Skinny French Dinner: Bifteck Haché with Tarragon-Shallot Potato Salad

Nearly every dinner I cook has some sort of theme, usually by region. I like being able to eat food from several different countries all within days. I love going out to dinner in the city and trying cuisine from a country I've never been to (Ethiopia) , or even a country where I've been and can't wait to go back to (France). But my favorite part, is going home and trying to recreate the dishes (and make them healthier, of course) so I can eat them whenever I want.

Making skinny versions of my favorite French dishes has been challenging. Anyone who's ever read Mastering the Art of French Cooking will know that (aside from being seriously hard to cook), most of these recipes call for a ridiculous amount of butter. One recipe I read online this week for bifteck haché called for 10 tablespoons of butter. That's 30 Weight Watchers points, and about 110 grams of fat. Not skinny at all...I have no idea how those French people stay so thin (yes I do...moderation). Luckily, there are so many other great flavors in French cooking, I've managed to come up with a few skinny dishes which take advantage of those ingredients.

Bifteck Haché is basically a fancy French hamburger, and is so very easy to make. I served it with a Bordelaise, but you can use any sauce you like. I'm also posting a recipe for a French potato salad using two of my favorite flavors, tarragon and shallots. I served this with a simple salad of mixed greens (skinny dinner tip: fill half your plate with salad) which I drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil and vinegar (skinny dinner tip #2: if you salt and pepper your salad, you won't need as much dressing). Serve this dinner with a nice bottle of wine, and if you want to be truly French, take 3 hours for dinner, and slowly enjoy every bite.

Skinny Bifteck Haché (with Skinny Bordelaise)

Adapted from Saveur

Serving Size: 1 Patty (about 1/6th recipe)

WW PointsPlus Value: 5

2 teaspoons light butter

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3/4 lbs ground beef (I calculated for 85% lean, 15% fat)

1 egg

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup fat free beef stock

salt and pepper

Directions:

• Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cool, then add beef, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir together, then divide and form into 6 patties.
• Put flour in a dish, and dredge patties, making sure to shake off excess.
• Spray skillet with cooking spray, and cook patties over medium-high heat until nice and brown. Cook a few minutes on each side, or to your desired level of doneness. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Melt the remaining teaspoon of butter in the skillet and add shallots, stirring for about a minute. Then add beef stock and red wine, and simmer until reduced by about half. Season well with salt and pepper, then pour over patties in the platter.

Skinny Tarragon-Shallot Potato Salad

Adapted from Saveur

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, quartered

3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 shallot, minced

3 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

Salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt

1 Tablespoon mayo

Directions:

• Boil potatoes in large pot of salted water for 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
• Whisk together all other ingredients and gently toss with potatoes.
• Don your finest beret, pour a large glass of wine, and enjoy your French dinner.