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Dig in! Cooking Light’s low-cal game day snacks

‘Chef Billy’ gives low-fat recipes for Buffalo chicken and spicy quesadillas

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updated 12:42 p.m. ET Feb. 1, 2008

If you're watching your weight this Super Bowl Sunday, you don't neccessarily have to give up all those yummy game-time snacks. Cooking Light magazine has come up with low-calorie versions of sporty favorites, including Buffalo chicken tenders with blue cheese fondue and spicy chicken quesadillas. So go ahead, dig in this Sunday!

Buffalo chicken with blue cheese fondue
Billy Strynkowski

Yields 8 servings. Serving size: 1 1/2 ounces chicken, 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup carrots, 1/4 cup celery, 1/4 cup bell pepper, 1 1/2 ounces bread and about 1/3 cup fondue

INGREDIENTS

Dippers

4 skinned, boned chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/4 cup bottled wing sauce (such as Crystal), divided
2 cups green beans, trimmed
2 cups carrot sticks
2 cups celery sticks
2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 loaf French bread, toasted and cut into 1-inch cubes

Fondue

2 cups crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400° F.

To prepare dippers, place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to a 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Place the chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush with 2 tablespoons wing sauce. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, and brush with 2 tablespoons wing sauce. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until done. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.

Cook the beans in boiling water for 1 minute or until crisp-tender; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Place beans on a platter with carrot, celery, bell pepper and bread; set aside.

To prepare the fondue, combine the blue cheese and the cornstarch in a large saucepan. Stir in wine, milk and cream cheese. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 8 minutes or until mixture is smooth, stirring frequently. Pour into a fondue pot. Keep warm over low flame. Serve with dippers.

TIPS

To keep the cheese creamy and smooth, stir the dippers in a figure-eight movement. A heavy enamel fondue pot helps prevent the cheese from burning on the bottom. Wing sauce can be found with other hot sauces in the condiment section of your grocery store.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


Spicy chicken quesadillas
Billy Strynkowski

Yield: 6 servings. Serving size: 2 wedges and 1/4 cup salsa

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cups chopped ready-to-eat roasted skinned, boned chicken breasts (about 3 breasts) or cooked turkey breast
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
8 8-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the sliced mushrooms, chopped bell pepper and onion, and saute 4 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Add the chopped chicken, chili powder and ground cumin, and saute 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spread about 1/2 cup chicken mixture over each of 4 tortillas, and top each with 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese and remaining tortillas. Coat skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium heat until hot. Add 1 tortilla to skillet, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet, and keep warm. Repeat the procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges.

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