Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken

I found this recipe in the February 4, 2013 issue of People magazine. It was included in an article on Paula Deen and her family and all the weight they’ve lost. This is from Bobby Deen’s new cookbook From Mama’s Table to Mine. Does anybody else feel the need to lose a few pounds?

Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken

1/3 cup 1% buttermilk
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
4 (12-oz.) skinless, bone-in chicken breasts
Vegetable cooking spray
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese

Whisk together buttermilk, chives, mustard and hot sauce. Add chicken to bowl; cover, refrigerate and allow to soak at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Remove chicken from buttermilk; season with salt and pepper. Combine bread crumbs and cheese in a wide, shallow bowl. Dip chicken in crumb mixture, turning well to coat. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet; spray generously with cooking spray. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

Makes 4 servings, at 342 calories per serving.

Egg Salad

I found this recipe typed on a yellowed piece of paper. The note says it comes from Weight Watchers, a company that is always a good source for calorie-conscious recipes. I have several of their cookbooks and also keep some microwave meals in the freezer for those time-crunch times.

Egg Salad

2 eggs, hard-cooked and chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon reduced-calorie mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons diced green or red bell pepper
Dash salt
Dash white pepper

In a bowl, combine eggs with mayonnaise and mustard. Add celery, diced pepper, salt and pepper.

Makes 1 serving, at 213 calories.

Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges

This is another recipe from the newspaper archives. I have no idea which newspaper but I love cinnamon and apples so that makes it wonderful to me.

This is the original recipe. It says to serve this with pancakes. That’s fine. I prefer putting it over ice cream or even just eating the Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges as a dessert. Put it in individual glass dishes, maybe add a dollop of sugar-free whipped topping, and you’ve got a wonderfully elegant dessert that won’t pack on the calories.

Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges

1 can (6-oz.) frozen, unsweetened cider concentrate
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt (optional)
3 unpeeled McIntosh eating apples, cored and cut in thin wedges

Defrost, but do not dilute cider concentrate. Thoroughly mix all ingredients, except apples, in saucepan. Cook and stir over moderate heat until mixture simmers and thickens.

Stir in apple wedges and simmer just until tender and heated through but not soft and overcooked.

Serve hot over pancakes.

Makes enough to top 10 pancakes, adds 60 calories to each.

Diet-Delight Three-Cheese Rotelle

This recipe comes from the October 1990 issue of Redbook magazine. It’s for those of us who love pasta but really need to watch our weight.

Diet-Delight Three-Cheese Rotelle

8 oz. tricolor rotelle (corkscrew) pasta
¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ cup skim milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 cup coarsely grated low-fat Swiss cheese, about 4 oz.
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil springs, optional

Prepare rotelle according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, process ricotta and milk until smooth; set aside. In 1-quart nonstick saucepan over medium heat, heat oil; add onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Pour ricotta mixture into saucepan. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring until heated through.

Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Toss well with ricotta mixture, Swiss cheese, parsley, chopped basil, grated Parmesan, chives, orange peel and pepper.

Garnish with fresh basil springs to serve, if desired.

Makes 6 servings, at 273 calories per serving.

Waist Watchers' Cheese-and-Chilies Nacho Pie

This recipe comes from the October 1990 Redbook magazine. Well, I do tend to hang on to things. And the headline is correct. I expected That first word to be weight, just like you probably did. Well, it doesn’t matter where the recipe comes from. Good and low-calorie make it wonderful!

Waist Watchers’ Cheese-and-Chilies Nacho Pie

1 large fresh, ripe tomato, diced (about 1 cup)
4 large scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 4-oz. can mild green chilies, chopped and well drained
½ cup coarsely grated low-fat Cheddar cheese (about 2 oz.)
½ cup coarsely grated low-far Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 oz.)
6 large corn tortillas
½ cup bottled mild chunky salsa, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium-size bowl, combine tomato, scallions, green chilies and grated cheeses.

Place two tortillas in a shallow 9-inch casserole or pie plate to overlap; spoon one-third tomato mixture over tortillas. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and tomato mixture.

Cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer until cheese is melted and pie is heated through.

Cut into wedges to serve, accompanied by salsa, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving without salsa has 210 calories,

Spinach Frittata

Lately it seems that I’m always on the hung for low calorie recipes. This is one of them. I don’t know where it came from. All I have is a faded newspaper clipping. But it’s a good recipe. And it’s also quick and easy. That’s a wonderful combination these days.

Spinach Frittata

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced onion

¾ cup liquid egg substitute

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped cooked spinach, very well drained

Heat oil in 8-inch skillet or omelet pan. Add onion and cook until transparent and tender.

Combine egg substitute with 2 tablespoons cheese, oregano, pepper and spinach. Mix well.

Pour egg mixture into skillet with onion and cook over very low heat until edges are lightly browned. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over top and place under broiler until cheese is lightly browned. Cut into wedges.

Makes 4 servings.

106 calories per serving.