Monday Night dinner with Grandma

I haven't really forgotten about this secondary posting.  The time has just gotten away from me.

There have been some new challenges in feeding Grandma.  She keeps saying she doesn't like meat.  Of any sort.  That presents all sorts of problems as my husband, her grandson, who eats dinner with us  MUST have meat.  Of all sorts.

Now she will eat meatloaf.  I guess the more thoroughly the meat is "pre-chewed"  the better she likes it. I've developed quite a meatloaf recipe collection.

Tonight's, however, is a new one.  It's a chicken parm meatloaf.  In muffin tins.  Like big meatballs.  Chicken Parm meatballs.  With cheese and tomato sauce.  Here's the recipe:

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf
Source: adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago?

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs raw ground chicken breast (if you have trouble finding ground chicken that is breast meat only, do what I do and throw the same weight of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the food processor and run until ground)
1 large egg
1 egg whites
6 T dried breadcrumbs
¾ t dried basil
¾ t dried thyme
¾ t oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ a small onion, chopped small or grated
¾ t salt
1/3 t black pepper
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup pasta sauce
¾ cup 2% reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
Optional: dried parsley, oregano or basil for garnish

Directions:
1.    Pre-heat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2.    In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, egg whites, breadcrumbs, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and lightly mix together. Do not over handle.
3.    Form the meat mixture evenly into the 12 cups of your prepared muffin tin. Spread the pasta sauce evenly over the tops of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Top each muffin with about a tablespoon of shredded cheese and then return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish if desired.

Yields 12 muffins. WW P+:  4 per muffin or 7 P+ for 2 muffins (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per muffin from myfitnesspal.com: 147 calories, 6 g carbs, 5 g fat, 18 g protein, 0 g fiber





The other key thing about Grandma is the she loves cake.  Coffee cake, spice cake, pretty much any kind of cake makes her happy.  This is the cake I'm making.  I add more spices so it actually tastes more like a spice cake and the sour cream keeps it very moist.

Applesauce-Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Weight Watchers Recipe

Ingredients 1 spray(s) cooking spray, or enough to coat pan    1 1/2 cup(s) all purpose flour    3/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar    1 tsp baking soda    1/2 tsp baking powder    1 tsp ground cinnamon    1/2 tsp table salt      3/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream    2 Tbsp vegetable oil      1 cup(s) unsweetened applesauce    Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Stir together sour cream, oil and applesauce in a small bowl. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture just to mix. (Do not beat.) Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Allow cake to cool to warm or room temperature before slicing into 16 pieces.

That's what's cooking in my kitchen; how 'bout yours?  Whatever it is...

happy cooking

Date Night--April 5, 2013

Ooh La La.  I do love Paris in the Springtime.

Yes, tonight we are going "French" for date night.

"How?", you ask. I'll tell you.

We shall begin with Cocktails (that does always seem to be a good place to begin, doesn't it?).  I will be making a little drink called Chanticleer (french for rooster).  It's a combination of Gin, dry (french) vermouth, and an orange liquer (grand marnier).  It's shaken and served up in a cocktail glass.

Our cocktails will be accompanied by shrimp cocktail.  Not really sure if there is anything "french" about that, but we love it.

Dinner is Chicken Cordon Bleu.  Now I know you are wondering how I could possibly pull this off in a figure flattering way.  Weight Wathcers provided me with the following recipe:

Rolled Chicken Cordon Bleu

 

Ingredients

4 spray(s) cooking spray, or enough to coat chicken      1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), four 4 oz pieces      3 oz cooked lean ham, four 3/4 oz slices    3 oz low-fat Swiss cheese, four 3/4 oz slices    1/4 cup(s) all purpose flour    1/4 cup(s) honey mustard    1/2 cup(s) seasoned breadcrumbs, Italian-style    Instructions Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness; remove plastic wrap. Arrange 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese on each chicken breast. Starting from shorter end of chicken, roll up breast into a tight pinwheel. Tuck in ends. Secure with toothpicks. Place flour, honey mustard and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Add chicken to flour; turn to coat. Transfer chicken to honey mustard; turn to coat. Place chicken in bread crumbs; turn to coat. Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove toothpicks and serve.

 The main dish will be accompanied by Dijon Roasted New Potatoes.  Here's the recipe: Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes.  Here's the recipe:  

Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes

Ingredients 1 spray(s) cooking spray    2 Tbsp Dijon mustard    1 tsp olive oil    3/4 tsp paprika    1/2 tsp table salt    1/4 tsp dried thyme    1/4 tsp black pepper      1 1/2 pound(s) uncooked new potato(es), red or white, quartered or halved    Instructions Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9- X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, oil, paprika, salt, thyme and pepper; add potatoes and stir to coat. Transfer potatoes to prepared baking dish and roast 15 minutes; stir and roast until tender on inside, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

I'll also be making Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Gremolata.  YUM!

Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Gremolata

Ingredients   1 1/2 pound(s) uncooked green snap beans, fresh, trimmed    2 tsp olive oil    6 medium uncooked shallot(s), peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)    2 Tbsp fresh parsley, fresh, chopped    2 1/2 tsp lemon zest    1/2 tsp minced garlic    1/4 tsp table salt    1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground    Instructions Heat a large pot of water to a simmer. Place green beans in a steamer and steam over simmering water until tender, about 5 minutes. Run steamed green beans under cold running water for 30 seconds to stop cooking; set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add shallots and cook, stirring often (and adding a little water to prevent sticking if necessary), until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, to make gremolata, combine parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl. Add green beans to skillet; toss over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper; toss to mix and coat. Place green beans in a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with gremolata. Yields about 3/4 cup of green beans and 1 teaspoon of gremolata per serving.

There is a French Chardonnay chilling as I type.  This will be a lovely addition to the meal.

For dessert, I have strawberries macerating in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.  There's a scant 1/8 tsp of freshly ground black pepper in the mix too.  Oh, I guess I'll give you that recipe as well.

 

 balsamic strawberries

 

Ingredients   4 cup(s) strawberries, halved or quartered    2 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar    1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar    1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground    1/2 cup(s) fat-free vanilla yogurt    1 Tbsp mint leaves, optional    Instructions Combine strawberries, sugar, vinegar and pepper in a bowl. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, stirring at least once. Serve in 4 small glasses or bowls and top each with 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

 

I may accompany desset with a pour of Armagnac.  Doesn't that sound french and fancy.  It's really just brandy.  But I have been squirreling away points today so that I can eat and drink to my heart's content this evening.  It has been quite a week.

That's what will be on my table tonight.  How about yours?

happy cooking

Date Night--March 27, 2013

Okay, I'm a little embarrassed.  I knew that I had made the Korean Style Flank Steak before, I just didn't remember that it was the last date night I posted.  Whoops!  We really liked it and I'm making it again. (See the post 3/14/13 for the recipe.)  This time I marinated it from last night--the flavor should be very intense.

So we've covered the Main Course.

Once again (sorry), we're having shrimp cocktail for our appetizer.  It' so tasty!

As for beverages,   I'm having a 0 pt fizzy lemon/limeade thingy for the cocktail portion of the evening.  I'll make my love a gin gimlet.  He'll be happy.

Side dishes--well the beef gets served with a salad and I think I'll make some broccoli, too.  I have potato innards that I'll mash for Josh.  He'll be happy and I'll get space back in my fridge and a gain another container.

The best part of the evening's meal will be dessert.



Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cups
Source: inspired by Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients:
15 Frozen Mini Phyllo Shells (I used Athens brand)
2 oz Marscapone cheese (I used BelGioso brand)
2/3 cup fat free Ricotta cheese
3 T powdered sugar
¼ t vanilla
A pinch of cinnamon (a little goes a long way!)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions:
1.    Place phyllo shells* on the counter to thaw for at least 10-15 minutes.
2.    In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the marscapone, ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and stir together until thoroughly mixed. Reserve a small pile of the chocolate chips for topping and stir the remainder into the cheese mixture.
3.    Spoon the filling evenly between all the phyllo shells. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips over the tops and serve. *I recommend you only defrost/fill as many as you plan to eat at once so that the shells stay crispy.

Yields 15 cups. WW P+: 2 per cup (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per cup from myfitnesspal.com: 63 calories, 7 g carbs, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, 0 g fiber









Don't they just look so cute and tasty?!  I've been waiting to make these for a week now.

Having just said that, I gots to go.  I've got potatoes to mash, cocktail sauce to make, and canonoli cups to assemble.

happy cooking!

Date Night--March 13, 2013

It's Wednesday.  That's always a happy day in this house.  And right now, it smells of sugar and spice.  Not just because I'm "a little girl"  (thanks to WW and exercise, getting "littler" by the day--down 15.5 lbs!!), but because I've already made dessert--Cinnamon Buns.

That seems like a good place to begin...

Dessert

Recipe Renovation: Cinnamon Buns

Weight Watchers Recipe

Ratings (11) Rate it

4PointsPlus Value

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Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 12

These cinnamon buns take some time to make, but most of that time is in the rising, and the result is spectacular.

Ingredients

	1 cup(s) fat free skim milk
	1 Tbsp vegetable oil
	1 Tbsp sugar
	1 tsp table salt
	1 Tbsp yeast, about 1 package
	2 1/2 cup(s) all purpose flour, sifted, divided
	1/4 cup(s) unpacked brown sugar
	1/4 cup(s) dark corn syrup
	2 tsp ground cinnamon
	1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
	1 tsp orange zest, grated
	1/4 cup(s) raisins, dried cherries or cranberries

Instructions

• Stir together milk, vegetable oil, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Heat to lukewarm. Pour yeast over 2 tablespoons lukewarm water and let sit 5 minutes. Stir into milk mixture.
• Transfer warm milk to a large mixing bowl and beat in half the flour by hand or with an electric mixer. Mix in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Let rest 10 minutes; knead well on a floured board or with an electric mixer and dough hook; let rest 10 minutes.
• Spray a large, clean bowl with cooking spray, add dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Lightly coat a 9-inch round baking pan with cooking spray. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle. Spray with cooking spray.
• Stir together brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest; brush over dough. Sprinkle with raisins. Roll up tightly, like a jelly roll. Cut into 12 pieces.
• Place buns cut-side up in baking pan. Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake buns until firm and nicely browned on top, 30 minutes. Cool completely before inverting onto a serving plate.

 Adjustments I made--I only had light corn syrup and not as much as the recipe called for;  I topped it off with Molasses.  I had way too much dough so I made 6 more without craisins as Josh doesn't think that fruit or nuts belong in a cinnamon bun.  Please school him when you see him.

Main Course

Korean-Style Grilled Flank Steak

Weight Watchers Recipe

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Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 18 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 6

Lean, flavorful flank steak does not have to be a grilling-season-only dinner. Indoor grill pans simulate the taste of outdoor cooking with no added fat.

Ingredients

	1 1/4 pound(s) uncooked lean flank steak
	4 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), chopped
	2 Tbsp ginger root, chopped
	1/4 cup(s) vinegar
	2 Tbsp soy sauce
	1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
	1 Tbsp sesame oil
	2 bunch(es) fresh watercress, cleaned and trimmed
	2 medium uncooked scallion(s), sliced
	1 medium uncooked carrot(s), grated

Instructions

• Put flank steak into a shallow glass or ceramic dish.
• To make marinade, combine garlic through to sesame oil in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour half the marinade over flank steak, turn over to coat both sides, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Refrigerate remaining marinade as well.
• Prepare coals for grill.
• Grill flank steak for 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Set on a cutting board to rest while you finish salad.
• Put remaining marinade into a small saucepan and add 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer over very low heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• In a large bowl, toss watercress, scallions and carrot with warm marinade.
• Slice flank steak into thin strips. Pour any juice from meat over salad and toss it in. Serve flank slices alongside salad. 

No real changes to this recipe...I did use the entire marinade recipe as a marinade for the beef.  Then I made more--it just smelled soooo good.  Oh, and I thought it would go nicely over the broccoli that I'm going to roast and the barley/brown rice that we'll be having also.  If you're keeping track the rice is 4 points and the broccoli is 0.

Appetizer

Shrimp cocktail.  No real recipe here.  It tracks at 2 points.

Beverages

I'm wavering here.  If I have a cocktail before dinner, it will be a Martini (with a twist).  If I want wine with dinner (4 pts for 5 oz) then I will have an after dinner nip (4 pts for 1.5 oz) or I could have a Brandy Alexander with dessert.  I just don't know.  What do you think?

So that brings this week's installment to a close.

happy cooking

Date Night--March 5, 2013

It's Italian!

Appetizer
Cheese sticks.  That's right...those ooey gooey breaded cheese sticks.  Skinnytaste.com has a yummy recipe.  (2 pts)

Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 12 • Serving Size: 2 pieces • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 2 pts*
Calories: 86.8* • Fat: 4.8 g • Protein: 7.4 g • Carb: 3.5 g • Fiber: 0.2 g • Sugar: 0.2
Sodium: 168.6
Ingredients:

• 12 sticks part-skim, reduced sodium mozzarella string cheese (Sargento)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp flour
• 5 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 5 tbsp panko crumbs
• 2 tsp parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• olive oil cooking spray (I used my misto)

Directions:Cut cheese in half to give you 24 pieces. Place cheese in the freezer until cheese is frozen.
In small bowl, whisk the egg. Place the flour on another small dish. In separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, panko, parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Dip the frozen sticks in flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then coat with the crumbs. Repeat this process with the remaining cheese placing them on a tray with wax paper. Place cheese back into the freezer until ready to bake (this is a must or they will melt before the crumbs get golden).When ready to bake preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with oil.
Place frozen cheese sticks on baking sheet. Spray the tops of the mozzarella sticks with a little more oil and bake in the bottom third of your oven until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and bake an additional 4 - 5 minutes watching them closely so they don't melt.Makes 24 pieces.
* There will be extra crumbs and flour after breading, I've deducted them from the nutritional info.

 I've made these before and didn't freeze them long enough.  I learned my lesson.  I'll be making these early in the day and baking them just before Josh gets home.

Dinner
 This tracks at 7 points.  I will also serve a spinach/argula salad.  The dressing will be 1 point. I actually have some of my homemade tomato sauce on hand.  That is probably what I'll use instead of the diced tomatoes (or maybe in addition to).

Penne with Peppers and Sausage

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Weight Watchers Recipe

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Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 6

This recipe is full of tasty stuff: spicy sausage, sauteed vegetables and Parmesan cheese. Use the sausage mixture as a sandwich, omelet or baked potato filling.

Ingredients

	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	2 medium green pepper(s), cut into thin strips
	1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
	1 medium uncooked onion(s), thinly sliced
	1 cup(s) fresh mushroom(s), sliced
	1 pound(s) uncooked turkey sausage(s), spicy-Italian flavor
	1/8 tsp dried oregano, crushed
	1/4 tsp table salt
	1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
	1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
	14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes
	3 cup(s) cooked whole wheat pasta, penne, kept hot
	6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add green pepper, garlic, onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until almost tender, about 7 to 8 minutes.
• Remove turkey from casings; add turkey to skillet and brown until no longer pink, stirring occasionally, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 6 minutes. Add oregano, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes; stir in tomatoes. Simmer until heated through and to allow flavors to blend, about 5 minutes.
• Spoon penne into a deep serving bowl; top with sausage mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Dessert

This is something I know I will love and it will be great to have the leftovers around.  Josh will probably opt for ice cream.  That's fine by me...more later in the week.  :-)

Cinnamon Apple Crisps

Weight Watchers Recipe

Ratings (64) Rate it

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Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 120 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 4

Put these tasty treats in a bag and go. Easy fruit on the run!

Ingredients

	2 small fresh apple(s), Red Delicious or Gala, sliced paper-thin
	1 Tbsp sugar
	1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (not wax paper). Place apple slices in a single layer on paper; sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 2 hours. Cool on wire rack and serve.

 

Beverages

I've been nursing a sore throat, so I think I may have a Bloody Mary.  There's something about the bloody mary mix (or in my case...Spicy V8, worcesteshire, lemon juice and  few dashes for tobasco) that just soothes the scratchiness of my throat.  Plus, that drink points out at around 5 points (compared to 10 for other cocktails).    Josh may want a gimlet.  I'll ask him.

 

So those are my dinner plans for tonight.  How 'bout you?

 

happy cooking