Patti Labelle's Lite Cuisine Page 7
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and mayonnaise until smooth. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of the crab boil seasoning. Set aside ⅓ cup of the egg mixture.
Using your hands or a rubber spatula, gently fold the crabmeat into the remaining egg mixture, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab. Divide the mixture equally among 8 ramekins or custard cups sprayed with fat-free cooking spray. Spread 2 teaspoons of the reserved egg mixture over the top of each ramekin or cup. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon crab boil seasoning evenly distributed over each ramekin or cup. Place on a baking sheet and bake until just slightly crisp on top, about 20 minutes.
Option: For an extra-crisp topping, sprinkle each serving with 2 teaspoons dry bread crumbs ⅓ cup total) before baking.
Patti’s Pointers: Restaurants often serve this dish in emptied upside-down crab shells instead of ramekins. Ask your fishmonger if he has leftover crab shells. They make a drop-dead cute presentation! If you can’t find these and don’t have ramekins, you can also bake this in a single 10-inch pie plate, then divide the servings at the table.
Per Serving: 150 calories, 19 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 560 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 2½ meats, 1 fat, 1 vegetable, or 0 carbohydrate choices
Rockin’ Rockfish
True fish connoisseurs say that rockfish, also called striped bass, is the best eating fish on the planet. That’s because of the flesh; it’s the perfect combination of moist, sweet, lean, and firm. That’s why I’ve kept this recipe simple. The rockfish is so full of flavor it needs no dressing up. If you’re in the mood for a barbecue, it’s also one of the few fish that is firm enough to cook on the grill without falling apart. Either way you cook it, it will be off the hook.
Makes 4 servings
Four 5-ounce rockfish (striped bass) fillets, each about ¾ inch thick
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat a roasting pan with fat-free cooking spray.
Wash the fish in cold water and pat dry. Lay the fish in the prepared pan, skin side down.
In a small bowl, mix together the thyme, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle over the fish and pat into the flesh with your hands. Coat the tops with fat-free cooking spray.
Roast until just opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a spatula, lift from the roasting pan onto a platter or plates. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Patti’s Pointers: If you like fish with crisp skin, preheat the roasting pan in the oven until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the fish on a piece of waxed paper or foil, then place skin side down in the hot pan. Continue roasting as directed.
Per Serving: 180 calories, 34 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 300 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 5 meats, ½ fat, or 0 carbohydrate choices
The Perfect Porgy
I would love to claim credit for this divine recipe but I can’t. It was given to me by professional fishermen on the island of Eleuthera. That’s where I go when my life gets too crazy and I need to cool out. It’s such a calm and peaceful place. When I’m on the island, I do absolutely nothing but sleep (like a baby), look at the ocean (for hours at a time), and cook (just about every day). Still, it took me more than a year to try this recipe. That’s because when I saw all the salt that was in it, I thought I would end up with a soggy, salty, seriously awful mess. Boy, was I ever wrong. The salt in this recipe acts as insulation; you actually tap off and discard the entire salt crust before serving. But when the fish is cooking, the salt works a little culinary magic, sealing in the juices of the fish and creating the moistest flesh I have ever tasted. So, to my fisherman friends in Eleuthera, thanks a million for turning me on to the easiest, most foolproof recipe I know for cooking whole fish. And one of the most delicious to boot!
Makes 4 servings
Two 1½-pound whole porgies, cleaned, scaled, and dressed
2 teaspoons reduced-calorie margarine, melted
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs fresh oregano
4 lemon slices
4 egg whites
2 cups coarse kosher salt
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Choose a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or other 3-quart baking dish that can double as a serving platter. Line the baking dish with foil.
Rinse the fish inside and out in cold water and pat dry. Brush the margarine inside the cavity of the fish. Sprinkle the cavity evenly with the pepper. Stuff the oregano sprigs and lemon slices inside.
Getting set up to prepare the Perfect Porgy.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted. Fold in the salt.
Spread one-third of the salt mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Place the fish on the salt and cover the top of the fish with the remaining salt mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes. Tap off and discard the salt crust from the fish (it will break off easily). Drizzle the fish with the olive oil and serve in its baking dish with the lemon wedges for squeezing. To make individual portions, cut the fish into quarters and remove to plates. To remove the skin, peel it off with a fork.
Patti’s Pointers: If porgies aren’t fresh at your market (or that’s not what you’ve caught), you can also use whole red snapper or sea bass. You’ll need about 3 pounds total. Be sure to thoroughly clean and scale the fish so that it can be baked whole. To get this kind of service from your fishmonger, call ahead and tell him exactly what you need. To clean a whole fish yourself, begin by gutting it. Using a sharp knife, slit the belly from the gills to the anal fin. Pull out and discard the organs. Scrape any dark blood from the backbone area. Rinse the cavity with cold running water.
Next, remove the scales and gills. Hold the fish underwater by the tail. Scrape the scales forward from tail to head using a fish scaler or the dull back edge of a fillet knife. Open the gill flaps on each side of the fish to expose the dark red crescent-shaped gills. Using kitchen shears or scissors, cut the cartilage at each end of the gills, then pull out and discard the gills.
Now you can “dress” the fish, which means removing the fins and head. If you prefer the look of a whole cooked fish with the head, leave the head on. Otherwise, use a large chef’s knife to cut off the head on an angle behind the gill opening and pectoral fin. Cut off all the fins with the knife or kitchen shears. Now your fish is ready for baking.
Per Serving: 290 calories, 46 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 400 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 6½ meats, 2 fats, or 0 carbohydrate choices
Hellacious Halibut with Lemon and Cilantro
While I love the taste of halibut, when cooked in the oven it has a tendency to dry out. So to make sure these steaks come out just the way they should—moist and magnificent—I spray them with fat-free cooking spray before pouring the margarine on top. Give it a try—you’re gonna love the result.
Makes 4 servings
Four 6-ounce halibut steaks
1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or 1 teaspoon dried
4 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°F. and coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with fat-free cooking spray.
Wash the fish in cold water and pat dry. Coat the fish all over with fat-free cooking spray. Put into the prepared baking dish and pour the margarine e
venly over the top. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, lemon-pepper seasoning, and salt.
Bake until the fish is just opaque, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro before serving with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
Patti’s Pointers: Don’t be thrown off if the halibut at your store is labeled “boneless fillets.” As long as they’re at least 1 inch thick, they can be used just like a halibut steak.
Per Serving: 220 calories, 36 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 420 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 5 meats, 1 fat, or 0 carbohydrate choices
Melt-in-Your-Mouth
Meat Dishes
Veal Parmigiana
Unlike beef, you don’t have to be too worried about picking a specific cut of veal, since most cuts are considered lean. That’s because veal comes from young animals and doesn’t have the fat you find in other good cuts of meat. So choose whatever cut you’re feeling, as the teenagers would say. Leg, shoulder, sirloin—they will all work. When I created this recipe, I was feeling cutlets. But whatever you select, this dish will be lean and luscious.
Makes 4 servings
1 pound veal cutlets
½ cup egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters
½ cup dry Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
One 8-ounce can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
½ cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Put a veal cutlet between two sheets of waxed paper on a work surface. Using a rolling pin or heavy pan, gently pound the cutlet from the center outward until it is between ⅛ inch and ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Pour the egg substitute into a shallow bowl.
Put the bread crumbs in another shallow bowl.
Dip the cutlets in the egg substitute, then in bread crumbs, coating completely.
Coat a large skillet with fat-free cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the cutlets (in batches if necessary) and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the cutlets to a shallow baking dish. Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the basil and cheese.
Bake until the cutlets are no longer pink in the center and the cheese is melted, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Option: Of course, pasta makes a natural accompaniment here. You’ll need about 2 cups uncooked total.
Patti’s Pointers: When shopping for veal, look for meat that’s quite pale, with creamy white fat. A pale color means that the veal has been milk-fed ratherthan grass-fed or grain-fed. And that means more tender meat for you. If you see a reddish tinge to the meat, pass it up. A reddish tinge means that the cut came from an older calf that may have been grain-fed; and most likely the meat is less tender in texture and less delicate in flavor.
Per Serving: 330 calories, 31 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 590 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 4 medium-fat meats, 1 starch, or 1 carbohydrate choice
Verrrry Good Veal Chops with Mushroom Gravy
Makes 4 servings
Four 4-ounce veal loin chops
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup fat-free chicken broth
1½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
Sprinkle the veal chops with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper.
Coat a large skillet with fat-free cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until smoking hot. Add the chops and cook until browned all over, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the skillet. Cook until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chops to the skillet. Pour the broth over the top, cover, and simmer until the veal is slightly pink in the center and registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the veal and onions to a platter or plates, creating a bed of onions and putting the veal on top. Cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, thyme, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour the mushroom gravy over the veal and onions before serving.
Patti’s Pointers: Button mushrooms work fine in this recipe, but go wild if you want. Fresh wild mushrooms like shiitakes, creminis, or morels take this dish to a whole new level.
Per Serving: 190 calories, 18 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 400 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 2 medium-fat meats, 1 vegetable, or ½ carbohydrate choice
Seven-Layer Beef Skillet
If you’ve got kids in the house, let them help you make this dish. They love fixing it almost as much as they love eating it. And they love eating it—it’s like homemade Hamburger Helper and not much harder to make. Take it from someone who, as a kid, practically lived in her mother’s kitchen: just hanging out with you and cooking together will make your kid feel good. When Whoopi Goldberg’s granddaughter was only nine, Whoopi said her granddaughter loved it when the two of them concocted dishes together. And we’re not talking Jell-O-and-whipped-cream-peanut-butter-and-bananas kinds of concoctions either. Oh, no. At nine, little girlfriend was into sautéing. I have just two things to say: “You go, girl!” And, Whoopi, the next time your granddaughter is cooking, can I come over for dinner?
Makes 8 servings
1 pound lean ground beef top round
1 teaspoon seasoning salt, like Lawry’s
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 small red potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced
¾ cup sliced celery
1 onion, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
One 15-ounce can Italian-style chopped tomatoes, undrained
½ cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large ovenproof skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until crumbly and just barely pink, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Drain off any excess fat.
Sprinkle the beef with the seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Layer the potatoes, celery, onion, and red pepper over the beef. Pour the tomatoes evenly over the top.
Cover and bake until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.
Preheat the broiler.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the vegetables and broil until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serve in the skillet, scooping out portions with a spatula or large spoon.
Patti’s Pointers: Be sure to use lean ground round, not ground beef (which is much higher in fat). Ground round will probably cost a little more, but it’s up to 97 percent lean and, for my money, just as juicy and flavorful as ground beef.
If your skillet isn’t ovenproof (if it has plastic handles), wrap the handles in a double layer of heavy-duty foil before putting it in the oven.
Per Serving: 180 calories, 24 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 360 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 3 very lean meats, 1 vegetable, or ½ carbohydrate choice
For Real Veal Meat Loaf
You’ve heard of Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes? Well this is Sunday-go-to-eating meat loaf. It’s tender, moist, and has a wickedly delicious crunchy crust. Serve it with rice and the roasted asparagus on page 154 for a menu that’s hard to beat.
Makes 8 servings
One 10¾-ou
nce can condensed reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 small bunch green onions, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ cup dry Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds ground veal
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
In a large bowl, mix together the soup, egg, onions, bread crumbs, thyme, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, gently mix in the veal just until combined. Scrape onto the prepared pan and shape with your hands into an oblong loaf, about 12 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Bake until the veal loaf is slightly browned on the surface and no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.