Cooking for good health can become standard operating procedure with a minimum of effort.
Here are tips to use everyday:
– Most sauteing, stir-frying and pan-frying can be done in a non-stick pan. Spray the pan with non-stick vegetable spray, then use just enough fat barely to coat the bottom of the pan.
– Use highly flavored vinegars, such as seasoned rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sherry wine vinegar and herb vinegars as a base for salad dressings. This will allow you to reduce the oil in the dressing greatly without sacrificing taste.
– Substitute plain non-fat yogurt or non-fat mayonnaise for sour cream and regular mayonnaise in creamy salad dressings.
– Substitute skim or low-fat milk for regular milk in sauces and baked goods.
– Use monounsaturated vegetable oils, such as canola and olive oil, instead of butter and shortening when cooking. Substitute margarine for all or part of the butter in baked goods.
– Select lean cuts of meat and poultry at the store. Before cooking, trim away all visible fat. Cook poultry with skin on to retain moisture but remove skin before serving.
– Broil or grill meats, poultry, fish and vegetables for added flavor without added fat.
– Serve smaller portions of high-fat proteins (such as meats, poultry and seafood) and compensate with larger portions of vegetables and low-fat proteins (such as legumes and grains).
– Use low-fat and fat-reduced cheeses whenever possible. When using high- fat cheese, shred it so it will look like more volume than it is.
– Use fresh herbs (instead of dried) and fresh lemon juice for clean, refreshing tastes.
The first three recipes that follow were developed in the Tribune test kitchen; all received rave reviews from tasters. The other recipes are adapted from several of our favorite ”light” cookbooks. Incidentally, all of these main courses can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
The nutrition information was supplied by Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH SPICY DRESSING
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
One serving of this main-course salad contains 366 calories, 12 g fat (29 percent of the calories), 5 mg cholesterol, 348 mg sodium and 13 g dietary fiber.
Dressing:
1 small lime
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 green onion, sliced
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon wasabi powder or dry mustard
Salad:
4-6 cups torn, rinsed, assorted greens; see note
2 tablespoons each: cilantro leaves, mint leaves
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 each, seeded, cut into strips: red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper
1/2 pound thin asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup assorted mushrooms, such as button, shiitake, cremini
3/4 cup each, canned, drained: garbanzo beans, black beans
For garnish:
Red and yellow cherry tomatoes
Baby corn spears
Enoki mushrooms
1. For dressing, remove lime rind with a citrus zester. (Or use a vegetable peeler, then cut rind into fine shreds.) Juice the lime into a small bowl. Stir in lime rind and remaining dressing ingredients. Dressing will keep up to several days.
2. Mix rinsed greens, cilantro and mint. Wrap in paper towel; put into plastic bag; refrigerate to crisp.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in small non-stick skillet; add pepper strips and asparagus; cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil and butter in pan. Add mushrooms; cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. To serve, put greens onto serving plates. Top with cooked vegetables and beans. Garnish as desired. Pass dressing.
Note: Any combination of assorted greens may be used. Try adding radicchio or red cabbage for color and torn Napa cabbage or bok choy for a crunchy texture. Babe Farms makes a packaged assorted green mixture called
”continental salad” that works well here; it is available at Omni food stores.
THAI-STYLE CHICKEN AND POTATO SALAD
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: At least 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
One serving contains 237 calories, 3.7 g fat (14 percent of the calories), 67 mg cholesterol, 243 mg sodium and 2 g dietary fiber.
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon each: light soy sauce, ground coriander, ground cumin
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned, split
1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed, torn into bite-size pieces
2 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, chopped
1. Mix lemon juice, soy sauce, coriander, cumin, garlic, sugar, turmeric and cayenne in large bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the mixture to small bowl;
stir in yogurt; reserve this mixture for later.
2. Add chicken to remaining mixture in large bowl; turn to coat all sides. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes or up to several hours. Wrap lettuce in paper towel; put into plastic bag; refrigerate to crisp.
3. Meanwhile, microwave potatoes on high (100 percent power) until almost done, about 8 minutes. Cut lengthwise into wedges.
4. Heat broiler to high. Line broiler pan with foil; spray with non-stick vegetable spray. Arrange chicken and potato wedges on foil; brush potatoes with some of the marinade. Broil, 4 inches from heat, until chicken juices run clear and potatoes are nicely crisped, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Cut chicken into strips. Cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Just before serving, toss romaine with yogurt mixture. Arrange chicken and potatoes over lettuce. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately.
GRILLED CAPONATA WITH ROAST PORK
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
One serving contains 190 calories, 5.9 g fat (28 percent of the calories), 74 mg cholesterol, 124 mg sodium and 3 g dietary fiber.
1 pound piece pork tenderloin, well trimmed
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each, dried: oregano, rosemary, thyme
1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound
1 each, halved, seeded: red bell pepper, green bell pepper
2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onions, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 1 teaspoon of the oil
2 teaspoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Prepare charcoal grill. When coals are covered with gray ash, push them to the outside of the grill and place an aluminum-foil drip pan in center of grill.
2. Brush pork with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Press dried herbs into pork. Cut eggplant into 1-inch-thick slices.
3. Set pork on the grill over the drip pan. Arrange eggplant, peppers and onions on grill over coals. Cover grill. Turn vegetables occasionally and cook until they are golden on both sides; remove to a plate as they cook. Cook pork about 20 minutes, until instant-read thermometer inserted in the pork registers 160 degrees.
4. Cut vegetables into large cubes. Place in a serving bowl. Add basil, capers, tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of their oil. Add vinegar. Toss to mix. Add salt and pepper.
5. To serve, cut pork into paper-thin slices. Arrange on serving plate beside a mound of the vegetable mixture.
Note: For indoor cooking, pork can be roasted in the oven at 350 degrees, about 20 minutes, until instant-read thermometer inserted in the pork registers 160 degrees; the vegetables can be browned under the broiler.
PAN-FRIED STEAK WITH MADEIRA AND FENNEL
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This recipe is adapted from ”The Art of Low-Calorie Cooking,” by Sally Schneider. One serving contains 206 calories, 6.9 g fat (30 percent of the calories), 50 mg cholesterol, 99 mg sodium and 1 g dietary fiber.
1/2 teaspoon olive oil or peanut oil
2 boneless strip steaks, 8 ounces each
1/2 cup Madeira or dry Marsala
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in 1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1. Heat oil in a large, heavy, well-seasoned skillet (if you do not have a well-seasoned skillet, use a non-stick skillet) over medium heat. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, arrange the steaks in the pan. Cook the steaks until seared brown, reducing the heat if necessary so that the oil does not burn, about 3 minutes. Turn over the steaks and cook to the desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes longer for rare, 4 minutes longer for medium. Transfer the steaks to a carving board.
2. Pour the fat from the pan and discard. Add the Madeira and red wine and increase the heat to high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Boil the wine for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the diluted tomato paste and the serrano pepper. Cook until the sauce is the consistency of thick cream and reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Using a sharp knife, slice the steaks into thin slices; season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the steak juices, if any, into the sauce. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce onto each of 4 warmed plates. Divide the steak slices equally and arrange in a fan over the sauce. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve at once.
PINTO BEAN CHILI
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
The recipe is adapted from ”Spa Food,” by Edward J. Safdie. One serving contains 300 calories, 4.7 g fat (14 percent of the calories), 0 mg cholesterol, 821 mg sodium and 13 g dietary fiber.
3 cans (16 ounces each) pinto beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 can (16 ounces) plum tomatoes, undrained
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons each: chili powder, dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup bottled salsa
1. Rinse beans. Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Add onion, garlic and red pepper; cook over medium heat until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beans and all remaining ingredients except the salsa. Heat to boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes.
3. Serve the chili hot or at room temperature, with a bowl of salsa on the side. If you like your chili very hot, add hot red pepper sauce, chopped jalapeno peppers or more chili powder to taste.
