More Salad: Chicken Mango Salad

March 11, 2015

In many respects, GTLF facilitates "entertaining" by offering dishes that are delicious and visually attractive. The down side is that occasionally the ingredient lists are very different and it's hard to know if your company is going to enjoy it or not. Once, I had my nieces and nephews over for a mini vacation over their summer break. If I made foods that had obvious vegetables in the dish, the kids didn't like it. However, if I was successful in cleverly disguising the vegetables, the kids ate them without a problem often raving about the dish. Hahahahaha... sneaky! Anyway, this exotic salad is one that anyone would enjoy and it's very tasty.  Happy entertaining! In this case, my mom made this dish for our family while she's on her vacation visiting me... I'm a lucky duck.

Chicken Mango Salad

GTLF: Main Dish Salads 15

Serves 4, 25 min. working time, 35 min. total time

1 C long grain rice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

3 tablespoons coconut

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 C chili sauce

1/4 C fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 mango (12 oz) peeled and cut into 1/2 in. cubes.

1 cucumber, peeled halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 C cherry tomatoes, halved

4 C mixed torn greens

1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 C of water to a boil. Add the rice, garlic, and 1/4 tsp of the salt, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 17 min. Stir in the coconut. Transfer the rice to a large bowl, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, rub the chicken with the paprika and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 4 min. per side, or until cooked through. When cook enough to handle, slice the chicken crosswise into 1/2 in. pieces.

3. In a large bowl, combine the chili sauce, lime juice, honey, and oil. Add the mango, cucumber, onion, and tomatoes, stirring to combine. Add the rice, chicken, and greens, tossing to combine. Divide among 4 plates and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Nutritional Information: 7 g fat, 468 calories, 1.9 g sat. fat, 78 g carbohydrate, 27 g protein, 49 mg cholesterol, 816 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. I use jasmine rice for these kind of dishes. It's very fragrant and delicious and absorbs liquid well so as not to be too sticky.

2. Mango can be purchased in slices. Buy the slices and cut into cubes, cutting open a mango fruit is difficult and messy...

3. GTLF suggests that you toss the greens in with the salad and makes it a point to mention that this should be done right before serving. Well, if you're planning on have any leftovers, I suggest that you don't mix in the greens. Greens will wilt and become soggy the longer it sits.

4. I don't understand about fluffing rice... if any of you figure that out, let me know.

5. I notice the timings for cooking all work best when the meats are well defrosted. Always defrost chicken inside the refrigerator. Here is where I've learned that a little planning goes a long way to making your cooking life easier.

A different take on Potato Salad Salmagundi Salad

March 10, 2015

GTLF has a book dedicated specifically to making salads, and not just regular side salads, but full dinner salads you can eat as a single meal. Growing up I always thought salad was a variety of vegetables and dressing, but they can be so much more! Here is a take on the potato salad called Salmagundi Salad. I looked up Salmagundi in wikipedia. The wiki explains that Salmagundi originates in 17th century England and is a salad designed to present as many different kinds of flavors, colors and tastes as possible. BTW: My mom made this dish and it was DELICIOUS!

Salmagundi Salad

GTLF: Main Dish Salads p. 65

Serves 4, working time 25 min., total time 35 min.

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

1 1/2 C low fat buttermilk (1.5%)

3 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

3/4 pound well trimmed top round of beef, 1 1/2 in. thick

1/2 dried thyme

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 C finely shredded red cabbage

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1. In a large pot of boliling water, cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 min. Drain well.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and sugar. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. 

3. Preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the beef with the thyme and pepper and broil 6 in. from the heat for about 4 min. per side, or until medium rare. Transfer the beef to a plate and let stand for 10 min. Cut the beef into 1 x 1/4 in. thick strips, reserving any juices on the plate.

4. Add the cabbage, scallions, and celery to the bowl with the potatoes, tossing to combine. Add the beef and beef juices and toss again. Divide among 4 plates and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Nutritional Information: 8 g fat, 362 calories, 2.4 g sat. fat, 45 g carbohydrate, 28 g protein, 59 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. It's very important to read the recipes all the way through BEFORE attempting them. That's the number one thing I've learned through this process. In this case, my mom read the ingredient list first, collected her materials and then read through recipe. Well, in the ingredient list it says the recipe needs meat cut at 1 and 1/2 in. thick. This is true, but you must broil the meat as a whole piece first.

2. Since we made a mistake with cutting the pieces of meat first, we decided to grill them quickly on my mini grill that I got from my mother in law at Thanksgiving.... Whoot! Whoot! Mom in law! This was a reasonable solution and turned out to be very tasty.

GTLF has dessert! The Monster Cookie

March 9, 2015

GTLF has taught me something very important about dessert. One thing is that it IS possible to eat dessert and if you do it properly, you shouldn't feel guilty. What I mean by properly is that dessert is by design meant to be a compliment to food, not a meal. It should be a small amount and should be infrequent to your daily life. The other thing is that dessert, even low fat ones, are high in calories. So, if you're like me and have a limited calorie budget, then you'll have to make adjustments to your diet in order to eat them. Also, it's just better to get used to desserts that are made more conscientiously health-wise to prevent any "damage" like undoing all your previous hard work or eating too much fat or sodium or something. Since I've been counting calories I've learned that desserts are painfully high in calories, especially those you'd find while eating out. YIKES!

GTLF's desserts are on average in the 300 range, but some will be close to 600 calories, even with all the adjustments. Regardless, the desserts that they feature are excellent and well worth the calories you'll eat. Here is an example of  the giant Monster Cookie.

Monster Cookies

GTLF: Dessert p. 25

Serves 8, working time 25 min., total time 45 minutes plus cooling time 

1 2/3 C flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 C reduced fat sour cream

1/4 C unsalted butter

2/3 C granulated sugar

1/4 C plus 1 tsp light corn syrup

1/4 C raisins

2 oz. mini chocolate chips (about 1/4 C)

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Vanilla Sugar Glaze or Orange Glaze 

THE GLAZES

Vanilla Glaze

1 C confectioners' sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 tsp. low fat milk (1%)

Orange Glaze

Same as above except omit vanilla and milk and use 4 tsp. orange juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the sour cream and butter until creamy. Add the sugar and 1/4 C of the corn syrup and beat until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the raisins and 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick cooking spray). Place the dough by scant 1/3 Cupfuls 3 in. apart on the prepared baking sheets for a total of 8 cookies. Flatten each to a 4 in. round. Bake for 20 minutes, reversing the sheets in the oven halfway through, until the cookies are lightly golden and just set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

3. In a small bowl set i a pan of hot water, melt together the remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, the remaining 1 tsp corn syrup, the coca, and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until the icing is of a spreading consistency. Spread the chocolate icing over half of each cookie. Make the sugar glaze spread over the other half, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 9 g fat, 368 calories, 5.5 g sat. fat, 70 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 19 mg cholesterol, 199mg sodium.

TIPS

1. To me, "scant" meant "level" and I ended up with 7 cookies. The dough is sticky so it's better to follow this direction. 

2. It's important to flatten the cookie according to directions. This cookie batter does not spread. My first batch of cookies were a little puffy and too thick.

3. My experience with baking helped me learn that you should let cookies cool a little before moving them. If you're impatient like I am you can pick up the parchment paper from the pan and place it on the rack and then just slide out the paper. But if you try to move or life them in any way you'll most likely break the cookies.

TIPS for Glazes

1. Don't add too much liquid. A glaze should be spreadable with a spatula. Too much liquid will make a drizzle which is much more runny and is suitable for different purposes.

An onion is an onion, is an onion.... Creamed Spinach Sauce with Ground Beef

March 5, 2015

Brian loves me so much! He's always noticed that I like onions, and one day he peeked into our refrigerator and counted all the different kinds of onions I had... that day I had red onion, brown onion, white onion, leeks and scallions. He thought that was soooo funny, that I had 5 different kinds of onions in the refrigerator. I often have even more than those standard five, including shallots, which are onions that look like garlic. Even garlic is a type of onion.

Well, I love onions so much that I always have them and take it for granted that I'm stocked, but sometimes I'm not. The reason I have so many different varieties is because I use them for different purposes, but in the end, an onion is an onion right? At least, it's what I learned tonight. Tonight I was supposed to use the standard brown onion in this dish, but I didn't have any so I ended up having to use the red onion. I tend to not like to cook with red onion since it discolors in the cooking in a way that I don't find appealing, but they still taste wonderful.  Try this dish, you're guaranteed to enjoy it.

Creamed Spinach Sauce with Ground Beef
GTLF: Pasta Sauces 67

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

10 oz. medium tube pasta

1/2 pound well trimmed top round of beef, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon reduced fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 C low fat (1%) milk

10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 C grated Parmesan Cheese

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just tender. Drain well.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the beef, cream cheese, paprika, slat, and allspice and process until finely chopped. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the beef mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the beef mixture, stirring, until well combined. Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently , until the spinach is heated through and the sauce is well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the Parmesan and stir to combine. Divide the pasta among 4 plates, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 10 g fat, 506 calories, 3.3 g sat. fat, 73 g carbohydrate, 31 g protein, 42 mg cholesterol, 522 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. The recipe calls for an all purpose onion, I used red because that's what I had and the dish was delicious. Perhaps the kind of onion doesn't matter with this dish.

2. I also did step 2 out of sequence. It worked out okay this time, but I do try to be careful when following recipes since sometimes it does make a difference. Read the recipe carefully always.

New England Fish Soup

March 4, 2015

When I think about my diet before starting GTLF I realize that I really had a very limited experience with food. I never really tried anything new and the dishes we did eat, while wonderful, were not always very healthy. Since eating GTLF I have increased my vegetable intake considerably and slowly but surely have decreased the amount of meat I eat. Also, while I still struggle with weightloss, the meals I have are much more balanced and low calorie.

When I started with GTLF, I choose recipes that were closest to what I already knew about food. Now, I'm really trying to experience recipes that are far out of my comfort zone. I've noticed that if I choose too many recipes that are too different, then I have a hard time getting motivated about cooking. But I am succeeding in breaking down my misconceptions about food.  I've noticed that fish is something I have never really explored. I mean, I love SHRIMP... who doesn't, but other sea foods are very foreign to me. So trying this recipe was a real adventure. I hope you will enjoy it as I have... being brave can really pay off.

New England Fish Soup

GTLF: Hearty Soups and Stews p. 127

Serves 4, working time 30 min., total time 40 min.

8 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 tablespoons chopped Canadian bacon (2 oz)

2 leeks, cut into 1/2 in. pieces

2 large carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4 in. thick slices

1/2 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/4 in. dice

1/2 C bottled clam juice or reduced sodium chicken broth, de fatted

1/2 tsp salt

1 C evaporated skimmed milk

1 1/4 pounds skinless cod fillets, cut into 2 inch chunks

1/4 C chopped fresh parsley

1. In a small pot of boiling water, cook the garlic for 3 min. to blanch. Drain, transfer to a food processor or blender along with the mayonnaise and lemon juice, and process to a smooth puree.

2. In a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the Canadian bacon and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened, about 5 min. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots are crisp tender, about 4 min.

3. Add the potatoes, stirring to coat. Add the clam juice, 3 C of water, and the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 min. Stir in the evaporated milk, bring to a boil, and add the cod. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the fish is just opaque, about 5 min. Add the garlic mixture, stirring until well combined. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 7 g fat, 350 calories, 1.3 g sat. fat, 35 g carbohydrate, 36 g protein, 71 mg cholesterol, 796 mg sodium.

TIPS:

1. I didn't have clove garlic so I used minced garlic. I skipped the boiling part and just pureed the minced garlic with the mayo and juice using a hand immersion blender.

2. I couldn't open the lemon juice bottle so I used lime juice instead. I don't know if that changed the flavor very much.

Black Bean and Corn Soup

March 3, 2015

It's so refreshing to experience a different king of soup then the ones you repeat over and over again because it's the one you have memorized or a technique you have memorized and therefore, easy to fall back on. One great thing about choosing a recipe book, or set of books and then going through them carefully one by one, is that you really learn the "how" of cooking... which will eventually enable you to cook on your own and create your own recipes. What I've typically done is memorize a particular recipe and then just repeat it over and over. This is fine, but it becomes boring.

Brian felt that this recipe was an excellent addition to the soup repertoire I already have. It's not too difficult since one only has to cut onions and bell peppers. However, you do require a food processor. In this case, the job is most appropriate for the giant food processor. The directions require you to puree FOUR cups of the soup at once. Here are the details to create this delicious soup.

Black Bean and Corn Soup

GTLF: Vegetable p. 50

Serves 4, working time 20 min., total time 35 minutes

2 tsp. olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 tablespoons dry sherry

Three 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste

2 C reduced sodium chicken broth de fatted or vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C frozen corn kernels

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a nonstick Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 7 min. Stir in the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the pepper is softened, about 5 min.

2. Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the beans and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, 2 C of water, the oregano, cumin and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the flavors have developed, about 10 minutes.

3. Transfer 4 C of the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the mixture in the pan and stir to blend. Stir in the corn and cook until the corn is just warmed through, about 4 minutes. Stir in half of the scallions. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, sprinkle the remaining scallions over, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 4 g fat, 282 calories, 0.5 sat. fat, 44g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 996 mg sodium.

TIPS:

1. Brian feels that this soup "looks heavy, but feels light". I agree. It's another opportunity to trick your brain into thinking that you're eating more food than you actually are.

2. GTLF suggests that if you have time you can buy dry beans and make them. They will be firmer.

3. GTLF suggests that you can accompany this dish with corn bread or serve over rice. Brian and I enjoyed this dish over rice. Just remember, whatever you choose you should adjust for the calorie count. In my case, adding 1/4 C cooked Jasmine rice adds approximately another 200 calories to this dish.

Lentils... again

March 2, 2015

I'd always "heard" about lentils, but I never tasted them before GTLF. My mom says that my grandmother would make them during lent and on Friday's since we are Catholic and fasting includes eating less, very little, or meatless dishes.  My mom though, she must not have enjoyed them because she never did make them for us as we grew up.

Watch out with this recipe. It's one of the heaviest dishes in GTLF with the calories per serving at 625. It just means that you have to adjust a few calories at breakfast or lunch or no snack. It's okay though since it's very filling and you won't want anything after dinner.

Lentil and Sausage Sauce

GTLF: Pasta Sauces p 63

Serves 4, working time 20 min, total time 55 min.

2 tsp olive oil

3 oz. Spanish style chorizo, or pepperoni, coarsely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely diced

1 C lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 C reduced sodium chicken broth, defatted

1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

10 oz. shaped pasta

3 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream

4 tsp flour

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cok, stirring frequently, until lightly crisped, about 2 min. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the bell pepper and carrots to the pan, stirring for 1 min. to coat. Add the lentils, stirring to combine. Add the broth, 2 cups of water, the fennel, and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are very tender, about 35 minutes.

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

4. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and flour. Stir the sour cream mixture into the sauce and cook, stirring, until rich and creamy, about 3 minutes. Toss the sauce with the hot pasta, divide among 4 plates, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 15 g of fat, 625 calories, 4.7 g sat. fat, 93 g carbohydrate, 31 g protein, 21 mg cholesterol, 745 mg sodium.

TIPS:

1. Chorizo: GTLF suggests SPANISH style chorizo. I have no idea where to get it. I used Mexican style Chorizo that my ninos brought me when they last came to visit. I have no idea YET of where to get it here in Albuquerque.  GTLF explains that there is a difference between Spanish and Mexican style chorizo. They go on to say that if Spanish style is not available to use pepperoni not the Mexican style. I have no idea why this is... I used Mexican style without any problems. At least, the dish I ate was very tasty and appealed to me.

2. In the old days, I would put pasta and tap water on the stove. When the water began to boil I'd put on the timer. Now I wait to put the pasta into the water until AFTER the water boils. This may be a no brainer for many, but I didn't know it made a difference. It does.