Orange Chicken with Turnip Puree and Cabbage

Source

Improvised

Taste 4 (out of 5)

Difficulty 2 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 12 oz / 350 g turnip (100 cal)

- 1 lb / 450 g cabbage (110 cal)

- 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (220 cal)

- 1 garlic clove, minced (5 cal)

- 1/2 cup orange juice (55 cal)

- 1 cup chicken broth (10 cal)

- 1 tsp agave nectar (20 cal)

- 1/4 cup milk (30 cal)

- 1 tsp canola oil (40 cal)

- 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

- 1/2 tsp soy sauce

- 1/2 tsp dried basil

- salt and pepper to taste

Total 590 cal, 2 servings, 295 cal/serving

Instructions

1. Saute the minced garlic clove in 1 tsp of canola oil for about 3 minutes, stirring. Add the chicken and cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes. In the meantime mix together the orange juice with the balsamic vinegar, the soy sauce, 1/3 cup of the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Flip the chicken, pour the sauce over it and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

2. Peel the turnips and chop into 1/2 inch cubes. Boil water, add the turnips and salt to taste and cook on medium high heat until soft, for about 20 minutes. Drain the water, add the milk and using an emersion blender mash the turnips.

3. Cut cabbage into 1/4 inch-wide slices. Cook on medium heat with 2/3 cup of chicken broth for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp agave nectar, salt and pepper to taste, stir well and cook for 5 more minutes, until the cabbage softens a little.

4. All the ingredients should be ready in about the same time. Enjoy.

Afterthoughts

I like it: it’s a combination of sweet and salty, it’s healthy, it has the variety and the vitamins and all in less than 30 minutes and 300 calories.

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Shrimp, Corn and Baked Zucchini

Source

Improvised

Taste 4 (out of 5)

Difficulty 1 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 2 oz / 60 g shrimp (50 cal)

- 1 oz/ 30 g corn (25 cal)

- 1 garlic clove (5 cal)

- 1 tsp canola oil (40 cal)

- 1/4 cup chicken broth (5 cal)

- 1/2 medium zucchini (15 cal)

- 1 tsp sauerkraut

- 1 tsp yogurt (5 cal)

- dried basil, salt and pepper to taste

Total 225 cal, 1 serving

Instructions

1. Cut the zucchini in 4 slices lengthwise, brush the top with a little bit of oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried basil, and bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 20 minutes. I used half of the zucchini (2 slices) for this recipe, but having the full zucchini would only add 15 calories.

2. In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan, finely chop the garlic and saute for about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the shrimps and the corn and cook for 5 more minutes on low-medium heat.

4. Season with dried basil, salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth if the shrimp sticks to the pan (the broth has much less calories than oil or butter, and works pretty well for sauteing). Cook for 5-10 more minutes until done.

5. The shrimp and the zucchini should be done at about the same time. Serve with yogurt (for zucchini) and sauerkraut, or whatever else you prefer.

Afterthoughts

An easy, quick and light meal. Very nice if you’re watching your calories, and even if you don’t.

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Smetannik - Russian Sour Cream Cake

Source

Attempt to recreate an old grandma's recipe

Taste 5 (out of 5)

Difficulty 4 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 3 cups flour (1350 cal)

- 1 cup/ 230 g sour cream (480 cal)

- 2/3 cups sugar (1660 cal)

- 1/4 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

For the cream

- 1 cup/ 230 g sour cream (480 cal)

- 2/3 cups sugar (1660 cal)

Total 5630 cal, 9 servings 625 cal/serving

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients and divide in 4 equal parts.

2. Shape 4 balls with your hands. Roll out into rounds and cut based on the size of a large plate.

3. Bake each layer separately for 12 minutes at 450F.

4. Cover each chilled layer with cream and stack on top each other.

5. Let the ready cake rest in the refrigerator at least overnight, possibly longer - it only gets better with age.

Afterthoughts

- I rolled the layers out too thin, so I ended up with 5. As a result they were too crispy, began to puff up like pitas in places, and did not absorb the cream as expected. I believe that if I stick to the plan of 4 layers next time, the results will be better.

- Taste-wise, an amazing cake, just the right combination of sweetness and a tartness. I will be making more of them.

- Might try no-fat sour cream, though, to make it a bit less scary...625 calories...

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Savory Bread Pudding

Source

Improvised

Taste 3 (out of 5)

Difficulty 1 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 1 lb stale bread (600 cal)

- 1 cup milk (130 cal)

- 1 egg (70 cal)

- 2 egg whites (30 cal)

- 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes (135 cal)

- 2 tbsp tomato paste (20 cal)

- 1 tbsp dijon mustard (30 cal)

- 1 oz / 30 g feta cheese (100 cal)

- 2 garlic cloves, minced (10 cal)

- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

- salt and pepper to taste

Total 1125 cal, 6 servings, 188 cal/serving

Instructions

1. Cut the bread into 1/2 (1 cm) inch cubes.

2. Mix all other ingredients well and pour over the bread. Mix a little more to make sure that all the bread is covered well.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F. In the meantime, let the bread stand and soak in the flavors and soften.

4. Bake in a 6’’x7’’ lightly greased dish for about 30 minutes.

Afterthoughts

- It works instead of bread or as a side dish.

- Other flavors on can add: olives, pumpkin seeds, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese to sprinkle on top, za’atar, and pretty much whatever you like.

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Beet Potato Salad - a Russian Vinigret

Source

Home sweet home

Taste 4 (out of 5)

Difficulty 2 (out of 5) - lots of chop chop chop

Ingredients

- 3 medium beets (105 cal)

- 3 medium carrots (75 cal)

- 3 medium potatoes (490 cal)

- 1 medium red onion (60 cal)

- 6 large pickled cucumbers (30 cal)

- 3 tbsp olive oil (360 cal)

- salt and pepper to taste

Total 1120 cal, 8 servings, 140 cal/serving

Instructions

1. Boil the beets, the carrots and the potatoes without removing the skin, until done.

2. Let cool, peel and slice all the vegetables into 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) cubes.

3. Mix well, add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Afterthoughts

It looks festive because of the bright red color, but is quite easy to make, except for the chopping time.

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Apple Muffins

Source

Adapted from The Stone Soup blog

Taste 5 (out of 5)

Difficulty 2 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 2 cups/ 9 oz/ 250g all purpose flour (910 cal)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3.5 oz/ 100g brown sugar (380 cal)

- 2.5 oz/ 75 g agave nectar (280 cal)
- 2.5 oz/ 75g non-hydrogenated margarine (560 cal)
- 7 oz/ 200g non fat yogurt (90 cal)
- 1/2 cup low fat milk (65 cal)
- 2 eggs (140 cal)
- 7 oz/ 180g/ 1 large Granny Smith apple (95 cal)

Total 2520 cal, 9 large or 18 small muffins, 140 cal/ small muffin

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Combine all ingredients except apples and mix, preferably with an electric mixer, until smooth. Peel the apple and slice into 1/4 inch cubes. Add to the dough.

3. Grease muffin tins and pour in the mixture.

4. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until muffins are lightly golden and feel firm and spring back when you push them gently on the top.

Afterthoughts

Very nice muffins. Can be made into a loaf as well.

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Hawaiian Pizza

Source

Improvised

Taste 4 (out of 5)

Difficulty 3 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 2 pieces of Hawaiian style chicken with sauce (360 cal)

- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks (80 cal)

- 2 oz/ 55 g coarsely shredded mozzarella cheese (200 cal)

- pizza dough for a 12’’ pizza (I used Peter Reinhart’s Napoletana dough recipe)(500 cal)

Total 1140 cal, 2 servings, 570 cal/ serving

Instructions

1. Cook the sauce in a small sauce pan over low heat until thickens and reduces by half.

2. Roll out the pizza dough to 12’’ diameter. Place the dough on a pizza peel lined with a parchment paper. Spread the sauce over the pizza crust, place the chicken and the pineapple chunks, and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top.

3. Slide the pizza with the parchment paper onto the hot baking stone.

4. Bake for 8 minutes in an oven preheated to 550F.

Afterthoughts

A very good pizza, I liked it way better than the original chicken recipe :-).

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Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Source

Improvised

Taste 4 (out of 5)

Difficulty 1 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 1/2 lb/225 g brussels sprouts (100 cal)

- 1 slice red onion (5 cal)

- 1 garlic clove (5 cal)

- 1 oz/ 28 g coarsely shredded mozzarella cheese (100 cal)

- 1 tsp canola oil (40 cal)

- 1/2 cup chicken stock (5 cal)

- 1/2 tsp dried basil

- salt and pepper to taste

Total 255 cal, 1 serving

Instructions

1. Finely chop the onion and the garlic and saute on medium heat with 1 tsp of canola oil for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

2. Chop the brussels sprouts into 1/4 inch slices (about 4 slices each) and add them to the garlic. Add the chicken stock, season with basil, salt and pepper, and let cook, stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes.

3. Arrange on the plate and sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella.

Afterthoughts

Makes a very nice, light and healthy, but filling meal. Can also be served as a side, but then you can probably use only half of the amount.

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Hawaiian-Style Slow Cooked Chicken

Originally I called this recipe Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken, but Karen kindly corrected me that Huli means turn, and Huli Huli only applies to grilled chiken. Ooops.... See Karen's comment for more good advice on this recipe.

Source

Inspired by the Recipezaar Hawaiian Slow Cooker Chicken

Taste 3 (out of 5)

Difficulty 3 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 5 skinless boneless chicken thighs (550 cal)

- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (80 cal)

- 3 tbsp agave nectar (180 cal)

- 3 tbsp lemon juice (10 cal)

- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (5 cal)

- 1/2 tsp minced garlic (5 cal)

- 2 tsp dijon mustard (20 cal)

- 1 tbsp soy sauce (10 cal)

- 2 tbsp tomato paste (20 cal)

- 1 tbsp cabernet wine sauce (20 cal)

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- 1 tsp ground orange zest

Total 900 cal (350 cal sauce), 5 servings, 180 cal/serving

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients well. Place the chicken thighs in a ziplock plastic bag, pour half of the sauce into the bag, seal, and mix well to make sure all the chicken is coated. Marinade in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the chicken in an oven proof lidded pan (I used Pyrex). Pour the remainder of the sauce evenly over the chicken. Bake for an hour then reduce the oven heat to 300F and bake for another hour.

3. Serve over rice. I added a little bit of the pineapple juice and small pineapple chunks to my brown rice mix 10 minutes before it was done, for an additional tropical effect. I also seasoned the rice with turmeric and paprika to make it orangish.

Afterthoughts

- The chicken was not as soft as I would have expected after 2 hours in the oven. Next time I might try baking it for one more hour. It might also be worth trying removing the lid for the last hour, to reduce the sauce.

- There is plenty of sauce, so the amount of sauce in this recipe can be used with more chicken (I only had 5 thighs left).

- Might be interesting to try the sauce without the tomato paste, it would turn out more golden I guess.

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Veggies with Indian Style Mango Sauce

Source

Improvised

Taste 3 (out of 5)

Difficulty 3 (out of 5)

Ingredients

- 1 lb/450 g vegetable mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

- 1 potato

For the mango sauce

- 1 mango

- 1 onion

- 1 tomato

- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro

- 1 tsp minced garlic

- 1/2 tsp minced ginger

- 1/2 tsp mustard

- 1/2 tsp turmeric

- 1/4 tsp curry powder

- 1/4 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp paprika

- 1 tbsp oil

Instructions

1. For the sauce: Peel and roughly chop the onion, the mango and the tomato. Saute the onion in oil on low heat with garlic and ginger and golden brown. Add all other ingredients and cook for 15 more minutes on low heat. Remove from the stove heat puree in a blender.

2. Cut the potato into 1 inch cubes and cook in water for about 20 minutes. Then add the other vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes until almost done. Drain the water. Add the sauce and cook for 10 more minutes on low heat.

3. Serve over rice. Can be combined with other dishes (such as lentil dhal in the picture).

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