family friendly

Southern Living, Jan 2005 by Zacharia, Joy E

EVEN WHEN YOU'RE TIME CHALLENGED, YOU CAN STILL ENJOY FULL-FLAVORED MEALS AT HOME.

Doris Pulido of Houston had a case of the bland dinner blues. That was until we arrived for a flayor and nutrition makeover sure to make her husband, Joe, and four kids say, "Thanks for dinner, Mom."

Doris's goal was to prepare bold-flavored dishes not too high in calories that did not require a big time investment. "My kids think what I cook is boring, unless I make rich, creamy Mexican dishes such as cheese enchiladas," she says. "They like grilled meats, but I've never even turned on the grill." Joe usually fires it up, but he works long hours, and Doris often needs to get dinner started before he comes home.

As a registered dietician, my job was to create easy, grill-friendly recipes and to teach Doris how to prepare them with confidence. I aimed to include plenty of colorful, cancer-fighting, heart-healthy veggies and fruits. In less than two days, she learned how to infuse fabulous flavor into meats, seafood, vegetables, and fruits with a few spices, seasoning mixtures, and marinades.

Doris was pleased to see how quickly fish cooks, making it a perfect option for weeknight meals. She also enjoyed the new flavors produced by oven roasting sweet potatoes and red potatoes with just a hint of spices.

I thought teaching Doris how to prepare tasty, healthy dishes would be the most gratifying part of this project. But truthfully, what I enjoyed most was hearing her kids-Joshua, Jeremy, Daniella, and Joel-tell their mom how much they liked what we prepared for dinner. JOY E. ZACHARIA, R.D.

shredded grilled tilapia tacos

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., GRILL: 6 MIN.

1 tablespoon ground chipotle seasoning

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

6 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Vegetable cooking spray

12 corn tortillas

Sweet-and-Spicy Slaw (see recipe)

Fruity Black Bean Salsa (see recipe)

Fresh lime wedges

COMBINE first 3 ingredients. Rub seasoning mixture evenly over fillets.

STIR together oil, grated rind, and juice; rub over fillets.

ARRANGE fillets in a grill basket coated with cooking spray.

GRILL over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 3 minutes on each side or just until fish begins to flake with a fork. Cool slightly. Shred fish. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons fish into tortillas, and top with Sweet-and-Spicy Slaw and Fruity Black Bean Salsa. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Per serving (including slaw and salsa): Calories 358 (25% from fat); Fat 10g (sat 1.9g, mono 4.7g, poly 2.1 g); Protein 44g; Carb 23g; Fiber 3.2g; Chol 118mg; Iron 1mg; Sodium 486mg; Calc 75mg.

fruity black bean salsa

MAKES 7 (½-CUP) SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN.

The fat in this salsa comes from the avocado, an excellent source of monounsaturated (good) fat. It helps increase your HDL (good) cholesterol level and decrease your LDL (bad) cholesterol level.

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small papaya, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes*

½ red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large ripe avocado, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon salt

COMBINE black beans and next 5 ingredients in a glass bowl. Whisk together rind and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and drizzle over bean mixture. Toss gently to coat. Cover and chill until ready to serve. *½ (24-ounce) jar papaya available in the produce section of your supermarket may be substituted for fresh papaya. If you can't find papaya, substitute 2 ripe mangoes, cubed.

Per serving: Calories 88 (40% from fat); Fat 3.9g (sat 0.5g, mono 2.4g, poly 0.5g); Protein 2.5g; Garb 14g; Fiber 4.3g; Chol 0mg; Iron 0.8mg; Sodium 296mg; CaIc 25mg.

sweet-and-spicy slaw

MAKES 12 (½-CUP) SERVINGS

PREP: 8 MIN.

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons pineapple or orange marmalade

½ teaspoon salt

¼ to ½ teaspoon dried chipotle seasoning

1 (16-ounce) package cabbage slaw mix

WHISK together first 5 ingredients in a medium glass bowl until blended. Add slaw mix, tossing to coat. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Per serving: Calories 53 (46% from fat); Fat 2.7g (sat 17g, mono 0.8g, poly 0.12g); Protein 1.9g; Carb 6g; Fiber 0.8g; ChOl 7mg; Iron 0.3mg; Sodium119mg; Calc46mg.

lemon-and-dill green beans

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 13 MIN.

To lighten further, use 1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine and 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped. The original version's fat percentage appears high because most of the calories come from the nuts and margarine (green beans are very low in calories). Almonds contain heart-healthy fat, protein, and fiber.

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed*

2 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup whole almonds, chopped