Trying to be good? These recipes don't scrimp on flavor
For starters, it’s not usually possible to convert an extremely high-fat recipe into a low-fat recipe. You know this is true if you’ve ever tried to make a low-fat cheesecake; the texture and flavor don’t survive when the traditional ingredients are replaced with low-fat substitutions. These are the kinds of foods to strictly reduce in quantity, rather than attempt to convert to a lower-fat version.
On the other hand, you can change your approach to many recipes, selecting compromises that can lower calories without losing taste. One example is non-stick cooking spray: sautéing something in Pam is definitely not the same as sautéing something in olive oil or butter. Why not use a coating of Pam on the skillet along with a very small amount of butter? This drastically reduces the total fat while keeping that wonderful aroma and mouth feel of butter in the dish.
Another way to make heart-healthy foods without scrimping on flavor is to add richness and depth with simple cooking techniques, such as starting stews and braises with a “mirepoix.” Named for a cook to the Duc de Levis-Mirepoix, an early 18th-century French diplomat, mirepoix is a combination of onion, celery and carrot. The uniformly diced vegetables are added to the sauté pan according to a specific ratio: two parts onion to one part each celery and carrot. This mixture adds an earthy flavor to dishes like the Wild Rice Soup in the photo.
You can add another layer of texture to this soup with a dollop of sour cream (low fat, of course).
A Creole variation on the traditional mirepoix is to replace the carrot with green bell pepper. I’ve taken this a step further in the chicken recipe that starts with the celery and carrot of a mirepoix, but slicing instead of dicing the onion and adding red and yellow roasted peppers to the final braise. I took a shortcut with jarred peppers, since I didn’t want to spend the time roasting them in the oven, but I’ve included instructions if you’re interested in doing it yourself. Brighten the flavor even more by tossing in Kalamata olives when the dish comes out of the oven; serve with a nice crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Another place to save fat calories is in your salad dressing. Often the commercial “lite” varieties add sugar or artificial sweetener to distract your taste buds from the missing oil. It’s easy enough to mix together balsamic vinegar, herbs and olive oil for a zesty topping, but I love blue cheese dressing, especially with chunks of cheese in a creamy base. I’d been reluctant to accept a substitute, until I discovered the low fat version, below. With all the calories I’m saving, I can spread an extra pat of butter on my bread.
Wild Rice Soup
1 t olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 C chopped mushrooms
1 t parsley
1/4 t tarragon
1/4 t basil
1 1/2 C cooked wild rice
3 C broth
2/3 C cubed turkey
salt & pepper, to taste
sour cream (optional)
Sauté diced carrot, celery and onion in a saucepan over a medium-low heat until the vegetables have softened. When they start to brown, add a few tablespoons of broth to deglaze the pan. Add the garlic, mushrooms and herbs; continue cooking. When the mushrooms have released their moisture, stir in the rice and turkey and cook for a few minutes. Add the broth; simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and ladle into bowls; top with a dollop of sour cream. Yield: 4 servings.
Blue Cheese Dressing
1 C plain yogurt
1/4 C nonfat sour cream
1/2 C buttermilk
1 T low fat mayonnaise
2/3 C crumbled blue cheese
1 t Dijon mustard
1 T lemon juice
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
black pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Adjust seasonings and refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: approximately 2 cups.
Chicken & Roasted Peppers
1 T olive oil
2 diced carrots
2 diced celery stalks
1 thinly sliced large onion
8 chicken thighs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C white wine
2 roasted red bell peppers, sliced
2 roasted yellow bell peppers, sliced
2 C broth
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 C pitted Kalamata olives
Preheat oven to 350 F. Sauté carrots, celery and half the onions in olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove vegetables to a bowl and add chicken (seasoned on all sides with salt and pepper) to the skillet; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and return cooked vegetables to the skillet. Increase heat to high and pour in wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Scatter the roasted peppers and remaining onion over the chicken and pour in broth. Cover and bake for about 50 minutes; chicken should be falling off the bone. Before serving, remove and discard skin from the chicken; return pieces to the pan, stir in olives and parsley; adjust seasonings and ladle over noodles or rice. Yield: 4 servings.
Roasted Bell Peppers
Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange peppers on top. Roast for about 20 minutes on each side, until skins are blackened. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin from the peppers and cut into slices.
Send comments, questions or recipe ideas to capeflavors@comcast.net.
What is Mirepoix?
Pronounced mihr-PWAH, it’s the French name for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery (either common Pascal celery or celeriac). Mirepoix, either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter, is the flavor base for a wide number of dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces.
