Chef Rocco Dispirito's 'Cook Your Butt Off!' Recipes

CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES AND ROSEMARY

THIS RECIPE screams good-for-you! Garlic is good for your heart and immune system. Artichokes are liver detoxifiers, plus high in fiber for bowel health. And rosemary—well, it’s a brain and memory booster. All three complement chicken cutlets, which are super low in fat and loaded with protein. Did I mention that this dish tastes good, too? You can eat and enjoy mthis recipe, guilt free, and feel like you’re eating something that’s fancy-schmancy, elegant, and infinitely good for your health.

Yield 1 main course
Prep time approximately 15 minutes
Processing time approximately 15 minutes
Calorie Burn 149
Calories 176
Net-Calories 27

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken cutlet
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
½ cup quartered water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup washed spinach
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Kitchen Basics)
Lemon wedge, for serving

Method:
1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and cook until browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Trim the leafy ends from the artichoke hearts and mince them. Set aside. Place the quartered artichoke hearts in the pan and cook until browned on the cut sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the artichokes to the plate with the chicken. Add the minced artichoke leaves to the pan and cook until deeply browned, about
3 minutes (you may need to spray the pan again with cooking spray). Once browned, move the minced artichokes to the side of the pan, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 30 seconds.
Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted, then transfer the mixture to a cutting board and finely chop it.
3. Return everything to the pan, add the chicken stock and rosemary, place over medium-high heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the stock has reduced to coat everything, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and place the chicken on a plate, spoon the sauce and artichoke mixture evenly over the chicken dish, and serve with a lemon wedge.

Tip:
Add 2 cups of rinsed and dried shirataki rice or noodles to make this a super-filling dish for zero added
calories.

SAUSAGE AND EGG BREAKFAST

HERE’S A HEARTY dish you’ll love. The original tends to be high in fat, however, so I was determined to change it. Plus, all the low-calorie breakfast patties on the shelves are tiny, not very good, and laced with preservatives. Here, I have not only made the patties large and packed with protein, I also hold them together with the added fiber of psyllium husk powder. These patties are super filling and tasty. When served with some scrambled Egg Beaters, you’ll be super-fueled for your busy mornings.

Yield 1 breakfast meal
Prep time approximately 12 minutes
Processing time approximately 10 minutes
Calorie Burn 66
Calories 121
Net-Calories 55

Ingredients:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices of tomato
2 tablespoons cold water
½ tablespoon psyllium husk powder
1 tablespoon puffed brown rice, chopped
½ tablespoon egg white powder
¼ teaspoon salt-free poultry spice (such as Frontier)
2 ounces extra-lean ground turkey
Olive oil cooking spray
¼ cup egg whites (such as Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven broiler. Make sure one rack is on the top and one rack is in the middle of the oven. Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper and broil on the top shelf of the broiler until warmed, about 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.
2. Whisk the water and psyllium husk powder in a large bowl until the psyllium has dissolved and the water is thickened, about 1 minute. Add the rice, egg white powder, and poultry spice and mix until dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the turkey and mix until a paste is formed. Season and form into 2 loose mounds.
3. Spray a large nonstick ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. Add the mounds of turkey and spread them into patties. Cook until starting to brown, about 30 seconds, and then transfer to the oven and cook until patties have cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, flip the patties, and brown the other side, about 30 seconds. Transfer the patties to a plate.
4. Add the egg whites to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until set, about 2 minutes. Evenly spoon the eggs next to the patties on the plate.

Tips:
This sausage recipe serves well as a blank canvas; try adding crushed fennel seeds or chopped fresh sage for a fresh twist!

NO-BAKE APPLE PIE SQUARES

I, for one, love apple pie, especially with a dollop or two of real whipped cream. But, like most desserts, it has a lot of sugar and fat, and I don’t recommend you eat a whole piece. Instead, I recommend that you try this apple recipe. It has only 94 calories a serving, compared to traditional apple pie at nearly 280 calories a wedge (so you may be able to get away with enjoying two pieces!).

Yield 1 dessert
Prep time approximately 10 minutes
Processing time approximately 15 minutes
Calorie Burn 130
Calories 94
Net-Calories -36

Ingredients:
¼ cup water
¼cup peeled, grated apples (choose your favorite—I love Empire or Pink Lady apples)
¼ teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coconut crystals (such as Coconut Secret)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pectin (such as Pomona’s)
2 packets stevia extract (such as Stevia in the Raw)
2 pieces unsalted brown rice thin cakes (such as Suzie’s)

Method:
1. Place the water, apples, lemon juice, coconut, and cinnamon in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a microwave-safe plate or waxed paper and microwave on high until the mixture has come to a boil, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the pectin and stevia and then add it to the hot apple mixture slowly while whisking, until dissolved. Scrape the sides of the bowl, cover, and microwave on high until boiling and thickened, about 30 seconds. Transfer the apple mixture to a stainless-steel bowl and set it over another bowl of ice to chill the mixture completely. It will get much tighter as it cools.
3. Lay a rice thin down on a clean surface, dollop the apple mixture on top, top with a plain rice thin, and serve.

Tip:
I like to keep the mixture right in the bowl and use the crackers as
a dip when I need a soul-satisfying sweet snack.

Per serving:
94 calories, 0 fat (0g sat), .25mg cholesterol, 100.5mg sodium, 22.75g carbohydrate, 4.21g fiber, 0.7g protein

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