The Greek Yogurt Miracle Solution (10 page)

Serves 8

Hands-on Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes + 1 hour marinating time

This popular Indian-restaurant favourite is a crowd-pleaser but full of fat and calories thanks to oil, butter and cream. Indian cuisine is all about building layers of flavour with fragrant spices. Don't be put off by the number of ingredients in this recipe; it is really simple to make. Most of it can also be prepared in advance for a quick and easy weeknight dinner

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2–inch cubes

1/4 tsp salt

Marinade

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

Sauce

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp almond butter

1 1/2 cups passata

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 tbsp honey

1/2 cup non-fat evaporated milk

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp dried fenugreek

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Prepare marinade: In a large bowl, combine garlic, lemon juice, yogurt, ginger, garam masala, cumin, chili powder and turmeric to form a paste. Add chicken and mix well, gently rubbing marinade into meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce: In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until medium golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add garam masala, coriander, chili powder and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in almond butter, passata, stock and honey and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until thickened. [
Make-ahead:
Marinate chicken and prepare sauce to this point up to 24 hours in advance. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat before proceeding with recipe.]

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place marinated chicken on prepared baking sheet (discard marinade), season with 1/4 tsp salt and mist with cooking spray. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, until just browned.

Stir evaporated milk, yogurt and fenugreek into sauce until smooth. Add cooked chicken and pan juices, stirring to coat chicken. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, until chicken is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over brown basmati rice and top with cilantro and toasted almonds, with warm whole-wheat naan on the side.

Per Serving

Before: 592 calories, 33.6 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 248 calories, 7.2 g total fat

Nutritional information: 1 g saturated fat, 14.2 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fibre, 7.5 g sugar, 31.1 g protein, 296 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol

Serves 6

Hands-on Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list; you can make most of this vegetarian dish ahead of time. I've saved calories by not frying the tortillas, and by using low-fat cheddar, non-fat Greek yogurt and a healthier filling.

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 tbsp whole-wheat or brown rice flour

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 canned chipotle pepper, minced, plus 2 tsp adobo sauce

2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups passata

1 tbsp honey

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Black Bean Filling

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium jalapeño pepper, minced

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 can (15 oz/398 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups canned unsalted diced tomatoes

1/4 cup passata

1 tbsp honey

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Assembly

12 6-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups shredded low-fat aged cheddar cheese

3 green onions, thinly sliced

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

Prepare sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and light golden brown. Add flour, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, stock, passata and honey, stirring until incorporated and smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare black bean filling: Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and onion is light golden brown. Add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans, tomatoes, passata and honey and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bell pepper and corn. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

To assemble enchiladas, evenly spread one-third of prepared sauce in a 9- × 13-inch baking dish. On a clean work surface, arrange tortillas in a single layer. Place some rice, bean mixture and cheese (saving some for the topping) in the centre of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla over filling into a cylinder shape and arrange seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, cover with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and hot throughout. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden. To serve, garnish with green onions and cilantro and serve with yogurt on the side.

Per Serving

Before: 848 calories, 42 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 556 calories, 12.4 g total fat

Nutritional information: 3.3 g saturated fat, 85.4 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fibre, 2 g sugar, 31.3 g protein, 354 mg sodium, 97 mg cholesterol

Serves 8 (makes 22 to 24 pieces)

Hands-on Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Kids big and small love chicken nuggets. They're the ultimate convenience food for busy families. Boxed versions, though, are highly processed and also pack a fat-laden punch. My version of nuggets will fool even the savviest of connoisseurs.

Chicken Nuggets

2 1/2 cups
Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs
(gluten-free, if desired)

3/4 cup egg whites (about 6 large)

3/4 cup 1% buttermilk

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 cup whole-wheat or brown rice flour

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1- to 2-inch chunks

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Honey Mustard Sauce

1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup yellow or Dijon mustard

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place panko in a shallow dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, buttermilk and cayenne. Place flour in a shallow bowl.

In a food processor, pulse chicken, onion powder, Italian herbs, salt and pepper until chicken is coarsely ground or minced; do not purée. Transfer to a bowl.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top. Spray rack with cooking spray.

Using a 1-tbsp measuring spoon or disher (a small ice cream scoop), scoop chicken into balls about 1 1/2 tbsp each. Drop 1 chicken ball into flour and coat completely. Shake off excess flour and gently flatten into a 1/2-inch-thick oval. Dip in egg wash, then panko. Gently press panko into nugget on all sides. Repeat egg wash and breading steps to double-coat nugget. Place nugget on baking rack. Repeat breading procedure, working with 2 or 3 nuggets at a time. Lightly mist nuggets with cooking spray.

Bake nuggets in centre of oven for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and carefully flip each nugget, misting again with cooking spray. Return to oven and bake for another 5 minutes, until crispy on all sides.

While nuggets are baking, prepare sauce: Whisk together yogurt, honey, mustard, chives, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Per Serving

Before: 558 calories, 26 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 233 calories, 2.7 g total fat

Nutritional information: 0.5 g saturated fat, 31.2 g carbohydrates, 1.8 g fibre, 27.4 g sugar, 21.6 g protein, 480 mg sodium, 35 mg cholesterol

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes + 30 minutes soaking time

Traditionally battered and deep-fried fish served with deep-fried potatoes and a mayonnaise-based sauce is not something you want to add to your weekly dinner rotation. But instead of batter, which would be virtually impossible to bake, I make a crispy golden coating with brown rice crisp cereal to help mimic the beer-battered fried texture. You'll never miss the mayo in the tangy tartar sauce either; I've loaded that with pickles, capers and shallots for tons of zing to go with the crispy fish.

1 1/2 lb halibut fillets, cut into 8 pieces (2 to 3 oz each)

French Fries

3 medium russet potatoes

1/2 tsp sea salt

Tartar Sauce

3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 medium shallots, minced

1/4 cup minced dill pickle

2 tbsp chopped capers

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Dash hot sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Breading

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large)

1 large egg

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 tsp each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups brown rice crisp cereal, coarsely crushed

Slice potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick fries and place in a large bowl. Cover fries with hot tap water by 1 inch and let soak for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare tartar sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, shallots, dill pickle, capers, lemon juice, Dijon and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate, ideally for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 475°F and prepare french fries.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat oven to 475°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain fries well in a colander and spread out in a single layer on clean, dry kitchen towels. Pat dry with more kitchen towels. Return fries to clean and dried bowl. Mist fries with cooking spray, tossing and spraying again to coat well. Toss with salt to season.

Arrange fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and, using a spatula, flip fries over. Bake for another 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

While fries are baking, prepare breading station: In a shallow dish, whisk together egg whites, egg and cayenne. Spread flour in a second shallow dish and whisk in salt and pepper. Spread crushed brown rice crisp cereal in a third shallow dish.

Working with 1 piece of fish at a time, dredge fish in flour, turning to coat both sides; shake off excess flour. Transfer to egg wash, turning to coat both sides, then gently press into crushed rice crisp cereal, coating fish completely. Place fillet on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining fillets.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; mist with cooking spray. Working in batches, sear fish until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 4 minutes, flipping only once. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

When fries have 5 minutes cooking time remaining, transfer them to a single baking sheet and return to oven on rack positioned in top third of oven. Place fish in oven on rack positioned in bottom third of oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with tartar sauce on the side and season fries with salt.

Note:
Sauce is best prepared at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours in advance, to allow flavours to blend.

Per Serving

Before: 1021 calories, 65 g total fat

Dish Do-Over: 417 calories, 6.4 g total fat

Nutritional information: 1 g saturated fat, 39.7 g carbohydrates, 2.8 g fibre, 3.3 g sugar, 48.1 g protein, 726 mg sodium, 95 mg cholesterol