The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution: 2 Weeks to Drop Pounds, Boost Metabolism, and Get Healthy (A DASH Diet Book) (19 page)

few minutes longer, until lightly browned. Scrape into a large mixing bowl.

Combine all the ingredients except the bay leaves in the bowl and mix together

thoroughly with your clean hands. (You may want to remove your rings first.)

Shape the mixture in the meatloaf loaf pan. Arrange the bay leaves on top.

Place the meatloaf pan on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. (This helps

prevent drips and spills.) Bake in the lower middle of the oven for about 1½ hours.

The meatloaf is done when the juices run almost clear with a pale pink tinge. A

meat thermometer should read 155°. Let cool for 30 minutes. If you have not used

the double meatloaf pan, pour off any residual meat juices.

Makes about 10 servings.

Hints
: We use a double meatloaf pan, which has slots in the inner pan, allowing the fats and juices to drop into the outer pan. It makes for a much leaner

meatloaf.

Using the optional oatmeal instead of the bread crumbs will increase the fiber

content.

Note
: This recipe was adapted from Julia Child’s
The Way to Cook.

Mango-Berry Salsa with Grilled Pork Loin

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1½-to-2-pound boneless pork top loin roast (single loin)

1 mango, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

¼ cup diced onion

2 tablespoons brown sugar or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

1 finely diced small, fresh banana pepper

½ teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh raspberries or other berries

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper. Trim any

excess fat from the meat. Use a sharp knife to cut (score) the outside of the top

and bottom of the roast, making cuts about ¼-inch deep. Rub garlic mixture

evenly onto all sides of meat. Insert a meat thermometer near the center of roast.

Preheat a grill with a cover to low-medium. Place the meat in a roasting pan on

the grill rack. Cover and grill for about 1 hour or until a meat thermometer

registers 155°F.

Remove the meat from the grill to a cutting board. Cover the meat with foil; let

stand 15 minutes before carving. (The meat’s temperature will rise 5°F during

standing.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine half of the chopped mango with the onion,

brown sugar, banana pepper, lime zest, lime juice, and salt. Tear off a 24-by-18-

inch piece of heavy foil. Fold in half to make a double thickness of foil that

measures 18 by 12 inches. Spoon the mixture onto the center of the foil. Bring up

two opposite edges of the foil. Fold the foil to enclose the mixture, leaving space

for steam to build.

Place the mango packet on the rack of an uncovered grill for 10 minutes, or until

heated through. Remove from heat. Transfer the grilled mango mixture to a

medium bowl. Gently stir the remaining chopped mango and the raspberries into

the grilled mango mixture. Serve with pork and, if desired, lime wedges.

Makes 6 servings.

Poultry

Naked Chicken Piccata

Super-Easy, Lip-Smacking-Good, Roasted Chicken and Winter Vegetables

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Southwestern Blackened Chicken Salad

Chicken Souvlaki

Poached Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

The Easiest Chicken Giardinara

Crispy Grilled Chicken

Chicken, Pan-Broiled, with Tomato and Broccoli Salad

Garden Splendor, Sautéed Chicken with Tomatoes over Haricots Verts

Blackened Chicken with Avocado-Papaya Salsa

Blackened Chicken and Berry Salad

Stand-up Chicken

Sesame Chicken Salad

Crispy Chicken Tenders

Turkey Roll-ups with Blueberry Salsa

Naked Chicken Piccata

It’s called naked because there is no breading or capers. No breading to

minimize refined starches, and no capers to keep sodium under control.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

lemon-pepper seasoning mix

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, preheated in a microwave

First, pound the chicken breasts with a wooden mallet until they are about ¼-inch

thick. This will be easiest if you place them on sheets of plastic wrap and sprinkle

water around the sheets so they don’t stick so much. You could also use a rolling

pin to thin and even out the breasts.

Sprinkle the breasts with the lemon-pepper seasoning mix. Heat the oil over

medium-high heat. (If the oil is smoking, the cooking temperature is too high.) Add

the chicken and cook about 4 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove

the chicken from the pan, and place on a plate with a cover (such as a pot lid or

aluminum foil) to keep warm.

Add the lemon juice, zest, and hot chicken broth to the skillet, scraping the pan to

loosen any browned bits. Continue to cook to thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat

and add the butter or margarine. Return the chicken to the pan and cook about

another 3 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breasts is at least

165°F.

Makes 4 servings.

Hint
: To make this dish even lower in sodium, use 1 cup of white wine instead of the chicken broth. You will still have great flavor.

Super-Easy, Lip-Smacking-Good, Roasted Chicken and Winter Vegetables

1 roasting chicken, 5–6 pounds

poultry seasonings

15 new red potatoes (very small)

12-ounce bag frozen crinkle cut carrots

12-ounce bag frozen Brussels sprouts

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

4 cloves garlic, minced or smashed

1 can low-sodium chicken broth

parsley, dried or finely chopped fresh

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Clean the chicken, removing all the giblets and the neck (if included). Pat dry.

Sprinkle poultry seasonings over the inside and outside of the bird. Place the bird

on the rack in a roaster. Place the potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts on the

bottom of the roaster. Place onion chunks around and inside the bird. Add minced

garlic around the bottom of the pan and inside the bird. Sprinkle parsley over the

bird and vegetables, then drizzle with olive oil.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F. Roast for another 45

minutes, or until thermometer inserted deep into the breast reads 165°F. The bird

should be a deep golden brown. If the liquid on the bottom dries out, add

additional water to keep the vegetables from burning.

Makes 6 servings.

Hints
: You can choose almost any type of vegetable, fresh or frozen, that you like. And cut-up sweet potatoes would be interesting instead of the red potatoes.

This recipe would also work well in a slow cooker.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2 tablespoons low-sodium light soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (plum sauce)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

½ teaspoon sugar or Splenda

3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil (no peanut oil if you have an allergy to

peanuts)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger or 2 dashes of ground ginger

cup diced red onion

1 cup chopped button mushrooms

½ cup water chestnuts, diced

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced or cut in strips

8–10 inner leaves chilled iceberg lettuce

fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)

¼ cup unsalted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped (skip if you have nut

allergies)

Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl and mix

together until the sugar dissolves.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high to high heat. (If

the oil smokes, turn down the heat. The smoke is hazardous to your lungs.) Mix

the garlic and ginger into the oil, then add the onion, mushrooms, and water

chestnuts. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the wok.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the chicken and brown for

1 minute, or until no longer pink. Add the cooked vegetable mixture back to the

wok, decrease the heat, and stir in the sauce mixture. Stir for 1 minute, or until the sauce is heated and the chicken is cooked through.

Spoon the filling into each of the lettuce cups. Top each lettuce cup with cilantro

and sprinkle with chopped cashews (if desired). Serve warm.

Makes about 4 servings.

Hint
: Peanut oil works very well for high-temperature cooking since it is more resistant to smoking. Canola or safflower oil are also good.