Calamari Marinara, low fat - low salt

Low fat / low salt

Feb. 21, 2007

Easy Calamari Marinara with Artichoke Hearts (hot or sweet)

1 one pound bag of frozen calamari rings, defrosted (Trader Joes, $3.99)
1 twelve ounce bag of frozen artichoke hearts (Trader Joes, $1.99)
1 large can (28 ounce) of crushed tomatoes (no salt added, like Rienzi)
1 regular can (6 oz.) of tomato paste (no salt added, like Rienzi)
3 ~ 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 medium to large yellow onions, quick chopped into crescents about 1/3” thick
4 ~ 6 cloves of garlic lightly smashed but left whole (easy to find and remove)
2 ~ 3 Tablespoons of dried Oregano
1 ~ 2 Tablespoons of dried Basil
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Crushed Red Pepper flakes to taste (optional)
2 cups +/- of red wine
1 lb. pasta (or as needed, this sauce will easily cover up to 2 lbs. of pasta)

Bring a pot of water to a boil, reduce heat and hold at a low simmer, ready to add the pasta later on.

In a large skillet heated over medium heat add about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil then the onions and garlic. Sauté for about 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the oregano, basil and black pepper (will look like too much seasoning). Continue to Sauté until the onions are softened but still crunchy. Move to a bowl to use later.

In the same pan add about another 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and loosen any small bits of onion stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in about ½ of the Red wine and continue to simmer about another 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

Stir in the tomato paste and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn up the heat to Medium High heat, add the frozen artichoke hearts stir in, cover the pot for about 2 minutes. Once the pan returns to a simmer, reduce the heat back to Medium and continue to simmer for about another 5 or 6 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

In the mean time, pour the rest of the red wine over the sautéed onions (still sitting on the side) and let them sit.

Test artichoke heart for doneness (no longer frozen and heated through). Once heated through add the wine soaked onion and garlic mix to the pan. Sprinkle with crushed hot pepper flakes (to taste) and stir in. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

Simmer together for a couple of minutes. In the mean time turn the pasta pot back up to high. Add the calamari to the pan with the tomato – artichoke sauce, stir in, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Swirl the pot holding the top on to keep the bottom from sticking.

The calamari will be completely cooked (nice and tender) in about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the pasta to the pot accordingly (a 6 min. pasta can go in as soon as the calamari goes in, a 2 minute pasta like angel hair, can go in in a few minutes).

Drain the pasta, toss with a bit of the loose sauce at the top of the pan (just enough to lightly coat the pasta). Serve at once.

Baked Chicken, low fat - low salt

Low fat / low salt

Feb. 19, 2007

Quick and Easy Baked Cheese flavored Chicken Breasts with gravy

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts

4 Tablespoons crushed French's cheddar French fried onions (65 mg sodium, 0 mg chol. per 2 Tbsp.)

Pam olive oil flavored spray

2 Tablespoons paprika

1 Tablespoons fresh ground pepper

1 can Campbell's chicken gravy (260 mg sodium, 5 mg cholesterol per 1/2 cup)

1 + cup of dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray bottom of Pyrex glass or Corning Ware casserole (at least 2" deep).

Dredge chicken breasts in crushed French's cheddar French fried onions. Place in casserole, spray top of each breast with Pam, sprinkle generously with paprika, black pepper (to taste) and spray once again with Pam.

Bake at 400 for about 15 ~ 20 minutes. Remove casserole from oven, pour gravy around the outside of the chicken and in-between (not on top). Pour wine into the empty gravy can then pour over the gravy (around the chicken).

Give the casserole a little careful shake to lightly blend the gravy and wine (not necessary to completely blend). Cover the casserole with foil and return to the oven.

Turn down heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes for thin breasts, 15 minutes for medium and 20 minutes for thick breasts.

Goes well with brown rice cooked in homemade chicken broth (substituted for water) with diced onion added to the broth with the rice.

Use a Tablespoon or so of the gravy to drizzle over the rice when serving.

Poached Salmon, low fat - low salt

Low fat / low salt

Feb. 19, 2007

Quick and Easy Poached Salmon

1 or 2 pieces of uncooked salmon (1 lb. ~ 1.5 lbs.)

3 cups of home-made chicken broth

3 bay leaves

lots of coarsely ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon of dried Rosemary

1 Tablespoon of dried Basil

1 Tablespoon of dried Ginger

1 Tablespoon of dried Thyme

2+ Tablespoons of lemon juice

2+ Table spoons of Paprika (thank God for Paprika)

In a large skilled add broth and all dried herbs (up to but not including the lemon juice). Bring to a slow simmer.

Add the salmon skin side down. Give the pan a little swirl to be sure the salmon is not sticking and to coat the top of the salmon with the poaching liquid. Pour the lemon juice over the top / flesh side of the salmon, sprinkle the salmon generously with paprika and some freshly ground pepper (to taste).

Cover the pan and let simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

Check for doneness (I pierce the fish at the thickest point). If a little more time is needed, swirl the pan again, cover and check again in about 5 minutes.

The poaching liquid can be used to add flavor to almost any side dish.

Save any left-overs. The salmon can be fork smashed and added to a can of tuna (or used alone) with some lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon of Mayonnaise (90 mg Sodium, 5 mg Cholesterol) and/or 1/4 of a smashed avocado (0 mg Cholesterol).

Left-over Cacciatore-style Chicken, with Rice!

We had quite a bit of the Cacciatore left-over (2 people, about 8 thighs).

I made a fresh pot of rice then I warmed about half of the left-over Cacciatore in the microwave (on a porcelain plate, food arranged like a donut leaving the center open, with a glass bowl on top - I never use plastic anything in the micro).

I think this was even better the 2nd time around. The chicken had more of a shredded consistency. It was very flavorful and went even better with the rice that with the pasta.

This was an easy recipe and so easy to make extra. I definitely recommend trying this one.

Also, I could tell that I did a good job of skimming all the excess fat on that first batch because there was no fat at the top of the left-over batch when I removed it from the refrigerator.

I think that is really important to do to be sure this is a low fat recipe. It also keeps this light. There is no heavy feeling after the meal.

Cacciatore-style Chicken, low fat - low salt

Low fat / low salt

Feb. 14, 2007

Easy and Tasty Chicken Thighs

2.5 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes (low salt, like Rienzi)
4 large onions cut in half, then into roughly ¼” thick wedges
1 stalk of celery cut julienne style – strings removed with a peeler
4 or so smashed cloves of garlic (left whole so that they can be identified easily)
2 green peppers cut julienne style
1 carrot sliced (if you like carrots)
½ Cup of dry white wine
½ Cup or so of home made chicken stock
Olive Oil
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Freshly ground pepper
Paprika
Bay leaves

Add about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a warm (not too hot) pan. A high sided 10” or 12” skillet works well. Add the onions and celery. Sauté just till tender. Remove to a bowl to be added back later.

Sauté the green peppers in the same skillet. After a couple of minutes, add in the garlic. Move this mix to the same bowl as the onion mix.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan if needed and then add the chicken thighs. Only place as many thighs in at one time as can fit without over lapping. Generously season the top side of the thighs with freshly ground pepper, basil and oregano. After a few minutes, turn the thighs and then season the other side the same way. Brown the thighs on each side untill there is a nice browned color. The thighs do not have to be cooked through.

Remove the chicken to a plate to hold. Add the can of tomatoes to the same skillet. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any flavor bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken broth to the emptied tomato can (to get all the tomato from the can) and then add to the pan. Pick some of the garlic from the vegetable bowl and add to the pan.

Simmer down for a few minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan (with the tomato) add the bay leaf (3 or 4), sprinkle about 1 or 2 Tablespoons of Paprika over and stir in then let simmer covered over low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. It’s okay to simmer longer if needed.

Taste and adjust dried herbs as needed. With a curved spoon or ladle, spoon off any chicken fat which will gather at the top at the edge of the pan (will be a darker red less opaque than the rest of the sauce). This will make your sauce lighter and even lower in fat.

Just before cooking the pasta, turn up the heat (on the skillet with the chicken) to medium, add the vegetables back in and stir gently. Cover and reduce heat back to low as soon as the pan returns to a simmer.

Serve with pasta.

Baked Chicken Breasts, low fat - low salt

Low fat / low salt

Feb. 13, 2007

Quick and Tasty Chicken Breast

3 skinless / boneless chicken breasts
1/3 of a packet of Shake and Bake Original for chicken
¼ Cup of flour
3 Tablespoons of good fresh Paprika
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
10 or so turns of fresh ground black pepper
Pam olive oil cooking spray

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Empty about 1/3 of a packet of Shake and Bake into the bag provided (save the rest of the Shake and Bake). Add all the other seasonings (through the ground pepper). All measurements are approximated, read as ‘about’ ¼ Cup or teaspoon, etc.

Shake the chicken breasts in the mix in the bag and pat the mix onto each breast by putting pressure on the bag. Don’t shake off excess. Discard extra coating.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil lightly with the Pam.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness of breasts) then check for doneness (instant read thermometer of 150 degrees or so).

Take baking sheet out of the oven (away from the oven) and spray once or twice over each breast with the Pam Olive Oil flavored cooking spray. Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 160 to 165 degrees.

Yummy with chicken broth flavored mashed potatoes (home made broth with no salt, of course).

I think, using one third of the pack of Shake and Bake, adding about and equal amount of flour and spices, only using about one fifth of that distributed between two or three breasts, that there is about 40mg ~ 60mg of salt per serving.

Poached Tilapia, low fat - low salt

Low fat / low salt

Feb. 9, 2007

Poached Tilapia with Fresh Ginger, Potatoes and Zucchini

2.5 cups home made fat-free, sodium-free chicken broth + more if needed
3” fresh ginger peeled, sliced in thin slices (circles about the size of a quarter to a half dollar)
1 medium yellow onion cut into a rough dice
1 lg. clove of garlic, smashed (so you can identify it and keep it from anyone taking coumadin)
2 Tablespoons Gold’s honey mustard (about 150mg sodium)
8 ounces of frozen zucchini (or fresh cut into bite size pieces)
1 or 2 medium potatoes cut similarly to the fresh ginger
3 dashes of soy sauce
3 Tablespoons (or more) of Paprika
4 Tablespoons (or so) of lemon juice
2 Tablespoons of toasted sesame oil (added at the very end)
2 Tablespoons of walnut oil (added at the very end)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Add onions, potatoes and ginger slices to chicken broth in large skillet heated to medium high heat. Cover the pan and allow all to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in mustard and add garlic clove. Cover and simmer for another 5 or 6 minutes.

Add zucchini and some additional chicken broth if needed to keep the sauce moderately thick (but not too thin), cover and continue to simmer for another 5 or 6 minutes.

Add the paprika by sprinkling over the top. No need to be even or neat about it. Use a circular motion (top on the skillet, hold top with one hand, while making circles on the stove top with the skillet handle in the other hand) every now and then to move around the ingredients for more even cooking.

Move the vegetables to the center of the skillet and place the tilapia around the outer edge of the pan, drizzle the lemon over the tilapia, grind fresh pepper over all cover and continue to simmer for another 6 to 10 minutes, using the circular motion (gently this time) to keep the fish from sticking.

Open pan and add the few dashes of soy here and there in the pan. Cover and repeat the gentle swirl / circular motion to blend the soy into the mix.

When the fish is cooked (check fattest part of one piece) reduce heat to low. Let the temp come down (about 2 minutes or so). The consistency of the sauce should be moderately thick.

Drizzle the walnut oil in one circle over the ginger/vegetables in the center of the pan. Drizzle the toasted sesame oil in one big circle over the top of the fish. Cover and swirl the pan gently again to blend in the oil (two or three swirls should be fine).

The ginger will be tender and tasty.

Enjoy!