Low-Fat Grilling: Fabulous Food from the Backyard Barbecue [Paperback]

Melanie Barnard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 1995

Low-fat cooking and grilling two American passions, are combined in this book of more than one hundred recipes, with tempting results.

The grill is the perfect tool for cooking delicious and easy low-fat meals. Grilling brings out the natural flavors of foods, making the use of heavy sauces and time-consuming preparations unnecessary. In Low-Fat Grilling Melanie Barnard offers grilling recipes, for all occasions, that are tasty and low in fat. Scrumptious appetizers include Tomato and Basil Pizza and Honey Mustard Sweet Potato Thins; entrées such as Tandoor-Style Chicken, Grill-Smoked Turkey with Curried Peach Salsa, Salmon with Dilled Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, and Steak and Charred Onion Sandwich; and vegetables like Carrots with Ginger and Honey Glaze, Grilled Corn Chowder, and Plantain Slices. Barnard cleverly includes recipes for pasta, soup, and sandwiches, as well as for other improbable candidates for grilling, like polenta, potato chips, and apples. Side dishes, accompaniments, and desserts that complement grilled foods will also provide satisfaction without the fat: marinades and salsas, coleslaw, baked beans, and strawberry shortcake. In addition to the recipes themselves, Barnard provides suggested menus for entertaining, ideas of getting the most from your grill, helpful nutritional analyses, and general hints on how to cut back on fat without compromising taste. Easy and delicious, Melanie Barnard's grilled foods belong on the dieter's table as much as on everyone's picnic bench.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Melanie Barnard is a food writer and monthly columnist for Bon Appetit magazine. Her many cookbooks include Parties, Cheap Eats, Low-Fat Grilling, and Marinades.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Grilled Shrimp and Peppers on Spinach Fettuccine

4 servings

The sweet smokiness of grilled vegetables and the gorgeous look of grilled shellfish play well against the light sauce on the fettuccine. This is a dish worthy of your finest guests, but it takes almost no time to prepare.

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup bottled clam juice
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
12 ounces large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, quartered
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut horizontally into 1/4-inch slices
8 littleneck or other clams in the shell, scrubbed
1 pound spinach fettuccine, freshly cooked and drained

Prepare a medium-hot barbecue fire. Oil the grill rack or coat with a nonstick vegetable spray.

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil and sauté the garlic 30 seconds over medium heat. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, clam juice, and pepper flakes. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes until reduced by about one third. Stir in the basil. Keep the sauce warm over low heat until ready to continue. (Or make up to 3 hours ahead and rewarm before continuing.)

Thread the shrimp onto skewers, then rub with 1 teaspoon oil. Rub the pepper and onion with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Grill the pepper and onion, turning once, about 8 minutes, until tinged with brown and softened. Grill the clams and shrimp, turning the shrimp once, 3 to 5 minutes, until the clams open and the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. (Discard any clams that do not open.)

Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Add the onion and pepper and toss to mix well. Arrange the shrimp and clams in the shell on top of the pasta.

Calories: 669.46 KCAL
Protein: 37.04 GM
Total Fat: 10.18 GM
Saturated Fat: 1.88 GM
Sodium: 699.49 MG
Cholesterol: 222.73 MG
Carbohydrate: 97.62 GM

% calories from fat: 14.53%

Grilled Minted Yogurt Chicken

4 servings

Nonfat plain yogurt is a terrific marinade. The milk solids and sugars add flavor to the chicken as it caramelizes to a rich golden color over the grill. For more intense flavor, toss a handful of dampened mint onto the grill just before cooking the chicken. Roasted or grilled new potatoes and lightly stewed fresh tomatoes complement the dish nicely.

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped mint
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (each about 5 ounces)
Handful of mint sprigs, optional

In a shallow dish just large enough to hold the chicken, combine the yogurt, mint, garlic, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Use your hands to flatten the chicken to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Add to the yogurt marinade, turning to coat both sides. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare a medium-hot barbecue fire. Lightly oil the grill rack or coat with a nonstick vegetable spray. Just before cooking, dampen all but 4 of the optional mint sprigs and toss them onto the coals.

Grill the chicken, turning once, for a total of 6 to 8 minutes, until the meat is white throughout. Garnish the dish with the reserved mint sprigs, if you are using them.

Calories: 191.61 KCAL
Protein: 36.15 GM
Total Fat: 1.93 GM
Saturated Fat: .54 GM
Sodium: 409.24 MG
Cholesterol: 83.34 MG
Carbohydrate: 5.05 GM

% calories from fat: 9.53%

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; 1st edition (March 10, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060950730
• ISBN-13: 978-0060950736
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,242,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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