Flay - Bobby Flay Fit

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to:

Stephanie Banyas, it has been a pleasure working side by side with you for the past twenty years. Thank you for all of your hard work on every project that I throw your wayespecially my cookbooks. I couldnt do it without you.

Sally Jackson, thank you for capturing my voice better than anyone, for your impeccable taste, and for never losing your cool.

Elyse Tirrell, for helping whenever and wherever needed on this book.

Ed Anderson, thank you for being so easy to work with and for your beautiful photos.

Pablo Muoz
Renee Forsberg
Sean Rainaldi
Kerry Miller
Marysarah Quinn
Ian Dingman
Kate Tyler
Jana Branson
Stephanie Davis
Mark McCauslin
Kim Tyner
Andrea Portanova
Marjorie Livingston
Maeve Sheridan
Dahlia Warner
Courtney Fuglein
Bullfrog & Baum
Irika Slavin
Lauren Mueller
Laurence Kretchmer
Food Network
Rock Shrimp Productions
Vitamix
AllClad
KitchenAid
DeLonghi
Oxo

And, as alwayslast but not least: Rica Allannic, you are simply the best editor, better than all the rest. Thank you.

Vinaigrettes

Vinaigrettes are one of the easiest, quickest ways to get tons of flavor into anythingnot just salads. And you should definitely make your own; bottled varieties often contain sugar and stabilizers that make them sweet and gloppy.

The classic French-kitchen ratio calls for three parts oil to one part acid. I like my dressing a bit more acidic and so my ratio is almost always two parts oil to one part acid. The acid can be red, white, or rice wine vinegar; sherry, balsamic, or cider vinegar; or lemon, lime, or orange juice; and the oil can be canola, vegetable, regular (sometimes labeled pure) olive oil, or extra-virgin olive oil (evoo). For a basic dressing I typically use a blend of canola and evoo; for vinaigrettes that I use to finish off a dish, I tend to use just evoo.

These dressings will keep for up to one week tightly covered in the refrigerator unless otherwise noted.

Basic Vinaigrette

MAKES ABOUT CUP

cup acid (see previous)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cup oil

Whisk together the acid, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until the salt begins to dissolve. Slowly whisk in the oil, drop by drop at first, and continue whisking until emulsified.

To add a touch of sweetness, or balance the acidity, whisk in 1 teaspoon honey, pure maple syrup, or agave at the end.

PER 2 TABLESPOONS: Calories 169; Protein 0g; Carbohydrates 0g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Sugar 0g; Total Fat 19g; Saturated Fat 3g

VARIATIONS

Mustard Vinaigrette

Whisk in 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard with the acid.

Mustard-Herb Vinaigrette

Whisk in 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard and 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, basil, mint, and/or cilantro) with the acid.

Pomegranate-Mustard Vinaigrette

Whisk in 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard and 2 tea-spoons pomegranate molasses with the acid. Calories 171; Carbohydrates 1g; Sugar 1g

Buttermilk Dressing

I love buttermilk. Dont get me wrongIm not looking to drink a glass of it anytime soon; but I love using it to marinate chicken for fried chicken, I think its the best in waffle and pancake batter, and truly, I cant bake biscuits without it. The stuff is magic. Because its name has the word butter in it, people think that it is fattening, when quite the opposite is true. Traditional buttermilk is the liquid that remains after butter is churned. Nowadays you can buy cultured buttermilk, which, despite the butter in its name, is still low in fat and extra-flavorful, making it perfect in this vinaigrette. For the most part, buttermilk dressings get their thick, extra-creamy texture from sour cream and full-fat mayo, but I cut back the calories a bit by swapping them for Greek yogurt and low-fat mayonnaise. This is buttermilk dressing at its most basic, but it easily transforms into Blue Cheese and Green Goddess dressings; see the variations, following.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon kosher salt

cup low-fat buttermilk, well shaken

3 tablespoons 2% Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of cayenne powder or a few dashes of Tabasco sauce

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. Whisk in the buttermilk, yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, cayenne, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours to allow the flavors to meld.

PER 2 TABLESPOONS: Calories 20; Protein 1g; Carbohydrates 1g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Sugar 1g; Total Fat 1g; Saturated Fat 0g

VARIATIONS

Blue Cheese Dressing

Stir in 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese at the end. Calories 26; Total Fat 2g; Saturated Fat 1g

Green Goddess Dressing

Add 1 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, chives, and dill.

Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette

This bright vinaigrette is used to dress simple salads at Japanese restaurants across the world. Its equally delicious spooned over fish, seafood, and meat. Carrots and ginger are a given, but the secret ingredient in this dressing is white miso, which can be found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store next to the tofu. White miso, which actually ranges in color from light beige to pale yellow, is the sweetest, mildest type of this protein- and nutrient-packed fermented soybean paste with a salty, umami-rich flavor.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUPS

1 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium)

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

cup canola oil

In a blender, combine the carrot, ginger, miso, shallot, vinegar, tamari, pepper, and a few tablespoons of water and blend until the mixture is smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and continue blending until just emulsified. This vinaigrette will keep for 3 days refrigerated.

PER 2 TABLESPOONS: Calories 96; Protein 1g; Carbohydrates 3g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Sugar 1g; Total Fat 9g; Saturated Fat 1g

Nutty Vinaigrette

I love using a nut butterbased vinaigrette on chicken, pork, and shrimp dishes as well as on whole-grain and soba noodle salads with lots of vegetables. Just a few tablespoons of nut butter (peanut, almond, or cashew) add an earthy flavor and creamy texture. Natural nut butters contain no added sugar or preservatives and are recommended for this recipe. If you want your vinaigrette to be a touch smoky or spicy, add a teaspoon of chipotle in adobo puree or a pinch of red pepper flakes.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

2 tablespoons natural nut butter

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

teaspoon honey

Pinch of kosher salt

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons canola oil

In a blender, combine the nut butter, vinegar, lime juice, tamari, sesame oil, honey, salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified.