YOU: On a Diet ( June 5th - Sept. 25th )

[jezzie]

LibbyLottie

[jezzie]

Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs

Ingredients

Sauce

* 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
* 1 small onion, minced
* 2 TBS. packed brown sugar
* 2 TBS. lemon juice
* 2 TBS.minced fresh parsley
* 1 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 tsp. basil
* 1/4 tsp. sage
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Meatballs

* 1 medium-sized red potato, peeled
* 1 clove garlic
* 1 small onion, cut into large chunks
* 1 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 3/4 pounds lean ground beef

Directions

1. To make sauce: Combine tomato sauce, onion, sugar, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, spices and pepper in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
2. To make meatballs: Puree potato, onions, egg, Italian seasonings, garlic, and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add turkey/beef and mix thoroughly. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls.
3. Add the meatballs to the sauce. Shake to coat meatballs with sauce. Partially cover and simmer on low heat without stirring for 30 minutes.
4. Uncover and simmer until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes longer. Shake the pot several times during cooking to avoid sticking.

[jezzie]

Turkey and Stuffing for Two

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 teaspoons butter, divided
* 1 each small shallot, chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 2 each 3- to 4-ounce skinless turkey breast cutlets
* 4 slices stale whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, torn into bite-size pieces
* 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, stir in sage and thyme; let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy skillet until 8 to 10 inches wide and less than 1/4 inch thick. Be careful not to tear the meat. Remove the top sheet.
4. Add bread to the celery mixture. Stir in 2 tablespoons broth, pepper. Place half the stuffing mixture in the middle of one of the pounded cutlets; compress the stuffing into a log. Fold and roll the meat over the stuffing. Tie in three places with kitchen string. Repeat with the remaining stuffing and the second cutlet.
5. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the turkey rolls and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the turkey is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
7. Return the skillet to medium-high heat (take care, the handle will still be hot); add vermouth (or wine). Cook until dark and almost completely evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup broth; cook for 1 minute, just to reduce slightly. Remove the string from the turkey; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, if desired, and spoon half the sauce over each portion. Serve warm.

[jezzie]

Turkey - Cider Gravy
Make this low-fat gravy in the roasting pan while the turkey rests. Apple cider adds rich fall flavor.

Makes about 2 1/4 cups

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Remove the turkey from the roasting pan. Skim off any visible fat from the pan juices.

2. Whisk chicken broth and flour in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.

3. Set the roasting pan over two burners on medium-high heat. Add cider and vinegar; bring to a boil and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups or broth. Increase heat to high; return to a boil, whisking often. Boil until the liquid is reduced by about half, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Whisk the reserved flour mixture into the pan. Boil, whisking constantly, until the gravy is thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the gravy through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup.
(Discard the solids.)

[jezzie]

Portobello Gravy
Smother your mashed potatoes with a low-in-saturated-fat but high-in-taste Portobello Gravy. Your heart
and your taste buds will be thankful for this rich, earthy, velvety gravy that can be made with portobello or shiitake mushrooms.

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon light olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 cups chopped cleaned portobello or shiitake mushrooms
* 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
* 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
* 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 1/8 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons water
* Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to release their juices, about 10 minutes.

2. Add broth, soy sauce, thyme and sage; simmer for 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir into the sauce and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes more. Season with pepper. Serve hot.

RealAge Benefit: Avoiding saturated and trans fats can make your RealAge more than 4 years younger.

[jezzie]

Apricot BBQ Chicken Thighs
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup apricot preserves, large pieces cut up
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Heat gas or charcoal grill.

Sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients; mix well. Set aside.

When grill is heated, place chicken on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals.

Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, turning once and brushing with preserve mixture once ... halfway through cooking time.

Notes: Set time for 5 minutes of grilling, then brush on preserve mixture. If applied too soon, the mixture can burn and blacken the chicken.

[MLE777]

Jezzie, thank you for posting all of the recipes!

[jezzie]

You're welcome. This thread has become part of my life.


Chicken Tarragon

Ingredients:

* 1 Tbsp. butter
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 1 tsp. dried tarragon leaves
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
* 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
* 10 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained, reserving 1/2 cup syrup
* Hot cooked brown rice

Preparation:

Melt butter with olive oil in large skillet. Add chicken, tarragon, garlic, and onion and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

In small bowl, stir together orange juice concentrate, cornstarch and reserved mandarin orange syrup. Stir into chicken mixture. Reduce heat to medium/low. Cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in oranges and serve with hot cooked rice. Serves 4

[jezzie]

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken

INGREDIENTS

Coconut Ginger Sauce

* 1 Tbsp. butter
* 2 shallots, minced
* 2 blades lemongrass, chopped
* 3 (1/2-inch) piece, fresh ginger, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup sweet white wine
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 2 Tbsp. Chinese black bean chili sauce
* 1 (8-ounce) can coconut milk
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
* 2 Tbs. olive oil
* freshly ground black pepper to taste

[jezzie]

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken ... Continued

* 4 boneless chicken breasts
* 1 quart buttermilk
* 1 pound salted pistachios, shelled and toasted
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup fresh thyme
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh rosemary
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
* freshly ground black pepper to taste
* Grape seed oil to taste


For the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the tablespoon of butter, the shallots, lemongrass, ginger slices and wine. Reduce to half. Add the broth, and Chinese black bean chili sauce and reduce to half again. Add the coconut milk and reduce to half a third time.

Remove from the heat and whisk the bits of butter and olive oil into the sauce until it has all been incorporated. Season with pepper. If you reheat, do not allow the sauce to boil or the butter will separate.

For the chicken: cut in half. With a meat mallet, pound until 1/4-inch thick and place in a nonreactive bowl. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover, and let sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

In a food processor, place half of the pistachios, parmesan cheese, and half of the herbs. Pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture is finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat this step with the rest of the pistachios and combine with the other pistachio mixture.

Preheat the oven to 250°.

Place the flour in another bowl and season it with pepper. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and prepare it for assembly. Preheat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat with a thin coating of grape seed oil.

Remove one breast, shake off any excess buttermilk and dust the breast with flour on each side. Dip only one side of the chicken back in the buttermilk and press pistachios onto that side. Repeat that step with all the chicken.

Place the chicken in the sauté pan, pistachio side down, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Place in the oven to finish cooking for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove, let rest for 5 minutes and then slice to serve with the Coconut Ginger Sauce.

[jezzie]

BBQ Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Splenda/sugar
2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
two cloves of garlic chopped
4 pounds skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

Combine everything but the chicken in your slow cooker, and stir well.

Place the chicken in the sauce.

Cover, set on low, and cook for 6 hours. Serve the chicken with the sauce spooned over it.

[jezzie]

Spicy Yogurt Chicken
Plain yogurt is a magical ingredient in a marinade. It tenderizes chicken while keeping it moist and succulent. Add a little sweetener, something tart and warm spices--and you have a dynamite dish.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons hot water
* 2 pinches saffron threads, (1/2 teaspoon)
* 1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
* 1 onion, very finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons harissa, or 2 teaspoons hot sauce or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 8 chicken drumsticks, skin removed

Directions

1. Place hot water in a small bowl and crumble saffron threads over it. Steep for 5 minutes. Combine yogurt, onion, garlic, harissa (or hot sauce or cayenne), lemon juice, honey, oil, salt, cumin and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Stir in the saffron water. Add drumsticks and coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set an oiled rack on top. Place the drumsticks on the rack and bake until the chicken is golden brown on the outside and no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes.

[jezzie]

Chicken Tandoori

3 pounds chicken pieces

1 cup plain yogurt
juice from one lime
2 TBS. olive oil
4-5 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Place chicken in glass baking dish. Combine other ingredients and coat chicken.
Marinate overnight.

Bake at 350* for one hour.

[jezzie]

Apple Cider Chicken

Ingredients

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1-1 1/4 pounds total)

* freshly ground pepper
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
* 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 cup apple cider
* 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add apples, shallots and thyme. Cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cider and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
3. Return chicken and juices to pan; reduce heat to low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a warmed platter. Stir sour cream and parsley into sauce. Season with pepper and spoon over chicken.

[Skyliz]

Jezzie, thank you so much for all this information. Í have read it all with great interest. I'm a big fan of both doctors.

[jezzie]

Liz. ... I enjoy doing it. The more I post the more I reinforce my own knowledge.

Herb & Lemon Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lemons
2 cups packed parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 whole chickens (3 1/2 - 4 pounds each)
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons water mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare chickens: Zest lemons, then cut in half. Combine lemon zest, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, oil, and pepper in a food processor or blender; process until finely chopped. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture, covered, in the refrigerator for the gravy.
3. Place chicken hearts, necks and gizzards in the prepared pan (reserve livers for another use). Remove excess fat from chickens. Dry insides with a paper towel. With your fingers, loosen skin over breasts and thighs to make pockets, being careful not to tear the skin.
4. Spread 1/4 cup herb mixture in the pan; place the chickens on top, at least 1 inch apart. Rub 1 tablespoon herb mixture into each cavity; spread remaining mixture under skin. Place 2 lemon halves in each cavity. Tuck wings behind the back and tie legs together.
5. Roast the chickens for 20 minutes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup broth and roast for 40 minutes more, basting with pan drippings every 20 minutes. Tent the chickens with aluminum foil and continue roasting for 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 180°F and the cavity juices run clear.
6. To prepare gravy: Transfer the chickens to a platter; tent with foil. Pour pan juices into a bowl, leaving giblets in the pan. Chill juices in the freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add remaining broth to the pan; bring to a boil over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Add any juices accumulated on the platter.
7. Skim fat from the chilled juices. Add juices to the pan; return to a boil, then strain into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in cornstarch mixture. Simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved herb mixture. Season with pepper.
8. Carve the chickens, discarding skin. Serve with the gravy

[jezzie]

Garlicy/Pecan Fried Chicken

* 1 lb boneless chicken breast
* 2 oz pecans
* 2 tsp spices (I use a combination)
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1/2 tsp ground pepper
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 2 cups wheat flour
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp oregano
* 1/4 tsp ground pepper
* 1 tsp salt
* vegetable shortening for frying

1. The key is the marinade. A great deal of this will end up sticking to the chicken when you fry it, but it also flavors the chicken and makes it more moist. Place the pecans, 1 tsp salt, the spices, the garlic cloves, half the pepper, the sugar and the buttermilk in a blender. Pulse and blend until the garlic and pecans are chopped up very finely.

2. Place the chicken in a nonreactive bowl and pour the buttermilk mix over it. Mix everything so that all the chicken is evenly coated. Place the bowl in the fridge and marinate for at least two hours and up to eight hours or more. Stir thing every once in a while.

3. Get the flour coating ready. In a strong plastic food storage bag, or a doubled weak bag, place the flour and the remaining spices. Shake it up a bit to get things evenly mixed.

4. Get your fry pan ready by heating enough shortening to reach halfway up your chicken pieces to a good fry temperature. It will be hot enough when a pinch of flour will sizzle a bit when dropped in.

5. When you're ready, take a piece of chicken, making sure to coat it with buttermilk as much as you can, and place it in the bag of flour. Shake the bag to get the piece totally caked in flour. Doing this too much is better than not doing it enough.
When it's good and caked, take the piece out and put it into the hot oil.

Fry one side completely and then fry the other. (about 4 minutes each side) Don't flip things back and forth. Don't crowd the pieces at all. Give them plenty of room. As each piece is done, drain it on paper towels. Cut open the first piece to make sure you're timing things right.

[jezzie]

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 lemon, scrubbed clean
12 fresh sage leaves
Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/4 cup, from 6 stems)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus light olive oil for oiling pan
2 tablespoons butter
boneless turkey breast half, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 3 cups apple cider

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the turkey breast on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breast with pepper.

Stuff the herb paste under the skin of the breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breast to the roasting pan. Using a pastry brush, baste the breast with half of the butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breast with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.

Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. While stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

[jezzie]

Sassay ...

[Sassay]

Wow! Thank you so much Jessie!!!

[Skyliz]

Originally Posted by jezzie

Liz. ... I enjoy doing it. The more I post the more I reinforce my own knowledge.

That's a very nice way to look at it. You certainly reinforce my knowledge.

[jezzie]

Liz are you anywhere near Maastricht?
Not that I've been there but my third favorite male is from there.

[Skyliz]

Jezzie, how nice that you are fond of André (Léon Marie Nicolas) Rieu. Have you ever been to one of his concerts? Maastricht is in the south of Holland whereas I live a little more up north.

But all distances are relatively small in Holland. The whole country can be crossed in a couple of hours' drive by car...

[jezzie]

I not only read everything about Rieu I can find but also about Frank Steijns his first violinist.


Southwest Barbecued Chicken with Tomato Red Pepper Dressing

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Tomato Red Pepper Salad Dressing (recipe follows)
1 tsp red chile powder
1 tsp light olive oil
1 tsp honey
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (or, fire up the grill).
Mix together the salad dressing, red chile powder, light olive oil and honey.
Pour half the dressing over the chicken breasts in a lightly oiled or nonstick baking dish.
Bake for 10 minutes. Baste with remaining sauce and cook about another 10-15 minutes or until done.
Be careful not to overcook.
2 Servings


Tomato Red Pepper Salad Dressing

1 small (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
1 whole roasted red pepper or pimento from a jar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil

Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.