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Food

1001 4.0. 0*- : i i:

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One-Dish Wonders

Place the flour
in a shallow
bowl or plate.
Set aside. Pound
chicken slightly to
make uniform in
thickness. Dredge the
chicken in the flour and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medi-
um-high heat. Add the chicken and
cook on both sides until just lightly
browned (the chicken will not be
cooked through). Remove the chicken
to a plate while you finish the dish.
Pour wine into the skillet and scrape
the pan with a spatula. Add the onions,
garlic, bell pepper and pepper flakes and
cook until the liquid evaporates, stirring
constantly. Add the broth, tomatoes and
capers; cook until the sauce is slightly
thickened. Replace the chicken to the
pan and spoon the sauce over.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Lay the asparagus and spinach over the
chicken and top the pan with a lid.
Reduce heat to medium and cook the
chicken for 5-10 minutes more, until
the vegetables are cooked through.
Serve by removing the spinach to
eight individual dinner plates (just a
small amount each). Arrange the aspara-
gus to the side of the spinach. Arrange
the chicken over the vegetables and top
with the sauce from the pan.
You may also serve over roasted pota-
toes, rice or pasta. Makes 8 servings.

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Quick-and-easy prep and cleanup.

ANNABEL COHEN

Special to the Jewish News

I magine dinner with one pot, or
one baking dish.
It would have to be a one-
dish meal; a meal that embraces
all the necessary ingredients for healthy
eating — including a profusion of fresh
vegetables.
If your mind is leading you down the
path to tuna casserole, choose a new
route. These one-dish wonders have
nothing to do with gloppy baked mys-
tery ingredients. The trick to these body
beneficial eats is that we cut out some
precooking, while lowering fat content.
Here's another bonus. One-dish meals
can almost always be made in advance.
Once the prep work is done, most can
be chilled for at least a day before final
cooking. Or they may be finished and
merely heated for servings.
For variety, try substituting ingredients
like lamb for beef, or trout for salmon.
Any way you saute it, one-dish meals are
the one way to go.

LOW-FAT VEGETARIAN
MOUSSAKA
This easy recipe is the result of using
raw, unsalted eggplant, leaving out a step
that's time consuming and not necessary.
Low-Fat White Sauce:
6 T. all-purpose flour
3 cups low-fat milk
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten to blend
salt and white pepper to taste
Moussaka:
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2. cups chopped onion
1 T minced garlic
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium eggplants (about 3-4
pounds) unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch-
thick rounds
12 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups thin sliced carrot rounds
2 medium or 1 large zucchini,

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2004

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unpeeled, cut into thin rounds
2 large potatoes (about 1 pound),
unpeeled, cut into thin rounds
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
Make white sauce: Place flour in a
medium saucepan over medium-high
heat. Slowly add the milk, whisking
constantly until a thick sauce is made
(about 5-10 minutes). Reduce heat and
whisk in the nutmeg. Remove the pan
from heat and whisk in the cheese and
then the egg. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Set aside.
Make moussaka: Combine tomatoes,
onions, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, salt
and pepper in a medium bowl and stir
well. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350E Spray a large
glass or ceramic (or 9x13-inch) baking
dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the bottom
of the pan and drizzle with olive oil.
Arrange one-third of the eggplant slices
over the breadcrumbs. Top with one half
of the tomato sauce. Arrange the mush-
rooms and carrots over the sauce.
Top with another one-third of the
eggplant, the other half of the sauce and
zucchini slices and potato slices. Top
with the last layer of eggplant. Pour the
white sauce over the eggplant and
smooth evenly. Sprinkle the cheese over
the white sauce and bake, uncovered for
70-80 minutes or until the vegetables are
cooked through.
Cut into squares and serve. Makes 8
large dinner servings.

SEARED CHICKEN WITH
SPINACH, RED PEPPER AND
TOMATOES
1/2 cup flour
8 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
(about 3 pounds), trimmed of visible fat
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped onions
1 t. minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, slice thinly
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup, or more, chicken broth
1 can (about 15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 T. capers
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds fresh thin asparagus spears,
trimmed of tough ends
1 pound fresh baby spinach

MOROCCAN SEA BASS
WITH ALMONDS AND PEAS
You may also make this with any firm-
flesh fish. Can be served over couscous.
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into
chunks
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 T grated lemon peel or zest
1 t. paprika
1 t. saffron threads
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. coriander seeds
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
8 (about 2 pounds) boneless and skin-
less sea bass fillets
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
paprika, garnish
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a large
baking dish with non-stick cooking
spray. Set aside.

Combine the
onions, garlic,
parsley, cilantro,
grated peel, paprika,
saffron, salt, corian-
der, pepper and pepper
flakes in the bowl of a food
processor and pulse a few times to chop
finely (do not make this into a paste).
Spread this mixture over the bottom
of the prepared pan. Top the mixture
with the peas and slivered almonds
and arrange the fish over all, Pour the
wine over the fish. Drizzle the olive oil
and lemon juice over the fish. Sprinkle
the fish with the paprika. (You may
make the fish to this point up to one
day in advance).
Roast the fish, covered with foil, for
15 minutes. Remove the foil and raise
the heat to 425F and bake for 10 min-
utes more. Serve the fish immediately
with the sauce, peas and almonds
spooned over. Makes 8 servings.

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ONE-POT BEEF STEW
By nature, stew is a one-pot meal. This
one's just plain good, without being
fussy. Start on the stove and finish in the
oven for greatest ease.
2 T olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of
excess fat
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 T. chopped garlic
1 cup red wine (any kind)
2 (14 oz.) cans beef broth
1 can (about 15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 T. minced fresh thyme
2 T. dried parsley flakes
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground pepper
2 cups carrot chunks
2 cups potato chunks
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
In a large ovenproof pot ( with han-
dles that won't burn), heat oil over
medium-high heat until very hot. Add
beef and cook, stirring frequently, until
it is browned on all sides. Remove the
beef to a dish.
Add onions, celery and garlic to the
pot and saute for 5 minutes. Return the
beef to the pot and add wine, broth,
tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, salt
and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 250F.
Cover the pot and bake for 2 hours.
Add the carrots, potatoes and peas
and cook 1 hour more. Adjust salt
and pepper to taste and serve.
Makes 8 servings.

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