All American Celebration -
The WEBB Cooks by Robyn Webb, MS, LN
I love to indulge my sense of culinary adventure by cooking cuisines that represent the globe. When it comes to July and our celebrations, it's strictly an All American affair for me. What would Fourth of July be without traditional favorites to usher in another year of independence?
All too often these get togethers of family and friends can spell diet disaster. You keep the menu, but just lighten it up! Here are some ways to make the occasion a healthy one.
Combine your all beef burgers with some ground white meat turkey or chicken to lower the saturated fat content. If preparing all turkey or chicken burgers, keep the flame on the grill to medium, so as to not dry out the meat.
Consider starting new traditions too.
- Grilled veggie burgers or grilled whole portobello mushrooms stuffed between a hamburger bun can prove to be a nice change.
- Instead of regular fried chicken, roll chicken parts in crushed cornflakes mixed with wheat germ for added crunch, and bake drizzled with olive oil.
- Grill only very lean cuts of meat such as flank steaks and London broil. Marinate them to create a tender cut.
- Try some of the "exotic" meats at your BBQ. Grilled bison or buffalo are extremely lean and taste great grilled.
Make room for lots of grilled vegetables. Too often, it's just bowls of potato salad, coleslaw and macaroni salad on the table. Think out of the box. Grill up sliced tomatoes, chunks of zucchini and yellow squash, halved carrots, thick red onion slices, asparagus spears and assorted colors of sweet bell peppers.
Introduce grains salads into the picture. Instead of the ubiquitous mayonnaise-laden salads, try preparing healthful and fiber rich cold grain salads. Brown rice, couscous, barley and wheat berries make great bases for grain salads. Toss in chopped vegetables such as carrots, red peppers, sliced scallions, and diced cucumber, and toss lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Add minced basil or fresh minced thyme for added flavor.
If you love coleslaw, keep it ... but keep it light. Hold the mayo and toss instead with apple cider vinegar mixed with olive oil, Dijon mustard and a tad of honey. Or try rice vinegar or champagne vinegar for a sprightly flavor.
Instead of potato salad, grill them instead. Cut wedges of white or sweet potato, and brush lightly with olive oil. Set in foil, wrap up and grill over medium heat until the potatoes are fork tender.
Fruit is always a good choice for ending your party, but make it fun. Grilled pineapple or peach halves bring out the best in summer fruit. The high heat of the grill draws out the fruits' naturally sweet taste with such intensity that you may never need anything but grilled fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth again! Brush slices of pineapple or peach halves with just a little melted tub margarine, and grill over medium heat until the fruit is tender.
Make fruit in thirst quenching drinks. Puree chunks of seedless watermelon with a little water in a food processor. Add to a tall pitcher and fill with chilled club soda. Add a dash of low calorie sweetener and some lime wedges and you'll have a nonalcoholic cooling drink.
There are lots of ways to keep your summer food gatherings slimming and nutritious. Now all you need are the fireworks, friends and family to enjoy it all with!
GRILLED CARIBBEAN CHICKEN BREASTS
makes 6 servings / serving size: 4 ounces
preparation time: 15 minutes
marinating time: 2 hours to 48 hours
cook time: 12 minutes
exchanges: 4 lean meat
calories: 154
calories from fat: 41
total fat: 5 g
saturated fat: 1 g
cholesterol: 69 mg
sodium: 61 mg
carbohydrate: 1 g
dietary fiber: 0 g
sugars: 1 g
protein: 25 g
Marinade
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. fresh minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. minced fresh oregano
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- In a blender or food processor, combine the marinade ingredients.
- Transfer the marinade to a bowl, add the chicken, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat an outdoor grill with the heat set to medium high. Coat the grill rack with cooking spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Add the chicken to the grill and grill on each side for about 6 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through and no trace of pink remains.
