The Art of the Meal

Just as there are lots of ways to skin a cat, there are many ways to make great corn-on-the-cob You can roast it, broil it, grill it, nuke it. But, far-and-away the easiest, fastest, most dependable method I've found is to simply toss it into boiling water.

1. About 15-20 minutes before serving, fill a large pot with enough water to cover the corn, add a teaspoon of salt, cover the pot, and bring the water to a roiling boil.
2. Remove husk and silk from corn; then, rinse and cut each ear in half.
3. When the water is at full boil, drop the corn into the pot (taking care not to scald yourself), re-cover, and boil on high for 5 or 6 minutes.
4. Remove from pot and serve right away.

Suggested serving: Corn-on-the-cob is a great side with any meal. It's served here with roasted chicken and watermelon.

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Perhaps you've noticed that I like to add Tex-Mex touches to all kinds of dishes. I'll throw in cilantro, chili peppers, whatever it takes. So, it's no stretch for me to combine good old American meat and potatoes with Spanish spices, herbs, et al, for a hearty and unexpectedly hot stew.

* 1 tablespoon Cumin, 2 teaspoon Sweet Mexican Paprika, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 finely-chopped, roasted garlic clove) – and 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning.

1. Rinse cubed meat, pat dry, salt all the pieces, and toss into zip-lock bag with spice mixture.
2. Shake the bag and massage the package to ensure spices are rubbed over all of the meat, then, refrigerate overnight.
3. Pour 6 cups water into large stock pot and bring to a roiling boil.
4. Add chopped potatoes and sliced carrots, and reduce heat to simmer until vegies are reasonably easy to pierce with a fork without falling apart.
5. Spray frying pan with cooking oil and heat until it just smokes.
6. Toss 1/2 cup of chopped onions into pan and saute until lightly browned.
7. Add spiced meat; stir and turn over in pan to sear on all sides.
8. Transfer meat and onions to stock pot, and add can of RO*TEL Hot Habanero tomatoes.
9. Toss in green peas, cilantro, and bay leaf.
10. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours (or more). (Slow cooking at a low temperature is what makes the beef tender; whence, the expression, “Let’em stew.")
11. OPTIONAL: If you prefer a thicker stew (but, still want to keep the calorie count low), try this: Puree 1 to 1-1/2 cups of finished stew in blender. Mix pureed blend into stew to thicken broth without adding any calories.

Serving suggestion: A piece of light jalapeño cornbread (recipe coming soon) is the perfect companion to this hybrid stew. (Don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving.)

Alternative: This dish also works well with chicken or turkey  – which may reduce the calorie count, depending on which meat (and how much) you use.

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Baker Mills' whole wheat, double-chocolate brownie mix yields higher overall volume than Stonewall Kitchen's. This means – in addition to substituting light butter for the suggested butter and oil, and Egg Beaters for 2 large eggs – you can up the number of servings all the way to 25, and still have decent-sized 100-calorie brownies.

1. In a large bowl, combine dry mix (which already includes chocolate chips), 2 tablespoons of cold water, and 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters w/Yolks (found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores).
2. Melt butter and stir into mixture until smooth and all ingredients are completely moistened.
3. Pour into an 8"x8" or 9"x9" baking pan dusted lightly with cooking spray.
4. Bake in pre-heated 350˚ oven for 30-35 minutes, until set and toothpick comes out (relatively) clean.
5. Place pan on rack and let cool until bottom of pan is warm to touch, but, not hot.
6. Loosen brownies with a knife and carefully remove from pan. (With this mix, I found that the bottom is more likely to stick; so, in addition to spraying the pan, I recommend placing a cut piece of parchment paper on the bottom for clean removal.)
7. Cool completely before cutting into 25 squares.

Suggested serving: Brownies with apples are extra bueno!!

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My son Joseph conceived this fantastic sandwich, whose signature ingredients are smoked Mesquite turkey breast, broccoli sprouts, and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. At only 25 calories per tablespoon, this flavorful hummus is a high-taste, loc-cal alternative to mayonnaise and other calorie-intensive spreads.

1. Toast 2 slices of white wheat bread.
2. Spread a tablespoon of hummus on each slice.
3. Layer smoked turkey breast, mozzarella cheese, sprouts, and jalapeños on one slice.
4. Top with other slice, and cut in half.

Suggested serving: Pair with half a cup of fresh strawberries for a cool lunch on a hot day.

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Sure, you can make your own rice pudding. But, why bother when this off-the-shelf brand is so off-the-hook delicious – and so reasonably low in calories? Find it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, add Rose Water and Cardamom – and you'll think you've died and gone to a fine Indian restaurant.

1. Put 12 tablespoons (3/4 of a cup) of Kozy Shack Rice Pudding into a mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of Rose Water and 2 pinches of Cardamom, and stir.
3. Divide into two bowls and serve.

Suggested serving: Add a teaspoon of raisins (about 10 calories) to each bowl before serving. If you really want to go crazy, spinkle a crushed roasted almond (5 calories) over each pudding, as well.

Tip: Mix the ingredients ahead of time, and let the flavors marry and the raisins hydrate for an hour or two in the fridge before serving.

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Here's another take-off on Stonewall Kitchen's Traditional Scone Mix. Like our previous recipe for Cadamom Cranberry Scones, if you increase the number of recommended scones per package and use light butter – you'll have 100-calorie scones even after adding raisins.

1. Place 1/2 of Stonewall Kitchen's Traditional Scone Mix (about 1-1/2 cups) into medium size mixing bowl, add cinnamon and combine (see note below).
2. Cut cold butter up into small pieces, and cut into dry mix 'til crumbly.
3. Add chopped raisins, and stir to evenly distribute. (Chopping allows you to use less fruit, because – though fruit pieces are smaller – you'll have more of them to disperse throughout the mixture.)
4. Stir in 3 tablespoons ice cold water with a fork until the crumbly mixture starts to bind together. (It may not seem like enough water, at first; but, keep stirring and occasionally pressing with the fork – and more and more of the mixture will start to cohere.)
5. Cover dough with a clean cloth and let rest in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
6. Remove from fridge, dust hands with flour, and knead mixture quickly into a ball. (Don't work it too much; just get it to basically stick together.)
7. Re-flour hands, and place dough ball on a floured pastry (or regular cutting) board.
8. Pat into a 1/2-inch thick, 6-inch diameter circular disc, and cut into 10 pie-wedge pieces.
9. Transfer scones to cookie sheet covered with parchment – or (my preference) pizza stone lightly doused with cooking spray.
10. Bake in pre-heated 450˚ oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.
11. Place scones on wire rack and let cool.

NOTE: You can also make the whole mix (of course) by doubling all the ingredients. If you do, I still recommend halving your dough into 2 discs and dividing each into 10 wedges – rather than dividing one large disc into 20 scones. PLUS . . . working up each batch separately allows you to add different ingredients to the second batch, and offer family and friends a choice, such as: Cardamom Cranberry.

Suggested serving: Drizzle a little Cinnamon Icing over scones with a fork (adding 8-10 calories per mini-scone) and have one with some green Jasmine tea.

Cinnamon Icing:

1. Combine 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
2. Add just enough water for a drizzling consistency and mix well.
3. Scoop some of the icing onto a fork and drizzle it across the scones.

TIP: Leave scones on rack after they’ve cooled, place parchment paper beneath, and drizzle icing across. For me, a good half of the icing always ends up on the parchment, so I figure the calories to be the remaining 3 tablespoons per 10 scones (i.e., 8-10 calories apiece) – assuming I don't get carried away with my fork.

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Pico de Gallo * is a popular Tex-Mex condiment-garnish-cum-dietary-staple here in the Texas Hill Country. We put it on everything but ice cream. (Actually, at Austin's yearly Spamarama, we might put it on ice cream!) Depending on serving size, it's as close to calorie-free as you can get and still be eating something substantial. 

* Beak of the rooster

** Vary this amount according to how hot you like your pico.

1. Cut and discard stem end of tomatoes, and dice. Seed them if you want, or leave the seeds in for a juicier pico. (I like to use Romas because they are firmer and a little less seedy than other types – and, as an added bonus, usually cheaper.)
2. Cut and discard stem end of jalapeños, and mince. Remove some or all of the seeds (depending on the level of heat you want). Exercise proper care when working with chilis. (Click here for some sage advice on this subject.)
3. Add chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and/or pepper to taste – and stir.
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. (Stays relatively fresh for 3-4 days; can be used in soups after that, up to about a week or so. When the onion starts to degrade, you'll smell it.)

Serving suggestion: How can you serve Pico de Gallo? Let me count the ways:

• Serve it with tacos and fajitas
• Add it to scrambled eggs, broken chips and cheese for quick, home-made migas
• Stir it into prepared potato salad for “potato de gallo”
• Mix it with salad greens for a spicy dinner salad
• Spoon it into cold tomato juice for instant gazpacho
• Use it to spice up soups . . . and so on, and on, and on.

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Spice up Stonewall Kitchen's Traditional Scone Mix with cardamom, dried cranberries and Rose Water. If you increase the number of recommended scones per package and use light butter, you'll have 100-calorie scones even after adding cranberries.

* You can also keep Rose Flower Water in a spray bottle to spritz your face or freshen a room.

1. Place 1/2 of Stonewall Kitchen's Traditional Scone Mix (about 1-1/2 cups) into medium size mixing bowl, add cardamom and combine (see note below).
2. Cut cold butter up into small pieces, and cut into dry mix 'til crumbly.
3. Add chopped cranberries, and stir to evenly distribute. (Chopping allows you to use less fruit, because – though fruit pieces are smaller – you'll have more of them to disperse throughout the mixture.)
4. Stir in 2 tablespoons ice cold water plus 1 tablespoon Rose Water with a fork until the crumbly mixture starts to bind together. (It may not seem like enough water, at first; but, keep stirring and occasionally pressing with the fork – and more and more of the mixture will start to cohere.)
5. Cover dough with a clean cloth and let rest in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
6. Remove from fridge, dust hands with flour, and knead mixture quickly into a ball. (Don't work it too much; just get it to basically stick together.)
7. Re-flour hands, and place dough ball on a floured pastry (or regular cutting) board.
8. Pat into a 1/2-inch thick, 6-inch diameter circular disc, and cut into 10 pie-wedge pieces.
9. Transfer scones to cookie sheet covered with parchment – or (my preference) pizza stone lightly doused with cooking spray.
10. Bake in pre-heated 450˚ oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.
11. Place scones on wire rack and let cool.

NOTE: You can also make the whole mix (of course) by doubling all the ingredients. If you do, I still recommend halving your dough into 2 discs and dividing each into 10 wedges – rather than dividing one large disc into 20 scones. PLUS . . . working up each batch separately allows you to add different ingredients to the second batch, and offer family and friends a choice, such as: Cinnamon Raisin.

Suggested serving: For extra sweetness and spice, drizzle Cardamom Icing over scones with a fork – adding 8-10 calories per mini-scone (assuming you're not too magnanimous with your fork).

Cardamom Icing:

1. Combine 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar with 1/8 teaspoon cardamom.
2. Add just enough water for a drizzling consistency – plus, a few drops of Rose Water – and mix well. (If you prefer a strong presence of roses in your scones, use only Rose Water to wet the sugar.)
3. Scoop some of the icing onto a fork and drizzle it across the scones.

TIP: Leave scones on rack after they’ve cooled, place parchment paper beneath, and drizzle icing across (as show above). For me, a good half of the icing always ends up on the parchment, so I figure the calories to be the remaining 3 tablespoons per 10 scones (i.e., 8-10 calories apiece) – assuming, once again, that I don't get carried away with my fork.

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Foraging in my fridge for a quick-fix lunch when left-over BBQ chicken, ready-to-serve bacon, and pita pockets came to the rescue. I suspect this "fast food" solution would be great with any left-over BBQ or roasted chicken. Microwavable bacon is in the refrigerated meat section of most grocery stores.

* Hellmann's Low-Fat Mayonnaise seems to taste most like real mayo.

1. Remove skin and bones from one barbecued chicken breast.
2. Tear into strips, then, cut into cubes 'til you fill 1 cup. (I use scissors to cut cubes.)
3. Toss cubed chicken with 1 tablespoon each reduced fat mayo and cilantro – plus 1/8 cup dried cranberries.
4. Lay 3 strips of pre-cooked bacon across one half of an open paper towel. Fold other half over to cover top of bacon strips, and microwave on high 'til bacon is quite crispy, but, not burnt (timing will vary according to your unit).
5. The paper towel automatically absorbs most of the oil from bottom of bacon – but, you must flip the folded towel over to absorb oil from other side.
6. Crumble bacon over chicken mixture, stir to combine, and salt to taste (if at all).
7. Cut or tear pita pocket in half. Scoop half of mixture into each half-pocket, and serve.

Suggested serving: This is a well-balanced meal all by itself – high fiber, greens, fruit, meat, and even a little fat; plus, many of the ayurvedic tastes required for a fully satisfying meal – salty, sweet, and astringent. Yet, it's so low-cal, you can afford to splurge on dessert!

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Great news! Stonewall Kitchen's Triple Fudge Brownies are under 100 calories with 3 small changes to package directions:
  1. Substitute Land 0‘Lakes light butter for high-calorie oil.
  2. Increase number of servings from 12 to 16 brownies.
  3. Use only half of the included fudge packet.

1. In a large bowl, combine dry mix and semi-sweet chocolate pieces from Stonewall Kitchen package.
2. Melt butter and mix with 2 tablespoons cold water. Once cold water has cooled butter, add beaten egg.
3. Mix all ingredients until completely moistened, and pour into 8"x8" or 9"x9" baking pan dusted lightly with cooking spray.
4. Knead provided fudge packet 10-15 times to soften, cut in half with scissors, and (from one half packet) squeeze lines of fudge across brownie mixture. (Not easy, because fudge sauce is so viscous. Frankly, I can only get it to come out in globs.)
5. Pull a knife through the lines (or globs) of fudge and twist to create swirls (as evenly distributed as you can) in the unbaked brownie mixture.
6. Bake in pre-heated 350˚ oven for 25-30 minutes, until set and toothpick comes out (relatively) clean.
7. Place pan on rack and let cool until bottom of pan is warm to touch, but, not hot.
8. Loosen brownies with a knife and remove from pan.
9. Cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Suggested serving: With Espresso, of course! (Adding taste but NO calories.)

• Espresso Discs & Beans
• Espresso Machines
• Espresso Cup-and-Saucer Sets

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