 pound boneless skinless is equal to 1 1/4 pound bone in skinless.  They say there is more flavor with bone in chicken but I get irritated playing with bones and it adds to the clean up. 

I live by the time limits on the recipe books and handle the actual cooking food as little as possible. I notice that the less I touch the food in the pan, the better it is.  So if it says to brown on one side for a certain number of minutes I don't touch it until time is up.  This works perfectly and I'm pleased with the results.  It also frees up time so I'm not watching dinner like a hawk to prevent burning and I can do other tasks in between.  Timers are a wonder invention!

I notice that nearly every recipe in this series has parsley so I feel pretty confident buying and keeping parsley in my refrigerator because it gets used.  I might put it in my garden so I have it fresh on hand more often.

In this case, the recipe only calls for 1 cup of garbanzos. I hate waste so I have used left over beans like garbanzos in salads and will occasionally add to plain chicken broth with a little chopped raw onion.  Scallions or red onions are my favorite.

Sicilian Pizza GTLF Italian p 11

January 2, 2015

When Brian and I started with the recipes, he couldn't tell the difference between chicken and tuna and I had lots of self imposed food restrictions.  I told myself that I didn't like a lot of things.  I couldn't bare looking at olives of any kind and things I considered foreign, like anchovies, were on my "avoid at all costs" food lists.  In my case, fear of things like not getting enough food at a party or fear of encountering weird foods forced me to visit fast food before going to any event.  The problem here was that after the pre eating, if I deemed the food familiar and likable at the party, I wouldn't stop eating.  Also, if I was throwing the party I made huge amounts of these "familiar" foods and would feast on leftovers for many days afterward.  Needless, these are all habits that I've targeted with GTLF.  I'm reevaluating my forbidden foods food lists and I'm doing my best to try new things.

Here is my first open minded encounter with olives and anchovies.

Sicilian Pizza: GTLF Italian  P 11

Serves 4, working time 35 min, total time 45 min.

2 tsp. yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 C flour

5 Tablespoon grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 C buttermilk (lowfat 1.5%)

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

8 oz. can no salt added tomato sauce

2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped or 2 tsp. anchovy paste

3/4 dried oregano

1/2 C chopped fresh parsley

1 onion cut into thin rings

2 Tablespoons chopped Calamata or other brine cured black olives

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a 12 in. pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with the cornmeal.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 2 tablespoons of the Romano, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk, oil, and lemon zest to the center.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.  Do not overmix.

3. Form the dough into a loose ball and gently roll it out on a lightly floured surface to an 8 inch round.  Transfer the dough to the pizza pan and pat out to an 11 in. round.  In  small bowl, comine the tomato sauce, anchovies, and oregano.  Spoon the sauce onto the dough.  Sprinkle with the parsley, onion rings, the remaining 3 tablespoons Romano, and the olives.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is browned on the bottom.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Nutritional Information: 7g fat, 307 calories, 1 g saturated fat, 50 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 10 mg cholesterol, 801 mg sodium

Tips:

1. This pizza is listed as an appetizer so it's pretty light.  I enjoyed eating it as a lunch.  It's easy to pack and is quite tasty cold.

2. If you buy the anchovy paste, an open container can last in the refrigerator for 6 months.  Waste not, want not right??

3. I love red onions and I find them visually pleasing which adds interest and a level of satisfaction to eating.  I have learned that it's easiest for me to eat healthy if food is both visually pleasing and delicious.

A vegetarian choice: Italian Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto

January 1, 2015

GTLF, aka Great Taste Low Fat, has a wonderful cookbook called Hearty Soups and Stews.  In my culture, soup is an important part of daily life, celebration and even death.  For this reason, soup is soul food for me and my family. Hearty Soups and Stews is a fascinating book because it offers 81 different recipes which offers a great amount of variety.  I have learned that variety is fun and exciting and I've been enjoying adding them to my daily diet. I find myself craving soups for lunch and on cold days.  

Here is a delicious and filling one to try.  I made this on December 11, 2013.

Italian Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto

Hearty Soups and Stews P 83

(Serves 4; working time 25 min.; total time 40 minutes)

4 tsp olive oil

1 red onion coarsely chopped

3 carrots, thinkly sliced

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

1 C dry white wine

3/4 tsp. dried rosemary

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 pound small red potatoes quartered

1 C packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 C grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 pound Italian green beans, fresh or thawed frozen, cut into 1 in pieces

1/2 C small pasta shapes, such as orzo

1 C frozen peas

19 oz. can white kidney beans (cannellini) rinsed and drained 

1/4 tsp. salt

1. In a nonstick Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat 2 tsp of the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat.  Add the onion and carrots and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the broth, 1 1/2 C of water, the wine, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and potatoes.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are firm tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the basil, Parmesan, garlic, remaining 2 tsp. oil, and 2 tablespoons of water.  Process to a smooth puree.  Set the pesto aside.

3. Add the green beans and pasta to the soup and cook until the pasta and green beans are just tender, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the peas, white kidney beans, and salt and simmer until the peas and white kidney beans are heated through, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the pesto.  Divide among 4 bowls and serve.

Nutritional Information: 8 g fat, 444 calories, 1.7g saturated fat, 67 g carbohydrate, 20g protein, 4mg cholesterol, 741mg sodium.


Tips:

I've noticed that it might take a little time, but always make the soups at the temperatures recommended.  I've tried speeding things up a bit and the soups come out dry.  If you do everything at medium heat, the soups will have the proper amounts of broth.

I'm militant about using a timer.  I've found that I've always over cooked meats and vegetables. Using the timer insures the integrity of textures represented in each recipe.

I found that those little wine bottles from Walmart have all the wine flavors in 1 Cup sizes.  I don't drink wine so this helps me avoid wasting perfectly good wine.  I keep the bottles with my spices.

I've learned that frozen vegetables work pretty good next to fresh ones.  I always keep frozen peas, pearl onions, lima beans and corn in the freezer.  Fresh is of course ideal.  I don't like canned for this type of cooking.

I haven't found the 19 oz. cans so I just use the standard ones which are about 15 oz.  If any of you find cans in that size let me know where.