
Virginia Willis is not only an
authority on Southern cooking, a French-trained chef, and a veteran
cookbook author; she is also a proud Southerner who adores eating
and cooking for family and friends. So when she needed to drop a
few pounds and generally lighten up her diet, the most important
criterion for her new lifestyle was that all the food had to taste
delicious.
The result is Lighten Up, Y'all, a deeply personal
collection of Virginia's new favorite recipes. (You can enter our contest for your chance to win a copy
of the book and check out her book tour dates in
our Events Calendar.) Southern staples
are reworked, from warm, melting Broccoli Mac and Cheese to
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie. Each dish is packed with real
Southern flavor, but made with healthier, more wholesome
ingredients and techniques. This isn't Virginia's first foray into
revisiting Southern classics. In a previous cookbook, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all: 150 Refined Southern
Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company, she
transformed already wonderful dishes into an all-out show
stoppers.
Virginia has graciously allowed us to excerpt two
complete recipes from Lighten Up Y'all, Bourbon Grilled
Pork Chops and Sweet Potato Gratin with Herb Crumble. We hope you
enjoy these fresh new takes on classic Southern
recipes.
BOURBON GRILLED PORK CHOPS WITH PEACH
BARBECUE SAUCE
SERVES 4 AND MAKES 3 CUPS SAUCE
Pork chops are a tender, quick-cooking cut of meat. In fact,
so quick-cooking, that they are actually very easy to overcook.
Cooking these chops on the bone, instead of using boneless chops,
will help the pork cook more evenly, and make them less likely to
dry out. Just make sure to trim away as much fat as possible for
healthier results. The tangy Peach Barbecue Sauce, flavored with
the zip of ginger and vinegar, and sweetened with natural honey,
would be incredible on grilled or roasted chicken, as
well.
I'll be honest with you, this is a splurge meal since we're
cooking the meat on the bone and serving it with barbecue sauce-a
plan-for-it, make-sure-to-work-out-that-day dinner. But, it's worth
it! I find it so depressing for someone to say to me, "Oh, you
can't have that on your diet, can you?" It's not about "no," it's
about saying "yes!" I can have anything as long as I am accountable
with my exercise and stick to my plan. So, believe me, I am going
to gnaw on this bone until it shines.
4 peaches (about 1
1/4 pounds), halved, pitted, and quartered
2 medium ripe tomatoes,
seeded and quartered
1 tablespoon canola
oil
1 sweet onion,
chopped
1 tablespoon finely
chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup apple cider
vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup coarse kosher salt,
plus more for
seasoning
Freshly ground black
pepper
1/4 cup firmly packed brown
sugar
2 cups boiling
water
3 cups ice cubes
4 center cut, bone-in pork
chops, about 1-inch thick, well trimmed,
(2 3/4 to 3 pounds)
Pork Chop: Calories 327 Fat 13 g Carbs 7 g
Fiber .4 g Protein 44 g
Peach Barbecue Sauce per
tablespoon: Calories 19.18 Fat .4 g Carbs 4 g Fiber .4 g Protein .3
g
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with
the metal blade, puree the peaches and tomatoes until smooth; set
aside. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat
until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally,
until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ginger and cook,
stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the
reserved peach-tomato puree, vinegar, honey, and bourbon; season
with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat,
then decrease the heat to simmer. Cook until the mixture is reduced
by half and thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for the
seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve 1⁄4 cup sauce for basting
the chops, and keep the remaining sauce warm in the saucepan until
ready to serve.
Meanwhile, place the remaining 1⁄4 cup salt
and brown sugar in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour over the 2 cups
boiling water and stir to dissolve. Add the ice cubes and stir to
cool. Add the pork chops, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and
refrigerate to marinate, about 30 minutes. (Do not marinate any
longer or the pork will be too salty. If you can't cook it right at
the 30-minute mark, remove the pork from the marinade and
refrigerate until ready to continue.) Remove from the brine, rinse
well, and thoroughly dry pat with paper towels. Set
aside.
Season the pork chops with pepper. Prepare a
charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the
coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash,
20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom,
position the grill rack above the coals, and heat until medium-hot
(when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for
no longer than 3 or 4 seconds). Or, for a gas grill, turn all
burners to high, close the lid, and heat until very hot, 10 to 15
minutes.
Or, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat
until hot. Place the pork chops in the grill pan or on the grill
and grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until the internal
temperature reaches 145°F, brushing with Peach Barbecue Sauce in
the last few minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum
foil to rest and let the juices redistribute, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve
immediately with reserved warm sauce on the
side.
GRILL FRIEND
An instant-read thermometer is
your best friend when it comes to cooking meat on the grill.
Sometimes it's hard to gauge the doneness of the meat, especially
when you've got hot and cold spots on the grill, distractions like
kids running around the yard, and the inevitable conversation
magnet that a grill can be. An accurate digital instant-read
thermometer will be your best grill-friend who will save you from
overcooked chops or underdone chicken.
SWEET POTATO GRATIN WITH HERB CRUMBLE
SERVES 8
Earthy, rich sweet potatoes are one of fall's most delicious
vegetables and pair wonderfully with pecans, one of fall's most
delicious nuts. You'll be shocked when you take a bite of this
dish. Everyone always assumes they will be hit with a rush of
sugar, and yet this sweet potato dish is distinctively
full-flavored and savory, a welcome departure from typical
marshmallow-topped and bourbon-drenched sweet potato dishes. This
recipe utilizes whole wheat pastry flour, which is more
nutritionally dense than refined all-purpose flour, but also is not
as dense and heavy as regular whole wheat flour. Look for Bob's Red
Mill whole wheat pastry flour in well-stocked grocery stores. I
know Thanksgiving can be tricky. No one wants to give up a favorite
dish, but slip this one into the mix and it's certain to become a
family favorite.
If you want to take a serious shortcut for this dish you can
substitute one 29-ounce can of pumpkin puree or canned sweet
potatoes. The herb-pecan topping tastes equally great with
both.
3 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour, plus more for your hands
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for
seasoning
3 tablespoons 2 percent milk
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Calories 98.02 Fat 7.35 g Carbs 7.28 g Fiber
1.41 g Protein 1.98 g
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed
baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. (This will
help with clean up.) Spray a 2-quart shallow baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Using a fork, pierce the sweet potatoes in
several places and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until
fork-tender, about 50 minutes. Remove to a rack to
cool.
When the potatoes are almost tender, prepare
the topping: In a small bowl combine the chopped pecans, flour,
Parmesan, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the
milk, oil, and sage. Stir until well combined. Set
aside.
When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to
handle, peel the potatoes, discarding the skin. Place the pulp in
large bowl. Add the brown sugar and nutmeg. Season with salt and
pepper. Smash the squash with a potato masher until
chunky.
Transfer the sweet potatoes to the prepared
baking dish. Lightly flour your hands and crumble the topping in
small, cherry size pieces on top of the sweet potatoes. Transfer to
the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30
minutes.
Serve
immediately.
Photos and recipes copyright Lighten Up Y'all by Virginia Willis (Ten Speed
Press). Reprinted with permission.