Authors: Bobby Deen

From Mama's Table to Mine (11 page)

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 13g fat, 357 calories
After: 7g fat, 242 calories

32g protein | 11g carbohydrate | 2g fiber | 469mg sodium

Nutritional count does not include mustard for serving.

Go Granny

Granny Smiths are my go-to cooking apples. They are crisp and firm so they don’t go all mushy as soon as the heat hits them. They also have a nice tartness with just a subtle hint of sweetness that works great in a savory dish like this.

Barbecue-Style Pork Chops

All throughout the warm-weather days in Georgia, the grill is my best buddy. Ask anyone who knows me in Savannah and they’ll say you’re most likely to find me out back by the grill. But even I have to admit that some days just weren’t made for grilling outside. Luckily, I’ve come up with this home run of a recipe for capturing that authentic barbecue flavor in the oven. Now I can enjoy finger-lickin’ barbecued pork chops right on through the darkest days of winter.
Serves 4

1½ cups canned low-sodium crushed tomatoes

¼ cup finely chopped onions

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 boneless center-cut pork chops (4 ounces each, about ½ inch thick)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

2.
In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes, onions, brown sugar, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, and garlic powder over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes, until thickened. Add pepper if you think the sauce needs it.

3.
Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet, lightly coated with cooking spray, over medium-high heat. Season the chops with salt and pepper and cook until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Place the chops in the prepared baking dish and pour the sauce evenly over. Bake for 20 minutes, then serve with plenty of napkins.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 27g fat, 573 calories
After: 8g fat, 228 calories

26g protein | 13g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 316mg sodium

Plate It Up

Here’s a great tip for keeping your portion sizes under control. Serve your meals on smaller plates. It sounds so simple, but it really does work. Your plate will look fuller with less food on it. As amazing as it might sound, when your eyes see a full plate, they’ll send the message to your stomach that you have enough.

Chicken-Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

A box of corn flakes cereal is a handy thing to have in the house. Corn flakes create a crispy, crunchy crust on just about any meat without the need to deep-fry. With corn flakes as a coating, even chicken-fried steak makes my healthy menu. These steaks are crisped up in the oven and then smothered with creamy, beefy gravy. It’s a down-home, affordable meal that is sure to satisfy no matter what side of the Mason-Dixon you might be on.
Serves 4

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup 1% milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Hot sauce to taste

3 cups corn flakes, crushed

2 teaspoons
The Lady’s House Seasoning

4 cube steaks (4 ounces each)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup low-sodium beef broth

¼ cup fat-free half-and-half (or use low-fat; optional)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.
Pour the flour onto a dinner plate. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Place the corn flakes, seasoned with 1 teaspoon of the House Seasoning, on a second dinner plate.

3.
Season the steaks with the remaining 1 teaspoon House Seasoning. Dredge them in the flour, patting off any excess, then dip them into the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off. Finally, dredge them in the crushed corn flakes, pressing lightly to help the flakes adhere.

4.
Place the steaks on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the steaks lightly with extra cooking spray. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

5.
Meanwhile, in a small cup, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the beef broth and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch mixture with the remaining beef broth and the half-and-half. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Let the gravy boil, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season generously with pepper and serve the steaks smothered in the gravy.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 26g fat, 562 calories
After: 9g fat, 300 calories

28g protein | 26g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 936mg sodium

Nutritional count does not include hot sauce to taste.

Subs ’n Swaps

If you can’t get your hands on cube steak, just give top or bottom round steak a good pounding with the spiky side of a meat mallet to make your own homemade version of cube steak.

Bobby’s Favorite Goulash

When I was growing up, Mama always served me goulash on my birthday. It was my absolute favorite then, and it still is today. Since I love it so much, I can’t wait for my birthday to roll around each year to enjoy it. However, I came up with my very own quick, easy, and leaner version that I can enjoy anytime I feel like it—which, I have to admit, is pretty often. My version is full of the same robust tomato and beef flavor that I loved so much as a boy. These days, I top it off with a light and refreshing dollop of Greek yogurt just before digging in.
Serves 4

¾ pound 95% lean ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 can (14½ ounces) low-sodium diced tomatoes

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup whole-wheat elbow macaroni

3 scallions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced, for serving

1 container (8 ounces) fat-free Greek yogurt (or use low-fat; optional), for serving

1.
Heat a large nonstick pot, lightly coated with cooking spray, over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a fork, until it loses its pink color, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

2.
Stir in the macaroni and let simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving, topped with the scallions and a dollop of yogurt.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 14g fat, 437 calories
After: 8g fat, 329 calories

29g protein | 41g carbohydrate | 7g fiber | 770mg sodium

Nutritional count does not include scallions and yogurt for serving.

Grilled Salmon with Honey Mustard

I love grilled fish on a hot summer day when I don’t feel like standing over a hot grill or stove for too long. It cooks up so quickly and needs only simple flavors to make it shine. This preparation with mustard, soy sauce, and lemon juice is tangy and salty, a perfect complement to the buttery salmon. I cook salmon medium-rare because I find overcooked salmon (or any seafood for that matter) tends to lose its nice texture and takes on a fishy taste. I like to serve this fish with a no-cook side like my
Quick Pickled Cucumbers
. Quick cooking, no cleanup, and good for you. Yep, fish on the grill is my kind of meal.
Serves 4

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound skin-on salmon fillet

¼ teaspoon salt

1.
Spray the grill grate with cooking spray and preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

2.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, and pepper. Season the salmon lightly with the salt and brush with the glaze.

3.
Place the salmon, skin side down, on the grill and cook, covered, until it reaches the doneness you like, 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare. Do not flip it during cooking or the salmon fillet may break apart. Carefully remove it from the grill and place, skin side down, on a serving platter.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 31g fat, 342 calories
After: 15g fat, 273 calories

24g protein | 10g carbohydrate | 0g fiber | 340mg sodium

Go Wild

When you are choosing salmon, I recommend wild over farmed. The flavor of wild-caught fish just can’t be beat. And in a clean, simple dish like this, you want that real salmon flavor to take center stage.

Charleston Shrimp and Grits

They say you can’t take the South out of the man. So you don’t want to get between me and my grits. Luckily, lightening up this dish didn’t hurt it one bit. For starters, I use Canadian bacon, which is less fatty than traditional bacon but still gives you that smoky flavor. And I’ve done away with the cream to cut down on fat and calories. Rest assured, though, my version is just as creamy and indulgent-tasting as grits ought to be. This dish has gone into high rotation on my weekly menu.
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 Canadian bacon slices

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup fat-free half-and-half (or use low-fat; optional)

¾ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

¾ cup quick-cooking grits

Chopped scallions (dark green tops only), for serving

1.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bacon, onions, and bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the white wine and let it bubble until it is mostly evaporated, about 1 minute.

2.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the chicken broth and stir until dissolved. Add the remaining broth to the skillet along with the half-and-half and the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 3 minutes.

3.
Meanwhile, cook the grits according to the package directions.

4.
Serve the shrimp and sauce over the grits, and top with the scallions.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 21.2g fat, 581 calories
After: 6g fat, 211 calories

19g protein | 21g carbohydrate | 1.5g fiber | 650mg sodium

Nutritional count does not include scallion for serving.