If you’re cutting carbohydrates in your cooking, some simple substitutes can help you build a healthier diet. Instead of potatoes, use cauliflower, daikon radishes or yucca; all taste great mashed, baked or fried. Instead of pasta, try different kinds of squash. With these recipes, you might realize you don’t miss those carbs at all.
Photo by Michael Phillips
ZUCCHINI LASAGNA
SERVES 4–6
2 zucchinis
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce
Pinch crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 F. Trim the ends of each zucchini. Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, slice zucchini lengthwise into ⅛-inch strips, and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown meat, breaking it into small pieces. Drain into a colander. To the same skillet, add olive oil, and saute onion until translucent. Add garlic, and saute an additional minute. Return meat to skillet, and add pasta sauce, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce thickens, about 20–25 minutes. Stir in basil, and remove from heat.
In an 8-inch-by-8-inch casserole dish, spread ½ cup of sauce on the bottom. Layer zucchini slices on top of the sauce. Spread 1 cup meat sauce on top of zucchini, followed by 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan. Repeat with another layer of zucchini, meat sauce and cheeses. Finish with a layer of zucchini and remaining ½ cup of meat sauce. Cover with foil, and bake in preheated oven 25 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan, and bake an additional 10–15 minutes or until bubbling on the sides. Remove from oven, and let rest for 15–20 minutes before serving.
PORTABELLA CHEESEBURGERS
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 3
6 portabella mushrooms of equal size
Olive oil
1 pound ground beef
Kosher salt
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne or crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 slices cheese (your favorite)
Lettuce
Tomato slices
Pickle slices
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove stems from mushrooms; brush each whole cap with olive oil. Place on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, and bake, gill side up, 10 minutes; flip and cook an additional 10 minutes. Drain, gill side down, on a paper-towel-lined platter, and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix ground beef, salt, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder. Divide into three patties. In a large skillet or on the grill, cook patties to desired doneness. Add cheese on top the last few minutes, and allow cheese to melt.
Build burgers by placing each patty on a portabella cap lined with lettuce, tomato and pickle slices. Top with remaining portabella caps. Serve with desired condiments.
CHICKEN LETTUCE CUPS
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
MAKES 10–12 CUPS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 chicken breasts, baked and shredded (or 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions or green onions, sliced diagonally
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1 head butter lettuce (Boston, Bibb), divided into lettuce cups
Peanut sauce, store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, garnish
Lime wedges, garnish
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Saute bell pepper and mushrooms until soft. Add garlic, and saute an additional minute. Add precooked chicken, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper, and cook an additional 3 minutes or until chicken is heated thoroughly. Remove from heat; stir in scallions and cilantro. Divide chicken mixture among lettuce cups, and drizzle with peanut sauce. Garnish with pine nuts and lime wedges. Serve additional sauce on the side.
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Recipe tip
How to toast nuts
Preheat oven to 375 F. In an oven-proof skillet or a shallow, foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, spread out nuts in a single layer. Bake for 6–8 minutes, shaking pan occasionally for even toasting.
SAUTEED FISH WITH CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 4
4 4-ounce fish fillets (trout, sole, tilapia, halibut)
Seafood seasoning
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup white wine or vegetable stock
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Lemon wedges, garnish
Season fish fillets with seasoning. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter. Saute fillets on both sides for 2 minutes, until brown. Remove fillets from skillet to a serving platter. Set aside, and keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium. To the same skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and saute garlic about 30 seconds. Add wine to skillet, and cook 1–2 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cook until tomatoes start to burst and release their juices, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil. Spoon sauce over fish fillets, and serve. Garnish with lemon wedges.
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Recipe tip
Why use kosher salt?
Salt is not a spice or seasoning—it does not impart its own flavor to food. Rather, salt is a flavor enhancer, bringing out the natural flavor tendencies of a food.
Recipes often specify the use of kosher salt, as opposed to more familiar table salt. Chefs recommend it because it is easy to handle and works well for a variety of uses. It’s an affordable, healthy alternative to table salt and can be used in all phases of the cooking process—for pre-seasoning foods, for use during cooking or for adding a finishing element to a dish.
Table salt has a finer texture than kosher salt. Because kosher salt has a coarser texture, you don’t need to use as much of it when measuring into a recipe.
Table salt contains additives, which some cooks choose to avoid. Kosher salt and sea salt do not.
Sea salt, due to the way it is processed, is more expensive than table and kosher salt. It is typically used as a “finishing” salt—sprinkled on food dishes lightly just prior to serving, to enhance natural flavors.
If all you have on hand is table salt, feel free to substitute it in any recipe calling for kosher salt, being careful to adjust the amounts specified to account for different salt textures. Often, when salt is listed in a recipe, you may notice that no amount is specified—just “to taste.” It is more common to see specific salt amounts in baking recipes.
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BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”