Out of the Recipe Box

Cold Summer Salad: A Taste of Tex-Mex

2012-08-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

During the long, hot summer I occasionally buy a Costco rotisserie chicken and break it down for cool summer meals such as chicken salad, sandwiches or tostadas. I'd been thinking of giving a Tex-Mex chicken salad another try but still hadn't found the "right" dressing. We were out at Chuy's, one of our go-to Tex-Mex restaurants, when I found my inspiration. Chuy's has what looks like a creamy light green salsa (which I thought was sour cream-based like other restaurants') that I discovered is actually their jalapeno ranch dressing. They simply add canned jalapenos and cilantro to store-bought ranch dressing (we asked!). I don't care for pickled (canned) jalapenos (and the dressing was very salty) but the liquid thinned the dressing nicely. I was now ready to give Tex-Mex chicken salad another try!

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad, a tasty mixture of flavors and textures.

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

For Salad:

Cooked chicken, skin and fat removed (I used 14 ounces)
Cooked pinto (or black, kidney, etc.) beans, rinsed and drained (I used 1/2 cup)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 ears (or equivalent of frozen kernels) of cooked corn, kernels removed
Red, green, orange, yellow bell peppers, cut into a large dice (I used 3 small)
Lettuce for your base (iceberg, romaine, etc.)
A handful of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

A colorful combination of ingredients waiting for a little kick of seasoning.

For Seasoning Mix:

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Dash of hot paprika or cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (adjust salt if using garlic salt)

I combined the spices together before adding it (a teaspoon at a time) to the salad ingredients.

Easy Jalapeno Ranch Dressing:

Ranch dressing ( I used 2 servings of Bolthouse Farms yogurt ranch)
1-2 teaspoons freshly grated jalapeno
Palm full of fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Juice of one key lime (1-2 teaspoons lime juice)

I enjoy the light, fresh flavor of this dressing for dipping veggies or on a wedge salad.

Putting It Together:

Cook or grill corn, cut off kernels and place in a small bowl to cool; cover and chill in frig until ready to assemble salad. Remember to weigh if counting carbs or Points. Dice red onion (looks colorful but any sweet onion will do); add to salad bowl. I find raw onion to be a bit too harsh so I tempered the onion flavor by soaking the diced pieces in a bowl of ice water while I prepared the remaining ingredients.

Mellowing the onion pieces in ice water.

Rinse, trim and dice the peppers; add to the salad bowl. I had red, orange and yellow from my big Costco bag but use any combination you prefer. A red, green and orange would have been my first choice but not what was on hand. Rinse and drain the canned plain pinto (or other) beans; add to salad bowl. For a non-meat salad just add more beans and some cheese. Remove bones, skin and fat from cooked chicken, cut into large chunks and add to salad bowl. Don't forget to weigh the chicken if you're counting Points. I was able to find nutritional information on-line for Costco rotisserie chicken with the skin removed and it is in sync with WW's Complete Food Companion Guide.

This little wipe-off board inside my spice cupboard is a very handy way to keep track of ingredients.

Combine the dry spices in a small bowl, stir to combine and set aside. Next time I might add a bit of smoked paprika or chipotle seasoning. Drain the onions and add them and the cooled corn to the rest of the ingredients in the salad bowl. If using frozen corn just add it to the bowl first to give the kernels time to thaw. Gently stir to combine and sprinkle on a teaspoon or two of the pre-mixed seasoning; stir again and taste. Add and stir a bit more until you are happy with the seasoning level - I did not use all I had made. Stir in rough-chopped cilantro; cover and chill until ready to serve.

Measure out your home-made or favorite store-bought ranch dressing - I used 4 tablespoons of Bolthouse yogurt ranch for the entire salad (4 PPs). Target is where I first found the Bolthouse yogurt ranch. Add a teaspoon (or two) of grated (micro plane works best) or very, very finely chopped fresh jalapeno and about two to three tablespoons (measured before chopping) of cilantro leaves that you have chopped very, very finely. Add lime juice and stir well, refrigerate before serving. If I had been making a larger quantity of dressing I would have used my Cuisinart. I don't like a lot of dressing but if you use more, just add more jalapeno and cilantro to taste and adjust the PPs value.

When ready to serve, place each salad serving on a bed of lettuce (your choice) and drizzle with the jalapeno ranch dressing. Separate additional toppings of jalapeno, tomato, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, etc. allow diners to customize their salad without adding PPs to yours. Though next time I am going to have a small serving of old-school yellow corn chips (think Frito's and Frito pie!) on the side!

An array of additional toppings allows diners to customize the salad table side.

My husband and I both loved this salad! The crunchy vegetables (especially that yummy sweet crunch from the corn); the creamy, dense beans; and moist, spicy chicken topped with the cold, spiked ranch dressing was a flavor and texture delight! Leftover beef or pork, or using all beans for a meatless meal would all work well, too.

Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder valued the entire recipe as made above to be 26 Points Plus (and it's loaded with Power Foods, too!). The recipe made 6 generous 1 cup-servings (excluding the lettuce) valued at 4 PPs each (including jalapeno ranch dressing and the lettuce) - what a small price for a delicious dish. I know I will be making this one a few more times this summer and it is joining my permanent recipe rotation. I hope you'll give this cool summer treat a try, too!

Double Ginger Cookies

2012-08-06T13:29:00.002-05:00

Ginger cookies are my husband's favorite flavor when it comes to cookies whether snaps, marranitos (gingerbread pigs), molasses crinkles, piparkakut (pepper cookies) or Aunt Sally's. Over our many years together cookies have been a handy food to have on hand when it came to treating his low blood sugar episodes (good old milk and cookies). But all that white flour and sugar (not to mention molasses!) packed too much of a sugar high. I had already begun replacing part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour in much of my baking so I decided to do the same for his ginger cookies and while I was at it thought I might as well cut out some of that sugar, too - half of it!

A Face Book friend had posted photos of her delicious looking ginger cookies and she passed on her recipe so between her recipe and my Better Homes cookbook I had a good base to start with. The original recipe was, of course, delicious but I immediately decided to replace some shortening with butter because we love the buttery taste in pepper cookies; so one bad fat for a worse fat (all butter would change the texture too much, though). My husband's sweet tooth is not as sweet as mine so I knew he would not miss the sugar (the man only uses half of a Splenda in his 16 ounce latte!) but he does loves ginger so I was going to do a double punch with ground ginger along with candied ginger and replace some of the cinnamon with garam masala (a warm blend of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper and coriander). After plenty of trial and error test runs, we are both pretty pleased with the final result.

Ground ginger and candied ginger make these double good!

Double Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Crisco or other shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (or egg substitute equivalent though the Points value may not be affected)
1/2 cup dark molasses
30 grams candied ginger, diced (3 Points worth)
1/4 cup Turbinado (raw) sugar

Putting It Together:

In a medium bowl whisk together the first eight dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid - this is a stiff dough) beat Crisco and softened butter on low for a minute or so. Add white and brown sugars, beating until well combined; scrape down sides as needed. Beat in eggs and molasses (spray your measuring cup with cooking spray right before measuring the molasses) until combined. Add the flour mixture, about a third at a time to help prevent "blow out" and mix until incorporated. A hand mixer may bog down and you may have to finish stirring in the remaining flour. Lastly add the chopped candied ginger, to prevent it from breaking down too much.

I'm now able to find Bob's Red Mill at most of my regular grocery stores.

The key to even baking and dividing up the recipe into Points Plus values is a uniform cookie size so I use a cookie scoop. I use a medium sized one that is 1-1/4 inch across; if you go smaller or bigger you will need to adjust the baking time and the PPs value. I get approximately the same number of cookies with this recipe (65 to 70) and the PPs remains the same in that range.

Arrange oven racks so that one is near the top and one nearer the bottom; preheat to 350 degrees F. Scoop and shape the balls, dip one side into the turbinado sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. I like the raw sugar for the look and the big crunch but I only press the top into the sugar - I am trying to cut back, after all. If you use regular white granulated you will need to measure before and after rolling to determine how much additional sugar was used and the PPs value of it - you may be surprised. I've used the turbinado sugar so many times that I know 1/4 cup is pretty accurate for me.

Crunchy, rustic turbinado sugar is pressed only on the top.

Bake 2 cookie sheets at a time for 9-12 minutes; halfway through baking time rotate baking sheets, also changing top of oven sheet with bottom of oven sheet for more even baking. While the first 2 sheets are baking, roll and prepare the remaining dough and place on foil or additional cookie sheets. Using the 1-1/2 inch scoop my cookies usually take 11 minutes to bake. The tops should look puffed and lightly browned. Overbaking will produce a drier, cakier cookie. Cookies are soft right out of the oven so either let them set a minute on the sheet or use extra care when transferring cookies to a cooling rack (I actually use a clean paper bag which I've torn open just as my mom used to do. Whole Foods double bags so I always have a supply of clean brown bags.)

An average-sized cookie for 2 Points with a nice texture and a bit of a bite.

The total Points Plus value for the recipe as made above is 138 according to Recipe Builder. I usually end up with 65- 70 cookies which would give each a PPs value of 2 Points. According to Recipe Builder a range of 56 to 92 cookies from this recipe would still equal 2 Points per cookie; less than 55 cookies would make each cookie 3 PP and 93 or more cookies would make the value of a cookie drop to 1 Point. Just count up the number of cookies you make and you can estimate the PP value. Since I am counting both Points and carbs I aim for the same total amount of cookies so that I know the carbs per cookie is 12-14 for my husband and 2 points for me, a win-win for both of us.

More Pudding, Please...

2012-08-04T15:01:00.000-05:00

I love pudding! Whether chocolate, vanilla or banana, this simple fare is one of my favorite dessert categories. And I do not consider the stuff that comes in plastic cups as pudding. (Seriously, I challenge you to eat brown -chocolate?- and white -vanilla?- blindfolded and see if you can taste any real difference!) My mom often made "just" pudding when she didn't want to fuss with making a pie shell for a cream pie. It wasn't until I made banana pudding myself that I understood that the banana flavor came only from the sliced bananas!

For the first 20 years or so of making pudding I used the same technique as my mom which entailed cooking the milk mixture and tempering the egg (or yolks). A decade or more ago I switched to a streamlined version that starts milk and egg out together and more recently, I've also tried to streamline the fat and calories, too. Of course the original with more butter and egg yolks tastes the best but I am willing to compromise in order to enjoy pudding without breaking my Points Plus bank. If you are a Jell-O pudding person, well, you've probably stopped reading already!

Vanilla pudding with summer berries.

Vanilla Pudding

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (or an egg - add an extra PP)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Putting it Together:

In your saucepan whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together Egg Beaters and milk (if using an egg, beat it until there are no clumps of white -those turn into bits of cooked egg white in your pudding). Set out butter and vanilla.

I use a coated whisk to stir the pudding in my non-stick saucepan.

Pour about a 1/4 cup of the milk-egg mixture into the combined dry ingredients and whisk out any lumps. When smooth, whisk in the remaining mixture and place over medium-high heat. Stir/whisk constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles which usually takes me about 10-15 minutes.

Thickening and and ready to come to a boil.

You can tell the pudding is getting close to done when you tilt your pan and see that the bottom looks coated - keep up the stirring! Turn down the heat and cook for one minute after it comes to the boil - and beware of pudding explosions!

Butter and vanilla go in once the pudding is done and off the heat.

Add butter and vanilla, stir to combine. Pour into dessert bowls over sliced bananas or fruit, if desired. I chose to pour the cooked pudding into one large bowl so that I could have berries one night and bananas another. I knew the berries would release juices and I did not want the pudding to get watery. To keep a pudding "skin" from forming press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding's surface.


Plastic wrap pressed on the surface right after cooking prevents pudding "skin" from forming.

Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder estimated a total of 15 Plus Points for the entire recipe. Divided into 5 approximately 1/2 cup servings would give each serving a PP value of 3; divided into 7 approximately 1/3 cups servings (which was plenty over the berries) would be a value of 2 PP each. If you are not concerned with counting Points I would recommend not using fat free milk, I would use a whole egg or two yolks and double the butter. But for me this recipe is a compromise I can live with and enjoy.

Banana pudding, a family favorite.

Chicken Little, Asian Style

2012-08-02T13:35:00.005-05:00

No, the sky is not falling, I'm just referring to the low Points Plus cost of chicken, especially boneless skinless chicken breasts. Chicken breasts can be low on the flavor scale but that is also what makes them so versatile - their ability to take on so many flavor profiles. This chicken's profile is Asian (perhaps more American-Asian), simple teriyaki marinated grilled chicken strips served with teriyaki-marinated grilled vegetables over jasmine rice.

This old favorite that was inspired by the delicious teriyaki take-out we enjoyed while living in the Seattle area over 20 years ago. Recently I lightened the marinade up a bit by cutting back on the soy and sugar, upping the ginger and adding a touch of heat - and it tastes even better. Now, if you've ever tried bottled teriyaki sauce/marinade, once you make this simple recipe you will find that stuff a pale and poor substitute! I hope you take this challenge and give this recipe a try and please let me know what you think.

Teriyaki chicken skewers and grilled veggies over jasmine rice.

Teriyaki Marinade

Ingredients:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce (I used lower sodium)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons of sherry (I use Dry Sack because it's what I have in my frig. A decent bottle of Spanish sherry - do not buy American! - is usually around $10. A common one that is good for this recipe is an amontillado. Sherry keeps well and I use it in stir-fry recipes, trifle, tiramisu - and you can drink it, of course! It is often drunk before dinner to stimulate the appetite.)
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1-2 inches peeled fresh ginger, finely minced (about 2-3 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce

Putting It Together:

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive container and stir until sugar is dissolved. The sherry is key to this recipe and I cannot think of a possible substitute. If you use fresh ginger infrequently keep it in the freezer in a Ziplock bag. When you need some just peel a bit, then grate or slice off coins while still frozen and pop it back in the freezer. The recipe makes about 1-1/4 cups of marinade, enough for 2-4 boneless chicken breasts. Since I usually use only two breasts, I pour off about 1/3-1/2 cup into a second bowl and reserve it in the frig for marinated grilled vegetables.

For best tasting results I do not recommend using whole (boneless or bone-in) breasts. I've found that thinner strips rather than chunks of chicken make for a more intense flavor since the marinade doesn't penetrate the interior of the meat. I cut each breast in half then halve each half. The chicken is best when marinated overnight (24 hours) in the frig. Skewer the meat before grilling.

Time to push the chicken into it's tasty bath.

Make certain to dunk and move the chicken around to immerse it in the marinade. The next morning flip the pieces over, dunk and immerse again. You'll see that the bottom sides (which are now the top) have darkened. If you plan on marinating and grilling vegetables cut them into large pieces, place them in a Ziplock bag or tightly fitting plastic container. With this marinade I like bell peppers, sweet onion or green onion, asparagus, thinly sliced carrot, green beans and/or broccoli.

A rainbow of veggies for grilling.

Whatever vegetables you choose think about cooking time as you cut them. The carrots are cut very thinly since they are the hardest veggie. The peppers, asparagus and onion are approximately the same size as they'll cook at about the same rate. Broccoli florets cook faster than stem pieces so it would be a good idea to make the florets a bit bigger and cut the stems like the carrots. No, you can't see the broccoli - I went with asparagus this time (that big Costco bag!) but broccoli is so yummy with in this marinade.

Flip the sealed container back and forth occasionally to redistribute the marinade.

Pour the reserved marinade over the vegetables, seal the container (or bag, if you trust them) and flip back and forth several times to mix up the veg and disperse the marinade. Do this a few times during the day. Marinate in the frig for 5-6 hours.

Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes prior to grilling.

About 30 minutes before you're ready to grill soak the wooden skewers in water. I'm not a fan of metal skewers. As the skewers get hot from the grill heat the meat can loosen around the skewer (even more true for veggies) and slide around or off, plus the skewers are just too large to place in the "right" hot or cool place on my grill. I've always heard that soaking the skewers for 30 minutes stops them from burning. It would be more accurate to say stop them from burning more as they do burn. My main reason for soaking them is that the chicken releases better from the wood once cooked. Thread the marinated chicken strips on the soaked skewers and place on a wire rack for a few minutes before grilling. Make certain to oil or spray the chicken and the grill before cooking.

Ready to spritz with cooking spray.

If you do not have a grill basket you have a couple options that have worked for me in the past. If the vegetables are cut in large enough pieces, they may be placed directly on the grill grate; you have more control but it's a fussy and hot job. Skewering the vegetables after marinating works well, too. Keep in mind that harder vegetables such as carrots may not cook as well when cut into large pieces without blanching or par-cooking them first. A grilling screen can be inexpensive and is placed directly atop your grill grates. But a grill basket is my favorite method and I have been through several different types. My current stainless steel one from William Sonoma is my favorite. At the end of the summer Bed Bath and Beyond and many other stores put them on sale or clearance.

Grilled vegetables are so delicious!

Whatever your method make certain to spray or oil the grill grates, grill basket or screen. If the chicken is sliced thinly it will finish cooking before the veg. No problem, just let it rest off the heat while the veggies finish. Of the veg I used, the onion took the most time. Broccoli would have taken the least. Shift the finished veg to the coolest spot and the more raw to the hotter.

The veggies can also be sauteed inside. Instead of marinating the veg, just add the marinade towards the end of cooking time. If you stir a teaspoon or two of cornstarch into the cold marinade before adding it to the pan you will have veggies in a sauce.

The marinade can cause the chicken to stick a bit even on an oiled grill. If you use a grill spatula and scrape under the chicken when it is time to flip them you lessen the chances of leaving the pretty outside on the grate!

This yummy chicken-on-a-stick would also make great appetizers.

These thin strips of chicken cook quickly, just 5-7 minutes on the grill at a temperature between 350-400. This marinade is also great with boneless pork and beef.

The entire marinade recipe totaled a value of 9 Points Plus on Weight Watcher's recipe Builder. After measuring before and after amounts of marinade I am comfortable adding an extra PP to my chicken and an extra PP to my veggies. What type and amount of vegetables and protein you use will determine your PP value but I think you could enjoy a delicious meal of chicken, veggies and rice for around 10-12 PPs.

One Potato, New Potato...

2012-07-31T22:28:00.000-05:00

My husband loves sweet potatoes but I just don't care for them, especially their thready, fiber-y texture. He suggests them frequently...very frequently. He also loves squash which I disliked until I tried spaghetti squash (after much coaxing from my dear husband). So since the squash worked out so well I decided to give sweet potatoes a try - but with great reservation.

At a past (long past - takes me a while to try new things) Weight Watcher meeting another member had mentioned sweet potato chips (and I had loved those fried sweet potato chips at a Mexican restaurant) so I decided to give them a shot. Well, several shots, as it turned out. The first few times I used my cheese slicer to cut the thin slices, my go-to-technique for thin potato and cucumber rounds. I soon discovered that sweet potatoes are much harder - literally! The baking temperature and time is tricky - one minute they look beautiful then next minute they're burned. But one thing I did learn from that very first try is that they taste great! To me they are much better tasting than store-bought baked dried potato chips plus they have the added nutritional bonus of beta-carotene and vitamin A. They had me at better tasting...

Sweet potato chips, seriously addicting!

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes, scrubbed (I used 2 medium, about 13 raw ounces)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)
A large, heavy baking sheet
A large wire cooling rack
Salt and pepper

Putting It Together:

Scrub the sweet potatoes well but do not peel. Using a knife or mandoline type slicer, cut the sweet potatoes into thin slices; not paper thin but about a sixteenth of an inch thick. I had a very crowded baking sheet with two average sweet potatoes; for more chips use two racks and sheets.

Such a time saver!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Dump the slices into a large bowl, drizzle them with 2 teaspoons of olive oil (or spray them with olive oil cooking spray) and sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. Toss with your fingers to distribute spices. Sprinkle on another 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss again.

Using a wire rack is key to baking the chips.

Lay the slices in a single layer (trying to minimize overlapping as much as possible) on a wire rack (1 large or two small placed side by side) placed atop a large, heavy baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle on additional salt if needed. The wire rack makes a huge difference in baking and in the final product - I wish I had thought of it a few tries back! On the rack the chips don't stick, there's no need to attempt turning them over, they cook more evenly and the clean up is much easier, too. After putting in the sheet(s) turn down the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 10-18 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. After 10 minutes of cooking time, check them every few minutes - they brown very quickly after a certain point. Remove from oven when crisped to your satisfaction. The darker brown ones may not look as pretty but they still taste great.

Lots of shrinkage! 13 ounces of raw potato became approximately 3-1/2 ounces of baked chips.

A total of 13 ounces of raw sweet potato with 2 ounces of olive oil was valued at 9 Points Plus on Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder. Using only cooking spray with the 13 ounces made the total go down to 7 PP. Dividing the recipe into 3 one-ounce (a bit more, actually) servings would make each serving either 2 or 3 PP. For someone who didn't like sweet potatoes of any kind, I now find them addicting and delicious!


Sweet potato chips make burger night even better.

Steak, Potatoes and a Green Salad - the Saturday Night Special...

2012-07-22T16:14:00.002-05:00

I have not been on my kale kick for very long and a kale salad was my very first post. I was so excited about finding a new-to-me vegetable, one I could see just by looking at it's beautiful dark green leaves that it was going to be good for me (AKA a "healthy" choice). That excitement and the desire to share my "discovery" with other Weight Watchers is what started my little blog. When I eat a kale salad I feel a sense of well-being (no kidding!) and I picture little green Pac Man nutrients racing through my body - crazy, I know! And since I have to work at chewing a kale salad that makes me feel that I am eating a real vegetable, not just "salad."

This time around I wanted to use vegetables in the kale salad and no fruit, something that was hearty and substantial with the sirloin I was going to grill. I choose red peppers (bought that bag of 6 at Costco!), carrot, cucumber and onion, things I would typically use in a "regular" green salad. Steak (a lean, marinated piece of sirloin), salad (hearty kale and veggies in a no-oil dressing), and potatoes (skin-on oven fries) - a classic combination for a Saturday summer night's dinner!

The Saturday Night Special: steak, potatoes and a green salad.

Kale-Veggie Salad

Ingredients:

Bunch of kale (Lacinato or curly), rinsed with ribs removed
A carrot
A cucumber
A red sweet pepper
Half a small sweet onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

Putting It Together:

In a small bowl, stir together red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon salt until sugar/salt dissolve. Cut onion half into large 1/2-1inch sized pieces and add to vinegar mixture; set aside.

Onion pieces are mellowing in the vinegar/dressing mixture.

While the onions mellow out, prepare the rest of the vegetables. Rinse the kale leaves and pull out the ribs. Stack up the leaves and cut into thins strips; place in a large serving bowl.

Those ribs are tough and woody and I can't imagine even eating them cooked!

Pour the vinegar mixture over the cut kale, holding back the onion pieces; toss the cut kale, sprinkle over a teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Cut the carrot, cucumber and pepper and add to the reserved onion pieces. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt, toss together vegetables.

A rainbow such as this just has to be good for you!

Add the vegetables to the kale-vinegar mixture and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate several hours before serving; this resting time is necessary to soften the kale and remove some of its bitterness. Pull out the salad once or twice to toss and redistribute the dressing.

A hearty salad with a tangy vinegar sweet-sour bite.

     Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder came up with a total of 9 Points Plus for this kale salad recipe. All the salad ingredients are "free" so why the Points? Think serving size - a Weight Watcher vegetable serving is one half cup and "free" foods are to be eaten in moderation. The volume of the kale does deflate as it marinates but I would estimate the recipe easily makes 9-1/2 cup servings and that gives each serving a value of 1 Point Plus. I choose to count my serving(s) as "free" and you, dear eater, may chose for yourself.
     I usually give myself a noon deadline on preparing this salad so I know it has several hours to mellow before dinner. The steak prep is dependent upon the cut of steak I am using. I prefer to give a flank steak or London broil the whole afternoon (or morning and afternoon) but the boneless top sirloin I used in this post was not a tough cut of meat in comparison, so I was shooting for 4-5 hours of marination time.
     The flavor of this simple marinade is all-American beef-on-the-grill yummy. It's common pantry-frig ingredients just bring out the best in beef flavor and is a snap to put together. Before I was "gifted" with a Cuisinart, I just chopped and mixed by hand so don't let the lack of a food processor stop you - it just makes prep faster.

Simply Steak Marinade

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vinegar (red wine or apple cider are my favorites)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 medium sweet onion, rough chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup ketchup
Small handful of flat leaf parsley leaves

Putting It Together:

Into the bowl of a food processor, add first 8 ingredients and pulse until blended but left with some texture. If preparing by hand, finely chop onion and garlic, roughly chop parley and combine with the remaining ingredients in marinating container.

Marinades enhance the flavor of and tenderize leaner cuts of beef, a win-win for WWs!

After pulsing to combine, add the ketchup and flat leaf (Italian) parsley. Pulse a few times to combine. I've found the onion and garlic chop better without the thick ketchup in the first go-around but you may not have that issue. The parley is added last so that it isn't obliterated.


Just a couple of pulses and it's ready to fulfill it's flavor destiny!

Trim your steak of fat and any "silver skin". I find it so much easier to see and remove the extraneous fat before the meat is cooked and I appreciate knocking off a Point or two on my serving(s) by trimming. If you are not concerned about fat, well, you're a fortunate so-and-so! Pour the marinade over the steak in a non-reactive container, turn over, making certain to surround the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 or more hours, depending on the cut of the meat.

Turn the meat over and dunk it around to cover it completely with the marinade.

Remove the meat from the marinade 20-30 minutes before putting it on the grill. The meat will warm up a bit before it hits the smokin' hot grill (less stickage) and have a chance to dry off a bit (also helps with browning and stickage). I like to put meat to be grilled on a wire rack and scrape off the marinade - you can also pat it with a paper towel.

I trimmed off slabs of fat and ended up with 2 pieces...but also less Points.

Before grilling, spray both sides with cooking spray and add a sprinkle of salt to each side. Always oil your grill grates, too. Cooking time depends on the size of the steak and the rareness preference. But always let your meat rest before slicing or eating (whatever type, from burgers to chicken) or you'll see the juices on your plate and not in your food and you'll be left eating a dry piece of steak, chicken, pork or burger, wondering what you did wrong. This is a lesson that has made me a much better griller.

Beef! It's what's for dinner.

The last component of the Saturday Night Special are the potatoes, oven fries in this case. The earlier prepping of the salad and steak make the prep time for the fries seem like, well, small potatoes. I usually start the potatoes when I take the marinated steak out of the frig. While it's coming to room temp there's time to prep the fries, the grill, etc.
The recipe's technique is from Middle-Eastern Style Potatoes (in an earlier post), just with bigger potatoes! In the past, whenever I made oven fries they would either be soft but not have much color, so I'd leave them in longer or use a hotter oven, and then they would brown but be dry inside. So if the brown-steam-oven technique works for cubed I was hoping it would work for fries - and it did, beautifully.

Oven Fries

Ingredients:

Scrubbed potatoes (my 2 russets equaled 20 ounces raw)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Seasoning mix: 1/4 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper plus a dash of cayenne
Olive oil cooking spray

Putting It Together:

Scrub and cut potatoes into fries (too thin and they'll be too fragile to manipulate without breaking); pat dry. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet that has a tightly fitting lid. Add potatoes, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let brown over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Turn over fries and let them brown on other sides for 4-5 more minutes.

I found some beautiful new bakers with thin, flaky skins - so delicious!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a heavy baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. After the potatoes have browned for the total 8-10 minutes, add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan and quickly cover. Turn the heat down to low and let the fries steam for about 4-5 minutes. Remove lid, let any remaining water evaporate, season with salt and pepper or a mix of seasoning for more zip. Turn fries gently to coat and carefully pour onto prepared baking sheet.
If you need more time to pull your meal together, bake the potatoes at 375 for 20 or more minutes, checking on them to make certain they don't over-brown or dry out. If you need less time, opt for 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Just don't forget to monitor their progress. I often start out at 400 and turn the oven down when I put them in. My convection does a great job but does cook faster. I don't turn the fries - I'd rather not risk breaking them!

Just a few more minutes to perfection!

As a diner and Weight Watcher I love this recipe for it's flavor and low Points Plus value. As a cook I love this recipe for it's ease of preparation and it's downtime that allows me time out at the grill - what a winning combination. Weight Watchers Recipe Builder's total came out as 13 points Plus (using 20 ounces of raw potato). This came out to be five servings of approximately 3 ounces each, 3 Plus Points per serving.

The Saturday - or any day - Night Special!

This hearty meal was very satisfying and not a Points budget buster. Three ounces of trimmed, cooked sirloin weighs in at 3 Points (untrimmed would have been 5 Points Plus!) and I'm not spending any Points for the marinade (see my Chipotle Pork Post!). The salad is a Point per serving (for some of us) and the oven fries are 3 Plus Points per serving. I had 5 ounces of steak (5 PP), a cup of salad (2 PP - really?), and 6 ounces of fries (6 PP) for a total of 13 Plus Points (or 11 PP without counting the salad). A less ravenous person eating a single serving of each would have used only 7 Plus Points. Regardless of Point values, this is a dinner full of flavor that anyone would enjoy, any day of the week!

More Green for Me: Kale Ginger-Berry Salad

2012-07-14T23:52:00.003-05:00

If you've read one of my earliest posts, "A New Dark Leafy Green for Me...", you already know of my new love of kale, especially when paired with fruit and citrus. I just never tire of that orange-apple-cumin kale slaw. The change of season has also changed the availability of some key ingredients for my beloved kale slaw. Oranges are not a summer fruit and those available are not very tasty. The same can be said for the apples - just pretty ho hum until the new fall crop comes in. It was time to try something new.

The citrus is an important element since the acidic juice helps to soften the somewhat tough kale leaves. I chose to substitute a lemon for the orange since I usually have some in the frig (they're so versatile) and used strawberries for the apple, since I had those on hand, too. Those two flavors are great together - I usually add lemon zest to a simple yellow cake recipe when I make strawberry shortcake. Last weekend I passed on the cake part and served fresh strawberries that had been macerated in lemon juice, lemon zest and Splenda and they were scrumptious!

I now needed to find a flavor that added a punch like the cumin did in the original version - cumin was just too earthy for the summery marriage of lemon and strawberry. Then, on my kitchen counter, I saw the container of candied fresh ginger I had bought for cookie-making and there was my answer! This new version which I call Kale Ginger-Berry Salad is beautiful to look at, has a slightly sweet citrus tang, juicy bites of summer strawberry and a heat/warmth from the fresh grated and the candied gingers. It's perfect for summer and I hope you'll try it for yourself!

Another dark leafy green for me, Kale Ginger-Berry Salad.

Kale Ginger-Berry Salad

Ingredients:

Fresh strawberries, rinsed and halved
A bunch of kale; rinsed, de-ribbed and cut into thin strips
A lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 teaspoon of zest and 2-3 tablespoons of juice)
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or ground ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Half an ounce of candied fresh ginger, chopped finely

Keep ginger root in your freezer, peel then grate frozen, as needed.

Look for candied fresh ginger in your store's produce, baking or bulk foods sections.

Putting It Together:

Rinse the individual leaves of kale; fold each leaf over onto itself (like a Valentine), grip the two sides and rip away from the woody spine and set aside. Stack the de-ribbed pieces on a cutting board and cut into thin strips; place in a large serving bowl (I estimated 5 cups of cut, packed kale). Sprinkle over 1/4 teaspoon salt, the fresh lemon zest and half of the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Using your hands, toss and massage the kale strips and set aside.

Time to massage in the salt and lemon.

Rinse and de-hull the strawberries; halve or thickly slice the berries and set aside. I had about 1-1/2 cups of halved/sliced berries. In a small bowl combine the remaining half of the lemon juice, grated fresh ginger, coriander, Dijon mustard, pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper and the honey; whisk to combine. Add the sliced strawberries and chopped candied fresh ginger to the massaged kale, pour over dressing and gently toss to combine. Check and correct the flavor if necessary - may need more sweet or sour or heat. Refrigerate salad for a minimum of three hours to allow kale to continue to soften, flavors to mellow, strawberries to macerate.

The candied ginger really adds some zing to this salad. The kale is already beginning to darken and soften.

Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder totaled 10 Points Plus for this recipe when made as described above. That would make each of 5 servings 2 Points Plus. The fresh grated and candied ginger do add a punch of heat which I love, but if you are new to using ginger I suggest starting with less, tasting and adding more if needed.

My husband and I agree, the Kale Ginger-Berry salad is our new favorite!

Cold Summer Supper: Tuna Pasta Salad

2012-07-14T16:55:00.000-05:00

It has been a very rainy July so far and I really needed a break from grilling in the rain! I decided to make an old favorite, a cold tuna pasta salad. In the past I cooked about 6 ounces of pasta for the salad and baked fresh-fruit muffins for extra carbohydrates for my husband, but this summer I needed to cut out some of those carbs.
Again, my husband gave me his target range which I combined with my Points Plus value range and came up with 3 ounces of uncooked pasta shells (which with my brand was 63 total carbohydrates). That is not much pasta so I needed to bulk the dish up with more vegetables than my usual celery, onion, sweet pickle and a bit of bell pepper. If a little bell pepper is good, more should be even better - and it was!

The shots of colorful veggies throughout the dish are visually appealing and the crunch is very satisfying - a winning combination. Some delicious fresh fruit replaced the muffins and added a sweet and juicy compliment. We Weight Watchers are able to enjoy fresh fruit for "free" but fresh fruit comes with a low price tag for everyone; an ounce of fresh melon, watermelon, pineapple or strawberries is only 2 carbs - so indulge and enjoy summer's colorful bounty!

Crisp vegetables, tender pasta shells and canned tuna in a tangy dressing.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

3 ounces uncooked medium shell pasta (cook until al dente and hold in ice water)
A 12-ounce can of chunk-style water packed tuna, well drained
6 tablespoons Light Miracle Whip (my preference)
1 generous teaspoon Sriracha
Bread and Butter Pickle Chips, chopped (6 chips)
A small red onion, sliced into thin crescents
Half a red pepper, sliced into thin crescents
Half a green pepper, sliced into thin crescents
Half an orange or yellow pepper, sliced into thin crescents
2 ribs of celery, cut on the diagonal into thin slices

For eye-appeal cut your raw veggies into approximately the same size and shape, whether sliced or diced.

Putting It Together:

Put your pasta water on (a covered pot heats faster than uncovered) - don't forget to salt it. Measure out your pasta and have it at hand. F.Y.I: This recipe could easily handle twice as much pasta. Do not overcook the pasta since it softens a bit as it mellows in the frig - overcooked pasta will get even mealier in the refrigerator! Rinse the cooked pasta and hold it in a bowl or pot of ice water until you're ready to assemble the salad.

Rinse, trim and cut your vegetables in a similar size and shape for better eye appeal; place in a large serving bowl. After all, it is said that we eat with our eyes first. I've found that raw onion can be a bit too harsh (even red Vidalia), so to mellow the flavor, place the cut raw pieces in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. Just drain the onion pieces onto a paper towel before adding them to the other veg.

A healthy balance of ingredients, all ready to combine.

Cut and add the pickle chips (I love the sweet-sour tang with the heat from the sriracha), the well-drained pasta, the drained tuna (averages about 8 ounces after drained), the light Miracle Whip (or your choice of mayo, yogurt, etc.), sriracha and a little salt and black pepper to the bowl. Stir gently to combine, check your seasoning and heat, adjust if necessary. I like to spoon the pasta salad onto old-school crispy iceberg lettuce - reminds me of tuna salad sandwiches!

A summer's bounty of Power Foods!

Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder estimated a value of 21 Plus Points for the entire recipe (made as written above). The recipe made 5 cups of pasta salad, each 1-cup serving equaling 4 Plus Points. With the lettuce base and side of fresh fruit with this Pasta Tuna Salad, there's no worry about fulfilling daily fruit/veggie Power Food guidelines!

Still Crazy for Cumin: Moorish-Style Pork

2012-07-13T18:10:00.001-05:00

A couple summers ago my sister shared a recipe with me, Pork in the Style of the Moors, and this dish soon became a favorite. I do not know her source of the recipe but it's provenance is southern Spain, a mixture of Moorish spices and Christian pork. It is quick and easy to put together and is loaded with one of my favorite spices - cumin!

This summer I realized I hadn't been making Pork in the Style of the Moors (seriously, that's how my husband and I refer to it - what a mouthful!) as frequently and wondered why it had fallen out of favor. Flavor was the answer, I realized. I had been making 2 pork tenderloins at a time and switched to using a single one and the spices were now too heavy tasting. I altered the recipe, halving some of the spices and cutting back on the marinating time, and this Moorish-Style Pork is back in the summer grilling rotation!

I have also taken some other liberties with this recipe - firstly, shortening the name! Secondly, the original recipe called for toasting then grinding whole cumin seeds which I did the first time (and no disrespect to serious cooks) but this just didn't make a huge flavor difference to me. I use a very dark and earthy cumin (and more pricey) and I go through it quickly. I also skipped the saffron called for in the recipe but what you don't know you will not miss!

Lastly (I think...), I did not cut the pork tenderloin into small cubes and skewer the meat. Well, I did that technique the first several times but realized the timing on the grill was too short and fussy for me (and I hate overdone pork) so I chose to cut the tenderloin into large chunks (5 or 6) before marinating. Without the skewers I'm also able to move the largest chunks to the hot spots or move the thinner "tail" to a cooler spot which makes for more even cooking results. For pork cooking guidelines please check out my Chipotle Pork post. Middle Eastern-Style Potatoes or Cauli-Couscous are great carb sides with this pork entree and the Pepper Salad is a perfect veggie side, I think.

Moorish-Style Pork

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 & 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon pressed or minced garlic cloves, about 4-6 cloves
1 tablespoon chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
A pork tenderloin trimmed of fat and silver skin, cut into 4-6 large chunks

Oil, garlic, lemon juice and pressed garlic are added to the combined dried spices.

Putting It Together:

Mix together dried spices in a non-reactive bowl. Add olive oil, pressed garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice and chopped parley and stir together well. Dump in the pieces of pork tenderloin and using your hands, rub the mixture into and all around the meat. Cover the bowl and let rest in the refrigerator a minimum of three hours or overnight.

Cover and let meat marinate for three hours to overnight in the refrigerator.

Half an hour before grilling time, remove the meat from the refrigerator. Cold meat and a hot grill can lead to some serious sticking! I like to lay marinated meat on a cooling rack so that I can push off the extra marinade and/or pieces of the marinade that may burn and add a bitter flavor to the meat. Then spritz both sides with olive oil cooking spray and using a very light hand, sprinkle with salt and pepper and it's ready for the grill.

Push off extra marinade, spritz with cooking spray, a very light touch of salt & pepper and it's grill time!

Trimmed pork tenderloin is a Weight Watcher friendly protein choice. A 2-ounce serving of trimmed and cooked tenderloin is 2 Points, a 3-ounce serving is 3 Points. The above marinade adds negligible extra Points if the pound of pork is divided into 4 or more servings.

Moorish-Style Pork, Cauli-Couscous and grilled peppers and onion.

Middle Eastern-Style Potatoes

2012-07-11T14:29:00.000-05:00

My mom made the best fried potatoes and I, for many years, lamented that I never learned her secret. I would end up burning them on the outside while trying to get them soft on the inside. Until, that is, I learned Melissa d'Arabian's technique while watching one of the earlier shows of her series, "$10 Dinners." For you non-Food Network viewers, Melissa won "The Next Food Network Star" a few seasons back. She was the contestant I was rooting for, a mom and home cook, with lots of tips and budget stretchers. Her recipe for crispy potatoes http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/perfect-crispy-potatoes-recipe/index.html combined frying to brown and steaming to finish the cooking, plus a little oven time for a final crisping. This technique works like a charm every time.
I had made Melissa's crispy potatoes and was thrilled with how delicious and easy they were. Then fate stepped in and my husband and I tried a new local Middle Eastern restaurant, Fadi's, one evening. In their cafeteria style buffet line was a tray of cubed, browned potatoes but with a delicious twist; an addition of garlic, lemon juice and cilantro. We were hooked! After a try or two at home (following Melissa's technique but without all that oil) mine were even better than Fadi's and are now a favorite dinner side. Whether you try them "plain" as fried potatoes for breakfast tacos or an old-school dinner accompaniment, or with my Middle Eastern flavor additions, I think you'll love the result!

Middle Eastern-Style Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound of thin-skinned potatoes, I use Yukon Golds (I prefer not to peel them)
2 teaspoons olive or cooking oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon butter
1 small garlic clove, pressed or minced finely
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cooking spray

Putting It Together:

Scrub potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes, pat dry with paper towel. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet (which has a tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat; add potatoes and sprinkle over 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt. Let the potatoes brown for a couple of minutes before stirring and rearranging, repeat this process until they've browned a bit on most sides.

Give the potatoes a couple minutes on each side to brown them; they'll finish browning in the oven.

When you are satisfied with the color (usually takes 5-10 minutes) add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the skillet and quickly put on the lid. Turn the heat down to low and let the potatoes steam for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a heavy baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

The steam bath gives the potato cubes that creamy interior.

After 5 minutes check the potatoes for doneness, they should be softened but not completely cooked and the water completely evaporated. Pour the potatoes out onto the sprayed baking sheet (single layer is best) and bake in the preheated oven for 10-25 minutes. Cooking time varies since the potatoes are nearly done before they go into the oven; it becomes a matter of taste and just how brown and crispy you prefer your potatoes.
While the potatoes are in the oven, place the teaspoon of butter and pressed or minced garlic clove in the warm potato skillet. Cook on low for a couple of minutes to mellow the raw garlic flavor. For a milder flavor use a smashed clove, allow it to steep in the butter on low and remove it before adding back the cooked potatoes. Wash and ready your lemon and chop the cilantro; set aside.


Tilt your knife to shave away the leaves (whether cilantro or parsley) from the stems.

Just a few additions make a delicious change to the flavor profile of these potatoes.

At this point they're yummy plain potatoes for breakfast or dinner or ready for those Middle-Eastern flavors!

When the potatoes have crisped and browned to your liking, pour them back into the skillet (off the heat) containing the butter and garlic. I appreciate the oven babysitting the potatoes while I'm out at the grill - just don't let them get overdone or they'll be dry and not moist and creamy inside. Sprinkle over lemon juice, 1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and chopped cilantro; toss to combine. Taste and check the seasoning, correct if necessary; serve and enjoy!

Middle-Eastern Style Potatoes are a great side with Lemon-Dijon grilled salmon.

Using a pound of raw potatoes, Recipe Builder estimated a total of 12 Points for the entire recipe as written above. Dividing the recipe into 4 servings makes each serving 3 Plus Points. F.Y.I: The Lemon-Dijon marinated salmon was delicious with these lemon-scented potatoes!

Confetti Corn

2012-07-10T20:19:00.000-05:00

Confetti Corn, a mixture of corn, peppers, onion and bacon.

My husband and I both love corn on the cob and it has been a frequent carbohydrate accompaniment to grilled everything! The only downside to corn on the cob is calculating the amount of carbohydrate in an ear. After a dinner with corn on the cob my husband would typically end up with a low blood sugar from estimating incorrectly - the guidelines were just too ambiguous.
Since we didn't want to give up fresh summer corn but were willing to forgo the cob, I started cooking up vegetable sautes with corn-off-the-cob, onion, peppers, zucchini and summer squash. By cutting the kernels off the cob and weighing them before cooking I could give my husband a much accurate carb count and bulking up the corn with more veggies was good for both of us. The corn-vegetable combos were great but our all-time favorite is corn, peppers, onion and bacon because as you all know, bacon makes everything better! And because this dish is so colorful it has to be called Confetti Corn.

Confetti Corn

Ingredients:

Two ears of fresh corn on the cob (yellow, white or bi-color), removed from cob
A sweet onion,diced
A green bell pepper, diced
A red bell pepper, diced
Two slices of lean bacon, diced finely
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder

Putting It Together:

Prep and cut all the vegetables. Add bacon to a cold skillet, turn heat to medium-low and stir and cook until most of the fat has been rendered and bacon is browned.

Pour off the fat, turn up the heat to medium and add the diced onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until onion begins to soften. Add the corn, diced peppers, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, the cumin and chili powder and continue to cook until peppers and corn kernels are just slightly soft.

Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover skillet tightly with lid and turn down the heat. Allow veggies to steam for just a minute or two, check veggies for doneness and adjust the seasoning, if needed. The peppers will lose their bright colors if steamed or held too long. Frozen corn is a great alternative.

My husband is using a corn zipper.

Pretty colorful!

The Recipe Builder estimated 13 points when using 10 ounces of corn off the cob (2 ears average 7-10 ounces) for the entire recipe or 4 servings, 3 Points each.

Confetti Corn makes a great side for summer grilling.

Say Cheese! Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower

2012-07-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

My husband's new endocrinologist has suggested my spouse eat less carbohydrates and more protein, low-carb veggies and fats. Needless to say, my guy has had no problems snacking on nuts and cheese, lots of nuts and cheese. Though I, too, am cutting down on carbohydrates I still want to enjoy some, especially with my summer grilling. My post for Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes was a result of these new dietary guidelines, some carbs (potatoes) but lots of vegetables (a crown of broccoli) along with the Powderhorn Potatoes (spaghetti squash). I had also tried to do a macaroni and cheese with cauliflower but it was not very good...the first time. So I tried again and this time we loved it! I chose cauliflower as a pasta stand-in since it is so mild tasting but broccoli could certainly be substituted - you will lose the camouflage factor though. Hope you give it a try!

Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower with crispy Panko topping

Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower

Ingredients:

A generous pound of cauliflower, sliced and cut into approximately one-inch pieces
3 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
2 teaspoons butter
A large shallot or half a medium onion, minced
A clove of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
2 teaspoons light butter, divided
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup fat-free milk
1 ounce shredded very sharp cheddar cheese (I used white, hence the pale color)
1/2 teaspoon White Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning (I used Target's Archer Farms)
1 teaspoon ground yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup Ian's Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon each of garlic and onion powders
Pinch of cayenne or hot paprika

Putting it Together:

Melt 1 teaspoon light butter (I use light LO'L to save Points) in 8-10 inch skillet; add Panko, garlic and onion powders, pinch of cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for just a few minutes or until golden brown. If you are not going to bake your finished dish in the oven, let the crumbs get nice and toasty brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe out pan to re-use.

Put on water for pasta - don't forget to salt it. When the water comes to a boil add the orecchiette and cook until al dente. Rinse and reserve but don't hold for an extended amount of time. Rinse and trim cauliflower (I used half of a huge head, about a pound). Cut the head through in slices about one inch apart, lay down the sections and cut them into 1-inch cubes/pieces. I placed the cauliflower in a Ziplock Zip N Steam (BPA-free) microwave bag, all ready to zap when the sauce is nearly done. You may steam the cauliflower but whatever your method do not overcook - should be crisp-tender.

Melt the 2 teaspoons butter and 1 teaspoon light butter in skillet, add minced onion/shallot and lightly smashed whole garlic clove. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook until onion/shallot is softened. Remove garlic clove. Sprinkle mixture with flour, paprika and dry mustard; stir well and cook for a couple of minutes, pressing out lumps. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly; mixture will thicken in just a few minutes. Stir in cheese and cheese powder. I saw the popcorn seasoning (I had bought it for microwave air popped) when I pulled out my crushed red pepper and thought, "Hmmm..." I did not want to use more Points for more cheese so I tasted the seasoning and there you go - a little seemed to intensify the cheesiness just enough. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary.

For more sauce tips, check out previous Posts

Combine the al dente orecchiette (this ear-shaped pasta has a great texture and was much better suited than the fiber-plus elbows in my original attempt) and steamed cauliflower in a large bowl, pour sauce over and gently stir. You may keep dish warm, covered on the stove top (sprinkle on browned Panko just before serving) - or spray baking dish with cooking spray, spoon in mixture, top with Panko and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 5-20 minutes, checking to make sure crumb topping does not burn.

Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower, a very satisfying side!

This recipe made approximately 4 cups, or 8 generous 1/2 cup servings. The recipe totaled 23 Points as per WW Recipe Builder or 3 Points per 1/2 cup serving.

Lemon-Dijon Salmon with Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

2012-06-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

Lemon-Dijon Salmon with Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

I have become even more of a fan of salmon since I discovered that wild-caught salmon saves me a Point or two over farm-raised, plus I like the less fatty texture of wild-caught much more than farm-raised Atlantic salmon. A 6-ounce cooked filet of farm-raised salmon is 9 Points, compared to 7 Points for a cooked 5-1/2 ounce wild-caught piece of salmon. Whatever your preference I think you, too, will enjoy this quick and easy recipe for salmon. The marinade is scaled-down from Ina Garten's Salad Niçoise recipe and though I use it for salmon, it would be tasty on most any fish.

Now for a side... I have tried several frozen Weight Watcher's entrees over the years and one that I have enjoyed for a quick lunch is the cheese-broccoli potato entree. Tastes change and I now find the orange-colored cheese sauce a bit too Cheez Whiz-y but I still long for the tasty combination of potato, broccoli and cheddar. I often make cheese mashed or scalloped potatoes with salmon and ham for some reason and I like broccoli with cheese-y potatoes (who doesn't?) so I thought I'd put them together like my old WW favorite! The result was a real treat and one I know I'll make again and again, especially with salmon or ham.
The recipe as I made it (with 11.5 ounces of raw Yukons) totaled 26 Points in Recipe Builder, which I divided into 4 generous 1-cup servings at 6 Points per serving. I usually start my cooking with a specific carb total in mind - my husband said he'd like 6-8 ounces of raw potato, I'd like 3-5 ounces, so I weighed the different potatoes and choose 2 that would fit the bill. You non-Point/carb counting folks don't have to be so specific.

Lemon-Dijon Marinated Salmon

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon melted butter
Zest of half a lemon (about a teaspoon)
Juice of half a lemon
A garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound of salmon filet, cut into serving-sized pieces

Putting it Together:

After marinating for 5-10 minutes the salmon is ready for oven or grill.

Whisk together the marinade in a small bowl. I omit the butter if using farm-raised salmon since it's so fatty. Line a heavy baking sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil, lay the pieces of fish close together and pour/spread over the marinade. Let fish sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking but no longer as the acid may "cook" the fish (think ceviche).

Preheat the oven or outdoor grill to 425-450 while the fish is marinating. Before cooking I move the fish pieces apart to speed cooking time. The filet may be left whole for cooking but I prefer cutting it into servings so the cooking time is shortened. A one-pound piece cut into 2-3 servings takes about 10 minutes of cooking time; I rotate the baking sheet after 5 minutes.

I like to leave the skin behind, whether on the grill or baking sheet.

Fish flakes easily and is lighter pink and opaque when done but with a little darker pink in the center. To remove from the baking sheet I use a fish spatula, slide it between the skin and gray fat and leave the skin behind on the tinfoil. I have also cooked the fish directly on the grill but the fat often flares up and leaves it with an unappealing scorch mark look and flavor (especially the Atlantic farm-raised).

The marinade recipe above was sufficient for a pound of salmon (skin on), just double for 2 pounds of fish.

Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons butter
1 large shallot, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large whole garlic clove, peeled
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons half and half
2 ounces very sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I love Cougar Gold, a sharp white cheddar)
1 head broccoli, cut into about 1-inch pieces, steamed until crisp-tender (I use a microwave steamer bag)
1 teaspoon olive oil
12-16 ounces thin-skinned potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
Cooking Spray (Optional)

Putting It Together:

Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet; add shallot, crushed red pepper, salt and whole garlic clove and saute until shallot is softened. Sprinkle flour over and stir for a minute or two. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. After a minute or two stir in half and half and cheese, stir until melted; add pepper and more salt to taste. I poured the sauce into a metal bowl, covered it with foil and set it aside so that I could rinse the skillet and use it for the potatoes.

Potatoes have been browned, then steamed 'til tender.

Scrub potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces; add to 1 teaspoon of olive oil in heated skillet and cook until browned. The potatoes brown more easily if you don't move them around constantly. When lightly browned, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the potatoes, cover with tight-fitting lid, turn heat down from medium-high to low and let cook/steam for 5 minutes. If the potatoes are not tender, stir, add more water, recover and check again in another 5 minutes. Repeat, if necessary.

While potatoes are cooking, rinse and chop a crown of broccoli using tender part of stems and florets; steam until crisp-tender and set aside. I use Ziplock Zip 'n Steam Bags which are BPA-free but should not be re-used.

Time to add the reserved cheese sauce to the cooked potatoes and steamed broccoli.

When potatoes are tender, add steamed broccoli and pour over cheese sauce but remove the whole garlic clove! Stir to combine. I poured the mixture into a baking dish which had been sprayed with olive oil Pam and baked it uncovered for 5-10 minutes at 425 degrees while I cooked the fish outside on the grill. If you opt not to bake, just cover and keep warm over very low heat, taking care not to burn the mixture.

I used11.5 ounces raw, skin-on potatoes but the sauce mixture would be sufficient for a pound of potatoes with the large broccoli crown.

Powderhorn "Potatoes" - AKA Twice-Cooked Spaghetti Squash

2012-05-28T23:11:00.000-05:00

I was searching my recipe files for a tasty carb side-dish (preferably low carb) to accompany grilled flank steak when I came across an old favorite, Powderhorn Potatoes. Steak and cheesy potatoes - what could be better? My neighbor from 20 plus years and 4 moves ago had shared her recipe with me and my family and I have enjoyed it countless times over the years. Though delicious, it was definitely not low carb or low fat and has not been in my current Weight Watcher-friendly repertoire. I didn't have the baked and chilled potatoes to shred anyway... But I did have a nice spaghetti squash and if I was happy to pretend it was pasta, maybe shredded potatoes wouldn't be too much of a stretch. I'm here to report that the "pretend" Powderhorn Potatoes were delicious!

Cheesy twice-baked spaghetti squash stands in for shredded potatoes.

Powderhorn "Potatoes"

Ingredients:

A medium sized spaghetti squash (microwaved til tender)*
2 tablespoons light butter (I use Land O'Lakes)
A medium onion, finely diced
A clove of garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (white or yellow)
Cooking spray

Crumb Topping (Optional)

Seasoned, browned Panko breadcrumbs.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in saute pan (I wiped out the squash pan and re-used it). Add 2 tablespoons Ian's panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon each garlic salt and onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, a dash of cayenne. Stir over medium-low heat until lightly browned then set aside. Sprinkle toasted crumbs over squash during last 5 minutes of baking.

Putting It Together:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat; add onion, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; saute until onion is softened. Turn off heat and add cooked squash, sour cream and grated cheese. Stir to combine then spoon into baking dish which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly golden brown. Sprinkle crumb mixture over for last 5 minutes, if desired.

Adding cooked squash, sour cream and sharp white cheddar cheese to the cooked onion mixture - smelled like the real deal!

I got 4 cups of cooked squash from my medium-sized spaghetti squash but the total cooked recipe amount was less than 4 cups. I think more water/volume was lost as the squash baked.

This recipe came in at a total of 20 Points Plus, including the crumb topping (18 Points without it) on recipe Builder. It yielded 6 generous half-cup servings at 3 Points Plus per serving. The crumb topping does not change the individual serving total. If you are a twice-baked or au gratin potato fan, this recipe will not disappoint!

*See Pasta Pretender Post for microwaving instructions

More Veggies, Please! 3 Cold Cucumber Salads

2012-05-10T16:07:00.003-05:00

Growing up in a Finnish-American family in Minnesota I ate lots of pickled cucumber salad, doncha know. For you non-Nordic folk that would be thinly sliced cucumbers in vinegar-water with sugar, salt and pepper; chopped parsley or dill optional. I've been making this simple salad for over thirty years but it's been only these last few years that I've realized other cultures have similar versions with their own unique additions.

My husband has been the spur in my side (and sometimes a pain elsewhere), urging me to try new foods over the years, including Persian fare at a local restaurant. When I finally gave in, I found many dishes I enjoyed, including another version of the cucumber salad to add to my repertoire. Shirazi salad adds tomatoes to the mix, replaces lemon or lime juice as the acid and mint for the dill or parsley. I went looking on-line for more versions of this simple salad and that's when I stumbled upon Smitten Kitchen's Mediterranean Pepper Salad, a delicious combination that added peppers to the veggie mix. Click here to check out the delicious original pepper salad at Smitten Kitchen. By the way there's a new Smitten Kitchen cookbook coming out soon!

You may recall that Smitten Kitchen is responsible for my love of ratatouille. This new-found love has in turn, led me to include peppers, eggplant, zucchini and yellow summer squash in a variety of new ways and recipes for which I am eternally grateful! You Weight Watchers can appreciate the idea of new no/low Point recipes and the added health benefits of more veggies! I hope that you'll try these three versions of cold great-for-summer salads and find one that you'll enjoy and make your own.

#1 Pickled Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1-2 English cucumber or 2-3 medium cucumbers (thinner equals smaller seeds)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill, optional

Putting it Together:

Stir together above ingredients except for cucumbers and parsley; stir to dissolve sugar and salt; set aside. If your cukes are waxed you should definitely peel them but if they're not you may want to make them a bit more decorative. A Swedish friend taught me to drag a fork down the length of the cuke (rotate and drag til the cucumber is scored all around) before slicing. Another option is to lightly peel down the length (rotate and continue all around) and make green and white stripes; both add a pretty touch. Slice your cucumbers into thin coins, add them to the pickling water, stir and refrigerate (best if refrigerated for a few hours). Sprinkle on chopped parsley or dill before serving.

When using 2 English cucumbers, Recipe Builder came up with a total of 6 Points. Knowing from experience (and from my marinade experiment!) that most of the pickling solution (with the sugar) is leftover and not consumed I'm choosing to count this as 0 Points.

#2 Shirazi Salad

Ingredients:

1-2 English cucumbers or 2-3 regular cucumbers (follow suggestions from previous recipe)
2 medium tomatoes, cut into a a large dice (up to an inch)
1 small sweet or red onion, cut into very thin strips
Fresh lime juice, about 2-3 tablespoons
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 ground blacker pepper
1 -2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (could substitute parsley or mint)

Putting it Together:

When I've eaten this at a restaurant, all the veg have been cut into a very small uniform dice, about 1/4 inch. I like larger-sized veg so I cut my cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and then those into 1/2-1 inch wedges. That's one of the things I like about this recipe - there's no wrong way to do it! If I have only one tomato and several cukes - or vice versa- no problem! What does work best is to chop and put your veg into a serving bowl; set aside while stirring together the juice and seasoning. Pour the lime juice mixture over the veg, stir, sprinkle on chopped cilantro and chill before serving.

Once again Recipe Builder came up with a recipe total of 6 Points. If your recipe was divided into 12 servings, each serving would count as 0 Points. With just the raw cucumbers, tomatoes and onion the total is 5 Points - go figure...

# 3 Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoons salt
Black pepper, freshly ground is best
1 English or 2 regular cucumbers
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
1 small red onion, diced into 1/2-1 inch pieces
2-3 bell peppers (a combination of green, red, yellow, orange - but all green is too harsh in my opinion)

Putting it Together:

Combine the first four ingredients, stir to dissolve sugar and salt, add diced red onion and set aside. Peel or score the cucumber(s) as in recipe #1 and cut into wedges as in recipe #2 and add to a large serving bowl. Cut the tomato(es) into 1/2-1 inch pieces and add to cucumbers. Cut the peppers into 1/2-1 inch pieces and add to bowl. As with the Shirazi Salad the ratio of tomato-cucumber-peppers is up to you, what's in season or what's in your garden! Sprinkle cut veg with salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss; pour over onion-vinegar mixture and toss again. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or as much time as you are able to allow. When peppers are abundant and I've made a large amount and have leftover salad, I've served it over raw spinach the next day - veggies and dressing in one!

If your guess is 6 Points for the recipe total you would be correct! According to Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder, this recipe would have to be divided into 13 servings to equal 0 Points per serving. With Weight watchers a serving of vegetable is one half cup. When cooking with fruits or vegetables I very rarely use a specific amount like 1 cup of diced tomato but rather a piece, such as one medium tomato, diced. I do think this is typical with these foods. In baking, measurements are precise. When cooking proteins it is simple to weigh them raw or cooked. If I put in specific measurements of vegetables in my recipes as opposed to a small or medium such-and-such, my Points totals on Recipe Builder could change. It just isn't that important to me when raw fruits and vegetables are considered 0 Points to begin with and the recipe serving totals are so small anyway. I have bigger battles to fight!

Pepper salad, sweet potato chips and a plain old grilled burger pocket.

The Pepper Salad as a side with my Empanada burgers and couscous is just delightful; the pungent vinegar brings out and enhances the spices and flavors of the other dishes - it amazes me! It is also a great accompaniment to tandoori-style chicken and pork kabobs marinated in cumin-garlic-lemon. The Shirazi Salad seems to end up next to grilled and marinated flank steak or London Broil for some reason. After serving Cucumber Salad with grilled teriyaki-style chicken for years I realized the pickled cabbage salad served at Asian restaurants is it's long-lost cousin. Any of these salads would make an easy side to go along with good old burgers and dogs, too. Whatever is on your menu, I hope you'll try -and enjoy! one of these cold salads with your next grilled dinner.

Grilled Satay-Style Chicken Breast with Thai Peanut-Sauced Veggie-Noodle Salad

2012-05-04T14:42:00.002-05:00

Grilled Satay-Style Chicken Breast with Thai Peanut-Sauced Noodle-Veggie Salad

Last summer (which in Houston could mean most months but December and January) I used a store-bought bottled peanut sauce several times for grilling chicken breasts and dressing a cold veggie-noodle salad - and I was pretty happy with the results. Naturally I doctored-up the sauce, so much so that I might as well have made it from scratch to begin with! But as I've mentioned I am slow to try new things and the gazillions of peanut sauce recipes on the internet were intimidating. But the hot weather is back so I went phishing (just kidding!) again and found a recipe with wonderful reviews, few ingredients and was a snap to make. Of course I had to change it - that's just how I roll... The recipe I used is from About.com. and this link will take you to it. I adjusted the recipe because I didn't have all the ingredients (I had grocery shopped for a different recipe), then when I tried the finished sauce I found it just a little bland for my taste. If you like Asian-style peanut sauce, a variety of vegetables and want an easy summer meal I hope you'll try one of these recipes and make it your own.

Thai Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (ground at the store or jarred)
1/3 cup water
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste (cayenne, chili garlic sauce or Tabasco are possible substitutes for chili and Sriracha - you just want some heat)
1/3 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Putting it Together:

Put everything in a food processor and pulse until blended - the natural peanut butter gives it a nice texture. I like lots of heat and the garlic, ginger, chili paste and Sriracha contribute to the heat factor so if you prefer less heat I would suggest starting out with a bit less of each of them - you can always add more. Just keep tasting until it's right for you.

This recipe made about 1-1/4 cups of sauce and weighed in at 30 Points on recipe Builder. I felt that 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) made for a reasonable individual serving so that's 10 servings at 3 points each. There is nothing "diet" about this sauce but being aware of the Points value and serving size will make it Weight Watcher-friendly, especially when paired with high-fiber noodles and loads of raw veggies.

Sauce-dressed veggies waiting for dinner

My veggie choices

I used a half of a green pepper, three quarters from a red, an orange and a yellow pepper (they were on sale and leftover from a salad), 2 smaller carrots, 2 stalks of celery, very thin slices of Texas sweet onion, and 2 large kale leaves cut into strips. Use what you think will be compatible and what's in your frig. I had asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli in the frig but they just didn't seem "right"; I could have added scallions, Napa cabbage, purple cabbage or pea pods if I'd had them (hindsight is 20/20).

I marinated 2 trimmed chicken breasts which had been cut into 4 somewhat equal strips in 2 servings of the peanut sauce (for about 5 hours) and not a discernible amount of sauce was actually "used." I don't do the thin satay-style strips on a skewer because they're so easy to overcook and they are dry. Before grilling I set the chicken atop a wire rack to drip and sprayed them with cooking spray before putting them on the hot grill. You other grillers know a drippy piece of meat is going to stick big-time!

I cut my veg (while the pasta water was heating up) and put some peanut sauce from the frig on top to "marry" the flavors. This salad could all be done ahead of time and I have done so, but the high fiber pasta I like just gets too softened so I do it on-demand when I'm able. I drained the cooked pasta (al dente) and put in it lots of ice and cold water so I can mind the chicken on the grill with no distractions. The chicken strips just take a few minutes (about 8 minutes) - I'd cut down each breast at an angle into 2 strips to even out the thickness (same concept for pounding out the breasts for baked chicken) so they cook quickly and don't dry out.

I have to be pretty accurate when counting carbs for my husband with Juvenile (Type I) Diabetes so he can then be accurate when he boluses insulin, so I usually measure our pasta servings into our bowls and then top with sauce, etc. - and it works for me, too. Our daughter has had Juvenile Diabetes since she was 4 years old so measuring foods has been a lifestyle chore/choice I've had to adopt (explains a lot, right?).

Pasta servings in their bowls tossed with sauce-dressed veggies, rested chicken on top and dinner is ready! Next time I won't forget the chopped cilantro sprinkle...

This was so delicious! The chicken was very moist and came in handy for sauce mop-up. The water from the pasta and veg made the sauce go further and all the crunching made it impossible for me to rush (we talked about slowing down when eating at this week's Weight Watcher meeting). My veggies were all raw (0 Points), a two-ounce serving of Smart Taste angel hair (5 Points), 5 ounces grilled chicken breast (5 Points) and 2 servings of peanut sauce (6 Points) makes a grand total of 16 Points. This is one of my higher Points dinners so I may use only half the sauce next time or replace the chicken with fresh Gulf shrimp (yum!) to knock off a few Points - but it was definitely a restaurant-quality meal but with no eater's remorse!

Spicing It Up... Chipotle Marinade

2012-05-02T21:48:00.002-05:00

I do the outdoor grilling in my house. During our first years of marriage I may have complained a little too often about my husband's grilling results: well-done (not as in a good job) and smokin' (as in, "Get out the fire extinguisher!"). Three decades later I have realized my mistake and it's too late...but he does prep and clean the grill so I can't complain.

Grilling and lighter cooking seem like natural partners when using lean proteins; lean proteins and marinades (or rubs) are another great partnership. But now I've entered the Weight Watcher "grey zone" - how to count a marinade? I asked my previous leader just that and I did not care for the answer, which was having to count the entire marinade amount. Many of my marinades are low Point (vinegars, herbs, Worcestershire, etc.) and some are not (honey, peanut butter, ketchup, etc.) but the idea of counting it all when most of the marinade goes down the disposal seemed ludicrous!

I have made an executive decision to measure the marinade before adding the protein and measure after marinating and removing the protein. The Chipotle Marinade in this post makes about 2 cups (11 Points as per the Recipe Builder) and as long as I'm consistent when following the recipe in future, I will already know the "before" amount when I make it again.
When I measured the remaining marinade after I removed the trimmed pork tenderloin (it was marinating in a big glass measuring bowl) it had gone down by approximately 1/3 cup. To simplify things I decided to divide the marinade recipe into six 1/3 cup servings, making each serving 2 Points. (Next time I make it with chicken pieces I may have more or less marinade left over so I'll adjust the serving size to simplify the math, is necessary.) I ate about a third of the marinated pork so adding a Point to my serving seemed adequate. Now I know not to sweat marinades that are made with low/zero Points foods and as for this Chipotle Marinade, I ended up with a delicious piece of pork which was well worth one extra Point. And my curiosity was satisfied along with my appetite.

Chipotle marinated pork tenderloin.

Chipotle Marinade

Ingredients:

1/2 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 chipotle en adobe with a spoonful of sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2-3 teaspoons paprika (I use half sweet/half hot)
1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tablespoons ketchup

2-3 tablespoons honey

Putting It Together:

A food processor makes it so easy!

Put ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse/blend until combined but with some texture. If you don't have a food processor chop onion, garlic, chipotles finely and combine with remaining ingredients. Taste to check spice level-sweetness; adjust if necessary. Pour marinade over meat in non-reactive bowl, refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When ready to grill, remove meat from marinade and place on a wire rack. To save myself some clean up I cover a cookie sheet with foil and place the rack on top - no pan to wash, just the rack. I push off most of the marinade bits and spray all sides of the meat with cooking spray
(I also spray the grill); now it's ready for the grill.

Drying off before grilling.

I came up with this marinade by adjusting my chipotle barbecue recipe which I came up with by adding chipotle (and a few other extras/substitutions) to my mom's barbecue sauce recipe. I wanted something that tasted like barbecue sauce but was lighter and this fit the bill for me. BTW I'm using "barbecue" like a Minnesotan, not a Texan! I love this marinade for pork tenderloin and boneless-skinless or bone-in chicken breasts or thighs. I do cut my tenderloin (they're usually about a pound so one could marinate several in this marinade amount) into 3-4 wedges so that the meat is more flavored and cooks quickly and evenly.

Guidelines for cooking pork have changed over the years - the other white meat doesn't have to be overcooked and dry. For information about cooking pork check here. Overcooking any meat can be a problem when grilling and experience is the best teacher but in the meantime I've included a link for the "finger test." For a low-tech way to test for done-ness check here.

1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, More!

2012-04-29T22:25:00.002-05:00

Being a Weight Watcher member may have led to the diminishment of my potato serving size but my love of potatoes has remained constant. Mashed potatoes, cheese potatoes, roasted potatoes, grilled potatoes, fried potatoes - I love them all! Potatoes my be a staple for many of us but variety is the spice of life!
Today's offering is an oven-baked potato, Puffy Potato Rounds. They are easy to make, tasty and just a little different. Many of us Weight Watcher members opt for oven-"fried" potatoes to try to cut out the fat. One of the problems I often have when making oven fries is the "stick" factor - when I try to turn them over I end up leaving their nice brown bottoms on the pan (I think the potato's starch may be the culprit). The little bit of flour used in this recipe seems to help hold the seasoning on the potato, seal in the moisture and keep them from sticking. They're still a work in progress so any suggestions are appreciated!

Puffy Potato Rounds

Ingredients:

A pound of raw potato rounds.

A pound of smaller, thin-skinned potatoes such as red or yukon gold (I used 3 4-inch potatoes)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper (1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon each, to your taste)
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
A plastic bag for shaking
Olive oil cooking spray

Putting it Together:

Ready for the oven.

Preheat oven to 400 F (I used convection). Spray a heavy baking sheet (I used my two burner-sized non-stick griddle which is oven-safe) with cooking spray. Scrub the potatoes and slice into 1/4 -1/3 inch thick rounds; set aside. Combine flour and spices in sturdy plastic bag, shake to mix well. Place the potato rounds a handful at a time into the plastic bag and shake until lightly coated; remove and place on prepared sheet, trying not to overlap. Continue with remaining rounds. Spray rounds with cooking spray and bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (turning rounds over half way through) or until softened inside and golden brown outside. Serve immediately since like all oven-fried potatoes they wilt and soften when cool.

Weight Watchers Recipe Builder estimated a total of 9 Points for this recipe or 3 servings at 3 Points per serving. I had half of the flour-seasoning mixture left, enough to coat another pound of potatoes, I would estimate.

String Beans, Tomato and Bacon - oh, my!

2012-04-29T20:58:00.000-05:00

I am perfectly content to eat plain, steamed vegetables - and often do just that, but a little something extra can make a delicious difference. We all know that bacon makes everything better and just a Point's worth of the yummy stuff makes this green bean, onion, tomato veggie side dish saute a favorite. I make this side dish when good green beans are available but frozen green beans could be substituted and would not need to be pre-cooked. Rather than fresh tomatoes, diced canned tomatoes could be used. My husband loves this dish and I originally made it for him. I do not care for fresh tomatoes - it's that goop in the middle and seeds (so I scoop that out with my thumb before I chop) - and eating them with the beans, onions and bacon has helped me add a new food to my diet.

I must give props to Melissa D'Arabian and her Food Network Show, "$10 Dollar Dinners." Bacon was usually wasted at my house - we'd enjoy a few strips for a special breakfast and forget about the rest until too late. Melissa keeps her package of bacon in the freezer and cuts off frozen strips (lardons) when she needs a bit for a recipe. This method has worked like a charm for me though I usually make my lardons very thin or mince them - makes me feel like there's more! I'm not an experienced bacon-fryer but I have learned to cook the bacon bits low and slow. The lower heat helps to render the fat and the slow gets them nice and crispy. I dump them out (fat included) on folded paper towels (one serving is not much), and use the same pan for whatever comes next - veggies, potatoes, eggs, etc. I also use bacon that is labeled as low-fat (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one!) which is center-cut bacon. I use Kroger's Private Selection (1 point for 2 strips) center-cut. The package stated it had 7 total servings so I lightly scored the stack after opening but before freezing, marking the servings for future use. The nutritional info also posts the weight of a cooked serving and I've used that to double-check myself.

Obviously you'll not be able to fry up traditional strips once the bacon is frozen but for scrambled eggs or breakfast tacos I cook up lardons and sprinkle them in/on the eggs. I jazz up corn-potato chowder with a sprinkle of bacon for garnish (gets soggy in the soup); bacon adds a great flavor to braised beef stew or coq au vin; one serving along with some seasoning can turn a can of pinto beans into yummy "re-fried" beans. A little extra Point expense can elevate a dish to something special. I'm cooking for the rest of my life not just the right now (Weight Watchers is a life-style change, after all) and moderation, not deprivation, is my way.

String Beans With Tomato, Onion and Bacon

Ingredients:

String Beans with Tomato, Onion and Bacon

A pound of string beans (trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces)
A large or 2 small tomatoes (cut into 1/2 inch dice)
A medium sweet onion (cut into 1/2 inch dice)
2 strips of bacon (or amount equal to 1 Point)
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Putting it Together:

Start bacon in a cold pan.

Cut 2 strips of bacon into small pieces, place in cold medium-sized skillet and cook over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and bacon bits are crispy (this may take 10-15 minutes - if you're a slow chopper you may want to prep your veg before starting the bacon). While bacon is cooking, dice onion and set aside. Trim ends of beans and cut into 1-1/2 pieces and put in microwave steamer bag; set aside (You may use your preferred method and cook them until crisp- tender before it's time to add them to the skillet). Dice tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.
Dump bacon and fat onto folded paper towel, return pan to medium heat and add diced onion to pan, sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired; saute until onion is somewhat softened.

Just a little adds a lot of flavor.

These bags save me time and clean up.

While onion is cooking, microwave beans for 2 to 3 minutes on high or until just beginning to soften; empty into pan with onions, stirring over medium heat. At this point you may remove skillet from heat to catch up on the rest of your meal if needed, otherwise add diced tomatoes and some freshly ground pepper, cooking only for a few minutes (the tomatoes break down easily). Check your seasoning, correct if necessary; empty skillet into serving dish and top with crisped bacon.

My Recipe Builder registered a total of 6 Points for this recipe. Prepared as written it makes 4 generous servings. Dividing this recipe into 4, 5 or 6 servings makes for a cost of 1 Point per serving. If the bacon is omitted the Recipe Builder decreases the total Points to 5, keeping the serving at 1 Point.

Pasta Pretender...

2012-04-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

At my Weight Watcher meetings I've brought up the idea of substituting spaghetti squash for pasta a couple times. I heard this idea at a meeting about a year ago and thought, "Yeah, that'll happen - not!" I like to think I didn't snort in disgust out loud...

I'm slow to try new foods that I think (i.e. KNOW) I won't like - makes sense, right? And I DO NOT like squash. Period. It's a textural thing for me but luckily spaghetti squash has its own unique texture, a very mild flavor and is just slightly sweet. By the second eating I found I liked it and by the third time I loved it! It goes together with tomato-based foods (such as marinara or ratatouille) like they were made for each other.

Cooking spaghetti squash couldn't be easier as I found out on YouTube. Now I'm all for roasting vegetables to bring out their flavors and for my curried-ginger butternut squash soup (my husband's favorite) I roast the squash, but for this pasta pretender I want as little squash flavor as possible and I want it quickly, so I microwave it. After trying a few of the posts I saw, I'll share a conglomeration that is now my go-to method.

Spaghetti Squash Cooked in the Microwave

After washing your squash cut off the stem end. Using a small, sharp knife pierce the squash up, down and around about 8 times. Place the squash in a microwave-safe dish (I use a small Pyrex baking dish) and microwave about 5-8 minutes per pound. I turn over the squash after the first round of cooking. It is done when it feels soft under its "shell" when you press down - check on the opposite side, too. When I have a large squash I cook just half and put the other half in a Ziplock bag in the frig. I spray my baking dish with cooking spray, lay the squash half cut-side down, add a little water and microwave.

Easier than cooking pasta!

Slice the squash down the length and use a spoon to remove the seeds (it's so much easier now than when raw). Get out a fork and just drag from top to bottom to pull out the "spaghetti". I put a couple folded white paper towels in the bottom of a holding/serving bowl to absorb the water that is released but that's just my preference. The squash is very forgiving as it will stay hot (in or out of it's shell) for a good bit of time; it has a nice little crispiness when underdone and it doesn't seem possible to overcook.

Sauteed veggies in jarred marinara over squa-ghetti.

     I hope you aren't as slow as me when it comes to trying spaghetti squash - you're missing out on a very good thing! I would never mistake it for pasta but in several dishes I prefer it to pasta and I love the low Points and the idea of enjoying something that's good for me. I enjoy squa-ghetti with marinara and meatballs, with ratatouille and sauteed vegetables...Hopefully my list will be expanding and my waist will not!

A note to my fellow Weight Watcher Friends: Recipe Builder estimated 2 Points for a medium-sized spaghetti squash. Two servings are 1 Point per serving, three servings are 1 Point per, four servings are 1 Point per but 5 servings are 0 points per serving.

Eating Out at Home...

2012-04-25T22:31:00.001-05:00

     One of my favorite dishes and the only thing I've ever ordered at Carrabba's is the Pasta Carrabba. It is made up of a huge serving of their wonderful house-made fettucini with alfredo sauce, English peas and sauteed mushrooms along with a woodfire-grilled chicken breast. Even though I give my husband half of the pasta, get the sauce on the side and use just a few spoonfuls, and ask for the chicken "dry", it still tastes great. So great that I tried replicating it at home and eventually was happy with my end result...happy many, many times.
     But I felt that it needed a nutritional bump up so I decided to substitute steamed broccoli for the peas and mushrooms - and the result is my new favorite. Sauteed asparagus and red peppers are also wonderful and preceded the broccoli phase. I serve the alfredo sauce and vegetables over store-bought fresh pasta along with a grilled chicken breast or piece of beef and I must admit that I like it better than my inspiration...except for the pasta.
     Be forewarned that this is a small recipe for 3 servings and that they do not look like generous servings - but the few tablespoons I eat pack more flavor and satisfaction than the huge bowl of sauce that accompanied my Pasta Carrabba. I hope you'll think so, too.

Alfredo sauce over steamed broccoli and pasta with grilled chicken breast.

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

A medium shallot, minced very finely
A teaspoon of olive oil
A teaspoon of butter
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 cloves whole garlic, peeled and slightly smashed (you'll need to be able to pick them out)
4 teaspoons flour
1 cup fat-free milk
1/8 cup half and half
3/4 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (I use parmigiano reggiano)

Waiting until ready for the cheese.

Putting it together:

Heat the oil/butter and add shallot; sprinkle on salt and crushed red, toss in garlic cloves and saute over medium-low heat until softened. Sprinkle flour over mixture, stirring for a minute or two to cook out the raw taste of the flour. Slowly pour in combined milk/half and half, stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken slightly but take care not to overheat. At this point I often just turn off the heat to go grill my chicken, finish chopping veg, etc.

I love these bags!

When I am ready for the sauce I turn the heat back to medium-low, remove the garlic cloves, stir and add a tablespoon or 2 or 3 of pasta water (or hot tap water)

and stir in the 3/4 ounce grated cheese; taste and add salt if needed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape every yummy bit over vegetables and/or pasta.

Recipe Builder estimates 10 points for this sauce recipe (about 1 cup total), 3 Points for each of 3 servings.

My 5 oz. grilled chicken breast (4 Points), the cup of fresh pasta (5 Points), my steamed broccoli (0 Points) and my serving of alfredo (3 Points) totaled 12 Points. This 12 Point meal was carb heavy and I may cut down or cut out the pasta next time but I enjoyed it - almost as much as I enjoyed feeling no guilt!

A Switch-Up Update...

Grilled chicken breast over sauteed asparagus and red peppers with pasta and alfredo sauce.

My husband has been pestering me for asparagus and red pepper with the skinny alfredo sauce for months so I took pity on him. It had been months since we'd last had this combination and it was a very nice change. I simply sauteed the veggies inside but grilled (my husband's idea - next time...) veggies would be good, too. What combinations sound good to you?

Chicken Little...

2012-04-24T21:25:00.000-05:00

Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a Weight Watcher staple which I usually enjoy grilled. After much prompting from my husband (answering, "How about chicken parm?" whenever I asked for his dinner input) I decided to try to improve my oven "fried" chicken breasts. The simple recipe for crispy chicken breasts I came up with would never be mistaken for fried chicken breasts but are (at least to my mind) delicious and moist and a great accompaniment to pasta (or spaghetti squash) and marinara or with my Easy Ratatouille. The following recipe is for two breasts so just double or triple the crumb recipe as needed.

Crispy Baked Chicken Breasts

Crumb Coating Recipe:

1/4 cup Ian's Panko Breadcrumbs (or any Panko equaling 2 Points per 1/4 cup)
1/3 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (rubbed and crushed between your palms)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil (rubbed and crushed between your palms)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

In Addition:

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
1 tablespoon light butter, melted
1/4 cup part skim mozzarella (to equal 2 Points)
Cooking Spray
A meat mallet

Breast on right is flattened.

Putting it Together:

Preheat oven to 400 F; convection is fine. Combine the crumb ingredients in a large, flat-bottomed bowl or pie pan; set aside. Trim any visible fat from breasts and place a long piece of plastic wrap on a flat, washable cutting board. Place the breasts, side by side (leaving ample space between them) on top and fold over the plastic wrap to cover them. Using the flat end of a meat mallet gently pound the breasts on the thickest parts until they seem nearly a uniform thickness.

Don't forget to season the chicken!

Brush the breasts with the melted light butter, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and press buttered side onto crumb mixture, one breast at a time. Place crumb side down and repeat process on remaining sides.

Place on a baking sheet (with low sides) which has been sprayed with cooking spray, spritz the breasts lightly with the spray (I use olive oil cooking spray) and bake in a preheated 400 F oven for approximately 10-15 minutes; sprinkle with the mozzarella 3-4 minutes before done.

Recipe Builder has estimated 15 Points for the 2 chicken breasts (10 ounces raw chicken, total), making for a total of 7 Points per serving. In the above photo I served the chicken with a quick vegetable sautee and Barilla marinara sauce over spaghetti squash for 4 additional Points. It was a delicious and filling meal costing me 11 Points.

Poppin Fresh...

2012-04-24T18:22:00.002-05:00

Lemon Pepper Popover

I was trying to come up with a carb/starch to have with my Sole-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles recently and realized that I hadn't made popovers for months. When it comes to muffins or other quick breads I often end up with a less appealing version after my Point-lowering changes but not so with popovers - I get the unadulterated real deal for 3 points per popover! For those of you not familiar with these yummy poufs (crispy and light balloons with an egg batter interior), popovers have few ingredients, including not too much fat and no sugar - so they are an indulgence that won't break your Points bank. Keep in mind that there is a price to pay since they cannot be made ahead of time and they do not keep well.
This recipe (which is pretty basic) came to me some years back from a magazine in a waiting room and it has always turned out so I hope it works well for you, too. For plain popovers just omit the lemon zest and pepper.

Lemon Pepper Popovers (makes 6)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole milk (I used nonfat)
1/4 cup water (I used nonfat - LOL)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I use salted)
1 teaspoon butter or canola butter blend
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (preferably)

You will need a 6-cup popover pan or a heavy muffin pan

Putting it Together:

Preheat oven to 375 F with rack in lower third - I don't recommend using convection for this recipe and I know this from personal experience! Divide the teaspoon of butter between the 6 cups of the popover pan, let soften and use a brush to grease the cups; set aside.

Whisk together the milk, water, eggs and zest in a bowl (I use a spouted bowl to make it easier to pour batter into the pan), then whisk in melted tablespoon of butter. Add flour, salt, pepper and whisk until the batter is combined but still lumpy.

Pour batter into buttered popover cups (I give the batter a few stirs while pouring to keep the pepper and zest from settling), dividing as equally as possible; sprinkle tops with a bit of additional pepper.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until puffed and golden; remove from oven and cut a 1/2 inch long slit in the top of each popover and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

If you do not have a popover pan you can use a muffin pan. This recipe for 6 popovers would make 9 smaller muffin pan popovers. Bake about 30 minutes before cutting the slits.

The total in my Recipe Builder is 20 Points for 6 popovers, 3 Points per popover.

Gone Fishing...

2012-04-24T16:44:00.001-05:00

I am thankful to have a source for good, fresh fish at Central Market here in Houston and even more thankful for their knowledgeable fish mongers. I was deliberating waaay too long in front of the fish case (mourning the end of wild-caught salmon season) when my favorite fish guy came to the rescue - he suggested wrapping Dover sole around the asparagus he spotted in my cart. From his mouth to my kitchen and now I've got another low Points and delicious fish dish!

Sole-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Ingredients:

1 pound of Dover sole fillets, approximately the same size
A bunch of fresh asparagus (stalks on the thin side)
A medium onion
A large lemon
Dijon mustard, 2 to 3 teaspoons
1 tablespoon of light butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup water

I used a pound of sole for two people (with hearty appetites) but that amount could serve three - this recipe is a snap to bump up or down.

Putting it together:

Preheat the oven to 425 F, rack in the lower-middle. Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Zest lemon over same bowl - I used half for this recipe. Lightly juice the lemon and add 2-3 tablespoons of juice to the bowl. Whisk in the mustard and about 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.

Slice the lightly juiced lemon halves and onion into thin slices and place on the bottom of the baking dish which you have sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Pour over about 1/4 cup water and set aside.

Rinse and trim your asparagus (if you have thick stalks you may wish to zap them for a minute or 2 in a vegetable steamer bag in the microwave beforehand). Have the salt and pepper handy - if you mix a bit more than you need in a saucer you won't have to keep washing your fishy hands. Lay out a fillet, season it lightly with salt and pepper, place a few asparagus across the fillet at an angle and wrap it around and under and set the bundle atop the onion/lemon/water layer in the baking dish seam side down; continue with the rest. When you're finished, spoon the sauce over the bundles, cover tightly with foil (I use the non-stick kind) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes. Use caution when checking for doneness since the bundles are steaming-baking.

My Weight Watchers Recipe Builder came up with a total of 13 Points for the entire recipe. This would be approximately 6 ounces of cooked fish and 7 Points each if divided into 2 generous servings.

Eat Your Veggies, They're Good for You!

2012-03-17T21:15:00.002-05:00

Last year my Weight Watcher leader challenged my meeting to try a new vegetable. I'm all for more "free" or low Point foods so the search was on but I hesitated when I came across ratatouille. I had not been a fan of the brown mess I vaguely remembered but the pretty rainbow of veg I discovered on Smitten Kitchen was delightful! It was called "Ratatouille's Ratatouille" after the movie (which I, too, enjoyed - certainly a sign!) so I tried out the recipe and found that I now love ratatouille! So I made it again and again much to my husband's delight. Happy ending, right? Nope. I was weary of the laborious cutting and layering but still loving the dish so I came up with a simplified version (even if it may no longer be called "true" ratatouille) that wasn't as pretty but still tasted pretty darn good and I call it Easy Ratatouille.

Easy Ratatouille

Vegetable Ingredients

A Chinese eggplant (or small regular)
A zucchini
A yellow squash
A red, yellow or orange pepper
A green pepper
A box of baby portabella mushrooms*
Salt and pepper

Sauce Ingredients

Half an onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil mister or cooking spray
A splash of red wine/2 tablespoons (optional)

Putting it Together

Spray a 2 - 3 quart oven safe casserole dish with cooking spray (I use my old French white Corning ware). Add all the sauce ingredients, stir to combine and set aside. Heat oven to 400 F.

Clean the mushrooms, trim and slice then set aside in the frig. They will be sauteed and added to the ratatouille at the end*. Rinse and trim the ends off the long vegetables. The Chinese eggplant (I prefer Chinese over regular because they usually have fewer seeds) is the softest of the veg and cooks the fastest so quarter it the long way and slice all four long wedges into 1/4+ inch slices. Dump them into a large holding bowl. The zucchini and yellow squash are halved down the length and cut into 1/8-1/4 inch slices; add to the holding bowl. Wash and split the peppers, remove the seeds and membranes. Cut them into inch-wide strips and slice the strips into 1/8-1/4 inch slices; add to the holding bowl.

Sprinkle the veg in the holding bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, toss to mix and dump the veg into your sauced casserole. Push the veg down into the sauce but don't worry if you can't see the sauce - you will after the veg cook down a bit. Spritz the top with an olive oil mister or cooking spray (I love my WW oil mister). Spray a sheet of foil (or use easy release foil) with cooking spray (or use the lid if you have one), place sprayed side down and crimp to seal. Use a small knife to make about 6 steam slits across the foil; this seems to help siphon off all that moisture the veggies release. Place in a preheated oven for an hour. After an hour stir the mixture (you will be able to stir the veg into the sauce now) and return the covered dish to the oven, lower the temperature to 350F and cook for 30 - 45 minutes longer. Cooking time depends mainly on the amount of vegetables used.

Time to saute` the mushrooms*. Using a teaspoon of olive oil or a spray from an olive oil mister, heat the pan to medium, add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook to your preference. Remove pan from heat, cover to keep warm. Check the ratatouille, if the vegetables are cooked to your liking, stir in the mushrooms and you're ready to serve. But what will you serve it with? Now you'll see, dear eater, why I've been making ratatouille so frequently!

For a meatless meal I have served this recipe on fresh pasta with a sprinkling of Parmesan, just add a green salad - delicious! For a very low carb meal or side I substitute spaghetti squash for the pasta (I don't even like squash!) and this pairing brings out the best in each. Seriously. I used it instead of marinara for oven-baked chicken Parmesan - yummy! Fish, especially cod, goes so well with this ratatouille - think cod Veracruz! After cooking the fish separately I thought, "Duh!" and laid the seasoned cod pieces directly on top of the ratatouille under the tinfoil during the last bit of cooking time. The fish took about 10-15 minutes and it was an easy option. With the Houston heat approaching I thought I'd be going through ratatouille withdrawal...until I remembered my slow cooker - sounds like a match made in heaven.

A favorite pairing, baked cod and ratatouille.

A note to my fellow Weight Watchers: I plugged the Easy Ratatouille recipe into my Recipe Builder and it totaled 11 points (the teaspoon of olive oil and 1 oz. of red wine registering the only ingredient Points and when I looked up each vegetable in the "Complete Food Companion" they were all listed as 0 Points, cooked or raw.) So at 6 total servings that comes to 2 Points per serving; but once again I'll leave the math up to you.

Smitten Kitchen is a wonderful cooking blog and responsible for my new-found love of ratatouille and the inspiration for my Easy Ratatouille!