START THE NEW YEAR WITH WEIGHT LOSS January 5, 2005 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Santa has come and gone. Now we're left with empty boxes, tree needles in the carpet, and a ham bone destined for the soup pot . . . all souvenirs of happy holidays.

But there's one souvenir I hope that's not hanging around your house or your middle. I'm talking about those extra holiday pounds that seem to creep up on us as we enjoy seasonal goodies.

Here are some healthy recipes to help you get rid of those unwanted pounds you noticed. I assume you want to get rid of them. You do, don't you?

Even if you escaped the holiday "growth spurt," check out these recipes to start off your new year in a healthy mode. Sensible eating is certainly a resolution I endorse.

The Chicken Paprikash is a slightly spicy, creamy chicken mixture served over baked potatoes. It's similar to Beef Stroganoff. You could serve the Paprikash over cooked noodles instead of baked potatoes.

The Paprikash goes together super quick. With this recipe, you can put a good meal on the table even after a full day of vacuuming those pesky needles out of the carpet. Preparation of the Paprikash will go even faster if you find chicken thighs that are already boned and skinned for you. Unfortunately, this will increase the cost of the dish.

The White Bean Chicken Chili obviously uses chicken instead of beef to reduce fat and calories. The addition of cheese to the chili adds fat back, but cheese is a good source of calcium. I use regular cheese, not reduced-fat, in this recipe as reduced-fat cheeses do not melt well. You could try using the reduced-fat version of Monterey Jack, but do shred it finely to facilitate melting.

This dish does require a lot of chopping of ingredients, but it's well worth the effort - flavor wise. Plus, the chopping will burn up some calories to help you fight off those extra pounds.

The Roasted Vegetables will correct some Southern vegetable sins. We Southerners like to add lots of fat (especially animal fat) to our veggies for seasoning. Animal fat is the saturated kind that triggers an increase in blood cholesterol for many people.

The olive oil used in this recipe is monounsaturated fat. This kind of fat increaes "good" cholesterol and decreases the "bad." But this does not mean you can use the whole bottle; even "good" fats need to be used in moderation.

Typically, we Southerners also like to cook vegetables in large pots of water till they are totally dead and limp. This practice reduces the vitamin content of the veggies. Roasting vegetables in the oven helps to retain nutritive value (and brings out their natural sweetness).

The recipe is very adaptable. Change the combination or amounts of vegetables to suit your family's taste buds. If you do use "ready-to-eat" baby carrots from a bag, be sure to rinse them well. Studies have shown relatively high bacteria counts in "ready-to-eat" bagged produce.

Also, if you prefer softer vegetables to those with crunch, cut veggies smaller than directed, so they will cook more done.

Wash the potatoes, pierce with a fork, and arrange in a circle on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave on high for 16 minutes or till done, rearranging potatoes after 8 minutes. Let potatoes stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken, flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to coat chicken pieces.

Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture, onions, mushrooms, and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cook 6 minutes or till chicken is done and sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Split potatoes with fork and fluff pulp. Divide chicken mixture evenly over potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with parsley.

Yields 311 calories per serving.

Recipe from Cooking Light magazine, March 2002.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cut chicken into 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks. Add chicken to pot and cook till pink is gone. Remove chicken from pot.

Add more oil to pot if necessary. Add onions and garlic to pot; saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or till onions are softened. Add canned chilies, oregano, cloves, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to combine spices. Add undrained beans, broth, celery, and cooked chicken to pot; mix in. Bring chili to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from heat and stir in cheese till it melts. Serve garnished if desired.

Yields 10 servings (about 1 1/2 cups per serving), 417 calories and 16 grams fat per serving.

Recipe adapted from Free Press Test Kitchen.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Separate garlic bulbs into cloves; peel cloves. Toss garlic with next 9 ingredients and place on a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir in green beans. Bake 15 minutes more.

Yields 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living magazine.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 1/21/05