Butternut Squash Tacos

I had this recipe bookmarked from Digginfood for awhile now and wish that I have made it earlier. It is one of the best new recipes that I have tried in a long time. It takes a little time and effort. I will use pre-cut squash from Trader Joe's to cut down on time in the future (and I don't think it will increase my expense either).  

Butternut Squash Tacos with Spicy Black Beans


1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup white onion, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1 ½ teaspoons coriander

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped (or 1 15-ounce can fire roasted, diced tomatoes)

2 15-ounce cans black beans

2 jalapenos
12 small corn tortillas
½ cup crumbled cojita cheese (or feta)
Lime wedges

Cook jalapenos until the skins are charred. (Either broil or on a hot skillet.) Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss squash and onions together with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add cumin, coriander, 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, and a teaspoon salt. Toss until well coated. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges of the squash and onions begin to brown. Rotate the pan(s) and stir halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, peel, stem and seed the chilies before chopping them finely. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes and garlic to simmer for five to ten minutes, or until the tomatoes reduce. Mix in 1 Tablespoon of the chili powder, chilies, and (undrained) beans. 

Cook the beans over medium heat for 15 minutes. 

To assemble the tacos, add a few spoonfuls of strained beans onto a warm tortilla. Add a layer of the squash mixture. Top with crumbled cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. (I actually added the lime juice to the beans.)

I Love The Breakfast Cookie

The breakfast cookie is my new favorite week day breakfast. I discovered this cookie on  The Fitnessista and made it with ingredients that I had in my home. 

The Breakfast Cookie

1/3 cup oats

1 TBSP almond butter

1 mini-box of raisins 

1 TBSP or so of skim milk* (enough to moisten the oats)

1 mashed banana

Mix everything together. Spread the mixture on a plate in the shape of a cookie. Refrigerate overnight. Eat with a spoon in the morning.

This cookie tasted like a new variation of my favorite muesli recipe that I found in Vegetarian Times over ten years ago. It was delicious, filling and simply felt healthy. I look forward to other variations as well as throwing protein powder into the mix. 

The calories are shown above. WWP = 6.

*I ordered a latte with skim milk and the Barista sighed, "You must be from the midwest." 

Me: "How did you know? That is amazing!" 

Barista: "Only people out there call fat-free milk: skim."

Kielbasa, Cabbage, and Potato Stew

What's with WeightWatchers writing a recipe that only calls for a cup of wine? Pretty cruel if you ask me.

If you like Kielbasa, you will like this stew.

3/4 lb (lite) turkey kielbasa, cut into small pieces
1 lb shredded cabbage
3/4 lb new potatoes, cut into chunks
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 3/4 c fat free chicken broth
1 c dry white wine
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the kielbasa in a large pot over medium high heat until it begins to brown, about three minutes. Add onion, cook another few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, cover and cook. Stir occasionally until the potatoes & cabbage are tender, 15-18 min. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Yield: 4 servings (6 cups total)
WWP: 5

Drink up.

Recipe Review: Zucchini Pancakes

I made Hungry Girl's Zucchini Pancakes last night. The first one was pretty good. When I started eating the other two pancakes, the texture was getting to me. (They are mostly made with zucchini, those tofu faker noodles, and pancake mix.) I dipped them into ff sour cream. I think they would be better with some seasoning/herbs and maybe something crunchy in the batter. I also would cut the recipe in half.

It is a lot of food for very little points, which is a plus. A decent sized pancake is only 1 point. I made them on our electric griddle. I was really full and didn't even finish the suggested serving size of three pancakes. (Recipe makes 15).  My other tip is do not smell the Tofu Noodles before you rinse them.

From HG's website (link above):
Noodlicious Zucchini Pancakes

2 x 8 oz. pkgs. House Tofu Shirataki Noodles (Spaghetti shaped)
4 egg whites or 1/2 cup eggbeaters
1 cup pancake mix
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup green onions (scallions), chopped
4.5 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup finely sliced fresh mushrooms

Rinse noodles well and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Combine egg whites, pancake mix and salt in a bowl. Stir in noodles, green onions, mushrooms and zucchini. Place skillet over medium heat, and coat with non-stick cooking spray. When hot, scoop 1/3 cup of the mixture (per pancake) onto the skillet. Cook until underside is golden, then flip and cook the other side. Continue until all the batter is gone. Makes 15 4-inch pancakes.

PER SERVING (1 pancake): 50 Calories, <0.5g Fat, 8 Carbs, 1.2g Fiber, 4g protein - 1 pt

Mushroom Gravy

Mushroom Gravy 

1. Mix 1/4 cup flour with 2 cups vegetable broth. Set aside.
2. Sautee one thinly sliced onion in a little olive oil until translucent.
3. Add three cloves garlic and 4 cups Cremini Mushrooms and sautee for 5 minutes.
4. Add spices (1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sage, 1/4 tsp salt, & pepper to taste). Sautee one minute.
5. Add 1/4 cup non-sweet white wine. Bring to a simmer.
6. Reduce heat. Add the flour/broth mix and stir until thick (about 5 minutes).

Makes 4 cups.
1 cup = 2pts
1/2 cup = 1pt

Points based on using 2 TBSP oil. I used olive oil spray.

Beef & Noodles

Beef & Noodles

1. Brown 1/2 lb of the leanest ground beef that you can find in a dutch oven. (Trader Joe's has ground beef that has only 4.5 grams of fat per serving.)
2. Remove the beef and wipe out the pot. Sautee 1 cup diced onions and 2 cloves of garlic until translucent.
3. Add the ground beef, 3 cups of broth (Beef or chicken broth is suggested. I used 1/2 chicken and 1/2 vegetable broth, because I am a use-what-I-got rock star.), 14.5 ounces of stewed tomatoes, and 2 TBSP worchester sauce. Bring to a boil.
4. Add 8 oz. whole wheat pasta (recipe called for egg noodles) cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
5. Add 1 cup frozen (but thawed) peas, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for an additional 3 minutes.

*The recipe states that it makes 5 servings. I divided this into 6 servings, with each serving being slightly more than one cup.

**Using the Nutritional Information from the recipe, 1/5 of the recipe is 5 points. When I use the recipe builder on WW, each 1/5 serving is 6 points. Therefore, I am counting my slightly larger than one cup serving (1/6 of the dish) as 5 points.

Pizza Cupcakes

1 Can Reduced-Fat Refrigerated Biscuits 

(10 biscuits)

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1.5 Cups Assorted Diced Fresh Vegetables (red bell pepper, zucchini, mushroom, etc.)

1 Cup Pizza Sauce

1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Saute the vegetables and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until vegetables are tender.

3. Stir in pizza sauce and simmer for 2 minutes over low heat to reduce the sauce.

4. Press each biscuit evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a muffin pan.

5. Evenly spoon the vegetable mixture into the muffin cups on top of the pressed biscuit.

6. Sprinkle with cheese.

7. Bake 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then serve.

4 pts per Pizza Cupcake

Southwestern Breakfast Bowl

I have been struggling with a healthy & filling breakfast that I can bring to work. I have been fearful about microwaving eggs in the past, but this recipe has been working well for me. 

1.  Microwave 1/2 cup eggbeaters for a minute at a time until cooked.

2.  Add 1/2 cup black beans and microwave for 30 seconds longer or until warm.

3.  Garnish with 2 Tablespoons salsa, 2 Tablespoons fat free sour cream, and green onions.

This is 4 points for WW.

The original Cooking Light recipe adds shredded cheddar cheese to the black beans. Additionally, CL suggests serving this on top of a corn tortilla. I prefer flour tortillas and the tortilla will add extra points/calories.

I bring the egg substitute to work in a small tupperware container. In a second container I will bring the 1/2 cup of black beans. I use these silicone hearts to hold the sour cream and salsa. I place the condiments in the hearts and package them with the black beans. 

Spinach Orzo Pasta Salad

1-16 ounce package uncooked orzo pasta

1-10 ounce package baby spinach, finely chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp ground pepper

Cook orzo as directed; drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Toss with 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar.

Sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

***Thanks for sharing this recipe Kari!***

Pineapple with Coconut Curls

All it takes is one pineapple and one coconut to make a healthy and impressive dessert. The fresh pineapple with coconut curls looks more impressive if it is served on the same day that the pineapple is sliced (this photo was taken on the 2nd day).

• Bake the coconut at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

• Cut the pineapple in half, lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Leaves should remain intact.
• Cut the core from the center of each wedge.
• Cut the pineapple from the skin, lengthwise, then crosswise. Leave the pieces on the wedge.
• Arrange the pineapple wedges on a serving platter.
  
  
• Crack open the coconut. Remove and reserve the coconut milk.
• Using a sharp vegetable peeler, make ribbons of coconut.
• Arrange the coconut ribbons on top of the pineapple wedges.
• Sprinkle each wedge with a tablespoon of the coconut milk.

Each pineapple used makes 4 servings.

Taken from The Martha Stewart Cookbook

Mushroom Barley Soup

I made this soup several times this winter and it is still a favorite. I substituted chicken broth for the turkey stock. Vegetable broth would also work.

Mushroom Barley Soup

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
4 3/4 cups Rich Turkey Stock
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and mushrooms; sauté 7 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in barley, and sauté 2 minutes. Add stock, celery, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add thyme, and cook 5 minutes.

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

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 217(19% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1g,mono 2.1g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 13.9g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 42mg; SODIUM 624mg; FIBER 6.8g; IRON 2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.1g

Cynthia De Persio, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Phyllo Triangles With Onion Jam.....and lots of wine...

Normally, working with phyllo dough sucks. I work fast, careful not to tear the paper-thin dough, while worrying if the remaining dough is properly covered.

Tonight my phyllo precautions are lost in my ineberation. I cut the first sheet of phyllo dough in haste, neglecting to cut lengthwise. Sheet after sheet, I cut incorrectly. Yet, the dough folds up into neat triangles. I amaze myself. The final result: sweet jam mixed with tangy blue cheese, encased in a light and flakey phyllo pocket.

All I know about wine is the color and my preference for bubbly. After much contemplation at the local Bev-Mo, I selected Fontana Candida Frascati '05. Their description of its distinct taste of almonds and sweet apples was the deciding factor. I felt that this wine went well with the dish and tasted good.

The recipe is from my stand-by: Cooking Light. The Nutrional Information is in the 2007 Annual Recipes cookbook. (NI for 2 triangles: 98 calories, 3.7g fat, 1 fiber)

Phyllo Triangles with Onion Jam

Jam:
2 teaspoons butter
4 cups vertically sliced onion
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tablespoon sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) blue cheese (such as Maytag)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
Dash of salt

Remaining ingredients:
6 (18 x 14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons butter, melted

Preparation:
To prepare jam, heat 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, and sugar; sauté 8 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine and broth; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, chives, thyme, and salt.
Preheat oven to 400°.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying). Cut sheet in quarters lengthwise; lightly coat with cooking spray. Spoon 1 level tablespoon onion mixture onto 1 short end of each strip, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold 1 corner of edge with 1-inch border over mixture, forming a triangle; continue folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo, cooking spray, and onion mixture. Place triangles, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush tops of triangles evenly with 4 teaspoons melted butter. Lightly coat tops with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 11 minutes or until golden.

Aimee's Meatloaf Muffins

This week I revisited one of my favorite recipes! These "muffins" are great tasting and a good portion size. I usually serve these with steamed veggies. They are also good with mashed cauliflower (prepare frozen cauliflower, then mash with laughing cow cheese).

New Snack: Jicama

My new favorite snack: Jicama! Specifically, I am eating Jicama with freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and chili powder.

One 1/2 cup serving has only 23 calories and 3 grams of fiber.

And if my heart desires, a whole jicama is 0-points. Can't beat that!

Pickled Green Beans

Surprisingly, green beans can taste just like pickles!

We now have four 12-ounce jars of pickled green beans sitting in our fridge. My first attempt at canning went well. The recipe was easy to follow and went fairly quickly. (I adjusted the salt to 3/4 a teaspoon per 12-ounce jar.)

Thanks for sharing the recipe Kari!

Chicken Lime Soup

Chicken Lime Soup

Olive Oil Cooking Spray
3 half chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
4 limes
1.5 quarts chicken broth
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
.5 cup diced celery
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced skinned and seeded tomato

Spray Olive Oil over the chicken breasts. Then squeeze the juice of a lime over the chicken. Grill the chicken over medium heat for 5 minutes per side. Cool and then dice. (Next time I am going to shred the chicken.)

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add bell pepper, garlic, celery and carrot. cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, the juice from the remaining limes and tomato. Simmer until heated. Optional Garnish: Cilantro and salsa.

*Recipe from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook

This soup is low-fat and super delicious. The limes give the soup an interesting tang without over-powering the other flavors of the soup.

Tuna Tacos

We had tuna tacos for dinner. The portion size was perfect. I must mention that we also served this with a side of fat-free refried beans. And if you were curious, we bought our tuna in the freezer section of Trader Joe's.

I added the recipe below:

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 2 filled tacos and 1 lime wedge)

Ingredients

• 3/4  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder or chile powder
• 1  pound  Yellowfin tuna fillet (about 3/4 inch thick)
• Cooking spray
• 8  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1  cup  sliced peeled avocado (about 1 medium)
• 1/2  cup  vertically sliced onion
• 1/4  cup  fresh cilantro leaves
• 24  pickled jalapeño slices
• 8  teaspoons  reduced-fat sour cream
• 4  lime wedges

Preparation

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over both sides of tuna.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add tuna; cook 2 minutes on each side or until medium-rare or until desired degree of doneness. Cut tuna into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide tuna evenly among tortillas; top each with 2 tablespoons avocado, 1 tablespoon onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro, and 3 jalapeño slices. Top each with 1 teaspoon sour cream. Serve tacos with lime wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

331 (24% from fat)

Fat:

9g (sat 2g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.7g)

Protein:

31.5g

Carbohydrate:

32.3g

Fiber:

5.3g

Yogurt for Yogurt-Haters

I confess. I am a yogurt hater. I have tried them all. But this is delicious! I made this for breakfast. That's right. I am made dessert for breakfast and it wasn't the first time either. This recipe disguises the fact that I am eating yogurt. I cut the recipe in half and it makes enough for 2 days of good eats. I hope that the next time I make it, I can cut back on the sugar and not be offended by the yogurt flavor, or maybe, I will enjoy the sugary goodness of my breakfast. Super simple. Also, I liked the yogurt mixed with the brown sugar only.

Please note: I enjoyed this after lunch. It was a yummy dessert. But I still think it could be doable for a sweet breakfast.

Strawberry Fool

A fool is an old-fashioned English dessert made by folding puréed fruit into whipped cream. This lighter version uses yogurt.

3 cups sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 (8-ounce) cartons vanilla low-fat yogurt

• Combine strawberries and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours.


• Combine brown sugar and yogurt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Cover and chill 2 hours.


• Gently fold the strawberry mixture into the yogurt mixture until swirled.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 219(7% from fat); FAT 1.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 6.3g; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 222mg; SODIUM 81mg; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.4g

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

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