Anita Epler's
Very Low-Fat Thanksgiving Dinner

~MENU~

Black Bean Dip with Tortilla Chips
Crudites with Vegetable Cream Cheese Dip
Puree of Yellow Squash Soup
Panmarino
Marinated Roast Asparagus & Green Beans
with Garlic and Onions
Turkey Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Mushroom Brandy Gravy
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Oh, yeah, and That Big Bird (optional)
Remember to eat the breast meat, no skin
My trick to remembering how big 3 ounces is:
it's about as big as the palm of my hand; your mileage may vary.

Contact Anita:   martini1 at pacbell.net.

BLACK BEAN DIP WITH GARLIC
(adapted from December 1993 Food & Wine)

One 19-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 T coarsely chopped onion
2 T coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional sprigs for garnish
1 T fresh lime juice
1 small fresh chili pepper (your choice, pick your pain threshold)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except cilantro sprigs. Add 2T water and process until smooth. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve with your favorite fat-free tortilla chips.

CRUDITES WITH VEGETABLE CREAM CHEESE DIP

This doesn't count as a recipe, but slice your favorite veggies into strips, and serve with Alpine Lace flavored fat-free cream cheese of your choice. I used red & yellow bell peppers, green onions, carrots and mushrooms.

PUREE OF YELLOW SQUASH SOUP
(adapted from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu)

1 pound yellow squash (crookneck) -- about 6 small ones
2 C chopped onion
2 med. cloves garlic, minced
cooking spray
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 t dried)
2 tsp. fresh sage, chopped (or 1/2 t dried)
1 to 2 tsp. minced fresh basil (or 1/2 t dried)
1 tsp. salt
1 T unbleached white flour
1/2 C dry white wine
2 C skim milk
freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the ends off squash, and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside
2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, begin to saute onions and garlic in the cooking spray, over medium low heat. After about 5 minutes, add squash, herbs, and salt. Stir, cover, and cook about 10 minutes more.
3. Gradually sprinkle the flour, stirring constantly. Continue to stir over low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Pour in wine, stir briefly, COVER and let simmer at least 20 minutes, stirring carefully every 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the soup to cool enough to puree it. (Don't cheat on the time, you'll end up with winey soup!)
5. Puree the soup with milk in a food processor until smooth (I needed to use two batches - A) and return it to soup pot. Adjust the seasonings, and add black pepper to taste
6. Heat -gently- just before serving

(I think it's worth using fresh herbs, just in principle. Even more reason: leaving out the butter and high-fat milk makes this soup bland if you use the dry herbs. Incidentally, I'm not a big squash eater, but this is SO YUMMY, I'll certainly make it for every day - A)

PANMARINO (Rosemary Bread)
(modified from The Il Fornaio Baking Book by Franco Galli)

1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water (105x F)
2-3/4 cups unbleached bread flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C cool water
1/4 C biga at room temperature (recipe follows)
Additional flour for work surface
Yellow cornmeal for baker's peel
2 tsp. roughly chopped fresh rosemary
2 T skim milk
Pam (for bowl)
coarse sea salt

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Measure flour into a large bowl. Stir the salt into the flour. Using a wooden spoon,make a well in the four and add the yeast mixture, cool water and biga. Using the spoon, stir the ingredients until the dough is too resistant to be stirred.
3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to 20 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, and add the milk and rosemary. (Don't panic: it will be a gloopy mess. Knead it for 5 minutes and it will be fine; if it's still a mess after 5 full minutes, add a pinch more flour to get it to take shape - A) Shape the dough into a ball.
4. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray, and place the ball in the bowl. Turn the ball so it gets coated. Cover with a towel, and let rise until double, approx. 1-1/2 hours. Punch down the dough by folding the edges in and turning it over so the top is smooth again. Re-cover the bowl, and let rise again, about 45 minutes or until doubled.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Trying not to overwork the dough, fold the edges in toward the center. Work in a circular motion, folding the entire rim of the dough toward the center twice to form a loose round ball with a smooth side.
6. Place the ball, rough side up, on the floured surface. Using your fingertips, gently press the ball out into a disk about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Lift up the far edge of the disk and fold it toward you, to rest on top of the disk, so that 1/3 of the disk remains uncovered. Lift the folded edge and roll it toward you until the dough takes a (American-style) football shape. When you reach the edge nearest you, press the edge of the roll to the bottom edge of the disk with the heel of your hand, forming a seam. Turn the loaf so that it rests seam side down on a baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Cover with a towel an let rise at room temp. until doubled, about 50 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, place a baking stone in the oven and preheat to 425xF. Mist the preheated oven with a spray bottle, and quickly shut the door.
8. Using a sharp serrated knife, make a slash in the top of the loaf (I like to use a starburst pattern - A). Sprinkle coarse sea salt into the slash. Mist the loaf. With a rhythmic snap of the wrist, slide the loaf onto the baking stone. Mist the oven again (and any time you open the door -A) and bake until the loaf is golden brown on the top, dark brown on the bottom, and has a hollow ring when tapped on the bottom (40 to 50 minutes). Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

BIGA (Starter Dough)

1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water (105x F)
3-1/2 C unbleached bread flour
1-1/4 C cold water

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside 15 minutes.
2. Measure flour into a large bowl. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, form a well in the center and and the yeast mixture and cool water. Using the spoon, stir together all ingredients until sticky and difficult to stir.
3. Cover tightly and allow to ferment slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using.
4. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or freeze in 1/4 or 1/2C portions. To use, rinse a measuring cup in cool water, scoop out the amount needed and bring to room temperature.

MARINATED ROAST ASPARAGUS AND GREEN BEANS
WITH GARLIC AND ONIONS
(adapted from Still Life with Menu)
[...Mollie Katzen is a goddess! -A]

cooking spray
1/2 pound fresh green beans, cleaned, trimmed, and patted dry
1 pound fresh asparagus, likewise
1 medium red onion, cut into rings
8 to 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
a scant 1/2 tsp. salt
2 to 3 T basalmic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400x. Spray a cookie sheet or shallow baking tray with cooking spray.
2. Spread asparagus and beans on the tray, and cover with onion rings and garlic. Salt lightly, and spray with cooking spray.
3. Bake the vegetables about 20 minutes, interrupting several times to shake the tray. Test at about 15 minutes.
4. When veggies are tender, remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl or small casserole. Drizzle immediately with vinegar. Apply freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold.

GRANDMA ANNE'S TURKEY STUFFING
(modified from my mom's recipe)

1 package VLF turkey ham lunch meat, cut into strips
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
celery (approx. 2 times the volume of onion)
cooking spray
parsley (small handful, chopped).
2 loaves dry bread cubes
(cube and toast in oven until very dry)
3 cups defatted chicken, turkey or vegetable stock
a "small handful" parmesan cheese
(or whatever your fat intake can bear! - A)
1 tsp. dry sage (or 1 T fresh)
dash of nutmeg
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Saute the onion, celery, and the lunch meat in cooking spray until the onion is clear, not brown. Remove from heat. In a separate container, gradually add broth to very dry bread crumbs, until moist but not soaked (don't add all at once). Combine all ingredients, and bake inside the bird, or in an uncovered glass casserole until heated through and crisp on top.

MASHED POTATOES

(you don't really need a recipe for this, do you? Add evap skim milk, fake butter, and roasted garlic - A)

MUSHROOM-BRANDY GRAVY
(once again, from Mollie Katzen, goddess of veggie cooking)

1-1/2 cups milk
1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned & thinly sliced
cooking spray
3 T brandy or dry sherry
3 T unbleached white flour
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper

1. Heat milk just to the boiling point. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large heavy skillet, saute mushrooms in cooking spray over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add brandy and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.
4. Gradually sprinkle in the flour and mix in into the mushrooms with a wire whisk. Keep whisking and cooking another 5 minutes. Be sure the heat is not too high.
5. Stir in the hot milk. Cook over low heat, stirring intermittently, until smooth and thickened (about 8 minutes). Season to taste, and remove from heat.

GUILT-FREE PUMPKIN SWIRL CHEESECAKE
(filling is modified from The 99% Fat Free Cookbook by Barry Bluestein & Kevin Morrisey; the crust is mine - A)

Crust:
1-1/2 boxes SnackWell's cinnamon graham snacks, crushed
4T brown sugar
4T flour
1/2 cup apple juice -concentrate- (not apple juice!)

Filling:
1-1/2 cups yogurt cheese
1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 T nonfat liquid egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
1 tsp. brandy extract (or Frangelico liqueur)
1 cup pumpkin puree (not solid pack - A)
1 tsp. Schilling Apple Pie spice
(or 3/4 t cinnamon + 1/4 t nutmeg + pinch allspice)

Preheat the oven to 350xF.

Combine the crust ingredients in a food processor. Lightly spray a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Evenly distribute crust batter along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes Leave the oven on.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the yogurt cheese, yogurt, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla extract until well-blended. Add the egg substitute, 2T at a time, mixing well after each addition. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside. To the mixing bowl, add the brandy extract, pumpkin, and spices. Mix well with an electric mixer until all the ingredients are well-incorporated. Pour on top one side of the crust. Pour the reserved cup of yogurt mixture on the other side. Shake lightly to even the top. With a dinner knife, cut through both batters several times in a circular motion to create a marbleized effect.

Bake for 1 hour, until firm. (check after 45 minutes - A) Remove from oven an place on a cooling rack. Run a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool for 30 to 40 minutes in the pan and then remove the sides. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.