More veggies, half the fat help stroganoff

Dear Jeanne: I recently had gastric bypass surgery and, of course, am very limited in what I can eat. My sister makes this awesome recipe. Would you please try to modify this so I can try it again? Whatever you can do is greatly appreciated. Thank you! — Angela Romanelli, San Antonio

Dear Angela: I don't know what your restrictions are, but I can make this tasty and lower in fat, calories, sodium and cholesterol. I also suggest adding vegetables to this dish, and I used brown rice instead of white. Your changes to the recipe added 8 grams of fat and about 100 calories per serving to the original recipe.

CHICKEN STROGANOFF

3 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 10-ounce can mushrooms

1?8 teaspoon garlic powder

Red pepper flakes to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 8-ounce container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese

3/4 cup milk

1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom soup

12 ounces egg noodles

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Saute chicken until brown. Add mushrooms, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and soy sauce. Simmer 10 minutes. Add garlic-and-herb cheese, milk and cream of mushroom soup. Simmer 45 minutes. Boil noodles; drain. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Pour chicken mixture over Parmesan cheese and noodles.

We take out the soy sauce, salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and noodles. We double the mushrooms (2 10-ounce cans) and spreadable cheese (2 8-ounce containers), and serve over white rice.

Makes 6 servings.

CHICKEN STROGANOFF

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 can (10 ounces) reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

4 ounces light garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese

1 carton (8 ounces) light sour cream

3 cups brown rice, cooked

1. Saute the onion in a large, non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with nonfat cooking spray over medium-high heat for 1 minute; add a little of the broth and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink; cover, then add the rest of the chicken broth and the garlic, and let simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure to keep enough liquid in your pan so the chicken and onions don't burn.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cream of mushroom soup and the green onions, and bring to a boil.

3. Mix together the softened spreadable cheese and the sour cream. Turn off the heat under the pan. Stir the cheese-and-sour-cream mixture into the chicken until well-mixed. Serve over brown rice.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe (as written): 711 calories; 26 gm fat; 227 mg cholesterol; 1,655 mg sodium; 50 gm carbohydrates; 67 gm protein; 3 gm fiber. Revised Recipe: 404 calories; 10 gm fat; 109 mg cholesterol; 409 mg sodium; 36 gm carbohydrates; 40 gm protein; 3 gm fiber.

Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her Web site, jeannejones.com. Send your recipe for revision to: Cook It Light, Deseret News, P.O. Box 1212, La Jolla, CA 92038. Please include a stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope. © King Features Syndicate Inc.