Holiday Wraps, A Low Carb
Alternative
for the Holidays
4 rice wrappers*
4 large leafy red or green lettuce leaves, rinsed and dried, with
end of ribs trimmed
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into long, very
thin strips
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thinly or shredded into long strips
3/4 lb. cooked and shelled shrimp, cut lengthwise in half (cooked lean
chicken or pork may also be used)
1 Asian pear (or mango), peeled and cut into long, thin strips
(optional)
16-24 leaves of fresh cilantro or mint (optional)
Place a lettuce leaf on top of the damp wrapper. (The frilly edge of
the leaf can extend slightly beyond the edges on one side, if desired.)
Arrange 1/4 of the cucumber strips in a narrow row from left to right,
across the third of the wrapper nearest you. Spread shrimp halves (cut
sides down) end-to-end on top of the cucumber. Place a thin row of
carrot next to the shrimp (on the side opposite from you). Place strips
of pear or mango (if using) on top of carrots. Arrange cilantro (or
mint) leaves (if using) end-to-end, lengthwise, between fruit and
cucumber. Lift edge of wrapper closest to you and fold over the
filling. If desired, fold ends over the wrapper. (If lettuce extends
beyond one end, do not tuck in at that end.) Finish rolling the wrapper
over the filling. Gently press outer edge into the wrap to help seal
it.
Place the wrap on a serving plate and cover with a damp
paper towel, tucking edges in on all sides. Make the remaining wraps in
the same way.
If serving immediately, cut wraps into two or three
pieces, cutting on the diagonal. Serve with the dipping sauce.
If necessary, rolls can be made 2-3 hours ahead (but
left uncut) if refrigerated. Tuck a damp paper towel around each, then
cover the serving plate snugly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Before serving, bring wraps to room temperature and, if desired, cut
diagonally into halves or thirds. (Wraps cut more easily when cold.)
*The amount of filling ingredients are geared to the
larger wrappers, but novices might find the smaller wrappers easier to
use at first. Any leftover filling can be used in a salad or soup.
Makes 4 servings as an appetizer.
Per serving: 164 calories, 2 g. total fat (less than 1
g. saturated fat), 15 g. carbohydrate, 20 g. protein, 2 g. dietary
fiber, 637 mg. sodium.
Green Beans with Tomatoes and Herbs
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small onion, minced
1 large ripe tomato, diced or 1/2 can (14oz.) diced tomatoes (drained)
1 tsp. minced fresh basil (1/2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. minced fresh oregano (1/2 tsp. dried)
3/4 lb. trimmed green beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add
garlic and onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato, basil and oregano. Cook
2 minutes. Add green beans. Cover and cook 6 minutes. Add salt and
pepper, to taste.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving:
55 calories, 1 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 10 g.
carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 10 g. sodium.
Chinese Shrimp
Curry
1 Tbsp.
cornstarch
2 tsp. curry powder (or more, according to taste) 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
3 tsp. canola or peanut oil, divided
8 asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas (about 20), strings on both edges removed
2 tsp. peeled ginger, grated or minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups hot cooked rice, preferably brown
Combine cornstarch, curry and sugar in a small bowl.
Mix in soy sauce, then chicken broth. Set aside.
In a wok or heavy skillet, heat 1
tsp. oil over high heat. Add asparagus, pepper, peas, ginger and garlic.
Stir-fry until vegetables are brightly colored, about 1 minute. Transfer
them onto a plate with a slotted spoon.Heat remaining 2 tsp. oil. Add
shrimp and stir-fry until they turn pink, about 1 minute. Return
vegetables to the pan. Stir sauce mixture to recombine and pour into the
pan. Simmer gently until shrimp are white in the center, about 2 to 3
minutes. Serve immediately over hot cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 334 calories, 7 g. total fat (less than 1 g.
saturated fat), 43 g. carbohydrate,
24 g. protein, 5 g.
dietary fiber, 375 mg. sodium.
Santa Fe Sunset Dip
2 jars (7-oz. each)
roasted red peppers, drained
3 oz. (1 package, or about 30) sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallion
4 oz. reduced-fat Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened Salt
and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Tabasco or hot chili pepper
sauce, if desired, to taste
Soak dried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes.
Drain well, reserving 3 tablespoons of the soaking liquid. In a
food processor, purée red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, lemon juice,
cilantro and scallion until smooth and well-blended.
Add cream cheese and purée mixture, adding enough of
the reserved tomato-soaking liquid to thin the dip to the desired
consistency (scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally).
Blend until smooth. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Adjust seasoning, adding moregarlic, cumin, or lemon juice if
needed.
Transfer to a container with a cover.
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before using.
Bring dip to room temperature before serving.
When ready to serve, transfer dip to an attractive bowl and place
in center of a large serving platter. Surround with assorted cut-up vegetables and, if desired,
baked tortilla chips and serve.
Makes 2 1/3 cups.
Per 2 tablespoons:
42 calories, 2 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat), 5 g. carbohydrate, 2 g.
protein, less than 1 g. dietary fiber, 117 mg. sodium.
Either fresh or
frozen spinach may be used in the following Indian-style dip, and neither
form needs to be cooked before preparing this dip. However, fresh spinach will give the dip a lighter, brighter shade
of pale green, and a fresher taste.
Taj Mahal Dip
2
tsp. curry powder, according to taste
1 tsp. ground cumin, according to taste
1 9-oz. microwavable package of baby
spinach leaves (uncooked), or 1
10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, if
desired, to taste
In a small, non-stick skillet, stir curry and cumin
over medium-low heat just until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Transfer spices to a bowl.
Combine spinach, sour cream, yogurt and garlic in a food processor
and blend until spinach is puréed and mixture is smooth. Add one-third of
the curry mixture and blend in.
Add more of the curry mixture, to taste.
Process until well-blended.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and pepper sauce.
Transfer to a container with a cover.
Cover and refrigerate for 24hours before using.
Bring dip to room temperature before serving.
When ready to serve, transfer dip to an attractive bowl and place
in center of a large serving platter. Surround
with assorted cut-up vegetables (carrots, different colored bell peppers,
sugar snap peas, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini spears, sliced
jicama) and, if desired, the thin Indian crackers called pappadams, or
other, preferably whole-grain, crackers.
Makes about 2 cups.
Per 2 tablespoons:
26 calories, 1 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 2 g.
carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, less than 1 g. dietary fiber,
24 mg. sodium.
Mexicali Dip
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo
beans), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise
Salt and white pepper, if desired, to taste
Tabasco sauce, if desired
In a food
processor, purée chickpeas with sour cream, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice
and mayonnaise until smooth. If dip is too thick, gradually add additional
teaspoons each of sour cream and mayonnaise, just until right consistency
is reached. Transfer to a container with a tight lid.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce, if
desired. If time is not a constraint, cover and refrigerate 24 hours
before serving.
Bring dip to room temperature before
serving. When ready to serve, transfer dip to an attractive bowl and place
in center of a large serving platter. Surround with assorted cut-up
vegetables (carrots, different colored bell peppers, sugar snap peas,
cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini spears, sliced jicama) and, if
desired, baked tortilla chips or whole-grain crackers.
Makes 1 cup dip.
Per 2 tablespoons: 50 calories, 1 g. total fat (less than 1
g. saturated fat), 8 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber,
110mg. sodium.
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Roasted Chestnut Soup
2 tsp. unsalted sweet butter
or canola oil
1 celery rib, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
12-14 oz. unsweetened, cooked chestnuts, vacuum-packed, in a jar, can,
or plastic pouch
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 can (15 oz.) fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Small bunch of fresh dill, minced, for garnish (optional)
Heat
butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter
foams. Sauté celery and shallots until shallots are translucent and
soft, about 4 minutes.
Add chestnuts, potato, broth and 2 cups water.
Add thyme. Cook, partially covered, until solids are very soft, about 40
minutes.
Purée soup, using an immersion blender in the pot, or
transferring soup to a blender. Blend in milk. Season to taste with salt
and pepper.
Serve in individual bowls garnished, if
desired, with snipped dill. Soup keeps up to 3 days in refrigerator.
(Once refrigerated, soup becomes very thick; add equal amounts of milk
and chicken broth to achieve the consistency of a cream soup.)
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 286
calories, 5 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 55 g. carbohydrate, 6 g.
protein, 5 g. dietary fiber, 313 mg. sodium.
Healthy Rice
Dish
3/4 cup dried apricots, cut in quarters
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cup quick-cooking brown rice
1 Tbsp. dried parsley (or 3-4 Tbsp. (fresh)
1 Tbsp. grated fresh orange zest, or to
1 1/2-2 Tbsp. low-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/2-1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely minced fresh mint leaves taste
Place
dried fruit in a small bowl. Add warm water to cover. Let
soak for 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain well.
In a large saucepan, boil water as called for
in directions on rice package. When water comes to a boil, add
rice, fruit, parsley, zest, bouillon, salt and pepper. When water
comes to boil again, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes or
until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Remove from heat. Fluff gently with a
fork, gradually mixing in mint, and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 178 calories, less than 1 g. total fat (0 g.
saturated fat), 41 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber,
198 mg. sodium.
Cold Soup
1 large cantaloupe (or other
melon or fruit) cut into small cubes (4-6 cups)
2 Tbsp. honey, or to taste
Juice of 3 limes, or to taste
Pinch of cardamon
Sliced fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)
1/4 cup whole fresh mint leaves
Fill a
wide, shallow container with cantaloupe and place in microwave.
Cook at 50 percent power for 2 minutes, or just until melon softens
slightly. Transfer cantaloupe to a blender or food processor.
Add honey, lime juice and cardamon, and blend until smooth.
Refrigerate until cold.
Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning if
necessary with more honey, cardamon and/or lime juice. Garnish
with strawberry slices and mint leaves.
Makes four 1-cup servings.
Per serving: 85 calories, 0 g. total fat (0 g.
saturated fat), 22 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 26
mg. sodium.
Roasted
Redep Pper Dip
Makes 1 cup.
3 large red bell peppers
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Preheat
the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place peppers on a
baking sheet. Place peppers 4 inches under broiler and cook until
charred on all sides, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from
broiler and let stand until cool enough to handle.
Peel, core and seed peppers over a strainer set
in a small bowl to catch juices.
Place peppers, any pepper juice, vinegar and
garlic in a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth. Season to
taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with raw cut-up vegetables (like broccoli
florets, green bell pepper, carrot or celery sticks, zucchini spears, or
steamed snow peas). Crackers, small wedges of pita bread, tortilla
chips, or crackers can also be used.
Nutritional Information Per 2-Tbsp.
Serving:19 calories,
less than 1 g. total fat (0 g. saturated fat),
4 g. carbohydrate,
less than 1 g. protein,
1 g. dietary fiber,
2 mg. sodium.
Raj-Style Marinade
1 1/2 cups low-fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
Salt and white pepper to taste
Place yogurt, lemon
juice and seasonings in a blender and mix at low speed until well
combined.
Place chicken breasts (or other kinds of meat) in a
non-metal pan. Add yogurt mixture, mixing with a wooden or plastic
spoon until chicken is well coated. Cover the pan and marinate in
the refrigerator up to 60 minutes.
Take chicken out of marinade and remove excess
marinade with paper toweling.
Grill chicken until cooked through (when juices
run clear), turning frequently to prevent charring.
Makes enough for 4 servings (for 3/4-1 lb.
skinless chicken breasts).
Per serving: 62 calories, 1 g. total fat (less than 1 g.
saturated fat), 8 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. protein, 0 g. dietary fiber, 65
mg. sodium.
Polynesian Marinade
1 1/2 cups unsweetened papaya
juice or
1 papaya, puréed, plus water to equal
1 1/2 cups in total
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4-1/2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine
all ingredients in a blender and mix on low speed until smooth.
Transfer to a non-metal pan. Add meat, poultry, or fish and mix
with a non-metal spoon until thoroughly coated.
Cover and let stand for 30 minutes at room
temperature or refrigerate for 1 hour.
Take food out of marinade and remove excess
marinade with paper toweling.
Grill until cooked, turning frequently to
prevent charring.
Makes enough marinade for 3/4-1 lb. meat, chicken or fish, or 4
servings.
Per serving: 31 calories, less than 1 g. total fat (0 g.
saturated fat), 8 g. carbohydrate, less than 1 g. protein, 1 g. dietary
fiber, 518 mg. sodium.
Source: AICR
,
www.aicr.org
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