No Muss, No Fuss, Almost No Fat

Let’s consider a simple warming supper for four that could be served at the dinner table or around a roaring fire. Forget the nibbles with drinks that usually add up to a lot of effort and unwanted calories. Omitting hors d’ouevres keeps the preliminary cocktail time short and centers the evening around the meal.

Start with Stewed Chicken With Onions, Raisins and Apples, a dish full of old-fashioned flavor that is fairly low in fat since the skin is removed from the chicken before it’s cooked. Paired with French-inspired Mashed Potatoes With Turnip and Chives (also made by keeping the fat low), the meal is perfect for sharing with intimate friends. A loaf of crusty bread with sweet butter is always welcome. Follow with a simple salad of Mixed Greens With Celery Root.

The dessert could be anything from a chocolate specialty to a bowl of fresh pears with a selection of cheeses and special crackers. The key to the meal is the service; this is the kind of comfort meal that should be served family style, either on preheated platters or the chicken straight from the casserole.

This dish is best set up in advance and popped into the oven about an hour before serving--to avoid overcooking the chicken. Removing the skin of the chicken is not difficult; use paper towels to assure a firm grasp on the skin and simply pull it off.

STEWED CHICKEN WITH ONIONS, APPLES AND RAISINS

1 1/2 tablespoons safflower oil

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine

2 medium onions, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 teaspoons ground sage

1 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skinned, trimmed of all visible fat

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut into thin slices

3/4 cup golden raisins

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons minced parsley

Heat 3/4 teaspoon oil and 3/4 teaspoon butter in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until lightly browned, about 7 minutes, stirring often. Set aside.

Shake flour, sage, coriander, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in large plastic food bag. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken, 4 pieces at a time, in bag and shake to coat lightly with flour mixture.

Heat remaining oil and butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add and brown chicken on both sides, 4 pieces at a time, about 6 minutes each time.

To assemble, layer half of onions, apples and raisins in bottom of large casserole. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place chicken over onions and fruit. Cover with remaining onions, apples and raisins. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead and refrigerated.)

Add wine and water to casserole. Cover and bake on center rack of 450-degree oven 50 minutes, turning pieces midway during cooking. Remove cover. Bake 15 minutes more to thicken mixture. Add water if mixture becomes too thick. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve directly from casserole or transfer to heated serving platter. Garnish with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

441 calories; 583 mg sodium; 99 mg cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 31% calories from fat.

This combination of potatoes and turnip pieces is typical of French home cooking. The turnip flavor is not distinct but only adds a slight bite to the potatoes (still, if you don’t like turnips, you can omit them). The French beat in plenty of butter and cream, but this recipe substitutes nonfat yogurt and only a tablespoon of butter.

MASHED POTATOES WITH TURNIP AND CHIVES

4 small white or red potatoes, peeled

1 large turnip, peeled, cut into 8 pieces

Salt

2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or very thinly sliced green onions

Combine potatoes and turnip pieces in 2-quart pot. Cover with salted water. Bring to boil. Cook, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes, removing potatoes with slotted spoon if cooked before turnip. Drain well in colander. Let stand 10 minutes.

Mash potatoes and turnip in food processor or with potato masher. Add yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon salt and nutmeg. Season to taste with pepper. Mix until smooth, then add butter. Stir in chives. (Can be made several hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat in microwave oven or in top of double boiler.) Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

138 calories; 358 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 21% calories from fat.

Celery root, or celeriac, is a vegetable we tend to overlook as an ingredient for green salad; usually it’s julienned and served by itself, dressed with mayonnaise laced with mustard and lemon. Here it livens up the simplest green salad with a sweet mustard vinaigrette. Choose a fairly small, firm celery root with a minimum of the knobs and rootlets that end up as waste. Use a sharp knife to peel a celery root and a food processor to finely shred it. Briefly covering the shredded celery root with hot (not boiling) water and lemon juice gently tenderizes the vegetable and prevents discoloration.

MIXED GREENS WITH CELERY ROOT

1 small celery root

1 cup hot water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 cups mixed bite-size greens (young spinach leaves, red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, arugula, hearts of romaine), packed

Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette

Peel celery root. Shred in food processor or food mill. Immediately cover with hot water mixed with lemon juice. Drain. Chill celery root several hours in airtight container.

Wash greens, spin or shake off excess water and chill in plastic food bag. To serve, place greens and celery root in large serving bowl. Toss with Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings.

Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette

1 medium clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard

1/2 cup safflower oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Combine garlic, vinegar, sugar, mustard, oil and salt in 1-cup jar. Season to taste with pepper. Shake well to combine. Chill up to 1 day. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Each serving contains about:

290 calories; 400 mg sodium; 121 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 86% calories from fat.