January 23, 2012: Slimmed Down Coq au Vin Recipe

Coq au Vin is one of my favorite recipes for comfort food during cold months. It has everything I love – bacon, chicken, root vegetables and a yummy sauce. But there’s no reason this French dish has to be so loaded with fat calories and sodium. Here’s a version I created that is great for the calorie conscious diner but just as delicious, hot and filling as the original.

Slimmed Down Coq au Vin

4 pieces bone-in chicken, skin removed (breasts, thighs, drumsticks)

Salt and pepper

1 T. olive oil

1 shallot, sliced horizontally

8 large cloves garlic, thickly sliced

1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise

1 rib celery, sliced

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup fresh green beans, cut into thirds

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried sage

½ t. dried parsley

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. water

In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté on both sides for five minutes per side, until golden brown on the outside. Remove from Dutch oven and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lower heat and add vegetables to Dutch oven. Sauté for a few minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Add wine, chicken stock and herbs; place reserved chicken pieces on top of vegetables. Cover Dutch oven and place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are soft.

Stir together cornstarch and water. Remove chicken pieces from Dutch oven and stir in cornstarch mixture. Place chicken back in Dutch oven and return to oven for five more minutes to thicken sauce.

Serves 4

Note: This is a complete meal that only needs biscuits or French bread as a side.

January 22, 2012: Thai Style Green Beans Recipe

At my house we eat a lot of Asian food and I’m always looking for new and creative side dishes. Thai food, in particular, is a favorite of mine so when I across a recipe for a “Wing Bean Salad”, I took the items I had on hand to turn it into this side dish perfect to go with any type of Asian food main dish.

Thai Style Green Beans served with pork stir fry and brown rice cooked in chicken broth.

Thai Style Green Beans

1 cup fresh green beans

1 shallot, minced

½ cup coconut milk

1 T. lime juice

1 T. peanut butter

2 t. fish sauce

2 t. Asian chili sauce

Pinch of brown sugar

1 can water chestnuts, drained

Clean green beans and snap into 2 – 3 pieces each. Place the coconut milk in a saucepan and add green beans and shallots. Cook over medium low until beans are softened, about 15 – 20 minutes (or less time for crisper beans).

Meanwhile, combine lime juice, peanut butter, fish sacue, chile sauce and brown sugar. When beans are done to your preference, add the sauce and the water chestnuts. Heat through.

Serves 3 – 4

January 16, 2012: Roasted New York Strip Steak with Wine Mushroom Sauce Recipe

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good steak. Yes, I know, steak is best when it’s grilled but it’s also good when you roast it like this recipe. Give it a try and see what you can think.

Roasted New York Strip Steak with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

2 (4) ounce, thick cut New York strip steaks

Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 t. olive oil, divided

1 T. minced shallot

4 mushrooms, quartered

¼ cup dry red wine

¼ cup beef stock

2 t. Dijon mustard

¼ cup fat free half and half

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with Montreal Steak Seasoning. Heat an oven-proof skillet (cast iron is ideal) to medium heat. Add one teaspoon of the olive oil. Sear the steak on both sides in the skillet, about one minute per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer steak to cutting board; tent with foil.

While steak is resting, add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to skillet and heat on top of stove to medium. Add shallots and mushrooms to pan and sauté for about one minute, until veggies are slightly softened. Add wine and beef stock. Cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Add Dijon mustard and half and half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2 with calories of about 294 per serving

January 13, 2012: Slow Cooker Low Cal Sesame Green Beans Recipe

Looking for a diet-friendly side dish to go with an Asian-style main dish? These green beans fit the bill nicely. Not only are they flavorful, they are low in fat and can cook away in your Crock pot throughout the day or afternoon.

Slow Cooker Low Cal Sesame Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans

½ t. sesame oil

½ t. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced on the diagonal

1 shallot, chopped (about ¼ cup)

½ t. garlic salt

2/3 t. sesame seeds, toasted*
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Remove the ends of the green beans and snap each into two or three bite-size pieces.

Place the oils in a slow cooker set on low. Add the garlic and shallots, topped by the green beans. Sprinkle all with garlic salt and sesame seeds. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours (or high for 2 hours), until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste just before serving.

Serves 2 large servings with 71.4 calories in each serving.

*To easily toast sesame seeds, heat a small, heavy pan to medium heat on the stove; add sesame seeds and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Note: The longer you cook these green beans, the softer they will become. If you want them semi-crisp, don't cook longer than 2 hours.

January 11, 2012: Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken Recipe

I bought the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine because I was intrigued by the front cover, which promised dozens of new chicken recipes. We eat a lot of chicken and finding new ways to make it in a calorie-conscious manner is always appealing to me. I ended up combining a couple different recipes to come up with this delicious combination. Be forewarned, however, the cooked chicken turns a deep purple color (from the pomegranate juice) which some might find off-putting.

Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken

2 t. olive oil, divided

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ t. salt

2 T. minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup pomegranate juice

1 t. Truvia or other sugar substitute

½ t. dried sage

1 t. cider vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat one teaspoon of olive oil to medium. Quickly sear the chicken pieces on both sides (about 1 – 2 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate to rest.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add remaining olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Sauté for about one minutes, until softened. Add pomegranate juice and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Add Truvia, sage, vinegar and mustard and heat through.

Place chicken pieces in pan and turn over to coat both sides with sauce. Place in oven and cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Serve with sauce spooned over the top.

Serves 4 with approximately 287 calories per serving.

January 7, 2012: Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli With Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Part of getting healthy and losing weight is incorporating more vegetables into your diet. I can do this easily as there are very few things I won’t eat but my husband has a harder time (to his credit, he hasn’t complained about our new eating habits and happily munches on salads and soups along with me).

While just about anyone will eat broccoli or cauliflower smothered in a rich cheese sauce, it’s harder to allow these vegetables to stand on their own merit. Roasting root vegetables at a high temperature, however, caramelizes them and gives them a different flavor profile that meshes perfectly with this vinaigrette.

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli With Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 t. olive oil

1 cup broccoli florets

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/8 cup olive oil

1 ½ t. capers

1 T. finely minced shallot

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

½ t. Dijon mustard

¼ t. sea salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cauliflower with olive oil. Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

While cauliflower is roasting, make vinaigrette. In a small, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil to medium low. Add capers, shallots and garlic; fry for about 2 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.

Toss broccoli with vinaigrette. Add to cauliflower and return to oven to roast for an additional 20 minutes.

Makes about 3 servings with 130 calories per serving.

December 31, 2011: Crab Stuffed Belgian Endive Recipe

My husband and I don’t really have any New Year’s Eve traditions other than enjoying a nice meal of steak and lobster. If you need to prepare an hors d’oeuvre for a party tonight, this recipe looks very elegant and fits the bill as far as including seafood in the menu. I got this recipe some years ago from The Food Network website and modified it slightly.

Crab Stuffed Endive

½ cup mayonnaise

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 t. lemon juice

½ t. minced garlic

¼ t. hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

¼ t. salt

2 T. chopped green onions

¼ cup seeded, small diced tomatoes

2 T. small capers, drained

1 T. minced shallots

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage

4 heads endive, cored, leaves separated and wiped clean

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, hot sauce and salt. Whisk to combine. Fold in the green onions, tomatoes, capers, shallots and parsley. Gently fold in the crab meat, turning to coat with the dressing and being careful not to break up the lumps. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the stuffing into the endive leaves.

Makes about 40 hors d’oeuvres

September 13, 2011: Garlic Chicken and Potatoes Recipe

What do you get when you take loads of garlic, chicken and canned potatoes? Besides the fact that these are all some of my favorite ingredients, when you put them together you get a yummy, hearty dinner perfect for any night of the week. After just a few minutes of preparation, the pan goes into the oven and you can walk away for an hour while it bakes to perfection.

Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

1 T. olive oil

4 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken (your choice of breast or dark meat)

20 cloves garlic

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 pint canned white potatoes (or 1 can)

1 t. kosher salt

1 T. Montreal Chicken Seasoning

In a large ovenproof skillet, add the olive oil and heat to medium. Add the pieces of chicken, cooking for a couple minutes per side, until lightly browned. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the garlic, shallots and drained potatoes to the pan. Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and seasoning blend.

I cooked this dish in a cast iron skillet, using a really big thigh quarter and breast.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pan of chicken and vegetables, uncovered, for 50 – 60 minutes, until juices are no longer pink and the skin is crispy.

Serves 4.

Tip: If you don’t have or can’t find Montreal Chicken Seasoning, substitute a combination of freshly ground black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper.

September 8, 2011: Garlic and Shallot Vinaigrette Recipe

This is a wonderfully light but very flavor-packed vinaigrette that is great on any salad. I used it as a marinade for thinly sliced raw mushrooms and yellow squash, adding a bit of finely chopped jalapenos (as pictured) and it was delicious!

Garlic and Shallot Vinaigrette

2 T. finely minced shallot (about 1 small bulb section)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 T. fresh parsley, minced (or 1 T. dried/dehydrated parsley)

5 T. olive oil

1 ½ T. Dijon mustard

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. balsamic vinegar

½ t. kosher salt

½ t. coarsely ground black peppercorns

Combine all ingredients in a small jar. Shake before using.

September 4, 2011: Thai Red Curry Paste Recipe

I’ve been looking for Thai red curry paste at my local grocery store for some time now (it’s used in yummy curry sauces) – with no luck. I just happened to find this recipe online recently and I was ecstatic! I didn’t have exactly the ingredients as listed so I made some slight substitutions and this is what I came up with. Try it and see what you think.

Thai Red Curry Paste

3 T. red chili sauce

2 shallots, coarsely chopped

1 t. peppercorns

2 ½ t. cumin seeds

1 ½ T. coriander seeds

2 T. fresh or dehydrated cilantro

1 t. lemon balm

1 t. salt

2 t. paprika (for color)

1 t. curry powder

2 t. finely chopped lemon or lime peel

1 t. minced ginger

2 t. Asian fish sauce

1 T. vegetable oil

Using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, grind the whole spices to a fine powder. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add more oil or a little bit of water, if necessary, to make a smooth paste.

Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If desired, you can freeze any remaining paste in baggies or ice cube trays (when frozen pop the cubes into baggies or a plastic container).