Broccoli, Cherry Tomato, and Pasta Salad

I was feeling ambitious tonight. However, I did not make all of the dishes that I planned to make, partially because this pasta salad took longer than planned. It is possible that it was because I was chatting away on the phone while I was preparing it.

I would recommend this recipe to anyone with an herb garden. The salad was slightly expensive to make since the only things that I had available in my garden were the mint and lemon. The dressing is unique and creamy, which is a nice change from the standard Italian dressing or oil and vinegar.

Broccoli, Cherry Tomato, and Pasta Salad

Herb mixture:
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
12 mint leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled

Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup 2% low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Dash of black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Salad:
7 cups small broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups cooked medium seashell (about 4 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and halved

To prepare herb mixture, combine first 6 ingredients on a cutting board; finely chop, and reserve 3 tablespoons. Set remaining herb mixture aside.
To prepare the dressing, place the reserved 3 tablespoons herb mixture in a food processor. Drop 2 garlic cloves through the food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add cottage cheese and next 6 ingredients (cottage cheese through dash of pepper) to food processor; process until smooth. Stir in feta.

To prepare salad, steam broccoli, covered, 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cool. Combine remaining herb mixture, broccoli, mushrooms, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss well.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 327(24% from fat); FAT 8.8g (sat 3g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 18.4g; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 248mg; SODIUM 768mg; FIBER 7g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 50g

Recipe can be found in 2000's Best of Cooking Light or cookinglight.com.

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup

This soup will certainly be added to my comfort food repertoire. At the high cooking temperature, the vegetables release their sugars and become caramelized. The caramelization combined with the balsamic fragrance makes the whole house smell fabulous. Also, the tomato soup is very economical to make. It can also be made using a vegetable broth instead of beef broth. I blended the ingredients until they were "liquefied", however I decided not to put the soup through a sieve. The soup still had a great texture and was hearty too. Pictured below is the baking dish full of garlic cloves, drained whole tomatoes, and chopped onions.

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup

1 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup half-and-half

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.

Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 120(35% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 3g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 3.8g; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 120mg; SODIUM 452mg; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.9g
Julie Grimes
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005

Vegetarian Chili

On Friday, I was able to go to the local farmer's market and purchase some locally grown produce. One of the meals that I made with the produce was Sparkpeople's Vegetarian Chili. It was healthy, satisifying, and delicious.

Vegetarian Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained
1 pinch cayenne pepper, chili powder, or chili seasoning mix
1 tablespoon parsley, freshly chopped

1. Sauté the onions and garlic in oil in a large sauce pan.
2. Add carrots, tomatoes, herbs, spices, and beans.
3. Cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Serves 6
Calories: 141
Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 23 g
Protein:7 g

Inside-Out Golumpkis

Gołąbki's are a regular dish in my Polish home. When I found this Weight-Watchers recipe (included below), I had to make this casserole. I doubled and modified this recipe, by sauteing the onions first (with a clove of garlic). I choose lean ground turkey and brown rice for the casserole layers. For convenience, I bought packaged shredded cabbage. Additionally, I used regular brown sugar (to taste) instead of equal or splenda and mixed into the tomatoes with a spicy Grey Poupon mustard.

This dish is a defininte keeper and will be added to my monthly repertoire. Although this meal isn't photogenic, it is delicious. Every bite has a nice balance of cabbage, tomatoes, brown rice and meat. The seasonings are adjusted to taste and the sweetness of the brown sugar mixed with the spicy mustard is perfect. The cabbage is not overpowering like I feel it can be in a cabbage roll.


Cabbage and Rice Casserole
4 Points Per Serving

8 oz. 95% lean ground beef or turkey
2 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup uncooked rice
3 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 tsp. Prepared mustard
2 tbs. brown sugar twin (if not available I use 2 packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)

Brown meat, discard fat. Spray 8" x 8" baking dish with Pam. Layer cabbage, onion, browned meat, rice. Mix tomatoes with mustard and brown sugar twin, pour over casserole layers. Bake at 350º F, covered, for 1-1/2 hours, then uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Makes 4 servings - 4 points each.

French Bread Pizza

With the ingredients I had on hand, I created these French Bread Pizzas. I spread the bread with pizza sauce, however, when using tomatoes, I do not think the sauce is necessary. On top of the sauce, are layers of tomato and torn basil leaves. The finale is a sprinkling of a good quality feta cheese. Bake the pizzas at 450 degrees for approximately ten minutes. The cheese should be melted and the bread crispy. Enjoy!