Healthy Fries?

RECIPE REVIEW #75  roasted russet fries

Wow 75 recipes under my belt!  So excited only 50 more to go!

This is an easy recipe, roasted potatoes that will be shaped like fries.  I cannot eat french fries because of the grease.  I probably have them once a year.  These are a nice alternative and with homemade ketchup you are really treating your body well.

These were simple to prepare.  They tasted good with the homemade ketchup.  It was a very different flavor than store-bought ketchup.  It was milder.  I liked the combination but prefer my “fries” with honey mustard.

I will be taking vacation this next week so I get a little break from cooking. Catch you when I return after labor day!

Homemade Ketchup

RECIPE REVIEW #74  ketchup

BONUS REVIEW THIS WEEK

I have never even thought to make ketchup from scratch.  I really do not use ketchup too much.  Usually on hot dogs which I eat very rarely and sometimes on roasted potatoes or french fries, which I eat even less.

This recipe is a bit cumbersome to make but if you are a ketchup user it is probably well worth the effort to know what is in your ketchup.  I have not looked at the store-bought ketchup ingredients but I’m sure I would not recognize some of the items in it.  I will probably not go through this effort again.  I am glad I did and am anxious to try it.  I am going to have it with the roasted potato recipe tomorrow so I will let you know how it is.

This recipe included roasting tomatoes, cooking some onions and garlic, then cooking the tomato mixture with some spices, puree the mixture, and then cooking for an extended time.  Not real simple.  It looks and has the texture of a tomato sauce versus a ketchup.  I hope I made it right.  I’m sure it will taste fine.

Cranberry with Catfish?

RECIPE REVIEW #73  pecan-crusted catfish with cranberry-maple compote

Well I am still in the fish section of the cookbook this week.  There are a lot of recipes in this chapter, which indicates to me fish are very good for you.  This recipe is catfish but the power ingredient is the cranberries.

Cranberries are water harvested which is very interesting.  They are grown in bogs, which I have no clue what that is, but it looks like a lake of cranberries.  Most cranberries, 95%, are processed into juice, jams, sauces, and dried.  They are high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and manganese.  Cranberries have many health benefits including cardiovascular health, anti-cancer, and they help the immune system.

The catfish was soaked in almond milk and then coated with yogurt to bind the pecan topping.  This makes the fish very moist.  It was delicious!  The cranberry compote, very fancy, was a great compliment to the fish which surprised me.  Another special dish to share with family or friends.  It will make you look like an awesome cook.  Yum!

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

RECIPE REVIEW #72  ginger shrimp rolls with green papaya slaw

This recipe has a lot of steps, it includes a marinade for the shrimp, slaw, and a dressing.  The roll part is using butter lettuce as a wrap which I really like.   The big health benefits from this dish come from the papaya.  The low-fat, low-calorie shrimp is a healthy protein but the papaya really brings the vitamins and minerals.

Papaya was called the “food of the angels” by Christopher Columbus.  It is packed with vitamin C, folate, and potassium.  Papaya has many health benefits the question is what doesn’t it help?   It is good for your heart, digestion, arthritis, lungs, and more.

The steps were not too time-consuming because it was mainly a few sauces.  The smells were interesting when preparing, ginger, asian fish sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce.  The assembly of the wraps were easy and all the ingredients went well together.  Very delicious lettuce wrap with great asian flavor.

Risotto

RECIPE REVIEW #71  barley risotto with asparagus and lemon

Risotto is an Italian dish of rice in a broth.  It is the most common way to cook rice in Italy.  In this recipe we are using barley instead of typical rice.  The usual cooking method is first to cook the rice in butter or olive oil, then raise the heat and add small amounts of hot stock while stirring gently.  Then the rice is removed from the heat, cold butter and parmesan cheese is added.  Sounds yummy!  I can not wait to make this version.

Asparagus has been used for a long time as a vegetable and medicine.  It is found in the oldest surviving book of recipes.  Asparagus has many important vitamins and minerals, too many to name.  The key ones include vitamin B, C, K, & A.  It is high in antioxidants.  All this makes it good for digestion, regulating blood sugar, and preventing cancer.  What a powerful veggie!  Plus, it tastes great.  My favorite way to eat asparagus is roasted.  Surprise, surprise, bet you haven’t heard that before.

I will say risotto is a bit more difficult than just cooking rice but it was not as bad as I thought.  It was really creamy and had great flavor.  I have never used leeks before they seem to be like a large green onion.  The risotto was very hearty too, another good fall or winter dish.  I was impressed with making risotto it gave me some cooking confidence.

Green Bean Salad

RECIPE REVIEW #70  green bean salad with shrimp or chicken

This recipe is good for your heart, digestion, and has anti-cancer benefits.  It also boosts your mood!  I decided to use chicken in the salad but I’m sure shrimp would be just as good and you would save a few calories.

Green beans provide antioxidants.  They are a good source of vitamin K & C.  These nutrients are good for the cardiovascular system and your bones.

There were a few steps in the preparation of this recipe but as usual it was not too difficult.  The green bean salad was very colorful and fun, the dressing tasted great.  The chicken also had good flavor by using the dressing to marinade it.  It was very refreshing and another perfect dish for the summer!

Halibut with Salsa

RECIPE REVIEW #69  grilled halibut with fresh berry and ginger salsa

Halibut is a low-fat fish with a good taste.  It requires very little seasoning.  In this recipe the fish is grilled.  It is a large fish so it was hard to find small portions but it can be cut to the desired amount.   The salsa includes blueberries and raspberries which are both packed with antioxidants.  Remember blueberries are one of Jillian’s Best Choices.

The salsa was beautiful, very colorful.  The fish was easy to prepare but it did fall apart a bit during grilling.  The fish and the salsa were a great pair!  I really enjoyed the salsa, it was fresh and light.  I could not really taste the ginger so maybe I will add more next time.  It would be good with other proteins too like chicken or tuna.  The recipe was interesting and unexpected.  Another one of those fancy meals you could serve to friends and they would be impressed.  The Weight Watchers points is 7.

Potato Salad

RECIPE REVIEW #68  russet potato salad with arugula and lemon

I am not a fan of really creamy potato salad so I was interested to try this recipe.  It appears to be a simple version of potato salad.  I have never made potato salad before.  I just have to determine what protein I will have with it.  It includes arugula which should make it different from the typical potato salad.

The russet potato is commonly used for french fries.  We know those are not the best for our health.  There is a recipe for fries in the cookbook, of course they are not fried.  I will probably do this recipe soon since I have the potatoes and I do not normally purchase potatoes too often.  Potatoes do have nutritional value.  While mostly a starchy food they do contain vitamins and minerals, vitamin C and potassium to name a few.

Even though there were a few steps to this recipe, cooking the potatoes and making the dressing, it was not too complicated.  It is time-consuming to allow the potatoes to cool.  The flavor was great!  The arugula and celery added a nice bite.  I had the salad with grilled chicken.  The Weight Watchers points is 5.

Lemon Chicken

RECIPE REVIEW #67  grilled lemon chicken

Ok, well just wanted to update you before I tackle this recipe.  I am well over half way through the cookbook.  I am pretty sure I am on target to hit my November 1st goal.  So Excited!  I hope you are enjoying the information and reviews of the cookbook.  I am enjoying cooking more.  I feel more comfortable in the kitchen and have been trying lots of new foods.  I am also becoming more successful at eating healthier which was another goal of this blog.

We are back to chicken, this recipe advertises to be simple and deliver super-moist chicken.  Sounds appetizing!  The chicken is marinated in a lemon, mustard, and honey sauce.  The marinade was a snap to make and I marinated the chicken overnight.  The chicken was moist.  The dressing with the kalamata olives added the perfect touch.   I had mine with roasted kale, they paired well together.  This chicken would be good with just about any vegetable.  The Weight Watcher points is 6.

Squid Salad

RECIPE REVIEW #66  calamari with salsa verde and arugula

Time for another first for me, calamari or “squid”.  I have had fried calamari so was very excited to try it cooked differently.  Calamari is a protein and is good for the immune system.  It is also a good source of iron, calcium, and vitamin A & C.  Japan consumes the most squid in the world.

Arugula is a leafy vegetable.  It is native to the Mediterranean.  The nutrient profile is very similar to spinach.  It is high in vitamin A, C, & K, folate, and potassium.

The calamari was hard to cut, I should have used a sharper knife maybe.  Not a difficult recipe but I did not care for it.  I think it was the calamari, it was chewy.  The flavor of the salsa verde was good.  The dish was high in protein and low in carbohydrates.  The Weight Watchers points is 5.