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Oprah's Former Chef And Type 2 Diabetic Art Smith Discusses New Cookbook

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — Oprah's former personal chef paid KCAL9 a visit Monday!

Chef Art Smith was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2008, when he weighed more than 325 pounds. Since then, he has lost 120 pounds through better eating and working out.

Smith also has a new cookbook, Healthy Comfort, which features 150 recipes with easy-to-follow directions.

Chef Smith will be signing copies of his cookbook on Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at LYFE Kitchen, 9540 Washington Blvd., in Culver City.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon:

Serves 4

20 medium brussels sprouts, cleaned
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD Cut the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Thinly slice them until you get to the chunky white core of the brussels sprout (about three-fourths of the way down), then discard the rest of the brussels sprout. Place the sliced brussels sprouts in a medium mixing bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, pine nuts, and pecorino Romano cheese. Mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry before serving.

ASSEMBLY Divide the brussels sprout salad among 4 bowls and topwith freshly ground black pepper.

Per serving: 250 calories  22 g fat  4 g sat fat  8 mg chol  151 mg sodium  10 g carb  3 g sugar  4 g fiber  7 g protein  132 mg calcium

Watermelon and Feta with Lime and Serrano Chili Peppers

Believe it or not, watermelon and feta make a great pairing. Toss in some hot chili peppers and cilantro and you have a salad to delight everyone who tries it. Buy seedless watermelon for this-you won't be disappointed when you try it!

Serves 8

3 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into large dice (about 6 cups)
2 serrano chili peppers, seeded and minced
Juice of 1 lime
½ cup low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup cilantro leaves

METHOD Place the watermelon in a large mixing bowl. Add the minced serrano chili pepper and lime juice to the bowl and toss gently until combined. Sprinkle with the feta and cilantro leaves and toss once more to incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per serving: 54 calories  1 g fat  1 g sat fat  3 mg chol  119 mg sodium  9 g carb  7 g sugar  1 g fiber  3 g protein  34 mg calcium

Unfried Chicken with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

With tongue in cheek, I call this chicken "unfried." That's because I am well known for fried chicken, which may be the crown jewel of southern cooking but is a dish I avoid these days. I like unfried chicken just as much. The chicken is soaked in tangy buttermilk and then coated with flavorful breading, just like fried chicken. The difference is that it's baked. This dish was on the menu at LYFE Kitchen. I first prepared it when Oprah's movie Beloved opened. One of the many lessons I learned from Oprah is to offer people a choice at meals, and one of those choices should be a healthy one. To this day I honor that lesson in my home and my restaurants.

Serves 4

For the chicken:
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce or another hot sauce
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
1½ cups multigrain or whole wheat panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika

For the brussels sprouts:
16 brussels sprouts, cut in half
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish:
1 lemon, quartered

METHOD To prepare the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400˚F. In a mixing bowl, mix the buttermilk and hot sauce. Submerge the chicken pieces in the buttermilk and soak in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour but no more than 24 hours.

In a gallon-size plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, black pepper, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Seal the bag and shake until well mixed. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and transfer directly to the bag with the bread crumb mixture. Shake the bag until the chicken breasts are evenly coated with the bread crumbs. Remove the chicken breasts from the bag and lay flat on a nonstick baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Bake the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes or until just cooked through.

To prepare the brussels sprouts: Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place brussels sprouts in a medium mixing bowl, toss with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the brussels sprouts in a medium ovenproof baking dish and roast for 20 minutes or until caramelized and tender.

ASSEMBLY Divide the chicken and brussels sprouts among 4 serving plates, and squeeze the lemon over the chicken.

Per serving: 427 calories  12 g fat  3 g sat fat  79 mg chol  349 mg sodium  45 g carb  6 g sugar  9 g fiber  40 g protein  185 mg calcium

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