sick

I'm sick. Could be worse, but could be better, too. Sore throat, congestion (severe), headache, and extreme fatigue. Just going up the stairs is about all I can do. 12K was out of the question.

***

Since I can't work out, I decided to post 2 delicious cookie recipes. Ha ha. I'm certainly in no condition to bake, but hey, since I can't exercise today, I could make some other people fat ;)? They are basic recipes - you probably already have them in one form or another. But I have experimented and personally find these to be the best recipes for each type of cookies (sugar cookies and chocolate chip bar cookies). Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 TB milk or cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Sift together:
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4 c. plus 2 TB flour

Cream butter w/ sugar, adding sugar gradually. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add the egg. Beat well. Add the milk or cream and vanilla and mix well. And in 1/4 cups, sifted flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture. Mix well. Form into ball. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.

To bake-- remove small amounts of dough and roll on lightly floured surface and cut into shapes (I personally like them thick so they come out a bit chewy). Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 8 minutes. Mine do not usually brown - remove before then or you will have crunchy cookies!


Icing
1 bag powdered sugar
2 (heaping) TB of Meringue powder (I used Wilton brand)
1 tsp vanilla
about 15 TB water

Use squeeze bottles to apply icing. Pipe the edges of the cookie first to make a "levee". Then "flood" the interior of the cookie w/ icing.





Decadent Blonde Brownies

1 1/2c all-purpose flour
1t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4c granulated sugar
3/4c packed light brown sugar
1/2c butter, softened
2 large eggs
2t vanilla
10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
optional: 3.5 oz macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped, to measure 3/4c (I didn't add these)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13x9 inch pan. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; set aside.

Beat sugars and butter in large bowl until light & fluffy. Beat in eggs & vanilla. Add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan (I do this with damp hands). Bake 25-30 min or until golden brown. Remove pan to wire rack; cool completely and cut into bars.

bourbon-pecan-chocolate-chip pie

A racewalker friend from Australia has asked for this recipe. Since I am typing it anyway, I'll put it here so I can share. It's modified from Betty Crocker and an Emeril recipe from the magazine Everyday Food. It's kind of a hodgepodge of both recipes. Enjoy!

Bourbon-pecan-chocolate-chip pie

Makes one 10" pie

2 cups pecan halves
2/3c semisweet chocolate chips
4t all purpose flour, plus more for coating chocolate chips
4 lg eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3c packed light brown sugar
1c light corn syrup
1/3c bourbon
1t vanilla extract
1/3c salted butter, melted

crust
2c all-purpose flour
1t salt
3/4c butter flavor Crisco
5-8T cold water (in Utah use 7-8T because it's so dry here!)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Make crust: whisk flour & salt in medium bowl. Cut in Crisco with pastry blender. Add just enough cold water to allow you to form a ball. Roll out on pastry mat with more flour.
2. Spread pecans in crust. In small bowl, toss chocolate chips in a little flour to coat, then scatter evenly over pecans.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, bourbon, vanilla, butter, and flour until well combined. Pour filling over pecans and chocolate chips.
4. Bake until filling is set and crust is browned, about 70 minutes. Loosely tent with foil if it browns too quickly. Let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition info...don't ask LOL!

French Toast Souffle

A Facebook friend asked for this, so as long as I was typing, why not paste it into my blog? Enjoy!

French Toast Souffle (from "The Best of Cooking Light"

***Start the night before!!!

10 cups (1-inch) cubed sturdy white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White; about 16 [1-ounce] slices)
Cooking spray
1 (8-oz) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
8 lg eggs
1 1/2c 2% reduced-fat milk
2/3c half-and-half
1/2c maple syrup
1/2t vanilla extract
2T powdered sugar
3/4c maple syrup

1. Place the bread cubes in a 9x13 baking dish coated w/cooking spray. Beat cream cheese w/a mixer at med speed until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add milk, half-and-half, 1/2c maple syrup, and vanilla; mix until smooth. pour cream cheese mixture over top of bread; cover & refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Remove bread mixture from refrigerator; let stand on counter for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake at 375 for 50 min or until set. Sprinkle souffle with sugar; serve with 3/4c syrup.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice souffle and 1T maple syrup)
Calories 346, fat 11.5g, protein 11.6g, carb 51.7g, fiber 2.7g, chol 169mg, iron 1.9 mg, sodium 396 mg, calc 131 mg

Happy Birthday to Michelle!

Here's the cake. Can't wait to try it... yummy! Yeah, this might not be such a good week to lose weight, what with the birthday and trip to Seattle. Sigh... but if I can at least avoid gaining this week that will be good :). I think that might work!!!

Here's the recipe. I think this is going to be amazing. Tried a bit of the edge from the pan and it was incredible; ditto for the frosting. Oh, and there are oreos INSIDE the cake, AND it has a whipped cream filling. Yum!!!

My cake is darker than the one on Good Things Catered, because I used dutch process cocoa instead of regular Hershey's. Mmmmm... dark chocolately flavor.

by request: homemade granola recipe

I got this from Food Matters by Mark Bittman.

Anything Goes Granola
Makes about 9 cups

5 cups rolled oats or other rolled grains (wheat, rye, kamut); I used oats
1 cup mixed nuts & seeds; I used pecans, almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds(Bittman calls for 3c but I used 1 to keep calories lower)
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1t ground cinnamon, or other spices to taste
1/2 to 1 c honey or maple syrup (I used 1c lite maple syrup)
1t vanilla (optional; I used it)
1-1.5 c raisins or chopped dried fruit (I used 2 c of chopped dried fruit: apricots, plums, pears, apples, craisins)

1. Heat oven to 350. In large bowl combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, sweetener, & vanilla; sprinkle w/a little salt. Toss well. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and bake 30 min or longer (it took mine 45-50 min), stirring occasionally. Granola should brown evenly; the darker it gets w/o burning, the crunchier it will be.
2. Remove pan from oven & add raisins. Cool on a rack, stirring now & then until granola reaches room temp. Put in sealed container & store in fridge. It will keep indefinitely.

8 WW points per cup

DELICIOUS!

Last night Loren wanted me to make some cake. I had points from racewalking that morning, and I love dessert, so why not? I'd been wanting to try this recipe for coconut cake, and it was SO AMAZING. This is very possibly the best cake I have ever eaten, and for a chocoholic like me to say that about a non-chocolate cake, well, that is just testimony to how good this recipe is.

Enjoy! And let me know how you like it if you make it.

Asparagus-Potato Puff

This was good, and some FB friends wanted it, so here it is:

Asparagus-Potato Puff
from Weight Watchers Magazine (Mar-Apr 2009)

3/4 lb large red potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 c fat-free egg substitute (egg beaters)
1/2 c fat-free milk
4T grated pecorino Romano cheese (I substituted fresh Parmesan)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
pinch cayenne
1 red onion, chopped

Combine the potatoes and enough lightly salted cold water to cover by 3 inches in a large sauce pan. Cover & bring to a boil. Uncover & boil 5 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender and the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 2 min. Drain the potatoes and asparagus in a colander & let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500. Whisk the egg substitute, milk, 3T of the cheese, salt, baking powder, and cayenne in a large bowl.

Spray a large cast-iron or heavy ovenproof skillet w/nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the asparagus and potatoes into the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the skillet. Reduce the heat; cover & cook until the mixture is almost set, 10 min. Uncover, sprinkle w/the remaining 1T cheese, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the puff is cooked through and the top is golden, about 5 in. Cut into 4 wedges. If making ahead, let cool. Transfer the wedges to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 2 days and serve at room temperature.

Per serving (1 wedge): 165 cal, 2g fat, 1g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 8 mg chol, 603 mg sod, 23g carb, 5g fiber, 15g protein, 319 mg calcium. Points value: 3.

Filling extra: cook a few slices of Canadian bacon according to the package directions to serve alongside this dish (2 slices for each serving will increase the points value by 2).

Oat & Apricot Breakfast Bars

I got this recipe from WW online and I love it! I made it for our mom's group at church this morning, and the kids liked it a lot. Except for my son, who ate one bite and turned up his nose. Go figure!

Servings: 8
Points: 3

1 c whole-grain wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c uncooked quick oats
15 pieces dried apricot halves, diced
2 T sunflower seeds
1 T reduced calorie margarine, melted
1/2 c fat-free egg substitute (can use 2 eggs instead)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan w/cooking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, oats, apricots, and sunflower seeds. Whisk together margarine and egg substitute. Quickly mix together wet & dry ingredients. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth top (I pressed it down with moistened hands). Bake until firm, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into 8 rectangles. Yields 1 bar per serving.

By popular demand

2 recipes from our Super Bowl feast:

Mazza Hummus (from the restaurant at 15th & 15th and also at 9th & 9th here in SLC)

One 17.6 oz bag dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
water
salt
2 cloves garlic
2 T lemon juice, or more to taste
3 T tahini sesame butter, well stirred (you can get tahini paste in most supermarkets in the natural foods section)
olive oil, for drizzle

Place chickpeas in a large bowl. Cover w/cold water and place in the fridge. Soak for at least 24 hrs or until tender (or you can boil 2 min and soak 1 hr in hot water, as in pkg directions). You should be able to bite through a pea.

Drain. Place in a large pot and cover w/2-3 inches of water. Add 1t salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 hrs or until peas are soft and there is about 1 inch of thick broth. Add boiling water during cooking if level gets too low (this cooking process works well in a slow cooker).

When peas are soft, drain, reserving cooking liquid.

For one batch hummus, place 2c softened peas, garlic, lemon juic, and tahini in the bowl of a food processor. process, adding broth a little at a time until well combined and creamy. Season w/salt. Taste, and add more salt and/or lemon juice if necessary.

Scrape into a serving bowl and drizzle w/a little bit of olive oil.

If you plan to make hummus ahead of time, it should be slightly thinner than you want, as it will firm up as it sits.

Place remaining cooked peas in a container w/a tight fitting lid. Cover w/some of the cooking broth. Place in the freezer for later use.

One batch makes 2c hummus.



Slow Cooker Chile Verde (from my sister-in-law, Erica)

3T olive oil (I omitted this and it was still very good)
1/2 c onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic (I used 4. I love garlic!)
3 lbs pork shoulder (I used center loin pork for a leaner chile verde)
2 x 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce
1 can green chiles (the little ones - 4.5 oz?)
2t coriander
2t cumin
2T lime juice

Sear meat in non-stick pan. Transfer to crock pot. Cook onions & garlic until translucent and add to crock pot. Dump all other ingredients in on top of pork. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove pork and shred and return to pot and stir. Serve with corn tortillas, cheese, and sour cream.

A few recipes

By request from the Mouse, here are some recipes.

Thanksgiving Stuffing
1 1/2 c celery
3/4 c onion
1 1/2 lb 100% whole wheat bread
1 t salt
1/2 t ground sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t black pepper
12 oz reduced-fat pork sausage (I usually get Jimmy Dean)
25 medium olives w/pimientos

Cook & stir celery & onion in nonstick pan, OR microwave until tender (I usually microwave). At the same time, cook sausage and drain fat. Combine all ingredients, add just enough water to make it somewhat moist (sorry, mouse, but my recipe doesn't have an amount...I think I usually add 1/2 to 1 cup) and bake 350 for about 45 min or until done.
Servings: 12
WW points: 3

Recipe adapted by me & my mom from Betty Crocker's cookbook (I reduced the butter and added sausage & olives)



Spaghetti Pie
We made this the other night with some of our grass-fed ground beef. Yummy! The kids scarfed it down like there was no tomorrow, and we both loved it too.

1 lb ground round or ground beef (at least 90% lean)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
Two 8-oz cans tomato sauce with garlic (or use regular tomato sauce + 2 cloves garlic minced)
1 1/2 c low-fat sour cream
1/2 c chopped green onions
1/4 c (2 oz) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
4 c hot cooked spaghetti (8 oz uncooked pasta)
cooking spray
1 1/3 c (5 oz) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook meat in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. drain well, and return meat to pan. Stir in salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 20 min. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti until al dente.
3. Combine the sour cream, onions, and cream cheese in a small bowl, set aside.
4. Place cooked spaghetti in 2-qt casserole coated w/cooking spray. Spread sour cream mixture over spaghetti noodles. Top w/meat mixture. Sprinkle w/cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 min. Uncover, bake an additional 5 min or until cheese is bubbly.

6 servings; 9 points per serving. Calories 408, fat 13.7g, protein 28.4g, carb 39.9g, fiber 2.9g, chol 67mg, iron 3.4mg, sodium 849mg, calc 376mg.

Recipe from "The Best of Cooking Light"


Roast Turkey Breast
in the slow cooker
This one is really great and SO easy. If you don't want to worry over your bird all day on Thanksgiving, you could do this.
Personally, we always smoke our turkey on our smoker, and I make this recipe at other times (when there is turkey breast on sale).

Prep time: 10 min
1 box (6 oz.) instant stuffing mix, such as Stove Top, any flavor
1 turkey breast (bone in) about 6-7 lbs
1 T butter
1 t paprika
1 t soy sauce
1/4 t poultry seasoning
1/4 t crushed rosemary

1. Spray 6-qt (I have 5-qt and it was OK) slow cooker with vegetable cooking spray. Place dry stuffing mix in bottom of pot, and place turkey breast skin side up on stuffing.
2. Gently melt butter with remaining ingredients. Brush on turkey. Roast w/temp set on high for 3 hr 45 min or on low for 5.5 hours, or until turkey registers 170F on a meat thermometer. Makes 10-12 servings. 465 cal, 56g protein, 19g fat, 13g carb, 57mg calcium; 0 fiber. This serving size is way large (8 oz or more!), so you might want to recalculate based on how much you will actually eat. Remember that a serving of meat is 3 oz (size of a deck of cards).

Recipe from Parents Magazine, November 2006.


Happy T-giving!!!!!

Yes, you can...

Make yogurt in your crock pot.

I'm linking to this because it's not my recipe. So you'll have to go there to see it, but the only ingredients are 1/2 gallon of milk and a yogurt starter (1/2c of plain store-bought yogurt with active cultures; you only need to buy it once and then you just save a little each time for your next batch). I add a couple more things, too, to make it set up more - see below.

This really works, and it's delicious. I have used both low-fat and skim milk, and they both worked. However, I like my yogurt to set up a bit. So when I put the milk in the crock pot, right at the start, I add 1/2 c of non-fat milk powder and 2 pkgs of gelatin. When it's done, if you want your fruit to set up in the yogurt, add the fruit & sugar (or Splenda, to taste) immediately and stir well. Then refrigerate, and in a few hours, voila!, you will have nice firm fruity yogurt.

I personally like to have a different flavor every day, so I just mix in the fruit right before eating. The texture isn't as nice this way, but I don't care :).

Oh, and it makes the BEST, cheapest, yogurt smoothies! Loren loves to take a yogurt smoothie with him to work. I just put a cup of plain yogurt, a few tsp of sugar (he hates Splenda) and some frozen fruit in my Magic Bullet blender (mini countertop blender - it's awesome). Sometimes I add a little vanilla (yum!). Then blend for 10 sec and you're all done.

This is SO EASY and SO CHEAP that you will never want to do store bought yogurt again. If you have an infant and are buying YoBaby, you can switch to this and save a small mint; just use whole milk to start with.

Plum marmalade

My friend Lani sent me this awesome plum marmalade recipe, and I knew it would be great when I read it. It is!!! Our golden plum tree is bursting with ripe fruit and so I made 2 batches of marmalade. The first batch didn't set very well (my error) but the 2nd batch did. They both taste GREAT, though!

Here's the recipe as Lani sent it:

1 pound plums
1 dried ancho chili *
3 cm fresh ginger or 1 Tablespoon ground ginger *
1 vanilla bean *
0.85 cups (6 oz) jam making sugar blend
2 Tablespoons dark rum *

1. Rinse, pit, and dice the plumbs. I do not peel them because I am too lazy. It all turns to mush anyhow.
2. If you're using the chili, soak it for a few minutes in warm water, then remove the seeds and chop finely.
3. If you're using fresh ginger, peel it and chop finely.
4. If you're using the vanilla bean, cut it lengthwise and scrape the inside with a sharp knife to loosen the seeds. (Cook the plums with both the seeds and the bean pod, but fish out the bean pod at the end.)
5. Put the plums and your choice of flavorings (except the rum) in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 15-30 minutes until the plums turn to mush.
6. Raise the heat, add the sugar blend, and cook at a rolling boil for 2-3 minutes.
7. Skim carefully.
8. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Fish out the vanilla bean and add the rum.
10. Pour into jars.
11. It's best to let it sit for a few days to allow the flavor to develop before tasting.


My modifications:
1. I DID peel my plums. They have really tough skins and it just ruins jam.
2. Instead of a dried ancho chili, I used 1/4t ancho chili powder (from Penzey's) per lb of plums.
3. The first time I used fresh ginger, and the 2nd time I used ground ginger, but since the Penzey's ground ginger is very strong, I used 1/2 tablespoon per lb of plums.
4. I used Penzey's vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean (it was what I had on hand) and I used 2t/lb plums.
5. Lani lives in Sweden where you can get "jam making sugar blend". Here, you can't. So, I used 3/4c sugar per lb plums, plus 1/2 pkg of pectin for low/no sugar recipes per lb plums (this was for the batch that actually set :)!). I had 4 lb plums, so used 3c sugar and 2 pkg pectin.

Gingered Pear Jam

This is what I'm going to make this weekend. My pear tree is laden with ripe fruit and I am ready to do some canning!

Lani, this one is for you :)




Gingered Pear Jam

3 lb fresh Bartlett pears
1 orange
1/2 lemon
1/2c diced candied ginger
1 pkg fruit pectin (1.75 oz)
5c sugar

Core and finely dice pears to make 4 cups. Put orange and lemon through food chopper, or process coarsely. Combine pears, orange, lemon, candied ginger, and fruit pectin. Bring to boil. Add sugar and bring back to full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim with metal spoon. Cool 5 minutes, skim again. Put in sterilized jars and seal. Process according to manufacturer's directions. Makes about 6 half pints.

I have made this with Splenda instead of sugar, using the pectin designed for sugar-free recipes, and it worked great and tasted yummy, too.

Friday & Saturday walking; recipe :)

Friday - went to Liberty Park at 6 am in case anyone showed up for the club workout; no one did (not surprising the day after the race). Did 3 laps easy for 4.2 miles in 45-ish minutes. Felt pretty good; a little muscle soreness from the race but not bad.

Saturday - due for 8 miles with Team in Training; however, they weren't meeting until 8 am and that schedule wasn't going to work for my family. So I got up at 5:30 and did what I thought was 8 in 1:25 but turns out it was only 7.8. Oops. Got back, showered, and made "Onion Bread Pudding" for the Team in Training potluck. Went to my Weight Watchers meeting, and my husband baked the bread pudding for me while I was there. Got back (weight 146.4; holding pretty steady - wishing I could take off another 1-2 lb but I am just not disciplined enough) and packed up kids and off we went to the potluck. The food was great and we had a pretty good time, but Michelle started to melt down after a while and so we left.

Here's the recipe for the bread pudding (from "The Best of Cooking Light"):

1 Vidalia or other sweet onion,cut into 1/4" thick slices
2c 2% reduced fat milk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t dried thyme
1/8 t freshly ground black pepper
2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
8 c cubed French bread (about 8 oz)
3/4 c (3 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add onion slices (keep slices intact); cook 3 min on each side or until browned.
3. Combine milk, salt, thyme, pepper, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring w/a whisk. Add bread cubes and 1/2 c cheese; toss well. Place bread mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish coated w/cooking spray. Arrange onion slices on top of bread mixture. Sprinkle w/1/4 c cheese. Bake at 425 for 25 min or until set & golden Yield: 4 servings (about 1.5 c per serving). 364 calories, 12.2g fat, 19.7g protein, 43.8g carb, 3.4g fiber, 136 mg chol, 2.1mg iron, 806mg sodium, 294mg calcium. 8 WW points.

I ate 1/2 of a serving and that was plenty - the serving size is VERY generous.

Recipe: Chicken Mole Poblano

This recipe was incredible! It's pretty spicy; so if you want it cooler use less chili powder and less of the chipotle chile. I got it from the Salt Lake Tribune; DeAnn Hilterbrand submitted it for a recipe contest.

Chicken Mole Poblano

1 cup salsa (I used fresh salsa, medium hot)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used PB2, to save calories)
1/4 cup raisins
1 small chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from 7 oz can), seeded (I did not seed it for a little extra heat)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 T semisweet chocolate chips
1 T chili powder or ground ancho chile pepper (I used chile powder)
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ground coriander
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
flour tortillas for burritos
avocado (optional, for garnish)
1/2 c crumbled queso fresco cheese or fresh mozzarella
1/2 c reduced fat sour cream

In a blender or food processor, place salsa, peanut butter, raisins, chipotle chile, broth, garlic, chocolate chips, ground chile pepper, pumpkin pie spice, and coriander. Cover; blend until smooth.

In a 12 inch frying pan, place chicken breasts. Add salsa mixture. Heat to boiling over medium heat, turning chicken occasionally to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is 160 degrees. Remove chicken from pan to cutting board; cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Return to pan and stir to coat w/sauce.

Heat tortillas as directed on package. To serve, place each tortilla on serving plate; spoon 1/4 of chicken and sauce mixture onto each tortilla. Top w/avocado, cheese, and sour cream. Fold tortillas in half over filling. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

WW points - 5 points for sauce and chicken only, per serving. Add points for tortillas (depends on what kind you buy), cheese, sour cream, and avocado. I personally eschewed the avocado and used the teeniest amount of cheese and some reduced fat sour cream. The tortillas I chose were 2 points each.

Recipe: Skinny Shepherd's Pie

By request, here it is! I made it for Loren and the kids the other night, and the entire pan disappeared in no time. It's a great recipe for WW because 1/4 of the pie is only 7 points, plus it's delicious!!!

Skinny Shepherd's Pie
from "Joy Bauer's Food Cures"

1T olive oil
1 c finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
2T low-sodium tomato paste
1T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t paprika
1c fat-free low-sodium beef broth
salt
ground black pepper
2-3 lg sweet potatoes (1.5 lbs), cubed and boiled (or softened in microwave)
1/2 c 1% reduced-fat buttermilk or reduced-fat sour cream
2 egg whites
2T shredded reduced-fat cheddar or Swiss cheese
1T grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 6-8 cup ceramic or glass gratin dish (I used a deep dish pie plate) with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 405 min. Add the turkey, and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the turkey is browned, 3-4 min longer.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, thyme, and paprika. Cook, stiring, 2 minutes. Add the broth and cook 2-3 min, until the turkey is cooked through and a light sauce forms. Season to taste w/salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes w/the buttermilk or sour cream until smooth. Season to taste w/salt & pepper. In a large metal bowl, beat the egg whites w/a pinch of salt on high speed until stiff but not lumpy, 4-6 min. They should cling firmly to the side of the bowl when tilted. With a spatula, gently fold egg whites, 1/3 at a time, into the sweet potato mixture, until all the egg whites are just incorporated and not deflated.
5. Spread the meat mixture into the prepared caserole dish, and top with the sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle w/the cheddar or Swiss cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the potato topping is puffed and browned around the edges, 30-35 min. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.
Per serving: 403 calories, 41g protein, 44g carb, 7g fat, 2g sat fat, 61 mg chol, 368 mg sodium, 6g fiber. 7 WW points.

recipe of the day

From my Joy Fit Club buddy Tina Morris (inducted earlier this year).

Warm Chunky Apple Pie

8-10 large apples (Granny Smith/Gala)
¾ cup Splenda (not the packets)
½ cup water
1 Tbsp. cinnamon


Peel and core apples, cut into chunks.

Put apples into crockpot. Add Splenda, water, and cinnamon, mix well.

Cook on low 4-5 hours


1 cup = 1 pt.

DELICIOUS on top of 1/2 c of Dreyer's slow churned vanilla bean, no sugar added ice cream, for 1 more point.

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Yes, all the recipes so far have been either 1) stir-fries or 2) ground turkey recipes, because that's what my friends were asking for.

This one got a Loren rating of very good. If you make it with leftover Thanksgiving turkey (just chop up the white meat finely), it gets a Loren rating of great. Yum!

Turkey Enchilada Casserole
Makes 8 servings

2t olive oil
1 lb ground skinless turkey breast
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ t salt
1t dried oregano
1/4/ t ground cumin
2 (10-ounce) cans enshilada sauce
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped mild green chiles
1t red-wine vinegar
½ c chopped fresh cilantro
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, halved
1 c shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Swirl in 1t of the oil, then add the turkey, half of the onions, half of the garlic, and ¼ t of the salt. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooded spoon until browned, about 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Swirl in the remaining 1t oil, then add the remaining onions, garlic, ¼ t salt, the oregano, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the enchilada sauce, chiles, and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
4. Arrange 1/3 of the tortilla halves inan overlapping layer on the bottom of the dish. Spoon 1/3 of the turkey mixture over the top; top with 1/3 of the sauce and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheddar. Repeat the layering twice. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake 20 min. Remove the foil and bake 5 min longer or until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand 10 min before serving.
Per serving (1/8 of casserole): 218 cal, 6g fat, 2g sat fat, 49 mg chol, 588 mg sod, 20 g carb, 2g fiber, 21g protein, 168 mg calcium. Points: 4.

Spaghetti with Classic Italian Meat Sauce

This one is a little time intensive, but only because it simmers a long time, which of course makes it taste better!

Here’s a good recipe for spaghetti sauce w/ground turkey, from “The Best Light Recipe”. AWESOME cookbook – it’s from Cook’s Illustrated, and they test everything to be sure that it tastes great in addition to being lighter and better for you.

Spaghetti with Classic Italian Meat Sauce (serves 6)

Do not use ground turkey breast meat (99% fat free) or the sauce will be dry and grainy. To make the meat sauce ahead, follow the recipe through step 4 and cool. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency. Any shape of pasta can be substituted for the spaghetti here.

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 T olive oil
Salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 t)
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
2 T tomato paste
2 c low-sodium chicken broth (the cookbook likes Swenson’s organic for best flavor)
1 bay leaf
1/8 t red pepper flakes
1 pound spaghetti
½ c minced fresh basil leaves (I have used the squeeze basil and it works well, too)
Ground black pepper

1. Process 1 can of tomatoes in a food processor until almost smooth, about 5 sec; set aside.
2. Combine the onion, 1t of the oil, and ¼ t salt in a Dutch oven. Cover & cook over med-low heat, stirring often, until softened, 8-10 min. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec.
3. Add ½ the ground turkey and increase heat to med-high. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces w/wooden spoon, until meat loses its raw color, about 5 min. Stir in the tomato past and cook until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 2 min. Stir in the pureed tomatoes, canned tomatoes w/their juices, chicken broth, bay leaf, and pepper flakes. Reduce heat to med and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 45 min.
4. Stir the remaining turkey into the sauce and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink and the sauce is thickened, about 25-30 min. Discard the bay leaf.
5. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in 1T salt and the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to the pot.
6. Stir the remaining 2t olive oil and the basil into the sauce, and season w/salt and pepper to tatste. Toss 3 c of the sauce w/the cooked pasta, adding the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide the pasta among 6 individual bowls, top each bowl with a portion of the remaining sauce, and serve.

Per serving: 440 cal, 8g fat, 2g sat fat, 45 mg chol, 66g carb, 27g protein, 3g fiber, 820 mg sodium.

General Tsao's Chicken

Loren rating scale: Great!

General Tsao’s Chicken
Serves 4 (I always double this one because it’s so good!)

¾ c canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
2T cornstarch
2T sugar
2T low-sodium soy sauce
1T white wine vinegar
½ t ground ginger (the stronger, the better – I like Penzey’s www.penzeys.com)
2t peanut oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
2 med garlic cloves, minced
½ t red pepper flakes, or 1 dried chili pepper, minced
1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 c cooked white rice, kept hot.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over med-high heat. Add scallions, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook 2 min. Add chicken and cook until browned all over, about 5 min.
3. Add reserved sauce and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
4. Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Yields about 1 c chicken and sauce and ½ c rice per serving.

Points: 6