From Mama's Table to Mine (17 page)

Authors: Bobby Deen

BOOK: From Mama's Table to Mine

2.96Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Cajun Sliders

These sliders bring me right back down South every time I make them. Just jumping with that famous Cajun flavor mix of garlic, bell peppers, oregano, and thyme and spiced with good Louisiana hot sauce, these sliders are not for the faint of heart. If spice is not your thing, though, feel free to skip or reduce the hot sauce in the spread. These mini sandwiches will still make you feel like you took a detour to the Bayou on your lunch break.
Serves 4

6 ounces 93% lean ground turkey

6 ounces 95% lean ground beef

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, plus extra for the vegetables

¼ teaspoon hot sauce

½ red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 8 strips

4 round onion slices (from 1 small onion)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fat-free mayonnaise (or use low-fat; optional)

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

4 small sandwich buns

1.
Preheat the broiler. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.
In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, beef, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and the hot sauce. Form the mixture into 4 fat patties (a little wider than the buns).

3.
Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook the patties, covered, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes total.

4.
Meanwhile, place the bell pepper strips and onion slices on the prepared baking sheet. Season with a pinch of the extra Cajun seasoning and lightly spray with cooking spray. Broil, without turning, until browned along the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

5.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and mustard and spread on the inside of each bun. Put a patty on the bottom of each bun, top with an onion slice and 2 strips of bell pepper crossed over each other, and cover with the top bun.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 15g fat, 310 calories
After: 4g fat, 272 calories

21g protein | 28g carbohydrate | 3g fiber | 419mg sodium

The Spice of Life

While the Cajun seasoning in these sliders does add a bit of sodium to your dish, it is also a sensational diet aid. I’m not kidding, folks! When you add bold flavors like this to your dishes, you’ll feel more satisfied after eating. A concentrated hit of flavor is a great way to make sure that you don’t keep going back for more.

Open-Face Elvis Sandwiches

Elvis Presley brought us this decadent delight, and I just couldn’t resist creating my own slimmed-down version. The sweet and creamy peanut butter and banana are heaven when paired with crispy, salty bacon. My nephews and I like to enjoy this sandwich with an ice-cold glass of milk.
Serves 4

4 slices light stone-ground whole-wheat bread

¼ cup low-fat creamy peanut butter

2 small bananas, thinly sliced

2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1.
Preheat the broiler and position a rack in the top of the oven.

2.
Spread each slice of bread with peanut butter and top with banana slices. Sprinkle the bacon and brown sugar over the bananas.

3.
Place the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until the sugar is golden and the bread is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully to see that the bread does not burn).

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 23g fat, 336 calories
After: 8g fat, 245 calories

10g protein | 39g carbohydrate | 7g fiber | 349mg sodium

Chicken Salad with a Twist

What’s the twist? A little bit of mango chutney mixed in with the mayo, that’s what. The chutney adds just the right sweet taste to the spicy hot sauce and bright lemon juice. This chicken salad sandwich is so good that sometimes I even skip the bread and serve it wrapped up in a lettuce leaf. I mean, go on ahead and sandwich this delicious salad between two slices if you’re craving some carbs, but I highly suggest you give it a whirl scooped into some Boston lettuce leaves. The crunchy lettuce leaf is a perfect complement to this rich, flavorful chicken salad.
Serves 4

2 cups finely chopped cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast

⅓ cup light mayonnaise

¼ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup mango chutney

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onions

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

¾ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

5 dashes of hot sauce

8 slices low-calorie whole-wheat bread or 8 large Boston lettuce leaves

In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, mayonnaise, celery, chutney, red onions, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and hot sauce. Serve sandwiched between bread slices or spooned into Boston lettuce leaves.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Using Bread

Before: 31g fat, 483 calories
After: 12g fat, 282 calories

26g protein | 29g carbohydrate | 2g fiber | 498mg sodium

Using Lettuce

Before: 31g fat, 483 calories
After: 6g fat, 196 calories

23g protein | 11g carbohydrate | 0g fiber | 350mg sodium

Love My Leftovers

This chicken salad is a perfect place to use my leftover
Sunday Roast Chicken
. Since I always roast more chicken than I could possibly eat in one sitting, it’s the meal that keeps on giving throughout the whole week.

Hummus Veggie Wrap

Now I have to admit, I didn’t come across chickpeas too often when I was growing up in Albany, Georgia. But when I did discover them, I absolutely fell for their rich, nutty flavor. Then I found out they were packed full of fiber, protein, and zinc as well as being low in fat. By whipping them up into a hummus spread, you can enjoy them on all sorts of things. But this veggie wrap has got to be one of my favorite ways to savor this versatile bean.
Serves 6

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons sesame tahini

2 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon paprika

Salt, as needed

6 (8-inch) low-carb tortillas

1½ cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce leaves

¾ cup coarsely chopped red bell peppers

¾ cup coarsely chopped peeled cucumbers

1.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, and yogurt. Pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely chopped. Add the oil in a thin stream and process until smooth. Season with the paprika and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

2.
Lay a tortilla on a work surface in front of you. Slather with 3 tablespoons of the hummus. Top with ¼ cup of the lettuce, 2 tablespoons of the bell peppers, and 2 tablespoons of the cucumbers. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up over the filling. Fold in the sides, then roll up. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, hummus, and vegetables.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 25g fat, 524 calories
After: 12g fat, 266 calories

10g protein | 32g carbohydrate | 17g fiber | 546mg sodium

Nutritional count does not include salt as needed.

Wrap It Quick

If you’re short on time, go ahead and use store-bought hummus instead of making your own. That way you’ll be able to get a nutritious and tasty lunch on the table even faster.

CHAPTER 7

Serve Up the Sides

WHILE I WOULD PROBABLY NEVER be satisfied with a solitary plate of veggies as my meal, I would also never consider a meal complete without veggies. In fact, I sometimes get a craving for a particular side dish and I use that as the starting point for my meal by grilling up a piece of fish or chicken and laying it right on top of my warm veggies, turning my side dish into a meal.

If there is one side that I could easily accept as my main meal, it would have to be French fries. I have to admit that they are my weakness. During the week, I satisfy that weakness by making my
Oven Cheese Fries
. Because they are roasted, they aren’t greasy, making for a lighter, healthier alternative to fries that still tastes out of this world. Mostly, though, I turn to sweet potatoes and yams for my potato fix because they make me feel full longer. That’s important when you have an active lifestyle like mine.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
are at the top of my snack list.

In the South, we love our dark green vegetables like collards, kale, spinach, and broccoli. And that’s a good thing, too. Turns out these are just about the best vegetables for you. Loaded with iron, calcium, folate, fiber, and vitamins A and C, these leafy greens are a powerhouse for the body. It doesn’t get any more Southern than my
Big Ol’ Pot of Greens
. But while the traditional Southern cook might have these going on the stove from morning till night, I’ve streamlined the process for the busy workweek. After only twenty minutes, these greens are silky, smoky, and spicy and so, so good for you.

Of course, I couldn’t leave out beans and rice in the chapter on sides. They are a mainstay of the Southern diet and they still feature prominently in mine. Thank goodness I found a way to lighten up hoppin’ John. Old Southern tradition tells us to eat a bowl of this tasty bean dish on New Year’s Day to ensure good luck throughout the year. Hopefully, my healthy
Hoppin’ John
will bring you good luck
and
good health. You’ll be surprised by how rich and decadent tasting lightened-up
Dirty Rice
is. If you haven’t had the pleasure of savoring this Southern specialty before, you’re not going to want to miss this one.

And what meal would be complete without some
Real Southern Corn Bread
? Without corn bread, there’s no way to sop up the delicious gravies and sauces on the plate. We Southerners don’t like to let a scrap of food go to waste, and corn bread certainly helps us out in that regard.

Creamed Spinach

When I allow myself a splurge and I hit a steak house with the guys, creamed spinach is an absolute must-order. There is just nothing like a big, juicy rib-eye steak served with a heaping helping of creamed spinach. Well, now I can have my creamed spinach at home and feel good about it. I was able to find a way to make this side dish lighter and healthier with fat-free Greek yogurt, giving me the room in my diet to indulge in that tasty steak sitting right beside it.
Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt (or use low-fat; optional)

2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese (or use low-fat; optional)

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice