Delicious holiday dinners, minus the fat

Last week I posted some handy tips to help dieters through the tempting holiday eating season. To follow up, I decided to share some recipes for holiday dinners that are mouthwateringly delicious, and completely low in fat.

I combed my cookbook, and chose two of my favorite meals. The first is filet mignon topped with a savory mushroom and wine sauce, and balsamic new roasted potatoes on the side. And the other is glazed ham with wild rice pilaf.

These recipes are sure to have you and your loved ones asking for more, without adding more to your waistlines!

Filet Mignon with Mushroom and Wine Sauce

4 filet mignon steaks (4 oz. each)
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 1/2 cups red wine, divided
1 small (10-12 fl. oz.) can low-sodium beef consommé, undiluted
Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dried thyme
Nonfat cooking spray

Coat a skillet with nonfat cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Sauté for four minutes. Add 1 cup red wine and 3/4 cup consommé; cook for five minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon; place in a bowl. Increase heat to high; cook wine mixture until reduced to ½ cup, about five minutes. Add reduction to mushrooms; set aside.

Wipe pan with paper towel. Sprinkle steaks with pepper. Coat skillet again with nonfat cooking spray, and heat over high heat. Add steaks. Cook three minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue to cook another two to four minutes, or until desired level of doneness.

Combine soy sauce with corn starch. Add 1/2 cup wine and remaining consommé to skillet; scrape bottom of skillet to loosen brown bits. Bring to a boil, cook one minute. Add mushroom mixture, cornstarch mixture, and dried thyme to skillet; bring to a boil, and cook one minute, stirring. Serve sauce over steaks.

Servings: 4



Balsamic Roasted New Potatoes

2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Dash of lite salt
Nonfat cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat large cast iron skillet with nonfat cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and seasonings. Heat thoroughly. Remove skillet from heat; place in oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar, and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, six more minutes. Serve immediately.

Servings: 10



Glazed Ham

2 pound ham
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup apricot halves in lite syrup
3 Tbsp. no-sugar-added apricot preserves
1/2 tsp. whole ground cloves

Trim all visible fat from ham. Place ham in baking pan. Rub Dijon mustard all over ham. Pour apricot halves and juice over ham. Dot cloves throughout ham, gently pressing into flesh. Cook ham in oven according to package directions.

To prepare glaze, place preserves in small dish. Place in microwave 10-20 seconds, until preserves begin to melt. During last 30 minutes of cooking, brush ham with warm glaze. Continue to brush ham every 10 minutes until cooked through. Preserves may need to be re-heated, as needed, before basting. Allow to rest five minutes before slicing.

Servings: 8



Wild Rice Pilaf

1 1/4 cups water
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
1 Tbsp. lite margarine
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. lite salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Nonfat cooking spray

Bring water and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add wild rice; cover, reduce heat, and simmer one hour or until tender. Drain any excess liquid. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; sauté until tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and next four ingredients. Combine rice and mushroom mixture in a two-quart casserole, coated with nonfat cooking spray. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.

Servings: 8