October 3, 2010 · 4:53 pm

Time Savers to Savor

For those times when you need a hasty tasty meal but just haven’t the time (or energy) to chop up peppers and onions, be sure to have at least one package of frozen pepper stir-fry on hand.

 

Pepper Stir-fry

Pepper Stir-fry is simply julienned onions and peppers (usually red, yellow, and green). No additives, no seasonings, just grade A frozen  vegetables.

Add a half cup of frozen pepper stir-fry to a beaten egg for a fast veggie omelet. Or sprinkle a handful over your pizza before popping it into the oven. If you have some tortillas, you can make speedy fajitas by heating a cup of frozen pepper stir-fry with salsa and whatever meat you have leftover in the fridge. Or spread some refried beans from a can over one side of a tortilla, fill with two Tablespoons pepper stir-fry, a dollop of salsa, and a sprinkle of shredded pepperjack cheese. Fold in half and cook on a griddle or in a skillet about five minutes over medium heat, flip, then cook two-three minutes additional for a quick quesadilla.

Don’t forget the obvious application: Stir-fry! Julienne some cooked chicken or beef, add an equal amount of the pepper stir-fry, and sauté with your favorite teriyaki sauce. Serve over cooked brown rice (yes, you can even buy already cooked brown rice now at your grocery store for those times when you can’t wait to cook it) and sprinkle with chopped green onions or toasted almonds.

Fresh produce is best, but it’s not always available or practical. Don’t ignore the time savers in your grocery store. But do ignore the so-called helpers or packaged dinners that contain way too much sodium and other additives. Think outside the box and you can come up with your own nutritious meals in minutes.

Leave a comment

Filed under cooking, Healthful Eating

July 24, 2010 · 5:28 pm

Gourmet Touches

Want to cook healthful meals yet impress your guests? You don’t need rich sauces or fat. Simply add a couple of snips of fresh herbs. Whether you grow herbs or purchase them at the supermarket, herbs are a good investment. Chopped flat-leaf parsley or mint can take a dish from acceptable to remarkable.

Experiment with a couple of ingredients at first, since fresh herbs won’t keep in the refrigerator longer than 7-10 days, even if wrapped in a damp paper cloth and sealed in a storage bag. When shopping, have a few dishes in mind then herb-shop accordingly.

A can’t lose combination is chicken seasoned with garlic and chopped rosemary. Thinking Italian? Basil and thyme pair well with most dishes. Mexican sparkles when garnished with fresh cilantro and dried or fresh oregano. Another trick to reducing fat without flavor is to add a small amount of butter at the end of cooking rather than use a stick or more for cooking. Use butter as a flavoring. A tiny bit goes a long way.

Here are a couple of recipes to whet your appetite.

RECIPE

Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Sauce
Serves Two

Saffron is expensive, but a little bit goes a long way. When making this dish, plan to make paella later in the week using more of the saffron.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 chicken cutlets (scallopine)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
½ cup white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ tsp. saffron threads
1 Tbsp. corn starch dissolved in ½ cup milk
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook in the oil until done, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the shallot and garlic, cooking until tender (2-3 minutes). Increase the heat to medium then add white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until the wine has almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and let the mixture reduce (10 minutes). Add the milk-cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened.

Remove from heat. Add butter and allow to melt then stir into sauce for a finishing gloss. Drizzle sauce over chicken cutlets and serve.

RECIPE

Chicken Gremolata
Serves Two

Gremolata is a seasoning blend of parsley, minced garlic, and lemon zest. It makes an impressive condiment topping for veal, fish, and chicken.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, skinned
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, minced and divided
1 lemon
½ cup parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Season the chicken breasts with a rub of Dijon mustard mixed with 2 cloves minced garlic, and the juice of one lemon (Zest the lemon and reserve). Bake chicken for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. (Baking time will vary if using boneless chicken breasts. Be careful not to overcook)

Remove chicken from oven and let it rest for five minutes. Meanwhile, combine the chopped parsley, lemon zest, and minced garlic for gremolata. Top chicken with the mixture and serve.

Added tip: When cooking chicken, double the amount. Then you have a head start on tomorrow’s dinner!

1 Comment

Filed under chicken, cooking, Recipes

Tagged as ,

May 4, 2010 · 8:52 pm

Play it Safe

With warmer temperatures, cooks will be moving outdoors to the grills. Or taking advantage of fresh produce available from summer gardens. It’s a good time to review food safety, too.

Cleanliness in all areas is vital. Wash your hands frequently, and keep  your food prep area sanitized. (A spray bottle containing 1 part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water works well and is less expensive than sanitizing products).

The peels of some fruits and vegetables may contain trace amounts of pesticides, fertilizer, or bacteria. All fruits and vegetables should be washed before eating (even if you don’t eat the rind, as with a melon). Store produce separately from raw meats or fish. Wash produce under running water. Some berries will mold if you wash and store, so wait to wash berries until you’re ready to use them and store unwashed produce apart from washed.

Raw meats (including poultry) can contaminate produce, countertops, and utensils with harmful bacteria. To avoid cross-contamination, thoroughly wash all surfaces that come in contact with the meats, including knives. Use a separate (plastic or glass) cutting board for meats, something that can be washed in a dishwasher or hot soapy water.

Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator and use within three days. Do not allow food to thaw at room temperature. Bacteria can grow rapidly. Cook all meat to a safe temperature. Use a cooking thermometer, especially on pork and poultry, which should never be undercooked.

When brewing iced tea, bring water to a boil. Sun tea can harbor harmful bacteria. If you have well water, have it checked every year to be sure it’s safe to drink. When in doubt (or after severe weather and power outages), boil water before using it.

If you follow basic food safety guidelines, you can enjoy a healthy, fun summer.

1 Comment

Filed under cooking, Healthful Eating

April 10, 2010 · 2:03 pm

Cream of the Crop

 
 
 
 
 

Today in the Hasty Tasty Meals Kitchen we’re experimenting with creamy textures. Real cream sauces with butter, cheeses, and/or heavy cream contain too much saturated fat. How can the health-conscious cook satisfy the “cream” tooth?

Products on the market available in any supermarket can help you make fake-out creamy sauces or soups. Fat free evaporated milk, fat free half & half (I prefer Land o’ Lakes brand), lowfat sour cream, Neufchatel cheese, and plain ol’ cornstarch work in recipes traditionally laden with butter and heavy cream and/or cheese.

Consider this crustless cherry cheesecake.

RECIPE

Cherry Cheese Dessert

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces softened Neufchatel cheese (or lowfat cream cheese)
  • 1 large package sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 can no-sugar-added pie filling (I like cherry, but any will work)
  • 3 cups cold skim milk
  • 12 squares graham crackers, crushed

Directions:

  • In a blender, combine pudding mix and milk and mix just until blended. Add Neufchatel cheese. Mix until smooth and thick.
  • Pour mixture into a pie plate (or 8 individual parfait dishes).
  • Top with the pie filling. Refrigerate.
  • Before serving, sprinkle the crushed graham crackers evenly over the top. Scoop into individual dessert bowls.

Makes 8 lowfat servings of a delicious dessert. You won’t miss the fat or the sugar!

You can make your own cream soups, too. Here is a recipe for fish chowder, but you can vary it by substituting clams, shrimp, additional potatoes, corn, mushrooms, chicken, or whatever kind of creamy soup you want to make.

RECIPE

Fish Chowder

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced potato
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup fish, any kind, coarsely chopped
  • 1 10 oz can chicken broth or stock (or bouillon dissolved in 10 oz. water)
  • 2 cups fat free half-and-half (or 2 small cans evaporated skim milk)
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

  • Using a 3-quart pan over medium heat, dry-sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper (or you may spray bottom of pan with nonstick spray)
  • After about 3 minutes, add broth and potatoes
  • Dissolve the cornstarch in the half-and-half, then add the mixture to the pan
  • Add fish. Cover pan, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes or until fish and potatoes are tender.
  • Remove from heat. Add herbs. Stir and serve.

Makes about two bowls or 4 cups. 

Make mock sour cream by blending lowfat cottage cheese with lemon juice, or adding artificial sweetener to plain nonfat yogurt. Cottage cheese blended with skim milk and seasonings makes a light cream sauce for pasta dishes. Here’s a recipe for easy cheese sauce. I use a Vita-mix but you can also make it in a skillet.

RECIPE

Cheese Sauce in the Vita-mix®

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • 12 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded*

Directions:

  • Add milk and salt to Vita-mix container. Cover but leave plug in middle of cap open.
  • On the lowest setting, run the Vita-mix while adding cornstarch through opening in cover.
  • Replace cover plug. Gradually increase the speed to High. Run 3-4 minutes or until steaming
  • Stop Vita-mix. Remove cover plug. Add the cheese through opening in cover.
  • Run Vita-mix (start low, stepping up to High) for one minute or until cheese is completely blended.
  • Turn off Vita-mix and immediately pour cheese sauce over its intended dish (macaroni, taco salad, etc.)

*Any lowfat cheese works with this recipe

To adapt this recipe to the skillet, just remember to dissolve the cornstarch in cold milk then heat to boiling to thicken. Cornstarch doesn’t dissolve easily in warm liquid. Use a whisk to thicken the milk then a wooden spoon to blend in the cheese.

One last word on creamstyle cooking: Cream based soups or cream sauced foods don’t keep well in the freezer. It’s better to freeze what you want to save for later and then add the creamy textures to the dish right before serving. As you experiment in your kitchen, you’ll find more ways to fake the fatty creams, butter, and cheeses in your own dishes.

Leave a comment

Filed under desserts, Fish, Healthful Eating, Recipes, Soups & Stews