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WZZM 13 ONLINE
Low Fat Lasagna
Ingredients
Classic Lasagna
- Meat Sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 12 ounces mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil), slivered
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
Pasta & Cheese Filling
- 12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, (12 ounces)
- 2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Ground nutmeg, to taste
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients
12 ounces ground turkey breast
4 low-carb tortillas , such as La Tortilla Factory (9 inches each)
2/3 cup fat-free spicy black bean dip , such as Desert Pepper Trading Company
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 jar (12 ounces) tomatillo salsa , such as Ortega
1 cup reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend , such as Weight Watchers
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°.
Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring to break it up a little, until it is just cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, using flameproof tongs, char the tortillas lightly on each side over an open flame, or toast them under a preheated broiler. Keep the tortillas warm by covering them with a clean kitchen towel as you go.
Stir the black bean dip into the turkey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Lay the tortillas on a work surface, and divide the turkey mixture among them. Fold the sides of the tortillas in over the filling and roll the tortillas up tightly to encase the filling. Lay them side by-side in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Spoon the salsa over the tortillas, and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the enchiladas are hot throughout, 10 to 12 minutes.
Sprinkle the cilantro over the enchiladas, and serve.
Nutritional Information
Before: 33g fat, 990 calories
After: 9.9g fat, 314 calories
38g protein, 32g carbohydrates, 59mg cholesterol, 18g fiber, 1,382mg sodium
Recipe from Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito
Flash-Fried Finger-Lickin' Chicken
Ingredients
3 cups low-fat , low-sodium chicken broth
Salt
4 skinless , bone-in chicken thighs
2 quarts grapeseed oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
Directions
Heat the chicken broth in a medium saucepot over high heat, seasoning it generously with salt. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and bring the broth to a simmer. Cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently until the chicken is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the thighs from the liquid, pat them dry and set them aside on a platter; cover it with foil to keep them warm.
While the chicken is cooking, pour the grapeseed oil into a large pot with high sides, and bring it to 400° over high heat. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet or over several layers of paper towels (for draining the chicken). In a shallow dish, combine the flour with the paprika, celery salt, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and the cayenne. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
Combine the warm chicken thighs with the buttermilk in a large bowl, coating them completely. Dredge the thighs in the seasoned flour. Then dip the thighs in the buttermilk and dredge them in the seasoned flour once more, to double-coat the chicken. Shake off any excess flour.
Fry the chicken, 2 pieces at a time, in the hot oil until deep golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on the wire rack, and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
Before: 30g fat, 549 calories
After: 10.9g fat, 204 calories
20g protein, 7g carbohydrates, 58mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 1,169mg sodium
Recipe from Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each) trimmed of all fat, pounded thin
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
2 cups Rocco's How Low Can You Go Low-Fat (page 206) Marinara Sauce , or store-bought low-fat marinara sauce
1 cup drained canned whole plum tomatoes , roughly chopped
1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese , such as Weight Watchers
1 1/2 ounces (about 6 Tbsp.) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs , such as Ian's All-Natural
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with olive oil spray and set it aside.
Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. When the grill is hot, spray the chicken lightly with olive oil spray. Grill until just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
Spread a little less than half of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lay the grilled chicken breasts on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the chicken; scatter the chopped tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the chopped basil, the mozzarella, and the Parmigiano Reggiano.
Bake the chicken until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle the panko and remaining basil on top, and serve.
Drop mounded spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheets. Spread batter out to form cookies about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookies.
Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans one turn halfway through baking. Using a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
Nutritional Information
Before: 49g fat, 1,090 calories
After: 9.3g fat, 332 calories
39g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 91mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 767mg sodium
Recipe from Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito
Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , sifted
1 cup canned white cannellini beans , rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. light agave syrup
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated Splenda
1/4 cup dark chocolate-covered cacao nibs
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine vanilla, cocoa, cannellini beans, and the agave syrup, and blend the mixture until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl halfway through blending.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the Splenda. Continue to beat the whites until they are creamy and nearly stiff. Add one-third of the egg- white mixture to the cocoabean mixture in the food processor. Blend to combine, about 30 seconds. In 2 batches, fold the lightened cocoa mixture into the egg whites until they are almost fully combined. Add cacao nibs to the batter. Fold batter until cacao nibs are evenly dispersed and cocoa mixture is completely incorporated.
Drop mounded spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheets. Spread batter out to form cookies about 2½ inches in diameter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookies.
Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans one turn halfway through baking. Using a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
Nutritional Information
Before: 10g fat, 210 calories
After: 1.4g fat, 45 calories
2g protein, 9g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 32mg sodium
Recipe from Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito
Chef Sue Dow
Just Bag It
www.suechef.com