Here are three of my favorite special occasion (but still low calorie) meals:
Coq Au Vin
It's French--you can't get more romantic than that! If you have leftovers, this is even better the next day.- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups carrots, diced
- 10 oz mushrooms, sliced (sub 1 cup of diced celery if you don't like mushrooms)
- 8 oz turkey kielbasa
- 1 cup fat free chicken broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 10 oz pearl onions, blanched and peeled
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
In a dutch oven or large saucepan, saute chicken in 1 tbsp olive oil until browned.
Add remaining tbsp olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, and turkey kielbasa. Saute, stirring frequently, until onion is just tender.
Add remaining ingredients through pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.
Combine flour and water, then stir into the stew. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Discard bay leaf and serve.
Note: To peal the pearl onions, place them in boiling water for 3 min, drain and then rinse with cold water. Then you can cut the end of each onion and easily pop it out of its skin.
Makes 6 servings, 350 calories per serving, 12g fat, 22g carbs (3g fiber), 39g protein.
Creamy Tarragon Chicken- 24 oz chicken breast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 oz (about 1/4 cup) minced shallots
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup fat free half and half
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (or a mixture of tarragon and rosemary)
- 3 tbsp nonfat yogurt
Pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Saute with a small amount of cooking spray until done. Set aside.
Spray pan with a little more cooking spray if necessary and saute shallots over medium until tender.
Add wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, mustard, half and half, and taragon and mix well. Add the chicken and any juices. Cook until chicken is warm and sauce is thickened, maybe 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken to serving plates and stir the non-fat yogurt into the sauce. Spoon sauce over the chicken.
Makes 4 servings at 225 calories each, 4g fat, 6g carbs (0g fiber), 34g protein.
Broiled Salmon and Fresh Berry Sauce- 1/2 cup shallots
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tbso white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 16 oz salmon
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 cups fresh raspberries or strawberries
Combine all ingredients except salmon and berries. Mix well, add salmon and marinate for 20 minutes.
Remove salmon from marinade (reserve marinade); broil salmon until done.
Meanwhile, place reserved marinade in saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes over med-high heat. Stir in corn starch (dissolve it in a small amount of water first, so it doesn't clump) and berries and cook for a few minutes more until sauce is slightly thickened. Pour sauce over salmon.
This will be a little soupy, so you might want to it in bowls.
4 servings at 315 calories each, 11g fat, 67g carbs (4g fiber), 31g protein.