New Recipe: Greek Penne Pasta

This recipe sounded delicious to me when I came across it, and it turned out that it was. Also, I've reached the point with cooking where I can make a few modifications without worrying that I'm going to ruin the whole thing. The modifications I made this time turned out to be terrific. However, the WW points that I'm showing here are for the original recipe, and do not include my modifications (which I'm sure made the whole thing less healthy).

Greek Penne Pasta: Makes 4 servings; 10 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 12 oz uncooked penne
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2/3 oz pine nuts, about 2 tbsp [I used more than this]
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 pound tomatoes, plum [I used on-the-vine tomatoes instead of plum]
• 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled [I used feta, but regular goat cheese would be delicious too]
• 6 medium olives, black, pitted and chopped [I just used a small can, drained, of sliced black olives]
• [I also used about 8 oz of boneless, skinless chicken breast]

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions (without butter or oil), drain and set aside. If necessary, cover to keep warm.
2. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until oil sizzles. Add pine nuts and garlic. Cook and stir until pine nuts are golden brown, about 3 minutes. [I added the chicken with the pine nutes and sauteed until nearly cooked through before moving to the next step.]
3. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. [I also added the olives and some feta at this point instead of sprinkling them on at the end. This turned out to be a great idea--the sauce had a slight olive-y taste to it, which was great, and the feta was very nicely incorporated.]
4. Add spinach mixture to pasta and toss until combined. Serve pasta sprinkled with feta cheese and black olives. [Despite having added some feta earlier, we also sprinkled some on our plates. It was great.] Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

The verdict: YUM. The only annoying thing about this recipe was that I had a bunch of tiny tomatoes that all needed to be prepped. Everything else was super easy and quick, and it came out delicious. The chicken was a great way to up the lean protein in the dish, but it would be excellent vegetarian style, too. This was so good, we were totally fighting over the leftovers.

New Recipe: Mexican Beef over Polenta

After being stuck in a recipe rut for quite some time, I have finally started to branch out again, at least a little. So, hopefully I'll be posting here a tad more often in the future.

The first branch-out attempt was tonight, and it was quite successful. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to take photos.

Mexican Beef over Polenta: Makes 6 servings; 5 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat) [I used ground turkey instead.]
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles, drained, reserve 1 Tbsp of liquid
• 1 cup canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels [I just used a can of corn, drained. It may have been a bit more than a cup but it didn't feel like too much at all.]
• 10 olives, Kalamata, sliced [10 olives seemed weird to me, so I just bought a small can of sliced black olives and dumped the whole thing in. It worked out to be a good amount.]
• 2 tbsp canned jalapeno peppers, pickled, chopped (optional)
• 3/4 tsp table salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup polenta, quick-cooking [I just used regular cornmeal. It didn't say anything about being quick cooking but it only took about 5-10 minutes to thicken.]
• 3 cups canned chicken broth
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
• 2 tbsp cilantro, or scallion, fresh, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion, stirring frequently, until meat is fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes; drain off any liquid.
2. Stir in tomatoes and reserved liquid, corn, olives, jalapenos (if using), 1/4 teaspoon of salt, cumin and pepper; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine cornmeal, broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until cornmeal is thick, about 5 minutes. Note: The polenta will still be soft after cooking but will firm up if allowed to stand for a few minutes before serving.
4. Spoon polenta onto a large serving plate and top with beef mixture. Top with salsa, cheese and cilantro (or scallion). [We also served it with a bit of sour cream.] Divide into 6 portions and serve. [I didn't put it all together on one big plate. I just put some polenta on each plate and topped with the beef mixture.]

The verdict: This was delicious, and super easy to make. Seriously, basically all you do is put a bunch of stuff in a pan while boiling some cornmeal. It took me about 15 minutes to make from start to finish, and Torsten and I both really liked it. It had a real Mexican flavor to it--I would definitely recommend using jalapenos, or, if you don't like spicy things, adding some other kind of Mexican-style flavoring to it so that it will have a nice strong taste.

It's relatively healthy, too. WW points vary based on calories, fat, and fiber, but a loose rule of thumb is 50 calories per point, so that would be 1500 calories in the whole dish, and between the two of us we only ate half of it (though of course Torsten ate more than I did), so that's an average of about 350-400 calories per serving. Not bad for a very filling meal. This will definitely be added to our regular rotation.

Random Odds and Ends Chickpea Salad

Jess posted over at Not A Diet yesterday about learning to cook without a recipe.

I agree with several of the commenters there, it's about practice and trial and error- after a while, you start to develop a sense of what would go with what. It also helps to keep certain items on hand. I feel Jess's pain about going to the grocery store too often, but there are a lot of fresh ingredients that last a long time, impart a lot of flavor, and are key to having around for last-minute meals.

Here's my list of things I try to keep in the house, aside from the usual salt, pepper, olive oil, etc:

Cans/dry goods:
-black beans
-chick peas
-diced tomatoes
-whole tomatoes
-tuna
-light coconut milk
-chicken broth and veggie broth (I actually get this in those cartons and I know, making your own is better, but let's be realistic, shall we?)
-quinoa
-brown rice
-barilla plus pasta (for emergencies)
-lentils

Perishables (that last a long time):
-eggs
-garlic
-onions
-sweet potatoes
-kalamata olives
-lemons and limes (seriously, with a lemon, you can make pretty much anything better)
-ginger (I cheat and get the pre-grated stuff in a jar.)
-thai red curry paste
-block of parmesan cheese
-salsa verde from a jar
-frozen mixed veggies
-block of feta cheese

From these ingredients, all of which are pretty cheap and last a long time, you can make all kinds of stuff. Some of my go-to meals include:

*Scrambled eggs with salsa verde, black beans, and feta
*Mixed veggie red curry with roasted sweet potatoes and brown rice
*Black beans simmered with canned tomatoes and salsa verde, served with brown rice or quinoa
*Pasta with quick homemade tomato sauce
*Mujadara (lentil and onion stew- so yummy, and so so cheap)

But my favorite, and the one I want to share with you today, was a happy accident. I call it "um, we have nothing to eat" chickpea salad:

Ingredients:
can of chick peas
garlic
1 lemon
olive oil
salt
pepper
feta
olives
quinoa

optional ingredients (if you have them, toss them in)
tomatoes
spinach leaves
red peppers

To make:
1. Whisk together the juice of one lemon, about 1Tbsp of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and one clove minced garlic. If you're feeling really adventurous, toss some lemon zest in there, too. Taste for seasoning and tartness, and adjust with additional oil and/or salt if necessary. Toss dressing with a can of drained chickpeas.

2. Add any additional veggies, if using (spinach and red bell peppers are particularly tasty- you'll probably want to sautee the red peppers before mixing them in to soften them a little.) If you want, pop this mixture in a frying pan and heat through.

3. Prepare some quinoa according to the package instructions.

4. Scoop some quinoa into a bowl, top with some of the chickpea mixture, and sprinkle with crumbled feta and chopped kalamata olives. If you want, grate some parmesan cheese on top. Pat yourself on the back for being so thrifty and gourmet.

Houswarming Lemon Bars

Hey everyone-

Some of you may know me from my own blog, pseudostoops, and I was thrilled when Jess said it would be okay for me to contribute to her recipe blog!

Normally, my own cooking tends towards the healthy side. (My dad had a stroke when I was 5 and he was 46, brought on by high blood pressure and high cholesterol, so healthy cooking has long been a priority in my family, and I'm fortunate to have develped healthy habits as a result.) But when it comes to baking and desserts, I inherited my dad's wicked sweet tooth, and I'd much rather eat a small portion of something delicious and homemade than a larger portion of something filled with chemicals and fake sweeteners and other ingredients I can't pronounce. Plus, I LOVE baking, and would be sad if I stopped. So I've developed a cadre of go-to dessert recipes that aren't healthy, exactly, but aren't over-the-top rich and are so delicious that you can be satisfied with a small portion.

As you may have heard, Jess is currently in the middle of a big cross-country move, and if I lived close enough to bring her and Torsten a small housewarming gift in their new place, this is what I'd bring them. Because I can't bring them in person, I'm giving them a housewarming recipe!

Easy-Peasy Lemon Bars
makes 36 bars

These lemon bars are perfect- lemony and tangy with a satisfying crunchy crust. They're much less rich than many lemon bar recipes, and they only use one bowl and require ZERO special equipment- not even a hand mixer! Plus, I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so I can make them in a flash. They're a winner.


For the crust:
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, melted in the microwave
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the filling:
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice (it usually takes me about two and a half lemons to get this much juice)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 dgrees. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. (for directions on making a foil sling for bars, look below. It's SO WORTH THE EFFORT because it makes cutting easy and you don't end up weeping over ruined brownies that have fused to the pan. Not that I speak from experience.)

2. Make the crust: in the same medium-sized bowl you microwaved the butter in, stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Press dough evenly over the bottom of the pan with your fingers. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the crust is fully baked- it will be well-browned at the edges and golden brown in the center.

3. While the crust is baking, make the filling: Give the bowl you made the crust in a quick rinse and dry out with a paper towel. Stir together the sugar and the flour in the bowl. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the zest and the lemon juice.

4. When the crust is ready, turn the heat in the oven down to 300 degrees. Slide the rack with the pan out and pour the filling onto the hot crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes longer, until the filling no longer jiggles in the center when you tap the pan.

5. Let cool completely in pan. To make cutting easier, after it's cool I pop the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Lift the foil sling out and set the bars on a cutting board. Cut into 36 equal squares. Dust with powdered sugar if you like.

Store the bars in the fridge for up to a week.

Welcome home, Jess and Torsten!


******
Foil sling method for brownies and bar cookies, from Cooks Illustrated

1. Fold two long sheets of aluminum foil so that they are as wide as the baking pan (if the dish is rectangular, the two sheets will be different sizes). Lay the sheets of foil in the pan, perpendicular to one another, with the extra hanging over the edges of the pan.

2. Push the foil flat into the corners and up the sides of the pan. Try to iron out any wrinkles in the foil, laying it flush to the pan. Spray the sides and bottom of the pan with vegetable oil spray before adding the batter.

3. After the brownies or bar cookies have baked and cooled, use the foil sling to transfer them to a cutting board before cutting into squares.)

Old Favorite: Buttermilk Pancakes

This is not a Weight Watchers recipe, but I re-built it in the WW tool and did the calculations, and as long as you limit yourself to just a few pancakes, it's not too bad. The pancakes are so yummy, and now that we have a griddle we've revived the recipe. I don't normally like pancakes, but these are the ones my dad made when I was growing up, and they are delicious.

Buttermilk Pancakes: Makes 12 servings; 3 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 2 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
   
2. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter.
   
3. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Let rest for a few hours, refrigerated. [My father always uses it immediately and I did the same.]
4. Gently fold in any additional ingredients such as berries or chocolate chips.
   
5. Heat a griddle over medium heat until a drop of water dances lightly across the surface and lightly grease it.
   
6. Using ¼-cup measure for each pancake, pour the batter onto the griddle. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, the edges are dry and the bottoms are golden brown, 4 minutes. Turn once, cooking again until the bottoms are golden, 2 minutes.

The verdict: These are absolutely delicious, and not just because I ate them as a kid. They're just so fluffy and tasty and really good with maple syrup. The first few that I made came out very light-colored and not golden, even though they were fully cooked. I eventually figured out that it was because the griddle wasn't quite hot enough, but even the pale yellow ones were delicious. This is a great weekend breakfast--or dinner!

Old Favorite: Havarti Dill Smoked Salmon Risotto

This was one of our favorite recipes back when I first started Weight Watchers, and in the spirit of my post on my personal blog about wanting to get back into that mindset, I thought I'd post it here even though I don't have photos. And I think I'll make it again soon. After all, it is delicious.

Havarti Dill Smoked Salmon Risotto: Makes 2 servings; 7 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 5 1/4 oz milan-style risotto mix, with seasoning packet [Instead of risotto mix, I just use about a cup of risotto rice and cook it in low-sodium chicken broth instead of water, and add spices--lemon pepper, basil, oregano, a couple chili flakes, a bit of onion powder--and a splash of lemon juice to make it flavorful]
• 2 cups water [or chicken broth--see above]
  
• 2 tbsp dill, fresh, chopped
• 2 oz smoked salmon, diced
• 1 oz havarti cheese, about a 1/4 cup, grated
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tsp dill, or 2 small sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

• In a saucepan combine rice and seasoning mix [or, in my case, all the stuff I mentioned in my parenthetical aside above] with water [or, like I said, chicken broth]. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in dill, salmon, pepper, and Havarti. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
• Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with dill sprigs.

The verdict: Well, I suppose this is obvious since it's an old favorite and all, but OMG yum. And plus, it's so easy to make! Seriously, you just dump a bunch of stuff in a pot, wait, and eat. And it is delicious, and the risotto is almost creamy, so it feels like it's much worse for you than it actually is. Bonus!

Old Favorite: Spinach Enchiladas

This is one of our favorite recipes, and I actually made and photographed it awhile ago and then never got around to posting it. But better late than never, right?

Spinach Enchiladas: Makes 4 servings; 6 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to remove water
• 15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free [I use low-fat, whole-wheat tortillas instead]
  
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese [I was out of Mexican cheese last time I made these, so I used more mozzarella instead]
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a 7 X 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. [I use a square dish instead.]
   
2. Combine ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix well.
   
3. Spoon 1/4 of spinach mixture onto center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, fold in ends and place side-by-side in prepared baking dish. Spoon salsa over tortillas and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of Mexican cheese.
4. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

The verdict: This is so, so easy to make, and really yummy. I've made it with fresh spinach before instead of frozen, and it works just as well. I usually serve these with a side shrimp, either sauteed Veracruz style or baked in a lemony sauce. It makes for a fantastic and very healthy meal.

New Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Torsten and I were having dinner guests, so I decided to break away from the Weight Watchers thing for the night and bake an actually decadent dessert. Of course, I didn't decide this until we were actually at the grocery store, so I wound up making the recipe on the back of the cocoa can because that was the only way I could be sure to buy all the ingredients. Luckily, it turned out delicious. I don't know the Weight Watchers points, and I think that's really for the best. Also, my apologies for the small number of photos--my camera battery was on its last legs, and I only got a couple photos before it crapped out completely. But you get the idea.

New Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting Cake Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk [I used 2%]
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Cake Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
5. Pour batter into pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

Frosting Instructions

1. Melt butter.
2. Stir in cocoa.
3. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency.
4. Add more milk if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups.
   

Assembly

There were no instructions on the assembly part, and I struggled a little bit with this because both cakes were sort of rounded on top, but by the time they had cooled completely they'd flattened out a little bit, so it wound up being okay. I just frosted one cake, then stuck the other one on top and frosted it too. It definitely didn't look professional, and I'm sorry I don't have a photo, but it worked.


The verdict: Oh my god delicious. I mean, I know it's pretty hard to go wrong with chocolate cake, but I've never been much of a baker so I was particularly proud of myself for making a cake from scratch. And it was easy, too--basically a bunch of mixing. I know, I always say my recipes are easy. Maybe I don't challenge myself enough or something, but most of what I cook DOES seem to be easy, and this was no exception. I had been a little worried about whether the cakes would stick to the pans, because I've never greased and floured a pan before, but the cakes slid right out after they had cooled for about ten minutes.

The cake went over very well. I try not to make unhealthy desserts often, so I don't know if I'll make this again, but I will definitely keep the recipe in mind for the next time we have company.

New Recipe: Ground Beef Noodles

So, for awhile I had this modified beef stroganoff recipe that I was using, but the thing is that even though it sounds really good with the pasta and the beef and the sour cream and all, something about beef stroganoff just doesn't sit right with me. I think it's the combo of spices. So I was thrilled when I found this recipe that sounds a lot like beef stroganoff, but without the stuff I don't like.

Ground Beef Noodles: Makes 4 servings; 9 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 6 ounces whole wheat egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 lb ground beef, 93% lean
  
• 1 (6 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cups V-8 vegetable juice (or tomato juice) [I used the low-sodium kind]
  
• 2 teaspoons salt [I used onion powder instead of salt]
  
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery salt (optional) [I didn't use this, but I did add a dash of paprika]

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan or Dutch oven, saute the onions in butter until tender. [I don't have a Dutch oven and I didn't quite see how the noodles would all fit into the frying pan, so I used a pasta pot instead. Also, I added the mushrooms at this point instead of waiting until the end because I like cooked mushrooms.]
   
2. Add meat and brown lightly.
3. Place the noodles in a layer over meat.
4. Combine the tomato juice with the seasonings, and pour over noodles.
5. Bring to a boil, then cover.
6. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes (or until the noodles are tender). [I was nervous that the noodles wouldn't all get cooked, because in the pasta pot they weren't all quite submerged in the liquid, so I went back a couple times during the 30 minutes and poked at them with a spoon to make sure they were covered with liquid.]
   
7. Stir in the sour cream and mushrooms and bring to a boil.
8. Serve hot.

The verdict: Wow, delicious! And even easier to make than most recipes, because there is almost no prep work--just chopping the onion. This is everything that I like about beef stroganoff without the stuff I don't like. We will definitely be making this again.

New Recipe: Chicken Tetrazzini

I love chicken and Torsten isn't the biggest fan, so I'm always looking for ways to prepare it so that it will be moist and tender, preferably in a sauce that Torsten will enjoy. Chicken tetrazzini, with its thicker sauce than a lot of the broth-based sauces I like to make, seemed like it would fit the bill.

Chicken Tetrazzini: Makes 6 servings; 5 WW points per serving Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine [I used light butter instead.]
  
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped (about 5 scallions)
• 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
• 1/2 pound chicken breast, cooked, skinless, cubed [I used more than 1/2 a pound, and I cooked it with the vegetables instead of doing it separately.]
  
• 1/4 cup canned pimento, drained and sliced (about a 2 oz jar) [I didn't have pimentos, so I used red pepper flakes to add kick instead.]
  
• 2 Tbsp sherry cooking wine
• 3 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into thirds and cooked [I did not break up the spaghetti because I like it better in the long noodles.]
  

Instructions

1. Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
   
2. Add scallions and mushrooms; cook until tender, stirring, about 5 minutes. [I also cooked the chicken at this point.]
   
3. Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper, broth and milk in a small bowl; mix until well blended.
   
4. Add flour mixture to saucepan; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. [It didn't take the full ten minutes for this to thicken for me.]
   
5. Add chicken [mine was already in because I cooked it with the vegetables], pimentos and sherry; cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
   
6. Stir in cheese and add cooked spaghetti; toss gently. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

The verdict: This was delicious! Torsten loved it and so did I. The thicker sauce was a nice change of pace, and the vegetables gave it a nice flavor. I added a few extra spices and it definitely made a difference; without them, this dish might have run the risk of being bland. However, as it was, it was great, and really easy to make. I will definitely be making it again.

New Recipe: German-Style Bratwurst

One of the dishes that we'll be serving at our wedding is bratwurst cooked in beer, and our caterer has requested that we provide them with the recipe to ensure that they cook it exactly to our specifications. So last night when we had a friend over for dinner, Torsten took the opportunity to make the dish and create the recipe. It's so easy that it hardly qualifies as a recipe. Also, bratwurst is definitely NOT Weight Watchers-friendly. I don't even want to know how many points are in one of those little sausages.

Torsten made a side dish of mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, which I don't think we'll be serving at the wedding, but it was definitely yummy!

German-Style Bratwurst with Sauerkraut

Ingredients

• 8 bratwurst links (or really, however many you want) [We get ours at Whole Foods, and it isn't even that expensive]
  
• 1 bottle of beer (pale ale works best)
• 4 potatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups sauerkraut (again, this is totally approximate)
• 1 baguette
  

Instructions

1. Boil water and add the potatoes. Cook them for 20 minutes or until soft.
2. In the meantime, pour most of the bottle of beer into a frying pan and place over medium-high heat.
3. Make three incisions on both sides of each sausage. Add them to the pan once the beer is hot. Cook for 20 minutes, turning them occasionally so that they cook evenly.
   
4. While the sausage is cooking, add the small remaining amount of beer to a second frying pan and place over medium-high heat.
5. When the beer is warm, add the sauerkraut and saute for a few minutes until heated through.
6. Once the potatoes are done, add the cream and mash them in a bowl. [We used a plastic potato masher for this.]
7. To serve, place a sausage inside a piece of baguette and put on a plate with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. Traditional Germans will mix the potatoes and sauerkraut together as they eat, but this is up to you. Many people also like to eat their bratwurst with ketchup or mustard.

The verdict: This was not healthy, but totally delicious. It's very simple to make, so much so that writing a recipe for it almost seems silly. The idea is just to cook the sausage in beer until it's done. It's a very drippy, informal thing to eat, and lots of fun, too. Plus it makes you feel authentically ethnic, because the recipe is coming straight from my resident German. We will definitely be making this one again, but not too often because it doesn't really fit in with my whole healthy living plan.

New Recipe: Moo Shu Beef

I LOVE moo shu beef, but I was skeptical about being able to make it at home. But it seemed like it was worth a shot. And my apologies in advance, but I forgot to take photos. Still, the recipe is worth sharing.

Moo Shu Beef: Makes 6 servings; 6 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 8 oz lean sirloin beef
• 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 medium scallions, chopped
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp sherry cooking wine
• 2 cup Chinese cabbage, or Napa cabbage, chopped [I used Napa.]
  
• 1/3 cup canned bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
• 1/3 cup canned straw mushrooms, drained and sliced
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• 12 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free, warmed [I used low-fat whole wheat tortillas, and we only used 8.]
  
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Instructions

1. Place beef in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and cornstarch; stir to coat.
   
2. Heat oil in large skillet or wok [I used a skillet, since we don't own a wok]. Add scallions and garlic; sauté 1 minute.
   
3. Add beef and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Add remaining soy sauce and sherry; cook 1 minute more.
   
4. Add cabbage, bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Sauté until vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in egg white and cook 2 minutes more.
   
5. To serve: Place a heated tortilla on a plate. Spread 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce on tortilla and then place 3 tablespoons of beef filling on top of sauce. Roll up, folding in one end to seal in filling. Yields 2 filled tortillas per serving.

The verdict: DELICIOUS. Very similar to the moo shu I know and love in restaurants, but much healthier. The recipe is simple to make, and I didn't even alter it. I loved eating all those vegetables, too. It made me feel virtuous. We will definitely be making this one again.

New Recipe: Beef Fajitas

So a friend of mine came over for dinner last night, and we decided to make fajitas. We looked around online for a recipe, but basically decided to wing it, and wound up more or less using the recipe on the back of the seasoning packet. Gourmet, I know--but delicious, and easy to do. Not a Weight Watchers recipe, though, so I don't know the points.

New Recipe: Beef Fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided [We only used one.]
• 1 pound chicken or lean beef, cut into strips
• 1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips [We used three, all different colors.]
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 package fajita seasoning mix
• 8 flour tortillas [We used six.]
• Potential additions, to taste: Avocado/guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, Mexican cheese, salsa, and/or sour cream
• Note: As you can see from the photos, we also cooked rice to go with this. It tasted fine, but totally wasn't necessary, and we hardly used any of it.
  

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. [We also combined the onion and pepper at this point.]
   
2. Add meat; cook and stir three minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet.
3. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil [we skipped the extra oil]. Add onion and pepper; cook and stir three to five minutes.
4. Return meat to skillet. Stir in water and seasoning mix. Cook and stir three minutes or until heated through.
5. Spoon into warm tortillas. Serve with toppings if desired.

The verdict: Super, super easy and totally delicious. It was especially good with fresh avocado and tomatoes. We used whole wheat tortillas, too, which made us feel virtuous. We will definitely be making this dish again.

Old Favorite: Thai Coconut Chicken

I found this recipe months ago, on a Weight Watchers recipe blog that I've been following ever since. I'd link to it, but I just tried to go there and Blogger informed me that the blog had been removed. I'm not sure why, since it was there yesterday, but for now I'll just reproduce the recipe with my modifications, and if the recipe blog ever comes back, I'll add the link then.

Anyway, this recipe is one of our favorites, and one of the only ways that Torsten likes chicken. I modified the recipe to make it a bit lower-calorie, and the result is a slightly soupier version of the original recipe. I actually like it that way, and have also found that if you soak the rice in the sauce for a few minutes before serving, it becomes much less liquidy and much more like the original.

Thai Coconut Chicken: Makes 4 servings; 8 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless chicken breast, sliced into bite-size pieces
  
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 (13 1/2 ounce) can light coconut milk [The original recipe called for regular coconut milk, which has about triple the fat and calories of light coconut milk. Light coconut milk is not as creamy as regular, but the trade-off is totally worth it. Also, the 8 points per serving is assuming you use light coconut milk; if you use regular, the points are much higher.]
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
• 1/2 cup frozen English peas [I don't like peas, so I leave this out.]
  
• 1/2 cup canned water chestnuts
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fish stock
• 1 to 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 limes, quartered (optional)
• 3/4 cup uncooked white or jasmine rice [I only use this much to keep down points. If you aren't particularly worried about that, I'd use a bit more rice.]
  

Ingredients

1. In the bottom of a pot, stir together the red curry paste and a little coconut milk to combine.
2. Saute the chicken until cooked through.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the rice and simmer for about 10 minutes (or until the peas are cooked and the sauce has reduced and thickened to desired consistency).
4. Serve over hot rice with lime wedges. [This is where I mix the rice and curry together and let it sit for five to ten minutes so that the rice will absorb some of the liquid--you can see the difference in the two photos I've linked to.]

The verdict: This is one of our absolute favorite dishes. We have it at least once every two weeks and we never seem to get sick of it. The flavor is delicious and could pass for coming out of a restaurant, in my humble opinion. The cooking method keeps the chicken tender and moist, and the coconut milk makes the sauce nice and creamy. Plus, it's super easy to make--you essentially just dump a bunch of ingredients in a pan and stir. I do not plan on removing this dish from our rotation any time soon.

New Recipe: Garlic Cream Shrimp

Last night, we had some shrimp that we had to cook but neither of us was in the mood for the enchiladas I was going to make with it. So I decided to go out on a limb and attempt to modify a shrimp recipe that I had been eyeing in order to make it work with the limited ingredients we had on hand.

Bad. Idea. Rule number one of experimental cooking: Rice and pasta are not interchangeable. But I think the original recipe might have been tasty, so I'm going to post it here.

Garlic Cream Shrimp: Makes 4 servings; 10 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 12 oz uncooked rigatoni [We didn't have rigatoni so I used rice instead. DO NOT RECOMMEND. To get the amount, I calculated the equivalent WW points of 12 oz. of rigatoni and came up with 1 3/4 cups of uncooked rice.]
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large sweet red pepper, chopped [I skipped this because I don't like peppers.]
• 4 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup wine, white, dry [We didn't have white wine so I used chicken broth instead, and added extra to try to keep the rice moist.]
• 1 pound shrimp, medium, flesh only or 2 lbs, peeled and deveined [I used one pound of shrimp, weighed with the shells on. I guess that's less than the recipe actually calls for. Whoops.]
• 4 medium scallions, chopped [We didn't have scallions so I just used a bunch of dried herbs and spices to add flavor.]
• 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped [We didn't have this either, so I used fresh basil instead.]

Instructions

1. Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray, heat and add onions, garlic and pepper.
3. Cook for 2 minutes, lower heat and stir in sour cream and wine.
4. Add shrimp and cook until pink. [I also added some seasoning, and then fresh basil, at this point.]
5. Stir in rigatoni, scallions and parsley and warm through.
   

The verdict: Oh my god, sticky and mushy like risotto gone wrong, and super bland despite all the spices I added. Only copious amounts of shredded Parmesan and ground pepper salvaged this meal. But if I'd made it using the original recipe and put it over pasta, as directed, it could potentially have had merit. The white wine would have given it a bit more flavor, and the pasta wouldn't have absorbed all the sauce the way the rice did. Still, I don't think we'll be trying this recipe again. If anyone does try the original recipe, please let me know how it turns out!

New Recipe: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night, the lovely and charming Alice came over for a brief baking session. In her honor, I forewent my usual Weight Watchers recipes in favor of something totally, incredibly unhealthy. In fact, I have no idea what the Weight Watchers points are, and really I think that's probably for the best.

This was my first experience baking with oatmeal, and I was a little nervous, but Alice assured me that it was an easy ingredient, and it turned out she was right. The cookies were very easy to make (as most cookies seem to be), and they turned out absolutely delicious. We used this recipe, but substituted chocolate chips for butterscotch ones.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Makes 48 cookies (or, in our case, 18)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking or regular rolled oats, uncooked
• 1-3/4 cups (11-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Butterscotch Chips [We used about six ounces of chocolate chips instead.]
  

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended.
   
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended.
   
5. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips; mix well. [We got confused and mixed the chips and oatmeal with the other dry ingredients before adding them to the butter mixture. No harm done. We were just mixed very gently when we combined the ingredients and everything turned out fine.]
6. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. [Try multiple tablespoons per drop. What can I say? We like our cookies big. Also, we only had two cookie sheets at our disposal.]
   
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

The verdict: Oh my god SO GOOD. For all the calories, they should be, and yes, yes they are. I could happily eat these forever. Too bad my waistline wouldn't agree.

New Recipe: Baked Beef Ziti

Torsten and I eat spaghetti a lot, and this recipe looked like a great way to add a twist to one of our regular meals. It called for quite a lot of pasta and not very much meat, though, so I wound up modifying the amounts a fair bit to achieve a bit more of a balance.

Baked Beef Ziti: Makes 8 servings; 5 WW points per serving

Ingredients:

• 12 oz uncooked ziti [I used 7 ounces of whole wheat rigatoni.]
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 pound raw lean ground beef [I used one pound of ground beef at 7% fat.]
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary [I didn't have rosemary, so I used dried basil instead.]
• 1/2 tsp table salt [I didn't put in salt but I did add onion powder and garlic powder, as well as a few red pepper flakes for some bite.]
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded [I stuck to this amount for WW reasons, but if you aren't particularly calorie-conscious, I'd recommend using more, just to add to the cheesy goodness.]

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes.
4. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
5. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface) [I didn't have a four-quart casserole dish, so I used a flatter baking dish, which made the layers feel a bit sparse, but it was still delicious]; top with half of cooked ziti.
8. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
9. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

The verdict: This was great, and also very simple to make. This version was definitely heavy on the beef, which I like personally, so I liked the proportions of beef and pasta; I think it worked a lot better than the initial amounts the recipe called for would have, and with the whole wheat pasta and very lean beef, the points work out to be about the same both ways. We will definitely be making this one again.

Old Favorite: Pork Lo Mein

The first time I made this recipe, we didn't like it that much. It was very bland, and neither of us is a big fan of pork. But I liked the concept, so I reworked it a little and it has since become one of our favorite dishes. We use ostrich instead of pork, but if you like pork, I imagine that's just as good, and definitely less expensive.

Pork Lo Mein: Makes 4 servings; 7 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti, or buckwheat soba noodles [I use chuka soba chow mein noodles, which aren't quite as healthy but are well suited to the dish.]
  
• Cooking spray
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced [I press garlic instead of mincing it because it's much easier.]
  
• 1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced [I use pre-minced ginger from a jar. Fresh ginger is a huge pain to work with.]
  
• 1 pound lean pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes [I use ostrich fillets instead.]
  
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots [I don't like carrots, so I skip these.]
  
• 1/2 cup onions, diced [I just use one onion and don't measure exactly how much it is.]
  
• 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• [I also add a bit of Asian hot sauce, a bit of Thai fish oil, and a few other seasonings, such as onion powder, to spice this dish up a bit.]
  
• 2 Tbsp scallions, chopped (for garnish) [I don't bother with this.]
  

Instructions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
   
2. Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute.
   
3. Add pork [ostrich] and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. [When cooking with ostrich, the cooking time needs to be adjusted so that the meat doesn't wind up overcooked and chewy.]
   
4. Add carrots and onion; cook until vegetables are soft, about 2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce [this is when I add the other sauces and seasoning as well]; simmer until pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
   
5. Add noodles to pork mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Garnish with freshly chopped scallions, if desired. Yields about 2 cups per serving.

The verdict: Obviously, like I said, we love this dish. The meal is light and yummy and very easy to make. When we're in a recipe rut we often wind up eating this dish at least once a week.

New Recipe: Chicken, Scallion, and Artichoke Stir-Fry

So, when I came across this recipe I was eager to try it. I love artichokes and almost anything Asian, and the directions were very simple--there was little involved other than dumping a bunch of ingredients in a pan. It sounded perfect. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Although I think the recipe would be salvageable if it were done differently.

As usual, I've added the photos to my cooking set on Flickr.

Chicken, scallion, and artichoke stir-fry: Makes 6 servings; 6 WW points per serving

Ingredients:

• 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, very thinly sliced
• 1 pound scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces [I didn't have a full pound, so I just used one bunch.]
• 27 1/2 oz canned artichoke hearts, without oil [I drained and rinsed them before cooking.]
• 1/2 cup Asian stir-fry sauce
• 4 cup cooked linguine [I used whole wheat linguine. Also, I think that there are about 2 ounces of uncooked pasta per one cup of cooked pasta. But I'm not sure.]
• 4 medium radishes, thinly sliced [I skipped this.]
• Cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Warm a large, nonstick pan coated with cooking spray over high heat.
2. Add chicken, scallions, and artichokes and stir-fry until chicken is firm and opaque, about 10 minutes. [It didn't take nearly ten minutes to cook the chicken over high heat.]
3. Add sauce and cook until hot, about 2 minutes more. [Because the chicken cooked so much faster than the recipe said, I wound up adding the sauce and simmering it for more than two minutes.]
4. Spoon chicken mixture over noodles and garnish with radishes. [As I said, I skipped the radishes.]

The verdict: One of the rare recipe disappointments we've had recently. The concept was really nice and the food looked and smelled great. But the dish was just way, way too salty. I think the culprit must have been the stir-fry sauce, which we hadn't tried before. I don't know if I used too much of it (though I followed the recipe exactly), or if I just picked the wrong sauce. But afterward, both of our tongues were totally coated with salt. If I were to make the dish again, I would choose a different sauce or make one myself. But considering how many other dishes we've had recently that we really enjoyed, I doubt we'll be trying this one again.

New Recipe: Chicken Parmigiana

I had defrosted some chicken breasts to make Thai coconut chicken, one of our favorite dishes, on Friday night, but as I was sorting through my pile of recipes I came across a new one I hadn't tried yet, chicken parmigiana. It looked yummy and I had all the ingredients plus plenty of time, so I figured I'd try that one instead. It turned out to be a great idea. I even remembered to take photos. I've added them to my cooking set over on Flickr.

Chicken Parmigiana: Makes 4 servings; 5 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly pounded (four 4-oz pieces) [I used thin-sliced chicken breasts instead of pounding them myself.]
  
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs [I didn't measure--I just dumped a bunch in a bowl so that I'd have enough to coat the chicken.]
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning [Instead of using pre-mixed Italian seasoning, I added basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground black pepper.]
  
• 1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste [I skipped this.]
  
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce [The baking pan I was using was bigger than the one the recipe called for, so I used 2 cups of tomato sauce to make sure the whole thing was coated.]
  
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded [I used a bit more than this.]
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. [I didn't have a square dish so I used a slightly larger rectangular one.]
  
• Place egg whites in a shallow bowl. Combine bread crumbs with Italian seasoning and salt; pour into another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg whites; turn to coat. Dip chicken in bread crumb mixture; turn to thoroughly coat.
  
• Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and add oil; heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink in center, about 4 minutes per side.
  
• Pour 1/2 cup of sauce [I used about a cup] into prepared baking dish; place chicken in dish and pour remaining sauce evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake until chicken is cooked through and cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

I served the chicken over whole wheat linguine; if you use six ounces (uncooked), it adds 3 WW points per serving.


The verdict: When Torsten got home, looking forward to the coconut chicken, and I told him I'd made something else instead, he was disappointed. But once he tasted it, he changed his mind. The recipe turned out to be delicious, and also very simple to make. We will definitely be making this one again--I'd say soon, but we've been saying that a lot this week, and there aren't enough days "soon" to fit everything in.