Photo by Scott Phillips from Fine Cooking

One thing I've learned about keeping the weight off that's been crucial to my success has been to always challenge the quantity of high calorie foods called for in recipes. Before I dare formulate a grocery list, I go through the entire ingredient list pausing at any item that screams way too many calories! If something sounds out of this world fattening—it usually is.

I found this recipe for Sesame Noodles on one of my favorite cooking websites—Finecooking.com—and it sounded so great, I had to clip it. The original recipe calls for 1 pound of pasta, 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, 6 Tablespoons sesame oil. And a pound and a half of chicken. Naturally my alarm bells went off so I did what I always do, re-worked the recipe for the purpose of cutting out a whole bunch of calories.

Slim Down and Shape up Your Recipes With These Easy Tips: Adjust the amount of protein called for in recipes so that no one is consuming more than 3-4 ounces. If a recipe calls for meat and cheese balance out the quantities so the total amount per person is still a healthy 3-4 ounces. For instance, if you’re preparing Roasted Chicken sandwiches with melted cheese—allow 3 ounces of chicken per person and no more than one ounces of cheese. Many recipes require “fat” as a vehicle to cook one or more of the ingredients. My rule of thumb when it comes to the quantity of oil necessary to sauté onions or meat for four—no more than two teaspoons. My trick for almost never having to add more oil to get food cooked... use a heavy bottomed pot or sauté pan and cook using a steady medium heat. You’ll almost never need to add more oil. Add water and stock to onions when you’re sautéing them if you think they need more oil. When it comes to sodium—if a recipe calls for a processed food (such as tomato paste, canned tomatoes or canned beans) and then later, a quantity of salt to “season” the dish, because processed foods already contain sodium, chances are you won’t need the additional salt. If you can’t trust yourself in the presence of leftovers (for the most part, I cannot) cut the recipe back before you even purchase the ingredients.

Here's how I adjusted the recipe...

1) The recipe calls for you to boil the noodles in well-salted water. If you're watching your sodium intake, you can certainly skip this step.

2) The recipe calls for you to coat cooked noodles with 1 Tablespoon sesame oil. Rinse the noodles in cold water instead.

3) The recipe calls for 5 Tablespoons of sesame oil to be used in the dressing. I used one teaspoon dark sesame oil and 4 tablespoons plus two teaspoons warm water. This way, I got the flavor of the sesame oil without all the calories. The water helped to maintain the volume of dressing so I didn't come up short. Warm water will mix into the peanut butter a lot easier.

4) The recipe calls for a pound of pasta. If you're watching calories, stick to two ounces dried pasta per person. Sometimes, I even cut it back to 1 ½ ounces pasta per person and double up on the veggies. So far, no one has ever complained.

5) The recipe calls for 1 ½ pounds of chicken for six people. I cut it back to three ounces per person and added a bunch of salad bar veggies I picked up on my way home to "bulk" up the salad with flavor, nutrition and color.

6) The recipe calls for 1/4 cup brown sugar. Use dark brown sugar because it has more flavor. Add it a Tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition. This way, you'll probably be able to cut back the quantity by at least a Tablespoon. Every little calorie counts!

Recipe Note: The rich dressing may appear thin, but the noodles and chicken will soak it up.

Up the Good Calories: Add more veggies! Sauteed snow peas, snap peas, grated carrots, broccoli and red pepper are all delicious additions! some thinly sliced red pepper or grated carrots.

Bump Up the Flavor: Garnish every portion with a heaping Tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro and a couple of lime wedges.

Serves 6

Ingredients

	Kosher salt
1	lb. dried plain or whole-grain spaghetti
6	Tbs. Asian sesame oil
4	medium cloves garlic, peeled
2/3	cup creamy peanut butter
1/2	cup low-sodium ginger-flavored soy sauce
6	Tbs. rice vinegar
1/4	cup light or dark brown sugar
1 1/2	lb. chicken tenders
2	tsp. peanut oil
	Freshly ground black pepper
Optional:
1/2	cup roughly chopped cilantro
1	lime cut into 8 wedges

	Prepare the Noodles. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until the pasta is al dente.
	Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, and toss with 1 Tbs. of the sesame oil.
	Prepare the Sauce. In a food processor, pulse the garlic until roughly chopped. Add the remaining 5 Tbs. sesame oil, and the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt. Process until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the bowl, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
	Cook the Chicken. Trim off any exposed tendon ends from the wide tips of the tenders, if necessary. Season the tenders with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
	Heat the peanut oil in a in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the tenders until well browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
	Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, slice crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, pour into large salad or mixing bowl. Add the chicken to the spaghetti along with half of the scallions.
	Pour about 1 cup of the dressing over the pasta and chicken and toss to coat. Add more dressing to taste—but you may not need to use it all. Transfer chicken and noodles to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining scallions and cilantro. Serve Immediately.
	Refrigerate any excess dressing in an airtight container and place in refrigerator. Tightly sealed, it will keep for about a week.
	Toss together all remaining ingredients and eat! Pour about 1-1/4 cups of the dressing over the pasta and chicken and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings. Divide onto serving plates. Garnish each portion with a generous tablespoon of loosely packed, freshly chopped cilantro and a couple of lime wedges.

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/quick-sesame-noodles-chicken.aspx

Nutrition information per serving: Calories (kcal): 770; Fat (kcal): 34; Fat Calories (g): 300; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 42; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 14; Carbohydrates (g): 75; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 11; Sodium (mg): 1560; Cholesterol (mg): 65; Fiber (g): 6

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