Zucchini and Dill Soup

I got this recipe from Bon Apetit Magazine back in 1998. I chose it because it looked good, not because it was good for me. However, it's a great recipe for Weight Watchers with only 1 point per serving. It's really yummy and a great way to eat veggies for those of us who aren't huge fans. We use reduced-fat sour cream for the topping, but you can use whatever you like. If you prefer a little creamier soup, you can stir the sour cream into the soup instead of putting it on top. The fresh dill is not an option--it makes a world of difference.
2 TB butter
5 zucchini (about 1 1/4 pounds), thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TB chopped fresh dill
4 cups canned chicken broth

Sour cream
Additional chopped fresh dill

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 4 ingredients and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Puree soup with immersion blender (or work in batches and puree in the blender). Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with fresh dill.

Recipe Source: Bon Apetit Magazine

Enchilada Chicken

So, I started Weight Watchers this week. I'm going to work on finding lighter recipes for a while.

This one is from one of the Biggest Loser cookbooks. It was fast and easy.

4 (4-oz) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp taco seasoning or Southwest seasoning
4 TB mild, medium, or hot enchilada sauce
Olive oil spray
2 ounces (1 cup) finely shredded light cheddar cheese
2 TB finely chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350.

Season each chicken breast evenly on all sides with the seasoning.

Place a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, lightly mist with the olive oil spray and add the chicken. Cook, turning once, for 1-2 minutes per side, or just until the chicken in golden brown on the outside.

Remove the pan from the heat and top each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of the enchilada sauce, followed by one-fourth of the cheese, and one-fourth of the cilantro. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 4-6 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the cheese is melted.

Makes 4 Servings
3 WW pts per serving
Recipe Source: Biggest Loser Cookbook

Country Chicken

We've been through a few stuffing-topped chicken recipes, and this was our favorite. It's super easy, too.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
4 slices Swiss Cheese
1 can (10.75 oz. can) Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup stuffing mix--Herb or Chicken
2 TB melted butter

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a 9x13 inch pan. Place chicken in the prepared pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Layer the cheese slices on top.

Place the soup and wine in a bowl and mix together. Pour over the cheese. Sprinkle the stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com

Baked Eggs

I stole this recipe from a friend who made it for a special occasion breakfast. The eggs were rich and wonderful.


















1 TB butter
6 large eggs
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
2 TB whipping cream

Prehat oven to 350.

Coat each of 6 ramekins or custard cups with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Break 1 egg into each prepared ramekin. Sprinkle eggs evenly with salt and pepper; spoon 1 teaspoon cream over each egg. Place ramekins in a 9x13" baking dish. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 1/4 inches. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until eggs are set to desired consistency.

Recipe Source: Sunset Magazine

Mexican Lasagna

This is not fancy, but it was tasty. It makes a lot of food, so I thought about cutting the recipe in half next time--but the leftovers were yummy for lunch so I think I'll keep it as is. I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken since my grocery store doesn't carry it. Also, I forgot to add the green onions but Nate thought he liked it just as well without. I couldn't find spinach tortillas, so I just used normal flour ones. The recipe didn't specify how to layer the tortillas, so I didn't end up using all of them. I probably should have used them all...it's up to you.

3 TB olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast
2 TB chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce (I used Taco Bell mild taco sauce)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or pepper jack)
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce, black beans, and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2-3 minutes then season with salt to taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish (9x13) with remaining olive oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: Meat, tortillas, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12-15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with scallions and serve.

Recipe Source: http://www.foodtv.com/

Buttermilk Syrup

This is a nice alternative to your usual maple syrup. It's smooth, yummy, and rather rich. I will say this for it: No matter what other syrup options I make Nate wants only maple syrup with his pancakes, but when he tasted this syrup he decided he'd make an exception.

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

½ cup buttermilk

1 TB Karo Syrup

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

In a large pot, combine butter, sugar, buttermilk, and Karo syrup. Bring to a boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will fizz to TWICE THE SIZE or more, so make sure you use a good-sized pot! Set aside to thicken while stirring occasionallly. Pour over waffles, pancakes, or French toast.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com

Meatloaf Muffins with BBQ Sauce

I substituted ground turkey for the ground beef and omitted the green pepper. We had mashed potatoes on the side and that helped cut the richness of the meatloaf. Next time I'll cut the recipe in half as it made about 15 muffins--way too much food for our little family.

1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper
1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 TB grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 cup smoky BBQ sauce
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450.

Place beef in a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Add to meat bowl. Add egg beaten with milk, bread crumbs, and grill seasoning. In a separate bowl, mix together the smoky BBQ sauce, salse, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2 cup each) with oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into each tin. Top each meatloaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes.

Recipe Source: Rachael Ray (www.foodtv.com)