Salmon Noodle Bake

Recipe Taken From:
Good Housekeeping Magazine
January 2011

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup(s) low-fat (1 percent) milk
1 large (1-pound) leek
10 ounce(s) sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon(s) lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 teaspoon(s) olive oil
2 stalk(s) (large) celery, finely chopped
2 teaspoon(s) chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
1 can(s) (1 3/4 cups) lower-sodium chicken broth
8 ounce(s) curly egg noodles
12 ounce(s) skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup(s) frozen peas
Salt
Pepper
1/3 cup(s) panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3-quart shallow baking dish. Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling on high. In glass measuring cup, microwave milk on High 2 minutes or until warm.
Meanwhile, trim and discard root and dark green top from leek. Discard any tough outer leaves. Cut leek lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide slices. Place leek in large bowl of cold water; with hand, swish to remove any sand. Remove leek to colander. Repeat process with fresh water, changing water several times until sand is removed. Drain leek well and set aside.
In 12-inch skillet, combine mushrooms and soy sauce. Cook 5 to 6 minutes on medium-high until mushrooms are tender and sauce evaporates, stirring occa­sionally. Transfer to large bowl.
In same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium-high. Add leek, celery, and half of thyme. Cook 2 minutes or until golden and just tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring. Continue stirring and add broth, then milk, in steady stream. Heat to boiling while stirring, then cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms.
While sauce cooks, add noodles to boiling water; cook 1 minute. Drain well.
To bowl with mushroom mixture, add noodles, salmon, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Gently stir to combine. Spread mixture in prepared dish.
In small bowl, combine panko, remaining thyme, and remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle evenly over top of noodle mixture. Bake 17 to 18 minutes or until topping turns golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes & Tips:
I thought this was a little odd, I loved the noodles/casserole part and I loved the salmon part, but I'm not sure how much I liked them together. I also thought that there was a bit too many peas, I'd probably cut it back to 1/2 cup.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 370
Total Fat 12g
Saturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 61mg
Sodium 570mg
Total Carbohydrate 43g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Protein 22g

King Ranch Chicken

Recipe Adapted From:
Good Housekeeping January 2011

Ingredients:

2 cup(s) low-fat (1 percent) milk
2 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
1 small (4- to 6- ounce) onion, finely chopped
1 large (8- to 10-ounce) red pepper, finely chopped
1 large (4- to 6-ounce) poblano chile, seeds discarded, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, seeds discarded, finely chopped
2 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
1 cup(s) lower-sodium chicken broth
1 can(s) (14.5-ounce) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
Salt
Pepper
3 1/2 ounce(s) baked tortilla chips, crushed (1 1/2 cups)
2 cup(s) cooked shredded chicken breast meat
4 ounce(s) pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease shallow 3-quart baking dish. Microwave milk on High 2 minutes or until warm.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion, red pepper, and poblano and jalapeño chiles. Cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring.
Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring. Continue stirring and add broth, then milk, in steady stream. Heat to boiling while stirring, then cook 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Spread thin, even layer of sauce on bottom of prepared dish. Top with half of chips, sauce, chicken, and cheese. Repeat layering once.
Bake 30 minutes or until bubbling. Garnish with green onions.

Notes & Tips:
Ok so when I went to make this (a week after I had planned), I didn't have some of the ingredients anymore, so I had to improvise. I subbed fresh snow peas for the pepper, I subbed spinach for the peppers (which seemed a little spicy for my taste anyways). Also, I used the Lime flavored tortilla chips. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out. It might be a good idea to use the 1% milk the call for, skim has a hard time thickening up.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 365
Total Fat 18g
Saturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 60mg
Sodium 535mg
Total Carbohydrate 30g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Protein 22g

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

Recipe Taken From:
www.AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

3/4 pound sliced bacon
1 (9 inch) single refrigerated pie crust
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
5 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Chop when cool.

Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish, and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Spread the spinach into the bottom of the pie crust; top with bacon, Cheddar cheese, and green onion. Pour the egg mixture over the filling, and sprinkle the quiche with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is lightly puffed and browned, and a knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

Notes & Tips:
You won't use all of the egg mixture if you use all of the spinach, bacon and cheese. Just adjust as you see fit, either use less filling or less egg mix (I used less egg mix). Also, you will want to put a sheet pan under quiche pan, just in case of spillage as it bakes. I baked this for about 40 minutes. It came out beautiful, nice and firm. Also, I browned the bacon, sliced the onion and thawed/dried the spinach the night before so it was super quick for this Easter morning.

Nutrition Facts:
Amount Per Serving:
Serves 8
Calories: 506 | Total Fat: 41.5g | Cholesterol: 260mg

Stuffed Portobellos

Recipe Taken From:
Good Housekeeping Magazine January 2011

Ingredients:

1/2 cup(s) quinoa, rinsed
1 1/4 pound(s) brussels sprouts
4 teaspoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
4 large portobello mushroom caps
1 teaspoon(s) fresh thyme leaves
2/3 cup(s) frozen corn
3 ounce(s) feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In 2-quart saucepan, combine quinoa and 3/4 cup water. Heat to boiling on high; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, trim and halve sprouts. In an 18-inch by 12-inch jelly-roll pan, toss sprouts, 2 teaspoons oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper to evenly coat. Roast 10 minutes.
While sprouts cook, brush mushrooms with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Finely chop thyme and add to medium bowl along with corn, feta, cumin, and cooked quinoa.
When sprouts have roasted 10 minutes, push to one side of pan and arrange mushrooms, gill side up, on other side. Divide quinoa mixture among mushrooms; roast 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Notes & Tips:
I loved the roasted fresh brussel sprouts. I'd never tried them before and I'm a HUGE fan now. I didn't have any feta so I subbed in Gorgonzola, it was still good though. Make sure you salt the mushrooms or else they'll be pretty bland.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 290
Total Fat 11g
Sodium 500mg
Total Carbohydrate 38g
Dietary Fiber 9g
Protein 14g

Swiss Steak

Recipe Taken From:
Kris Collier

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Cube Steaks or Tenderized Round Steak
• 2 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Cup Chopped Onion
• 3/4 Cup Green Pepper Chopped
• 2 or 3 Ribs of Celery
• 1 14oz Can Diced Tomato, juice & all
• 3/4 cup Beef Broth
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Preparation:
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown steak in oil on both sides. Remove steaks and set aside.
In the same skillet, saute onion, celery and green pepper until they begin to get soft. Sprinkle in pepper , garlic & onion powder. Add broth, soy sauce and tomatoes. Add steak, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips:
I thought this was great! The only thing I would change would be I think I would add red pepper flakes for a little kick. I served this with a salad. Next time I would serve it with rice or mashed potatoes.

Italian Spiced Shrimp

Recipe Taken From:
Good Housekeeping Magazine
January 2011

Ingredients:

1 small (4- to 6-ounce) onion
1 tablespoon(s) fresh oregano leaves
1 cup(s) long-grain white rice
1 3/4 cup(s) hot water
1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper, to taste
2 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
1 cup(s) dry white wine
1 can(s) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained well
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground black pepper
1 pound(s) 16- to 20-count shrimp, shelled and deveined, with tail part of shell left on if you like
8 leaves basil, very thinly sliced, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. While oven heats, finely chop onion and oregano. In 3-quart shallow baking dish, combine rice and water. Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium. Add onion, oregano, and red pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or until golden, stirring. Add wine and heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 6 minutes or until wine is reduced by half, stirring occa­sionally. Stir in tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat.

Arrange shrimp on top of rice in baking dish, in single layer. Pour tomato mixture evenly over shrimp; cover tightly with foil and bake 15 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Garnish with basil.

Notes & Tips:
I really enjoyed this recipe. It was very easy to make and I liked how tender the rice was when baked. I didn't have fresh oregano or basil, so I used dried oregano and Mrs. Dash Italian Blend as subs.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 245, Total Fat 4g, Sodium 300mg, Total Carbohydrate 35g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 16g

Orzo Pesto Salad

Recipe Adapted from:
Weight Watchers "Meals in Minutes" Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
3/4 cup basil leaves
2/3 cup arugula leaf
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon walnut pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
3/4 lb turkey breast cutlets
6 kalamata olives, pitted and slivered
1 head radicchio, quartered, cored, and sliced
16 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper

Preparation:

1 Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo, reduce the hear, and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and put the orzo in a large bowl.
2 To make the pesto, combine the basil, arugula, garlic, walnuts, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a food processor or blender. Add the reserved hot cooking liquid and puree. Stir 2 Tablespoons of the pesto into the orzo.
3 Bring the wine and bay leaves to a boil in a medium skillet. Boil 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium and add the turkey. Cover and poach until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the bay leaves.
4 Chop the turkey and add it to the orzo. Stir in the olives and radicchio. Fold in the remaining pesto and then the cherry tomatoes. Add the Parmesan, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; toss to combine.

Notes & Tips:
This was so fresh and summery tasting. I was impressed with how fresh it tasted. I couldn't find any radicchio, so I subbed raw spinach. Also, I didn't have enough fresh basil, since apparently there is a basil shortage going around, so I had about a half cup and I just used a little more arugula.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 216.3
Total Fat 2.3 g
Sodium 522.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.7 g
Dietary Fiber 1.9 g
Sugars 1.8 g
Protein 16.0 g

Tilapia with Cucumber Relish

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Cookbook

Ingredients:

2/3 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1/2 cup chopped radishes
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
4 (4 ounce) tilapia fillets
1/8 teaspoon paprika powder
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:

Combine chopped cucumber with chopped radishes in a small bowl. In another bowl or shallow dish, whisk together tarragon vinegar, olive oil, salt, black pepper and sugar. Pour the vinegar mixture over cucumber and radishes and toss to coat evenly.

Mix paprika powder with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the fish fillets. Melt the butter in a skillet. Place the tilapia fillets in the skillet and cook until the fish can be easily flaked with a fork. This will normally take around 3-4 minutes per side. Place the tilapia fillets on serving plates and add the cucumber relish.

Notes & Tips:
The relish for this was great. Nice and tangy. I didn't have tarragon vinegar, so I just mixed Apple Cider Vinegar with some dried tarragon. I forgot the paprika, oops... so I just sprinkled a little on the fish as it was cooking.

Nutrition Facts:
One serving (1 fish fillet with 3 tablespoons relish) equals 181 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 90 mg cholesterol, 388 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 32 protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 1 fat.

Honey-Ginger Chicken with Orange Rice

Recipe Taken From:
Weight Watchers Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups Water
2/3 cup Fresh Orange Juice
1 cup Natural Long Grain
1 tbsp Parsley
1 tsp Orange Zest
1/2 cup Pecan Halves
1/4 cup Cornmeal, Whole-grain, White
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Honey
1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce Light
1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger Root
4 (4 oz) Chicken Breasts (boneless,skinless)

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and orange juice; bring to a boil. Stir in the rice; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the parsley and orange zest.

Meanwhile, spray a broiler rack with nonstick spray; preheat the broiler.

In a food processor, combine the pecans, cornmeal, and pepper until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a plate. In a shallow bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, and ginger. Dip the chicken in the honey mixture, then roll it in the cornmeal mixture.

Broil the chicken 5 inches from the heat until crusty brown and cook through, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve with the rice.

Notes & Tips:

For a more even coating, after you've rolled the chicken breasts in the cornmeal mixture, spread the mixture with a knife. White cornmeal is a better choice than yellow when broiling; yellow is quicker to burn under direct heat, while white browns better. A small amount of nuts adds wonderful flavor and richness with only a little fat. If you prefer to avoid nuts, however, use wheat-and-barley cereal nuggets instead.

This was not my favorite recipe that I've ever made. Maybe it's just me but there wasn't enough salt (haha, which I'm sure weight watchers wouldn't appreciate) also, I added some spray butter to the rice, to me rice needs a fat when cooking (which again I'm sure weight watchers wouldn't appreciate). Meh, maybe if you try it it'll come out better.

Nutrition Facts:
Amount per Serving
Calories 363
Calories from Fat 111.0
Total Fat 12.33g
Saturated Fat 1.29g
Cholesterol 65mg
Sodium 183.41mg
Total Carbohydrate 38.75g
Dietary Fiber 2.1g
Sugars 8.14g
Protein 26.69g
7 points (if you're counting)

Mozzarella Eggplant Bake

Recipe Inspired From:
Taste of Home Cookbook, pg 383

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, peeled
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
5 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cans (14 1/2oz each) stewed tomatoes
1 package (6 ounces) sliced part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Cut eggplant into 1/4-in-thick slices. Place in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat eggs. Dip eggplant slices into eggs, then coat with crumb mixture.
In a large skillet, cook eggplant in 2 tablespoons oil for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer to an ungreased 13-in x9-in x2-in baking dish.
In the same skillet, saute the green peppers, onion and mushrooms in remaining oil for 5 minutes or until pepper and onion are crisp-tender. Sprinkle over eggplant. Top with tomatoes.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover, place cheese slices over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Notes & Tips:
The original recipe called for about half less breading, it barely even covered half of the eggplant slices. I thought this was awesome! Mat and I have been doing one meatless meal a week for a while now. I really enjoy the challenge of finding hearty meatless meals that aren't totally carb. loaded. This one was a success!


Nutrition Facts:
1 serving (1 piece) equals 318 calories, 16 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 128 mg cholesterol, 1,609 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 14 g protein.

Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas

Recipe Taken From:
Pioneer Woman's Cookbook

Ingredients:

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
2 cups Chicken Broth
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
_____
FOR THE MEAT:
1-½ pound Ground Beef
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
½ teaspoons Salt
_____
FOR THE TORTILLAS:
10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
½ cups Canola Oil
_____
TO ASSEMBLE:
3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cups Chopped Black Olives
1 cup Chopped Green Onions
½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation:

Step #1 – The Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat
Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas
Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Notes & Tips:
This recipe is def. on the "moderate" end of the cooking scale. Lots of ingredients, lots of pots and pans used. BUT...def. worth it! They are delicious! Make sure you use the thicker tortilla's if you use the thinner ones you will end up with more of a enchilada casserole. I served this with Spanish rice.

Warm Fajita Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Cookbook, pg 171

Ingredients:

1 cup lime juice
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke, optional
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups torn romaine
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Preparation:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the lime juice, broth, soy sauce, garlic, oil, sugar and seasonings. Set aside 2 tablespoons; cover and refrigerate. Add pork to remaining marinade; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 3 hours, turning occasionally.
Drain pork, discarding marinade. Heat reserved marinade in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, onion and peppers; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Drizzle with lemon juice. Remove from the heat.
Arrange lettuce on four individual plates; top with meat mixture and tomatoes. Yield: 4 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I know this seems like alot of ingredients, but the marinade is so good! After the marinading time it's really easy to cook the meat, onions and peppers then make a salad. I suggest serving some cut up tortilla strips with it.

Nutrition Facts:
1 serving equals 280 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 707 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 27 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.