Patti Labelle's Lite Cuisine Read online

3 eggs

  2 egg whites

  1 cup fat-free half-and-half

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (optional)

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper

  ½ cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss or mozzarella cheese

  One 9-inch frozen pie shell

  8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shells

  1 sprig fresh tarragon (optional)

  Pinch of paprika (optional)

  Preheat the oven to 325°F.

  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, half-and-half, tarragon (if using), salt, and ground red pepper. Whisk in the cheese.

  Place the pie shell on a baking sheet. Arrange the crabmeat in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture on top.

  Bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool (quiche should be warm, not hot) then (if using) garnish with the tarragon sprig and/or a dusting of paprika.

  Option: If you have crab boil seasoning (such as Old Bay), use about 1¼ teaspoons of it in place of the salt and ground red pepper. It’s the perfect flavoring for crab!

  Patti’s Pointers: If you can’t find fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, look for premium handpicked pasteurized crabmeat in the seafood cold case. It comes in 8-ounce tubs and makes a good substitute.

  Per Serving: 210 calories, 12 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 115 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 560 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 2 meats, 1 starch, 2 fats, or 1½ carbohydrate choices

  Seafood Marinara with Angel-hair Pasta

  Makes 8 servings

  8 ounces angel-hair pasta

  2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  1 large onion, chopped

  3 garlic cloves, minced

  1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (about ½ of a 15-ounce can)

  1 cup dry red wine

  One 12-ounce can tomato paste

  3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

  ½ teaspoon salt

  6 large plum tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)

  1 pound sea scallops, cut in half if large

  1 pound mild white fish fillets, such as tilapia, or rockfish, cut into bite-size

  pieces

  1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, cleaned and picked over to remove shells

  ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

  ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

  Cook the pasta according to the package directions, leaving out any butter and salt.

  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the broth, wine, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.

  Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

  In a large skillet, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the scallops, fish, and crabmeat, and cook until the fish and scallops are just opaque, about 5 minutes. Transfer the seafood to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

  Serve over the pasta and sprinkle with the basil and Parmesan cheese (if using).

  Patti’s Pointers: If you can’t find fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, look for premium handpicked pasteurized crabmeat in the seafood cold case. It comes in 8-ounce tubs and makes a good substitute. And, if you want to skip dirtying another pan, cook the seafood right in the sauce for about 5 minutes. The sauce will take on a stronger “fishier” flavor, but a lot of folks like it that way.

  Per Serving: 360 calories, 37 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber, 610 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 5 meats, 2 starches, 2 fats, or 2 carbohydrate choices

  Pan-seared Flounder Fillets with Corn and Tomato Sauce

  I love fresh flounder fillets because they have such a mild, delicate, fresh-from-the-sea flavor. And, because they’re so thin, they cook in a flash. Here’s one of my favorite recipes for this fabulous fish. Try it; after one bite, I bet it will become one of your favorites, too.

  Makes 4 servings

  2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)

  1 large shallot, chopped (about ¼ cup)

  1 cup fresh or frozen sweet yellow corn

  ¼ cup dry white wine

  2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

  ¾ teaspoon salt, divided

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  Four 4-ounce flounder fillets

  ½ cup all-purpose flour

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  4 lemon wedges

  In a shallow microwave-safe baking dish, combine the tomatoes, shallot, corn, wine, Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on medium just until steaming, about 2 minutes.

  Wash fish in cold water and pat dry.

  Sprinkle the fish with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Dredge in the flour.

  In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Place the fish in the skillet and cook until browned and just opaque on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the other side until just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the fish to a platter or plates.

  Pour the tomato-corn mixture into the hot pan (it will spatter so stand back a bit). Let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the fish and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.

  Option: You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn in this recipe but you’ll like the taste of fresh corn best. If using canned, you’ll need one 8-ounce can, drained. If using fresh, you’ll need the kernels from about 2 ears of corn.

  Patti’s Pointers: To cut kernels off the cob, cut off the stem end of each ear of corn to make a sturdy base. Hold an ear upright in a shallow bowl, standing the ear on its flat end. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down, slicing the kernels from the cob a few rows at a time. Don’t cut too close to the cob. The kernels start to get tough closer to the cob.

  Per Serving: 280 calories, 25 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 550 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 3½ meats, 1½ starches, 2 fats, or 1½ carbohydrate choices

  Party-Perfect Salmon Fillets in Parchment Paper

  You know what’s great about salmon? Other than the taste, I mean. It bakes like a dream with very little butter or oil. When I’m having a dinner party, I wrap it in parchment paper. It never fails to knock out my guests. Let them “unwrap” the salmon at the table. Martha Stewart won’t have a thing on you.

  Makes 6 servings

  1 teaspoon olive oil

  4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  4 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

  4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  Six 4-ounce skinless salmon fillets

  6 lemon wedges

  Preheat the oven to 450°F.

  Wash fish in cold water and pat dry.

  In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, dill, tarragon, salt, and pepper.

  Tear off 6 large sheets of parchment paper, each at least twice as large as the fillets. Loosely fold a sheet in half and, starting at one of the folded corners, cut off the loose corners to make a heart shape. Repeat with remaining parchment.

  Place each fillet on one half of each of the parchment hearts. Brush the fillets with the herbed mixture. Fold the parchment over the fish, bringing the opposite edges of the paper together. Make a series of tight double folds all the way around the edge of the paper. Overlap each fold to create a tight seal.

  Setting the table before company arrives. I can’t wait until they see what’s for dinner!

  Put the packets on a large baking sheet and bake un
til the paper is lightly browned and puffed (if well sealed), about 15 minutes. The fish should be perfectly cooked at this point. If you’re nervous about checking it for done-ness, cut into your packet and slip a knife into the fish to see that it’s just opaque throughout.

  To serve, place a packet on each plate and allow diners to slit open their packets individually. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.

  Patti’s Pointers: If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use foil. It’s not as pretty, but works in a pinch. The French call this cooking method en papillote, which comes from the French word for butterfly, papillon. It refers to the traditional butterfly or heart shape that the parchment paper is cut into before sealing the food. If you don’t want to bother with cutting heart shapes, you canjust use rectangular sheets of parchment or foil, bring the long edges together, fold them down tightly over the fish, then tuck the short edges underneath. It’s not nearly as impressive, but works fine. And as long as you have the oven on, roast some asparagus (see recipe on page 154) for a side dish that’s the perfect complement to this wonderful fish.

  Per Serving: 170 calories, 23 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 240 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 3 meats, 1½ fats, or 0 carbohydrate choices

  Herbed Grilled Tuna

  Tuna is my favorite fish for grilling. Tuna and charcoal go together like hard-shell crabs and beer. And it freezes like a dream so, unlike a lot of other fish, you can buy tuna frozen and not worry about losing any of the flavor. While you can broil it (place it about 4 inches from the heat source), it’s so fly-you-to-the-moon good on the grill that my advice is to wait until you’re cooking out to try this recipe. The wait will be worth it; everybody knows that, in the summer, the best cooking is done in a kitchen with a ceiling made of sky.

  Makes 4 servings

  3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

  1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  1 large garlic clove, minced

  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  Four 6-ounce tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick

  Preheat the grill to hot.

  In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, parsley, oregano, chives, salt, mustard, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Brush onto the tuna.

  Grill the steaks until lightly browned on the underside, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn with tongs and grill until browned on the other side, 2 to 4 minutes, more for medium-rare. The steaks should still be pink in the center. To check, separate the center of the flesh with tongs or make a small slit with a paring knife.

  Patti’s Pointers: As long as you’ve got the grill going, throw on some rough-cut vegetables like red bell peppers, zucchini, and onions tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. They make a wonderful accompaniment to the tuna.

  Per Serving: 250 calories, 40 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 740 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 5 meats, 1 fat, or 0 carbohydrate choices

  Slammin’ Seafood Bouillabaisse

  Serve this classic fisherman’s soup when company’s coming. I promise: they will be impressed!

  Makes 8 servings

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  1½ cups chopped red onion

  4 garlic cloves, minced

  1 teaspoon ground cumin

  ½ teaspoon ground red pepper (or more if, like me, you like it hot, hot, hot!)

  2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

  2 cups dry white wine

  1 red tomato, chopped

  1 yellow tomato, chopped (total tomatoes should equal 2 cups)

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon dried thyme

  2 bay leaves

  1 large pinch saffron threads, crushed

  1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave the tail on; it’s cute)

  1 pound sea scallops, cut in half if they are large

  1 pound cod or grouper fillet cut into bite-size pieces

  1 pound catfish fillets, cut into bite-size pieces

  12 snow crab cocktail claws

  In a large stew pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.

  Stir in the cumin and red pepper and cook 1 minute.

  Stir in the broth, wine, red tomato, yellow tomato, salt, thyme, bay leaves, and saffron. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.

  Wash the seafood in cold water and pat dry. Add it to the broth mixture and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the seafood is just opaque, 10 to 15 minutes.

  Option: Serve this dish over cooked rice. You’ll need about 4 cups cooked, which is about 2 cups dry.

  Patti’s Pointers: Be sure to use snow crab cocktail claws. Not only are they much easier to eat than Alaskan king crab legs, they also help cut down on the sodium. (Just two Alaskan king crab legs can have more than 2,000 mg of sodium!)

  Per Serving: 310 calories, 45 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 540 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 6 meats, 1 fat, or ½ carbohydrate choice

  Serving shrimp before dinner to friends who insisted they couldn’t wait for the main event.

  Champagne Sauteed Sea Scallops

  There’s just one rule to follow to ensure that this dish turns out perfectly every time: don’t overcook the scallops! We’re going for yummy, not yucky and—trust me—yucky (i.e., rubbery as a tire) is just what you get when you overcook scallops. And if you’re worried about the champagne in the recipe, don’t. Most of the alcohol evaporates at high temperatures. For instance, a half cup of champagne or wine added to a hot pan will boil off in about one minute, leaving you with all the flavor without all the calories and fat. Now if I could just figure out how to do that with macaroni and cheese!

  Makes 4 servings

  1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine

  3 small garlic cloves, minced

  ½ cup champagne or dry white wine

  1½ pounds sea scallops

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or dill

  4 lemon wedges

  Melt the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, about 2 minutes.

  Pour in the champagne and cook until warm, 1 minute. Add the scallops and cook until just opaque throughout, about 3 minutes per side, sprinkling each side with the salt and black pepper during cooking.

  Transfer to a platter or plates and spoon some of the cooking liquid over the top. Sprinkle with the basil or dill and serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.

  Option: These taste fabulous over angel-hair pasta (you’ll need 2 cups cooked, which is about 4 ounces dry). To moisten and flavor the pasta, toss it with the cooking liquid from the scallops.

  Patti’s Pointers: For the best flavor, look for “dry” or “unsoaked” sea scallops. Because scallop boats stay out at sea for weeks at a time, to preserve them, many fishermen soak sea scallops in a solution of sodium tripolyphosphate (don’t even think about asking me to pronounce it). It makes the scallops last longer but increases the weight (and the price) and dilutes the flavor. Next time you’re at the fish market, ask if your scallops are dry or soaked. Or take a close look at them. Soaked scallops are bright and shiny, and cling together in clumps. Dry scallops are pale ivory or pale coral in color and usually remain separate.

  Per Serving: 200 calories, 29 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 600 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 4 meats, ½ starch, 1 fat, or ½ carbohydrate choice

  Sublime Seafood Grill<
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  You know how, back in the sixties, whenever people talked about the Beatles, Paul was known as the cute one? Well, back in my old neighborhood, whenever people talked about the Holte girls, my sister Barbara was known as the sweet one. (Vivian was the beautiful one, Jackie was the fiery one, and I was the shy one who could sing.) And Barbara was sweet. Just as sweet as sugar. If you hit her, Barbara would ask you if you had hurt your hand. That’s just the kind of person she was. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body.

  And you know what else I loved about Barbara? The way she looked at life. Like every day—every hour—was an incredible gift. Her outlook was so amazing, so affirmative, so cool. Not like she didn’t know upsetting things were happening, more like she didn’t trip about it. More than anyone I have ever known, Barbara focused on the good in everything and everybody.

  I was performing on Broadway when the colon cancer that killed Barbara started to make her sicker than sick. Can’t-get-out-the-bed sick. Hold-my-hand-until-I-fall-asleep sick. But since I couldn’t hold Barbara’s hand, at least not physically, I held it via telephone. Until she was hospitalized, I sang her a song she loved every single day.