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| Intelligent Eating |
Festive Dinner
It’s time for guilty pleasures, so save up your calories and indulge yourself with a classy canapé, robust roast beef and decadent dessert
Recipes created for Canadian Health by Steve Pitt
Nutritional analysis by Susie Langley, RD
Chili-Shrimp Cups With Wasabi Mayonnaise
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Wasabi Mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30 mL) reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 mL) wasabi paste
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped green onions
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Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
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Rinse shrimp in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Chop finely and refrigerate.
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Working with 1 wonton skin at a time, brush one side lightly with butter. Place buttered side up in a nonstick 24-cup mini-muffin tin (or use 2 regular nonstick 12-cup muffin tins). Repeat until each mould contains 1 skin.
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Proceed as above with remaining 24 skins, placing second skin kitty-corner to first to form an 8-pointed cup.
Tip: If you use mini-muffin tins, wonton skins must be paper-thin to fit 2 in each mould. If necessary, dust your work surface lightly with flour before starting and roll skins thinner; they should be translucent when held up to the light. -
Bake 8 minutes or until skins are golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly and carefully remove from tin.
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Meanwhile, mix chopped shrimp with zest, chili and ponzu sauce and set aside.
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Mix wasabi mayonnaise ingredients together. (Shrimp mixture and mayonnaise can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated.)
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To assemble canapés, divide shrimp mixture evenly among wonton cups and garnish each with a dab of wasabi mayonnaise. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings
[Per serving 210 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 1 g fibre, 4 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 390 mg sodium. Good source of iron]
Sinus-Searer In its genuine form, fiery wasabi paste — known familiarly as Japanese horseradish — is made from the nubbly green rhizomes of Wasabia japonica, a riverbank plant related to watercress, mustard and white horseradish. Its nose-numbing pungency makes it a popular sushi condiment from Japan to Jamaica. A member of the cancer-fighting crucifer family (see Intelligent Eating, Canadian Health, September/October 2007), it contains powerful chemicals called isothiocyanates. Besides kicking up the bite in your raw tuna a notch, these compounds have potential health benefits, including anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-blood-clotting properties. They also show activity against bacteria, which may be why the Japanese use it on uncooked fish and in toothpaste. — Diana Swift |
Glazed Garlic Roast Beef With Chive Yorkshire Puddings
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Preheat oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
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Place beef fat in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan and roast 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cut each garlic clove lengthwise into 10 thin slivers and set aside.
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Remove fat strip from pan and reserve. Pour off 1 tbsp (15 mL) pan drippings and reserve for Yorkshire puddings. Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F (180˚C).
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Rub roast all over with salt and pepper.
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With a small sharp knife, cut 30 slits 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart in top of roast and insert a garlic sliver in each.
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Rub beef all over with mustard.
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Place beef in roasting pan and lay reserved fat strip on top (secure with toothpicks, if necessary). Roast 20 minutes per pound for rare, 25 minutes per pound for medium or 30 minutes per pound for well done. Meat is done when a thermometer inserted in thickest part reads 140˚F/60˚C (rare) to 170˚F/80˚C (well done).
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Meanwhile, prepare Yorkshire puddings as instructed. Fifteen minutes before roast is done, increase oven temperature to 375˚F (190˚C). Place puddings in oven and bake 30 minutes or until they have puffed up nicely and turned golden brown.
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When roast is done, remove fat from top and discard. Place on a carving board, cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil to keep warm and let stand 15 minutes.
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When puddings are done, carefully remove from moulds and place 1 pudding on each dinner plate.
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Carve beef and place on plates. If desired, drizzle beef and puddings with pan jus after skimming off all excess fat. Serve with your favourite steamed vegetables and prepared horseradish.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Chive Yorkshire Puddings
1 tbsp (15 mL) pan drippings from roasted beef-fat strip
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups (500 mL) 2% milk
2 cups (500 mL) bread (hard) flour
1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
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Using pan drippings, lightly grease 8 moulds in a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
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In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in milk, flour, chives and salt and pepper to taste.
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Divide batter evenly among moulds. Bake as instructed in Step 9 above and serve immediately.
Makes 8 puddings
[Per serving 550 calories, 19 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 165 mg cholesterol, 1 g fibre, 61 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 590 mg sodium. Excellent source of protein, iron and phosphorus]
Prince Beef Meets Pauper Garlic Many people think that top-of-the-food-chain red meat offers little nutritionally but protein and saturated fat. But in addition to high-quality protein, lean beef contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, is an excellent source of vitamin B12, zinc and selenium, and also provides iron, vitamin B6, niacin, phosphorus and potassium. Studding beef with lowly garlic, which belongs to the Allium genus, adds detoxifying and antibiotic sulphur compounds to your princely roast. Population-based research suggests that regular intake of alliums such as garlic and onions cuts susceptibility to several cancers and may lower heart-attack risk. — D.S. |
Amaretto-Coffee-Cheese Dessert
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In a small bowl, mix liqueur and coffee together. Set aside.
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Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold in cheese, sugar and half of the liqueur-coffee mixture.
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Lightly coat 4 medium ramekins or moulds with butter. Divide cheese mixture evenly among the ramekins.
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Dip curved side of cookies into remaining liqueur-coffee mixture and gently press into top of cheese mixture, curved side down (4 amaretti or 3 ladyfingers per ramekin).
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Chill at least 5 hours.
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When ready to serve, place dishes in a large pan of warm water for 15 seconds. Invert each dish onto a chilled serving plate. Sharply tap bottom of dish with a large wooden spoon, if necessary, to release cheese.
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Using a fine-mesh sieve, lightly dust each dessert with cocoa powder.
- Garnish with almonds and serve.
Makes 4 servings (recipe can be doubled, if desired)
[Per serving 600 calories, 45 g fat, 23 g saturated fat, 180 mg cholesterol, 1 g fibre, 14 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 160 mg sodium. Good source of vitamin A; source of calcium]
Coffee Makes a Comeback In recent years, coffee as a drink of choice has been upstaged by tea, mainly because of tea’s acknowledged antioxidant powers. But moderate coffee consumption can be protective too. A study at Harvard University in Boston found that regular coffee drinkers had a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease — perhaps because of the ability of the caffeine in coffee to accelerate neurotransmissions in the brain. In other findings from Harvard and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, consumption of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee decreased the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers think this effect may be due to chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that is abundant in java. — D.S. |
