For over a week now, I have been trying the recipes in Delia Hammock’s Lose 10 Pounds in a Month Diet featured in Good Housekeeping. The name of the diet plan prompts one to ask, ‘So, have you lost any pounds yet?’ And that will be beside the point.

The recipes in Ms. Hammock’s diet plan are healthy, quick, easy to prepare and so far, have yet to disappoint my palate. I thought it would be a good idea to share these recipes with everyone.
The first recipe is called Savory Asian Patty. Mix 1 pound ground turkey breast with 8 canned water chestnuts, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 4 green onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce; 4 teaspoons soy sauce. Shape mixture into 4 patties. Freeze 3 for later use. In nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook patty over medium heat until thoroughly cooked throughout.

On a personal note, I find that the patty needs more binding ingredients cause the turkey meat and water chestnuts don’t really hold well together. I tried adding just an egg cause I wanted to do away with the carb content in the flour but although the patty would form nicely, it will take extra special care to fry it without breaking it up. So in the end, I added 2 tbsp. flour which was enough to make the patty firm and crispy on the outside while the inside is kept soft and moist.

The patties were served with sides of steamed broccoli florets and rice. The rice preparation that Ms. Hammock suggested has become a favorite of mine and my husband’s and we now have it with almost anything that calls for a side dish. Toss 3/4 cup rice with 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. It’s rice with a twist and it goes well with almost anything! For the broccoli florets, I provided some light ranch dressing as dipping sauce.

The second recipe is called Spicy Chicken Ole. On a 12-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, center a 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast. Top with 3/4 cup canned corn with peppers, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (optional). Fold foil into a packet. Bake on cookie sheet at 450 degrees F about 18 minutes.

This is served with Avocado Salad. On lettuce leaves, arrange 1 tangerine, peeled and divided into segments; 1/4 ripe avocado, thinly sliced; 1 slice red onion. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.

This chicken recipe has become my personal favorite so much that within 2 days of trying it, I have shared it with no less than 10 people. It’s quick and easy, with only a minimal number of ingredients, it’s healthy… what’s not to like? On a personal note, I would suggest putting the cookie sheet on the first tier of the oven closest to the heat to reduce cooking time by 20%. I prepared 3 servings of this chicken with the cookie sheet on the second tier and I had to bake another 9 minutes to cook it thoroughly. Although the recipe says the cilantro is optional, I think it should be a must. There’s a pungency in the cilantro that gives the dish an extra kick and it makes a whole lot of difference. As for the salsa, it’s all a matter of personal preference. I used the mild salsa but I think the recipe allows for you to go as hot as you can manage.

The avocado salad is a perfect counterpoint to the chicken. Where the chicken is spicy, the salad is citrusy. It will be nice if you can find a tangerine that’s more on the sweet side. As for the olive oil, I used the citrus-flavored olive oil to further augment the citrusy flavor.

The third recipe is Savory Stir Fry. In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, lightly brown 3 ounces beef strips over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables and 1 tablespoon bottled stir-fry sauce. Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil.

First off, this meal is served over rice as topping. And remember what I told you about the rice preparation I learned with the first recipe, where I tossed it with some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil? This veggie recipe goes so well with it too!

So anyway, there’s a couple of changes I made. For instance, the recipe calls for 3 ounces of beef strips. Well I don’t eat red meat anymore so I switched chicken breast for the beef. I know it would have given off a different flavor had I used beef but well, the whole point of the meal is that it’s healthy, right? Also, the ‘frozen stir-fry vegetables’ didn’t sit quite well with me. I only have to see ‘frozen’ and I’m already tasting the salt in it. Remember, anything that’s preserved for longer than it’s supposed to last has got to be sodden with sodium. There are stir-fry veggies prepared for fresh use and with expiration dates I can live with. That’s what I used.

So there you have it, 3 dinner recipes that are quick, easy, healthy and absolutely no-fuss.

Bon appetit!