Weeknight Coq Au Vin

from Cooking Light, Oct. '08

Total time: 45 minutes.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 thigh, 1 drumstick, and 3/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients

• 2 bacon slices, chopped
• 4 (4-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 4 (4-ounce) chicken drumsticks, skinned
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 1 1/2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons parsley, mushrooms, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

2. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon; keep warm. Bring cooking liquid to a boil; cook until reduced to 3 cups (about 6 minutes). Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

345 (33% from fat)

Fat:

12.7g (sat 3.7g,mono 4.7g,poly 2.7g)

Protein:

43.7g

Carbohydrate:

11g

Fiber:

1.6g

Cholesterol:

150mg

Iron:

3.3mg

Sodium:

595mg

Calcium:

60mg

Sweet & Savory Beef Stew

from Eating Well, Oct. '08

Makes 2 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

2 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
8 ounces bottom-round beef, trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1/3 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and shallot to the pan; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Stir in thyme, sage, salt and pepper; cook for 30 seconds. Return the beef to the pan and sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring often, until the flour browns, about 3 minutes. Pour in broth; scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the liquid bubbles and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in squash.
4. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Stir in cherries, cover and continue baking until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes more.
Makes 2 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 405 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 5 g fiber; 659 mg sodium; 977 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (390% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Potassium (28% dv), Iron (25% dv), Magnesium (20% dv).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

Healthier Meatloaf

from Eating Well Oct. '08

Makes 10 servings

TOTAL TIME: 1 3/4 hours

1 cup dried mushrooms, such as shiitake, porcini or chanterelle
1 cup bulgur (see Ingredient Note)
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup nonfat evaporated milk
1/2 cup ketchup
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 pounds 90%-lean ground beef
1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with warm water; let stand for 30 minutes. Combine bulgur with the boiling water in another small bowl and let soak until the bulgur is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the liquid; trim stems and coarsely chop caps.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat and add onion, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add Worcestershire and cook for 3 minutes, scraping the pan well as the mixture becomes sticky. Add tomatoes, evaporated milk and ketchup; stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture is very thick, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
4. Whisk egg and egg whites in a large bowl. Add beef, breadcrumbs, the soaked bulgur, the mushrooms and the tomato mixture. Stir in parsley, thyme and salt. Mix gently but thoroughly with your hands.
5. Mound the meatloaf mixture into a free-form loaf on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 313 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 24 g protein; 6 g fiber; 467 mg sodium; 488 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Iron (34% daily value), Zinc (26% dv), Selenium (25% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 1/2 medium-fat meat

'Healthy' Chicken Fried Steak

from Eating Well, Oct. '08

Makes 4 servings

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound cube steak, cut into 4 portions
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup half-and-half

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place all-purpose flour on a large plate. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Whisk cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch and paprika in another shallow dish. Season both sides of steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge the steak in the flour, shaking off excess; dip in the egg whites, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 pieces of the steak; cook until browned on both sides, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer the steak to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 pieces of steak. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add broth to the pan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in half-and-half; season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve the steak topped with the gravy.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 315 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 7 g mono); 57 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 1 g fiber; 312 mg sodium; 379 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (50% daily value), Potassium & Zinc (15% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Chickpea & Okra Tagine

From Eating Well, Oct. '08

Makes 6 servings

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

1 pound fresh or frozen okra, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon harissa (can substitute Chinese or Thai chile-garlic sauce for Harissa) or hot sauce, or to taste

1. Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add okra and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the okra with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Drain.
2. Tie cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string.
3. Heat oil in a tagine dish set over a heat diffuser or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, 3 to 6 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, broth, cumin, the okra, cilantro sprigs and half the bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium; partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and salt; cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cilantro sprigs. Stir in harissa (or hot sauce). Serve sprinkled with the remaining bell pepper and cilantro leaves, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 136 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 7 g fiber; 443 mg sodium; 389 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), Folate (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

Can substitute Chinese or Thai chile-garlic sauce for Harissa.