Chicken with Shallot-Apricot Sauce: Sweet Victory

Hey everybody! Remember yesterday, when I was all like, “Buy a cantaloupe! They’re delicious, and nothing could ever possibly be wrong with them?” Uh … not so much. Astute reader Joel pointed out that there was a cantaloupe recall on March 22nd, as a Honduran company called Agropecuaria Montelibano has shipped quite a few salmonella-tainted melons. The offending paragraph has been removed, and please feel free to send me the bill if you went out and bought a dozen. As always, I’m dumb.

(Edited to add: this looks like it might be a bigger deal now. See here.)

For further proof of my dumbinity, it finally occurred to me (after nine months) that I should mention more of my failures on this blog. (Note: it didn’t actually occur to me. It occurred to my friend F, who said, “You know, you should mention more of your failures on the blog. That way, people would feel better about the dishes you DO post on.” He’s usually right about these things – and about New Zealand novelty folk duos – so I’m going with it.)

Anyway, of the three or four new dishes I make per week, usually only one or two work out. I can generally chalk this up to my own inexperience or sketchy recipes, because as it turns out, you can’t eat everything you read. To illustrate, here are a few examples of recent bombs:

Weight Watchers Macaroni and Cheese: I whipped this up last year, but used fat-free instead of low-fat cheese, turning the meal into an abomination on par with Soylent Green. This time around, I followed the directions to the letter. And you know what? It still sucked.

Strawberry Mousse from Enchanted Broccoli Forest: Dude. I’m not sure why they didn’t just call this “Two-Hour Strawberry Yogurt,” because that’s exactly what it is.

Mashed Yucca with Garlic: This one was more my fault than lovely, wonderful Sara Moulton. I dumped waaaaaay too much milk into the mixture, creating a soupy, lumpy catastrophe instead of velvety, creamy comfort food. As my roommate C noted, “So, the yucca was yucka.” She’s clever, that one.

Ellie Krieger’s Pasta Puttanesca: Ellie is wonderful, and quickly becoming one of my favorite Food Network cooks. And while this dish was far from a disaster, it was nothing special either. (Incidentally, “nothing special” meals are almost worse than flat-out disasters, because they had so much potential. It’s like when a parent says, “I’m disappointed in you,” and it’s ten times more traumatic than if they just yelled.)

Roasted Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Garlic Lasagna: An unmitigated disaster. It took a year to cook, made me nauseous, and nobody ate the leftovers. It’s LASAGNA for pete’s sake. Leftovers are THE POINT. Cooking Light, I expected better.

While the letdowns have been plentiful and painful, I’m proud to say that today’s recipe, Chicken with Shallot Apricot Sauce, is a winner. It got raves from The Kitchn, as well as CHG reader Gretchen, who tried it and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. My own version was fruity and sweet and fancy looking, to boot. The chicken was a tad dry, but I think that was more a result of my overcooking than the instructions.

I should mention that The Kitchn recipe serves four, but I made a half-batch and reduced the olive oil a bit. Those calculations are reflected below.

Chicken with Shallot-Apricot Sauce
Serves 2
Adapted from The Kitchn.

For the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Mine were 6oz each – Kris)
salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 cup chicken broth

For the sauce:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2-1/2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 heaping tablespoons apricot jam or preserves
salt and pepper

1) Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the chicken. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil over high heat. Place chicken in skillet and brown, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Cover pan. Drop heat to low. Cook chicken fully, another 4 or 5 minutes. When done, use tongs to put chicken on a plate. Tent with tin foil and set aside.

2) Jack heat up to high. Add 1/8th cup broth to chicken pan, scraping up browned bits with your spoon as broth heats. Remove from heat and set aside when bits are fully scraped.

3) While this is all going on/as chicken breast browns, heat the other 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add shallots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until shallots soften, around 5 minutes.

4) Add 1/4 cup broth to shallot pan, scraping up browned bits with your spoon as broth heats. Add vinegar. Drop heat to medium-low. Cook another 5 minutes or so. Add jam. Stir thoroughly to mix. "The sauce will thicken but should still be easily stirred."

5) Slice chicken. Place on platter. Pour contents of pan #1 (the juices) on top. Pour apricot-shallot sauce on top of that. Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
305 calories, 9 g fat, $1.52

Calculations
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6oz ea): 375 calories, 4.2 g fat, $1.49
1 tablespoons olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, $0.10
6 tablespoons chicken broth: 5 calories, 0.2 g fat, $0.10
2-1/2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced thin: 36 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.98
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar: 20 calories, 0 g fat, $0.15
1 heaping tablespoons apricot jam or preserves: 55 calories, 0 g fat, $0.18
salt and pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.03
TOTAL: 610 calories, 18 g fat, $3.03
PER SERVING (TOTAL/2): 305 calories, 9 g fat, $1.52

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Light Chicken and Mushroom Marsala: It's Moist

One of my least favorite words in the English language is “moist.” I don’t like the way it slides off the tongue, stabbing it at the end with a sinister, pointy “t.” The sound squicks me out, like the feel of cheap velvet or foam rubbing against itself. What's more, “moist” makes even the most harmless utterances seem a little dirty. Lewd, even. I actively refrain from using it on a casual basis, especially when describing people. Because, let's face it: there's nothing creepier than, “Hey Bob, you look moist today."

This aversion is unfortunate, partly because it’s a pretty common word, but mostly due to the food blogging thing. “Moist” depicts almost every kind of well-made meal, and there are few-to-no substitutes for it. “Wet" connotes a soaking, “soggy” is too negative, and “humid," well ... let's not even discuss. It’s got to be “moist.” “Moist” means a cake is well made. “Moist” means cookies are chewy, but firm. “Moist” means you might be eating Alex’s Slightly Altered Light Chicken and Mushroom Marsala.

I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, who got it from the June 1995 issue of Gourmet. And man oh man, is it ever moist. It’s moist-esque. It’s the hostess with the moistest. The chicken is basically braised in broth and marsala wine, which not only imparts a marvelous flavor to the mushrooms, but y’know … the moist thing.

The original recipe called for skin-on chicken breasts and more butter than I was comfortable with. So, to cut the fat, I:

• Used boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• Only used oil to sauté the mushrooms and onions, instead of a butter/oil combination.
• Reduced the olive oil by a third.

It came out beautifully and went really well with egg noodles. All told, it's a classy, earthy meal-for-four under eight bucks. Not too shabby. And most definitely moist. (*cringe*)

Chicken and Mushroom Marsala
Serves 4
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 28 oz), halved
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 onion, sliced thin
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1/3 cup Marsala
2/3 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1) Gently pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown in two separate batches. When finished with each, transfer them to a plate so juices may redistribute throughout meat.

2) Add onion and mushrooms to skillet. Cook a few minutes, until "liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated," stirring occasionally. Add Marsala. Stir. Cook until Marsala is nearly gone. Add broth, chicken, and any chicken juices pooling on plate. Simmer until chicken is fully cooked, around 15 minutes, turning once halfway through. (I had very thick cuts, and this still timed out perfectly.) Move chicken back to plate.

3) Keep the sauce simmering until it reduces to around 1/3 cup. Kill heat. Salt and pepper the sauce to taste. Add butter. Stir sauce until butter is just melted. Serve chicken with sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price Per Serving
352 calories, 9.75 g fat, $1.63

Calculations
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 28 oz): 875 calories, 9.9 g fat, $3.48
2 teaspoons olive oil: 79 calories, 8.9 g fat, $0.06
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter: 153 calories, 17.3 g fat, $0.15
2/3 onion, sliced thin: 42 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.32
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin: 50 calories, 0.8 g fat, $1.50
1/3 cup Marsala: 142 calories, 0 g fat, $0.61
2/3 cup chicken broth: 64 calories, 2 g fat, $0.16
1-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.25
TOTAL: 1407 calories, 39 g fat, $6.53
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 352 calories, 9.75 g fat, $1.63

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Pork Loin with Warm Roasted Red Pepper Relish: Beyond Chicken

When it comes to cheap, healthy meat, there’s no easier fallback than good ol’ chicken breast. It’s tasty, accessible, and universally beloved - the U2 of the culinary world. Alas, while I dig the chix, I also have a great tendency to rely on it too much. There are weeks where chicken appears on our menu so often, I wonder if it’s following me around and sneaking into our fridge, like a poultry private eye on some kind of bizarre suicide mission.

Two weeks ago, in an effort to free ourselves (a.k.a. The Boyfriend and I) from the oppressive shackles of constant breast-based dinners, I bought four pounds of $1.99/lb center cut pork loin and chopped it into four 1-lb mini-roasts. “What the heck,” I figured, “This can’t be TOO hard.”

ENNNNNNNHH. Wrong.

Pork, it turns out, is incredibly easy to drain of any and all moisture. In fact, the FDA asks us to cook the meat to a bacteria-slaying internal temperature of 160°F, which has the unfortunate side effect of mummification. At that point, you may as well snack on a sock, since it’s just as flavorful.

Happily, after a little research and a few trial-and-error sessions in the kitchen, I think I hit on a formula that nearly ensures a moist roast. (P.S. Try saying “moist roast” ten times fast. It’s hard.) Instead of roasting the meat longer at 325°F or 350°F, you brown it on a stovetop first, then shove it in a 450°F oven briefly, until its inner temperature hits 145°F-150°F. Then, you let it sit on an aluminum foil-tented pan for 15 minutes. During this time, the pork's temperature should rise 10 degrees and the juices get a chance to redistribute. The whole shebang locks in the moisture, gives the meat a nice color, and comes in handy when there’s no time to brine.

I used this method last night, and paired it with a Cook’s Illustrated recipe for Warm Roasted Red Pepper Relish. Which? Yum. It’s a little pricier than most CHG dishes, but it’s a tad classier, too. Like Katharine Hepburn, but edible.

Ooo - but, before we get to the dish, a quick reiteration/warning about pork's internal temperature: opinion varies widely on the boundaries of a safe one. I've read that 145°F - 150°F is acceptable, since the roast's temperature will rise as it sits, but I CAN NOT guarantee this. If you're unsure or concerned about Trichinella, please cook the pork longer. Food-borne diseases are bad.

Pork Loin with Warm Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Serves 2
Adapted from and Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipes.

1 1-lb pork loin center, trimmed of all visible fat and patted dry
½ Tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper

½ shallot, minced
salt and pepper
½ garlic clove, minced
6-oz (1/2 jar) roasted red peppers, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped fine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled
½ tablespoon freshly minced basil

1) Preheat oven to 450°F.

2) In a medium pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork generously with salt and pepper. Place pork in pan and brown on every side. (This should take about 6 minutes or so.) When finished, transfer pork to a roasting pan and roast about 20 minutes, or until pork temperature is between 145°F and 150°F. When finished, remove from oven, tent pork with aluminum foil and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

3) While pork is in oven, add shallot and 1/8 teaspoon salt to the oil left in pan. Cook over medium-high heat until shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring a few times.

4) Add peppers and vinegar to pan and cook until warm, about 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits as you go along.

5) Drop heat to low. Stir in butter chunks one at a time. Remove from heat. Add basil and any pork juices. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over sliced pork.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
330 calories, 17.2 g fat, $1.81
(Note: I think my fat calc is a bit high here, since a lot of the fat is trimmed.)

Calculations
1 1-lb pork loin center (about 10-12 oz after trim): 440 calories, 16.5 g fat, $1.99
½ Tablespoon vegetable oil: 66 calories, 7.5 g fat, $0.03
salt and pepper: negligible fat and calories, $0.05
½ shallot, minced: 14 calories, 0 g fat, $0.26
½ garlic clove, minced: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.02
6-oz (1/2 jar) roasted red peppers: 36 calories, 0 g fat, $0.99
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $0.08
1 tablespoon butter: 102 calories, 11.5 g fat, $0.10
½ tablespoon freshly minced basil: negligible fat and calories, $0.11
TOTAL: 660 calories, 35.5 g fat, $3.63
PER SERVING (TOTAL/2): 330 calories, 17.2 g fat, $1.81

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Turkey Chili with Beans: Comfort Me with Chili

Edited 3/26/10 to add: Hi there, folks from CNN! Hope you dig this chili. If you find it a bit complicated, this Easy Bean Chili recipe from Cook's Illustrated may be a good option.

When you hit your 30s, you begin to find that your generation’s grandparents aren’t around so much anymore. Most have passed on, many are incapacitated, some are squeaking by, and a lucky few are still spry teenagers concealed behind nonagenarian wrinkles and Christmas sweatshirts. Age has to happen to everyone, I guess. The certainty of passing time is hard to comprehend, and I assume, even tougher to confront with anything resembling grace. But somehow, folks manage.

My remaining grandma passed away last year. The Boyfriend’s moved on early Wednesday morning. They were lovely ladies whose lives couldn’t have been more unalike. The Midwesterner was by all accounts a good cook and talented artist. The New Yorker - well, not so much with the cooking. But she loved us pretty hard. And I loved her for it.

What any of this has to do with food is minor or momentous, depending on your point of view. Home-cooked meals can be a bittersweet reminder of gatherings and kitchen sessions gone by, or a warming, filling comfort in times of emptiness. Good dishes won’t replace people by any means, but for ten seconds, it might make their absence sting a bit less.

With that, here’s today’s recipe. It’s a Turkey Chili with Beans based on the February 1997 issue of Bon Appetit. I made it Wednesday night for The Boyfriend, and included a long list of reader review alterations that I won’t regale you with. Just know the end product was a metric ton of the best turkey chili I’ve ever had. If you make it, try to create your own chili powder (recipe included below) or use a salt-free mix. A lot of the store-bought mixes have extra NaCl in them, which could throw off the taste a bit.

Hope you enjoy the food, and in the meantime - here’s to you, R and H.

Turkey Chili with Beans
Serves 8 generously
Adapted from Bon Appetit/Epicurious.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chili powder (Recipe below. – Kris)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 2/3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 1/3 cups amber beer (I used Dos Equis XX Ambar. – Kris)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15-ounce can small white beans, rinsed, drained
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed, drained
1 15-ounce can pink kidney beans, rinsed, drained

Serving suggestions: Chopped red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream

1) In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions. Cook about 9 minutes, until soft and slightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add oregano and cumin. Cook another minute, stirring all the way.

2) Jack heat up to medium-high. Move veggies to perimeter of pan. Add turkey. Cook until slightly browned, breaking up the meat as you go along. Add chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir everything together. Add undrained tomatoes and juices. Break tomatoes up with your spoon. Add stock, beer, and tomato sauce and bring to boil. Cut the heat back to medium-low and simmer about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add beans. Cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Fish out bay leaves and throw them in the garbage. Serve with topping suggestions.

Homemade Chili Powder
Makes a little more than ¼ cup
Adapted from Recipe Zaar.

2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1) Mix'em up.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
362.6 calories, 9.5 g fat, $1.03

Calculations
1 tablespoon vegetable oil: 124 calories, 14 g fat, $0.06
2 medium onions, chopped: 92 calories, 0.2 g fat, $0.38
2 large cloves garlic, minced: 9 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano: 5 calories, 0.2 g fat, $0.03
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin: negligible calories and fat, $0.03
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey: 974 calories, 48.7 g fat, $2.49
1/4 cup chili powder (Self-made mix. – Kris): 71 calories, 2.4 g fat, $0.18
2 bay leaves: negligible calories and fat, $0.06
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder: 12 calories, 0.7 g fat, $0.08
1 1/2 teaspoons salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon: negligible calories and fat, $0.10
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes: 151 calories, 1 g fat, $0.79
1 2/3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth: 28 calories, 0.9 g fat, $0.41
1 1/3 cups amber beer: 136 calories, 0 g fat, $1.75
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce: 86 calories, 0.5 g fat, $0.34
1 15-ounce can small white beans, rinsed, drained: 498 calories, 1.2 g fat, $0.50
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed, drained: 366 calories, 3.5 g fat, $0.50
1 15-ounce can pink kidney beans, rinsed, drained: 349 calories, 2.6 g fat, $0.50
TOTAL: 2901 calories, 75.9 g fat, $8.25
PER SERVING (TOTAL/8): 362.6 calories, 9.5 g fat, $1.03

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Spiced Chicken Skewers with Grapes: The Chicken Recipe OF CHAMPIONS

Before our regularly scheduled Monday recipe, I’d like to get a few quick things out of the way.

1) Apologies to reader Megan. Dude. I shouldn’t have doubted.

2) EEEEEEEEEEEE!

3) Seriously? DID YOU SEE THAT? Especially that part at the end when Manning evaded like, 15 guys who were trying to bring him down and then threw a 32-yard pass to Tyree, who had to jump, like, 150 FEET in the air to catch the ball ON HIS HEAD and then still managed to stay alive after landing on his back where it looked like the defender had SNAPPED HIM IN TWO but he still kept possession and put the Giants in a good position for the touchdown? Yeah, that was neat.

4) Preview of the Manning house at Thanksgiving:
PEYTON MANNING: I’m thankful for winning the Super Bowl last year.
ELI MANNING: I’m thankful for winning the Super Bowl this year.
COOPER MANNING: I have not won the Super Bowl, but I’m thankful for having brothers who did. I am also thankful for potatoes.
MRS. MANNING: I am thankful our DNA is made of fairy dust. High five, dear.
MR. MANNING: Yeah, our family is awesome. High five, honey.

5) As is his ritual, my dad wore his 21-year-old Giants boxers (purchased for the 1987 Super Bowl) on the outside of his pants for the game. My family is firmly convinced this was, and will continue to be, the key to sweet Blue victory.

So ... oh yeah. Food. This is a food blog. Must … write about … food (GIANTS).

Okay. Here goes. Since Saturday was a bit jammed by Super Bowl preparations, I had to cook something fast, easy, and light. Fortunately, Ellie Krieger was shining her pearly whites at exactly the same time I was making up the grocery list. While I didn’t have a grill handy, I figured her Spiced Chicken Skewers would work just fine with my broiler.

By rule, food on a stick automatically tastes four times better than its non-impaled counterparts. But even with this in mind, The Boyfriend and I were pleasantly surprised by Ellie’s dish. It was simple, inexpensive, and wonderfully moist, with enough hint of lemon to keep it from being blah. Warmed and split by the heat, the grapes were a nice touch, too.

Food Network kindly provided fat and calorie computations, so only the price is figured out below. It’s also worth noting that this would be a great meal for someone on Weight Watchers. I think it comes out to four (maybe five?) points. Bonus.

That's all for now, I think. My parents are still delirious, so if anyone needs me, I’ll be trying to convince Dad that boxers-outside-of-pants might not be a good look for work. (But why burst the man’s bubble?)

GO BLUE!

Spiced Chicken Skewers with Grapes

Serves 4 – 2 skewers each
Adapted from Ellie Krieger.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
8 (10-inch) skewers (Metal or wood will work. – Kris)
1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves (I skipped this. – Kris)
1 lemon, cut into wedges (I skipped this, too. – Kris)

1) Combine oil, zest, juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together. Add chicken and mix so every piece is coated with marinade. Let sit for 20 minutes. During this time, soak wooden skewers if you're using them. (Or they'll burn. Metal skewers don't need soaking.)

2)  Skewer the chicken and grapes like so: chicken, grape, chicken, grape, chicken, grape, chicken, grape. Spray a grate or broiler pan with cooking spray. Broil or grill skewers for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook another 3 or 4 minutes, until some grapes split and chicken is done. If desired, serve topped with mint and next to lemon slices.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
220 calories, 6 g fat, $0.71

Calculations
2 tablespoons olive oil: $0.16
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest: $0.05
1 tablespoon lemon juice: $0.20
2 cloves garlic, minced: $0.10
1 teaspoon ground cumin: $0.02
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander: $0.02
1/2 teaspoon salt: $0.01
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes: $1.79
1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes: $0.48
Cooking spray: $0.02
TOTAL: $2.85
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): $0.71

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Cheap Healthy Party Food

With the big Giants/Pats showdown only four days away, it’s time to start thinking about food. What should you bring to a get-together? What will you serve at your own shindig? How can you keep from gaining 14 pounds in a single afternoon?

That’s where Cheap Healthy Party Food comes in. Gathered from five prominent websites, the following 60 recipes are less expensive, healthier alternatives to the chips/dips/wings combo typical of Super Bowl Sunday. Plus, as it’s a football game (THE football game), all the dishes are party-friendly. There is no spa food, and nary a spinach salad or fat-free flaxseed muffin to be found. Instead, the list is chock full of chicken, chili, pizza, and pie, just in lower-calorie incarnations.

To everything, there is a process, and my first step in compiling this list was narrowing down my source websites. (It’s a big internet out there, man.) I decided each one had to have A) lots of health-minded options, B) an easy search function, and C) reliable recipe reviews. After some consideration, I settled on All Recipes, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Epicurious and Food Network. (Oh, and Cheap Healthy Good. Hooray for self-promotion!)

Still, I was left with a ton of possibilities. So next, I had to come up with food criteria. It wasn’t easy, and unlike the Beef/Pork/Fish posts, my methods weren’t exactly scientific. But I eventually settled on the following:

• Each dish had to contain at least four servings.
• Recipes could not incorporate more than one semi-pricy ingredient. (A frequent issue with Epicurious.)
• Fat and calorie content had to be healthy relative to serving size. An 800-calorie stuffed mushroom recipe looks great until you realize is it only makes six mushrooms. (A frequent issue with Cooking Light.)
• The food couldn’t look repulsive in pictures. (A frequent issue with All Recipe.)
• Recipes had to have at least an 87% review rating (3.5 forks on Eating Well, 5 stars on Food Network, etc).
• Dishes had to be appropriate for parties where huge, hairy fathers of three paint their bare chests with Tedy Bruschi’s jersey number.

With all that in mind, I commenced searching. And the results? Are pretty sweet. John Madden would approve.

(As always, read the reviews for cooking and serving suggestions.)

APPETIZERS
All Recipes: Chicken Satay
All Recipes: Pita Chips
All Recipes: Garden Veggie Pizza Squares
All Recipes: Savory Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
CHG: Lightened Seven Layer Taco Dip
Cooking Light: Adobo Chips with Warm Goat Cheese and Cilantro Salsa
Cooking Light: Cheddar with Sauteed Apples and Brown Bread
Cooking Light: Goat Cheese Crostini
Cooking Light: Pinto Bean Nachos
Cooking Light: Starry Snack Mix
Eating Well: Boneless Buffalo Wings
Food Network: Chili Chips
Food Network: Parmesan Pita Toast Strips

DIPS, SALSAS, DRESSINGS and SPREADS
All Recipes: Avocado Mango Salsa (use gloves when working with habaneros)
All Recipes: Black Bean Hummus
All Recipes: Fresh Salsa 1
All Recipes: Spicy Bean Salsa (use low-fat dressing)
All Recipes: Sweet and Sour Sauce
All Recipes: Tequila Cocktail Sauce
CHG: Lemony Light Hummus
Cooking Light: Creamy Artichoke Dip
Cooking Light: Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Bean Dip
Eating Well: Hot Artichoke Dip
Epicurious: Habanero Chile Salsa (use gloves when working with habaneros)
Food Network: Ranch Dressing
Food Network: White Bean Dip

MEAT MAINS
All Recipes: Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
All Recipes: Pineapple Chicken Tenders
All Recipes: Yummy Honey Chicken Kebabs
Cooking Light: Ancho, Beef, and Kidney Bean Chili
Cooking Light: Mexican Black Bean Chili
Cooking Light: Real Texas Chili
Eating Well: Chicken Chili with Hominy
Eating Well: Pulled Pork
Eating Well: Thai Chicken Pizza
Food Network: Buffalo Chicken Salad
Food Network: Chicken Chili
Food Network: Chili on Rice
Food Network: Mambo Chicken with Mango Salsa
Food Network: Middle Eastern Chicken Burgers
Food Network: Oven Fried Chicken
Food Network: Sloppy Joes
Food Network: Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Food Network: Three Bean and Beef Chili

SIDES
Cooking Light: Apple Slaw
Cooking Light: Beer Battered Onion Rings
Cooking Light: Cheese Fries
Cooking Light: Classic Potato Salad
Eating Well: Wholesome Corn Bread
Epicurious: Roasted Sweet Potato Slices
Food Network: Grilled Red Onions
Food Network: Black Bean Salad
Food Network: Baked Smoked Chili Fries

DESSERTS
Cooking Light: Frozen Butterfinger Pie
Cooking Light: Fudgy Sheet Cake
Cooking Light: Oatmeal Spice Cookies
Epicurious: Apple Pie
Epicurious: Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Food Network: Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Pound Cake
Food Network: Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Food Network: Coffee Angel Food Cake

CHG’s Super Bowl Week isn’t over yet, so tune in tomorrow for Favorites of the Week, and then again on Friday for A Tale of Two Salsas. (Mmm … Dickensian.)

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Light(er) Maque Choux with Chicken and Turkey Kielbasa: Cook's Illustrated is My Hero

After today, I'm expecting either a cease-and-desist or full-on restraining order from Cook’s Illustrated. But really … I can’t help it. Their 30-Minute Recipe collection has produced four winners in a row, and it’s already dangerously close to taking Ina’s place in my heart. If I was back in junior high, I’d have a butterfly notebook with “Kris luvs Cook’s 4-eva” scrawled on every available inch.

I’d never tried or even heard of Maque Choux (pronounced “mock shoe,” not “mack shooks”) before cooking it on Tuesday. According to my sources (a guy named Pierre), it’s a traditional Louisianan side dish made with corn, onions, peppers, and a combination of Cajun-esque spices. The CI version adds a bunch of meat, which morphs it into heartier main course material.

To up the health ante, I switched the kielbasa to turkey kielbasa and cut the vegetable oil to a third of what the original recipe called for. Those two steps alone slashed 40% of the fat and about 13% of the calories without sacrificing much in taste. In fact, I’m finding that turkey-for-real kielbasa is one of the best and easiest nutritional substitutions out there. For poultry, the flavor’s pretty dang close to the real thing.

When all was said and braised, the Boyfriend and I both dug Maque Choux, especially as leftovers the next day. (And the day after that. Like CI’s Chicken Provencal and Polenta, the recipe makes a lot of food.) It does take a tad longer than 30 minutes to prepare, but that's a minor quibble. A more experienced chicken-puller probably could have shredded the breasts faster. (Alas, my tiny dinosaur hands weren’t up to the task.)

So, yeah. Another victory for Kimball & Co. I’m going to try to move on to other recipe volumes for the time being, but … if you should see him or any of the Test Kitchen folks on the street, tell ‘em I said, “Hi!”

(Or, “Oh Cook’s Illustrated employee, I love your food so hard. Please be my personal chef/prisoner for all eternity.” Then run.)

Light(er) Cook’s Illustrated Maque Choux with Chicken and Turkey Kielbasa
Serves 4 to 6
Adapted (again) from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 ounces turkey kielbasa
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped medium
1 pound frozen corn, thawed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

CI HINT: "Chop the kielbasa, onion, and pepper while the chicken browns. Blend the corn while the vegetables cook."

1) Pat chicken dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat "until just smoking." Cook chicken about 2 or 3 minutes per side, until browned. Place on a plate and set aside for juices to redistribute

2) In the same pot, add remaining oil and heat over medium-high. Add kielbasa, onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook around 8 minutes, or until kielbasa is fairly browned.

3) While kielbasa browns, combine half the corn and all of the broth in a blender. Puree until smooth.

4) Add garlic and thyme into pot. Cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in corn mixture. Add chicken and any juices on plate. "Cover and cook until thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes."

5) After chicken is done, remove it with tongs and place on a plate. Add other half of corn to pot. Jack heat up to medium-high and cook another 2 or 3 minutes, until corn is warmed.

6) While corn is warming, use two forks to shred chicken as best you can. Kill the heat on the stovetop. Add shredded chicken and parsley to pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice and lots of sauce

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price per Serving
6 1-cup servings: 290 calories, 8 g fat, $0.90
4 1-1/2 cup servings: 435 calories, 12 g fat, $1.35

Calculations
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts: 750 calories, 16.2 g fat, $1.79
salt and ground black pepper: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
2 teaspoons vegetable oil: 88 calories, 10 g fat, $0.04
6 ounces turkey kielbasa: 274 calories, 15.2 g fat, $0.75
1 onion, minced: 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.17
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped medium: 31 calories, 0.4 g fat, $0.63
1 pound frozen corn, thawed: 368 calories, 0.3 g fat, $0.99
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth: 172 calories, 6 g fat, $0.48
2 garlic cloves, minced: 9 calories, 0 g fat, $0.10
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried: negligible fat and calories, $0.10
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley: 3 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.33
TOTAL: 1741 calories, 48.3 g fat, $5.40
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 290 calories, 8 g fat, $0.90
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 435 calories, 12 g fat, $1.35

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Chicken Provencal and the Cookbook Hall of Fame

Originally, this post was going to be all about Chicken Tikka and Chole Channa, two dishes I made Tuesday from the Food of India cookbook. Alas … yick. They were terrible - my second and third disappointments from that particular tome (see Indian Carrot Salad). I’m thinking it might be a dud. A lemon. A failure from the makers of Bad Idea Jeans.

Yet, it got me pondering. Between gifts from my family and self-purchased additions, I own 14 or 15 different cookbooks. Of these, I consistently use seven or eight, and should probably sell three or four.

To determine what to keep and what to junk, I decided to break down each cookbook’s role in my kitchen, baseball-style. I’m a gigantic Mets fan from way back, and read ESPN’s Page 2 like it’s my job. So, in honor of the impending MLB season (pitchers and catchers report to spring training next month), let’s get to it:

The MVP
Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
This was a Christmas gift from the ‘rents, but I’m already intimate with it since Rachel (my old roommate) owned the book. To put it plainly, Ina has never failed us. She’s the kind of gal you could build a whole franchise around.

The Intellectuals (aka Stats Dorks or The Finesse Guys)
I’m Just Here for the Food by Alton Brown
The Cook’s Bible by Christopher Kimball
Alton Brown and Christopher Kimball are the Mike Mussina and Greg Maddux of celebrity chefs – brilliant, reliable, and the cornerstones of my cookbook team. Younger authors could take a note or two.

The Savvy Veteran
Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today by the people behind Betty Crocker
I don’t use this baby too often now, but Betty pretty much got me through the final two years of college, when I had to learn to cook for myself. A good starter book, it will always have a place on Team Kris.

The Import
Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Nearly every year, the large-market MLB teams (New York, Boston, etc.) enter a bidding war for the Next Big Japanese Pitcher. Though she’s Italian, Lidia’s that guy. And this cookbook is her money pitch. I need her to bolster my lineup and impress my parents.

The Savant
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
Julia is to cooking what Sandy Koufax was to pitching, but truth be told, I’m a little afraid to touch this thing. I’m afraid it would spoil me for other cookbooks. Plus, there’s all that butter … not good for the booty and such.

The Hometown Favorite
My binder by my parents, a few friends, and lots of internet sources
I keep an ever-growing file of decent recipes right between Alton and Lidia. I probably use it the most, since it’s tailored to my specific tastes, and would liken it to Derek Jeter: a local wunderkind and all-around good egg that will never, ever get on my bad side.

The Utility Men
Lighten Up: Lowfat Cooking in 15 Minutes by Ginny Clark
No Diet Required by Jenny Craig
I bought these a few years ago when I was initially trying to drop some weight. The Jenny one is unintentionally hilarious (see: rich old women in foofy hats), and they’ve fallen out of my starting lineup, but both remain decent backups in case another recipe goes horribly wrong.

The Jekyll and Hyde
Fix it and Forget it Lightly by Phyllis Pellman Good
From day to day, I have no idea what this cookbook will give me. During a single week last year it produced a delicious baked bean dish, a middling chili, and a soup I would hesitate to call food. Completely hit or miss, like a streaky second baseman.

The Rookie with a Bad Attitude
The Food of India by Priya Wickramasinghe and Carol Selva Rajah
It must be said that this is a gorgeous book, and looks like a million bucks coming out of the wrapping. But the recipes … see above. It might end up traded for a player to be named later.

The Rookie with Potential
The Best 30-Minute Recipe by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated
Looks great, comes highly recommended from scouts, and so far, has produced well. I don’t want to overuse it yet, but this could be the beginning of something special. In fact, the Chicken Provencal recipe attached below comes from this book. I made it last night, and it was OUTSTANDING. I can’t even explain. I haven’t made a dinner like this in awhile, and I run a freakin’ food website. The portions are big, too, so while the book calls for four servings per recipe, you can easily net six. (My calculations are for both.)

Ultimately, based on my designations, I’d probably chuck/sell the Fix it and Forget it book, as well as Food of India and Jenny Craig. There’s a three-volume Williams-Sonoma set that I’m undecided on, as well, but we’ll see.

Readers, how about you? What are your Hall of Fame cookbooks? Drop me a comment, and let’s get this discussion going.

Chicken Provencal
Serves between 4 and 6 people
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and ground black pepper
1 slice bacon, minced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons unbleached white all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped course
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1) Sprinkle salt and pepper all over chicken and place in a single layer in a casserole dish. (Make sure it's microwave-safe.) Cover very tightly with plastic wrap. Nuke 15 minutes on half-power. Be super-careful removing dish from microwave, as it may be very hot.

2) As chicken is cooking, heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook for about 2 minutes, until it begins to give up its fat. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook 5 minutes, until onion is soft. Add garlic. Cook another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.

3) Add flour to pot. Stir and cook "until lightly browned, about 1 minute." Add wine slowly, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan as you go along. Add broth, tomatoes, and oregano. Bring to a simmer.

4) Knock heat back to low. Very carefully (it might still be hot) add chicken and any juices from dish to pot. Cover pot and cook another 10 minutes, until chicken is tender and fully cooked.

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price per Serving
4 servings: 443 calories, 17.7 g fat, $2.07
6 servings: 296 calories, 11.8 g fat, $1.36

Calculations
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 1081 calories, 35.5. g fat, $3.95
salt and ground black pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1 slice bacon, minced: 43 calories, 3.3. g fat, $0.37
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil: 124 calories, 14 g fat, $0.06
1 onion, minced: 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.10
4 garlic cloves, minced: 18 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.20
2 Tablespoons unbleached white all-purpose flour: 57 calories, 0.2. g fat, $0.01
½ cup dry white wine: 97 calories, 0 g fat, $0.40
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth: 43 calories, 1.5 g fat, $0.12
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes: 82 calories, 0 g fat, $1.29
1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped course: 180 calories, 16 g fat, $1.40
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley: 3 calories, 0.1. g fat, $0.20
TOTAL: 1774 calories, 70.8 g fat, $8.14
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 443 calories, 17.7 g fat, $2.07
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 296 calories, 11.8 g fat, $1.36

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Jet Lag Cooking: Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegetables

When I asked my friend H what it was like to have a baby, her first words were, “well, there’s no difference between am and pm anymore.” After ten days visiting India, it feels like I just had a baby. The only things that are missing are the crib, the stretchmarks, and the actual child. Oh, and the overwhelming sense of tremendous responsibility for the next 18 years. I don’t have that either. Hm. Maybe this was a bad metaphor.

Anyway, India’s 10-1/2 hours ahead of Brooklyn, meaning if I was typing this at the same time last week, I’d be finishing up dinner instead of eating a bowl of Rice Chex. It’d be dark, and my friend S and I would be at the guesthouse, reading the Hindustan Times and listening to stray dogs howl. Now, I’m watching Regis and Kathie Lee … er Howie and Kelly (What the hell happened while I was away?), and pining for a hazelnut coffee.

Though it’s much better these last 24 hours, the switch in night and day played some fun games with my body. For one, I just haven’t been hungry, and that’s never happened before in my life. Not for ten seconds. I also have a slowly-abating head cold which sounds like a simmering volcano every time I cough. Finally, there’s sleep. I’ve been involuntarily rising at 6am and taking three-or-four-hour naps around 2pm.

After rising from my jet lag siesta yesterday, I had an hour for dinner before my roommate’s birthday party. (I wasn’t really hungry, but there would be beer. And beer + no food = hangover city.) The Boyfriend had Chinese takeout from the previous night, and there was lots of brown rice and steamed mixed vegetables (mostly broccoli) left over. So, I whipped open my Cook’s Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipes cookbook (new for Christmas!) and flipped to page 102, where five Asian-oriented stir-fry sauces live to tantalize readers with their tangy goodness.

Following CI's directions for stir-fry, Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegetables came together in about 15 minutes. And I liked it. And it used up my leftovers, but turned them into something entirely new. And? And? If I keep making it, I can take more naps in the future. Infinite naps. I may never get over my jet lag by choice.

Please note that there are lots of possibilities here. Tons of options and switch-outs, including substitutions for fresh vegetables and raw meat. I used pre-cooked shrimp because I had it on hand. (I know raw is preferred, but hey.) If you get the chance, try some and let me know whatchoo think. Viva la Cook’s Illustrated!

Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegetables
Makes 1 serving with lots of sauce
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1/3 teaspoon cornstarch
1/6 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup steamed vegetables (I used broccoli.)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
12 medium pre-cooked frozen shrimp (I used Trader Joe’s.)
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I only had powdered, but fresh is preferred.)

1) In a medium bowl, combine  vinegar, orange juice, sugar, ketchup, cornstarch, and salt with a whisk. Set aside.

2) Defrost shrimp under cold water, sopping up any extra moisture with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix with soy sauce. Set aside.

3) In a large skillet or wok, heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add veggies and cook 1 or 2 minutes, until heated through.

4) Move veggies to outside perimeter of skillet. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

5) Add shrimp to pan and cook another 30 seconds, until heated through

6) Pour sweet and sour sauce to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until sauce is thickened. Serve over brown rice.

NOTE: If you don’t have leftovers lying around, grab a cup of your favorite vegetables (cut up), add them directly to the pan and cook until crisp-tender. (As per Cooks Illustrated, “If using very tough vegetables, add to skillet with ½ cup water, cover and steam over high heat for about 2 minutes; uncover.") Then follow the rest of the directions as-is.

NOTE #2: You can use any kind of meat with this. If it’s not pre-cooked, sauté about 4 ounces (cut into small chunks) over high heat until browned. Then transfer to a clean bowl, and proceed to Step 3. Transfer back to pan in Step 5.

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price per Serving
268 calories, 6.3 g fat, $1.76

Calculations (using broccoli)
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $0.16
2 Tablespoons orange juice: 14 calories, 0 g fat, $0.09
2 Tablespoons sugar: 93 calories, 0 g fat, $0.04
1 Tablespoon ketchup: 15 calories, 0 g fat, $0.05
1/3 teaspoon cornstarch: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.01
1/6 teaspoon salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1 teaspoon vegetable oil: 44 calories, 5 g fat, $0.02
1 cup steamed vegetables: 31 calories, 0.3 g fat, $0.58
1 teaspoon soy sauce: 3 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
12 medium pre-cooked frozen shrimp: 60 calories, 1 g fat, $0.69
1 clove garlic: 4 calories, 0 g fat, $0.05
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
TOTAL (which is also per serving): 268 calories, 6.3 g fat, $1.76

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: On Pasta and Improvisation

Have you ever had a day where your insurmountable project is due in 48 hours, and you have about a thousand calls to make, and equally as many errands to run, and you just haven't had the time to food-shop or clean the house (much less yourself), and you keep saying to yourself, "If I can just not sleep until [*flips through calendar*] a week from Saturday, everything'll be fine..."?

(I'm sure a lot of you out there could add, "...and the kids are sick, and I need to get my transmission fixed, and the dog ate something florescent blue--please don't ask how we know." To you fine people, I tip my hat.)

Whatever your circumstances, we've all hit the wall from time to time. I don't know about you, but in these instances, hunger and frugality forces me to break out the dreaded "I" word: improvisation.

Since I'm doing my best not to order out, and Jeff and I are both so swamped that we don't really have time to spend on a grocery store visit, I've been trying to mine the depths of the pantry and overcome my quasi-fear of full-on meal improvisation. So far, so good.

While I wouldn't say my "I"-word recipes are particularly upscale, they've been fast, tasty, satisfying, up to CHG standards, and have somehow enhanced my feeling of resourcefulness. Over the past few days, it's kind of like I've earned my Eagle Scout merit badge for fridge-foraging.

Case in point:


Whole Wheat Penne With Grape Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Navy Beans, and Sausage
Makes 1 entree serving, or two large side servings
[Note: This recipe could be altered in a thousand different ways based on what you've got lying around. Me? I just used what I had on hand, so don't feel beholden to the ingredients list. Experiment, have fun, and don't be afraid of the "I" word! -- Rachel]

3 oz. whole wheat penne (or any non-spaghetti whole wheat pasta)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup canned navy beans, drained
1 link Aidells Portobello Mushroom Chicken/Turkey Sausage, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Several sprays of Pam

1) In a medium pot, cook the pasta in boiling water for about five minutes.

2) Heat a medium-sized pan coated with cooking spray over a medium flame, until hot. Lay the sausage in the pan in one even layer, and cook until the first side browns, about five minutes. Flip to cook the other side until just brown, several minutes more, and remove to a separate bowl.

3) Pour a small amount of pasta water into the sausage pan, and over lowered heat, scrape the fond (that awesome brown gunky residue) off the bottom with a wooden spoon to form a murky brown liquid that just covers the bottom of the pan.
[Note: I know it looks a little gross, but trust me--the flavor it imparts is worth it. - Rachel]

4) Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the sausage pan, and simmer until softened and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.

5) In the pasta pot, replace the water with the vegetable broth. Simmer the pasta in the broth until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
[Note: If your veggies are starting to dry out, you can add in some of this broth.]
[Other note: The whole wheat penne I use tends to be pretty tough, so even a longer submersion still leaves it pretty al dente. Feel free to adjust times according to your texture preferences. - Rachel, again.]

6) Drain the pasta, and add to the tomato/mushroom mixture. Add the beans and sausage, and cook to warm through, about two minutes. Combine and serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Weight Watchers Points Value and Price per Serving
about 273 calories, about 5.9g fat, Points Value: 9, $2.13

Calculations
3 oz. whole wheat penne: 270 calories, 2.3g fat, $0.47
1 cup grape tomatoes: 30 calories, 0g fat, $0.75
1 cup mushrooms, sliced: 15 calories, 0.2g fat, $0.45
1/2 cup canned navy beans: 90 calories, 1g fat, $0.23
1 link Aidells Portobello Mushroom Chicken/Turkey Sausage: 140 calories, 8g fat, $1.75
1 cup vegetable broth: 10 calories, 0g fat, $0.16
Several sprays of Pam: negligable calories and fat, $0.02
SINGLE SERVING TOTAL: 555 calories, 11.5g fat, $3.83
DUAL SERVING TOTAL: 277.5 calories, 5.75g fat, $1.92

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: Chicken Piccata

I love problem-solver recipes that take a lighter (but authentically flavorful) twist on traditional flavor combinations. It's a bonus if they allow you to maximize the potential of your pantry and/or freezer. It's a super-duper, triple-ding-dog-day, I-got-the-brass-ring-and-the-golden-ticket-so-chew-on-that-sucka bonus when they let you do all that and, in the process, you get to pound the daylights out of something.

In my book, Food Network host Robin Miller often has the right idea. Her roll-over meal-planning concept is incredibly CHG-friendly; basically, she constructs weekly meal plans that depend heavily on incorporating re-purposed leftovers into different flavor profiles. Since Monday's roast chicken is Thursday's chicken fajitas, your family won't be sick of the chick by week's end.

I mined this recipe as a fast-and-easy one-off. As I recall, my ornery impetus was that a) it was 7pm, b) Jeff and I were both crazy hungry, and c) I refused to make a meal using anything that would require a supermarket trip.

Sometimes, even we--the worst of the procrastinators--can eat well when we're under the gun.


Chicken Piccata with Lemon, Capers and Artichoke Hearts
Make 4 servings.
(adapted from Robin Miller's recipe, and with thanks to the Food Network)

4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 cup drained capers

1) Zip chicken into a plastic bag, making sure to squeeze the air out. Pound with a heavy object until each breast is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove and season with salt and pepper.

2) In a medium-sized dish or shallow bowl mix flour, lemon zest, paprika, and garlic powder. Coat chicken with mixture, and place on a separate plate, gently shaking off any extra flour.

3) In a large skillet, heat oil in over medium-high heat. Cook chicken about 2 minutes on either side, until coating is golden brown and poultry is almost done. Pour in lemon juice, wine, and broth and simmer about 5 minutes. When finished, chicken should be totally cooked and sauce will be thick. Add artichoke hearts and capers and heat through, about a minute.

[Note: Once you get to the simmering phase, the cooking times are a little variable. In my kitchen, the sauce-thickening takes closer to 8 minutes, and since my previously frozen artichokes were still chilly from their thaw, they took closer to 6 minutes to warm through.]

[Other Note: Robin recommends a brown rice and lima bean combo as the starch for under this dish. Instead, I've often used left-over pesto-roasted potatoes, or 2 oz. of whole wheat orzo and 1/3 cup of frozen peas. If choosing the latter, the orzo/peas spent half their prep time in water, and half in chicken broth to enhance flavor. It's not that Robin's idea isn't awesome; I just opted for my alternatives simply because--you guessed it--they were in my pantry.]

Approximate Calories, Fat, Weight Watchers Points Value and Price per Serving
about 273 calories, about 5.9g fat, Points Value: 4, $2.13

Calculations
4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves: 480 calories, 6g fat, $3.69
Salt and ground black pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/4 cup all-purpose flour: 120 calories, .5g fat, $0.05
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest/1/4 cup fresh lemon juice: 20 calories, 0g fat, $0.66
1/2 teaspoon paprika: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1 tablespoon olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5g fat, $0.08
1/2 cup dry white wine: 96 calories, 0 g fat, $0.54
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (using Better Than Bouillon, and using 1/2 cup for orzo/pea prep): 10 calories, 0g fat, $0.16
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered: 240 calories, 3g fat, $1.50
1/4 cup drained capers: 8 calories, .4g fat, $1.79
TOTAL: 1093 calories, 23.4g fat, $8.53
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): about 273.25 calories, about 5.9g fat, $2.13

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Cheap, Healthy, Environmentally Friendly Seafood Recipes

First, there was Cheap Healthy Beef. Then came Cheap Healthy Pork. Now, just in time for the holidays, it’s …

CHEAP, HEALTHY, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SEAFOOD!

(Tell your friends and neighbors!)

My goal with this post was to find nutritional, relatively inexpensive types of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks (henceforth referred to as “fish” or “seafood”), and comp a giant list of recipes to go with them.

Unlike the Beef and Pork posts, I also took environmental concerns into consideration, as overfishing and damages to oceanic habitats have driven innumerable underwater species to the brink of extinction. And that’s never good.

I began the process with a wide sample group (all seafood, everywhere), and started eliminating based on the environment factor. For reference, I consulted the Blue Ocean Institute’s Online Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. These two organizations bestow sustainability ratings of green (best), yellow (good), or red (bad) on all types of fish. Seafood that scored two greens (one from each site) or one green and one yellow were passed through. I rejected all other seafood. This narrowed the field down LOTS, to about 25 potential finalists.

Next, I researched nutritional value, which - hooray! In recommended portions (3 or 4 ounces), almost ALL environmentally friendly seafood is high in protein and low in fat and calories. The exceptions (with more than 50% of calories from fat) were Atlantic Mackerel, King Salmon, and Sablefish (a.k.a. Black Cod), which were dropped from consideration.

With about two dozen types of seafood still in the running, it came down to price, which was highly subjective due to seasonality, region, and good ol’ inflation. I ultimately gauged estimates based on online grocers and fisheries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s price reports, general availability, and my own observations. This knocked out about half the remaining list, as stuff like American Lobster and Pole-and-Troll Caught Tuna were too costly for the average bear. In the end, I was left with 12 tried-and-true fish finalists.

So, here they are: ONE DOZEN comparatively cheap, healthy, environmentally friendly types of seafood in all their glorious glory! And recipes, too! Happy eating!

Alaskan Pollock (a.k.a. imitation crab, surimi, or walleye pollock)
Bush Garden: California Roll (use low-fat mayo)
Cooking Light: Veggie-Surimi Sushi
DLife: Crab Casserole with Eggs

Atlantic Herring (a.k.a sardines or kippers)
AllRecipes: Pasta de Sardine
D-Life: Carb Free -Fish Cholent (Stew)
D-Life: Sardines with Roasted Tomatoes on Focaccia
Eating Well: Spring Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Mario Batali: Bruschetta with Fresh Monterey Sardines

Bay Scallops
Cooking Light: Creamed Scallops, Corn, and Tomatoes
Cooking Light: Corn and Scallop Chowder
D-Life: Mexican Ceviche
Juan Carlos-Cruz: Mango Ceviche
Ming Tsai: Bay Scallop Ceviche
River Café: Taylor Bay Scallop Ceviche (go without the sea beans)
Sara Moulton: Ginger Scallops with Stir-Fried Broccoli Rabe

Catfish (U.S. farmed)
AllRecipes: Carrie’s Catfish LaRue
AllRecipes: Oven Fried Catfish
Cooking Light: Catfish Po'boy with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce
Cooking Light: Buffalo-Style Catfish Strips with Ranch Dressing
Cooking Light: Catfish with Dill Sauce
Cooking Light: Crisp-Crusted Catfish
Cooking Light: Corn-Fish Chowder
Epicurious/Bon Appetit: Catfish Tacos with Tomato and Avocado Salsa
D-Life: Baked Catfish
D-Life: Baked Catfish Parmesan
D-Life: Blackened Catfish
D-Life: Cajun Catfish
D-Life: Catfish Cakes
D-Life: Cornmeal Crusted Catfish
D-Life: Honey Mustard Catfish
D-Life: Oven Fried Catfish
D-Life: Pan-“Fried” Catfish with Southwest Tartar Sauce
Eating Well: Catfish Amandine
Mama Dip’s: Catfish Gumbo
Mike Nichols: Blackened Catfish
Sara Moulton: Southern Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish

Clams (farmed – Littlenecks, Steamers, Cockles)
AllRecipes: Scott Ure’s Clams and Garlic
AllRecipes: Clams Italiano
Cooking Light: Fettuccine with Clams and Tomato Sauce
Cooking Light: Clam Sauce
D-Life: Clam and Spinach Linguine
Eating Well: Clams Casino
Ellie Krieger: Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder

Longfin and shortfin squid
AllRecipes: Grammy’s Calamari Salad
AllRecipes: Calamari in Red Wine and Tomato Sauce
Alton Brown: Seaside Squid Salad
Cooking Light: Grilled Squid with Lemon Caper Sauce
D-Life: Seared Squid with Citrus Mango Salad
D-Life: Southwest Calamari Salad

Mussels (farmed)
AllRecipes: Patti’s Mussels a la Mariniere
AllRecipes: Mussels Marinara di Amore
Cooking Light: Mussels in Tomato-Wine Broth
Cooking Light: Mussels Marinara
Cooking Light: Mussels Steamed in White Wine
Cooking Light: Cider-Braised Mussels with Bacon
Cooking Light: Steamed Mussels in Garlic and Shallots
Cooking Light: Steamed Mussels with Lemon, Onion, and Wine (Mijillones al Limón)
D-Life: Mussels and Tomatoes in Wine Sauce
D-Life: Mussels Steamed in Seasoned Broth
D-Life: Mussels with Shallot/Wine Sauce
D-Life: Steamed Mussels in Coconut Milk
Eating Well: Mussels with Saffron and Leeks
Eating Well: Spanish Tapas-Inspired Mussels

Pacific Cod

Eating Well: Baked Cod Casserole
Real Simple: Roasted Pacific Cod with Olives and Lemon

Shrimp (pink or salad shrimp OR U.S. farmed brown, pink, or white shrimp)
(Note: If you peel and de-vein shrimp yourself, you can save money.)
AllRecipes: Marinated Grilled Shrimp (5-star rating from 426 reviewers)
AllRecipes: Spicy Grilled Shrimp
AllRecipes: Sesame Shrimp Stir-fryAllRecipes: Caribbean Holiday Shrimp
AllRecipes: Thai Spiced Barbecue Shrimp
AllRecipes: Tequila Shrimp
Cooking Light: Too many to list. They’re all here.
D-Life: Apricot-Glazed Shrimp Kabobs
D-Life: Broiled Marinated Shrimp
D-Life: Classic Shrimp Stir-fry
D-Life: Curry Shrimp
D-Life: Italian Shrimp (Barbecued Shrimp)
D-Life: Macaroni and Shrimp Salad
D-Life: Scampi Italian Style
D-Life: Shrimp and Spinach Skillet Surprise
D-Life: Shrimp Etoufee
D-Life: Shrimp Fajitas
D-Life: Shrimp Fettuccine
D-Life: Shrimp Topped with Tomatoes and Feta
D-Life: Spicy Shrimp Packets
D-Life: Stir-fry Shrimp Lasagna
D-Life: Sweet and Sour Shrimp
D-Life: Thai Shrimp Over Rice
Ellie Krieger: Caesar Salad with Grilled Shrimp
Ellie Krieger: Linguine with Shrimp
Ellie Krieger: Shrimp Salad with Cucumber and Mint
Epicurious/Bon Appetit: Shrimp Gazpacho
Epicurious: Shrimp in EscabecEpicurious: Penne with Spinach, Shrimp, Tomatoes and Basil
Epicurious: Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
Epicurious: Spicy Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Real Simple: Shrimp with Arugula and Couscous
Real Simple: Shrimp with Tomato-Horseradish Salsa
Real Simple: Gingery Shrimp and Couscous
Real Simple: Jalapeno Shrimp
Real Simple: Marinated Shrimp with Mediterranean Salad
Real Simple: Moroccan Shrimp
Real Simple: Southwestern Shrimp Soup
Real Simple: Shrimp à la Grecque

Rainbow Trout (farmed)
AllRecipes: Rainbow Trout with Yogurt Sauce (use low-fat yogurt)
Bobby Flay: Rainbow Trout Roasted on a Cedar Plank
Cooking Light: Mushroom and Bacon Stuffed Trout
Cooking Light: Trout with Sour Cream-Cucumber Sauce
D-Life: Baked Whole Rainbow Trout in Ginger Sauce
D-Life: Herb-Baked Trout
D-Life: Stuffed Trout
D-Life: Trout with Sour Cream Cucumber Sauce
Eating Well: Grilled Whole Trout with Lemon-Tarragon Bean Salad

Tilapia (U.S. Farmed)
AllRecipes: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan (5-star recipe from 2,459 reviewers)
AllRecipes: Lemon Garlic Tilapia
AllRecipes: Easy Baked Tilapia
AllRecipes: Easy Tilapia with Wine and Tomatoes
AllRecipes: Simple Rancy Breaded Fish Fillets
AllRecipes: Fiery Fish Tacos with Crunchy Corn Salsa
Cooking Light: Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce Dressing
D-Life: Breaded Tilapia
D-Life: Grilled Tilapia With Zesty Mustard Sauce
D-Life: Lemon and Parsley Fish Fillets with Potatoes
D-Life: Tilapia with Cilantro Butter
D-Life: Tilapia with Fresh Herbs and Lime
D-Life: Tilapia with Olives and Tomatoes
D-Life: Tilapia With Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Olives
Eating Well: Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus & Lemon
Eating Well: Tilapia Corn Chowder
Ellie Krieger: Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Robin Miller: Moroccan-Style Tilapia with Cumin, Mango and Cilantro

White Sea Bass (aka Weakfish or Croaker) OR Hybrid Striped Bass (farmed)
Cooking Light: Broiled Sea Bass with Pineapple-Chili-Basil Glaze
Cooking Light: Sea Bass and Braised Leeks with Mustard Sauce
Cooking Light: Sea Bass and Confetti Vegetables with Lemon-Butter Sauce
Eating Well: Ginger-Steamed Fish with Troy's Hana-Style Sauce
Ellie Krieger: Fish with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers
Epicurious/SELF: Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Shiitakes
Kathleen Daelemans: Pan-fried White Fish
Mayo Clinic: Broiled White Sea Bass
Mayo Clinic: White Sea Bass with Dill Relish

Note #1: There are more light healthy recipes at the Mayo Clinic. Unfortunately, there’s no reviewing mechanism, or I would have posted them here.

Note #2: I would love to recommend more expensive, environmentally cool seafood, but can’t justify spending $4 on a 7.75oz can of tuna for this particular blog. However, if money is no object, please save a fish and consider purchasing these items.

Note #3: Pregnant women should not eat raw fish, and everyone should be aware of mercury warnings, which go hand in hand with quite a lot of seafood. Check back with the Monterey Bay Aquarium for info.

Note #4: Canned tuna companies have improved their regulations immensely, and landed a yellow rating on both sites, which isn’t terrible. However, tuna is still VERY heavily fished and the catching methods endanger other ocean life. Purchase in moderation.

(Photos courtesy of Flickr.com)

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