[Kitchen Witch]

Amazing Low Fat Cannoli

This offbeat cannoli is faster to make than the traditional Italian dessert, because you don't have to fuss with the dough. When you take a bite, it shatters into a thousand buttery flakes, just like the real McCoy. The secret? The pastry tubes are made with Chinese wonton wrappers, which are baked instead of fried.
Note: the recipe is quick and easy to make, but you must start the night before to drain the ricotta.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 pints low or no fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon orange flower water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
to finish the cannoli:
12 four inch wonton wrappers
spray oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon chopped, toasted pistachio nuts
cannoli tubes

Cooking Instructions:
The night before place the ricotta in a yogurt strainer or cheesecloth or paper-towel lined strainer over a bowl. Drain overnight in the refrigerator. Discard the whey. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Lightly spray 12 cannoli tubes with spray oil. Starting with the corner of one wonton wrapper in the center, roll the wrapper around the tube. Glue the opposite corner to the tube with a dab of cornstarch paste. Lightly spray the outside of the cannoli with oil. Roll the remaining wrappers the same way.
Bake the cannoli until golden brown and crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool slightly, then slide the pastry shells off the tubes onto a cake rack and let cool to room temperature. Brush with the melted butter.
Prepare the filling. In a large bowl combine the drained ricotta, sugar, orange flower water, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk to mix. Correct the sweetness, adding sugar or orange flower water to taste. Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch star tip. The recipe can be prepared several hours ahead to this stage.
Just before serving, pipe the ricotta mixture into the pastry shells, adding filling from each end. As you withdraw the piping tube, make a rosette at each end. Sprinkle the ends with chopped pistachios and serve at once.
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 260
Fat: 3 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Sodium: 53 milligrams
Total Carbohydrates: 25 grams
Dietary Fiber: 0 grams
Protein: 15 grams
% calories from fat: 14%
% calories from saturated fat: 6%

Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions
This recipe serves: 6

3 pounds chicken thighs and/or legs
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
about 4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup red wine
2 quarts Basic Chicken Stock (see recipe), or low-sodium canned
1 cup quartered mushrooms
1 cup pearl onions, peeled


1. Season the chicken with salt pepper. Dust the chicken with flour.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide, shallow pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side. The oil should be hot enough to sear in the juices but not burn. Remove the chicken from the pan and drain off the excess fat.

3. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the vegetables. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Turn up the heat and brown slightly. (This can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator up to 3 days or frozen.)

4. Add the bay leaf, thyme and red wine, and cook until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

5. Put the seared chicken back in the pot and cover with stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. Do not let it boil rapidly.

6. Strain the stew and retain the chicken and liquid. Discard the vegetables. Return the liquid to the pot and simmer to reduce its volume by half.

7. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

8. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season them with salt and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

9. Remove the skin from the chicken; discard the skin. Add the chicken, mushrooms and onions to the reduced liquid.

10. Adjust the seasoning with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Serving Size: about 1 1/2 cups
[Nutritional Information]
Number of Servings: 6
Per Serving
Calories 407 Carbohydrate 18 g
Fat 14 g Fiber 2 g
Protein 50 g Saturated Fat 3 g
Sodium 1322 mg