Middle Eastern-Style Potatoes

     My mom made the best fried potatoes and I, for many years, lamented that I never learned her secret.  I would end up burning them on the outside while trying to get them soft on the inside.  Until, that is, I learned Melissa d'Arabian's technique while watching one of the earlier shows of her series, "$10 Dinners."  For you non-Food Network viewers, Melissa won "The Next Food Network Star" a few seasons back.  She was the contestant I was rooting for, a mom and home cook, with lots of tips and budget stretchers.  Her recipe for crispy potatoes http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/perfect-crispy-potatoes-recipe/index.html combined frying to brown and steaming to finish the cooking, plus a little oven time for a final crisping.  This technique works like a charm every time.
     I had made Melissa's crispy potatoes and was thrilled with how delicious and easy they were.  Then fate stepped in and my husband and I tried a new local Middle Eastern restaurant, Fadi's, one evening.  In their cafeteria style buffet line was a tray of cubed, browned potatoes but with a delicious twist; an addition of garlic, lemon juice and cilantro.  We were hooked!  After a try or two at home (following Melissa's technique but without all that oil) mine were even better than Fadi's and are now a favorite dinner side.  Whether you try them "plain" as fried potatoes for breakfast tacos or an old-school dinner accompaniment, or with my Middle Eastern flavor additions, I think you'll love the result!    

Middle Eastern-Style Potatoes

Middle Eastern-Style Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of thin-skinned potatoes, I use Yukon Golds (I prefer not to peel them)
• 2 teaspoons olive or cooking oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed or minced finely
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooking spray

Putting It Together: 

     Scrub potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes, pat dry with paper towel.  Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet (which has a tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat; add potatoes and sprinkle over 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt.  Let the potatoes brown for a couple of minutes before stirring and rearranging, repeat this process until they've browned a bit on most sides.

Give the potatoes a couple minutes on each side to brown them; they'll finish browning in the oven.

     When you are satisfied with the color (usually takes 5-10 minutes) add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the skillet and quickly put on the lid.  Turn the heat down to low and let the potatoes steam for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a heavy baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

The steam bath gives the potato cubes that creamy interior.

     After 5 minutes check the potatoes for doneness, they should be softened but not completely cooked and the water completely evaporated.  Pour the potatoes out onto the sprayed baking sheet (single layer is best) and bake in the preheated oven for 10-25 minutes.  Cooking time varies since the potatoes are nearly done before they go into the oven; it becomes a matter of taste and just how brown and crispy you prefer your potatoes.
     While the potatoes are in the oven, place the teaspoon of butter and pressed or minced garlic clove in the warm potato skillet.  Cook on low for a couple of minutes to mellow the raw garlic flavor.  For a milder flavor use a smashed clove, allow it to steep in the butter on low and remove it before adding back the cooked potatoes.  Wash and ready your lemon and chop the cilantro; set aside.

Tilt your knife to shave away the leaves (whether cilantro or parsley) from the stems.

 

 

Just a few additions make a delicious change to the flavor profile of these potatoes.

At this point they're yummy plain potatoes for breakfast or dinner or ready for those Middle-Eastern flavors!

     When the potatoes have crisped and browned to your liking, pour them back into the skillet (off the heat) containing the butter and garlic.  I appreciate the oven babysitting the potatoes while I'm out at the grill - just don't let them get overdone or they'll be dry and not moist and creamy inside.  Sprinkle over lemon juice, 1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and chopped cilantro; toss to combine.  Taste and check the seasoning, correct if necessary; serve and enjoy!
             

Middle-Eastern Style Potatoes are a great side with Lemon-Dijon grilled salmon.

     Using a pound of raw potatoes, Recipe Builder estimated a total of 12 Points for the entire recipe as written above.  Dividing the recipe into 4 servings makes each serving 3 Plus Points.  F.Y.I: The Lemon-Dijon marinated salmon was delicious with these lemon-scented potatoes! 



 

Confetti Corn

Confetti Corn, a mixture of corn, peppers, onion and bacon.

     My husband and I both love corn on the cob and it has been a frequent carbohydrate accompaniment to grilled everything!  The only downside to corn on the cob is calculating the amount of carbohydrate in an ear.  After a dinner with corn on the cob my husband would typically end up with a low blood sugar from estimating incorrectly - the guidelines were just too ambiguous.  
     Since we didn't want to give up fresh summer corn but were willing to forgo the cob, I started cooking up vegetable sautes with corn-off-the-cob, onion, peppers, zucchini and summer squash.  By cutting the kernels off the cob and weighing them before cooking I could give my husband a much accurate carb count and bulking up the corn with more veggies was good for both of us.  The corn-vegetable combos were great but our all-time favorite is corn, peppers, onion and bacon because as you all know, bacon makes everything better!  And because this dish is so colorful it has to be called Confetti Corn.

Confetti Corn

Ingredients:

• Two ears of fresh corn on the cob (yellow, white or bi-color), removed from cob 
• A sweet onion,diced 
• A green bell pepper, diced 
• A red bell pepper, diced 
• Two slices of lean bacon, diced finely  
• Salt and pepper, to taste 
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 
•  1-2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder

 Putting It Together: 

     Prep and cut all the vegetables.  Add bacon to a cold skillet, turn heat to medium-low and stir and cook until most of the fat has been rendered and bacon is browned.       

     Pour off the fat, turn up the heat to medium and add the diced onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the crushed red pepper flakes.  Stir and cook until onion begins to soften.  Add the corn, diced peppers, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, the cumin and chili powder and continue to cook until peppers and corn kernels are just slightly soft.    

       Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover skillet tightly with lid and turn down the heat.  Allow veggies to steam for just a minute or two, check veggies for doneness and adjust the seasoning, if needed.  The peppers will lose their bright colors if steamed or held too long.  Frozen corn is a great alternative.   

My husband is using a corn zipper.

Pretty colorful!

     The Recipe Builder estimated 13 points when using 10 ounces of corn off the cob (2 ears average 7-10 ounces) for the entire recipe or 4 servings, 3 Points each. 

Confetti Corn makes a great side for summer grilling.

Say Cheese! Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower

     My husband's new endocrinologist has suggested my spouse eat less carbohydrates and more protein, low-carb veggies and fats.  Needless to say, my guy has had no problems snacking on nuts and cheese, lots of nuts and cheese.  Though I, too, am cutting down on carbohydrates I still want to enjoy some, especially with my summer grilling.  My post for Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes was a result of these new dietary guidelines, some carbs (potatoes) but lots of vegetables (a crown of broccoli) along with the Powderhorn Potatoes (spaghetti squash).  I had also tried to do a macaroni and cheese with cauliflower but it was not very good...the first time.  So I tried again and this time we loved it!  I chose cauliflower as a pasta stand-in since it is so mild tasting but broccoli could certainly be substituted - you will lose the camouflage factor though.  Hope you give it a try!

Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower with crispy Panko topping

Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower

Ingredients: 

• A generous pound of cauliflower, sliced and cut into approximately one-inch pieces 
• 3 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta  
• 2 teaspoons butter
• A large shallot or half a medium onion, minced
• A clove of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
• 2 teaspoons light butter, divided
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 ounce shredded very sharp cheddar cheese (I used white, hence the pale color)
• 1/2 teaspoon White Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning (I used Target's Archer Farms)
• 1 teaspoon ground yellow mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika      
• 1/4 cup Ian's Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic and onion powders
• Pinch of cayenne or hot paprika

Putting it Together:

     Melt 1 teaspoon light butter (I use light LO'L to save Points) in 8-10 inch skillet; add Panko, garlic and onion powders, pinch of cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook over medium heat for just a few minutes or until golden brown.  If you are not going to bake your finished dish in the oven, let the crumbs get nice and toasty brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Wipe out pan to re-use.

     Put on water for pasta - don't forget to salt it.  When the water comes to a boil add the orecchiette and cook until al dente.  Rinse and reserve but don't hold for an extended amount of time.  Rinse and trim cauliflower (I used half of a huge head, about a pound).  Cut the head through in slices about one inch apart, lay down the sections and cut them into 1-inch cubes/pieces.  I placed the cauliflower in a Ziplock Zip N Steam (BPA-free) microwave bag, all ready to zap when the sauce is nearly done.  You may steam the cauliflower but whatever your method do not overcook - should be crisp-tender. 

     Melt the 2 teaspoons butter and 1 teaspoon light butter in skillet, add minced onion/shallot and lightly smashed whole garlic clove.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook until onion/shallot is softened.  Remove garlic clove.  Sprinkle mixture with flour, paprika and dry mustard; stir well and cook for a couple of minutes, pressing out lumps.  Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly; mixture will thicken in just a few minutes.  Stir in cheese and cheese powder.  I saw the popcorn seasoning (I had bought it for microwave air popped) when I pulled out my crushed red pepper and thought, "Hmmm..."  I did not want to use more Points for more cheese so I tasted the seasoning and there you go - a little seemed to intensify the cheesiness just enough.  Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary.

For more sauce tips, check out previous Posts

     Combine the al dente orecchiette (this ear-shaped pasta has a great texture and was much better suited than the fiber-plus elbows in my original attempt) and steamed cauliflower in a large bowl, pour sauce over and gently stir.  You may keep dish warm, covered on the stove top (sprinkle on browned Panko just before serving) - or spray baking dish with cooking spray, spoon in mixture, top with Panko and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 5-20 minutes, checking to make sure crumb topping does not burn.

Cheesy Mac 'n Cauliflower, a very satisfying side!

     This recipe made approximately 4 cups, or 8 generous 1/2 cup servings.  The recipe totaled 23 Points as per WW Recipe Builder or 3 Points per 1/2 cup serving.

Lemon-Dijon Salmon with Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

Lemon-Dijon Salmon with Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

 

      I have become even more of a fan of salmon since I discovered that wild-caught salmon saves me a Point or two over farm-raised, plus I like the less fatty texture of wild-caught much more than farm-raised Atlantic salmon.  A 6-ounce cooked filet of farm-raised salmon is 9 Points, compared to 7 Points for a cooked 5-1/2 ounce wild-caught piece of salmon.   Whatever your preference I think you, too, will enjoy this quick and easy recipe for salmon.  The marinade is scaled-down from Ina Garten's  Salad Niçoise recipe and though I use it for salmon, it would be tasty on most any fish.  

     Now for a side...  I have tried several frozen Weight Watcher's entrees over the years and one that I have enjoyed for a quick lunch is the cheese-broccoli potato entree.  Tastes change and I now find the orange-colored cheese sauce a bit too Cheez Whiz-y but I still long for the tasty combination of potato, broccoli and cheddar.  I often make cheese mashed or scalloped potatoes with salmon and ham for some reason and I like broccoli with cheese-y potatoes (who doesn't?) so I thought I'd put them together like my old WW favorite!  The result was a real treat and one I know I'll make again and again, especially with salmon or ham.
     The recipe as I made it (with 11.5 ounces of raw Yukons) totaled 26 Points in Recipe Builder, which I divided into 4 generous 1-cup servings at 6 Points per serving.  I usually start my cooking with a specific carb total in mind - my husband said he'd like 6-8 ounces of raw potato, I'd like 3-5 ounces, so I weighed the different potatoes and choose 2 that would fit the bill.  You non-Point/carb counting folks don't have to be so specific. 

     

Lemon-Dijon Marinated Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• Zest of half a lemon (about a teaspoon)
• Juice of half a lemon
• A garlic clove, pressed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound of salmon filet, cut into serving-sized pieces

Putting it Together:

After marinating for 5-10 minutes the salmon is ready for oven or grill.

     Whisk together the marinade in a small bowl.  I omit the butter if using farm-raised salmon since it's so fatty.  Line a heavy baking sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil, lay the pieces of fish close together and pour/spread over the marinade.  Let fish sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking but no longer as the acid may "cook" the fish (think ceviche). 

     Preheat the oven or outdoor grill to 425-450 while the fish is marinating.  Before cooking I move the fish pieces apart to speed cooking time.  The filet may be left whole for cooking but I prefer cutting it into servings so the cooking time is shortened.  A one-pound piece cut into 2-3 servings takes about 10 minutes of cooking time; I rotate the baking sheet after 5 minutes.

I like to leave the skin behind, whether on the grill or baking sheet.

     Fish flakes easily and is lighter pink and opaque when done but with a little darker pink in the center.  To remove from the baking sheet I use a fish spatula, slide it between the skin and gray fat and leave the skin behind on the tinfoil.  I have also cooked the fish directly on the grill but the fat often flares up and leaves it with an unappealing scorch mark look and flavor (especially the Atlantic farm-raised).    

     The marinade recipe above was sufficient for a pound of salmon (skin on), just double for 2 pounds of fish. 

Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

Ingredients: 

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 large shallot, minced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large whole garlic clove, peeled
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 3 tablespoons half and half
• 2 ounces very sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I love Cougar Gold, a sharp white cheddar)
• 1 head broccoli, cut into about 1-inch pieces, steamed until crisp-tender (I use a microwave steamer bag)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 12-16 ounces thin-skinned potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
• Cooking Spray (Optional)

Putting It Together:

     Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet; add shallot, crushed red pepper, salt and whole garlic clove and saute until shallot is softened.  Sprinkle flour over and stir for a minute or two.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.  After a minute or two stir in half and half and cheese, stir until melted; add pepper and more salt to taste.  I poured the sauce into a metal bowl, covered it with foil and set it aside so that I could rinse the skillet and use it for the potatoes.

Potatoes have been browned, then steamed 'til tender.

     Scrub potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces; add to 1 teaspoon of olive oil in heated skillet and cook until browned.  The potatoes brown more easily if you don't move them around constantly.  When lightly browned, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the potatoes, cover with tight-fitting lid, turn heat down from medium-high to low and let cook/steam for 5 minutes.  If the potatoes are not tender, stir, add more water, recover and check again in another 5 minutes.  Repeat, if necessary.   

     While potatoes are cooking, rinse and chop a crown of broccoli using tender part of stems and florets; steam until crisp-tender and set aside.  I use Ziplock Zip 'n Steam Bags which are BPA-free but should not be re-used.

Time to add the reserved cheese sauce to the cooked potatoes and steamed broccoli.

     When potatoes are tender, add steamed broccoli and pour over cheese sauce but remove the whole garlic clove!  Stir to combine.  I poured the mixture into a baking dish which had been sprayed with olive oil Pam and baked it uncovered for 5-10 minutes at 425 degrees while I cooked the fish outside on the grill.  If you opt not to bake, just cover and keep warm over very low heat, taking care not to burn the mixture. 

     I used11.5 ounces raw, skin-on potatoes but the sauce mixture would be sufficient for a pound of potatoes with the large broccoli crown.

Powderhorn "Potatoes" - AKA Twice-Cooked Spaghetti Squash

     I was searching my recipe files for a tasty carb side-dish (preferably low carb) to accompany grilled flank steak when I came across an old favorite, Powderhorn Potatoes.  Steak and cheesy potatoes - what could be better?  My neighbor from 20 plus years and 4 moves ago had shared her recipe with me and my family and I have enjoyed it countless times over the years.  Though delicious, it was definitely not low carb or low fat and has not been in my current Weight Watcher-friendly repertoire.  I didn't have the baked and chilled potatoes to shred anyway... But I did have a nice spaghetti squash and if I was happy to pretend it was pasta, maybe shredded potatoes wouldn't be too much of a stretch.  I'm here to report that the "pretend" Powderhorn Potatoes were delicious!

Cheesy twice-baked spaghetti squash stands in for shredded potatoes.

Powderhorn "Potatoes"  

Ingredients:

• A medium sized spaghetti squash (microwaved til tender)*
• 2 tablespoons light butter (I use Land O'Lakes)
• A medium onion, finely diced
• A clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (white or yellow)
• Cooking spray

Crumb Topping (Optional)

Seasoned, browned Panko breadcrumbs.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in saute pan (I wiped out the squash pan and re-used it).  Add 2 tablespoons Ian's panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon each garlic salt and onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, a dash of cayenne.  Stir over medium-low heat until lightly browned then set aside.  Sprinkle toasted crumbs over squash during last 5 minutes of baking.

Putting It Together:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat; add onion, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; saute until onion is softened.  Turn off heat and add cooked squash, sour cream and grated cheese.  Stir to combine then spoon into baking dish which has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly golden brown.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over for last 5 minutes, if desired. 

Adding cooked squash, sour cream and sharp white cheddar cheese to the cooked onion mixture - smelled like the real deal!

I got 4 cups of cooked squash from my medium-sized spaghetti squash but the total cooked recipe amount was less than 4 cups.  I think more water/volume was lost as the squash baked.

     This recipe came in at a total of 20 Points Plus, including the crumb topping (18 Points without it) on recipe Builder.  It yielded 6 generous half-cup servings at 3 Points Plus per serving.  The crumb topping does not change the individual serving total.  If you are a twice-baked or au gratin potato fan, this recipe will not disappoint!

*See Pasta Pretender Post for microwaving instructions

More Veggies, Please! 3 Cold Cucumber Salads

     Growing up in a Finnish-American family in Minnesota I ate lots of pickled cucumber salad, doncha know.  For you non-Nordic folk that would be thinly sliced cucumbers in vinegar-water with sugar, salt and pepper; chopped parsley or dill optional.  I've been making this simple salad for over thirty years but it's been only these last few years that I've realized other cultures have similar versions with their own unique additions.

     My husband has been the spur in my side (and sometimes a pain elsewhere), urging me to try new foods over the years, including Persian fare at a local restaurant.  When I finally gave in, I found many dishes I enjoyed, including another version of the cucumber salad to add to my repertoire.  Shirazi salad adds tomatoes to the mix, replaces lemon or lime juice as the acid and mint for the dill or parsley.  I went looking on-line for more versions of this simple salad and that's when I stumbled upon Smitten Kitchen's Mediterranean Pepper Salad, a delicious combination that added peppers to the veggie mix.  Click here to check out the delicious original pepper salad at Smitten Kitchen.  By the way there's a new Smitten Kitchen cookbook coming out soon!

    You may recall that Smitten Kitchen is responsible for my love of ratatouille.  This new-found love has in turn, led me to  include peppers, eggplant, zucchini and yellow summer squash in a variety of new ways and recipes for which I am eternally grateful!  You Weight Watchers can appreciate the idea of new no/low Point recipes and the added health benefits of more veggies!  I hope that you'll try these three versions of cold great-for-summer salads and find one that you'll enjoy and make your own.       

#1 Pickled Cucumber Salad

Ingredients: 

• 1-2 English cucumber or 2-3 medium cucumbers (thinner equals smaller seeds) 
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill, optional

Putting it Together:

     Stir together above ingredients except for cucumbers and parsley; stir to dissolve sugar and salt; set aside.  If your cukes are waxed you should definitely peel them but if they're not you may want to make them a bit more decorative.  A Swedish friend taught me to drag a fork down the length of the cuke (rotate and drag til the cucumber is scored all around) before slicing.  Another option is to lightly peel down the length (rotate and continue all around) and make green and white stripes; both add a pretty touch.  Slice your cucumbers into thin coins, add them to the pickling water, stir and refrigerate (best if refrigerated for a few hours).  Sprinkle on chopped parsley or dill before serving.  

     When using 2 English cucumbers, Recipe Builder came up with a total of 6 Points.  Knowing from experience (and from my marinade experiment!) that most of the pickling solution (with the sugar) is leftover and not consumed I'm choosing to count this as 0 Points.    

#2 Shirazi Salad

Ingredients:

• 1-2 English cucumbers or 2-3 regular cucumbers (follow suggestions from previous recipe) 
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into a a large dice (up to an inch) 
• 1 small sweet or red onion, cut into very thin strips  
• Fresh lime juice, about 2-3 tablespoons
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4-1/2 ground blacker pepper 
• 1 -2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (could substitute parsley or mint)

Putting it Together:

     When I've eaten this at a restaurant, all the veg have been cut into a very small uniform dice, about 1/4 inch.  I like larger-sized veg so I cut my cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and then those into 1/2-1 inch wedges.  That's one of the things I like about this recipe - there's no wrong way to do it!  If I have only one tomato and several cukes - or vice versa- no problem!  What does work best is to chop and put your veg into a serving bowl; set aside while stirring together the juice and seasoning.  Pour the lime juice mixture over the veg, stir, sprinkle on chopped cilantro and chill before serving.

     Once again Recipe Builder came up with a recipe total of 6 Points.  If your recipe was divided into 12 servings, each serving would count as 0 Points.  With just the raw cucumbers, tomatoes and onion the total is 5 Points - go figure... 

# 3 Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoons salt 
• Black pepper, freshly ground is best 
• 1 English or 2 regular cucumbers
• 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 small red onion, diced into 1/2-1 inch pieces
• 2-3 bell peppers (a combination of green, red, yellow, orange - but all green is too harsh in my opinion)

Putting it Together:

     Combine the first four ingredients, stir to dissolve sugar and salt, add diced red onion and set aside.  Peel or score the cucumber(s) as in recipe #1 and cut into wedges as in recipe #2 and add to a large serving bowl.  Cut the tomato(es) into 1/2-1 inch pieces and add to cucumbers.  Cut the peppers into 1/2-1 inch pieces and add to bowl.  As with the Shirazi Salad the ratio of tomato-cucumber-peppers is up to you, what's in season or what's in your garden!  Sprinkle cut veg with salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss; pour over onion-vinegar mixture and toss again.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or as much time as you are able to allow.  When peppers are abundant and I've made a large amount and have leftover salad, I've served it over raw spinach the next day - veggies and dressing in one! 

     If your guess is 6 Points for the recipe total you would be correct!  According to Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder, this recipe would have to be divided into 13 servings to equal 0 Points per serving.  With Weight watchers a serving of vegetable is one half cup.  When cooking with fruits or vegetables I very rarely use a specific amount like 1 cup of diced tomato but rather a piece, such as one medium tomato, diced.  I do think this is typical with these foods.  In baking, measurements are precise.  When cooking proteins it is simple to weigh them raw or cooked.  If I put in specific measurements of vegetables in my recipes as opposed to a small or medium such-and-such, my Points totals on Recipe Builder could change.  It just isn't that important to me when raw fruits and vegetables are considered 0 Points to begin with and the recipe serving totals are so small anyway.  I have bigger battles to fight!

Pepper salad, sweet potato chips and a plain old grilled burger pocket.

     The Pepper Salad as a side with my Empanada burgers and couscous is just delightful; the pungent vinegar brings out and enhances the spices and flavors of the other dishes - it amazes me!  It is also a great accompaniment to tandoori-style chicken and pork kabobs marinated in cumin-garlic-lemon.  The Shirazi Salad seems to end up next to grilled and marinated flank steak or London Broil for some reason.  After serving Cucumber Salad with grilled teriyaki-style chicken for years I realized the pickled cabbage salad served at Asian restaurants is it's long-lost cousin.  Any of these salads would make an easy side to go along with good old burgers and dogs, too.  Whatever is on your menu, I hope you'll try -and enjoy! one of these cold salads with your next grilled dinner.        

Grilled Satay-Style Chicken Breast with Thai Peanut-Sauced Veggie-Noodle Salad

Grilled Satay-Style Chicken Breast with Thai Peanut-Sauced Noodle-Veggie Salad

     Last summer (which in Houston could mean most months but December and January) I used a store-bought bottled peanut sauce several times for grilling chicken breasts and dressing a cold veggie-noodle salad - and I was pretty happy with the results.  Naturally I doctored-up the sauce, so much so that I might as well have made it from scratch to begin with!  But as I've mentioned I am slow to try new things and the gazillions of peanut sauce recipes on the internet were intimidating.  But the hot weather is back so I went phishing (just kidding!) again and found a recipe with wonderful reviews, few ingredients and was a snap to make.  Of course I had to change it - that's just how I roll...  The recipe I used is from About.com. and this link will take you to it.  I adjusted the recipe because I didn't have all the ingredients (I had grocery shopped for a different recipe), then when I tried the finished sauce I found it just a little bland for my taste.  If you like Asian-style peanut sauce, a variety of vegetables and want an easy summer meal I hope you'll try one of these recipes and make it your own.

Thai Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (ground at the store or jarred)
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili paste (cayenne, chili garlic sauce or Tabasco are possible substitutes for chili and Sriracha - you just want some heat)
• 1/3 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Putting it Together:

     Put everything in a food processor and pulse until blended - the natural peanut butter gives it a nice texture.  I like lots of heat and the garlic, ginger, chili paste and Sriracha contribute to the heat factor so if you prefer less heat I would suggest starting out with a bit less of each of them - you can always add more.  Just keep tasting until it's right for you.  

     This recipe made about 1-1/4 cups of sauce and weighed in at 30 Points on recipe Builder.  I felt that 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) made for a reasonable individual serving so that's 10 servings at 3 points each.  There is nothing "diet" about this sauce but being aware of the Points value and serving size will make it Weight Watcher-friendly, especially when paired with high-fiber noodles and loads of raw veggies.  

Sauce-dressed veggies waiting for dinner

My veggie choices

     

     I used a half of a green pepper, three quarters from a red, an orange and a yellow pepper (they were on sale and leftover from a salad), 2 smaller carrots, 2 stalks of celery, very thin slices of Texas sweet onion, and 2 large kale leaves cut into strips.  Use what you think will be compatible and what's in your frig.  I had asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli in the frig but they just didn't seem "right"; I could have added scallions, Napa cabbage, purple cabbage or pea pods if I'd had them (hindsight is 20/20). 

     I marinated 2 trimmed chicken breasts which had been cut into 4 somewhat equal strips in 2 servings of the peanut sauce (for about 5 hours) and not a discernible amount of sauce was actually "used."  I don't do the thin satay-style strips on a skewer because they're so easy to overcook and they are dry.  Before grilling I set the chicken atop a wire rack to drip and sprayed them with cooking spray before putting them on the hot grill.  You other grillers know a drippy piece of meat is going to stick big-time!

     I cut my veg (while the pasta water was heating up) and put some peanut sauce from the frig on top to "marry" the flavors.  This salad could all be done ahead of time and I have done so, but the high fiber pasta I like just gets too softened so I do it on-demand when I'm able.  I drained the cooked pasta (al dente) and put in it lots of ice and cold water so I can mind the chicken on the grill with no distractions.  The chicken strips just take a few minutes (about 8 minutes) - I'd cut down each breast at an angle into 2 strips to even out the thickness (same concept for pounding out the breasts for baked chicken) so they cook quickly and don't dry out.   

     I have to be pretty accurate when counting carbs for my husband with Juvenile (Type I) Diabetes so he can then be accurate when he boluses insulin, so I usually measure our pasta servings into our bowls and then top with sauce, etc. - and it works for me, too.  Our daughter has had Juvenile Diabetes since she was 4 years old so measuring foods has been a lifestyle chore/choice I've had to adopt (explains a lot, right?). 

     Pasta servings in their bowls tossed with sauce-dressed veggies, rested chicken on top and dinner is ready!  Next time I won't forget the chopped cilantro sprinkle...

     This was so delicious!  The chicken was very moist and came in handy for sauce mop-up.  The water from the pasta and veg made the sauce go further and all the crunching made it impossible for me to rush (we talked about slowing down when eating at this week's Weight Watcher meeting).  My veggies were all raw (0 Points), a two-ounce serving of Smart Taste angel hair (5 Points), 5 ounces grilled chicken breast (5 Points) and 2 servings of peanut sauce (6 Points) makes a grand total of 16 Points.  This is one of my higher Points dinners so I may use only half the sauce next time or replace the chicken with fresh Gulf shrimp (yum!) to knock off a few Points - but it was definitely a restaurant-quality meal but with no eater's remorse!

Spicing It Up... Chipotle Marinade

     I do the outdoor grilling in my house.  During our first years of marriage I may have complained a little too often about my husband's grilling results: well-done (not as in a good job) and smokin' (as in, "Get out the fire extinguisher!").  Three decades later I have realized my mistake and it's too late...but he does prep and clean the grill so I can't complain.  

     Grilling and lighter cooking seem like natural partners when using lean proteins; lean proteins and marinades (or rubs) are another great partnership.  But now I've entered the Weight Watcher "grey zone" - how to count a marinade?  I asked my previous leader just that and I did not care for the answer, which was having to count the entire marinade amount.  Many of my marinades are low Point (vinegars, herbs, Worcestershire, etc.) and some are not (honey, peanut butter, ketchup, etc.) but the idea of counting it all when most of the marinade goes down the disposal seemed ludicrous!  

     I have made an executive decision to measure the marinade before adding the protein and measure after marinating and removing the protein.  The Chipotle Marinade in this post makes about 2 cups (11 Points as per the Recipe Builder) and as long as I'm consistent when following the recipe in future, I will already know the "before" amount when I make it again.      
     When I measured the remaining marinade after I removed the trimmed pork tenderloin (it was marinating in a big glass measuring bowl) it had gone down by approximately 1/3 cup.  To simplify things I decided to divide the marinade recipe into six 1/3 cup servings, making each serving 2 Points.  (Next time I make it with chicken pieces I may have more or less marinade left over so I'll adjust the serving size to simplify the math, is necessary.)  I ate about a third of the marinated pork so adding a Point to my serving seemed adequate.  Now I know not to sweat marinades that are made with low/zero Points foods and as for this Chipotle Marinade, I ended up with a delicious piece of pork which was well worth one extra Point.  And my curiosity was satisfied along with my appetite.          

Chipotle marinated pork tenderloin.

Chipotle Marinade 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 chipotle en adobe with a spoonful of sauce
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2-3 teaspoons paprika (I use half sweet/half hot)
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2-3 tablespoons honey

Putting It Together:

 A food processor makes it so easy!

      Put ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse/blend until combined but with some texture.  If you don't have a food processor chop onion, garlic, chipotles finely and combine with remaining ingredients.  Taste to check spice level-sweetness; adjust if necessary.  Pour marinade over meat in non-reactive bowl, refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  When ready to grill, remove meat from marinade and place on a wire rack.  To save myself some clean up I cover a cookie sheet with foil and place the rack on top - no pan to wash, just the rack.  I push off most of the marinade bits and spray all sides of the meat with cooking spray 
(I also spray the grill); now it's ready for the grill.    

Drying off before grilling.

     I came up with this marinade by adjusting my chipotle barbecue recipe which I came up with by adding chipotle (and a few other extras/substitutions) to my mom's barbecue sauce recipe.  I wanted something that tasted like barbecue sauce but was lighter and this fit the bill for me.  BTW I'm using "barbecue" like a Minnesotan, not a Texan!  I love this marinade for pork tenderloin and boneless-skinless or bone-in chicken breasts or thighs.  I do cut my tenderloin (they're usually about a pound so one could marinate several in this marinade amount) into 3-4 wedges so that the meat is more flavored and cooks quickly and evenly.

      Guidelines for cooking pork have changed over the years - the other white meat doesn't have to be overcooked and dry.  For information about cooking pork check here.  Overcooking any meat can be a problem when grilling and experience is the best teacher but in the meantime I've included a link for the "finger test."  For a low-tech way to test for done-ness check here.

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.