Saturday Night Salmon.

Now salmon might sound boring on a Saturday night, but not when it's made this way, and enjoyed with a glass or two of pinot noir.  A friend of mine shared this recipe, and it is probably my favorite way to prepare salmon.  Had it not been a cold, rainy night we would have grilled this on the BBQ.  But it was, so we simply broiled it and it came out perfect.

Grilled Salmon with Dijon and Shallots

4 6oz. salmon fillets (center cut, skin on)
2 tbsp. minced shallots
1 tbsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme
3 tbsp. agave nectar or honey
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

For the sauce, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.  Spray grill (or foil if broiling) with non-stick cooking spray and lay the salmon skin side down over medium-high heat.  Spoon most of the sauce over the fish and grill with the lid closed.  Don't turn the fish, and grill 6-8 minutes.  Doneness depends on size of the fillets and how well you like your salmon cooked.  With lid closed the shallots will caramelize into the sauce and become sweet and mild.  When the fish is done, slide spatula between the fish and the skin, leaving the skin on the grill.

I usually serve this with roasted garlic potatoes and steamed broccoli, but this time had a 1/2 cup of creamy polenta and garlic sauteed broccoli with kosher salt and Parmesan cheese.  For the dinner shown on my plate I counted 9 points for the 6 oz. piece of salmon, 1 point for its sauce, 2 points for the polenta, and 1 point for the olive oil and cheese on the broccoli.  This dinner also delivered a serving of lean protein, a healthy oil, a whole grain, and a vegetable- you can't have a more complete meal than that!  Total was 13 points for dinner, and 8 points for my two glasses of pinot noir.  Good thing it's Saturday, I have 49 Points Plus Allowance to use this week!  Make it a great week!

Salty and Sweet Snacks.

SALTY SNACK


I love to entertain and am always on the look out for low calorie appetizers.  Who doesn't love Spinach and Artichoke Dip?  I do and have a really killer recipe, but it calls for real butter, cream cheese, jack cheese, and Parmesan cheese- and spinach and artichokes.  It's delicious, but really high in fat and calories.  In the April issue of Cooking Light I came across a much lighter version and tried it.  It's creamy base is made of pureed white beans and low fat mayonnaise versus all that cheese and butter.  The beans give it more protein which makes it heartier and healthier.  I served it with toasted pita chips which I made myself, both recipes are below.

Artichoke, Spinach and White Bean Dip

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise (I prefer Best Foods)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper ( I used cayenne)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 ounce can of white beans, rinsed and drained (I used Bush's Cannellini beans which are white kidney)
1 14 ounce can baby artichoke hearts, drained and quartered (I actually used grilled artichoke hearts which I find in the produce section at Whole Foods- the grilled flavor really boosted the overall dip flavor.)
1 9 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry.
Cooking spray
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  place Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, peppers, garlic and beans in food processor and process until smooth.  Spoon into a medium bowl and stir in the artichokes and spinach.  Spoon the mixture into a 1 quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and brown.  1/4 cup of dip equals 2 points.

To make pita chips, place Alternative Whole Wheat Pitas on a cookie sheet and spray with olive oil.  Sprinkle with preferred seasoning and salt and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cut into triangles.  One whole pita equals 3 points.

SWEET SNACK

In addition to entertaining, one of my biggest passions is to bake.  And one of my specialties are cakes.  I have awesome recipes for chocolate, red velvet and carrot- and have found a great way to make an easy, low fat version.  My indulgent cakes are made from scratch, but my easy, low fat versions all start with box mixes.  Then I simply add one cup of pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) and one cup of water- stir and bake.  I got this recipe from a Weight Watcher meetings three years ago and make them often- it's my way of having cake and staying on plan!

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 box Pillsbury Moist Supreme Sugar Free Devil's Food cake mix (any chocolate cake box mix will work)
1 cup pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pan (12 cupcakes) by spraying with non-stick spray (or lining with papers and spraying).  In medium mixing bowl mix cake mix, pumpkin and water.  Stir by hand and mix until smooth.  Fill each cupcake space evenly.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, and insert toothpick to make sure they are done.  Let cool and enjoy.  1 cupcake is 5 points.

Diner Food Done Right, A Healthy Tuna Melt.

One of my favorite splurge sandwiches is a classic Tuna Melt, served with French fries.  But they are so high in calories and fat that I rarely order them or make them at home.  I have a half of one a year at Brophy's Brothers in Santa Barbara, and they make it so delicious that it's worth every calorie (they use lots of real mayonnaise and a thick piece of Texas toast, grilled with butter- heaven!).

But I found a lower calorie, lower carbohydrate way to have it as often as I like- and today I was craving it.  I make my own low fat tuna salad, use low fat cheddar cheese and put it on a Whole Wheat Alternative Pita which I use as a pizza crust.  I first saw a Tuna Melt Pizza on the California Pizza Kitchen menu back in the 90s but they don't make it anymore.  So my version is also a great substitute for that item which is no longer available.  I know everyone likes their tuna salad a certain way, so whether you like onion or celery, put it in and count accordingly.  I like dill relish in my tuna salad and it's free!

Tuna Melt Pizza

1 Whole Wheat Alternative Pita (3 pts)
1/2 cup of tuna canned in water, drained (3 pts)
2 tbsp. low fat Best Foods mayonnaise (2 pts according to my WW calculator)
1 tbsp. dill pickle relish (0)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (0)
1/4 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese (2 pts)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix tuna with mayonnaise and relish and put down on pita.  Top with chopped tomatoes and cheddar cheese.  Bake 12-14 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned.  Cut into four pieces and enjoy!  10 points for the whole pizza and it includes a serving of whole grains, a lean protein and a dairy.  This one will fill you up and keep you satisfied all afternoon.

Spring colors on every plate!

I know spring is here because my favorite colors this week are pink and orange.  I pulled out my spring table cloth which has these colors, bought tulips in these colors, and today, cooked and ate these colors.

One of my favorite vegetables lately has been beets.  I didn't like these growing up, but in the last couple of years they have popped up on so many restaurant menus that I've come to love them.  So I made them at home, and they are pretty easy, and so gorgeous!  I usually just boil them, then toss in olive oil with a bit of salt, pepper, balsamic glaze and crumbled goat cheese, but this time I tweaked a Barefoot Contessa recipe and they turned out great, see below.

Jeweled Beets with Orange Vinaigrette

4 yellow beets
4 red beets
2 navel oranges
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
zest from two navel oranges

Start by boiling your beets in salted water for about 45-50 minutes.  The water should just cover the beets, and they'll be ready when you prick them with a fork and feel that they are tender crisp (fork should pierce the flesh, but not be mushy).  Drain, rinse and let cool.  When you can handle the beets, peel them, and dice them into half inch cubes, placing in a stainless steel bowl (anything else will stain). 

For the vinaigrette, zest both oranges and reserve in a small mixing bowl with 2 tbsp. of the juice.  Peel the oranges, and cut the sections into bite sizes, adding to the beets.  Add oil, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar in bowl and mix well.  Pour over beets and oranges and toss well.  Let marinate for at least one hour...but the longer they sit, the better they taste.  Depending on the size of your beets, this makes about 4 cups, so I count each half cup serving for one point for the oil.

I tried another new recipe today at lunch which turned out quite well.  It was another tweaked recipe from the Barefoot Contessa (I love Ina!), oven baked Sweet Potato Fries.  This was really a gorgeous side dish to my roasted chicken with BBQ sauce and squash (seasoned with I Can't Believe it's Not Butter and dill) as you can see below.  (In the photo the fries are at 4 o'clock on my plate- they kind of look like carrots.) 

Now if you are a "crispy French fry snob"  (you know who you are) then these might not be for you.  The flavor is awesome, but they aren't crispy because they're not fried but they are much better for you.  I have enough leftover for tomorrow's lunch with a Boca Burger.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika (if you don't have this spice, go get it- it's awesome!)
1/8 tsp. chili powder
few shakes of cayenne pepper (add more if you like the heat).

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.  Peel your sweet potatoes and cut into fries that are half the size of a "steak fry".  Spray a baking sheet with Pam, and place potatoes on sheet.  Pour olive oil on top, and toss by hand to make sure all are well covered.  Spread out on sheet to make sure they're all even and on the sheet.  in small mixing bowl mix brown sugar with all spices.  Toss by hand over all potatoes.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Pull from oven, flip with spatula and bake for another 5-15 minutes.  Enjoy!  A 3oz. serving is 2 points for the potato and 1 for the oil, so 3 points total.

Spice up your Spring!

I love using fresh herbs and spices when I cook, it really livens up a meal.  Today I added a generous sprinkle of cinnamon to my oatmeal, fresh mint to a bowl of berries, and a lot of warm spices to a bowl of chili.   On a cold, rainy night cumin, chili powder, oregano, and paprika really warm you up and fill you up.

Cinnamon Oatmeal with Maple and Fruit

1 organic Braeburn apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup dry oatmeal
1/2 cup water
generous sprinkle of cinnamon
2 tbsp. Maple Grove Farms sugar free maple syrup
1 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. dried cranberries

In a microwave safe bowl, add half of the chopped apple (I eat the other half while my oatmeal's cooking), dry oatmeal, water and cinnamon.  Microwave for 90 seconds, or until cooked.  Add in maple syrup and dried fruit, stir until well mixed.  

Points plus value is 3 points, 2 for the oatmeal, 1 for the dried fruit.  (Apple and cinnamon are free, and the syrup only has 15 calories so also free.)

Minted Berries

2 cups fresh assorted berries- strawberries (halved or quartered depending on how large), blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries
1 ttbsp. simple syrup (1 tbsp. very hot water and 1 tbsp. sugar- stir until sugar is melted)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint.

Place berries in bowl, and pour simple syrup over all.  Sprinkle fresh mint on top and stir.  Let sit for one hour and serve.  Garnish with a mint sprig.  One cup is free.

Kickin' Chili

3 cloves chopped garlic
1 pound lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner)
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 large cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 cup Cabernet wine
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. cocoa powder (or cocoa chile)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. paprika

Brown meat in large skillet with onion and garlic, then drain fat off.  Transfer to large stock pot and cook a few minutes over medium-high heat adding in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, chiles, and all spices.  Simmer and stir for at least one hour on low heat.  Adjust seasoning as you like, and serve with chopped onion and shredded low fat cheddar cheese.  This makes a lot, so have empty containers on hand so you can freeze leftovers.  I count one cup for 6 points plus (but I haven't calculated it on etolls).

Portobello and Provolone Patty Melt

With a couple of portobello mushroom caps in the refrigerator I was looking for a new recipe to try for lunch.  I scored a home run with this one.  I clipped it from the October 2010 edition of Cooking Light, but left out the meat patty, and served it open face.  We happened to have dark beer leftover from St. Patrick's Day and rye bread and provolone so I was ready to rock.

Portobello and Provolone Patty Melt

2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. all purpose flour
1/4 cup dark beer
2 slices rye bread
2 slices provolone cheese
4 tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add portobello mushrooms, onion, salt, and pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes covered.  Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beer and cook 30 seconds or until thick.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

Toast rye bread slices and spray with I Can't Believe it's Not Butter.  Pre-heat broiler, and line cookie sheet with foil, spray with non-stick spray.  Spoon half of the mixture on each piece of toasted rye bread, and top each with 2 tbsp. mozzarella cheese and 1 slice of provolone cheese on top.  Place in broiler and cook until cheese is browned and melted, 2-3 minutes.

With the meaty portobello mushrooms and extra cheese, you'll have plenty of protein and won't miss the meat patty.  You could add a ground beef patty or a Boca Burger patty to make this a bigger meal.  As served above, I counted 2 points for the slice of rye bread, 1 for the olive oil, 1 for the beer and flour, and 2 for the cheese- mushrooms and onions are free.  6 points plus value per piece.

Sunday Breakfast is Served.

These days Sundays are my long run days as I'm preparing to run the La Jolla half marathon on April 17th.  Since I'm getting in a lot of cardio on Sunday mornings, afterwards I enjoy a bigger breakfast.  Today I am making Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Compote.  I'll use the same Whole Foods Whole Wheat Pancake Mix that I used to make the apple cinnamon pancakes previously posted, but this time I added in fresh blueberries, and made a compote to top them with (thank you  Joanna for the idea/recipe) .  They were not only healthy and delicious, but they were gorgeous too! 

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

For pancakes:
1 cup Whole Foods Organic Whole Wheat Buttermilk pancake mix
1 egg white
2/3 cup of milk
whisk three ingredients together, just until mixed and set aside.
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (add by hand when on the griddle)

For blueberry compote:

1/2 cup of fresh blueberries, rinsed
1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup (I prefer Maple Grove Farms, 30 calories for 1/4 cup)
2 tbsp. berry syrup
1 tbsp. corn starch

In small saucepan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 tbsp. of berry syrup and corn starch and whisk well.  Break up all bits of cornstarch while whisking, and mix just until it starts to thicken.  Remove from heat, add in fresh blueberries, and set aside.   Add remaining 2 tbsp. of maple syrup and tbsp. of berry syrup- keep warm until ready to serve.

Spray griddle with non-stick spray and pre-heat to medium/ medium-high heat.  Pour batter on in about 3 tbsp. servings to make three four inch pancakes.  Top each with about 10-12 blueberries to make sure each bite has a berry in it, see below.  Cook 3-4 minutes then flip.  Cook until done, stack on to plate (spritz with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray if desired) and top with 1/2 of the blueberry compote.  Eat while hot!

Points Plus value, 2 points per pancake, 2 points for compote- total for three pancakes and compote, 8.  This breakfast also delivers a serving of whole grain and half a serving of fruit.

Saturday Night Spaghetti.

I love a big bowl of spaghetti with a rich meat sauce just as much as anyone, but I love it even more when I know it's good for me too.  My original meat sauce recipe used ground beef, pork, and veal, but these days I use lean ground turkey and turkey sausage and it tastes great!  I've also made the switch from white pasta to whole wheat- when will Weight Watchers Smart Ones and Lean Cuisines make this change too?!?!?!

This recipe is made in a large stock pot, so make sure you have plenty of containers for freezing leftovers.  There's nothing better than making a homemade pasta dinner in 15 minutes by just thawing sauce and boiling noodles!

Italian Turkey Meat Sauce

2 green bell peppers

1 medium red onion

6 cloves of garlic

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 package extra lean ground turkey meat (20 oz, Jenny O brand is preferred)

2 links hot Italian seasoned turkey sausages, casings removed (Jenny O preferred)

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 large cans crushed tomatoes (San Marzano brand is preferred)

3 cans tomato sauce (San Marzano brand is preferred)

3 small cans tomato paste (San Marzano brand is preferred)

¼ cup sugar (optional)

Dice peppers, onions and garlic and put in bottom of large stockpot.  Add olive oil and sauté for five minutes over medium-high heat.  Add all meat and brown.  Reduce heat to low and add all tomato products and sugar.  Add seasonings to taste.  Simmer at least two hours, as long as seven hours.  Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serve over your favorite pasta, count 4 points plus value per half cup.

Stuffed Spinach and Mushroom Pizza

Growing up in the Napa Valley was a beautiful place, but quite boring for a teenager.  Once we got our driver's licenses like most other teenagers we started driving into "the city".  We'd go to San Francisco a lot, as well as Marin County and Berkeley.  In Berkeley I fell in love with deep dish pizza.  Having never been to Chicago at that point I didn't know it was that popular or delicious, but Zachary's Pizza changed my life.  It's still ranked as the Best Pizza in the Bay Area, and if you ever go to NoCal be sure to check this spot out.  The stuffed spinach and mushroom is their signature, and worth the 45 minute wait once you place your order.

About this time I really started to get into cooking too.  As high schoolers my mom made my brother and I cook one family dinner a week.  We only had one cookbook that I can remember (a Pillsbury Classic) and one well worn recipe card box.  After making some of my mom's recipes, I wanted to try some new things.  So I went to the public library and went to the cookbook section.  It was there that I found a cookbook with a recipe for stuffed pizza!  I hand copied the recipe, came home and made it and it actually turned out OK (the sauce and filling were perfect, but my homemade pizza crust was a little tough).  Over the years I have perfected it, and tonight I made it with a whole wheat crust for the first time.  I have always made a scratch crust which takes a long time, but I've found the Trader Joe's pizza dough is quite good.  So I saved some time on dough, used organic produce and made this fabulous pizza. 

Stuffed Spinach and Mushroom Pizza

1 pkg. Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough

1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, peeled
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil (fresh really makes the difference here)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 clove of garlic, crushed and minced
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

3 oz. fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried with stems removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese (grating your own cheese makes a difference too)

To start, remove pizza dough from package and set out to rest on floured surface for 20 minutes. 

To make sauce, drain liquid from tomatoes and crush by hand.  Place in medium sized bowl, and add remaining ingredients.  Stir and set aside.

In separate large bowl, combine chopped spinach leaves, sliced mushrooms and shredded mozzarella cheese.  Toss by hand to make sure well mixed.

Once ready to assemble the pizza, pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.  Using a nine inch shallow cake pan, or an 8 inch deep cake pan, spray well with olive oil.  Cut dough into two pieces, one piece being 1/4 and the other being 3/4 of the dough.  Take the larger piece and either roll out with a rolling pin, or hand stretch and toss until 2 inches larger than your cake pan.  Place dough over the cake pan, and secure up over the sides to hold up.  Fill with all spinach, mushroom and cheese mixture.  Roll out small piece of dough until just the size of the pan and place on top.  Crimp the pieces together, and make slits on top crust.  It's OK if the center is higher than the sides, once the spinach wilts it will level out. 

Bake pizza on lowest rack for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and set on counter.  Using a slotted spoon (to drain excess liquid) cover pizza with sauce, but don't spread it to the edge.  Put pizza back in oven on the highest rack and bake for another 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let rest for a couple of minutes.  Remove whole pizza from pan and place on large cutting board.  Cut with serrated knife and serve while hot.  ENJOY!

Points Plus Value for whole pizza is 42 points. (counting crust, oil and Parmesan cheese in the sauce, and mozzarella cheese.)  I don't have e-tools, so you may want to double check my estimate.  If cut and served in 6 slices, 7 points per slice.  If cut and served in 8 slices, 5.25 points per slice, and 10.5 points for 1/4 of the pizza.

Great day for Grilling!

I don't grill very much as this is where my fiancee David is the master.  But, I do love firing up the grill and putting all kinds of vegetables on it.  And since it is gorgeous today, and I had portabellos in the refrigerator, it's a perfect day to have my ultimate Grilled Vegetable Sandwich for lunch.  I found this recipe two years ago in Cooking Light, but have made it lighter and better by using an Oroweat Sandwich Thin for my bread, and boosting the flavor with pesto and goat cheese.  Trust me, this is one of those recipes you will make over and over again.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

For vegetable marinade:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced

Suggested vegetables: (for 2 sandiwches)

2 Portabello mushroom caps
1/2 bell pepper, any color, cut vertically
1/2 red onion, cut in thick slices

Additional Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Oroweat Sandwich Thins
goat cheese
kale pesto (recipe shared in previous post, or substitute with fresh chopped basil)
balsamic glaze, optional (I like the Rachel Ray brand best and find it at Ralph's)
field greens
cherry tomatoes
balsamic Dijon vinaigrette

For vegetables:  Prep and cut all vegetables and place in a large Ziploc bag.  In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic.  Mix well and pour into bag.  Remove air, seal bag and toss to thoroughly coat all vegetables.  Marinate at least 5 minutes.  Meanwhile prep (spray with non-stick grill spray, or rub a bit of olive oil on) and pre-heat your grill to medium-high heat (or if weather doesn't permit, you could roast these in the oven.).  When grill is ready, lay down all vegetables on grill, and discard leftover marinade and bag (recycle!)  Cover and grill for about 5 minutes. Open and turn, grilling for another 3-5 minutes.  Portabello mushrooms may take an additional 2-3 minutes if they are large.

Now you're ready to assemble.  Toast your Oroweat Sandwich Thin and spread 1 Tbsp. of goat cheese on one half, and 1 tbsp. of kale pesto on the other half (or lay down shredded basil).  Stack Portabello on the bottom, flat stem side up.  Lay onions in cavern of mushroom, then lay sliced bell pepper strips on top.  Top with toasted Sandwich Thin top and serve with one cup of field greens, 1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes and 1 tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette.  This is so good you will want to gobble it up, but slow down and enjoy every bite, this is so good!

Points Plus Value is 6 for the sandwich and salad made as shown (3 for the Sandwich Thin, 1 pt for the goat cheese and kale pesto, and 1 for the olive oil that the vegetables were marinated in, and 1 for the salad dressing on the field greens).  It also delivers a serving of whole grains, a healthy oil and 3 servings of vegetables.

Since it is so beautiful today, I'm off to walk my dog!  Have a great day!