Patti Labelle's Lite Cuisine Read online

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Buttermilk Chocolate Almond Cake

  The ground almonds in this cake boost the nutty flavor and enrich the texture of the cake. But if you don’t have a food processor, you can skip them. The cake will work fine without them.

  Makes 16 servings

  ⅓ cup almonds 1¼ cups sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda, divided (see Patti’s

  Pointers page 178)

  2 cups cake flour

  ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  2 teaspoons baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  1½ cups 1 percent low-fat buttermilk

  ½ cup vegetable oil

  ¼ cup fat-free fruit-based butter and oil replacement

  2 eggs

  2 egg whites

  ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

  2 teaspoons almond-flavor extract

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-cup nonstick tube pan with fat-free cooking spray.

  In a food processor, process the almonds with 1 tablespoon of the sugar substitute using short pulses until the almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

  In another large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, fat-free fruit-based butter and oil replacement, eggs, egg whites, remaining 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar substitute, brown sugar, and almond-flavor extract. Whisk until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture.

  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool completely.

  Option: To take this cake to the next level, drizzle the cooled cake with a double recipe of Guilt-Free Glaze (page 205), then decorate with sliced almonds.

  Per Serving: 170 calories, 4 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 340 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 fats, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Blueberry Cake

  Makes 14 servings

  2 cups cake flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  1½ cups fresh blueberries

  4 tablespoons margarine, softened

  1¼ cups sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda (see Patti’s Pointers

  page 178)

  ¼ cup granulated sugar

  2 eggs, separated

  1 teaspoon lemon extract

  1 teaspoon butter-flavor extract

  1 cup 1 percent low-fat buttermilk

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-cup or 10-cup nonstick tube pan with fat-free cooking spray.

  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

  Transfer ½ cup of the flour mixture to another medium bowl. Add the blueberries and toss to coat with flour mixture. Set aside.

  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the margarine until light, about 1 minute. Beat in the sugar substitute and sugar until fluffy, 1 minute.

  Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in the lemon extract and butter-flavor extract.

  Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.

  In a clean medium bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Fold into the batter.

  Fold in the blueberries.

  Scrape into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool completely.

  Option: This wonderful ring cake is over-the-top with a simple lemon glaze. In a medium bowl, melt 1½ tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine in the microwave oven, about 30 seconds on medium. Whisk in 1½ tablespoons fat-free half-and-half and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Then whisk in ¾ cup sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda, and ⅓ cup powdered sugar. Drizzle evenly over the cooled cake. Garnish with grated lemon peel if you really want to impress.

  Per Serving: 120 calories, 3 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 150 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Beyond Good Black Forest Parfaits

  These are almost as cute as the Very Berry Trifle! (page 176)

  Makes 8 servings

  One 4-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

  One 4-ounce package fat-free cream cheese, softened

  1¼ cups fat-free half-and-half

  One 1.4-ounce package sugar-free, fat-free chocolate instant pudding mix

  5 sugar-free crème-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (about ½ cup)

  One 21-ounce can cherry pie filling

  In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in ½ cup of the half-and-half until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the pudding mix and remaining ¾ cup of half-and-half.

  Spoon half of the pudding mixture into dessert cups or small parfait glasses. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs over the pudding.

  Set aside ½ cup of the cherry pie filling. Divide the remaining cherry pie filling among the cups, spooning over the cookie crumbs. Spoon the remaining pudding mixture over the cherry pie filling. Garnish each dessert cup or small parfait glass with the reserved ½ cup cherry pie filling.

  Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

  Option: These parfaits scream for a dollop of light whipped topping. Give it to them!

  Patti’s Pointers: If you don’t have dessert cups or parfait glasses, small wineglasses work just fine.

  Per Serving: 180 calories, 6 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 330 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 2 starches, ½ fat, or 2 carbohydrate choices

  Best Ever Brownies

  When you smell these brownies baking, you’ll be tempted to eat them the minute they come out of the oven, but don’t! It’s actually better to let them cool first. Hot brownies are hard to cut neatly, and if you do cut them, steam escapes, releasing moisture and making the brownies dry. And I don’t know about you but I’m not hardly trying to use my calories on a dried-up brownie. If warm brownies are your weakness, reheat them briefly in a 350°F oven or for 15 seconds in a microwave oven.

  Makes 16 brownies

  Serving size is 1 brownie

  ¾ cup flour

  ½ teaspoon baking powder

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¾ cup sugar substitute, such as DiabetiSweet or Splenda (see Patti’s Pointers

  page 178)

  ⅓ cup sugar

  3 eggs

  1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  ¼ cup margarine

  ¼ cup chocolate chips

  ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  ¼ cup fat-free fruit-based butter and oil replacement

  1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)

  ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with foil and coat the foil with fat-free cooking spray.

  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar substitute, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

  In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the margarine and chocolate chips, and microwave on medium heat just until melted, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the cocoa powder, fat-free fruit-based butter and oil replacement, and instant espresso (if using). Stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the flour mixture and walnuts.

  Scrape into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs on it, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Using the foil, lift the brownies out of the p
an and cool completely on a rack. Cut into 16 pieces.

  Patti’s Pointers: Don’t you just hate it when you can’t get all of the brownies out of the pan? Well, the foil “sling” in this recipe solves that all too common problem. By lining the pan with foil, you canjust lift the whole cake of brownies out of the pan, cool them, then cut them easily. Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?

  Per Serving: 120 calories, 3 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 135 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Index

  A

  Almonds, in Buttermilk Chocolate Almond Cake Angel-hair Pasta, Seafood Marinara with

  Apple Pie, Awesome

  Asparagus

  Delectable Vegetable Medley

  Roasted Asparagus

  B

  Bananas, in Layered Banana Pudding

  “Barbecue” Pork Chops

  Basil

  Lemon-Basil Chicken Pitas

  Scrumptious and Simple Scrod in “Butter” and Basil Sauce

  Beef

  Better than Mom’s Beef Stew

  Burnin’ Beef Stroganoff

  Llona’s Steak Sandwiches

  Melt-in-Your-Mouth Roast Tenderloin

  Righteous Rump Roast

  Seven-Layer Beef Skillet

  Sooo Good Swiss Steak

  Beef Stew, Better than Mom’s

  Beef Stroganoff, Burnin’

  Berry Cool Chicken Chili

  Best Ever Brownies

  Better than Mom’s Beef Stew

  Beyond Good Black Forest Parfaits

  Blackened Fish Fillets, No Fuss

  Black-eyed peas, in Chicken with Black-eyed Peas and Yellow Rice

  Black Forest Parfaits, Beyond Good

  Blueberries

  Blueberry Cake

  Blue Ribbon Blueberry Pie

  Bouillabaise, Slammin’ Seafood

  Broccoli

  Delectable Vegetable Medley

  Roasted Broccoli Florets with Garlic “Butter” Sauce

  Succulent Steamed Sea Bass with Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Summer Squash

  Turkey and Broccoli Fettuccine in Herb Cream Sauce

  Brownies, Best Ever

  Burgers, Fabulous French Onion and Mushroom Turkey

  “Butter” and Basil Sauce, Scrumptious and Simple Scrod in

  Buttermilk Chocolate Almond Cake

  “Butter” Sauce, Roasted Broccoli Florets with Garlic in

  C

  Cabbage, Down-Home

  Caesar Salad, Cajun Chicken

  Cajun

  Chicken Caesar Salad

  Crunchy Catfish Nuggets

  Cakes

  Blueberry Cake

  Buttermilk Chocolate Almond Cake

  Four-Flavor Sour Cream Pound Cake

  Killer Chocolate Cake with Guilt-Free Glaze

  No-Bake Cookies ’n’ Cream Cheesecake

  Peach Upside-down Cake Spectacular Spice Cake

  Carrots

  Daniel’s Chilled Spring Carrot Soup with Lobster and Lime

  Sweet ’n’ Spicy Baby Carrots

  Casseroles

  Good-as-It-Gets Green Bean Casserole

  Heavenly Herb-baked Chicken and Mushroom Casserole Terrific Turkey Pasta Casserole

  Wicked Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

  Zesty Zucchini Casserole

  Catfish, Crunchy Cajun Nuggets

  Champagne Sauteed Sea Scallops

  Cheese

  Chicken Florentine Supreme

  Chicken Parmesan

  Crabmeat Quiche

  Shrimp and Salmon Melts

  Veal Parmigiana

  Cheesecake, No-Bake Cookies ’n’ Cream

  Chicken

  Berry Cool Chicken Chili

  Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

  Chicken Cacciatore

  Chicken Drumsticks with Horseradish Sauce

  Chicken Florentine Supreme

  Chicken Parmesan

  Chicken with Black-eyed Peas and Yellow Rice

  Curried Chicken and Rice

  Easy-as-Pie Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

  Good-as-It-Gets Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

  Heavenly Herb-baked Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

  Lemon-Basil Chicken Pitas

  Luther’s Italian Chicken Soup

  Oven (Tastes Like Southern) Fried Chicken

  Really Good Roast Chicken Caesar

  Sensational Skewers

  Superb Seven-Spice Chicken Breasts

  Tastes-Just-Like-Mom-Used-to-Make-It Chicken Pot Pie

  We Be Jammin’ Jamaican Jerk Chicken

  Wicked Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

  Child, That’s Good Chocolate Tapioca

  Chili, Berry Cool Chicken

  Chocolate

  Best Ever Brownies

  Beyond Good Black Forest Parfaits

  Buttermilk Chocolate Almond Cake

  Child, That’s Good Chocolate Tapioca

  Chocolate Cream Pie

  Chocolate Pecan Pie

  Decadently Delicious Chocolate Mousse

  Killer Chocolate Cake with Guilt-Free Glaze

  Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Strawberry Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Crust

  Wonderful White Chocolate Pie

  Cilantro, in Hellacious Halibut with Lemon and Cilantro

  Classic Corn Pudding

  Cookies

  Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Cookies ’n’ Cream Cheesecake, No-Bake

  Old-fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  Corn

  Classic Corn Pudding

  Pan-seared Flounder Fillets with Corn and Tomato Sauce

  Crab

  Crab Imperial

  Crab Louis

  Crabmeat Quiche

  Creamed Spinach

  Cream Pie, Chocolate

  Crunchy Cajun Catfish Nuggets

  Curried Chicken and Rice

  D

  Daniel’s Chilled Spring Carrot Soup with Lobster and Lime

  Decadently Delicious Chocolate Mousse

  Delectable Vegetable Medley

  Desserts

  Awesome Apple Pie

  Best Ever Brownies

  Beyond Good Black Forest Parfaits

  Blueberry Cake

  Blue Ribbon Blueberry Pie

  Buttermilk Chocolate Almond Cake

  Child, That’s Good Chocolate Tapioca

  Chocolate Cream Pie

  Chocolate Pecan Pie

  Decadently Delicious Chocolate Mousse

  Four-Flavor Sour Cream Pound Cake

  Killer Chocolate Cake with Guilt-Free Glaze

  Layered Banana Pudding

  Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies

  No-Bake Cookies ’n’ Cream Cheesecake

  Old-fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  Patti’s Pumpkin Pie

  Peach Upside-down Cake

  Perfect Piecrust

  Smooth-as-Silk Lemon-Lime Pie

  Spectacular Spice Cake

  Strawberry Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Crust

  Very Berry Trifle

  Wonderful White Chocolate Pie

  Down-Home Cabbage

  Down-Home Pork Chops in Guilt-Free Gravy

  E

  Easy-as-Pie Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

  F

  Fabulous French Onion and Mushroom Turkey Burgers

  Fish. See also Seafood

  Crunchy Cajun Catfish Nuggets

  Hellacious Halibut with Lemon and Cilantro

  Herbed Grilled Tuna

  Magnificent Monkfish with Caramelized Onions and Olives

  No Fuss Blackened Fish Fillets

  Oh-So-Good Orange Roughy with Roasted Tomato and Olive Relish

  Pan-seared Flounder Fillets with Corn and Tomato Sauce

  Party-Perfect Salmon Fillets in Parchment Paper

  Perfect P
orgy

  Rockin’ Rockfish

  Scrumptious and Simple Scrod in “Butter” and Basil Sauce

  Shrimp and Salmon Melts in Slammin’ Seafood Bouillabaise

  Succulent Steamed Sea Bass with Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Summer Squash

  Warm Tuna Wraps

  For Real Veal Meat Loaf

  Four-Flavor Sour Cream Pound Cake

  French Onion and Mushroom Turkey Burgers

  G

  Garlic “Butter” Sauce, Roasted Broccoli Florets with

  Glaze, Killer Chocolate Cake with Guilt-Free

  Good-as-It-Gets Green Bean Casserole

  Good-as-It-Gets Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

  Gravy. See also Sauces

  Down-Home Pork Chops in Guilt-Free Gravy

  Tender-as-a-Love-Song Turkey Tenderloins with Rice and Country Gravy

  Verrrry Good Veal Chops with Mushroom Gravy

  Great Greek Gyros

  Green beans, in Good-as-It-Gets Green Bean Casserole

  Grouper, in No Fuss Blackened Fish Fillets

  H

  Halibut with Lemon and Cilantro

  Ham, Patti’s Potato and Ham Frittata

  Hellacious Halibut with Lemon and Cilantro

  Herb-baked Chicken and Mushroom Casserole, Heavenly

  Herbed Grilled Tuna

  Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

  K

  Killer Chocolate Cake with Guilt-Free Glaze

  L

  Lamb Chops LaBelle

  Layered Banana Pudding

  Lemon

  Hellacious Halibut with Lemon and Cilantro

  Lemon-Basil Chicken Pitas

  Smooth-as-Silk Lemon-Lime Pie

  Lemon-Basil Chicken Pitas

  Lime, in Smooth-as-Silk Lemon-Lime Pie

  Llona’s Steak Sandwiches

  Lobster

  Daniel’s Chilled Spring Carrot Soup with Lobster and Lime