Thursday, July 29, 2010

Crusty Lemon Bread


Prep and cook time: 10 minutes

1 baguette
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon zest of lemon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat broiler.

[1] Slice baguette vertically in half. In a small bowl, mix together butter, zest and salt. Brush butter mixture on cut sides of bread and place on a baking sheet. Broil until hot, about 5-10 minutes.

Very, very quick to do - especially since I bought a pre-sliced baguette.
(An extra 60 cents well spent.)
I melted the butter for about 15 seconds in the microwave because it was easier to brush on melted than just at room temperature.
If you like lemon, you will love this bread!



p
er serving: 227 calories; 6 grams protein; 8 grams total fat; 2 grams fiber; 4 grams saturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 15 mgs cholesterol; 391 mgs sodium
5 weight watcher points

Summer Bow Tie Pasta


Prep & cook time: 35 minutes
Serves 4 people

10 ounces bow tie pasta
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 sweet onion , diced
1 yellow bell pepper , cored and diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
4 tomatoes , cored and diced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated


[1] Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain.

[2] While pasta cooks, heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any brown bits; simmer until almost evaporated, about a minute. Add tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes.

[3] Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced slightly,
about 15 minutes. Gently fold in basil and pasta (along with more olive oil if needed to moisten). Remove from heat.

[4] Serve pasta warm, topped with Parmesan.

Super easy, quick and delicious! The kids weren't huge fans, but everyone else had second helpings. I grated fresh parmesan cheese - yum! Next time the only thing I would change is that I would cook the vegetables first and then cook the pasta so the pasta stays warmer for when I serve it.



per serving: 394 calories; 13 grams protein; 15 grams total fat; 4 grams fiber; 3 grams saturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 9 mgs cholesterol; 163 mgs sodium
8 weight watcher points

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Open-Faced Turkey Burgers with Basil Mayo



Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 white onion , diced
6 slices of Muenster cheese
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 4 slices on the bias
1 1/2 head red leaf lettuce
2 tomatoes , cored and sliced

BASIL MAYONNAISE
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4
cup fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat the grill to medium-high

[1] In a small bowl, blend the basil mayo ingredients. Place in the fridge un
til ready.

[2] Mix together the turkey, onion, mayonnaise (for the burgers) in a bowl. Gently form into patties. Grill the burgers, until cooked though 7-8 minutes per side. During the last 2 minutes of grilling, top the burgers with cheese and place the bread on the grill to toast.

[3] Arrange lettuce leaves and tomatoes on the bread, top with the burgers and a dollop of basil mayonnaise.


We found that the meat didn't stick together very well with just the mayo, so next time I would add an egg to keep things melded better. I loved the basil mayo. I actually found fresh basil at the grocery store this time! Super quick recipe and I gotta say Muenster cheese is the best. Mmmmm.



per serving: 623 calories; 34 grams protein; 46 grams total fat; 3 grams fiber; 11 grams saturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 149 mgs cholesterol; 642 mgs sodium
16 weight watcher points

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Grilled Chicken Salad



Prep and cook time: 30 minutes

1 10.5 ounce jar marinated feta cheese cubes in oil with herbs and spices
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion , peeled, and cut into1/2-inch wedges
6 ounces fresh spinach
4 tomatoes , in assorted colors, cut into wedges
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted, halved

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

[1] Drain oil from feta into a small bowl. Whisk in oregano and vinegar.

[2] Brush chicken and onion wedges with a little olive oil;. Grill chicken until cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per sid
e, and onion until tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes.

[3] Meanwhile, arrange spinach on large platter. Combine tomatoes, olives, and feta in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat generously. Arrange on platter with spinach.

[4] Thinly slice chicken; arrange chicken and onion wedges on platter. Drizzle chicken and spinach with more dressing and serve.

I ended up pan-frying the chicken breasts until they were cooked through because none of the boys were available for grilling last night. :) They were super moist and juicy - I just sprayed both sides and the pan with some olive oil cooking spray and cooked them about 8 minutes on each side, flipping occasionally. I cooked the onions while the chicken was resting.. they tasted great in the chicken drippings that were left in the pan.
Now, I didn't bother with getting different colored tomatoes - I just used the grape tomatoes (which I cut in half) and some vine-ripened tomatoes cut into wedges.
If you don't know what kalamata olives taste like then you will probably be surprised by what a strong flavor they have. Personally, I love they way they taste, but Mark and Cristin thought they were too overwhelming, so next time I may just throw regular olives in. (And pretty much forget about a kid eating them.)
I didn't "arrange on a platter", as you can tell from the pictures. I just put the spinach in one bowl, the tomato-feta-olive mixture in another bowl and the chicken and onions on a plate and let everyone build their own salad. Overall this was a very fresh, flavorful dish!



per serving: 396 calories; 61 grams protein; 11 grams total fat; 3 grams fiber; 5 grams saturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 162 mgs cholesterol; 647 mgs sodium
8 weight watcher points

Thyme-Corn Muffins



Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes


olive oil cooking spray
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 ear(s) fresh corn, cooked and kernals removed
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg , lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

[1] Lightly coat a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, thyme, and 1 cup corn.

[2] Combine buttermilk, egg, and oil in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

[3] Spoon batter into muffin cups or a muffin tin, filling three-quarters full. Top with remaining 2 tablespoons corn and the thyme.

[4] Bake until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool in tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn out muffins onto rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Okay, I gotta admit, I didn't actually make these. Turns out Cristin didn't have Baking Powder or Baking Soda at her house... at least, none that we could find in her pantry!
So, we improvised and used a low-fat Marie Callender's mix that she had hanging around. I did add a can of corn to the mix, for fanciness, though. I will make these one day and let ya'll know how they actually turn out!

per serving: 218 calories; 4 grams protein; 7 grams total fat; 2 grams fiber; 1 gram saturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 22 mgs cholesterol; 197 mgs sodium
5 weight watcher points

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Potato Salad with Buttermilk-Bacon Dressing



Prep and cook time: 25 minutes

6 bacon slices
3 pounds small new potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ear(s) fresh corn, kernels removed
6 green onions , chopped
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 and 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar




[1] Place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, cook over high heat until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

[2] In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, cool on paper towels. Set skillet aside. Cook corn in skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Set corn aside.

[3] Crumble bacon into a large mixing bowl; add buttermilk, mayonnaise and vinegar. Add reserved corn, potatoes and onions to bowl, toss gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve
.

I did not, I repeat, DID NOT cut the kernels off of 6 ears of corn. Instead we estimated 2 cans of sweet whole kernel corn would be about right... and it was perfect! Just drain the can and dump it in. Much easier. I also added a couple extra pieces of bacon, because can you ever have enough bacon? This was a super delicious potato salad and I will absolutely make this for a family party or something as soon as I can!




per serving: 302 calories; 7 grams protein; 15 grams total fat; 5 grams fiber; 3 grams saturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 17 mgs cholesterol; 218 mgs sodium
6 weight watcher points

Baked Barbecue Chicken


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 yellow onion , chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
3
tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

[1] Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Saute chicken in oil until browned on both sides. Remove chicken to a large casserole dish. Add onion to pan and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook f
or one more minute.

[2] Decrease heat to medium low. Slowly add ketchup, tomato sauce, maple syrup, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce, scraping bits up from bottom of pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over chicken in casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through, basting twice during cooking time.


I am not a fan of cooking things in oil... my poor forearms!
The chicken was super moist, but I don't know if I'd go to the trouble of making this barbecue sauce again. Cristin said she really liked it, though.
I did not baste the chicken, since the sauce basically covered it in the casserole dish anyways.




per serving: 312 calories; 30 grams protein; 6 grams total fat; 2 grams fiber; 1 gram saturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 68 mgs cholesterol; 2156 mgs sodium
6 weight watcher points

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Parmesan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets


Prep and cook time: 30 minutes


1 1/2 pound turkey cutlets, skinless and boneless
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 large eggs , beaten

olive oil cooking spray


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

[1] Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat the rack with cooking spray. Brush both sides of the turkey breast cutlets with mustard. In a pie plate or another shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley and salt and pepper.

[2 In another bowl, whisk the egg(s) until frothy. Dip each cutlet into the egg, then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the cutlets on the prepared rack
over the baking sheet.

[3] Coat the top of each cutlet with cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes until the crumb coating is golden brown and crisp.

I think 'panko' is a brand of bread crumb? I don't really know, but we just used the Western Family bread crumbs Cristin had in her pantry already. Once again, I didn't feel the need to over season with salt and pepper. The bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture on the turkey was really, really yummy. If you don't want to spend the extra cash on the turkey cutlets, I think this recipe would work exactly as well on chicken. In fact, that's probably what I would use next time. (Though the turkey was super tender and moist and delicious!)
I didn't realize I'd need the wire rack, so I didn't bring mine over to Cristin's house. I ended up just cooking the turkey straight on the cookie sheet. They turned out just dandy that way.

We definitely will add this one to our 'favorites' list!





per serving: 270 calories; 35 grams protein; 9 grams total fat; 1 gram fiber; 4 grams saturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 199 mgs cholesterol; 438 mgs sodium
6 weight watcher points

Baby Broccoli with Lemon and Dill


Prep and cook time: 20 minutes


1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoon fresh dill, snipped
2 tablespoon zest of lemon , finely grated
2 teaspoon olive oil

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 bunch baby broccoli
3 tablespoons butter


[1] In a large skillet, combine the broth, dill, lemon zest, oil and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes

[2] Add broccoli and butter to the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Drain the broccoli and transfer to a serving bowl.

We had chicken broth in the house, so we just used that instead of vegetable broth. It didn't seem to make the broccoli taste chicken-y or anything like that.
Ryan said he could taste the dill, but to me this broccoli just tasted like steamed broccoli with butter. This dish didn't take much time and was a hit with even the kids!





per serving: 94 calories; 4 grams protein; 6 grams total fat; 3 grams fiber; 4 grams saturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 15 mgs cholesterol; 233 mgs sodium
2 weight watcher points