101 Low Calorie Recipes

101 Low Calorie Recipes

INTRODUCTION
 
101 Low Calorie Recipes is one of five books that comprise my Good Eating series of cookbooks. (The other books are 101 Low Fat Recipes, 101 Low Cholesterol Recipes, 101 Low Sodium Recipes, and 101 High Fiber Recipes.)
 
While the calories are greatly reduced in these recipes, the taste is still way up there, enabling you to go on your diet and maintain your weight without making the usual sacrifices. Unlike most diet fare, the dishes in this book are varied and flavorful. Although the main thrust here is on dishes that are low in calories, attention has also been paid to overall health values.
 
You will find recipes here for complete meals—from soup to dessert—and dishes to serve every taste, whether homey or exotic. And because dieting usually means counting calories, I have included the caloric content of each dish. These calculations are based on the latest data from the United States Department of Agriculture and information obtained from various food producers and processors.
 
Enjoy!
C.T.N.
 
Sauces and Dressings
 
ARUGULA PESTO WITH WALNUTS
 
You’ll find this pesto a refreshing alternative to the usual basil-pignoli combination.
 
Spoon the sauce over pasta, meat, or poultry. Or try it with my Hearty Minestrone —spread it on thin slices of toasted Italian bread, place the bread in individual soup bowls, and ladle in the soup.
 
1 cup tightly packed arugula leaves, trimmed, rinsed, and drained
¼ cup tightly packed Italian flat leaf parsley, trimmed, rinsed, and drained
2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
   Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 
1. Place arugula, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and walnuts in food processor. Process, scraping down sides as necessary, until ingredients are finely pureed.
2. Add oil and process until mixture is smooth and thoroughly blended. If necessary, add additional lemon juice, taste, and add salt and pepper, if desired. (At this point, the pesto can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.)
3. If you are using the pesto immediately, add cheese and process briefly.
 
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
APPROXIMATELY 25 CALORIES PER TABLESPOON
 
ROASTED RED PEPPER PUREE
 
 
Excellent with grilled or broiled fish or as a base for a pasta sauce.
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, or 1 cup water-packed roasted peppers, drained
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
   Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 
1. Cut roasted peppers into pieces. (If using fresh peppers, roast them following directions on this page, steps 1 through 3.)
2. Combine peppers with remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until coarsely pureed or to desired consistency.
 
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
APPROXIMATELY 96 CALORIES PER RECIPE
 
UNCOOKED FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
 
 
Irresistible because it has that just-harvested taste, this substantial, all-purpose sauce is a perfect match for pasta or steamed vegetables (especially spinach, broccoli rape, asparagus, or leeks). Spread it on sliced crusty bread as an appetizer; pour it over meat, fish, or poultry loaves; or serve it with grilled fish … you name it!
 
4 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
½ cup chopped scallions, white and tender greens
¼ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 sun-dried tomato halves (not oil-packed), soaked in boiling water until softened, drained, and chopped
1 large clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
   Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS
APPROXIMATELY 29 CALORIES PER ¼ CUP
 
JALAPEÑO SALSA
 
 
Serve this sauce over chicken, tacos, and hamburgers. It also makes a jazzy dip and is a terrific condiment for Mexican-style dishes and grilled fish.
 
 Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
 
1. Coat a nonstick skillet with a thin film of cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and sauté over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add tomatoes, raise heat, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add broth, and simmer the mixture for about 6 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened.
3. Add jalapeños, oregano, and lemon or lime juice and stir to combine ingredients well.
 
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
APPROXIMATELY 24 CALORIES PER ¼ CUP
 
CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE
 
 
Tart and chunky, this delicious sauce is admirable on its own, as a compliment to roasted meats and poultry, or spooned, while still warm, over vanilla ice milk.
 
During the summer, when berries are at their best, you can substitute strawberries or raspberries for the cranberries (the difference in calories is negligible).
 
3 tart apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons water
¾ cup fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon or packet sugar substitute (optional)
 
1. Combine apples and water in a saucepan, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring often, for an additional 15 minutes or until fruit is well cooked. (If there is excess liquid, raise heat, remove cover, and simmer for a few minutes.)
 
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
APPROXIMATELY 36 CALORIES PER ¼ CUP
 
 
HORSERADISH APPLESAUCE
 
 
This serendipitous creation was inspired by overwhelming boredom. Tired of the usual mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar coupling with cold chicken, I yanked some of my homemade Cranberry Applesauce from the fridge. Now, cold chicken and applesauce is a lovely combination, indeed. But I wanted some spunk! So, reaching toward the shelf that houses my chutneys, preserves, jalapeño peppers, and such, I retrieved the first container my fingers descended on: prepared horseradish. Mixing a bit of the horseradish with applesauce produced a marriage made in heaven—terrific with any cold roasted meat as well as chicken.
 
Although my Cranberry Applesauce goes extremely well with the horseradish, any unsweetened applesauce will do nicely.
 
¼ cup prepared white horseradish, or more to taste
1 cup chilled Cranberry Applesauce, or other unsweetened applesauce
 
Combine horseradish and applesauce and stir until thoroughly blended. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
 
MAKES 1¼ CUPS
APPROXIMATELY 7 CALORIES PER TABLESPOON
 
 
BASIC BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
 
 
In the not-too-distant past, white sauces such as béchamel were the mainstay of French and, to a lesser extent, Italian cuisines. Rich with heavy cream, flour, and butter, these notorious artery-cloggers appeared in all manner of dishes.
 
By eliminating the heavy cream and butter and reducing the amount of flour, this recipe produces a more than reasonable facsimile with a reassuring nod to a lighter, less oppressively fatty way of eating. Serve in the same way you would the heavyweight version.
 
By adding ingredients you can enhance the flavor and extend its uses. Add capers and parsley and serve over poached fish or poultry; add tomato sauce, puree, or paste to create a lovely pool in which to place shoestring zucchini, yellow squash, or julienned braised leeks. Variations for Mornay Sauce and Cheddar Cheese Sauce follow.
 
1½ tablespoons finely minced onions
2 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup low fat (2%) milk
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
   Salt and white pepper to taste
 
1.     In a medium saucepan, preferably nonstick, braise onions in broth or water until onions are very soft and liquid is evaporated.
 
2. Sprinkle with flour and stir well to dissolve, then add milk and nonfat dry milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.
 
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
APPROXIMATELY 224 CALORIES PER RECIPE
APPROXIMATELY 14 CALORIES PER TABLESPOON
 
Mornay Sauce: Elegant over crab, oysters, steamed fillet of sole, turbot, cod, or hake; nifty over macaroni or other short, stubby, tubular pasta.
 
Add 1 ounce shredded low fat Swiss cheese to the basic recipe and stir over very low heat until cheese is melted and all ingredients are blended. (Add an additional 90 calories per recipe; 6 calories per tablespoon.)
 
Cheddar Cheese Sauce: Great fun as a heated fondue for dipping skewered toasted bread or apple or pear slices; serve over macaroni or other short pasta; use it to dress up steamed asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and so forth.
 
Add 1 ounce shredded low fat cheddar cheese (and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and ½ teaspoon dry mustard, if desired) to the basic recipe and stir over very low heat until cheese is melted and all ingredients are blended. (Add an additional 90 calories per recipe; 6 calories per tablespoon.)
 
LIGHT BEARNAISE SAUCE
 
 
A variation of one of my former heartthrobs (I’m afraid I’m being literal), which is usually made with egg yolks, vinegar, shallots, and a béchamel sauce base. Good with baked, poached, or broiled fish, or very lean meat.
 
1 cup Basic Béchamel Sauce
½ cup dry white wine
1 large shallot, minced, or 1½ tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon wine or tarragon vinegar
 
1. Prepare Basic Béchamel Sauce and keep warm.
2. In a small saucepan, combine wine, shallot or onion, herbs, and vinegar, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until reduced by a little more than half. Cool slightly and stir mixture into warm Basic Béchamel Sauce. Serve warm.
 
MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS
APPROXIMATELY 13 CALORIES PER TABLESPOON