New Year, New Dishes: Time to Lighten the Load

Start the new year with leaner options.

Lean proteins and vegetables packed with flavor provide a delicious start to the year. JeanMarie Brownson/TCA

After a recent move, we realize it’s time to lighten the load. The excess books, knickknacks, and record albums need to go, but so do the pounds. As a trained chef and recipe developer, I cook and eat all the right foods. The trouble is, I eat too much. A new year offers the opportunity to make a few adjustments.

Cutting the fat, for example. Move over, holiday beef roasts and party-friendly chicken wings. Embrace lean proteins instead. Stock a container full of cooked, highly-flavored, portion-controlled items such as chicken tenders, salmon filets, or thinly sliced pork tenderloin. A brief stay in a spicy yogurt marinade renders these cuts delicious when eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature.

A sheet pan full of roasted vegetables, made luxurious with olive oil and salt, proves so good that we usually overeat. While the air-fryer uses less oil, though not none, eating the same vegetables raw sparks feelings of self-pity. To solve this, blanch or steam the vegetables for a deeper flavor and a more satisfying mouthfeel.

Blanch vegetables in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Start with the lightest colored vegetables, such as cauliflower. Remove them with a slotted spoon when they are crisp-tender and drain in a colander. Next, cook carrots, followed by broccoli, snap peas, or asparagus. Save the flavorful cooking water as a base for vegetable soup.

To keep those vegetables as tempting as a salty snack, serve them with a spicy dip for dunking. Instead of sour cream, use protein-rich plain Greek yogurt as the base. To temper the yogurt’s tang, add a spicy red chile sauce such as harissa, a Moroccan staple. Alternatively, stir in Asian red chili sauce with garlic, or a tablespoon of red chile hot sauce, such as peri-peri.

Dark green, leafy vegetables, such as baby kale and spinach, offer fiber and a satisfying chew.

To keep salads tempting, experiment with homemade dressings; not only do they taste better, but the cook controls the amount of sugar, salt, and other additives.

I make a double recipe of the lemon vinaigrette that follows. Some will dress green salads, the rest will perk up canned beans for a protein-packed, winter-friendly salad suitable for on-the-go lunches. Tender white beans, mixed with toothsome garbanzo beans, readily absorb the vinaigrette, making them flavorful. Chopped cucumbers and red onion add crunch. For added protein and satisfying goodness, stir in fresh mozzarella pearls or diced firm tofu. A can of flaked tuna fish is another option. For dinner, warm up the bean salad briefly in the microwave, then slice the spicy chicken sausage.

Ultimately, this new year ahead, eat the good stuff—just not too much or too often. Your load will lighten.

Ginger and Lemongrass Chicken Strips

Serves 6

Note: Use this same marinade on salmon filet or 1/2-inch thick slices of pork tenderloin. Cook as directed in step

• 1 carton (5.3 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon each: refrigerated ginger paste, refrigerated lemongrass puree
• 1 teaspoon each: curry powder, salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne, optional
• 2 pounds raw chicken breast tenders or 1 inch wide strips of boneless skinless chicken breast
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients except chicken and cilantro in a medium-size glass or stainless steel bowl. Add chicken and stir well to coat on all sides. Refrigerate covered at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Heat oven to 425 degrees F on convection setting or 450 degrees F on conventional setting. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Arrange the chicken (with the marinade that clings to it) on the baking sheet in a single, uncrowded layer.

Bake chicken, without turning, until slightly firm when pressed, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm sprinkled with cilantro. Or, refrigerate covered up to three days.

Red Chile Yogurt Dip

Makes about 1 cup

Note: Serve this dip with blanched vegetables or use as a spread on turkey rollups.

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon harissa sauce or red chile garlic sauce
• Grated rind of 1 small lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate 15 minutes or so before serving.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes about 1/2 cup

• Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons each: olive oil, canola oil, white wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon each: Dijon mustard, salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Grate the lemon rind into a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until salt dissolves. Refrigerate up to three days. Use at room temperature.

Winter Bean Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette

Serves 6

• 1 can (14.5 ounces) each, drained: garbanzo beans, white beans
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1/4 cup diced red onion, well rinsed
• 1/2 cup Lemon vinaigrette, see recipe, OR red wine vinaigrette
• 1/2 teaspoon each, dried: basil, oregano
• 2 cups halved, multi-colored cherry or grape tomatoes
• 8 ounces mozzarella pearls or diced firm tofu
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion tops, cilantro or a combination

Optional:

• 1 can (12 ounces) tuna fish, drained or 3 links fully cooked Italian or roasted red pepper chicken sausage, thinly sliced

Mix beans, cucumber, red onion, vinaigrette, basil, and oregano in a large glass bowl. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Or refrigerate up to one day.

Stir in tomatoes, mozzarella and green onions. Taste and adjust salt. Serve. Alternatively, stir in optional tuna OR, stir in sliced sausage and microwave on high (100 percent powder), stirring once or twice, until warm, 2 to 3 minutes.

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