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Spaghetti with Caramelized Onion and Radicchio+

8 plus points
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups pasta mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese)


1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced yellow onion (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound uncooked spaghetti (used Pappardelle’s Garden Spinach angel hair pasta)
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced radicchio (about 1 head)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 15 minutes or until almost tender, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until deep golden (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add red pepper and garlic. Cook 3 minutes; stir occasionally. Add wine; cook 4 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add reserved cooking liquid, pasta, radicchio, parsley, and oregano to onion mixture. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper; toss to combine. Top with cheese.

CALORIES 300 ; FAT 5.8g (sat 2.3g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.7g); CHOLESTEROL 9mg; CALCIUM 160mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.7g; SODIUM 468mg; PROTEIN 12.1g; FIBER 4.1g; IRON 2.5mg

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Polenta Squares with Gorgonzola and Pine Nuts+

I would use a larger pan for the polenta so that it is more like 1/2 inch thick.  Also, rather than drizzling the reduced vinegar on top, I would let the bottoms of the squares soak in it to give in a nice dark bottom (like the photo in Cooking Light 12/2010 mag.).  The flavor is great, but they look a little “dirty” with the dark vinegar soaking in on top.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 3 topped polenta squares)

4 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
Cooking spray
1/4 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons currants
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually add polenta and salt, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 4 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in butter. Spoon polenta into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of polenta; chill for 1 hour or until polenta is very firm. Cut into 30 squares.

2. Combine 1/4 cup boiling water and currants in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes or until currants are plump; drain. Combine currants, cheese, pine nuts, and orange rind in a small bowl.

3. Heat vinegar in a small saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 10 minutes). Cool slightly.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add half of polenta squares to pan, and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove polenta squares from pan, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining polenta. Top each square with rounded 1/2 teaspoon of cheese mixture, and drizzle with about 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Garnish with parsley.


CALORIES 130 ; FAT 4.2g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.1g,poly 1g); CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 33mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.8g; SODIUM 268mg; PROTEIN 3.1g; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 0.7mg

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Fall Apple Salad

Yield: 4 servings

  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups torn butter lettuce
  • 1 c sliced endive
  • 1 c torn radicchio
  • 1 c thinly sliced apple

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl (through garlic).  Whisk in oil.  Toss with remaining ingredients.

Calories: 91; Fat 6.9 g

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Beef Filets with Mushroom Sauce and Parmesan Popovers+

 

9 points (includes popover)

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 steak, 1 popover, and 1/3 cup sauce)

Popovers:
1 cup fat-free milk
2 large eggs
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Sauce:
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
4 ounces sliced fresh cremini mushroom caps (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup pinot noir
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Beef:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine milk and eggs in a bowl. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt to milk mixture, stirring well; let stand 30 minutes. Place popover tin in oven for 5 minutes. Remove tin from oven; lightly coat popover cups with cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until puffed and golden.

3. Place porcini mushrooms in a bowl, and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving mushrooms and soaking liquid. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add cremini mushrooms to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until almost tender. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in porcini, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 3 minutes). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over mushroom mixture; cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Gradually add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, stirring constantly; bring to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Stir in herbs.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add beef to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; let stand 10 minutes.


CALORIES 405 ; FAT 19.9g (sat 6.9g,mono 9.1g,poly 1.2g); CHOLESTEROL 146mg; CALCIUM 113mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.8g; SODIUM 675mg; PROTEIN 29.7g; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 3.6mg

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White Bean Soup with Kale and Chorizo

Be sure to use smoked Spanish chorizo, not raw Mexican chorizo.

 

5 points

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

2 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, finely chopped
1 cup prechopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans organic cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups prechopped kale
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cracked black pepper (optional)

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

2. While onions cook, pour broth into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 3 minutes. Add hot broth and beans to pan; bring to a boil. Partially mash beans with potato masher. Stir in kale and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook over medium heat 6 minutes. Sprinkle with cracked pepper, if desired.


CALORIES 235 ; FAT 7.3g (sat 2.1g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.2g); CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 157mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.7g; SODIUM 586mg; PROTEIN 13.4g; FIBER 7.6g; IRON 3.5mg

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Chicken with Smoked Chanterelles+

? points – changed recipe

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half,  and 3/4 cup mushroom mixture)

I made this on the stove top without smoking the chanterelles.  Original recipe had a scalloped potato side that is too much work and not that good.


2 cups cedar wood chips
6 thyme sprigs
3 rosemary sprigs
1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
1 center-cut bacon slice, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped kale
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to high and leaving one side with no heat. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times. Place pan on heated side of grill; add wood chips, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs to pan. When chips are smoking, place another foil pan (do not pierce) on unheated side of grill; add mushrooms. Cover and smoke 20 minutes.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Increase heat to medium-high. Heat butter in drippings in pan. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add kale and next 3 ingredients (through 1/8 teaspoon pepper); cook until kale is tender and liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon.

Preheat grill to high heat.

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with potatoes and mushroom mixture.


CALORIES 521 ; FAT 15.5g (sat 8.4g,mono 3.6g,poly 1g); CHOLESTEROL 140mg; CALCIUM 390mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.7g; SODIUM 856mg; PROTEIN 58.2g; FIBER 2.7g; IRON 3.5mg

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Spinach and Parmesan Fallen Soufflé

Cooking spray
2  tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
2  garlic cloves, minced
10  ounce fresh spinach
1  cup 1% low-fat milk
1  tablespoon cornstarch
1/3  cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/8  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8  teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
3  large egg whites
1  large egg

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly coat an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and dust with breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic; cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly. Add spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Place spinach mixture on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, and squeeze until barely moist. Place spinach mixture in a blender. Add milk and cornstarch; process until smooth. Add cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; pulse until well blended. Pour into a large bowl.

Place egg whites and egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 5 minutes or until tripled in volume. Gently fold one-fourth of egg mixture into spinach mixture; gently fold in remaining egg mixture (mixture will seem slightly thin). Spoon spinach-egg mixture into prepared baking dish; smooth top with a spatula.

Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until set in the center. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 92(34% from fat); FAT 3.5g (sat 1.8g,mono 1g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 8.5g; CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 193mg; SODIUM 326mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.3g

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Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions, and Cheese

6  bacon slices
1  cup chopped onion
2  garlic cloves, minced
1  (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1  cup (4 ounces) preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided
1/2  cup chopped green onions
1/2  cup fat-free sour cream
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1  (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Cooking spray

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray.

Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

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Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce

To prevent wooden skewers from burning while grilling, soak for 30 minutes in hot water beforehand. Total time: 30 minutes.

4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4  cup packed light brown sugar
1/4  cup sake (rice wine)
1/4  cup rice vinegar
1/4  cup fresh lime juice
2  teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1  teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4  teaspoon crushed red pepper
1  garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray

Prepare grill.
Cut each chicken breast half lengthwise into 4 strips. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; stir until sugar dissolves. Combine half of sake mixture and all of chicken in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Reserve remaining sake mixture.
Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 16 (8-inch) skewers. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with remaining sake mixture.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 4 skewers and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sake mixture)

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Kale with Carmelized Shallots+

From the book: Clean Food, by Terry Walters.

My niece gave me this book for Christmas – it is FULL of healthy recipes designed to use what is in season, thus the “cleaner” aspect.  I was excited to see recipes for vegetables I’ve never prepared before.  We really liked this recipe and I was inspired to create my own, Colorful Kale and Peppers.  Kale is a nice mix between the “cookability” of brussel sprouts and spinach.  It is quick to prepare, but I don’t think you risk the sprout’s bitterness if you overcook the leaves; and they don’t wilt so dramatically as spinach, so you still have something to fork up and chew.  I reduced the amount of oil in the original recipe – it seemed like too much.

  • 2 bunches kale
  • 6 large shallots
  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp coarse sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute shallots in olive oil for 6-8 minutes or until very soft and caramelized.   Add lemon juice and saute another 2-3 minutes to brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring large pot of water to boil.  Cut and remove dried stems ends from kale and submerge whole leaves in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until tender and bright green.  Remove from heat, drain water and cut leaves into bite-sized pieces.  Add kale to pan with shallots and saute 1 minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

 

I served this with gnocchi and used the hot water to cook the gnocchi.  Clean and green.