Published: July 03, 2008 02:18 pm      

LOCAL FLAVOR: Comfort foods can be good for you and your wallet

Food frugality is as “in” as chateaubriand is “out.” All of a sudden, it’s more than acceptable to watch our grocery shopping budget, especially since prices are mounting each time we wheel the cart down the aisles.

The average cost of basic groceries, including rice, flour and milk, climbed at a rate of about 5 percent last year, according to the Labor Department, the sharpest increase in almost 20 years.

That rite of summer, the family vacation, is happening in our own backyards because of gasp-inducing gasoline prices and jitters about the economy. So we can revert back to good times by scaling back, packing coolers for an old-fashioned picnic and heading out to the many great parks in Western New York, often within walking or biking distance.

In past columns, I have selected many comfort food recipes for you. Such foods have the power to soothe with remembrances of the great old days when we loaded up on unhealthy cuisine, promising to begin the diet a few days later. Now the alarm has sounded for healthier, more economical cuisine.

Since you are what you eat, we are advised to make healthy, low-fat, high-fiber choices. Let’s vary our menus with comfort foods that have the power to soothe and are labeled “lite version.”

My friend Pat Soluri’s grandfather, known to many as Uncle Sam, is a master of the art and science of Italian classic cooking, and has been recognized for this picnic favorite, a healthy year-round treat.

Melanzana de Mettere in Salamoia de Zeo Sam

(Uncle Sam’s pickled eggplant)

1 eggplant

2 cups white vinegar

Hot crushed pepper flakes to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of one lemon

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chopped basil

Olive oil for topping off

Clean and peel eggplant. Slice into 1/8 inch slices and place in colander over sink or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and weigh down with two or more large cans of tomatoes to squeeze out the eggplant juice.

Remove after 30 minutes. In sauce pan, pour vinegar and juice and bring to a boil. Drop three to four slices of eggplant for one minute, boil and remove with slotted spoon and repeat until all slices have been dipped.

Drain all slices thoroughly, then cool.

Between two flat plates, squeeze any remaining vinegar mixture and place slices, a few at a time, in a mason jar or large bowl. Sprinkle hot pepper, garlic, oregano, basil and salt and pepper to taste over the slices and repeat until all are used up. Top off jar with virgin olive oil and seal. Refrigerate and serve cold as an appetizer or for sandwiches at the picnic. Serves eight.

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Chicken legs are good for you, and dark meat is dark simply because it has myoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to muscles. Dark meat chicken contains iron, zinc, B vitamins and more minerals than white meat.

Do try this chicken thigh recipe. It’s very economical as well as healthy.

Braised chicken thighs with tomatoes and peppers

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes.

8 skinned and boned chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs.) trimmed of fat, cut into 1-inch chunks

4 tbsp. olive oil

3 large Italian frying peppers, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

3 or 4 large garlic cloves, minced

About 1 pound small tomatoes, such as cherry, grape, or cluster of tomatoes vines still attached, cut into small pieces

In a small bowl, mix salt and pepper and crushed red pepper, and sprinkle over the chicken.

In a large, heavy deep skillet or a Dutch oven, warm 3 tbsp. oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add half the chicken, cook until browned, turning once, four to five minutes. Transfer browned chicken to clean bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 tbsp. oil and remaining chicken.

Spoon off all but 2 tbsp. of oil from the pan. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan. Add peppers, onion and garlic. Stir well. Stir in tomatoes. Bring juices to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, reducing heat if necessary, until chicken is cooked through, and vegetables are tender and juicy, about 15 to 20 minutes. This heart-healthy recipe serves four.

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We have also received a delightful light recipe for that rich creamy comfort food, fettuccini alfredo, which is below:

Lite fettuccini alfredo

1 tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. flour

1 1/3 cups skim milk

2 tbsp. light cream cheese

1 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

4 cups cooked fettuccini

2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan; add garlic and sauté for about one minute; stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring until blended. Cook for about eight minutes, or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Stir in the cream cheese, and cook for about two minutes. Add one cup Parmesan cheese, and stir until melted. Pour sauce over the hot Fettuccini, tossing to coat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top, with the parsley and pepper. Serves four.

Marija Vukcevich is a freelance writer from Lewiston. Contact her at marijavukcevich@aol.com.