Arroz con Pollo

I love a casserole, some kind of wonderful starch, be it rice or noodles, embraced by a luscious 'Cream of...' soup, with hidden nuggets of meat. All melding together to form a comfort food rest stop on the highway of life. Those days have mostly disappeared from my life with the new diet, but I keep looking for some sort of replacement. This next offering is a viable candidate when you add just a tad more liquid to the recipe. Although it does miss on the 'Cream of...' side of the story.

Now, many of our meals have revolved around chicken in recent years. All of the hype about fats and cholesterol and I don't know what have worked in this house, and red meats have taken a back seat to fish and poultry.

This week I started in on one of the new cookbooks I picked up a few weeks back at the Half Price Book store. The book is from the American Heart Association, titled the Low-Salt Cookbook. My version was published in 1990. There are newer versions of this available at Amazon, the third edition is American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, 3rd Edition: A Complete Guide to Reducing Sodium and Fat in Your Diet.

Like I said, this may well end up being a viable alternative to the 'Cream of..' casseroles I can no longer enjoy.

Arroz con Pollo

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, skinned, all visible fat removed
• 1 tablespoon acceptable margarine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon acceptable vegetable oil
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron (or turmeric)
• 1/2 cup cooked green peas

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt margarine. Add garlic, black pepper and paprika. Mix well. Remove from heat and brush on chicken breasts.

Place chicken in an ovenproof dish and bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until meat has turned white throughout.

Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion and green pepper in oil 5 to 6 minutes or until soft. Add rice and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and saffron (or turmeric) and stir to mix thoroughly. Cover and simmer over low heat 20 to 25 minutes. Add green peas and cooked chicken and cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Calories: 299

Fat: 8g

Protein: 28g

Carbohydrate: 27g

Cholesterol: 62mg

Sodium: 90mg

Potassium: 369mg

[Thanks, American Heart Association]

Turkey Soufflé

This next recipe is again from the New Dieter's Cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens). (Note that the link is to the new 2006 Edition which may or may not contain this recipe. The edition I purchased was the 1992 edition which is only available used). Sad to say, I am unable to provide a link to this recipe at Better Homes and Gardens.

I was a little intimidated by the thought of making a soufflé. I had helped make them in the distant past, but I really couldn't remember what, if anything, I need to do or even avoid doing. I decided I was just going to follow along and hope for the best. In the worst case I would be making something more akin to a frittata, and how bad could that be, right?

The recipe calls for beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form. I will admit that I probably could have beat them longer than I did. It took a long time to do and I was a little anxious. Next time (and there will be a next time) I will allow that process to continue a while longer.

All in all this was a nice meal and should have been paired with corn or some other crunchy vegetable to add texture to them meal. Also, a fresh salad would have been a nice compliment.

Turkey Soufflé

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray coating
• 1/2 pound ground raw turkey
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites

Directions

1. Spray a 10-inch skillet with nonstick spray coating. Add turkey and onion. Cook until turkey is no longer pink. Do not drain.

2. Stir cornstarch, salt, paprika, and pepper into skillet. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for one minute more. Stir in Parmesan cheese and pimiento.

3. In medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks lightly. Gradually add turkey mixture to yolks, stirring constantly.

4. In a large mixer bowl beat egg whites till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gradually fold in turkey mixture. Pour into ungreased 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish.

5. Bake in 325° oven for about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 196

Fat: 11g

Protein: 18g

Carbohydrate: 7g

Cholesterol: 243mg

Sodium: 294mg

Potassium: 271mg

[Thanks, Better Homes and Gardens]

Curried Pork Chops with Oranges

A few weeks ago we went to Half Priced Books with a wonderful 20% off coupon. On that visit we purchased 4 new cookbooks that contained recipes with full nutritional values. That is not always easy, finding a cookbook that contains both sodium and potassium values. Kudos and a big Thumbs Up to Better Homes and Gardens for the detailed nutritional info!

This next recipe is from the New Dieter's Cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens). (Note that the link is to the new 2006 Edition which may or may not contain this recipe. The edition I purchased was the 1992 edition which is only available used).

Regardless, I've copied the recipe below and provided a direct link to the Better Homes and Gardens website.

Many years ago I was reading a book by Robert B. Parker. I'm convinced that it's God Save the Child. In that book it describes how Spencer makes dinner for the young man using only a couple of spices, two pork chops and a can of fruit. That whole scene led me to explore the relationship between meat and fruit in ways I had never thought of before. When I saw this recipe which used fresh oranges rather than canned fruit, I knew I had to try it.

I was not disappointed in the least. The use of fresh oranges teamed with the honey and the curry powder makes for an exciting taste combination at only 51 mg. of sodium per serving.

Curried Pork Chops with Oranges

Ingredients

• 2 pork sirloin chops, cut 1/2 inch thick (1-1/4 pounds total)
• Nonstick spray coating
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 oranges
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives or parsley

Directions

1. Trim separable fat from pork chops; cut each chop in half.

2. Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and brown on both sides. Drain fat.

3. Add orange juice, honey, and curry powder to skillet. Bring to boiling. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until pork chops are tender and no longer pink. Remove pork chops from skillet; keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, peel oranges. Slice crosswise; then halve circular slices. Set aside.

5. Stir together cornstarch and water; stir into skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir in oranges and chives; heat through. Spoon over pork chops. Garmish with fresh chive sprigs, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information

* Calories 291,
* Total Fat (g) 11,
* Cholesterol (mg) 93,
* Sodium (mg) 51,
* Carbohydrate (g) 17,
* Protein (g) 29,

[Thanks, Better Homes and Gardens]