Cures for heavy holiday tummies
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
There is just so much food around this time of the year. I need a break.
When things get a little heavy on the food end, I start looking for lighter dishes to take it easy on the tongue, tummy, calories, cholesterol — you get the idea.
Hash browns are normally laden with fat, but if you use a stronger-flavored potato and a nonstick skillet you can really “healthy” them up. Yukon gold potatoes have a buttery taste and a nice color that can fool you into thinking that they’re a lot less healthy than they are. The parsnips add a little sweetness and if you’ll leave the skins on the taters you’ll get just that much more fiber and vitamins.
This recipe is very close to one Kim Holcomb taught me, in the style of a Spanish torta. It’s so easy, but it looks (and tastes) like it took forever to make.
HASHED BROWNS
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
1 large parsnip
2 green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Grate the potatoes into a large bowl. Peel and grate the parsnip and toss it with the potatoes, green onions and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush the skillet with about half the oil. Add the potato mixture and form into an even cake by pressing it with a spatula. Cook, shaking the pan periodically to prevent sticking, until the hash browns are crisp on the bottom, about 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat; place a flat plate over the top of the skillet. Carefully flip the pan so the potato cake goes onto the plate. Brush the skillet with the remaining olive oil and then slide the taters back into the skillet to brown on the other side. Cook about 10 minutes more, slide out of the skillet onto a heated serving plate, cut into wedges and serve.
Baking your french fries is a lot better than deep frying them, and they still taste good. But sometimes, fries and ketchup is just too boring. Here’s a nice recipe that incorporates fresh lemon: as you may know, the smell of fresh citrus is a mood lifter, something that can help with the holiday blahs and long dark days. So this one is good for the soul as well as the body.
LEMONY POTATO FRIES
6 white baking potatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 lemons, zested
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
Whisk together the olive oil, salt and pepper. Wash the potatoes and cut into half-inch thick wedges. Toss them in a bowl with the seasoned oil and lay them in a single layer on nonstick baking sheets. Bake at 450 degrees until light brown (about 40 minutes), turning frequently.
Toss together the lemon zest, parsley, garlic, and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Remove the fries and toss them gently with the lemon mixture. Serve piping hot, and, if you need to dip them, try some cucumber-yogurt sauce.
There’s a lot of beef, pork and bird floating around during the holidays, so why not break up the routine with some seafood? Here are two nice recipes that are light, but very flavorful, and a big difference compared to Mr. Green Bean Casserole and Mr. Tom Turkey. You can use any firm white fish, like cod or tilapia.
HALIBUT & ARTICHOKE IN TOMATO BROTH
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 (6 oz.) halibut fillets
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 shallots, sliced into thin rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. artichoke hearts
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, minced
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Heat a nonstick pan over high heat. Cook the fish on the grill pan until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. If it’s a little underdone, that’s okay because it’s going to stew a bit in the sauce.
In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stir, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes (and juice), thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Slip the fish in there and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes.
Ladle the artichoke and tomato broth into shallow bowls. Top with the halibut and serve immediately.
When you’re buying shrimp, the peeling goes a lot faster in the larger sizes. I really like to get the 15 to 20 count or larger, and if they’re too big I just chop them lightly. If you like, you can grill the shrimp instead of pan frying them; they’re even tastier that way.
CHIPOTLE SHRIMP TACO WITH AVOCADO SALSA VERDE
Avocado Salsa:
1 small onion, quartered
1 jalapeno, quartered, seeded
1 garlic clove, smashed
8 oz. of chopped tomatillos
1/2 Hass avocado
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Shrimp:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chipotle sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 corn tortillas
2 limes, cut into wedges
Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.
Mix the olive oil, chipotle, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Pan fry the shrimp in a non stick skillet until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
Grill tortillas until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave. Spoon avocado sauce on the tortilla, then top with some shrimp. Serve tacos with a lime wedge on the side (and an ice-cold Tecate).
Well, you have to have something dessert-y for New Years, even though you’ve baked every cookie, pie and cake known to man since the week before Thanksgiving. This recipe is so light, with a lovely, uplifting flavor and only one gram of fat per serving. Forego the fruit cake and coffee; I recommend soufflé and sparkling water.
BANANA-RUM SOUFFLÉ
1 tsp. softened unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, plus additional for dusting
3 large ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp. dark rum
5 large egg whites
Pinch fine salt
Cocoa powder for dusting
Lightly butter the insides of 4 (1-cup) ramekins, then dust with sugar. Space them evenly on a baking sheet and put in the freezer.
Put the bananas, brown sugar, lemon juice, and rum in a medium saucepan. I have not tried this, but I have been told that in cooking you can substitute Coca-Cola for small amounts of dark rum to get the caramel flavor without the alcohol. The alcohol in this recipe will cook out, but you can probably get around using it altogether.
Cook uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bananas begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Mash the bananas with a potato ricer until mostly smooth; continue cooking to make a thick puree, about 8 more minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Preheat to 425 degrees F. Whip the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer (unless you have very strong arms and want to use a whisk) at medium-high speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high, gradually pour in the 2 tablespoons sugar, and whip until the whites hold soft peaks.
Gently but quickly fold the whites into the banana mixture. Immediately divide the batter among the prepared ramekins. Bake the soufflés until well puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Dust with a light sprinkling of cocoa powder, if desired and serve immediately. How delightful!
Next week we’ll have a bunch of soups and stews to share. I haven’t had too many recipes submitted by you guys this season, so I really would like to see you come up with a few things for our next challenge. There are many good places in town to order a pizza, but sometimes you just want to make your own. What wonderful things do you put in your homemade pizzas? It’s the PIZZA CHALLENGE: Send those recipes in by 5 p.m., Jan. 3. The address is 517 Merchant, or e-mail murphysmenu@yahoo.com. Happy New Year and let’s get cooking!