Authors: Bobby Deen

From Mama's Table to Mine (3 page)

It’s a Party Guacamole

Game day can be the downfall of anyone’s healthy diet. The temptations are just too great, y’all! But with this guac, I can enjoy the game with my buddies and still feel good about what I’ve eaten. I make sure to serve this with some healthy dipping options like veggie sticks or baked tortilla chips so that I don’t blow it all on the fried chips.
Makes 1½ cups / Serves 6

2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and finely chopped

¾ cup fat-free sour cream (or use low-fat; optional)

½ teaspoon lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of cayenne pepper

⅓ cup finely chopped tomatoes

3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (white and light green parts only)

¼ cup shredded low-fat Mexican cheese blend

Veggie sticks or baked tortilla chips, for dipping

Using the back of a fork, mash the avocados in a medium bowl. Stir in the sour cream, lime juice, salt, cumin, and cayenne. Scoop the mixture into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the tomatoes, scallions, and Mexican cheese blend. Serve with veggie sticks or baked tortilla chips.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 22g fat, 262 calories
After: 8g fat, 112 calories

3g protein | 10g carbohydrate | 13g fiber | 280mg sodium

Shore Is Good Seafood Dip

If you’re from Savannah, chances are you’ve enjoyed a version of this dip at most gatherings you’ve been to. And if you’ve ever been to our restaurant, The Lady & Sons, I sure hope you had the opportunity to sample it there. This here is a version you can feel good about treating yourself to any old day of the week.
Makes 6 cups / Serves 12 to 16

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over to remove bits of shell

8 ounces cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup fat-free Greek yogurt (or use low-fat; optional)

½ cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons 2% evaporated milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon paprika

White pepper to taste

1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

2.
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the celery, bell pepper, and onions over medium heat until the bell peppers and onions begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

3.
In a medium bowl, mix together the crabmeat, shrimp, Parmesan, yogurt, mayonnaise, evaporated milk, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked vegetables from the skillet. Scrape into the prepared casserole and bake for 30 minutes, or until warmed through.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 20g fat, 205 calories
After: 4g fat, 94 calories

10g protein | 4g carbohydrate | 0g fiber | 315mg sodium

Take Your Lumps

I like to splurge and use lump crabmeat in this dip because it contains the sweetest, most tender meat of the crab. By using this high-quality meat, you don’t need to dress it up too much with added fat and sugar. It’s so tasty on its own, you’ll want its great flavor to shine through.

Gather Round Artichoke and Spinach Dip

If you like your dips decadently cheesy and lusciously creamy, then this is the dip for you. I like to make my own pita crackers to serve alongside. Cut up healthy whole-grain pitas into triangles, give them a spray with some cooking spray, and sprinkle them with sea salt. Then pop them into a 400°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes to crisp up. They’re supereasy and a great alternative to higher-calorie options.
Makes 4 cups / Serves 12

2 cans (14 ounces each) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (or use low-fat; optional)

½ cup light mayonnaise

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Veggie sticks or healthy crackers, for dipping

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 1½-quart casserole with cooking spray.

2.
In a medium bowl, combine the artichokes, spinach, ¾ cup of the Parmesan, the yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, and pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with veggie sticks or healthy crackers for dipping.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 31g fat, 650 calories
After: 4g fat, 86 calories

6g protein | 7g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 414mg sodium

Does not include veggie sticks or healthy crackers for dipping

Flavors That Pop

My Mama and my Aunt Peggy used to add a healthy dose of hot sauce to their artichoke dips. If you go in for a little spice, go ahead and shake some in the mix here. But be careful—besides a kick, hot sauce is a hidden source of sodium.

Fiery Queso Fundido

Made with just four simple ingredients, this warm dip is brimming with true Mexican flavor. I like to use a hot, hot salsa in my fundido, but feel free to go milder if that’s how you like it. Just be sure to use the fresh salsa you find in the refrigerator case at your supermarket, (not the jarred kind in the chip aisle). You can taste a world of difference between the two.
Makes 4 cups / Serves 10

2 cups fresh salsa (from the refrigerator case)

1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese (or use low-fat; optional), softened

1 package (8 ounces) shredded low-fat Mexican cheese blend

1 can (4 ounces) sliced jalapeños

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and position a rack in the upper third of the oven.

2.
In a medium bowl, combine the salsa, cream cheese, and Mexican cheese. Blend and mix well. Scrape into a shallow 1½-quart baking dish and top with the jalapeños. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 19g fat, 241 calories
After: 2g fat, 63 calories

6g protein | 4g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 560mg sodium

Fat-Free Flavor

Sprinkle on some fresh cilantro when you put this dip out. The cilantro adds another level of great Southwest flavor and it looks nice, too. I tend to sprinkle fresh herbs on most dishes just before I dig in. It’s a great way to up the flavor of the dish without adding calories.

Hush Puppies

Hush puppies, sweet and spicy dip, and a cold beer. Now that is a recipe for a good night. And this recipe will help you keep your calorie count down, leaving room for that beer. Or maybe even two.
Makes about 2 dozen / Serves 8

⅔ cup fine cornmeal

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

⅓ cup 1% milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon canola oil

⅓ cup finely chopped fresh chives

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.
In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne.

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, eggs, oil, and chives. Fold the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until the dry ingredients are just moistened.

3.
Spoon tablespoon-size dollops of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the hush puppies are firm to the touch and golden brown around the edges.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 13g fat, 277 calories
After: 3g fat, 93 calories

3g protein | 12g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 242 mg sodium

Take a Dip

I usually serve my hush puppies with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. I stay away from the overly sweetened dips you may find on the supermarket shelves and make my own. I mix together some freshly squeezed orange juice with just the tiniest amount of marmalade to thicken it up, along with a dash of low-sodium soy sauce and some freshly sliced jalapeño for a good kick.

Mini Savannah Crab Cakes

In Savannah, I reckon there are about as many opinions on crab cakes as there are people. A few things we all agree on, though, are that they should be loaded with crabmeat, light on the bread crumbs, and spiced with Old Bay. In short, they should taste like they just jumped out of the sea. Hit them with a squeeze of lemon just before serving and you’ve got yourself a surefire winner.
Makes 8 to 10 / Serves 4

8 ounces fresh or canned lump crabmeat, drained if canned

6 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions (white and light green parts only)

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

1.
In a large bowl, stir together the crabmeat, 3 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, the scallions, mayonnaise, jalapeños, egg white, Old Bay, and mustard.

2.
Form the mixture into 1½-inch patties. Place the remaining 3 tablespoons bread crumbs in a bowl. Dip each crab cake in the bread crumbs to lightly coat. Spray a skillet generously with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Cook the crab cakes in batches, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. To prevent sticking, spray the skillet with more cooking spray between batches.

BREAKIN’ IT DOWN

Before: 6g fat, 136 calories
After: 1g fat, 30 calories

13g protein | 10g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 617mg sodium

Trim Tartar

If you’d like to serve these crab cakes with a dipping sauce, you can whip up a quick, lighter-style tartar sauce. Just substitute low-fat yogurt for the mayonnaise. You can mix in a tablespoon or two of low-fat mayonnaise to give it some body. To skip the extra sugar, use chopped-up pickles instead of pickle relish. Then mix in some fresh herbs like parsley or tarragon to give it a fresh flavor.

Spinach-and-Cheese–Stuffed Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite appetizers that my Mama makes. She packs hers with feta and spinach because she knows I just can’t get enough of that combo. So all I needed to do here was cut the fat a bit by swapping in low-fat sour cream for the cream cheese. Oh, and I upped the feta because, in my book, you can’t ever have too much cheese.
Makes about 3 dozen / Serves 12

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

1½ cups crumbled feta cheese

½ cup finely chopped scallions (white and light green parts only)

¼ cup low-fat sour cream

½ teaspoon
The Lady’s House Seasoning

1½ pounds white mushrooms (about 36), stems removed

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese