Intelligent Eating

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A Light Supper to Segue into Spring

Fungi, fish and a fab fruit salad are low in calories but not in class.

Recipes created for Canadian Health by Steve Pitt

Nutritional analysis by Susie Langley, RD

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms with Apple and Blue Cheese

This dish works well as a party appetizer with bite-sized cremini mushrooms (really just immature portobellos). To fill 24 large cremini, double the other ingredients.

4 large portobello mushrooms 1 tsp (5 mL) butter 2 tsp (10 mL) Bermuda onion, finely chopped 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped bread cubes 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) fresh crab meat, finely minced 2 tsp (10 mL) finely chopped Granny Smith apple 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice 1⁄4 tsp (1.5 mL) Worcestershire sauce Pinch salt 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 mL) olive oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) blue cheese (or sharp aged cheddar). crumbled

Photo by Bernard Clark

1. With a damp cloth, carefully wipe mushrooms clean. With a paring knife, remove stems from mushrooms and set aside. Using a spoon, carefully scrape out brown gills from undersides of caps. Trim the stale bottom end off the stems and finely chop remaining stem meat and reserve. 

2. Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté onion 30 seconds. Add stems and cook 1 minute. Add bread cubes, crab and apple. Stir gently 1 minute. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

3. Brush outside of mushroom caps with olive oil. Divide filling evenly among caps. (Don’t be afraid to pile it on!) Carefully place mushrooms in a lightly oiled baking dish. Bake 8 minutes, then remove dish and add generous pinch of cheese to each. Return to oven to melt cheese. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings

[Per serving 70 calories, 3.5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 1 g fibre, 4 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 270 mg sodium]

Red Snapper Fillets with Lemon-Caper Sauce and Wilted Greens

4 5-oz (150-g) red snapper fillets (or monkfish) Pepper and salt 4 tsp (20 mL) olive oil 2 generous loose handfuls each of fresh rapini and spinach, tough stems removed and thoroughly rinsed and drained (snow-pea shoots work well, too) 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 mL) sugar 1 tsp (5 mL) shallots, finely minced 3 tbsp (45 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp (5 mL) finely minced or grated lemon zest 1 tbsp (15 mL) capers 1 tsp (5 mL) butter 1 tbsp (15 mL) parsley, tough stems removed and finely chopped

Photo by Bernard Clark

1. Handling fillets carefully with both hands so they don’t tear, rinse each fillet gently under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. 

2. Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Heat a large ovenproof skillet on medium-high heat and add 2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil. Add fillets skin side down. Fry 4 minutes, then place pan in oven and bake 10 minutes or until fillets are soft and flaky. 

3. While fish is frying, blanch rapini 30 seconds in rapidly boiling water. Remove and drain well. 

4. Heat 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat, add garlic and fry 30 seconds. Add rapini, spinach and sugar and stir. Let leaves cook down (about 2 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside in warm pan. 

5. When fish is cooked, gently remove fillets from skillet and put 1 portion on each of 4 warmed plates. Place equal portions wilted greens beside each fillet.  Add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil and shallots to ovenproof skillet fish was cooked in and fry 1 minute over medium heat. Add lemon juice, zest and capers and cook until capers begin to crisp. Add butter. When butter is melted, add parsley and mix thoroughly. Pour evenly over fish portions.

Makes 4 servings

[Per serving 240 calories, 8 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 4 g fibre, 24 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 560 mg sodium. Excellent source of vitamins A and C; good source of iron]

Citrus Salad with Ginger-Kumq

1. To make vinaigrette, put juice concentrate, kumquat zest, lime zest, cardamom and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil and then return to simmer until kumquat zest becomes soft. Taste. If too sour, stir in sugar 1⁄4 tsp (1.5 mL) at a time until mixture still tastes slightly tart. Remove from heat, place in a non-reactive container (glass, plastic or stainless steel) and chill until ready to use. Vinaigrette can be made a few days ahead of time. 

2. Remove peel and pith from grapefruit, oranges and clementines. (A serrated grapefruit knife is ideal for this.) Cut sections into raspberry-sized pieces. Chill in their juices in a non-reactive bowl. One hour before serving, pour vinaigrette and Grand Marnier over fruit and mix gently but thoroughly, allowing the flavours to blend at room temperature.  

3. Divide evenly among 4 bowls. Garnish with yogourt and mint leaves. For a fancier presentation, alternate layers of fruit and yogourt in glass parfait dishes. 
   
   Tip: When making zests, opt for pesticide- and wax-free organic fruit. If you can’t find kumquats, use clementine peel instead.

Makes 4 servings

[Per serving 180 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 4 g fibre, 4 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 40 mg sodium. Excellent source of vitamin C; good source of fibre]