roasted vegetable and lentil salad

I almost decided to post-pone posting this recipe until next week.  The reason being that my husband is away until Friday chaperoning 6th grade camp, and I didn’t want him to see what he was missing at home.  He says the camp food isn’t that bad.  They had stuffed peppers for dinner last night and Alex loved them.  Today’s pizza at lunch was a low-point, but we are pizza snobs, so he could be a little biased.  As biased as a half-Italian who has a pizza oven in his back yard and buys special Italian flour for his pizza dough.

Many thanks to my Pilates student Missy for passing on this recipe.  Marc will love it when he gets back home.

Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad

• 6 carrots, cut into 2 inch lengths and halved
• 3 shallots, halved
• 1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1/2″ thick slices
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)
• 1/2 cup French lentils, rinsed
• 1/2 onion, studded with 4 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 6 oz. arugula
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• zest and juice of one lemon
• parmesan shavings
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss carrots, shallots, brussels sprouts, butternut squash and garlic with 2 Tbsp. olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place on rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for 30 minutes, turning once.

Place lentils in a small saucepan.  Cover with 2 inches of water.  Stud 1/2 onion with cloves and place in pot, along with bay leaf.  Bring to boil, then cover and simmer until lentil are tender.  Drain off water and discard onion and bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper.

To make vinaigrette, mash garlic in a small bowl.  Add vinegar and mustard.  Whisk in 2 Tbsp. olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place lentils in a bowl and toss with vinaigrette.  Fold in arugula, then vegetables.  Add chopped celery and zest and juice of one lemon.  Top each serving with parmesan shavings.  Serves 6.

Recipe from Daphne Oz.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 7 PointsPlus.

 

butternut squash and sage soup

It’s tradition in our house to have breakfast in bed and the dinner of your choice on your birthday.  My daughter turned 17 on Tuesday and requested butternut squash soup and biscuits.  I’ve never been happy with the recipe I’ve used in the past.  It just lacked flavor.

I found this recipe on Realsimple.com and after making it, realized that the simple act of roasting the squash before putting it into the broth made all the difference.  It was delicious, super low in Points, and made the birthday girl very happy!

Butternut Squash and Sage Soup

• 6 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 teaspoons salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 6 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, toss the squash with 1 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the pepper. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for 15 minutes. Turn the cubes over and continue roasting for 15 minutes or until they are caramelized; set aside.

In a Dutch oven or a large stockpot, heat the butter and the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and sage and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the squash, broth, and the remaining salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid is flavorful. Remove from heat.  Using an immersion blender, process until smooth.

Makes 10 cups.

Recipe adapted from Realsimple.com.

Using the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder, each 1 2/3 cup serving has 3 PointsPlus.

 

parent-child cookie contest

Alex and I entered Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies into the Puyallup Fair’s Parent and Child Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest sponsored by C&H Sugar.  Except for using the oven, he made the entire recipe.

I took him to the Fair this morning and showed him the ropes of entering the culinary contests.  I tried not to be too much of a nerd, but I did utter “stay cool, stay cool” several times under my breath as we watched the judge sample our cookie.  (I’ll put it in writing once again….I’ll be happy to pay for his therapy when he is older).  There were 28 entries and it looked like we had some good competition.

We took home the 3rd place prize!  Alex received an apron, a nice ribbon and a cash prize of $25.  All that is great, but I do hope my kids are also learning important life lessons:

Be involved.

Try new things.

Have fun.

Eat lots of cookies.

 

potato focaccia

Bakingbites.com is one of the few websites that spurs me into immediate action.  Nordstrom happens to be the other one  I read this recipe Sunday morning, and 15 minutes later the dough was rising.  Our family loves potato pizza , so I thought this would be a nice treat for lunch.  I served it with a homemade vegetable soup (0 PointsPlus) to rave reviews.

I’m on a baking kick, since this Tuesday is the due date for the biscotti entry for the Puyallup Fair.  I am finalizing my recipe…hopefully it will be a winner!  Stay tuned.

Potato Focaccia

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp (.25-oz) active dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cups water, warm (100-110F)
• 3 – 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• approx 1 lb cooked potatoes, cooled
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp herbs de Provence
• 2 tsp coarse kosher salt or sea salt

Combine sugar, yeast and warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 1/2 cups flour and salt.  Add liquid and combine.  Using a bread hook, knead for 3-4 minutes, adding up to an additional cup of flour, until a smooth ball forms.  Place dough in a bowl coating with olive oil or non-stick spray, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Line a jelly roll pan (12×18 pan) with parchment or spray with non-stick spray.  Pour dough onto pan and using your fingertips, press and spread dough into a rectangle approximately 10×16.  Brush with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. herbs de Provence.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice cooked potatoes 1/4 inch thick.  Arrange potatoes on top of dough, pressing down lightly.  Brush potatoes with 1 Tbsp. oil and sprinkle with remaining herbs and salt.  Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden.  Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe from bakingbites.com.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder:

12 servings = 5 PointsPlus each

16 servings = 3 PointsPlus each

 

grilled caesar salad

My dad gave me the great idea of using the grilled romaine for a caesar salad!

I chopped up the grilled romaine and used the homemade lite caesar salad dressing from my deconstructed shrimp caesar salad, toasted bread cubes, shaved parmesan and fresh ground pepper.   Yum!

Using the Weight Watcher Recipe Builder, the entire salad dressing recipe has 8 PointsPlus.  1 oz of baguette bread cubes is 2 PointsPlus (if you want more ounces, just multiply the ounces by 2 to get the PointsPlus value).  A half ounce of Parmesan is 1 PointsPlus.

 

grilled romaine salad

I’d like you to meet my new obsession:  grilled romaine salad.  I’ve read about grilling lettuce for several years, but never got around to actually making it (kind of like thinking about cleaning out the junk drawer, but never quite finding the time).  The latest Washington heat wave (upper 80′s, low 90′s!) has pushed me out of the kitchen and onto the grill.

The barbecue does an amazing thing to the romaine.  It becomes sweeter, with a slight smoky flavor.  I served it with a light blue cheese dressing (recipe to come, it’s 1 PointsPlus!), one slice of crumbled bacon (1 PointsPlus)and a few halved cherry tomatoes.

There’s really not a recipe for the salad.  Heat your grill and cut the romaine in half.  Optional is to lightly spray lettuce with olive oil.  Place on grill.  Wait a few minutes and flip (you should have some nice grill marks).  Remove from grill and enjoy!

 

french lentil dijon spread

My 11-year-old proclaimed that this spread was “the best thing you’ve made all month, Mom!”  He might be right.  I’ve made 2 batches this week.  It is great with veggies as a dip or on crackers as a spread.   I even put it in a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and cucumber.  Very low PointsPlus value and lots of flavor!

French Lentil Dijon Spread

• 2 Tbsp. pecans
• 1 cup cooked French lentils
• 3 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
• 1 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• water, if necessary
  Finely grind pecans in a food processor.  Add remaining ingredients (except water) and blend until smooth.  Use a little water to achieve your desired consistency.
  Makes 1 1/2 cups.
  Recipe from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair.
  Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, the entire recipe has 8 PointsPlus.  Each 1/4 cup serving has 1 PointsPlus!

 

tomato and beet salad

I’d like to wish my mother a very happy Birthday!

Tomato and Beet Salad

• 2 lbs. tomatoes (I used heirloom), sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb. cooked beets, sliced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Arrange tomatoes and beets on a platter.  Sprinkle with feta and cilantro.  Drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper.  Serves 4.

Recipe from EveryDay Food Magazine.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 5 PointsPlus.

 

mixed greens with miso vinaigrette

I think our chickens have been eavesdropping on our conversations.

Last week I voiced my frustrations about “Bennie” and how she hadn’t layed an egg for 5-6 months.  Marc suggested it was time to get rid of her and get a younger, more reliable, egg layer.  I believe he even made a chopping motion with his hand.

I kid you not, the next day there was Bennie’s light blue egg in the nest.  As soon as I saw it I burst out laughing.

Now I think I’ll mention (loudly) that if the coop doesn’t get cleaned regularly by someone other than me, the chicken’s might have to find another home.  Like my soup pot (an empty promise, but they don’t need to know that).

I made this salad after our first bike ride of the season, and the taste blew me away.  The dressing is delicious!!  I actually used my finger to get every last bit out of the bowl.

Mixed Greens with Miso Vinaigrette

Miso Dressing:

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. miso paste (I used red miso paste)
• 3 Tbsp. canola oil

Salad

• 5 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 8 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

To make dressing:  whisk together lemon juice and miso paste in a small bowl.  Whisk in oil.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with dressing.  Makes 6, 1 cup servings.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times, September 2012.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each 1 cup serving has 3 Points Plus.  Divide the salad into 3 servings, and each serving has 5 PointsPlus (oh, the magic of WW math)

 

breakfast quinoa with berries

I feel like I need to introduce myself…….

What a summer!  Our trip to Italy was AMAZING!…..

We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and renewed our vows:

We walked around Rome, Florence, Orvieto and Venice in 95+ heat, visited family and took in the sights:

and I don’t even know where to begin about the food:

We even found the World’s Cutest Dog, who just happens to be in Orvieto:

So now we are back, the jet-lag is gone, the laundry is done, and I have no other reasons not to resume my blog

I wanted to break out of my “greek yogurt for breakfast” rut, so I thought I would try this recipe from the July/August 2012 Weight Watchers Magazine.  It was very tasty and filled me up until lunch.  Two very important requirements!

Breakfast Quinoa with Berries

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (35 calorie/cup)
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• 1 cup berries

Pour almond milk into a small saucepan and bring to a low boil.  Add rinsed quinoa and sprinkle of cinnamon.  Cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.  Top with berries.  Makes 2 servings.

Recipe slightly adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 5 PointsPlus.