5 Ingredients or Fewer

I’ve encountered many people who are shocked that I eat real pork bacon, being that I’ve kept off fifty-five pounds for close to twenty years. Others are shocked that I include it in my cookbooks. The interesting thing to realize is that center-cut bacon—real pork bacon that’s 35 to 40 percent leaner than other pork bacon—is often as lean as most turkey bacon, yet it tastes like real bacon because it is. The flavor is much stronger than turkey bacon and doesn’t have that turkey aftertaste many brands of turkey bacon do. When buying fish, I often opt for frozen individually wrapped fillets. They’re usually fresher than those I find at the fish counter, and I buy them when they go on sale so I can always have some handy in my freezer.

If you’re a big fan of balsamic vinegar, you’ll love this chicken. And if you’re able to treat yourself, you might consider hunting down a really great aged balsamic. It will turn this no-brainer recipe into something pretty extraordinary. But whether you do that or just grab the one on sale at the grocery store, the result is sure to be delicious.

I love pesto, but unfortunately, it’s typically made with a shocking amount of oil and is thus very fattening. Luckily, I’ve discovered other ways to enjoy the flavor of pesto without the fat and calories. Using herbs from a tube or frozen herbs works really well on this chicken to give it that classic pesto flavor without the fat . . . and without a lot of work. Please note that if you buy frozen herbs, you should measure them out yourself before using them in recipes. I’ve found that a 1-teaspoon block of herbs is rarely an actual teaspoon.

I’ve heard a lot of people comment over the years that white-meat chicken is dry. True, it’s not as fatty as dark meat, but it’s not dry when it’s cooked properly. The important thing to remember is that as soon as it’s no longer pink inside, you want to get it off the heat. If you don’t see pink, it’s cooked. You don’t need to cook it another five minutes “just to be sure.” All that will do is dry it out. Additionally, it’s important that you start cooking it at a high heat and don’t overcrowd it in the pan. If the heat isn’t high enough or the pan is too small for the amount of chicken, excess moisture will build up and you won’t get that browning on the outside that is so delicious. These basic tips, along with misting or very lightly rubbing chicken breasts with olive oil to create a protective coating of sorts, will keep you from needing tons of fat to make absolutely scrumptious chicken dishes.

I love making turkey cutlets, especially when I’m in a hurry, because they generally require very little trimming and cook exceptionally quickly. Whether you pan “fry” them or grill them, as I have done here, they take only a couple of minutes per side. After basic preparation, I always like to add a simple sauce. I could have thrown together another salsa suggestion here, but wanted to be a bit more creative with this one. And I’ve gone to upscale sandwich shops and cafés and ordered turkey sandwiches spread with cranberries and sweet mustard or mayonnaise, so I thought that might be a great place to start. I was very pleased very quickly, and I think you will be too.

Soaking chicken in buttermilk is an amazing, guilt-free way to make it super-tender and juicy. I’ve converted more folks to unfried chicken by soaking the chicken in buttermilk than I could possibly recall. Just be sure you don’t overcook the chicken. If you do, not only will the chicken not be plump and juicy, the juice that should have been inside will run out and make the breading soggy.

I’m repeating this headnote from the recipe for Simple Glazed Pork Chops (page 111) because it’s really important: I’ve found that folks tend to overcook pork. Though there was a time everyone thought it had to be nearly overcooked, it’s now been found safe to eat it a little less done—by which I mean with just the very faintest hint of pink (as in just barely pink, not actually fully pink) in the center. You never want to eat raw pork. Also, the first time you make this recipe you may want to buy an extra chop to “play with.” I’ve found broiler intensity varies significantly from oven to oven, so it’s tough to give you the precise time on this one. And timing really does matter here, as the chop needs to be cooked through on the inside before the sauce burns. Once you figure out the perfect timing with that one chop, you’ll always know exactly how long to broil your pork chops, whether you’re making this recipe or one of the other broiled pork chop recipes. So it really is worth a one-time effort that will take less than 10 minutes. When purchasing apple butter, look for it next to the peanut butter and jelly in your grocery store.

Many Cajun seasonings list salt as the first ingredient on the label. Try to avoid buying one of those, if possible. It’s much better to be able to season your food as much as you like without it being overloaded with salt, especially if you’re like me and like spicy or super-flavorful food. This recipe is great with pretty much any tropical salsa, so just pick one that seems good to you. I definitely prefer the fresh ones that are most often found in the produce section of grocery stores. But if it’s inconvenient to hunt one of those down, you can use a jarred one.

Not only is this recipe incredibly easy, but cleanup consists of throwing away a piece of foil if you line your pan with nonstick foil. I’ve found that folks have a tendency to overcook pork. Though there was a time everyone thought it had to be nearly overcooked, it’s now been found safe to eat if a little less done—by which, I mean cooked with just the faintest hint of pink (as in just barely pink, not actually fully pink) in the center. You still never want to eat raw pork. The first time you make this recipe, you may want to buy an extra chop to “play with.” I’ve found that broiler intensity varies significantly from oven to oven, so it’s tough to give you the precise time on this one. But timing really does matter here, as the chop needs to be cooked through on the inside before the sauce burns. Once you figure out the perfect timing with that one chop, you’ll always know exactly how long to broil your pork chops, whether you’re making this recipe or another broiled pork chop recipe. So it really is worth a one-time effort that will take less than 10 minutes.

Because pork tenderloin is so tender, this dish will taste fattier than it is. Granted, you never want to overcook any meat, or it will be tough. I used the spare rib sauce most commonly found in my area and that I believe to be the most common across the country (look for it in the international section of your grocery store next to the soy and hoisin sauces). You may note that the sauce itself is extremely high in sodium. Though you marinate these “ribs” in 2 tablespoons of sauce, only half of that gets consumed in the finished dish. The result may not be low in sodium, but you still could be saving up to 75 percent of the sodium you’d consume in the traditional dish. Please note that “8 ounces trimmed boneless pork tenderloin” means the weight after trimming. Thus, you should buy a bigger piece. “Eight ounces boneless pork tenderloin, trimmed” means you should buy an 8-ounce piece and then trim it.

These meatballs are great as a party appetizer served with pretty toothpicks for munching or excellent as a quick weeknight dinner served over brown or Mexican rice. If you have trouble finding Mexican seasoning, you can substitute lower-sodium taco seasoning. If you are serving them at a cocktail party, you might consider tossing them in only half of the sauce and adding the remaining sauce to a small bowl for dipping. Save time by having your children roll the meatballs. It’s fun for them and will give you more “you time.” The next day, save even more time by using the leftovers as the meat for throw-together tacos using soft corn tortillas.

These insanely simple chips provide a very fresh twist to an otherwise packaged product. The idea comes from family friends of my test kitchen director, Stephanie. Over the years, she’s attended a few of their “Parrot Head” Jimmy Buffett backyard barbecues. They love creating dishes that are margarita-inspired, and they always fry their own tortilla chips and sprinkle them with lime zest and salt. My version is healthier, not to mention much easier, as you don’t have to stand over a pot of hot oil to cook batches of chips. When you make these, be sure to layer the lime with the chips in the bowl so it doesn’t all end up at the bottom.

I’ve tried making onion dip with fat-free sour cream but just couldn’t stomach it. The texture is just so off. On occasion I’d indulge by using light sour cream, but then I felt I had to be mindful of how much dip I was eating. Using a thick Greek yogurt, like Fage, I can finally eat as much dip as I want. Though it doesn’t taste exactly like full-fat sour cream, it does provide the same texture and a great (though different) flavor. Please note that depending on the brand of soup mix you use, the perfect amount will vary slightly. I’d start with 2 teaspoons and then continue adding, tasting as you do, until it suits your tastes. You can look for all-natural or organic onion soup mixes. I find the flavors differ significantly among brands, so try numerous brands if you don’t love the first you try.

Instead of succumbing to temptation at the mall, satisfy your craving for this savory pretzel at home with a fraction of the fat and calories. You’ll definitely be glad you did when you save plenty of guilt and a lot of cash. You can cook this pretzel in the microwave, but I think it’s much more enjoyable (and no more calories) when it’s cooked in the oven.

These potato chips are shockingly fresh and tasty right from the microwave, and they’re healthier than almost any chips on the market. Plus, they’re likely to save you a lot of cash since baked chips tend to be quite expensive, yet large bags of fresh potatoes are not.

Looking for ways to cut more fat? The Biggest Loser contestants have been known to swear by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! spray instead of light butter when eating popcorn. As long as you don’t add too much fat and too many calories, popcorn is a great snack. It’s high in fiber and low in calories. You can eat a decent volume without eating too many calories.

It can be a bit tricky to spread the cheese over the cucumber because the cucumber pieces are so moist. But this super-simple snack is more than worth the mini-challenge!

I worked on a teen weight-loss show by the producers of The Biggest Loser that took place at a camp in Wisconsin. The night I arrived, I was talking to one of the producers about food, of course. He mentioned his ex-wife used to make tuna with hummus instead of mayo and serve it on bagels. He said that she suggested it to a restaurant and they started serving it. When I told him I was going to borrow the idea he said I had to credit his ex-wife—only he never mentioned her name. Though I created this myself, Matt’s ex-wife deserves the credit for the general concept . . . whoever and wherever she is.

This is a great spicy, low-carb snack when served with vegetables such as celery sticks and endive. It’s also great served with baked tortilla chips or low-fat whole-grain crackers. Until recently, canned tuna was most commonly available in 6-ounce cans. But lately, a lot of products have decreased in size—from cereals to ice cream to peanut butter, which now often has a bubble in the bottom of the jar to make it look as big as it once was—even though the prices have not gone down. Be wary of this when you determine how many calories you’re consuming. The numbers on this dish are based on the 5-ounce can, not a 6-ounce one—which, by the way, generally contains only 3 1/2 ounces of tuna (the rest is liquid).

When making these “wings,” be sure your pan is piping hot and the chicken isn’t overcrowded. The tenders should brown on the outside, and there should be no liquid in the pan as they cook to yield optimum—that is, decadent—results.