Comfort, without all the calories

HEALTHY MEALS

These low-cal dishes are big on flavor

Sweet and Sour Pork is made with pork tenderloin, pineapple chunks, garlic, ginger and bell peppers. PHOTO BY CHRIS TERRY

SLOW-COOKER MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON FEATURES PORCINI MUSHROOMS AND SHALLOTS, CARROTS AND GARLIC THAT ARE FRIED BEFORE GOING INTO THE SLOW COOKER.

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By Cathy Thomas

Correspondent

Comfort food doesn’t have to be a high-caloric landmine. Dinners showcasing sensible comfort food that have delicious deep flavors are the theme of Pip Payne’s newest cookbook, “The Slimming Foodie Easy Meals Every Day” (Hamlyn).

Here are three of her recipes that range from a mushroom-based Bourguignon which comes in at 213 calories per serving (without rice or mashed potatoes) to Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin at 327 calories per serving (without rice). The Tarragon Chicken and Mushroom Orzo has 483 calories per serving, not too bad for a pasta-centric meal.

Sweet and Sour Pork

INGREDIENTS

3 garlic cloves, peeled, halved

1 1/4-inch piece of ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 (15-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 red onion, coarsely chopped

1 pork tenderloin, a little over 1 pound, thinly sliced crosswise

2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the sauce; put the garlic and ginger in a mini food processor or blender with tomato puree, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey and pineapple chunks with their juice and blend until smooth.

Put the sesame oil in a sauté pan over high heat and stir-fry the onion about 2 minutes, then add the pork and peppers and reduce the heat to medium. Fry, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Tarragon Chicken and Mushroom Orzo

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick oil spray

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces

7 ounces sliced fresh cremini mushrooms

1/4 cup dry white wine

10 1/2 ounces orzo

3 1/4 cups hot chicken broth

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

5 1/2 ounces chopped frozen spinach

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 tablespoons light sour cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and place over medium-high heat. Fry onion for a few minutes until it starts to soften. Add chicken and mushrooms and fry, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.

Add wine and bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute, then stir in the orzo. Pour 3/4 of the hot chicken broth and stir in the mustard. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and remaining broth, stir well and simmer another 5 minutes.

Add the tarragon and sour cream. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir well to make sure the sour cream, tarragon, and spinach are well distributed. Yield: 4 servings

Slow-Cooker Mushroom Bourguignon

INGREDIENTS

10 ounces dried porcini mushrooms

1 tablespoon butter

12 ounces shallots, halved, peeled

2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch slices

3 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled

2 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dry red wine

1 teaspoon Marmite or other yeast extract such as Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

9 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

9 ounces portobello mushrooms, halved, thickly sliced

7 ounces small white mushrooms, halved

2 cups hot vegetable broth

Garnish: chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

Place the porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover; set aside.

Melt butter in a large deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add shallots and fry for 5 minutes. Add carrots and garlic. Fry for 2 minutes and then transfer to slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato puree and cornstarch; stir to form a smooth paste. Spoon into the skillet, set over low heat, then slowly stir in the red wine a bit at a time to form a smooth, lump-free sauce. Add the Marmite or yeast extract, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Stir well, bring to a boil on high heat. Remove from heat.

Add mushrooms to the slow cooker, including the porcini and most of the water it has been soaking in (use caution not to add the last bit of that soaking water because it can contain grit). Stir in the red wine sauce, scraping the skillet with a silicone spatula to capture all of it. Stir in broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours.

Yield: 4 servings

Tribune News Service