Friday, June 22, 2012

CHICKEN PICCATA

http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/healthy-weeknight-dinners/pictures/index.html

Chicken Piccata

Food Network Kitchens

Picture of Chicken Piccata Recipe
Photo: Chicken Piccata Recipe
 
 
Chicken PiccataFrom Food Network Kitchens
Notes

Piccata is a classic preparation for chicken, but can be heavy on your diet as it's a butter and wine-based sauce. This lighter version saves you calories by adding the zip of white wine with a tiny bit of vinegar to finish (as opposed to a cup or more simmered down), and getting the most of 1 tablespoon of butter by swirling it into the sauce at the end.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken scaloppini (about 4 ounces each)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
  • 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, zest reserved for optional garnish, about 2 tablespoons juice
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Baby arugula for garnish
  • Whole-wheat angel hair pasta or roasted potatoes, for serving
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot; cook the cutlets until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cutlets to a plate. (Reserve the skillet.) Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium.
Add the remaining teaspoon oil and garlic to the same skillet; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk together the broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon flour, and add to the pan. Simmer sauce until reduced and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, parsley and capers. Swirl in the butter until sauce is shiny and slightly thickened.
Serve chicken with the sauce. Toss the arugula and freshly grated lemon zest with a light drizzle of olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper, scatter over chicken. Serve with pasta or potatoes as desired.
Serves:4 (does not include arugula or pasta/potatoes for serving); Calories: 203; Total Fat: 8 grams; Saturated Fat: 3 grams; Protein: 27 grams; Total carbohydrates: 4 grams; Sugar: 0 grams; Fiber: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 73 milligrams; Sodium: 268 milligrams
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I love making my own salad dressings.

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2010/03/23/make-your-own-salad-dressing/

Make Your Own Salad Dressing



Simple Salad Dressing
Bottled salad dressings are my pet peeve — the majority of them are full of sodium, sugar and other preservatives. Whether you like a vinaigrette or the creamy stuff, you only need a few simple ingredients (and a couple minutes) to make some yourself.

Dressing Basics
There are endless rows of bottled dressings at the grocery store. Depending on the kind, they are usually high in fat, sugar or both — and they all have too much sodium. You may think it’s wise to opt for the lower-calorie offerings but light and low-fat dressings often have even more sugar to make up for the lack of flavor.
To ensure you’re getting real ingredients, homemade is the way to go, but watch those portions. A vinaigrette may seem lighter but most are made predominantly from oils, which offer heart-healthy but unavoidable calories. Keep serving sizes to a tablespoon. You can store most homemade dressings in the fridge for up to a week (not that a batch will last that long!).
A Simple Vinaigrette
Just join some sort of acid, oil and flavorings and — ta-da! — you have salad dressing! You can use vinegar or citrus juice for your acid. For oil, choose extra virgin olive oil if you want some olive flavor or canola or grapeseed oil if you want something neutral. Turn up the flavor with minced shallot or garlic, fresh or dried herbs, cumin, paprika or mustard — all those add minimal calories. Try orange juice, honey, jam or maple syrup for a touch of sweetness.
For a basic vinaigrette, combine one part acid to two parts oil, but that’s not mandatory. Taste as you go and adjust according to your preference.
Creamier Choices
Mayo or sour cream make for creamy dressings but the calories coming from fat pile up. Thick and rich Greek yogurt is the key to a lighter creamy dressing. Using low-fat buttermilk or light sour cream will also lower the total fat. Try pureed avocado or almond butter to add unsaturated fat (much more heart healthy).
Another Favorite: Honey Mustard
This recipe below doesn’t use oil so it’s low in fat and calories. This dressing works on more than salad greens — use it as a veggie dip or spread some on sandwiches.
Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing
Makes 3/4 cup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup reduced fat (2%) Greek style yogurt
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer to a resealable jar and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Nutrition Info (per tablespoon):
Calories: 30; Total Fat: 0 grams; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Carbohydrates: 7 grams; Protein: 0.5 grams; Sodium: 133 milligrams; Cholesterol: 0.5 milligrams; Fiber: 0 gram
Asian-Inspired Picks
I love sesame dressing but my favorite brand had ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. I came up with my own. Toss this with mixed greens and sliced cucumber, rice noodles or use as a marinade for chicken or fish.
Sesame Ginger Dressing
Makes 1 cup
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup ginger-lime syrup (recipe below)
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 scallion, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden; set aside to cool. In resealable jar, combine ginger-lime syrup, soy sauce, vinegar, scallion, lime juice, canola oil, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Cover, shake well and serve. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Ginger-Lime Syrup
Makes enough for 2 batches of dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, cut into large chunks
Lime zest (use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to peel off one strip — about 1/4 of the lime)
Combine ingredients in small saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove lime and ginger, transfer to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Nutrition Info (per tablespoon):
Calories: 62; Total Fat: 5.5 grams; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Carbohydrate: 4 grams; Protein: 0 grams; Sodium: 63 milligrams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Fiber: 0 gram
TELL US: What’s your favorite salad dressing?

Sunday, June 17, 2012

CARAMEL APPLE BREAD

Yum!  Making this one tonight!

http://bread.betterrecipes.com/caramel-apple-bread-2.html



Ingredients:
1 cupFlour
½ cupWhole Wheat Flour
1 TbspCinnamon
¼ tspBaking Powder
¼ tspBaking Soda
¼ tspSalt
¼ tspNutmeg
1Egg, beaten
¼ cupMilk
½ cupBrown Sugar
Scant 1/2 Cup Sugar In The Raw
2Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut into small chunks
¼ cupCooking Oil
25"dividually Wrapped Caramel Candies, unwrapped and chopped very small

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, sugars, apples and cooking oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Roll chopped caramels into a small amount of additional cooking oil with a pinch of kosher salt. Add caramels to batter and pour batter into a greased loaf ban and cook in a 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing.

ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD WITH LEMON GLAZE

Found a great bread recipe site.  This one sounds delicious.



Ingredients:
½ cupUnsalted Butter, at room temperature
½ tspSalt
1 TbspGranulated Sugar
1 cupAll Purpose Flour
¼ cupGrated Parmesan Cheese
1 TbspChopped Fresh Rosemary
½ cupPowdered Sugar
1 TbspFresh Lemon Juice
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, salt and granulated sugar together until light and smooth.
Add cheese, flour and rosemary, then blend together. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up into a log about 2 inches in diameter, covered with plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and slice log into disks 1/2 inch thick, then bake on parchment or a nonstick baking sheet for 12-15 minutes. While cookies bake, prepare glaze by mixing together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. If mixture is dry, add more juice or water. Once cookies cool, drizzle with glaze.

EASY BREAD RECIPE

An easy bread to try tomorrow.




Sunday, June 3, 2012

GLAZED BLACKBERRY LEMON MUFFINS

Glazed Blackberry-Lemon Muffins
Image of Glazed Blackberry-Lemon Muffins
Weight Watchers Recipe
23 people rated this recipe
Ratings (23)
5PointsPlus Value
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 25 min
Serves: 12
Lemon and blackberry give these muffins a sweet-tart profile. They’re a fun, flavorful addition to any gathering.  

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a 12-hole muffin pan with cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
     
  • In a nonreactive bowl, combine berries, granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice; set side until ready for the glaze.
     
  • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
     
  • In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs. Add half of flour mixture and half of buttermilk to eggs; beat until combined. Add melted butter and remaining flour mixture and buttermilk; beat again until all ingredients are incorporated.
     
  • Remove 1 tablespoon of liquid from berry mixture; set aside.
     
  • Add berry mixture and any liquid in bowl to batter; beat until berries break up a little bit and start to leave purple streaks in batter.
     
  • Spoon batter into prepared pan, almost to the top of each muffin hole. Bake until golden on top and a tester inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
     
  • Remove pan from oven and let muffins cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes; then remove to a rack to cool completely.
     
  • While muffins cool, make glaze. Spoon powdered sugar into a small bowl and add reserved tablespoon liquid from berry mixture; mix well. Thin with 1 tablespoon water (or additional lemon juice). Dip each muffin top in glaze and spread with a spoon, if necessary; let set at room temperature for a few minutes. Yields 1 muffin per serving.