Patti Labelle's Lite Cuisine Page 6
As much as Barbara loved that song, she loved herself some seafood. I mean she had a thing for it. She was tiny as she could be—I’m talking size-6 tiny. But she could put away some seafood. Whenever Chubby cooked it, Barbara was the first one at the table. One minute her plate would be full and the next it would be clean enough to satisfy the Board of Health. You know what else Barbara loved? Our outdoor barbecues. She looked forward to them the way a kid looks forward to Christmas. In her honor, this recipe combines what she loved about both.
Makes 6 servings
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine, melted
1½ teaspoons salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound skinless mahimahi fillets, cut into
1½-inch pieces
1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and
deveined, tails left on
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 1½-inch
pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 lemon wedges
Preheat the grill to medium-high and coat a grill basket with fat-free cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the margarine, lemon-pepper seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the seafood to the bowl and toss to coat.
My beloved sister Barbara on her wedding day. She was as beautiful a person as she was a bride.
Place the seafood in a single layer in the prepared grill basket. Put the basket on the grill grate and grill, turning once, until the seafood is just opaque, 10 to 15 minutes. (Don’t overcook! That’s the second-biggest secret to great-tasting fish.) Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Patti’s Pointers: If you don’t have a grill basket, not to worry. Just coat a couple of disposable aluminum pans with fat-free cooking spray and use them instead. No aluminum pans handy either? Then wrap the fish in heavy-duty aluminum foil sprayed with fat-free cooking spray and throw it on the grill. To get that great grilled flavor, be sure to poke several holes in the foil with a fork. (I think charcoal gives the best grilled flavor here, but this recipe can be done on a gas grill. To boost the flavor, soak hickory wood chips in water for 30 minutes, then toss them on the central plate of your gas grill and close the cover during cooking.)
Per Serving: 270 calories, 44 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 480 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 6 meats, 2 fats, or 0 carbohydrate choices
Succulent Steamed Sea Bass with Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Summer Squash
The steam gives the fish a moist and tender texture and cooks the vegetables perfectly—not too crispy, not too soggy. And because you cook all the ingredients in aluminum foil, cleanup is super easy and super fast. Twenty minutes after you pop this concoction in the oven, unwrap the foil and announce, “Dinner’s ready.”
Makes 6 servings
Six 4-ounce sea bass fillets
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or parsley
½ cup thinly sliced broccoli florets
½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
½ thinly sliced yellow squash
1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine
6 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Tear off a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil that is large enough to hold all ingredients comfortably (about 2 feet long). Coat the foil with fat-free cooking spray.
Put the fish in the center of the foil and sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper, and basil or parsley. Top with the broccoli, mushrooms, and squash. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, pepper, and basil or parsley. Dot with pieces of the margarine.
Bring together the long sides of the foil and fold down tightly over the fish. Fold up the short sides of the foil.
Put the packet on a baking sheet and bake until the fish is just opaque, 18 to 20 minutes (it’s okay to open the packet to check that the fish is opaque all the way through).
Patti’s Pointers: Don’t feel you have to use broccoli, mushrooms, and squash in this recipe. Whatever is fresh and in season—tomatoes, zucchini, corn—will work just fine, probably better. That goes double for the fish; you can use any fish with dense, tender flesh and a delicate flavor, like sea trout or cod.
Per Serving: 130 calories, 19 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 390 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 2½ meats, 1 fat, or 0 carbohydrate choices
Magnificent Monkfish with Caramelized Onions and Olives
If you ever saw a monkfish, you’d probably never eat one. It’s probably the ugliest fish in the sea, I kid you not! A monkfish has a humongous head and an even bigger mouth. It’s so big and ugly that fishermen usually keep the tail end of the monkfish and throw away the head and body. Ugly as it is, however, monkfish is as heavenly tasting as it is hideous-looking. Serve this recipe with the squash and sweet onions on page 157 and I guarantee you won’t have to fish for compliments.
Makes 4 servings
4 teaspoons margarine, divided
2 Vidalia or other sweet onions, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound monkfish fillets, membrane removed (see Patti’s Pointers below)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 lemon wedges
Coat a very large skillet with fat-free cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Melt 3 teaspoons of the margarine in the skillet and stir in the onions, separating them into rings.
Cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in the olives. Remove the mixture to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
In a small bowl, combine the red pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cut the fish crosswise into 1-inch-thick medallions. Rub the spice mixture evenly into both sides of the medallions.
Melt the remaining 1 teaspoon margarine over medium heat in the same skillet used to cook the onions. When hot, add the medallions and cook until opaque throughout, about 3 minutes per side.
Remove to a platter or plates and top with the onion mixture. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Patti’s Pointers: Ask your fishmonger to thoroughly trim the monkfish fillets. That means cutting away the pinkish-gray inner membrane. If you happen to see any grayish membrane covering your fillets, it’s easy to cut it away yourself. Just slip a knife underneath it where it attaches to the fillet and cut it off with horizontal sawing motions. You may see a narrow, dark red fatty strip that runs the length of the fillet (which is actually the tail of the fish). It’s okay to leave that on. But if it bothers you, feel free to trim off that dark red strip, too.
Per Serving: 180 calories, 17 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 450 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 2 meats, 2 fats, ½ starch, or ½ carbohydrate choice
Scrumptious and Simple Scrod in “Butter” and Basil Sauce
Believe it or not, scrod isn’t actually a type of fish like whiting and sea bass and catfish. I don’t know who came up with the name or why, since fish markets use the term “scrod” to describe all kinds of fish—from cod to cusk, haddock to pollock. My professional fisherman friends tell me that, more often than not, fish labeled “scrod” is actually some type of mild white fillet. So, when purchasing fish labeled “scrod,” don’t shell out a whole bunch of money thinking you’re getting some exotic and unique species from the sea. Just keep in mind what matters most: freshness!
Makes 4 servings
Four 4-ounce scr
od fillets
2 tablespoons margarine
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon imitation butter-flavor salt, such as Molly McButter
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°F. and coat a baking sheet with fat-free cooking spray.
Wash the fish in cold water and pat dry.
Place the margarine in a medium bowl and melt in the microwave, about 15 seconds. Stir in the garlic, salt, imitation butter-flavor salt, red pepper flakes, and basil.
Brush the butter mixture all over the fish. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the fish is just opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Per Serving: 190 calories, 22 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 450 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 3 meats, 2 fats, or 0 carbohydrate choices
Savory Shrimp Scampi
Fair warning: This dish will have folks showing up at your doorstep—unannounced, uninvited, unembarrassed—if they find out you’re making it. When you serve it, don’t tell anyone that it’s a lite version of this classic and delicious Southern European dish. Instead, tell everybody it was passed down to you from your great-great grandmother on your daddy’s side. And while you’d love to share the recipe, before it was passed down to you, you had to take an oath of secrecy to keep it in the family. That little story will make it taste even better!
Makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the margarine and olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
Add the shrimp and cook until they just begin to turn pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, lemon juice, salt, lemon-pepper seasoning, white pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the wine reduces by almost half. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve piping hot.
Option: This tastes great over cooked angel-hair pasta or white rice. You’ll need about 2 cups of either one.
Per Serving: 170 calories, 18 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 160 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 400 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 2½ meats, 1½ fats, or 0 carbohydrate choices
No-Fuss Blackened Fish Fillets
I like to make this dish using grouper, but it works just as well with any mild white fish, like tilapia or ocean perch. I’ve found it cooks best in a big old cast-iron skillet—the kind Grandmother Ellen used to fry her famous fried chicken in.
Makes 4 servings
1 pound fish fillets, such as grouper, tilapia, or ocean perch
2 tablespoons blackening seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 lemon wedges
Wash the fish in cold water and pat dry.
Sprinkle the fish with the blackening seasoning, thyme, paprika, black pepper, and ground red pepper, patting it in on both sides.
Coat a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottomed skillet with fat-free cooking spray. Add the oil and heat over medium-high heat until smoking hot. Put the fish in the pan and cook, turning once, until just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side.
Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Patti’s Pointers: This dish creates a bit of smoke, so turn on your overhead fan or open the window!
Per Serving: 140 calories, 22 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 640 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 3 meats, 1 fat, or 0 carbohydrate choices
Crunchy Cajun Catfish Nuggets
Let me say this from the start: This Cajun classic is for folks who like their food hot and spicy—the more of each the better. If, like me, you happen to be a lifelong member of this club, I’ve got one word for you: rejoice! Recent studies have shown that hot peppers may have serious health benefits—and rev up your metabolism to boot. Who knew? All I can say is, “Bring on the hot pepper sauce, sugar. ”
Makes 6 servings
¾ cup plain dry bread crumbs
½ teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
Six 4-ounce catfish fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
Hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
6 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat with fat-free cooking spray.
In a large shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Cajun or Creole seasoning, chili powder, and ground red pepper.
Coat the catfish nuggets with cooking spray. Dip the nuggets in bread-crumb mixture, rolling to coat completely.
Preheat the cookie sheet in the oven until smoking hot, 2 to 3 minutes. (A hot cookie sheet helps make the nuggets crunchier, giving them that real “Southern fried” taste.) Place the nuggets on the hot cookie sheet, coat the tops with fat-free cooking spray, and bake until just opaque throughout, about 12 minutes.
Serve drizzled with hot pepper sauce and with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Option: These taste fabulous with reduced-fat blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Per Serving: 170 calories, 20 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 250 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 3 meats, 1 starch, 1 fat, or 1 carbohydrate choice
Oh-So-Good Orange Roughy with Roasted Tomato and Olive Relish
Makes 4 servings
4 large plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Four 4-ounce orange roughy fillets
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained
One 4-ounce can chopped green chilis, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
4 lemon wedges
Position an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with fat-free olive oil-flavored cooking spray.
Place the tomatoes cut side up in the prepared baking dish and roast in the top third of the oven until lightly browned on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, chop, and transfer to a bowl with all the juices.
Meanwhile, wash the fish in cold water and pat dry. Coat with fat-free olive oil-flavored cooking spray on both sides. Sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon of the salt and ⅛ teaspoon of the pepper. Place in the baking dish and cook until just opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the olive oil, olives, and green chilis to the bowl with the tomatoes. Stir in the oregano, remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
Transfer the fish to plates if desired. Spoon the tomato relish evenly over the fillets. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Per Serving: 150 calories, 18 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 330 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 2½ meats, 1 fat, ½ starch, or ½ carbohydrate choice
Crab Imperial
This is another great “company’s coming” dish that is guaranteed to impress your guests. Serve it for a special
Sunday supper and sit back and bask in the compliments.
Makes 8 servings
2 teaspoons regular margarine
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 eggs
⅓ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s Just 2 Good!
1½ teaspoon crab boil seasoning, such as Old Bay
1½ pounds fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shells
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Melt the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, red pepper, and yellow pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the tarragon, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.