Delicious Dinner Recipes
▶ Cooking chicken entrees with pizzazz
▶ Preparing tasty lean beef entrees
▶ Whipping up yummy, good-for-you seafood dishes
▶ Adding some lower-glycemic vegetarian dishes to your weekly menu
One way to manage your weight and more easily follow a low-glycemic diet is by cooking at home — a task that, unfortunately, has become more and more difficult thanks to today’s busy work and life schedules. In this chapter, how- ever, I show you that you can prepare easy, tasty meals that fit perfectly in your new low-glycemic lifestyle. (Yes, that’s right. The old days of picking at twigs and berries or bland diet foods are over!) Not only will you enjoy foods that taste good and are good for you but you’ll also save money while losing weight.
Well, what are you waiting for? Dive on in to the section or recipe that interests you most!
Purely Delectable Poultry Recipes
When you think of losing weight and eating poultry, does your mind go immediately to images of a tough, dry, baked chicken breast? Sure, white- meat, boneless, skinless chicken is the leanest way to go for a meal, but that doesn’t mean your meal has to be dry and boring! Numerous ways of enjoying flavorful poultry and still getting the benefits of a low-calorie, low- glycemic meal are out there. The following recipes, which feature chicken and turkey, prove you don’t have to add lots of high-calorie, high-fat items to make poultry dishes flavorful.
White Bean and Chicken Chili
My family and friends love this recipe (and so do I!). It’s simple to prepare, boasts a lot of flavor, and provides an excellent source of protein, fiber, and folate. Make a pot and store the leftovers in the freezer for a quick homemade meal when you don’t have time to cook.
1 Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the shallot, garlic, and bell pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes.
2 Stir in the white beans, chiles, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and chicken broth.
3 Bring it all to a boil. After the chili is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 min- utes. Stir in the cut-up chicken and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the chili is ready to serve.
4 Stir in the lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Tip: If the chili gets too thick for your taste, go ahead and add 1 cup of chicken broth, beer, or water to thin it a little.
Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Quinoa
Haven’t tried quinoa yet? Now’s your chance! This is a simple recipe that features this low-glycemic grain, which provides a great source of protein, iron, and fiber. You can find quinoa in most stores by the rice and other grains (or in the healthy-foods/organic section).
1 Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Add the quinoa and bring the broth back to boiling. Reduce the heat to low and then cover and simmer for 12 to 18 minutes. Check the quinoa to make sure it’s cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
2 While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the chicken, onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Stir until the chicken is fully cooked (it should no longer be pink).
3 Stir the basil and parmesan cheese into the chicken mixture, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over the quinoa.
Getting to know and love quinoa
Although you may not see quinoa stored in the pantry right next to the rice in most homes, it’s growing in popularity due to its great health benefits and wonderful taste and texture. One of the greatest benefits of this little grain is the fact that it’s a complete protein source that contains all nine essential amino acids, just like meat and eggs. Few plant-based products can boast this fact, making quinoa great for a vegetarian meal. Quinoa is also low-glycemic, as well as high in fiber and minerals.
You can find quinoa near the grains in most local supermarkets. It’s as easy to cook as rice (see Chapter 15 for basic instructions) and offers a rich, nutty flavor. Give it a try! You may find you enjoy it better than your traditional rice, potatoes, and pasta.
Quick Chicken Tacos
This is one of my family’s favorite standby recipes because it’s tasty, quick, and easy to prepare.
1 Place the cut-up chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the taco seasoning (1 to 2 tablespoons, depending on your taste) to the chicken and mix until every chicken piece is coated.
2 Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoning-coated chicken pieces and cook thoroughly (about 5 minutes).
3 Grab a tortilla and layer on the chicken pieces, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, and avocado. Sprinkle with the cheese and roll.
4 Repeat the layering and rolling for the other 7 tacos, and you’re ready to go!
Tip: Sweet tomatoes, such as Romas, work quite well in this recipe.
Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Skewers
Grilling is one of the great perks of the spring and summer seasons. I for one have never enjoyed how tough chicken becomes when grilled, but this recipe saves the day with its great marinade, which makes the chicken moist and flavorful. This recipe also brings lots of colorful veggies into your meal.
1 Combine the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper to make the marinade. Mix well and separate into two long plastic or glass containers with lids.
2 Place the chicken in one container and the vegetables in the other. Close the lids and shake the containers until your chicken and veggies are well coated with the marinade. Place the containers in the refrigerator anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3 Skewer the vegetables and chicken in whichever order you prefer.
4 Place the skewers on the grill and cook thoroughly, about 10 minutes. (The chicken should be cooked through, and the veggies should be soft and browned.)
Tip: Skewering the chicken and vegetables is a messy task. Have some napkins handy!
Vary It! To make this a vegetarian recipe, substitute 8 ounces of extra-firm tofu for the chicken. After skewering, cook until both the veggies and tofu are browned and soft.
Vegetable, Barley, and Turkey Soup
Vegetables and pearl barley are healthy, low-glycemic foods — they also go great in this soup! Soups can make a fabulous, filling meal, especially on those colder days of the year. This soup is almost like a stew; it’ll definitely keep you satisfied. It’s also a great way to use leftover turkey. Serve Vegetable, Barley, and Turkey Soup with a side salad for a complete meal.
1 In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil on medium-high heat.
2 Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic, and sauté until soft.
3 Add the remainder of the ingredients except for the turkey and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until all the vegetables and lentils are soft, about 40 minutes.
4 Add the turkey and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes; serve.
Tip: To further enhance the flavor of this soup, sprinkle in a bit of dried basil or oregano.
Beef, the Low-Glycemic Way
Beef has been a little taboo in the dieting and health world because of its higher fat content. Although many cuts of beef are high in fat as well as saturated fat, some cuts are relatively low in fat. The problem with these cuts is that they aren’t always the juiciest due to their lower fat content. So although recommending these leaner cuts is easy from a health perspective, they may not be what you typically expect out of beef. Yet with a little creativity, you can prepare a lean beef dish that tastes fabulous.
Here are a few simple ways to enhance the flavor and tenderness of lean beef:
✓ Marinades: Soaking meats adds flavor and softens meat tissues.
Marinades consist of three parts: an acidic source (usually vinegar, citrus juice, or wine), oil (typically olive oil), and seasonings (take your pick of the many different herbs and spices out there).
✓ Pounding: Pounding beef with a meat mallet breaks the meat’s fibers and connective tissues, making lean cuts tenderer.
✓ Powders: Tenderizing powders contain enzymes that help break down fibers in the beef.
✓ Rubs: Rubbing raw beef with a mix of dry herbs and spices and letting the rub permeate overnight can tenderize the meat while adding a spark of taste. Some common rub ingredients include ground black pepper, ground cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper, celery seed, garlic powder, fresh minced garlic, salt, and brown sugar.
Most beef has a much higher fat content than poultry, but a few cuts work out to be pretty lean — in many cases even leaner than dark-meat chicken. Table 18-1 shows a comparison among various beef choices and white- and dark-meat chicken.
The trick to enjoying beef the low-glycemic way is to make sure you eat only 3 ounces of meat and load the rest of your plate up with veggies. Doing so keeps your calorie level low.
The recipes that follow show you how to prepare a couple different beef dishes the low-glycemic way.
Beef Fajitas
Beef fajitas are a good, lean substitute for the ol’ steak. They offer a great source of protein and can be loaded with colorful veggies. If you use a whole-wheat tortilla, they also make for a lower-glycemic meal.
1 Mix together the lime juice, coriander, chili powder, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over the meat as a marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2 After the meat has marinated, add the sliced peppers and onion to it.
3 Heat the olive oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the meat and vegetables until the beef is cooked, about 5 minutes.
4 Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 10 seconds.
5 Fill each tortilla with the fajita mixture and serve with salsa.
Grilled Garlic-Lime Tenderloin
Tenderloin isn’t the leanest cut o’ beef out there, but it certainly isn’t the richest either. This beef dish pairs wonderfully with a large mixed greens salad or green beans.
Specialty tool: Gas or charcoal grill, or grill pan
1 In a large container, mix all the ingredients, minus the beef, until well blended. 2 Add the beef tenderloin to the mixture and coat both sides with the marinade. 3 Refrigerate and marinate for 8 hours. Turn the tenderloin over once while it’s marinating.
4 After it has marinated, let the tenderloin stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then remove it from the marinade, pat it dry, and grill it to desired doneness (about 22 minutes for medium rare).
5 Remove the meat from the grill and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then cut the beef cross- wise into 1⁄3-inch-thick slices and serve.
Fabulous Seafood Recipes
Seafood isn’t just a lean protein source — it’s also the best way to get in your omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are beneficial for heart health and your mood; they also work as a powerful anti-inflammatory. The big problem is many people don’t get enough omega-3s in their diet. Although no recommended daily allowance for fats currently exists, an acceptable daily intake is about 1.1 grams a day for women and 1.6 grams a day for men.
If you enjoy seafood, you don’t have to worry too much about taking supplements or adding other omega-3-rich foods to your diet. Table 18-2 shows a breakdown of how much omega-3 is found in some popular seafood choices.
Fatty fish, such as salmon, halibut, tuna, and shrimp, are wonderful sources of these special fats. So if you enjoy these items, dive in and eat them a couple times a week! Here are some recipes to get you started.
Grilled Pesto Salmon
This recipe is as easy as it gets — it has only three ingredients! Grilled Pesto Salmon is a fantastic dish for a summer night when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. It’s truly “healthy fast food.” (Note: The cooking time really depends on how thick your fish is. Check it to make sure it isn’t overcooked.) Serve this dish with your favorite low- glycemic brown rice, pearl barley, or quinoa recipe and/or a good helping of veggies.
1 Rinse the salmon and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the skin side down on aluminum foil, making sure the foil is big enough to cover the fish when you’re done.
2 Evenly spread the pesto over the fish in a thin layer.
3 Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes over the top.
4 Fold up the aluminum foil to cover the fish. Grill over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the fish flakes.
5 Remove from the grill and serve immediately.
Tip: Want an easier time removing the fish from the foil? Lightly oil the foil before placing the fish on it. Voilà! Easy removal.
Baked Halibut with Quinoa, Spinach, and Cherry Tomatoes
This dish has all the components of a well-rounded, lower-glycemic meal with fish, veg- etables, and quinoa. This is also a great example of adding color to your meal — beauty with taste. Enjoy this dish with a side salad or fruit for even more color.
1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2 Whisk 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl; season the dressing with the salt and pepper.
3 Place the halibut on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the fish with the salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with half of the dressing. Bake the halibut until it’s just opaque in the center, about 12 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, cook the quinoa in a large saucepan with the chicken broth until it’s tender but still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Set aside.
5 In a separate large skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, along with the garlic; sauté over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute until it starts to wilt. Add the tomatoes and cook another minute. Stir in the cooked quinoa; stir to coat.
6 Season the mixturewith the salt and pepper and remove it from the heat. Cover and let stand for 1 minute to finish wilting the spinach.
7 Divide the quinoa and vegetable mixture between 2 plates. Top with the halibut and remaining dressing and serve.
Vary It! Can’t find halibut? Use two 4-ounce fillets of fresh salmon instead.
The great fish debate: Wild versus farmed
There’s quite a buzz in today’s society about which type of fish is better: wild or farmed. Most fish and nutrition experts agree that wild should be the preferred fish for cooking into a tasty dish for a few reasons:
✓ Contamination: Studies show that farmed fish have higher levels of contaminants such as PCBs (that’s short for polychlorinated biphenyl, in case you were wondering). The Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory due to the high levels of contaminants.
✓ Omega-3s: Even though farmed fish are typically “fattier,” they possess less of the beneficial omega-3s due to the diet they’re fed. Wild fish (especially salmon) have a more vibrant color and a higher omega-3 content.
✓ Environmental concerns: Farmed fish pose some growing environmental concerns that you just don’t have with wild fish. In particular, environmentalists are worried about all the waste from fish farms that’s just getting dumped into the oceans and the amount of food required to grow these fish.
Lime Shrimp with Mango/Pineapple Brown Rice
I’m a fan of shrimp because it’s versatile and easy to cook. This recipe pairs shrimp with brown rice, which is a lower-glycemic grain. Serve this dish with a side salad for a perfect summertime meal.
1 For the shrimp: Whisk 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the ginger, plus the garlic and crushed red pepper, in a medium-sized bowl. Add the shrimp, toss, and let sit in the marinade, covered, for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2 For the rice: Whisk the remaining tablespoon of canola oil and 1⁄2 teaspoon of ginger, plus the lime juice and soy sauce, in another bowl. Add the cooked rice, mango (see Figure 18-1 for tips on cutting a mango), pineapple, and onions; toss well. Cover the rice and mango salad and let stand at room temperature.
3 Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread 4 shrimp onto each of the 4 skewers. Grill the shrimp until they’re just opaque in the center, about 2 minutes per side.
4 Mound the rice and mango salad in the center of the plate, top with the grilled shrimp skewers, and serve.
Tip: Steaming your brown rice in a rice steamer rather than boiling it gives the rice a lower glycemic load.
Vegetarian Variations
Eating a few vegetarian meals a week can be quite healthful, even if you’re not a vegetarian. Getting more plant-based foods into your diet is one way to enjoy a low-glycemic lifestyle and lose weight while still feeling satisfied after you eat. Following are two top-notch recipes that illustrate how simple and delicious it is to weave vegetarian dinners into your weekly menu.
Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Toasted Almonds
If you haven’t used pearl barley other than in soups and stews, you may be surprised to discover that it makes a great substitute for rice in risotto. It has a naturally creamy texture that makes it a perfect fit. Serve this dish with a side salad.
1 Cut the asparagus tips diagonally into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices and put aside. Next, coarsely chop the remainder of the asparagus stalks.
2 Place two-thirds of the stalk pieces, as well as the pepper, orange zest, 1 cup of the vegetable broth, and 1 cup of the water, in a blender. Puree until relatively smooth and set aside.
3 Add the remainder of the asparagus stalks and tips to boiling water until they’re cooked crisp, about 1 minute. Drain and run cold water over them; set aside.
4 Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the barley and stir for 1 minute.
5 Add the wine and boil, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute.
6 Add 4 cups of the vegetable broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Next, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the barley is tender (it should be chewy) and the mixture has thickened to a stewlike consistency, about 35 to 40 minutes.
7 After the barley is cooked, stir in the asparagus purée, asparagus-tip mixture, and enough of the remaining 1⁄2 cup of broth to thin the risotto to your desired consistency. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute.
8 Top with the almonds and parmesan cheese (if desired).
Tip: To easily trim asparagus, snap off the tough ends of the stalk (near the bottom).
Vary It! If you can’t find any low-sodium vegetable broth, simply use a mix of half regular vegetable broth and half water.
Per serving: Calories 453 (From Fat 128); Glycemic Load 9 (Low); Fat 14g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 786mg; Carbohydrate 68g (Dietary Fiber 16g); Protein 17g.
Broccoli, Brown Rice, and Cashew Casserole
Casseroles are perfect because they make a large quantity of food without a huge time commitment. This recipe has been adapted from Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian for All Seasons by Pamela Sheldon Johns, Chuck Williams, and Richard Eskite (published by Time-Life Books). It’s one of my favorite veggie dishes, and I make it often for my vegetarian friends and family.
1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2 In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft.
3 Add the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to low, and cover for 30 minutes.
4 Stir in the broccoli and continue to cook until it’s tender and the rice is cooked, about 15 more minutes.
5 In a small bowl, combine the cashews, parmesan cheese, and parsley.
6 the rice mixture to a lightly oiled 9-x-13-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the cashew and cheese mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
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