I think this recipe would also be great with the addition of sautéed mushrooms and/or broccoli.

Edamame Fried Rice

• 3 cups cooked brown basmati rice
• 2 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
• 3/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• Sriracha, optional

Heat a large skillet or wok coated with non-stick spray over medium-high heat.  Combine egg whites and whole egg, season with salt and pepper, and scramble in prepared pan.  Set aside and clean pan.

Reheat pan over high and add oil.  Saute onion, garlic, whites of green onion and carrot for one minute, stirring constantly to avoid browning.  Add rice and cook for several minutes, until heated through.  Add scrambled egg, edamame, soy sauce, and green parts of onion.  Cook for one minute, stirring frequently, until heated through.  Serve with sriracha, if desired. Serves 6.

Recipe from skinnytaste.com.  This website calculates that each serving (slightly under 1 cup) has 5 PointsPlus.

Why 12 almonds?  It’s a 2 PointsPlus snack

And I’d like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to Mrs. Hiles, Anna’s Community Period teacher at Bellarmine Prep.  Thanks for reading my blog!

Tamari Almonds

• 2 cups whole raw almonds
• 2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• pinch cayenne

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in oven until they begin to brown and give off a nutty aroma (10 to 12 minutes).

Mix tamari and spices together in a medium Tupperware with a tight-fitting lid.  Add nuts and shake until thoroughly coated.  Return to oven to dry out, stirring as necessary (5-7 minutes).  Store in a sealed jar.

Recipe from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair.

Beet Salad with Oranges and Feta

• 2 Beets, cooked, cut in half and quartered
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion or shallot
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 6 cups arugula
• 1/8 cup cilantro leaves
• 2 ounces Feta, crumbled

Cut ends off oranges, then cut away peel and outer membrane, following the curve of the fruit with a knife.  Working over a bowl to catch juices, cut oranges between inner membranes and fruit to release segments into a bowl.  When segments are removed, squeeze remaining juice from membranes into bowl.  Throw away membranes.

Zest limes finely and set aside.  Juice limes and add juice to zest in a small bowl.  Add onion, vinegar, and juice from oranges.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil as you whisk.  Add beets, toss to coat, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes (up to 3 hours).

Arrange arugula on four plates.  Sprinkle each plate with 1/4 cilantro.  Spoon beets and dressing equally over arugula (I actually had some dressing left over) and scatter with orange segments and feta.  Serves 4.

Recipe adapted slightly from Sunset Magazine, May 2011.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 3 PointsPlus.  If a larger salad is desired, this recipe can be divided into 2 for 7 PointsPlus each.

This recipe is great to have in your repertoire for those days when you are tired and don’t want to slave in the kitchen.  It is fantastic, delicious, and easy.  Which is a good thing, since Costco sells their pork sirloin tip roasts in a 4-pack.  This cut of pork is so lean..98% fat free with only 100 calories per 4 oz serving.  And the homemade bbq sauce was really good.  I served it in lettuce wraps topped with mustard and a spicy pickle spear for myself and on buns for Marc and Nic.  The vegetarian’s had to fend for themselves.

P.S.  Jim, this one’s for you!

BBQ Pulled Pork 

• 2 lb. pork sirloin tip roast (I used Kirkland Brand)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 12 ounces diet cherry cola, divided
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. molasses
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place the pork roast in a slow cooker, along with the onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup cola.  Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high, or until meat pulls apart when tested with a fork.

Pour the rest of the cola in a small saucepan.  Whisk in remaining ingredients.  Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until reduced by about 1/3 (you should have about 1 1/2 cups).  Set aside.

Transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board.  Using two forks, shred the meat by pulling it apart.  Drain liquid from the slow cooker, reserving 1/2 cup.  Return the pork and the reserved liquid to the slow cooker.  Add the barbecue sauce to the pork.  Makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings.

Recipe slightly adapted from “Eat More of What You Love” by Marlene Koch.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 4 Points Plus.

(He was given a picture of a shipwreck and 10 minutes to write an expository paragraph);

As I walk barefoot on the beach, I discover the rusty bow of a modern ship.  When I go closer for further          inspection, I find it corroded by the pounding of the tides, with a few shattered remains of the stern, splayed across the beach from when the water receded.  I decide to go get some swimwear on so I can go inside the ship.  Fishing nets are strewn across the ground, with rusty crab traps littering the bow.  The pungent smell of dead sea animals floods my nose, and I decide to head into the Captain’s room.  There I find the name of the ship, The S.S. Skipper, along with some personal belongings.  There was something strange about this ship, and with that feeling still haunting me, I left it without seeing the blood splattered in the captain’s room.

I still can’t believe a 10-year-old wrote this.  I loved “swimwear” and the use of “pungent”.  Are there writing summer camps?  We must harness this power for good, not evil!

p.s. After he read it out loud, he looked at me and asked “Mom, is this blog-worthy?”.  Yes, indeed Sweetie, it is.

And so is this cauliflower and cheese soup!

Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 5 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper
• cayenne pepper for garnish

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.  Add cauliflower and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 more minutes.  Add broth and water, bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, process until smooth (or use blender, making sure to vent steam to prevent splashes and burns).

Add cheese to soup and stir until melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne.  Makes 10 cups (6 servings of 1 1/3 cups each).

Recipe from Everyday Foods.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 6 PointsPlus.

I recently read a great book entitled “Switch:  How to Change Things When Change is Hard” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.  One of the quotes that stuck with me is “It’s easier to persevere on a long journey when you’re traveling with a herd”.  So true (although in relation to weight loss, the “herd” reference is unfortunate :/ )  Surrounding yourself with like-minded people is essential for reinforcing and supporting each other.

Chicken with Artichoke and Lemon

• 4 (6 oz. each) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tsp. Greek seasoning (such as Cavender’s), divided
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Sprinkle chicken evenly on both sides with one teaspoon Greek seasoning.  Heat a large nonstick skillet oer medium heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add chicken, and cook 5 minutes on each side.

In a small bowl, combine artichoke hearts, lemon juice, and remaining one teaspoon Greek seasoning.  Add artichoke mixture to chicken, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and liquid almost evaporates.

Place one chicken breast on each plate and top with 1/4 cup artichoke mixture, and 1 tablespoon cheese.  Serves 4.

Recipe from Weight Watcher’s Five Ingredients 15 minute Recipes Cookbook.

Each serving has 5 PointsPlus.

]]> http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/chicken-with-artichoke-and-lemon/feed/ 0 kellyaversa chickenartichokelemon http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/romesco-sauce/ http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/romesco-sauce/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:34 +0000 kelly@dailyhomemade http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/?p=2822 ]]> Romesco is a smooth, rich sauce made from roasted red peppers and almonds.  This sauce can turn an everyday meal into a Wow! meal.  My carnivore used it on top of his flank steak.  My vegetarians used it on top of broiled cod.  I used it on top of broiled asparagus and salad greens.  It would be great on a baguette!

Romesco Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds
• 2 (3/4 ounce) slices whole-grain bread, torn into 2 inch pieces
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 1 (7 ounce) bottle roasted red bell pepper, drained
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat broiler to low.  Arrange almonds and bread on a baking sheet and broil for 1 minute or until lightly browned (watch carefully!).  Add almonds and bread to a food processor and process until coarsely ground.

Heat olive oil, garlic, and paprika in a small skillet over medium heat.  Cook for 1 minute or until garlic begins to brown.  Add garlic mixture, vinegar, bell peppers, and salt to bread mixture and process until smooth.  Makes 1 cup.

Recipe from Cooking Light, December 2011.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, 1 1/2 Tbsp. sauce has 1 PointsPlus.

]]> http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/romesco-sauce/feed/ 0 kellyaversa romescosauce http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/rhubarb-galette-with-cardamom/ http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/rhubarb-galette-with-cardamom/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:32 +0000 kelly@dailyhomemade http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/?p=2796 ]]> I’m so glad it’s biking season!  Since I don’t have cold weather riding gear, I need to wait until the weather warms up to hit the road.  We’ve had two bike rides and it has just reaffirmed how much I love cycling.  It’s great to pedal along the trail, soaking up the Vitamin D and gazing at my favorite spring crop, rhubarb.

My cousin gave me a huge bag full of rhubarb last week, with promises of more to come.  I’ve made 2 batches of stewed rhubarb (recipe soon!) and this delightful galette.  The recipe was featured in Sunset Magazine last month, and the combination of cardamom and rhubarb is delicious.

Marc and I have a long-standing relationship with cardamom.  Back in the early 90′s, when we were first married and Marc was in medical school,  I decided to make homemade mustard for Christmas gifts.  We bought the necessary ingredients, and since I wasn’t the savvy shopper as I am now, did not look at the register as the items were ringing up.  We got home, unpacked the grocery bags, and took out the garbage (with the receipt inside).  We opened the cardamom and found the seal had been broken and half a teaspoon was missing.  Why would someone do that?  We threw it away and went to buy another bottle, only to realize it was the answer.  It was fourteen dollars!  Keep in mind, this was at a time of our lives when Marc occasionally ate cereal with water when we ran out of milk.  His go-to lunch was a sweet potato which he could cook in the microwave in the student lounge. Needless to say, we were dumpster diving for the receipt for that powdered gold.  And that is definitely the royal “We”.

It all ended happily when we returned the soggy receipt and the old bottle and exchanged it for an unopened container.  The homemade mustard turned out great and I learned a great life lesson in watching the prices ring up on the cash register, but apparently the lesson of receipt keeping still hasn’t stuck.

Rhubarb Galette with Cardamom

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided (I used FlavorStorm’s Vanilla Bean Sugar)
• 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 12 oz. rhubarb stalks (or enough to cover pastry)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Unfold puff pastry sheet onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.  In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, brown sugar, cardamom, and flour.  Evenly sprinkle sugar mixture over pastry.

Trim rhubarb stalks 1 inch shorter than pastry, then split rhubarb lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide pieces.  Lay pieces parallel across pastry square, leaving 1/2 inch border of pastry.  Sprinkle rhubarb with remaining 2 tbsp. sugar.

Bake galette until edges are golden brown and puffed, 12 to 15 minutes.  Serves 6.

Recipe from Sunset Magazine, March 2012.

Using the Weight Watcher’s PointsPlus Calculator, each serving has 7 PointsPlus (based on nutritional information in article).

My boys gave me a KitchenAid ice cream maker for Christmas and this recipe from Cooking Light seemed like a great reason to make a yummy dessert.  Sherbet is different from sorbet in that it contains dairy.  This recipe uses buttermilk, which produced a nice subtle tangy flavor.  Low in PointsPlus (3 for 3/4 cup), it makes a great treat.

I love to call it sher-bert, much to my son’s dismay.

Strawberry Sherbet

• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 3 Tbsp. Chambord (raspberry-flavored liqueur)

Combine berries and agave in a blender; process until smooth.  Add buttermilk and blend well.  Add liqueur.  Chill mixture for at least an hour.  Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.  Serves 6 (serving size:  about 3/4 cup)

Recipe from Cooking Light, May 2012

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 3 PointsPlus.

I’d like to wish my step-mom Kate and my good friend Lori a very happy birthday!

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

• 28 ounce can plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juices
• 5 Tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Put the tomatoes in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and salt.  Cook uncovered at a very slow, steady simmer for 45 minutes or until the fat floats free from the tomato.  Stir occasionally, mashing any large piece of tomato with the back of the wooden spoon.  Taste and correct for salt.  Discard onion before serving.

Recipe from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, the entire recipe has 20 PointsPlus.

]]> http://dailyhomemade.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/tomato-sauce-with-onion-and-butter/feed/ 0 kellyaversa gnocchi