Confetti Chili

This may not be your idea of a chili. Maybe because it has no meat? Maybe because it's not brown and all a mishmash?

It's really a colorful confetti-like one-bowl dish that has beans, tofu and many of the ingredients you might find in a conventional chili. Much more delicate, though, with a hint of north Africa. It's super quick, too.

I hope you like it.

Thai Curry Chicken with Zoodles

This is not the Indian curry you might be expecting, but a delicate Thai concoction that is more red than yellow. It is only mildly hot. If you like it hotter, add pepper flakes or a hot sauce. The addition of kale rounds out and brightens the chicken, plus it adds fiber. Use fresh basil, if possible.

How to Make "Zoodles"

Tired of pasty pasta? Wanna cut down on carbs? Had it with rice? Or maybe you just want to eat more zucchini that doesn't taste so much like, well, zucchini? 

Then try "zoodles." Thin strips of zucchini that have the look and texture of spaghetti. Great as a side dish, with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and even holds up pretty well under a tomato sauce.

Zoodles with Cheese

 Serves: 1

First, you'll need to get yourself a cute Veggetti gadget (you might buy it at your local homegoods store, or see link at the end of this post to get one online).

Kale salad with feta and grapes

Ok, I know that kale gets overworked, almost to the point of being trite. But, what a good way to get in some greens and fiber! And here we have it with low-fat feta deliciousness, the zing of grapes and the nutritious crunch of toasted pumpkin seeds. Rich enough to satisfy as a little lunch, when paired with some nice whole-grain crackers.

Kale salad with feta and grapes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3/4 pound kale, tough ribs removed and leaves cut crosswise into pieces (about 9 cups)
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 Tbl olive oil
1 1/2 Tbl red wine vinegar
1 cup seedless red grapes, cut in half
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese--reduced-fat, or fat-free
Freshly ground black pepper

Salmon with balsamic marinade

Time to move off the gloom-n-doom and get us some delicious recipes. This time, it's fresh salmon, oven roasted with a balsamic marinade. So rich and delicious, so filled with healthy fats and proteins, and so so easy.

We start with fresh salmon steaks, which you can find at (wait for it) MY Hannaford's in Modena! You can pobably get them at Gadaletto's or Adams, maybe even Shoprite or Stop and Shop. But I KNOW you can get them at Hanaford in Modena. Six-ounces pieces of fresh and uniform wonderfulness.

You can pair this with one glass of a nice savignon blanc and zucchini with shallots and fresh oregano for a delicious satisfying meal. Oh, yes a salad would be good, too, with mixed spring greens, alphafa sprouts, fresh dill and fresh torn basil, topped with a nice lemon salad dressing, or something like Newman's Own Lite Balsamic (my go-to dressing when I don't make my own).

Zucchini with shallots and fresh oregano

A very quick and delicious side dish. You can use dried oregano, if you must, but try to get fresh oregano. You won't be sorry because it is so different from the pizza-tasting dried version.

Zucchini with shallots and fresh oregano

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)

4 medium shallots

1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Here's a quick, absolutely delicious dish to serve for company. Pair it with a side of fresh broccoli or green beans and a tossed salad with a light dressing, such as Newman's Own Lite Balsamic or Lemon Salad Dressing with Fresh Basil.

You can usually get large fresh portobello caps at Wallkill View and at "my" Hannaford's in Modena (they should give me a commission for every time I mention this store!)

Lemon Salad Dressing with Fresh Basil

If you're looking for a quick and delicious light salad dressing, this is the ticket. You can use dried basil, of course, but there's nothing like the aroma of fresh basil. Another pitch for Hannaford in Modena: they almost always have little hydroponic plantlets of fresh basil near the tomatoes.

Notice that there is only a small amount of olive oil, relative to the vinegar. If you blend the ingredients in a blender, or whisk them well, you'll be surprised how this emulsifies and makes a satisfactory light dressing, with no artificial ingredients.

Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

Here's a quick recipe to be sure you get your protein allotment for the day. It's adapted from a recipe I found in the 2014 issue of "Weightwatchers Five-ingredient 15-Minute Recipes" magazine.

If at all possible,find yourself some FRESH oregano. It will make a world of difference. I know they have it at Hannaford in Modena (MY Hannaford!), in little packages in the produce department, but they probably have it at other markets, as well.

Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

Mock Sour Cream Recipe

Here's a recipe adapted from "The Pritikin Promise," published almost 25 years ago. I'll review that book, as well as many others, in future posts, but want you to get this recipe right away.

The recipes I'll be featuring will usually be low-fat and low-calorie -- without resorting to artificial ingredients. So try out some things you may not have thought of before. One is a mock sour cream that can be used, as is, for a vegetable dip. Or you an gussy it up with chopped scallions, radishes, etc, some herbs like tarragon, parsley, basil, horseradish, or dill. Transform it by adding chili powder or curry powder.

If you want to put the sauce over fruit, toast or pancakes, maybe add a little applesauce, cinnamon and honey?

Buy the best ingredients you can afford. I'd love to hear how you've made it your own -- and delicious.

Mock Sour Cream 

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

1 cup 1% cottage cheese

½ tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Pour buttermilk and cottage cheese in blender (or use an immersion blender), and mix until creamy

2. Blend in the lemon juice

3. Add flavorings of your choice

Per serving ( 2 Tablespoons): Calories 15, fat 1, cholesterol 2, sodium 64, carbohydrates 1, sugars 1, protein 2.