Dynamite Diets: Healthy does not mean loss of taste

It’s a week into the new year. That’s a week of living on salad. Or grilled chicken breast. Or grapefruit. Or whatever magic food you’ve picked to help shed pounds.

Going nuts yet?

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that food boredom is a big diet killer. After all, there’s only so much one can do with carrot sticks, skinless chicken breasts and nonfat yogurt. Right?

Wrong.

Francie Radecki, a local leader for Weight Watchers, said one of the biggest things people need to do to lose weight is make sure their healthy food tastes good.

“Make your food plan interesting so you don’t get rid of it,” she said, “because you’ll be doing it for the rest of your life.”

Good point. Any decent weight-loss plan is less about shedding quick pounds than about changing habits to ensure the weight stays off.

Intellectually, we all know that the secret to weight loss is to burn more calories that we consume. The trick is to make those calories taste as great as possible.

“A lot of what I tell people is already out there,” said registered dietitian Elaine Reid, spokeswoman for the Spokane Dietetic Association. “People can go on the Internet and find anything out.”

We know to cook chicken without the skin. We know to trim fat from beef. We know to use herbs. We know to use applesauce and prunes in lieu of fat in baked goods.

Still, sometimes we need inspiration. So, in the spirit of calorie-counters everywhere, here are 10 things you can do to add flavor to your food without adding a lot of fat or calories. “Stop dieting,” Radecki said, “and start living.”

“”One of the things we tell people is that when a recipe says to cook onion and garlic in oil, instead use a nonstick pan and a little water, then cover and cook them over low heat to get all the flavor out of them,” Reid said.

“Make your own vinaigrette, using a ratio of one part extra-virgin olive oil, one part “mellow” vinegar, such as balsamic, and one part citrus juice, Reid suggested.

“Roasted garlic adds terrific flavor to just about any dish, and can be used as a spread on bagels or toast. Trim the top off a head of garlic, add a little bit of water, wrap it in a piece of foil and cook for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. “That makes it really soft, and you can spread it like butter,” Reid said.

“Roast those vegetables. “A lot of people know they need to eat more vegetables,” Reid said. “If you roast them in a hot oven, you’re going to caramelize all the natural sugars in them, and they taste so much better.”

“Flavored extra-virgin olive oil and flavored vinegars, used in moderation, will add complexity to dishes. As Radecki suggested, “Balsamic vinegar is a really great flavor enhancer. I’ll grill a chicken breast on my Foreman grill. I have some really good balsamic I bought in Seattle, and I just dip my chicken in it.”

“Choose those condiments wisely, Reid said. “There are several condiments that are more flavor than they are fat: Mustard, hot sauce, salsa, horseradish, aged balsamic vinegar. You can add some of those higher flavored condiments to pan drippings to get different sauces so that you don’t have to add cream or butter.”

“Go ahead. Rub it in. “The rubs you can get are so much more healthy than the marinades that you soak your meat in,” Radecki said.

“Say goodbye to mild cheese. Cheese is fattening, and the low-fat and fat-free versions can be unappealing. The trick, Reid said, is to use less of a really strongly flavored cheese. Aged cheddar, parmesan, blue and gorgonzola all pack a flavor punch, so you often can get away with using less of it.

“Use spray bottles to add vinegar and oil to dishes, so you’ll use less of it. Or put soy sauce in a spray bottle and give some air-popped popcorn a light spritz. It’s a nice way to satisfy a salt craving.

“Try sun-dried tomatoes – either packed dry or drained of oil – in place of bacon in soups, stews and pizza, Reid suggested. It won’t taste the same, but the roasted flavor of the tomatoes will lend a hint of smokiness to a dish, without nearly the fat.

Need more inspiration? Here are a few good recipes to get going. Put that salad down and enjoy some real food.

Eggplant, Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart

From “Great Cooking Everyday,” from Weight Watchers and the Culinary Institute of America

1 (1 1/2 pound) eggplant, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

Freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces goat cheese (such as Montrachet), thinly sliced

Sprinkle the eggplant slices on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and place in a colander. Put a plate on top of the eggplant and weight it with a large can. Let the eggplant drain for 30 to 60 minutes. Quickly rinse the eggplant; pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Spray a nonstick baking sheet and a 9-inch ceramic pie plate with nonstick spray. Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle with pepper. Broil 5 inches from the heat until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant from broiler and set aside. Set the oven control to 450 and adjust racks to divide the oven in half.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet, then add the mushrooms. Sauté until wilted and almost dry. Add the tomatoes, capers, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, the remaining salt and another grinding of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Layer half the eggplant slices in the pie plate, overlapping as necessary. Top with half of the tomato mixture, then all the remaining eggplant. Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the eggplant. Arrange the goat cheese slices evenly on top. Bake until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

Remove the tart from the oven and set the oven control to broil. Broil the tart 5 inches from the heat until the cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 153 calories, 7 grams fat (3 grams saturated, 41 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 14 milligrams cholesterol, 8 grams dietary fiber, 920 milligrams sodium.

Balsamic Braised Chicken Thighs

From “Great Cooking Every Day”

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

4 (1/4 pound) chicken thighs, skinned

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Combine the flour and parmesan in a zip-close plastic bag; add the chicken. Shake to coat the chicken with the flour mixture, shaking off the excess (reserve the remaining flour mixture).

Heat a nonstick skillet. Swirl in the oil, then add the chicken. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat. Add the fennel, bell pepper, onion and the reserved flour mixture; sauté until the vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the orange juice and vinegar; cook stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked throughout, about 15 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 270 calories, 9 grams fat (2 grams saturated, 30 percent fat calories), 26 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 97 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 200 milligrams sodium.

Creamy Baked Polenta with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

From “Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen,” by Kathleen Daelemans

1 quart water

1 teaspoon coarse-grained salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 cup coarse ground polenta

1 tablespoon butter

Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

2 ounces best-quality blue cheese (Maytag if available)

1/4 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour water in a 1 1/2-quart nonreactive baking dish. Add salt, pepper and polenta; stir. Add butter. Place dish on center oven rack and bake uncovered 40 to 50 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Polenta is done when practically all the liquid has been absorbed. Taste it. If it’s creamy and good, it’s done. If it’s granular and unpleasant, let it cook a little longer.

Pour creamy polenta onto a baking sheet with sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat broiler to the highest setting. Coat a cookie sheet with a fine mist of cooking spray or olive oil, or use a nonstick baking sheet. Cut half of the hardened polenta into four or eight pieces and place on the cookie sheet. Reserve remaining polenta for another use (see note). Spray polenta tops with a fine mist of olive oil or use a pastry brush to brush lightly with oil.

Place polenta squares under broiler and cook until tops start to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven, crumble cheese and walnuts over the top of the polenta, then place back under the broiler, until the cheese melts and the walnuts are golden, about two minutes more. Serve immediately.

Note: You’ll only need half the polenta for this recipe. The rest can be served with a tomato sauce of your choice or cut into cubes, toasted and tossed into a salad.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 186 calories, 11 grams fat (5 grams saturated, 55 percent fat calories), 6.5 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate, 18 milligrams cholesterol, 1.7 grams dietary fiber, 519 milligrams sodium.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

From “The Mayo Clinic-Williams-Sonoma Cookbook”

Nonstick cooking spray

1 (1-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

3 red-skinned potatoes, cut into cubes

2 turnips, peeled and cut into cubes

3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into pieces

3 parsnips, halved lengthwise and cut into pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

3 tablespoons malt vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a large roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Put vegetables into the pan. Add the oil, thyme and pepper and toss to combine and coat the vegetables thoroughly.

Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender when pierced, about 45 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar, parsley and garlic. Add the vegetables and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 entree-sized servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 194 calories, 3 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated, 14 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 7 grams dietary fiber, 56 milligrams sodium.

Brownies

From “The Best Light Recipe,” by the editors of Cooks Illustrated

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tablespoon warm water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square metal baking pan with parchment paper or foil, then lightly coat with vegetable oil spray.

Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a small bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa, water, vanilla and espresso powder together; set aside. Microwave the butter and chocolate together in a medium microwave-safe bowl on 50 percent power until melted, about 1 minute; whisk until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the sugar and salt until completely incorporated. Whisk in the cocoa mixture, then whisk in the egg. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated (do not overmix).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour, lift the brownies out of the pan by grasping onto the parchment paper and cut into 12 brownies.

Yield: 12 brownies

Approximate nutrition per brownie: 130 calories, 5 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated, 35 percent fat calories), 1.5 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, 25 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 40 milligrams sodium.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Adapted from “I’m Just Here for the Food,” by Alton Brown

1/3 cup popcorn

1 brown paper lunch bag

Stapler (see note)

Your choice of toppings: melted butter (if you must), popcorn salt or table salt, finely grated parmesan cheese, soy sauce, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, brewers yeast

Pour the popcorn into a paper bag and fold the top of the bag over twice to close (each fold should be 1/2 inch deep; remember, the kernels need room to pop).

Seal the bag with TWO staples ONLY, making sure to place the staples at least 2 to 3 inches apart.

Put the bag in the microwave and cook on high power for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pops are 5 seconds apart.

Remove the bag from the oven and open it carefully, avoiding the steam. Pour the popcorn into a bowl and add desired toppings.

Note: Yes, generally speaking, putting metal in the microwave is a bad thing. As Brown points out in his book, as long as you’re using a microwave with a turntable and as long as the bag is placed so the staples can’t rub against one of the walls, “nothing bad will happen.” Just make sure you use no more than two staples, and that they are as far apart on the bag as they can be.

Yield: 6 to 8 cups of air-popped popcorn

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate due to recipe variables.