1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, More!

     Being a Weight Watcher member may have led to the diminishment of my potato serving size but my love of potatoes has remained constant.  Mashed potatoes, cheese potatoes, roasted potatoes, grilled potatoes, fried potatoes - I love them all!  Potatoes my be a staple for many of us but variety is the spice of life!  
     Today's offering is an oven-baked potato, Puffy Potato Rounds.  They are easy to make, tasty and just a little different.  Many of us Weight Watcher members opt for oven-"fried" potatoes to try to cut out the fat.  One of the problems I often have when making oven fries is the "stick" factor - when I try to turn them over I end up leaving their nice brown bottoms on the pan (I think the potato's starch may be the culprit).  The little bit of flour used in this recipe seems to help hold the seasoning on the potato, seal in the moisture and keep them from sticking.  They're still a work in progress so any suggestions are appreciated!

 

Puffy Potato Rounds

 Ingredients:

A pound of raw potato rounds.

• A pound of smaller, thin-skinned potatoes such as red or yukon gold (I used 3 4-inch potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• Salt and pepper (1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon each, to your taste) 
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper) 
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika 
• A plastic bag for shaking 
• Olive oil cooking spray

 

Putting it Together:

Ready for the oven.

       Preheat oven to 400 F (I used convection).  Spray a heavy baking sheet (I used my two burner-sized non-stick griddle which is oven-safe) with cooking spray.  Scrub the potatoes and slice into 1/4 -1/3 inch thick rounds; set aside.  Combine flour and spices in sturdy plastic bag, shake to mix well.  Place the potato rounds a handful at a time into the plastic bag and shake until lightly coated; remove and place on prepared sheet, trying not to overlap.  Continue with remaining rounds.  Spray rounds with cooking spray and bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (turning rounds over half way through) or until softened inside and golden brown outside.  Serve immediately since like all oven-fried potatoes they wilt and soften when cool.    

      Weight Watchers Recipe Builder estimated a total of 9 Points for this recipe or 3 servings at 3 Points per serving.  I had half of the flour-seasoning mixture left, enough to coat another pound of potatoes, I would estimate.     

     

String Beans, Tomato and Bacon - oh, my!

     I am perfectly content to eat plain, steamed vegetables - and often do just that, but a little something extra can make a delicious difference.  We all know that bacon makes everything better and just a Point's worth of the yummy stuff makes this green bean, onion, tomato veggie side dish saute a favorite.  I make this side dish when good green beans are available but frozen green beans could be substituted and would not need to be pre-cooked.  Rather than fresh tomatoes, diced canned tomatoes could be used.  My husband loves this dish and I originally made it for him.  I do not care for fresh tomatoes - it's that goop in the middle and seeds (so I scoop that out with my thumb before I chop) - and eating them with the beans, onions and bacon has helped me add a new food to my diet.

     I must give props to Melissa D'Arabian and her Food Network Show, "$10 Dollar Dinners."  Bacon was usually wasted at my house - we'd enjoy a few strips for a special breakfast and forget about the rest until too late.  Melissa keeps her package of bacon in the freezer and cuts off frozen strips (lardons) when she needs a bit for a recipe.  This method has worked like a charm for me though I usually make my lardons very thin or mince them - makes me feel like there's more!  I'm not an experienced bacon-fryer but I have learned to cook the bacon bits low and slow.  The lower heat helps to render the fat and the slow gets them nice and crispy.  I dump them out (fat included) on folded paper towels (one serving is not much), and use the same pan for whatever comes next - veggies, potatoes, eggs, etc.  I also use bacon that is labeled as low-fat (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one!) which is center-cut bacon.  I use Kroger's Private Selection (1 point for 2 strips) center-cut.  The package stated it had 7 total servings so I lightly scored the stack after opening but before freezing, marking the servings for future use.  The nutritional info also posts the weight of a cooked serving and I've used that to double-check myself.     

   Obviously you'll not be able to fry up traditional strips once the bacon is frozen but for scrambled eggs or breakfast tacos I cook up lardons and sprinkle them in/on the eggs.  I jazz up corn-potato chowder with a sprinkle of bacon for garnish (gets soggy in the soup); bacon adds a great flavor to braised beef stew or coq au vin; one serving along with some seasoning can turn a can of pinto beans into yummy "re-fried" beans.  A little extra Point expense can elevate a dish to something special.  I'm cooking for the rest of my life not just the right now (Weight Watchers is a life-style change, after all) and moderation, not deprivation, is my way.    

String Beans With Tomato, Onion and Bacon

Ingredients: 

String Beans with Tomato, Onion and Bacon

• A pound of string beans (trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces)
• A large or 2 small tomatoes (cut into 1/2 inch dice)
• A medium sweet onion (cut into 1/2 inch dice)
• 2 strips of bacon (or amount equal to 1 Point)
• 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Putting it Together:

Start bacon in a cold pan.

     Cut 2 strips of bacon into small pieces, place in cold medium-sized skillet and cook over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and bacon bits are crispy (this may take 10-15 minutes - if you're a slow chopper you may want to prep your veg before starting the bacon).  While bacon is cooking, dice onion and set aside.  Trim ends of beans and cut into 1-1/2 pieces and put in microwave steamer bag; set aside (You may use your preferred method and cook them until crisp- tender before it's time to add them to the skillet).  Dice tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.  
     Dump bacon and fat onto folded paper towel, return pan to medium heat and add diced onion to pan, sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired; saute until onion is somewhat softened.  

Just a little adds a lot of flavor.

These bags save me time and clean up.

     While onion is cooking, microwave beans for 2 to 3 minutes on high or until just beginning to soften; empty into pan with onions, stirring over medium heat.  At this point you may remove skillet from heat to catch up on the rest of your meal if needed, otherwise add diced tomatoes and some freshly ground pepper, cooking only for a few minutes (the tomatoes break down easily).  Check your seasoning, correct if necessary; empty skillet into serving dish and top with crisped bacon.

     My Recipe Builder registered a total of 6 Points for this recipe.  Prepared as written it makes 4 generous servings.  Dividing this recipe into 4, 5 or 6 servings makes for a cost of 1 Point per serving.  If the bacon is omitted the Recipe Builder decreases the total Points to 5, keeping the serving at 1 Point.