Delicious Low-Calorie Dishes
Even though half of all Americans want to lose weight, fewer than one in ten keeps track of the calories they eat in a day-suggesting that it's just too hard, according to a 2011 survey from the International Food Information Council. To make healthy eating easy, here are five of Food & Wine's tastiest low-calorie dishes.
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Roast Beef with Root-Vegetable-and-Green-Peppercorn Salad
Calories per recipe serving: 407
"Brined green peppercorns aren't particularly popular, but they're fantastic in a dressing for sweet roasted fall vegetables and roast beef."
INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 pound golden beets, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
4 large unpeeled garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
One 1 1/2-pound eye of round beef roast, trimmed of visible fat
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons brined green peppercorns, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of brine
1 teaspoon honey
4 cups baby arugula (about 3 ounces)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, parsnips, celery root, beets and garlic cloves with 3 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt. Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet and roast on the bottom rack of the oven for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until browned and very tender. Let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Season the roast with salt. Add it to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the roast to a plate and pour off the fat in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet and cook, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the pan juices into the large bowl.
3. Return the meat to the skillet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 115° for medium-rare meat. Transfer the roast to a board; season with black pepper.
4. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into the meat juices in the bowl and mash with a fork. Whisk in the vinegar, peppercorns, brine and honey. Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl and toss with the dressing. Add the arugula and toss again.
5. Carve the roast into thin slices and serve warm or at room temperature with the salad.
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Warm Shrimp Salad with Kamut, Red Chile and Tarragon
Calories per recipe serving: 330
"Kamut is an heirloom variety of wheat with a sweet, almost buttery flavor. F&W editor Kristin Donnelly loves using it in her warm shrimp salad."
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried kamut or spelt berries
4 ounces haricots verts, cut into thirds
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
Salt
2 teaspoons minced fresh red chile
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
Lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. In a heavy medium saucepan, toast the kamut over moderately high heat until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the grains are tender, 1 hour 10 minutes; drain off any excess water.
2. In a medium, deep skillet, combine the haricots verts with 1/4 cup of water. Cover and steam over moderately high heat, stirring, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
3. Wipe out the skillet. Melt the butter in the oil over moderately high heat. Add the shallot, season with salt and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the chile and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook, stirring, until just pink, 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the kamut and haricots verts and cook until hot. Stir in the tarragon, season with salt and serve with lemon wedges.
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Whole Fish Roasted and Potatoes
Calories per recipe serving: 388
"Cooking whole fish is insanely easy, delicious and cheaper than fillets."
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
18 small cipollini onions or large shallots, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 sprigs of thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Two 2-pound cleaned whole black bass, striped bass or other sea bass
1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus a lemon half, for squeezing
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, toss the potatoes and onions with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 4 thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are blistered in spots and barely tender.
3. Rub both fish all over with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil; season generously with salt. Stuff the cavities with the lemon slices and the remaining 8 thyme sprigs. Stir the potatoes, pushing them toward the sides, and set the fish on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, until the fish are just cooked through and the potatoes and onions are tender.
4. Transfer the potatoes and onions to a platter. Using two forks, pull the skin off the top of the fish and discard. Remove the fillets from the bones and transfer to the platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish, potatoes and onions, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
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Eggs Baked Over Sautéed Mushrooms and Spinach
Calories per recipe serving: 323
"Runny eggs transform simple sautéed mushrooms and spinach into a luxurious meal that's fabulous for breakfast, lunch or dinner." View recipe.
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Chicken and Noodles in Spiced Broth
Calories per recipe serving: 277
"Alternative healers use star anise to fight cold and flu symptoms. Melissa Rubel Jacobson combines the licorice-scented spice with cinnamon and ginger-both stomach soothers-to flavor a restorative chicken-noodle soup." View recipe.
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