Cooking Light

I love this time of year—it’s the only time when I truthfully enjoy cutting down and cutting back. After weeks of cookies, parties, cakes, punches, fruitcakes, eggnog, candy—the list goes on—I have thrown out anything that smacks of butter and sugar and am starting anew. But, alas, how long can this last?


Actually, I am taking great pains to make it last by hunting through all my Cooking Light magazines and planning menus in advance. Those of you who follow my column know that I am big on planning. Even the ubiquitous diet articles found in all my January magazines unanimously agree that advance planning is a crucial key to successful weight control and/or healthful eating.

For an avid cook like I am, that is actually an enjoyable challenge but for many people who don’t have the time or inclination to do a lot of unusual cooking, the great light recipes seem too daunting. So I set out to find the best, easiest and healthiest of the recipes to pass along to you and also the best diet or healthy eating tips gleaned from the endless stack.

Prevention Magazine for January 2008, came out with a list of foods that are supposed to be “super foods” and I thought they were very sensible; one that stood out was citrus zest. A compound found in tangerine peel called salvestrol Q40 kills an enzyme that spurs the growth of human cancer cells. Previous studies have shown that limonene, found in lemon, orange, and grapefruit peel might also decrease cancer risk. Well, that’s easy and also a great boon to a good cook. For years I have added lemon juice or lemon peel to many dishes as a flavor booster and to balance the recipe between acid and base. Now I plan to zest all citrus and keep it in my freezer (labeled, of course) and add to soups, baked goods, yogurt, hot tea, desserts—the list is endless.

Another food that has never experienced a down side is beans. “Beans have the highest antioxidant content, period. Plus they’re delicious, low cal and they fill you up fast.” (Prevention magazine, Feb. ‘08). For ease, canned beans are just as healthy, especially if you buy low-sodium and rinse them before using. They are more expensive, however, and beans are easy to cook ahead or even last minute in a pressure cooker. Put them in rigid containers or freezer bags and freeze in amounts right for your family. “Cup for cup, beans provide about twice as much fiber as most veggies, and you can count them as either a protein or vegetable in your meals.”

One more healthy food that is very low in calories is fish. We have come to worry about fish recently because of mercury contamination. The best fish to eat often are: salmon, shrimp, tilapia and canned light tuna.

Here are some recipes I have tried and will make again in our effort to start a new “light and healthy year”.

Rustic Bean Sauté (Prevention, Feb 08)

In medium skillet, sauté ½ cup of rinsed and drained canned kidney beans with 1 cup of canned Italian-style tomatoes and 1 cup of frozen cut green beans. When heated through, transfer to a dish and dust with grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese.

Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Shrimp (adapted from Prevention Feb 08)

4 oz rice-flour noodles, broken into 3” pieces
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. chile paste
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 ½ Tbsp canola oil, divided
½ lb. small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cups wok-seared broccoli (recipe follows)
1 cup frozen peas
1 oz low-sodium lean cooked ham, cut into ¼” cubes (1/3 cup)

Soak noodles in bowl of hot water 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Whisk broth and next seven ingredients (through cornstarch) in small bowl and set aside. Heat ½ Tbsp. of oil over high heat in large wok or wide skillet. Add shrimp and garlic and stir-fry 1-2 minutes until shrimp is just pink. Turn onto plate. Pour remaining 1 Tbsp. oil into pan and swirl to coat. Add noodles and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Push to one side of pan and pour in egg. Let set 30 seconds and then chop coarsely with spatula. Stir in broccoli, peas, and ham and toss to combine. Add shrimp back to pan, pour in broth mixture and toss again to coat. Cook 3 minutes longer or until heated through.

Wok-Seared Broccoli

1 ½ Tbsp canola oil
12 cups bite-size broccoli florets (4 medium bunches)
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1Tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. citrus rind (any variety)

Heat wok and add oil. Add broccoli to pan and toss to coat. Reduce heat to med-high and sauté 4 minutes. Season with pepper. Add broth to pan, cover and cook 2 minutes longer. Add soy sauce, orange juice and citrus rind and toss broccoli 2-4 minutes until all liquid has evaporated. Chill leftovers up to 4 days.