"skinny chef" news and stories

"Skinny Chef" Jennifer Iserloh says that with this recipe she gives granny's pork and sauerkraut a makeover. Gone is much of the fat from this dish, a traditional combo that helps ring in the new year. Iserloh uses pork loin trimmed of fat, and, along with the sauerkraut, a Gala apple and a touch of brown sugar for added flavor.

More recipes from Skinny Chef Jennifer Iserloh

On Saturdays when I was growing up, my mother's first question of the day was "Waffles or pancakes?" While a weekday breakfast was a quick bowl of oatmeal or even a glass of instant-breakfast drink, for this kid who hated to eat first thing in the morning, weekends were for lazy, late breakfasts of fluffy waffles or pancakes with rich maple syrup. Still wearing my pj's, I'd stand on a chair next to my mom as she mixed the batter, and let a drop of water "dance" on the griddle, the sign it was hot enough to pour on the batter. Every time I "let the water dance," she's on my mind.

Waffle lover and photographer Dave Lifson adapted a Mark Bittman recipe for buttermilk waffles (from Bittman's How to Cook Everything), and used Greek yogurt in place of buttermilk, and added lemon juice and zest for a a nice citrusy undertone. And then he's crowned them with ripe blueberries. (See Dave's recipe here.) "Skinny Chef" Jennifer Iserloh mixes it up with her recipe for rice-flour waffles with strawberries and chocolate chips. Sounds like a perfect lazy Saturday in the making.

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Happy National Cordon Bleu Day!

While the term "Cordon Bleu" typically refers to the wide blue ribbons donned by an order of French knights, it is presumed that its association with this dish -- which involves a boneless chicken breast enveloping cheese and sliced ham with a fried breadcrumb exterior -- was meant to categorize the recipe of a very high standard suited to the upper classes.

The dish may not hold any connections with the distinguished cooking schools of the same name but is instead an American innovation inspired by a cross between Ukrainian chicken Kiev, which involves chicken breasts with stuffed with seasoned butter, breaded, then fried, and veal Cordon Bleu, which involves breaded and fried veal encompassing sliced ham and Swiss cheese.

Although we would never purport to dub this rich dish as flat-out "healthy," you'll feel less guilty following this healthier rendition of Blue Ribbon Chicken envisioned by our own Skinny Chef.

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Sometimes there's nothing more comforting than a warm, cheesy dish of chicken Cordon Bleu. I've developed an updated version with the same flavor profile but a lot less sodium and fat compared to the store-bought version -- which has a whopping 20 grams fat and 754 milligrams of sodium for a portion about half the size.

See the recipe for these stuffed chicken breasts after the jump.

I'm fascinated by traditional recipes that get passed down from one generation to the next. Red velvet cake is one of those recipes. The moist, rich cake is historically made with lots of red artificial food coloring and topped with delicious, but highly caloric cream-cheese frosting. I love the idea of updating it in the form of a healthier, mini-cheesecake.

I've used canned beets to achieve the red velvet color and reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream to cut the richness. These make great one-bite wonders for Valentine's Day, or any time you want to entertain.

Find the recipe for these lite delights after the jump.