Arroz a la Manding

I was suppose to make Arroz a la Cubana the other night, but realized that I didn't have a couple of ingredients on hand, so I decided to vary the recipe and ended up with a dish that won my family's seal of approval. Again, I don't have exact measurements for this recipe. I just used whatever ingredients I had in the pantry.

Saute minced garlic and onions. Add about half a pound each of ground pork and ground beef. Cook until meats are brown. Add about a cup of chopped bell peppers (I used a mix of red, green and orange bell peppers) and about 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce. You may add a little water if the mixture is too dry. Serve with rice.

Ultimate Beef Chili

Chili is one of my comfort foods. It's especially good on a rainy day (which is what we have most days now). This recipe is from Eating Well. My husband and son don't like beans, but they enjoyed this dish.

Offer garnishes, such as reduced-fat sour cream and grated Cheddar cheese (about 1 tablespoon each per person), chopped scallions and chopped fresh tomatoes. Serve with warmed corn tortillas and a green salad topped with orange slices.

Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each

Ingredients

1 pound beef round, trimmed and cut into ½-inch chunks
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 ½ tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
12 ounces dark or light beer (this is optional for me; I use water instead)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
8 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), snipped into small pieces
2 bay leaves
3 19-ounce cans dark kidney beans, rinsed
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice

Ultimate Beef Chili Ingredients Cont.

Ultimate Beef Chili Instructions

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with another 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Add garlic, jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. Stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
3. Add beer and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, for about 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaves and reserved beef. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. Add beans; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chili has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Ultimate Beef Chili Instructions Cont.

Ultimate Beef Chili Tips

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

For a hot, smoky chili, add 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

Ultimate Beef Chili Tips Cont.

Ultimate Beef Chili Nutrition Information

Per serving: 235 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 19 g protein; 10 g fiber; 456 mg sodium; 582 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (90% daily value), Fiber (38% dv), Vitamin A (35% dv), Iron (20% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato

I made Shepherd's Pie for dinner the other night and decided to try this mashed potato recipe from Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family as my husband loves garlic. Roasted garlic may be used, not just in mashed potatoes and other vegetable purees, but also on toast or bread, in tomato sauces, dips and salad dressings.

1 recipe roasted garlic (see below)
About 10 good-size all-purpose potatoes, peeled and coarsely chunked
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups hot milk
salt and pepper to taste

Roast the garlic.

In a large pot, cover the potatoes generously with salted water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain potatoes (save the water for soup) and transfer to a large bowl. Grasping the garlic at the bottom of the head, squeeze the cloves out onto a plate and mash them with a fork. Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and most of the milk to the potatoes and mash them. Add more of the milk, if you need it, and salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic

1 whole head of garlic, the fresher the better (summer/fall is the best time)
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Peel any loose papery skins off the garlic, then slice off the top third of the head, exposing the individual cloves. Put the garlic in a small baking dish and rub a little olive oil over the exposed cloves. Put a teaspoon or so of water in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and roast the garlic for about 40 minutes. When done, the cloves will be golden colored and feel soft when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Serve or use at any temperature.

Green-Bean and Potato Salad with Pesto

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I had pesto on hand, so I skipped the first part of the recipe.

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pecans, toasted
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds small red new potatoes, scrubbed
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

1. Make pesto: Bring 2 cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add basil, and submerge with a spoon; immediately drain in a colander. In a blender, combine basil, pecans, garlic, lemon juice, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup water; blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Make salad: In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon (reserve pan of water). When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into quarters; place in a large bowl.
3. While potatoes are cooling, return reserved water to a boil. Add green beans; cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain well; transfer to bowl with potatoes. Add pesto, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Info

Per Serving

• Calcium: 61 mg
• Calories: 213 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Sugars: 3 g

Spice-Crusted Tofu

A quick and simple meal from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook. It doesn't go well with rice, though. Can be served with spinach.

3 tablespoons pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant (~2 minutes). Transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. In a small bowl, mix paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
3. Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Cut crosswise into eight 1/2-inch thick slices.
4. Dredge the tofu liberally with the spice mixture, coating all sides.
5. In a small bowl, mix boiling water, lemon juice and honey.
6. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Swirl to coat the bottom.
7. Add tofu and cook on one side until brown and crusty (~4 minutes). Flip and cook the other side (~3 minutes).
8. Add honey mixture to the pan and quickly shake to coat the tofu. It will BUBBLE UP and EVAPORATE VERY QUICKLY.
9. Serve immediately, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4.

Eggplant and Chickpea Curry

I love chickpeas and curry, so this is a great dish for me from "Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family". I had the leftovers for lunch the next day.

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
3 large ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped, or about 1-1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes in puree
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 19-oz can chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or coriander

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large enameled soup pot or casserole. Add the onion and saute over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat slightly and stir in the garlic, curry powder, ginger, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the eggplants and stir well to coat with the oil and spices. Salt the eggplant lightly, cover, and let the eggplant cook for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and let the eggplant stew for 3-4 minutes. Stir in about 1 cup of water and the tomato paste, stirring well to loosen any spices that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer the curry for 5 minutes, uncovered, then stir in the chickpeas. Season to taste with salt and pepper, letting the curry simmer for another 5 minutes; if you need it, add more water, keeping in mind that this is supposed to be a relatively dry curry, not a very saucy one. A minute or so before serving, stir in the parsley. Serve hot over your favorite grain.

Quick Saute of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds

This is one of my favorite vegetable dishes and it's so easy to make.

Quick Saute of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds

Inspired by the Red Cat, NYC

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced almonds
1 to 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife or julienne blade on a mandoline
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Few ounces pecorino Romano, thinly sliced (optional)

Heat the oil on high in a large skillet. When it is hot but not smoking, add the almonds to the pan. Cook them, while stirring, until the almonds are golden-brown, approximately a minute or two.

Add the zucchini to the pan, tossing it with the oil and almonds until it just begins to glisten, about one minute. The idea is not to cook the zucchini so much as warm it.

Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with or without sliced Romano cheese on top.

Vegetarian Hot Pot

I don't think we're eating enough vegetables, so the past few days I've been cooking more vegetable dishes. This recipe, from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook, is a breeze to make. Just go easy on the noodles. I made the mistake of putting too much, forgetting that noodles expand when cooked. I added some thinly-sliced zucchinis after discovering that my pyramid grater can be used to slice vegetables thinly. No need to get a mandoline! Now I can make ratatouille Remy-style.

Quick to prepare, this Asian-style noodle soup has all the makings of a one-pot meal. To punch up the heat, add a dab of chile-garlic sauce.

5-1/4 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh ginger, peeled
2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 teaspoons canola oil
1-3/4 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean and sliced (4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 small bok choy (3/4 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces, stems and greens separated
3-1/2 ounces Chinese wheat noodles or rice sticks (dried rice noodles)
1 14-oz package firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup grated carrots (2 large)
4-6 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped scallions for garnish

1. Combine broth, ginger and garlic in a Dutch oven; bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Discard the ginger and garlic.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add bok choy stems; cook stirring often, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the mushroom mixture to the broth. Add noodles, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Add bok choy greens and tofu; simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, vinegar to taste, soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve garnished with scallions.

Makes 5 main-dish servings, about 1-1/2 cup each.

Per serving: 230 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 14 g protein; 5 g fiber; 706 mg sodium.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I remember growing up with cheese pimiento sandwiches for merienda. Maybe that's the reason why I love the smell - and taste - of bell peppers or capsicum. They also come in different colors - red, green, orange and yellow so they make a dish really attractive.

Whenever I would read about menu planning, one thing they emphasize is building your meal around colorful vegetables and fruits and I would normally ignore this. But I could see a big difference when I made this dish. When I saw how all the vegetables looked in the roasting pan, I couldn't wait to eat. They especially looked appetizing after roasting because the colors were brighter.

This is another recipe from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook. So far, all the recipes I've tried were very good. I had the leftovers for lunch the next day and they were as delicious. You can add almost any kind of vegetables. I had some extra mushrooms from the mushroom soup, so they went to this dish as well.

1 medium zuchinni, diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces whole-wheat pasta
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. (I try to minimize our salt intake, so I never put salt when cooking pasta.)
2. Toss zucchini, bell pepper and onion with 1 tablespoon oil in a large roasting pan or a large baking sheet with sides. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes, until tender and browned, 10 - 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic and the remaining1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook pasta until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the bowl with the tomatoes. Add the roasted vegetables and toss well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve, passing feta cheese separately.

Makes 6 servings, about 1-1/2 cups each.

Per serving: 288 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 9 g fiber; 177 g sodium.

Mushroom Barley Soup

This is the first recipe I tried from the cookbook, Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family. This is definitely no cream of mushroom soup, but if you like mushrooms then you will enjoy this soup. And I like barley, so this is a keeper, but I will probably make half the recipe next time.

1 cup pearl barley
10 cups water
1 pound mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tamari
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Cook the barley: Combine the barley and 2 cups of the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and cook over very low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put about 3/4 pound of the mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor and finely chop them, scraping down the sides if necessary. Reserve. Thinly slice the remaining mushrooms and set them aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large soup pot. Stir in the onions, celery, and bay leaves and saute over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Stir in the garlic, then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, then add the remaining 8 cups of water, salt, tamari, black pepper, and reserved barley. Bring the soup to a near boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

While the soup simmers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and saute them for 3 to 4 minutes, until they're nicely browned. Stir the mushrooms, parsley, and cayenne into the soup about 5 minutes before serving. Or stir the mushrooms into individual portions if your kids don't eat them.

Quick Beef Stroganoff

I've made this dish several times when we were in Chicago, but misplaced the recipe. I remembered it last night while I was working on this week's menu and searched online to get a copy of it. I will probably cook it next week. I still have left-over sour cream in the freezer.

Photo and recipe from Real Simple.


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds New York or sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the steak with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.

Cook the steak until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out skillet. Add the remaining oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until their juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and broth. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid reduces to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the sour cream, and heat until the mixture thickens. Transfer the steak and any juices that have collected on the plate to the skillet, and add the remaining salt and pepper. Heat until warmed through.

Spoon the steak strips and mushroom sauce over the rice and sprinkle with the parsley.

Tip: If you don't have a stash of sherry, you can substitute another fortified wine, such as Madeira, Marsala, or port.

Grilled Chicken with Sesame-Ginger Sauce

Here's another recipe I tried from the Essential EatingWell Cookbook. Instead of grilling, I baked the chicken at 425F for about 30 minutes since I don't have a griller at home. I didn't have time to do the sauce, but the dish was delicious without it.

Marinade:
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano chile or jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional for me)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves trimmed of fat (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lbs total)

1. Make Sesame-Ginger Sauce.
2. Combine marinade in a large plastic bag. Add chicken and seal bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate, turning once or twice, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat grill.
4. Remove chicken from marinade and discard plastic bag and any remaining marinade. Oil the grill rack. Grill chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. Thinly slice chicken and top with sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

Sesame Ginger Sauce

This Asian sauce is delicious with grilled chicken, fish , tofu or vegetables. The quantity of ginger may seem generous, but it is strained before serving, leaving a delicate infusion. You can use a food processor or mini processor to speed up the mincing.

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup minced fresh ginger
2-3 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Heat canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and sugar to taste; cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. (Add a little water if the mixture seems dry.) Remove from heat; add 1/3 cup water, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Strain sauce through a fine sieve. Stir in scallions and serve. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Make ahead: The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Sake Ginger Glazed Salmon

Here's another delicious dish from Simply Recipes, which I prepared for dinner tonight. I should be cooking more fish and vegetable dishes. I didn't have sake so I used rice wine.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free or wheat-free soy sauce for wheat-free version)
1/2 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
2 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
A dash of red chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 pounds of salmon fillets
Olive oil

Method

1 Mix the soy sauce, sake, mirin, ginger, garlic, chile flakes, and sugar in a medium bowl. Place the salmon fillets in a sturdy freezer bag. Pour about the marinade into the freezer bag with the fish. Seal the freezer bag and place in a baking dish (so that if the bag leaks it doesn't get all over your fridge). Place in your refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

2a Grilling method
Brush the grill grates with olive oil; pre-heat your grill to medium heat. Remove salmon from bag, reserving the marinade. Place salmon either directly on the grill grate, or on a piece of aluminum foil (brushed with olive oil) over the grill grate, skin side down. Brush frequently with the marinade glaze, cook the salmon 10-20 minutes (depending on thickness of the fillets), until easily flaked with a fork.

2b Pan frying method
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the salmon and reserve the marinade. Fry the salmon 4 to 5 minutes per side, basting frequently with the marinade. Serve once the salmon is cooked through and is easily flaked with a fork.

2c Baking method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Brush the top of the foil with olive oil. Drain the salmon and reserve the marinade. Place salmon on the foil, skin side down. Bake for 10-20 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are, basting frequently with the marinade, until the salmon is easily flaked with a fork.

3 If you have some remaining marinade, you can heat it in a small saucepan until simmering. Remove from heat and pour into a small gravy boat for serving with the salmon. This is optional.

Serves 4.

EatingWell’s Oven-Fried Chicken

My sister subscribed to EatingWell magazines before and she would share some copies with me. She even gave me a cook book, which I unfortunately lost during one of our moves. I borrowed an EatingWell cookbook from the library the other day. It's not the same as the cook book I lost, but the recipes seem worth trying.

I bought a pack of chicken thighs and made three meals out of it. This is one of them. My son loved it so this is one of our family favorites now. I served this with Garlic Steamed Broccoli (see recipe below).

The second meal I made from the pack of chicken thighs is our trusty Adobo. The third meal is another recipe from Eating Well. I'm still marinating it so we'll see if it will pass my family's test.

Photo and recipe from Eating Well's website.

1/2 cup buttermilk (see Tip)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used 1 tsp dry mustard powder)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
2 1/2-3 pounds chicken legs, skin removed, trimmed and cut into thighs and drumsticks
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

1. Whisk buttermilk, mustard, garlic and hot sauce in a shallow glass dish until well blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, sesame seeds, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the flour mixture in a paper bag or large sealable plastic bag. Shaking off excess marinade, place one or two pieces of chicken at a time in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess flour and place the chicken on the prepared rack. (Discard any leftover flour mixture and marinade.) Spray the chicken pieces with cooking spray.
4. Bake the chicken until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 40 to 50 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 226 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 130 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 34 g protein; 1 g fiber; 353 mg sodium; 423 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Potassium (21% daily value).
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1/3 starch, 4 very lean protein, 1 1/2 fat

TIP: Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours.

Garlic Steamed Broccoli

This is a healthy way of cooking broccoli and you don't even need a steamer basket! This recipe is from Food Network.

Ingredients:

• One head of broccoli
• A splash of olive oil
• A clove or two of thinly sliced garlic
• A splash of water
• A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the broccoli into florets discarding the tough stems. Splash enough water into the bottom of a small saucepot to cover the bottom about 1/4 inch deep. Add the oil, garlic and salt then begin heating over a medium high heat. In a few moments - when the water starts to simmer - add the broccoli and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid.
2. Steam until the broccoli is tender and bright green, about five minutes. The water should finish evaporating just as the broccoli finishes cooking. Remove the pan from the heat and give it a good shake. Serve immediately.