As the barometer drops, our comfort food cravings increase. Flavor-packed sauces, carb-laden plates and loads of pasta please!
We hunted down some smart tweaks on favorite dishes that deliver big on taste, but go low on calories. Give them a try! comfort foods
Parmesan Turkey Schnitzel
Ingredients:
- ½ kg filleted, skinless turkey breasts
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 medium egg whites
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 250g fresh green beans
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- Oil spray
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lightly spray with oil. Whisk egg whites in a small bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley on a deep plate.
- Lightly coat the fillets in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. Dip into the egg white and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Allow to dry slightly then spray with a light coating of oil. Bake, turning once halfway through cooking, for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Cook the beans in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain. Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat.
- Cook garlic, tomato and beans, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve turkey schnitzels with vegetables. comfort foods
(Courtesy of Weightwatchers)
Quick and Easy Lasagna
Ingredients:
- 250g ground beef
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, roughly diced
- 1 medium can whole tomatoes
- 2 small sachets tomato paste
- 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 6 uncooked lasagna sheets
- 200g cottage cheese, small curd
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
- 1 cup low fat mozzarella, shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 200 Celsius.
- Cook the chopped onion, garlic and ground beef until the beef is fully cooked, then set aside.
- Cook the zucchini for about 10 minutes, add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat for another 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the cooked beef mixture back into the tomato sauce mixture and stir.
- Pour about 1/2 of the tomato sauce mixture into a medium sized casserole dish. Place 3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the mixture (breaking each one in half if necessary), pressing each one down so that it’s covered with about 1/4″ of the tomato mixture on top. Add 1/2 of the cottage cheese to the casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of the parmesan and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy! comfort foods
Light and Easy Chicken Korma
A lower-calorie version of the much-loved original, this is still a winner for curry lovers.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- Ginger, thumb-sized piece, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 6 tablespoons ground almonds
- 11/4 cups chicken stock
- 100g natural yogurt
- Salt to taste
- Cooked basmati rice to serve
Preparation
- Put the onion, ginger and garlic in a small food processor and blitz to a paste. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion paste for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized.
- Stir in the spices and toast for 1 minute, then stir in the ground almonds. Add a splash of water and stir to make a paste with the onions and spices. Add the chicken, then season and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is golden and coated in the spices.
- Pour over the stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and briefly fold in the yogurt to make a thick sauce. Season and serve with basmati rice.
(Courtesy of Olive)
