Chiles Rellenos Casserole

I have finally left Italy and am heading toward Mexico!  I really enjoyed my stay in old Italy, and plan to revisit very soon,  but time to back away from the pasta and red sauce and embrace a new land!

So today we have Chiles Rellenos Casserole. An 'easy on the cook' version of a very tasty Mexican dish.  It will feed 6-7 people or a small mariachi band.

It is a fairly healthy casserole and for that reason, I will include the nutrition information.  If  you are watching your cholesterol, try an Egg Beater type product in place of the eggs to lower the numbers even more.

Servings: 6

Calories: 335

Fat: 9g

Protein: 26.9g

Carb: 37.7g

Fiber: 5.5g
WW Points+: 8

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Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake - Lightened Up!

Still trying to use the plethora of lemons I have! Thought thowing one in a cake would be good idea.
 This lightened up version of a dense pound cake is based on a recipe I have been making for years from Cooking Light Magazine in 2005.  The low fat cream cheese and yogurt are a great substitute for all the butter that is usually associated with pound cake, and the lemon gives it a light flavor.  This can also be cooked in a loaf type pan for a different look.

Servings: 16

Fat: 6.9

Calories: 288

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 5 g

Carbs: 52.2

WW Points+: 8

Ingredients
Cake

2 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup 1/3 less fat cream cheese (4 oz or half a block)
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 oz) carton low fat lemon yogurt

Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat first sugar, butter and cream cheese at  medium speed  until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 tablespoons flour, lemon zest and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well.

Into the wet mixture, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix briefly then add yogurt and vanilla.  Fold in blueberry mixture gently-or you will have purple cake!   

Pour cake batter into a 10 inch tube pan coated well with cooking spray.

 Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake. Cut with a serrated knife.

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Lemon Chicken with Artichokes

I think the mark of a true 'home chef', is making a great meal out of stuff you already have in your cupboard.  Not wanting to go to the store...again,  (I swear the checkers at Safeway all know me by name!)    I did a quick inventory of the pantry,  went on-line and typed in chicken, lemon and artichokes.  Let me tell you that there is no shortage of lemon chicken recipes. Another hour or two spent surfing for the perfect recipe...I sure do that a lot lately.

I took the best features of 2 or 3 recipes and came up with this one pot wonder!  It comes together quickly and is perfect for a weeknight meal and very healthy too.  There is no doubt I will be making this again. 

Servings: 4

Calories: 260

Fat: 5.4

Carbs: 22.2

Fiber: 2.7

Protein: 26.3

WW Points+: 6

Ingredients

3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, thighs or a combination of both

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained

Directions

Combine the broth, zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with the salt, and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.
Add the broth mixture and cook until the mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Add the artichokes and cook until chicken is cooked through and artichokes are warm, about 8 minutes.

Serve with Angel Hair pasta or rice.  Asparagus would work very nice with this as well.

       

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Homemade Ricotta Cheese

I made this again...I just had to see if it was as good the second time...and girlfriend...mmmmmm,mmmmm,mmmmm. 

I truly don't think this recipe got the attention it deserved the first time, so I am reposting, hoping you will give this a try. 

 If you can heat up milk, you can make homemade ricotta cheese and if you can't heat up milk, you should probably take up crochet, go for a walk and stop blogging recipes.  Not judgin'...just sayin'...

I must have an Italian gene somewhere...what is it about Italian food that just gets me?  Tomato, cheese, pasta, bread....it is the very reason I cook...or eat for that matter!  Making cheese has been on my bucket list for a long time...if I had any idea it was this easy, I would have done it a very long time ago. 
Once tasted, it will now be very difficult to buy in a grocery store ever again.   Served warm it is out of this world.   Not overpowering at all, just a nice subtle flavor.  I could almost describe it as under whelming, it is smooth, creamy, rich and simple all at the same time. From start to finish the whole process didn't take much more than an hour and most of that time is spent letting the cheese drain.
 I read for hours, (literally), every recipe for homemade Ricotta that I could find on the web.  I couldn't find two the same.  To curdle the milk some use buttermilk or yogurt, or lemon or vinegar.  I couldn't decide and I liked the idea of the lemon so I used lemon juice and also vinegar for an extra punch..next time I'll try it another way...or whey ...ha! I love cheesey humor!
I'll be using my fresh Ricotta tonite in lasagna rolls and I can't wait!  I was so tempted to whip up a fresh baguette this afternoon but didn't, such discipline...am I skinny yet?

I've listed the nutritional information and I think you will be pleased by the numbers.
This will only last about 3 days in your fridge so eat it up or share with those you love!

Serving size: 1/4 cup

Calories: 100

Fat: 5 grams

Carbs: 7 grams

Fiber: 0

Protein: 7 grams

WW Points+: 3

Ingredients

Yield: approximatly 3 cups of fresh Ricotta
8 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained

3 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon good salt (I used Kosher)

Pour milk and cream in large stock pot.  Bring to a simmer on medium heat.  Cooking thermometer should reach 190 degrees (or just before boiling point).

While milk is cooking juice 2 lemons and strain.

When milk mixture has reached 190 degrees, remove from heat and add lemon juice, vinegar and salt.  Continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes while curds form.

Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Double line a colander with cheese cloth.
Pour milk mixture in to colander.

Let drain for about 30 minutes...now there are many ways to do this and most folks just let it sit in the colander and drain...but not me!  I read somewhere that you can tie it to your faucet and it will drain faster, so I had to give it a try!  If you can get away with this without your family hauling you off to the foodie loony bin then I say give it a try!  Either way you will have good results!

When your Ricotta has reached desired consistency...remove from cheese cloth and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This is just the first of my cheese making endeavours...I can't wait to try mozzarella...stay tuned!

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Cinnamon Apple Cake

As my friend Anna said to me yesterday...' For me, food and weight are associated with quantity...you should eat the things you love in moderation'.  That was all  I needed to hear to break out the cake pans!  Jeeze, I'm so easy.  
The good news is that this is a lightened up version.  It was adapted from Cooking Light and rated 5 stars by the readers.  It can be served as a dessert or breakfast coffee cake and it's a snap to make! 
The cream cheese gives it almost a bread pudding consistency.  I used Granny Smiths but you could substitute any tart apple.  Make sure and not mince the apples, the chunks give it 'character'.
You know you have made an all time favorite when your husband emails you first thing after he gets to work to tell you how yummy something was ...and I got that email this morning...yay! husband validation first thing in the morning...it's gonna be a good day!

Servings: 12

Calories: 281

Fat: 8.7

Carbs: 46.3

Fiber: 1.2

Protein: 4.8

WW Points+: 8

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces block style, low fat, cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, seperated
3 cups chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9 inch square cake pan with cooking spray.

Beat 1 1/2 cups of sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until well  blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and salt, beat until well combined.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar, cinnamon mixture with the apples and toss. 

Add apple's to cake batter.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Sprinkle remaining sugar, cinnamon mixture on top.

Bake at 350 for one hour or until the cake puffs up in the middle and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan.   Would be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

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Slow Cooker Pork Posole

Must be winter in Seattle!  Everything I post latley is hot and in a bowl! 

Posole is a hearty stew from Mexico.  Traditional accompaniments include chopped lettuce, cilantro and lime, but a dolop of sour cream would'nt hurt either.
An unusual ingredient in this dish is hominy. Hominy is corn that has been processed to remove the hull and germ.  When ground, you get grits!  So if you are a grit or polenta lover, you will love this stuff!   It adds a great deal of flavor to this stew and although you can substitute corn if you prefer, you won't get near the same results.

Servings: 6

Serving size: heaping 1 cup

Calories: 260

Fat: 12 grams

Carbs: 16

Fiber: 4

Protein: 22

WW Points+: 7

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 chipotle en adobo, minced plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (*see note below)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 15 oz can hominy, rinsed and drained
Chopped romaine, radishes and cilantro
Lime wedges

Chop pork and sprinkle with salt.
Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat.  Add half the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Transfer pork to 6 quart slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.

*(For those not familiar with Chipotle: Chipotle are smoked jalapeno peppers that have been cooked in a thick sauce.  Personally I like the sauce more than the hot peppers themselves.  If you don't like a lot of heat, remove as many of the seeds as possible.  Remaining Chipotle can be kept frozen for several months. In a pinch, a decent substitute for Chipotle is smoked paprika.)

Add the broth, onion, garlic, chipotle, adobo, chili powder, oregano and cumin; mix well. Top with tomatoes and then the hominy in even layers.

Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender.  4-5 hours on high or 8-10 on low.

Serve the posole in soup bowls with the lettuce, radishes, cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

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Stewfato (Chicken Stew)

A simple to prepare Italian chicken stew with a middle eastern flare...huh?  Italian and mid-eastern?  Crazy Kathi has lost her foodie mind!  I'm not sure how they both work, but they just do!  Stewfato is an Italian name but the couscous, a slap of cinnamon and some crumbled feta are definitely mid eastern!  Just take my word on this, it's easy, quick and very tasty.  Low in calories and WW points.  You can throw this all in a crockpot and get the same results.

The nutritional info does not include couscous or feta but I find a 1/3 cup of whole wheat couscous and 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta is plenty and that would add 3 WW Points+ (oh, and don't use fat free feta...yucko!)

Servings - 6

Serving Size - 1 1/4 cups

Calories - 261

Fat - 11.9

Carbs - 17.7

Fiber - 3.6

Protein - 17.5

WW Points+ - 6

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Roasted Carrot 'Fries'

These are so simple, I debated whether I should post them or not...but when I shared this recipe with my fellow Weight Watcher buddies they thought it was a great snack.  Dip in Dijon and you still have zero points.
Zero points my friends....zero points.  Ahhhhh!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Peel carrots.  Slice into julienne strips.  (you can also use the little baby carrots that are already peeled). I just like them to look as much like a french fry as possible :)

Line baking tray with foil for easy clean up and spray well with nonstick spray.
Spread carrots out on baking sheet so they lay flat and spray with more non stick spray.  Roast for about 15 minutes then give them a turn and bake another 10 minutes or so.
 If you have a convection oven, this works well to brown them up quickly before they get soft.

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These taste almost identical to PF Changs but are half the work and very low calorie.
I use Yoshida's sauce for a lot of the flavor and the water chestnuts are essential to this recipe or you won't have that wonderful crunch!
 I know there are some who would turn their little foodie noses up at the use of the Yoshida sauce, but I'm telling you...you can mix your soy, ginger, sesame oil, cook, then thicken with cornstarch...or you can crack open a bottle of Yoshidas!  It has a deep rich flavor and on a busy weeknight it is a quick trip to flavor town!
 Keep some leftovers to pack for lunch the next day...with some lettuce leaves on the side this dish travels very well!

Servings: 6-8

Serving size: heaping 1/3 cup 

Calories: 62

Fat: 2

Carbs: 4

Fiber: 1

Protein: 8

WW Points+: 2

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'Egg' Muffins

I started making these years ago during my South Beach diet phase....the diet didn't last but these tasty morsels did!  They are a regular staple for me...so easy to grab on the go and check out the numbers...very low cal, high protein, healthy little wonder nuggets!  You don't even need to dirty a bowl to make them either.  I am an egg head...I love eggs of all kinds and all preparation's.  I eat these cold for snacks. 2 of them for 140 calories and only 2 WW Points+...yahoo!
Choose your favorite veggie and 1 tablespoon of cheese or Canadian bacon and the numbers won't change much...if you go heavy on the cheese or add regular bacon (yum!) then you might want to add a few calories and a WW point. 
I'm fairly particular on what brand of egg product I use, there is a big difference in flavor.  My first choice is ReddiEgg (in photo) which you can get at Trader Joes, second would be Safeway brand, followed by Egg Beaters.  The Kirkland brand at Costco doesn't taste like anything...very bland...hard to tell if you are eating something or not...too bad too, 'cause they are about half the price.
These numbers are based on 1/3 cup egg product, 1/4 cup veggies and 1 tablespoon of light grated cheese or feta.

Servings: 12

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Calories: 69 (omit cheese and it reduces to 50!)

Fat: 2.5

Carbs: less than 1

Fiber: 1

Protein: 7

WW Points+: 1 (can I hear a oh yah!)

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Quick Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ahhhhh, just in time for the wet weather here in Seattle!  This is so easy and so darn good.  I was so glad the photo came out, 'cause I just ate the last bowl for lunch!

Use a cooked rotisserie chicken from your local mega mart to make it even easier to prepare. Top with grated cheddar, sour cream or even bacon bits and of course...hot sauce!  A side of cornbread would be mighty nice too.

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Marinara Primavera

 This is a simple marinara packed with veggies (hence the Primavera)...now why would you make a homemade marinara when there is all that bottled stuff on the grocery store shelf, you ask?  Quite simply, flavor, texture and nutrition...it is low in calorie and has half the sodium and who doesn't need more vegetables in their diet.  I sometimes wonder how they get so much salt in some of those prepackaged foods!
 This makes a very large batch and can easily be frozen in several containers so you have fresh marinara on hand anytime!  

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Frosting

Let me say first that I am sick of pictures of cupcakes...they are everywhere! They have taken over my favorite food shows they are all over the internet and there is a cupcake shop on every street corner! Enough already....cupcakes are so yesterday, can't we find a new food toy to play with?
Now that being said, I have to share with you the easiest cupcake recipe you will ever have....but I can tell you right now, it's going to be a long time before you see another cupcake on this blog so enjoy!
Ingredients

Servings: 24

Serving Size: 1 cupcake with frosting

Calories: 121

Fat: 2.8

Carbs: 23.2

Fiber: 0.5

Protein: 1.4

WW Points+: 3

• 1 18 oz box of vanilla moist cake mix
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix
• 1 cup water

Mix it up and throw it in a cupcake lined pan and bake following the directions on the box. That's it, no eggs or oil. How cool is that?
Frosting

• 1 8 oz block of cream cheese (1/3 less fat works great too)
• 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Whip it up with your electric mixer. Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes before frosting your cupcakes (longer if you are piping it on)... and Bob's your uncle!

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