Monthly Archives: August 2010

Chicken Breast Braciole

Most people who know what braciole is would normally think of beef. Not chicken. Well this is a chicken version of that recipe. You can also use veal, pork or beef if you want so don’t worry. It will be fine. Chicken has more protein and we should all eat more of it. This is another low-fat recipe but feel free to fatten it up if you need to. I won’t be offended. These are a little like little chicken croquettes or something. I will post a picture as soon as I make them! Promise!

INGREDIENTS:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

½ cup bread crumbs (your choice)

¼ pound part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded

2 tablespoons parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons white wine

juice of one lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut each chicken breast into four pieces. Place chicken breast between waxed paper and pound with a mallet until they are about ¼ inch thick.

2. In the center of each piece place bread crumbs, mozzarella and parsley evenly. Roll and secure with toothpicks.

3. In a frying pan over medium heat, put the oil and garlic. Saute garlic till lightly browned. Saute chicken in the olive oil and garlic until golden brown.

4. Add wine, reduce heat, cover and cook 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Delicious Creole Gumbo

On May 4, 2009 the world became a lot less funny. Comedic genius and actor Dom DeLuise passed away at the age of 75. I don’t know of anyone who can’t name at least one favorite Dom  DeLuise movie. One of my faves is “Fatso”. The food in this movie was incredible and you got hungry just watching it. Especially the scene with the huge pot of sauce and meatballs. He dunks a little Italian bread into to taste it and it’s all down hill from there. Funny. He was one of my favorite actors and you always smiled when you watched him. Smiled or laughed hysterically.

Dom was not a skinny man by any means but over the years he realized he had to do something. I bought his first cookbook “Eat This…It’ll Make You Feel Better!” back in 1988. It was full of funny and wonderful stories of his family and friends. It was and still is an awesome cookbook. When I got married my father wouldn’t let me leave the house with the copy I had so I had to go and buy another one to take with me! The book is full of his mother’s Italian home cooking as well as recipes from his family and friends. It’s actually my “go to” Italian cookbook.  As the years went on and Dom got larger and larger he decided to start eating better and came out with a second book in 1997. Another hit. This one is called “Eat This Too!”. It’s a low-fat cookbook of all his favorites along with more pics and stories of his family and friends. I will never part with either cookbook. All of the recipes are delicious.

Dom & Julia on Good Morning America in 1984

Today’s recipe is from “Eat This Too!” Gumbo can be very fattening but his version is loaded with vegetables and a seafood. Serve it over brown rice instead of the usual white rice.  Don’t be afraid of the long list of ingredients either. It’s not too scary, really! It will take longer to cut up and prep all of the veggies (where’s that private sous chef when you need one?) than to cook so be brave! You won’t be disappointed!

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds shrimp/scallops, lobster, or other seafood, shelled, cleaned

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz can tomatoes

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 red pepper and 1 green pepper, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon paprika

10 mushrooms, sliced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

12 fresh okra, sliced

2 zucchini, sliced

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 tablespoons flour mixed with ½ cup cold water

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil, until golden brown. Add the remaining ingredients except the seafood.

2. Cook over medium-low heat until flavors intermingle, about 30 minutes. Add the shrimp/scallops or other seafood. Cook just a few minutes until seafood is just done. Serve while still tender.

Serves 8-12

Quinoa with Spinach and Feta Cheese

Lately I’ve read many recipes with couscous and quinoa (keen-wa). I found one today that is very easy to make and sounds really good. I am going to try and make it tonight and I will report back on it. The recipe calls for fresh spinach but if you don’t have fresh on hand use frozen, just make sure you thaw it good and squeeze out the extra liquid. You can also add chopped tomato (regular or even sun-dried!). Be brave, experiment. Remember, it’s your kitchen! (Got that from the Next Food Network Star finale last night. Yay Aarti!) I will also be using light or fat-free feta cheese in this recipe but as always feel free to use regular if you wish. This is a great side dish in the summer, it’s simple and not so heavy, and it’s full of protein from the quinoa! All good! So give it a try and as always, let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

Quinoa, cooked

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup uncooked quinoa

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

1 cup fresh spinach (or frozen, thawed and squeezed dry)

½ cup crumbled light or fat-free feta cheese

Quinoa with spinach and feta

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the quinoa in a strainer. In a small saucepan, add the quinoa and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to simmer until water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic in the oil until the garlic turns light brown. Be careful not to let it burn.Lower the heat if necessary. When the quinoa is done cooking add it to the skillet along with the spinach. Stir together until the spinach wilts or is heated through if using frozen. Add the crumbled feta cheese and stir to combine.

Makes 2-4 servings

Quinoa with spinach and feta & garlic soy pork chop

Sandwich Spreads

When we make sandwiches we usually put either mayonnaise or mustard or both on them. I’m the last person to put down mayonnaise but why not try something different. I actually use guacamole sometimes if I have leftovers in the fridge. Have to use it before it turns brown so I use it on sandwiches, hamburgers and even hot dogs! So good! I have a few other substitutes that we can all use on our sandwiches that will definitely give them more pizzazz! Don’t be scared, try it, you may like it. And I of course will use the light versions of most of these items if they are available. These spreads will last up to a week in the fridge!

BLUE CHEESE & WALNUT BUTTER

This is great on roast chicken, beef or apple sandwiches.

Beat ½ cup soft butter and ½ cup crumbled blue cheese in a bowl. Stir in ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts. Makes 1 cup

CREAMY PEPPERY GREENS

This is great on roast beef or corned beef sandwiches.

Stir 1/3 cup minced arugula, 1/3 cup minced radicchio, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper  into 1 cup mayonnaise. Makes 1 2/3 cup.

FIG JAM

This is great for turkey or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Plump 1 cup chopped dried figs in 3 cups hot water for 25 minutes. Drain the figs, reserving some liquid. Puree in a food processor. Add the saved liquid until the mixture is spreadable. Like jam! Stir in ¼ teaspoon orange zest. Makes 2/3 cup.

ZESTY WHITE BEAN

This spread is delicious on ham, veggie or tuna steak sandwiches.

Blend one 15-ounce can rinsed cannellini beans in a food processor with 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Makes 1 cup.

Italian Wedding Cake Martini

Yes it is finally Friday! Time to start the weekend! I apologize for not having a cocktail recipe last Friday but I am making up for it today. This is a simple 3 ingredient martini that is just bellisimo! Great way to kick off the weekend or any evening really. I have had an Italian Martini before but that has Amaretto in it. This one tastes just like a piece of cake! The calories may be just as much but that’s okay. So give it a try this weekend! I’ll be in Miami this weekend for the Goo Goo Dolls concert on Saturday night so I will be on the lookout for more cocktails to tell you all about as well as any new little snacks or restaurants. Don’t forget to keep checking my website too. I am adding new stuff every day. And if anyone has a request for a recipe, cocktail, restaurant recommendation or anything, just let me know here on the blog or the website at www.cucinadiandrea.com and I will make sure I do my best to accommodate you! Have a fantastic weekend all!

Photo is for illustrative purposes only!

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces vanilla vodka

1 ounce White Creme de Cacao

splash of pineapple juice

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Pour into chilled martini glass!

Makes 1 drink

Mini Upside-Down Key Lime Pies

Key Lime Pie is one of my all time favorite pies. If I splurge and get dessert when we’re out for dinner and Key Lime Pie is on the menu I can’t resist. (Unless there’s crème brûlée or tiramisu also!) But with the crust and sugar and rest of the high calorie ingredients I am always hesitant to order it. This recipe makes 5 little “pies” so it’s portion controlled and using lighter ingredients helps me stay in control. The recipe calls for sugar-free Jell-O, this can be an issue for me. Jell-O uses aspartame in their sugar-free product and I am allergic to it. I get intense migraines from even a little bit. So unless I find a sugar-free gelatin with sucralose in it I will probably use the full sugar version on the Jell-O.

For illustrative purposes only!

INGREDIENTS:

1 4-serving package (or half an 8-serving package) Jell-O Sugar-Free Lime Gelatin dessert mix

1 no-calorie sweetener packet (Splenda)

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups Cool Whip Free, thawed

2 sheets (8 crackers) low-fat honey graham crackers, lightly crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup boiling water with gelatin mix and sweetener. Stir for at least 2 minutes, until completely dissolved.

2. Mix in lemon juice, vanilla extract, and ½ cup cold water. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes, until slightly thickened but still mixable.

3. Stir in the Cool Whip. Whisk until completely blended. Divide mixture among 5 small bowls. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

4. Once ready to serve, evenly distribute crushed graham crackers over the pies.

Makes 5 servings

Per pie: 83 calories, 1g fat, 15g carbs, 5g sugar, 1g protein, <.5g fiber

Baked Eggplant Italiano

This is my  version of a healthier eggplant parmigiana dish. Yes it can be done! I did not use any breadcrumbs and I didn’t fry the eggplant. That is where most of the fat and calories come from. Don’t get me wrong, I love the old-fashioned breaded and fried version of this dish but I just can’t have the extra fat and calories anymore. Plus it takes forever to fry it all! Next in line with the fat is the cheese used. I used a shredded, reduced fat 4 cheese Italian mix. It has reduced fat mozzarella, smoked provolone, Asiago and Romano cheese. It’s made with 2% milk so it has 33% less fat and 10% fewer calories than the full fat version. I broiled the slices of eggplant on a cookie sheet under the broiler and only sprayed them with olive oil cooking spray. The dish came out great. It is very filling even without all the extra bread crumbs! I really enjoy eggplant and this time I remembered to make it pretty soon after I bought it. I have a tendency to buy it and forget it’s in the refrigerator for days. Then when I go to use it, it’s all brown and spotty inside. Yuck! So this time I bought it and cooked it the next day! Remember when buying an eggplant the top crown should be green and not brown. Brown is bad, means it’s been there a while and not fresh. By the way, the leftovers are just as good as the first time too! (I started to cut the eggplant before I remembered to take a picture)

INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant

olive oil cooking spray

marinara or your choice of pasta sauce

Parmesan cheese, grated

garlic powder

2 cups reduced fat shredded Italian cheese of choice (Sargento’s 4 Italian Cheese is great)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel eggplant. Slice it lengthwise or if you prefer, round. For this recipe I sliced it lengthwise.

2. Set your oven to broil and place the rack about 4 inches under the broiler. Spray 1-2 cookie sheets with the cooking spray.

3. Place eggplant in a single layer onto cookie sheets. Spray tops of eggplant with cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic powder. Broil eggplant 4-5 minutes on each side. When you flip the eggplant spray again with cooking spray. Keep an eye on the slices as they can easily burn. They should be lightly browned on the edges and soft. Do this until all eggplant is broiled. After eggplant is done, move the rack to the middle and set your oven to 350º.

4. In a square Pyrex or other oven proof baking dish put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Lay eggplant slices on bottom slightly overlapping till you have one layer. It should take about 3 large slices. Next add sauce to top of eggplant and spread a thin layer over it. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and about ¼ cup of the shredded cheese. Place another layer of eggplant, again overlapping slightly. I placed this layer in the other direction to give it more stability. Again apply sauce and cheeses. Continue until you have no eggplant left. Finish with shredded cheese on top.

5. Place the dish into the 350º oven and bake until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is all melted. About 15-20 minutes should do it. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes to let the sauce set up. It’s ok if it’s a little runny. Cut and serve!

This dish is great with a nice salad on the side or even a small dish of pasta.

Serves 2-4

Chicken Penne a la Vodka (minus the vodka)

Yes, Penne a la vodka with no vodka. I was inspired by chef Rocco DiSpirito with this recipe. It was his originally and I made it my own. He didn’t have chicken in his recipe. He uses whole-wheat pasta and I used my favorite Tofu Shirataki Noodles. Usually this recipe is loaded with heavy cream and vodka, making it very high in calories. This tasted just as good and you will never miss the vodka or cream. Honest! It is much lower in fat and since I have added chicken to mine it’s got more protein. I also added a little more marinara sauce than the recipe calls for so mine is a little more red than normal. Also I used 16 ounces (2 packages) of the Shirataki Noodles, next time I will use only 8 ounces (1 package) Mangia!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound boneless chicken breast cut into 1-2″ strips or pieces

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

12 ounces whole-wheat penne pasta (or 1 package Tofu Shirataki Noodles)

2½ cups low-fat, sugar-free marinara sauce (or your favorite light sauce)

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

7.1 ounce container 2% fat Greek-style yogurt (or any container close to that amount)

1 cup chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan sauté the garlic in the oil. When the garlic is lightly browned add the chicken and cook till browned. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

2. If using whole wheat pasta  bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, about 9 minutes. If you are using the Shirataki Noodles follow package directions.

3. Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, combine the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until it is reduced and slightly thickened.

4. Remove the marinara from the heat. In a small bowl, stir about ½ cup of the marinara into the Greek yogurt until it is smooth, to temper it, then whisk the yogurt mixture back into the marinara in the sauté pan.

5. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, tossing to coat. (or add the Shirataki noodles) Add the chicken and toss to mix. Add the basil and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6

Lobster Rolls

This one’s for you Cheryl! Lobster rolls always remind me of my visits to Maine in the summer. They come on those square-like  New England-style split-top rolls. If you can’t find those rolls just use a regular long sandwich roll or even a larger hot dog rolls. This salad can be made with cooked lobster or shrimp. Either way it will be delicious and the salads should last up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Then again I am sure they won’t last that long so it won’t be a problem! If you are watching the calories or carbs you can always serve this on a bed of lettuce or in a hollowed out large beefsteak tomato or bell pepper! They will be so much better than anything you can buy already made! It’s funny, when in Maine or anywhere in New England they sell Lobster Rolls everywhere. At the rest stops on the highways, fast food restaurants, small restaurants, big restaurants, you name it, you can find the “rolls” pretty much everywhere! This will bring a little bit of New England to your home no matter where you live!

INGREDIENTS:

1½ pounds (4 cups) cooked lobster meat (preferably cold water lobster meat), cut into chunks

¾ cup finely chopped celery with leaves

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh chives

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; more to taste

freshly ground pepper

6 hot dog rolls, preferably New England-style split-top rolls


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, stir the celery, mayonnaise, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir in the lobster meat and season to taste with more lemon, salt and pepper.

2. Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat broiler to HIGH. Toast both sides of the rolls under the broiler, about 1 minute per side. Spoon the lobster salad into the rolls, using about 2/3 cup per roll.

VARIATION: Substitute 2 pounds cooked large shrimp (31-40 per lb.) cut into ½-¾” pieces.

Don’t forget to go to http://www.cucinadiandrea.com for more food fun! And if there is any recipe you’d like to see on here please leave a comment here or on my website and I will do my best to get you what you want!

Emeril’s Seasonings at Home

Everyone is familiar with Emeril and his TV shows, books, food, restaurants and so on. Years ago he listed some of his spice recipes we could make at home by ourselves. I have made them in the past and they are of course terrific. Today I am going to give everyone the recipes for his Creole and Southwest Spice seasonings. They are very easy to make on your own and there is nothing weird or crazy in them so you will be able to find all the spices in your grocery stores or spice stores. Just remember to store them in airtight containers, especially in climates that can be humid, like Florida! All of the ingredients are ‘dried’ spices/herbs as well.

Emeril’s Creole Seasoning (shown below)

INGREDIENTS:

2½ tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon thyme

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 2/3 cup

Emeril’s Southwest Seasoning Spice

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Makes about ½ cup

1 2 3
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