Superbowl Recipes from the Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser is a weight loss competition featured on NBC and this week Chef Curtis Stone showed the contestants some healthy versions on some
popular Super Bowl snacks.

Chicken Breasts with Soy and Honey (serves 6)

Ingredients¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
Juice of 3 oranges used 1 ½ cups
used 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Method

Mix the dijon , honey, garlic, and ginger in a resealable storage bag to blend.
Add the chicken, seal the bag, and toss to coat with the sauce. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour but preferably overnight.
In a small sauce pot reduce orange juice slowly over low heat until it hits a thin syrup like consistency.
Remove from heat and reserve.
Position your oven rack 8 to 10 inches from the heating source and preheat the broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil.
Transfer the chicken and marinade to the baking sheet and broil for 25 minutes, turning occasionally and watching closely, or until the chicken is cooked through and the marinade glazes the chicken.
Remove from oven, drizzle with orange syrup and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serve on bed of arugula leaves.

7 Layer Dip (serves 6)

Ingredients

1/3 pound dried baby lima beans, soaked in water for 24 hours
16 oz homemade vegetable stock (see recipe) no recipe included for this
used canned low sodium veg broth;;
2 large red beets, stems removed
1 teaspoon safflower oil, divided
3 small whole wheat tortillas, cut into thin triangular strips
3 cups cauliflower florets
3 cups nonfat milk
10 shrimp, peeled and deveined used medium
½ cup fat free yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 oz fresh Alaskan King Crab Leg, out of the shell (may substitute with 1 oz fresh cooked shrimp or lobster)
10 to 12 leaves of watercress used 12

Method

Preheat oven to 400F.
Place beets in foil and drizzle with half the oil and 1 teaspoon of water.
Close the foil around the beets and bake on a tray in the oven for 1 hour or until a knife inserts into the center of each beet without resistance.
Cool in the refrigerator.
Cook tortilla strips in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until strips have colored slightly and are crispy.
Remove from oven and cool at room temp.
After the beets go into the oven, drain off soaking liquid from beans and rinse with cold water.
In a medium pot, bring vegetable stock and beans to the simmer over medium high heat.
Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cook gently for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until beans are soft and cooked through.
Once cooked, drain off liquid and move beans to a blender.
Reserve cooking liquid.
With the lid open slightly to release steam, begin pureeing the beans on the lowest speed.
Slowly drizzle in enough of the cooking liquid to make a smooth puree, about 4 to 6 tablespoons.
If puree is still too thick, add more cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time until puree is smooth.
Remove from blender and leave covered at room temp.
While beans are cooking, bring cauliflower and milk up to the simmer in a medium pot over medium high heat.
Once cauliflower has softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, remove from heat and drain.
Reserve milk.
In a blender, puree cauliflower on lowest speed, keeping lid open slightly to allow seam to escape.
Slowly drizzle in 3 to 5 tablespoons of the milk and puree cauliflower until smooth.
Strain cauliflower puree through a fine mesh sieve and leave covered at room temp.
Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat.
Sauté shrimp in remaining ½ teaspoon of oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp is just barely cooked through and pink in color.
Remove from heat and allow to rest at room temp.
Chop all but 2 shrimp into a fine dice.
Peel skin from cooled beets and cut into a small dice.
Mix yogurt and chives in a small mixing bowl until well incorporated.
In a small glass bowl or ramekin, begin layering the dip.
Start out at the bottom with an even layer of the bean puree.To that, add the crab, followed by the yogurt, the beets, cauliflower puree, and the chopped shrimp.
Place the watercress leaves in the center of the shrimp layer.
Cross the tails of the 2 remaining shrimp and place on the watercress leaves.
Serve with whole wheat tortilla chips.

Chef Curtis Stone also suggested pounding a chicken breast, adding spices and grilling it over a bed of lettuce for a quick, easy and healthy meal for every day. I would suggest doing this on George Foreman grill. It’s quick and super easy to use. Check out reviews of the George Foreman The Champ Foreman Grill:

Add comment January 30th, 2009

Do I need a yogurt/ice cream maker?

I just got back from a quickie vacation to see my sister-in-law and family. While I was there, she showed me her Cuisinart yogurt and ice cream maker that she got for Christmas from my niece. I’m thinking, “Yeah, yeah, nice gift; not something I’d want…” But then, she whipped out ingredients to make a batch of frozen yogurt. The whole process seemed simple… plop everything into the already chilled bowl; insert the bowl in the machine; turn on. She placed the unit in her laundry room because she said it was noisy, but I can’t say if it was, or wasn’t, since I was in another room. Approximately 30 minutes later, 5 of us were enjoying some pretty tasty (soft) frozen yogurt! In fact, my husband had two ramekin size servings (and he doesn’t EAT frozen yogurt!).

So NOW I’ve changed my mind about this small appliance! I envision creating low-fat tasty treats whenever it strikes me. But am I just kidding myself? Will I really use it, or will it just go to my small appliance graveyard under my cabinet? I mean, I have a bread machine (didn’t EVERYONE get one when they were popular?), and I still use it, although not as much as when it was new. So maybe I WILL use a yogurt/ice cream maker! (Am I trying to talk myself into it?)

I’ve actually been pricing them online, but my first stop will be to look through ExpoTV’s reviews to see how the experts weigh-in! (I suddenly have a hankerin’ for frozen yogurt!) Anyone got any advice on this?

Add comment January 29th, 2009

Obama loves Honest Tea do you?