Warm Kale & Garbanzo Salad

This was really delicious and virtuous.  If you knew how good kale is for you, you would eat it all day long.  One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Of course, Laura and I might have added some feta cheese.  But we also added tomatoes.  In any case, it's a dish I'll be making again.

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2. Grated zest of 1 orange
3. 2 tablespoons orange juice
4. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5. 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
6. 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
7. 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
8. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
9. Black pepper
10. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
11. 1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed
12. One 14-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
13. 1 pinch cayenne pepper
14. 2 scallions thinly sliced, green parts on (didn't happen to have had these, so I left them out)
15. Directions
16. Whisk together the lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, smoked paprika, maple syrup, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream, whisking until combined. Set aside.
17. Remove the ribs and stems from the kale leaves and coarsely chop. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the kale with 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook until kale wilts down, about 4 minutes.
18. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the chickpeas. When the kale leaves are tender, add the chickpeas and paprika dressing to the pan and stir to combine. Cook together until dressing is warm and evenly coats the beans and kale, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.
19. Spoon mixture into desired serving dish. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve.

Slow Cooked Potatoes with Mushroom and Ham

I needed a way to use up mushrooms and diced ham and I did happen to have a couple of pounds of potatoes sitting around too, which is kind of unusual for me.  A critical direction is turning up the heat to high when sauteeing the mushrooms.  This kind of caramelizes the mix and it smells so good.  Peeling the potatoes was the most difficult part of the whole thing, which tells you just how easy it was.  I did not use Gruyere cheese because I had a large offering of other cheese in my fridge and instead chose to use crumbled goat cheese.

• Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• (about 1 medium onion)
• 1/2 pound button or shiitake mushrooms, or a mix of your favorite mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (2 to 3 cloves)
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and submerged in a bowl of water
• 4 ounces ham  (I used pre-diced)
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated 
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup milk

Directions

Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, raise the heat to high, and continue cooking, stirring as needed, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside. 

Generously coat a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Shingle the potatoes in two with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Top the potatoes with half of the mushrooms-onion mixture and gently spread it out in an even layer. Arrange half of the ham slices over the potatoes, top with half of the Gruyere, and pour in half of thechicken stock. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, salt, pepper, mushrooms mixture, and ham. Add the remaining ½ cup chicken stock. Using a metal spatula, gently press the ingredients so the layers are even. Tuck the thyme sprigs around the edges. 

Cook on high for 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender. You can test for doneness by inserting the blade of a thin knife into the center. There should be little resistance. 

Drizzle in the heavy cream and cook for another 30 minutes. 

When the casserole is done, top it with the remaining Gruyere and the fresh thyme leaves. Turn off the cooker. Allow the potatoes to cool enough to set before serving, about 1 hour, covered. 

St. Patrick's Day Fritatta

Ingredients:

• 4 thin slices green bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch thin slices crosswise
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large egg whites
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 (7 oz) medium peeled Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika

Ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Crack the eggs and egg whites into a large bowl. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper and beat until blended. 

Heat a 10-inch nonstick oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and shallots to the pan and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, season with salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper. Cover and cook the potatoes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. 

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Carefully arrange the bell peppers on top to create a shamrock pattern if desired. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the edges are set, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the frittata is completely set and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a large plate. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1(1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• Black pepper to taste

1. Put tenderloin in slow cooker and contents of the soup packet. 
2. Pour water, wine and soy sauce over the top...turning the pork to coat.
3. Put garlic on top and leave it there during cooking...then sprinkle with
   pepper.
4. Cook on low setting for 4 hours. Use the cooking liquid as au jus.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Barley

 

Ingredients

• 1 small acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 fennel bulb (about 6 ounces), trimmed of stalks, cored, and chopped fine
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Balsamic vinegar, for serving

Directions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.
2. Brush cut sides of squash with 1 tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and lay cut-side down on prepared baking sheet. Roast on lower-middle rack until tender (tip of paring knife can be slipped into flesh with no resistance), 45 to 55 minutes. Remove squash from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water to boil in small saucepan. Stir in barley and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until barley is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. Wipe saucepan dry, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in fennel and shallot and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, coriander, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Off heat, stir in cooked barley, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, pine nuts, and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Flip roasted squash over and scoop out flesh, leaving 1/8-inch thickness of flesh in each shell. Gently fold cooked squash into barley mixture, then mound mixture evenly in squash shells. (Stuffed squash can be covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 hours. Finish and bake as directed, increasing baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.)
7. Sprinkle squash with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake on upper-middle rack until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar to taste and serve.

 Recipe from America's Test Kitchen

Creamy Parmesan Spinach Dip

Creamy Parmesan Spinach Dip

The trickiest part here is getting all the liquid out of the frozen spinach.  Maybe letting it sit in a sieve or a colander until the water has drained out would be a good idea.  It is a very tasty dip and, as you can see, very low in calories.  I might add tiny diced red pepper and/or chopped artichoke hearts next time.  Especially since I have both of those things in my refrigerator
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes  
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • 76 calories


Ingredients:  

• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
• 1/2 cup light sour cream (or plain yogurt)
• 5 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1/4 cup scallion, chopped
• fresh pepper to taste

Directions: 

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Can be made one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Makes about 2 cups.

Baked Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce

serves 2

Falafel

15oz can chickpeas, drained

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Lemon Tahini Sauce

2 tablespoons tahini paste

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Remaining Ingredients:

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

2 pita breads (5” diameter)

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup chopped green leaf lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all falafel ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Scoop the bean mixture into a bowl and shape into 8 equal sized patties. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush each with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.

Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, and zest in a small bowl.

Divide the hot falafel among the two warmed pita breads and top with chopped lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled feta, and the lemon-tahini sauce.

Nutrition info for 1 serving (1/2 of entire recipe):

Calories: 538, Fat: 18.7g, Cholesterol: 33.4mg, Carb: 73.1g, Fiber: 10.4g, Sugars: 0.1g, Protein: 21.2g

Cashew Crusted Chicken

Ingredients
1 cup coarsely chopped cashews
1 12 oz. jar apricot preserves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.

Combine the preserves, mustard and curry powder in a large skillet and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until preserves are completely melted and smooth.

Place cashews in a shallow dish or bowl. Dip chicken breasts in skillet sauce, then roll in nuts to coat and place in a lightly greased 9" x 13" baking dish.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Boil any remaining sauce and serve on the side with the baked chicken

Meredith's Meatloaf

Originally this was called "Eileen's Meatloaf."  Eileen is not in our club so she'll never know that we took her recipe.  If you see her and she says anything about it, just act all nonchalant and natural.  Meredith posted this originally and said it was awesome.  That's why she gets to have it named after her.  I was looking for a good meatloaf recipe and I think maybe I've found it.  I'm going to use plain Greek yogurt to substitute the sour cream.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
one egg
one cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup Italian style dried bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, sour cream and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in soup mix, cheese, and bread crumbs. Form mixture into a loaf, and place in a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving for easier slicing.

Fall Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1 cup diced peeled sweet potato 
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion 
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson) 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

• Directions

• 1. 1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 
  2. 2. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. 
  3. 3. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. 
  4. 4. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

One pound chicken, cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 9 inch unbaked pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Barley with Tomatoes and Greens

A delicious and virtuous dish that contains one of my favorite cheeses - Taleggio.  And actually, it contains two cheeses and isn't that what the Nanners are all about?

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 cups quick cook barley
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 8 cups spinach
• 2 ounces Taleggio or Brie (rind removed), cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the barley, tomatoes, wine, and 2 ½ cups water and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Add the mustard greens, Taleggio, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan.

Mediterranean Chicken

Mediterranean Chicken
As I said below, I used chicken strips and cut them into bite-sized pieces.  It's easier for me to bring things for lunch that don't need cutting.  But you could leave the strips whole or even use a whole breast.  I recommend that if you're cutting the chicken, do it while it's still a little frozen.  It stays put better.  Anyway, this is delicious.  Smells great cooking.  I'd serve it over rice or quinoa or even pasta, I suppose. If you're not cutting up chicken, you could make this in less than 30 minutes.

• 

• Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons wine
• one pound chicken (I used chicken tenders and then cut them up into bite sized pieces)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup wine
• 1 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/4 chopped fresh parsley
• half dozen canned artichoke hearts, halved

Directions

1. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons white wine in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Saute onion and garlic for about 2 minutes.  Add chicken and cook until chicken is cooked on the outside.
3.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. 
4. Lower heat, add 1/2 cup white win, thyme, and basil and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add olives, artichokes, and parsley to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Szechuan Shrimp

Szechuan Shrimp

Shrimp was on sale and I couldn't pass that up.  This recipe serves two so for $5.50 for the half pound of shrimp, I had two meals from this.  And everything looks or tastes more delicious when you've gotten it at a bargain, I think.  This was pretty damn hot, so don't make this for children or wussies.  But it was quite good and a bit different for me.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce (shelf-stable Asian hot sauce)
     (I just used some Mexican hot sauce)
1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
1/4 teaspoon red papper flakes
1 cup chopped green beans
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
Half pound of raw large shrimp, peeled, tails removed, deveined
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup water until dissolved.  Thoroughly ix in ketchup, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, and red pepper flakes.

Bring a wok or large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to a medium-high heat.  Add green beans, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger.  Cook and stir until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add shrimp and water chestnuts.  Stir sauce and add as well.  Cook and stir until sauce has thickene and shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Squash & Chickpea Moroccan Stew

Squash & Chickpea Moroccan Stew


Like I said, I love squash.  And I love a recipe that can be prepared and cooked in 30 minutes.  I didn't serve this with couscous or rice, just put it in a bowl.  I really dug the cinnamon flavor in the dish.  I didn't have a cinnamon stick so I used a teaspoon of cinnamon instead.   (Those are olives in the picture.  I didn't even list them in the recipe because I didn't use them and didn't think I'd like them in there anyway.  But go ahead and throw 'em in, if you like.  What do I know?  I'm not Moroccan and therefore, probably have no business altering the recipe.


1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound butternut squash, large dice
3/4 pound red potatoes, large dice
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
Pinch saffron threads, optional
Steamed couscous, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish
Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Plain yogurt, for garnish

Heat butter and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add squash and potatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir to coat, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron, if using. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in preserved lemon and olives. Serve over couscous garnished with cilantro, almonds, and yogurt.

Per serving based on 6 serving (analysis without garnishes): Calories 287; Total Fat 10.5 grams; Saturated Fat 2 grams; Protein 10 grams; Total Carbohydrate 41 grams; Sugar: 8 grams; Fiber 8 grams; Cholesterol 5 milligrams; Sodium 563 milligrams;

Squash Mac & Sheeze

Squash Mac & Sheeze

I love squash.  I also really love macaroni and cheese.  You can ask my kids - I can make a mean mac & cheese with sharp cheddar and some gorgonzola thrown in for a bite.  I know this group is always about the cheese.  And I love you for it.  But all that cheese is not really good for those in my age bracket or if you're watching your weight.  :) So when I found this recipe that uses squash instead of cheese I thought it looked like a perfect marriage.  And in fact, it was!  This is so, so easy and really delicious.  And think of  how easy it would be if you used canned squash or pumpkin.  Except for me, having already roasted squash that I can use in a different recipe makes me really happy.  The only thing I would say is to measure the 2 tsp. of Dijon scantily, as opposed to heavily.  

Yield: 4 servings or 1.5 cups of sheeze sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh butternut squash* (peeled and chopped) OR 1 cup canned butternut squash OR canned pumpkin
• Extra virgin olive oil, S & P
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter replacer)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened & unflavoured almond milk (revised from 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp or cornstarch
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4-3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2-1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt (to taste) & ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces of pasta
• Mix-ins of choice (e.g., kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, pumpkin seeds, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a casserole dish with tin foil. Mix chopped squash with EVOO, S & P. Roast for about 40 minutes, uncovered, or until tender.

2. Melt butter or Earth balance in a pot over low-medium heat. 

3. In a bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch until clumps are gone. 

4. Add milk mixture into pot and whisk. 

5. Stir in remaining ingredients (Dijon, garlic, lemon, S & P) and whisk over low heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes or so).

6. Pour over cooked pasta and add veggies, if you like.  I did and I really liked it.