Orange-Sesame Glaze

I have been yearning for my Orange Sesame Glaze for a  long time now.   But, when I looked at my recipe I realized that the base was ALL OIL!! (unthinkable now, right?)  Because of that, I have been depriving myself of it for months.  Let's face it, Weight Watchers just doesn't give enough points for a CUP of oil...LOL (no joke, it had a cup of oil !!!)  I have no idea what I was thinking when I created it...

It wasn't that I didn't really know HOW to cook healthy (obviously I make a lot of great healthy food!) but it's that I just didn't care to think about it.  Oil was handy and the basis for lots of sauces and dressings.  Up until now, I just didn't want to take the time or effort to convert the recipe. 

As the saying goes, the evil you know is better than the evil you don't.

But I cannot shake my NEED for this sauce.  It's the perfect sauce for grilled Chicken, Rare AHI tuna steaks, grilled shrimp, sauteed tilapia.  I used it as a salad dressing, on top rice or as a seasoning to any Stir Fry.  It's also the perfect dipping sauce for pot stickers, fresh spring rolls as well or for baked cheesy won tons (both of which I will blog about sometime)

So I did it.  I have taken this heavily oiled, points heavy sauce and lightened it up....A LOT!  The best part is I was able to achieve the same great flavor....well I lied.  It's actually better than it was!! Who knew?

I have the ingredients in my pantry at all times, so I can whip it up whenever!  I hope you do too!

Let me know what you make with it and send a picture (see contact page), I will post your picture and your ideas!!

Orange-Sesame Glaze
2 WW points plus!!  (makes 1 cup or 6 generous servings)

1/4 cup orange juice concentrate (not OJ)
2 tablespoons sesame oil (I used dark)
3 tablespoons Seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds*
2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (bottled, any brand)
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon dried chives (or fresh chives or sliced green onions)

*  If your sesame seeds are not toasted, toast them in a dry pan over medium heat until browned.

Mix all ingredients together, add the sesame seeds and set aside until ready to use!

The result?  A simple, tangy, Asian sauce that is highly adaptive to many dishes.  The taste is fresh, authentic and flavorful, without the extra oil, calories and heaviness!  Happiness has returned to my palette!!!

From my home to yours, ENJOY!

Cauliflower Puree

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ME.

I mean really and truly wrong.  Let's take a minute to discuss it.

Yesterday I was craving fish after my work out.  That was bad enough.  One could even argue that it was because I worked out so hard that I needed the protein, vitamins and omega 3's.  I can buy that. KIND OF. But for cryin' out loud, here I sit working, minding my own little business when WHAM!  I am slammed with another craving for FISH.  And not just fish, but fish and VEGGIES!  Really? That's a craving?????  Unbelievable.

What self respecting "overweight" person craves FISH AND VEGGIES in the middle of the day for NO GOOD REASON?  Certainly not me - NOT EVER ME. So I made myself FISH and VEGGIES...and now I am STUFFED?  HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I didn't even eat that much!   In fact I am writing this post BEFORE my workout  just to let the lunch from now hours ago settle...now that makes me laugh!!

Yes something is wrong.

I come from a family of STICKS....you heard me correctly.  They are all naturally thin.  Especially my sisters.  They are gorgeous AND thin.  Ummm. Which postman did I come from?  Over the years, I got to "study" one of my sisters eating habits at work.  YEP...she would always give me her leftovers.  WHY?  Because she was just "too full"...HAHAHA - too FULL?  SOOO... I would eat mine AND hers.....but what I discovered is she would really want to eat more healthy foods...DEFINITELY not fun or exciting I would think to myself.  Then I would pray....GOD, please make me like that!

So the day has arrived.  I craved fish twice and I am stuffed from it.  YES, something is amiss...In a good way. 

OK, enough of my prattle. Onto the topic of the day.  Cauliflower Puree.  Yes, it's all the rage among Chef's and it IS good.  But it's sad that something so good and pure gets ladened with butter, cream and cheese to create a decadent side dish with, I am afraid to say, an obscene amount of calories.

By now, you know the motto of this blog.  It has to be Satisfying, delicious without the fat,  quick enough to make often, it needs to look good on the plate and it needs to fit into a lite and healthy lifestyle.  Cauliflower fits this profile, believe it or not.

Cauliflower IS a flower! (and you thought it was just a name).  The plant forms a compact head (the flower)of undeveloped white buds. The heavy green leaves that surround the head protect the flower buds from the sunlight. All this lack of exposure to sunlight prevents chlorophyll from developing. Therefore, color is not produced naturally, leaving the flower head white. It contains a high amount of vitamin C, folate, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. It is also considered a cruciferous vegetable which, scientists believe can help reduce the risk of cancer.  AND, it's FREE on the Weight Watcher program.

I mention this as there is so much discussion of "white foods" - don't eat white rice - eat brown, don't eat white bread - eat wheat, don't eat too many potatoes, refined flour, sugar etc...I have heard people say "All white foods are bad for you".   NOT SO.  Cauliflower IS white, but it's a HEALTHY white food that can be and should be eaten often.  Let me know what you think!

Cauliflower Puree
WW recipe builder calls this 2 points - It counts the cauliflower!  Crazy.  If I take it out, its about 1 point.  You decide.  Recipe serves 4

1 head of cauliflower, stems remove and flowers cut up
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or any flavor laughing cow - 3 triangles, diced
(for purists or cheese haters, leave out the cheese if you want)
chicken stock
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese for the top
Salt and white pepper

Cut up cauliflower - remove core and green leaves and steam cauliflower until JUST tender.  Promise me you will NOT overcook them (LOL).  ***  NOTE:  Over steamed cauliflower makes for a thin puree....save yourself now.

When done, pop them in a food processor and  Process until smooth.  Add chicken stock until you have the desired consistency.  The consistency should be that of mashed potatoes.

Turn off food processor and add cheese, salt and white pepper - process until combined. Taste and adjust spices if necessary.

Spray a small baking dish and pour the puree in.  Top with a touch more Parmesan cheese , if desired and bake for about 15 minutes and let cool for a few minutes.

Serve with the desired main dish (Fish perhaps?  Turkey breast...the pork tenderloin with cherry sauce - see previous post to name a few ideas)  Just like you would potatoes.

The result?  A velvety smooth and creamy side dish that will rival any potato and dress up your weeknight (and special occasion) meals.

From my home to yours, ENJOY!!

Sesame Crusted Tilapia

Do you ever have those days where you just feel AWESOME?  Today was one of those days.  I slept well, stayed on plan today, ran errands, work was productive, the house got picked up and my car got a beautiful detail (she is all ready spring and summer)!  Even my hair had a good day (now THAT is saying something!!!)

Yep, this healthy eating and exercise is finally paying off.  People aren't kidding when they say every 10 years is harder and harder.  Boy, I thought I was never gonna feel like I was getting in shape.  But I can tell there is a difference, just this week.

Thankfully the residual effects of the Mother's day extravaganza were nowhere to be seen (or felt) today! 

I worked out HARD.  Abs and jogged/walked over a 5 K (it sounds so much better than saying 3.5 miles) and I was NOT absolutely dead for the first time. 

BUT boy was I hungry..  AND WHAT DO YOU THINK I WAS CRAVING?   FISH !!! 

Really? 

Who the heck craves FISH..?  People crave steak, potatoes, bread, dessert, but fish?  Seriously? 

OK...FISH IT WOULD BE.....But as usual, I NEEDED something YUMMY, satisfying and SUPER FAST!!!  I was famished, starving, the opposite of full - well, you get the picture!

I opted for Sesame Crusted Talapia with Asian cucumber salad.  FAST, YUMMY, ON PLAN, healthy and  PERFECT.

This will feed feed two (or one hungry person) but can be made for a crowd if you want. TRUST ME.

Take out a couple nice size talapia fillets (usually they are frozen individually in plastic) put them (plastic and all) in warm water to thaw (NOT HOT WATER)

Meanwhile get a 2-3 small seedless cucumbers (Persian, baby, etc) or one hot house (English) cucumber and dice small.

Then it's super simple:
2 Tablespoon light soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon

Mix it into the cucumbers and let sit until the rest of the meal is done (stir up periodically)

If you are making rice to go with it...start it now (too late for brown rice unless its the fast kind)

I know I am weird.  I have HUGE choices in my pantry.  That's because frankly, I never know what I will want.  So I have both black and white untoasted sesame seeds ( I know you are thinking...WHO HAS THAT??)  I use a mixture of both.  DO NOT rush out to buy what you don't have.  Just use all white or all black, toasted or untoasted.

Put several tablespoons of seeds on a plate and mix them together.

Take fish out of plastic.....dab with paper towel to absorb any water.  SALT AND PEPPER YOUR FISH....(do not be shy!!)

Now press the fish into the sesame seeds and turn over and press again until coated - set aside and coat second piece of fish.

Voila!  Sesame coated fish - it's almost done!!!   go, go, go !!!

NOW THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT.  HEAT YOUR NONSTICK SKILLET VERY HOT and use olive oil  - NOT spray.

When oil is shimmering, add the fish to skillet - you NEED TO HEAR SIZZLE.

Cook a few minutes on one side

Then FLIP over carefully and cook until fish is completely done.

In the mean time, mix a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar with wasabi paste then add a bit of soy to it until you are satisfied with the flavor.

Serve fish along side cucumber salad with wasabi sauce....SOOOOO FRICKEN GOOD!
(and yes, if you are wondering...I was able to eat JUST my portion and felt satisfied!)

The result?  A beautifully cooked piece of fish that is sophisticated, yet easy enough for a weeknight!!  Pair it with Asian cucumber salad and wasabi dressing.  WOW...it's a party in your mouth and you will look like a ROCK STAR, I promise!

From my home to yours, ENJOY!!!

Halibut and Shrimp Ceviche

There should be a LAW against having TWO major food "holidays" in the same 4 week period!  I am going to petition somebody (who would that be anyway?) to NEVER, EVER do Easter and Mother's Day this close again. It's like it's part of a mass torture!!

OK.  Now that I got that out, I can move on with my thoughts. 

Mother's day is like the PINNACLE of all family days really.  I mean Mom's EXPECT certain things on this day.  If you happen to be the poor soul who must impress your mom or mom's with your cooking and pampering skills, you know the pressure.  We are to honor our Mothers, love them and treat them like queens on Mother's Day.  This means atmosphere, food, family and drink must be in perfect harmony.  AND to top it off? It should be memorable. YIKES!!

I don't know if you read the post this weekend which depicted my menu for the day.  The meal I planned is the meal I wanted to eat.  After all, I am a mother too!  The food was good.  In fact,  I would say about as memorable as these things go.  I told my husband this morning that "I wish I was a guest at that party!!"

But did I mention I wasn't really in the mood to create "mothers day magic"?  The menu had HUGE prep to it....so it was a lot  more work than I thought it would be!  I TOTALLY mis-judged it. But Cest La Vie.

Probably the most memorable dish was the Civeche.  It was worth the effort.  Perfect fresh halibut and shrimp cut to perfection with gorgeous fresh veggies and mango.  Before I go on about the Civeche let me tell you this is not MY "Summer Civeche" that I make with my garden harvest all summer long (I will post that in the summer)

This recipe came from the company, O Olive Oil (I altered it just a bit, as usual).  If there was ONE company I would beg you to try something WONDERFUL from, it's this company.  I beg people to buy me ANYTHING from their site for any occasion that gifts are warranted.  It's the olive oil and vinegar that Oprah uses (although I was using this before her, SO THERE!).  I heard about O Olive Oil oil from another blog!!  The person writing was SO enthused I thought "man, this stuff must knock your socks off" because how excited can you really get over oil and vinegar?? As the saying goes, that was then and this is now.  It's my favorite little luxury in my kitchen.  If you buy anything upscale for your cooking repertoire, buy this.  Check them out at http://www.ooliveoil.com/. 

I'll explain what I did and how I did it, but fortunately or unfortunately you will have to get their product in order to recreate the dish.  Trust me - it was worth it,  the mom's were appreciative, and it was memorable.

It's the stuff "foodie" dreams are made of!

HALIBUT and SHRIMP CEVICHE

GORGEOUS, VIBRANT, and BRIGHT - JUST LOOK AT IT.....YUUMM  I want it again!

Here is what you will need:

3/4 LB extremely fresh Halibut
1  LB  Fresh UNCOOKED shrimp (peeled and cleaned)
1/2 CUP O OLIVE Myer Lemon Olive Oil ( the recipe calls for the jalapeno lime, but I didn't have any)
1/2 CUP O OLIVE Sudachi Lime Rice Vinegar
1/2 cup fresh squeeze lime juice
zest of two limes
1/2 Red Onion, Very small dice
4 Serrano Chile's, seeded and diced fine
1-2 Persian snacking cucumbers or 1/2 or more English (hot house) cucumber, small dice
1/2 cup cilantro, rough chopped
1 mango, diced
1 large avocado (or 2 medium)
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon coriander seed

First in a large glass bowl dice up the halibut in about 1/2" dice.  For the shrimp sliced them down the length (like butterflying them) then chopped them up. Add both to the bowl.

Halibut to the right and shrimp to the left. (cover and set aside in the fridge)

Toast the cumin and coriander in a DRY saute pan until golden and fragrant.   Let cool for a minute and grind in a spice/coffee grinder until fine.  (if this is just too much use a combo of ground (probably 1 teaspoon each)

In a small bowl, combine Oil, vinegar, lime juice, zest and spices.  Whisk together to combine:

(The zest kind of fell under the spices, but it's in there!!)

Pour the juice/zest over the fish/shrimp and stir well.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to "cook" the fish.

Now, on to the veggies, VERY finely dice the cucumber (try to remove most of the seeds, although they are almost seedless anyway), onion, serrano chile and put into a bowl (isn't it beautiful?)

Now Mix the veggies into the fish and put back in the fridge while you dice up the mango, avocado and chop the cilantro. Mix the last ingredients and finish with nice finishing salt (if you don't have any, kosher flake will work just fine) and pepper, to taste.

Mix it all together and let it combine flavors for about 15 minute in the fridge.  The recipe from the site says to drain the extra sauce if any...UMMMM NO!!  It's so good, why waste it? (in fact, I liked the juice so much, I made and added more!)

Serve in a dish as beautiful as the ceviche (I used a giant martini glass) and scoop with baked tortilla chips. I used Guiltless gourmet, black bean chips.  The color contrast, texture and flavor was perfect with the Ceviche.

 

The result was a perfectly balanced, very refreshing, elegant and beautiful Civeche that started our celebration off in beautiful synergistic harmony.  Enough said.

From my home to yours, Enjoy!

FAST Curry Chicken Salad Wrap

What a busy weekend.  It's Mother's day.  I am, of course, cooking for 10 or so people.  A menu/grocery list had to be  prepared,  grocery shopping had to be done, the house picked up, and the backyard put into perfect order! 

Between you and I, I'm just not in the mood to work that hard!! 

I know I'm not alone.  Many of you must be doing the same thing!

I stopped whining and just sucked it up.  I came up with a menu that is not only elegant and delicious, but fairly easy to prepare. A truly fresh, vibrant and healthy meal which will be sure to satisfy (and pamper) all of us (including me!!)

The menu:

THE DRINK:  Bellini's (prosecco or spumanti with Peach schnapps)

THE APPETIZERS:
Ceviche - Halibut and Shrimp in a tangy lime/cilantro sauce with mango
Peel and Eat Shrimp - I am using store bought cocktail sauce - some things are not worth making!
Hummus with homemade Pita chips (See archive for Pita Chip Post)

THE LUNCHEON:
Asparagus and Asian pear Salad
Lemon "risotto" (SO MUCH EASIER than regular Risotto)
Chicken cutlets with freshly made Mediteranian Cherry Tomato/kalamata olive topping

THE DESSERT:
Chocolate dessert cups w/vanilla ice cream and my homemade caramel sauce (OK...this isn't lite OR healthy - But it's mothers day, and I am going to splurge - Portion control to the rescue!)

Planning this menu made me STARVING. What I haven't mentioned is I had almost nothing in my house to eat!  Well, that's not entirely true - I have a pantry with so much stuff a family of 4 could survive for a week, but I was craving fantastic and vibrant flavors, and I wasnt going to find it in a can in the pantry.  I just wanted something fresh, light and ON PLAN that would knock my socks off.   Let's face it.  Progresso soup was NOT going to do it for me. 

YEP, I think I could be considered HIGH MAINTENANCE!

I had some left over rotisserie chicken in the fridge - WAIT!  I have lavash wraps too - But I was bummed - I would have loved to make my "famous" curried chicken salad recipe, but I didn't have all the ingredients....SAD!

So instead of staying sad, I improvised.  This is a very scaled down version of my regular Curried Chicken Salad.  BUT IT WAS FAST, had relatively few ingredients and is LIGHT, VIBRANT and FRESH.  AWWWW.  The craving was quelled and I was happy.

If you don't have Lavash bread, NO PROBLEM!!  Don't rush out to buy it.  Use regular bread, tortillas, or Pita's.  The chicken salad is also especially good on top of your favorite salad veggies for an even lighter and healthier meal. 

FAST, Curried Chicken Salad
1 serving: about 8 WW points plus points.

For the dressing:
1/2 cup LOW FAT Best Foods Mayo (not the LIGHT one)
1 teaspoon or more to taste sweet (not HO) curry powder
zest from 1/2 lime
Juice from 1/2 the lime
1 tablspoon honey (I used orange blossom)
salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to a small bowl

Whisk together and set aside.  TASTE - you might want more curry, lime juice honey, pepper, etc...

For the Chicen Salad
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed small
1/4 onion, finely diced
1 whole mango, pitted, skin and diced
1/2 cup (or more to taste) celery, sliced or diced thin
1/4 cup dried cranberries (no cranberries - use dried cherry's, currant, raisens, or dried dates)

Lavash bread (or any other wrap or bread you want to use)
Lettuce leaves

Put all of the above ingrediants in a large bowl

Add the dressing and mix well.  Add more salt, pepper or lime juice, if desired.

On a large piece of lavash bread lay out lettuce leaves and add HALF of the chicken salad mixture:

Roll up the wrap like to resemble a large "log", leaving the ends open.  When done, cut in half.  One serving is HALF the lavash bread ( the size I bought anyway) with 1/4 of the chicken salad.

The result?  A very satisfying chicken salad wrap that really delivers taste and is easy on the waistline. I didnt miss the FULL version.  Try serving with sliced cucumbers and seasonal melon for a complete meal.

Happy Mothers day to you and yours!  From my home to yours, ENJOY!

The Edible Garden

 

"Who has the room OR the time to grow a stinking garden anyway?" 

That's the comment I hear a lot when I talk about "growing food".  People are working, kids have places to be, the house needs......well the house always needs EVERYTHING.....Yes, that's true.  But there is a cliche'  that says "take time to smell the flowers".  I am sure everyone has heard that.  But I can here you now - COME ON!  Who does that?   Is there really TIME?

I have a small backyard -It's got tropical foliage and  it's essentially all pool, BBQ, concrete and Fireplace with some planters around pool and house and it's HOT back there.  Definitely NOT a hospitable place for food to grow.  Be honest.  You're thinking, what can grow there?  DUDE -  Even if  stuff did grow, it wouldn't fit into the landscape - It's gonna look BAD!! 

YOU COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG!

I got the idea after glancing through a book on the edible garden years ago.  Why do planters have to JUST be for flowers, bushes and other perennials?  Would it be OK to "plug" in edibles?  Well, that was then and  this is NOW, as they say.  I plant "edibles" everywhere I can.  Yet, if you wandered into my backyard you would be pleasantly surprised.  You might even have trouble picking out the plants that are fruits and veggies from those that are not.  In the spring the yard is ALIVE with blossoms.  I like to think of blossoms as God's way to show us hope, beauty and renewing. 

I plant on the sides of my house, in raised planters and I utilize my very favorite gardening tool....the EARTHBOX.  Seriously...check them out at EARTHBOX.com and see what an Earthbox can do for your "green thumb".  I now have four of them (thanks Mom for the newest addition!) and feel like a gardening ROCK STAR!    This year the Earthboxes feature Honeydew, Tomato, Sweet Peppers and Eggplants (both Thai and Indian).

But not all of my little "guys" are in the earthboxes....so along the fence and house I line berries, miniature fruit trees, herbs and citrus.  I plant (or rather let) tomatoes grow in "unlikely places" and instead of some unsightly tree that will destroy your planters and walkways, I let citrus and other fruit develop into live "ornaments" that are beautiful AND delicious.   

Everyday I take 5 minutes to "smell the flowers" - well it's more like admire and talk to my plants (yes...I am one of them!!).  I inspect every leaf, bud, fruit, etc.....For me, it's about as pleasing to watch them grow as it to harvest and cook what is grown.

Let me introduce the stars of this season's show:

From left to "somewhat" right:   

Tomato, Swiss chard, an Earthbox of MORE tomatoes, Thai/Indian eggplant, Marconi sweet Italian peppers and my barely big enough (just out of the dirt!) little dude,  The Muncher - a small Persian type cucumber.  I missed getting the picture of the green beans....but I have them starting to grow up a round "trellis" type pole!

  

I have an assortment of berries.....GOSH I love them.  I preserve them, serve them fresh, make cobbler and sauces!  Introducing the spectacular Boysenberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries:

Then there are the Herbs - The very essence of cooking itself - Basil, Mint, Thai Basil, Rosemary, dill, oregano, and the ones you don't see here...Chive, Thyme, lettuce basil, and parsley.

Tree Fruits - Pictured: Apricot, Peach (2 kinds), Apples (2 kinds), Loquat, Kumquat, and Cherry.  Not Pictured:   Lemon, Lime, Nectarine and sugar plums 

To top it off....I have honeydew seeded for the Fourth earthbox (they are not out of the dirt yet!)  Last year I grew cantaloupe - Honeydew is my favorite. 

It's amazing the amount of fruits and veggies this tiny yard will hold.  

Here are some of the great recipes you will see this season: 

• Shrmip Ceviche (using my tomatoes and cucumbers) SUPER REFRESHING on a hot day.
• Salsa (regular and peach!)
• Fresh Rustic Pasta Sauce
• Caprese salad
• Pesto
• Asian cucumber salad
• Grilled peaches and nectarines with balsamic glaze or sweetened ricotta cheese.
• Sauteed chard
• Spaghetti squash with Chard - already posted (see archives)
• Preserves (berries, stone fruit, etc)
• Many Thai recipes utilizing Thai basil
• Meat and Feta stuffed peppers
• Green bean salad

My Garden inspires me to be a better more seasonal cook.  It makes me more respectful of my precious ingredients.  I hope you are inspired, intrigued and ready for the summer!  

From my Garden to yours this season, ENJOY!!!

Deviled Eggs

As hard as I try some years, I cannot get away from making deviled eggs at Easter.  Everyone loves them.  If I even sound like I don't want to make them, I am met with a bombardment of complaints and whines.  I ALWAYS give in and "embrace the responsibility".

You see, it's a tradition that started literally years and years ago.  AND LETS NOT BREAK TRADITION!!   It's  not that I don't want to make them.  It's that there is so much going on in my kitchen during a holiday, it's just another thing to "pump" out ...and well, if I am looking to reduce my "workload" - it always seems like the deviled eggs are expendable.  But.....they are not.

So I make them.  And they are good.  And people are HAPPY.  And that's all that matters.

But really, when you think about it, why should they be just for EASTER?  Deviled eggs are actually a good "snack", they make nice "easy" appetizers and can even be a meal with a salad on a spring/summer day...I was thinking Deviled Eggs with a spinach salad (eggs go so well with spinach salad anyway!)  or just deviled eggs for lunch!

So yes.  Let's embrace an old favorite and let's make them at times OTHER than Easter...WHY?  Because we CAN!

If you know me personally you know I love to grow things.  I LOVE to grow fresh herbs. THEY ARE GORGEOUS PLANTS - all of them.  They smell wonderful and taste better!   The fact that I can cook and run outside at a moments notice to snip fresh herbs for a recipe right then and there is awesome, convenient and inexpensive.  How many times have you needed 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley only to buy the whole thing and then throw it out because it goes bad so fast? (I mean really, how much parsley can you eat???)  Or how many times are you making something and you think...gosh a little fresh basil, thyme or dill would really perk this dish up....?  It's worth to have a box of herbs growing outside your door.....my faves?  Chive, dill, basil, rosemary, THAI basil, oregano..and others.

I always have fresh Chives growing - They are one of the best and easiest to grow and use.  Plus they are prolific.  You cut them and they just keep producing.  Want a chive fact?  The purple chive flowers are edible and DELICIOUS !  I put them in salads ( break them up and separate them a bit) for a pretty and tasty addition!

Why did I go off on this tangent?  Because Deviled eggs are PERFECT for the addition of fresh herbs.  They take on great flavor and seem to be transformed by what you add.  Be creative!!

So just how do you boil the perfect eggs?  If you are saying to yourself, "UMMMM , listen Shelley we got the boiled egg part down!" I can hear the sarcastic tone!  If you are satisfied by your method, skip this part.  But if you always wondered or don't know,  it's simple.  Keep reading.

Put the number of eggs in the pot that you want to cook and over them with about an inch of COLD WATER.  Cover the pot and put it on the stove over fairly low heat (not simmer low but not medium) and let the water come up to a boil at this low heat level.  When the water is boiling, TURN OFF THAT FIRE.  Keep the eggs covered and set your timer for 20 minutes.  If you're using JUMBO eggs, use 25 minutes as your guide.  When the timer goes off pour out the water and ice and cold water in the pot with the eggs to make and ICE bath.  This cools them and stops them from further "cooking". 

VOILA, PERFECT BOILED EGGS.....Enough said.

You can do this the day before and refrigerate the eggs after they cool.  Just continue making the eggs the next day or simply continue with the recipe. 

I used:

Dill pickle relish (or just chopped dill pickle and a little juice (a splash)
Fresh chives - I use quite a lot - big handful!  ( a little dill is good too)
Chopped celery
Non-Fat Greek yogurt
Light or fat free sour cream
Dried minced onion (I like the flavor better for deviled eggs than fresh)
Touch of mustard
Cayenne pepper
Salt, pepper, garlic powder

I know this seems frustrating I didn't give you specific amounts for each ingredient...why?  Because I don't know how many eggs you will use, what size the eggs are and what your preference to thickness of the filling is.  

Take the shell off the eggs ( I do this under running water):

Cut the eggs in half LENGTH WISE.  Gently pop the yolks out to another bowl. 

I put pickles, chives, celery, minced onions (and anything else you want to add) EXCEPT YOLKS into the food processor and give it a quick pulse or two. 

Add yolks, salt, pepper, some garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne.  Start with a tablespoon of yogurt and sour cream.  Run processor for a few seconds....see what it looks like. Add yogurt and sour cream by the spoonful until the filling is the consistency you like. It only take a couple, really.   Taste and adjust seasonings - you may need more pickle or celery, salt, garlic pepper...etc.  When satisfied, put eggs onto a deviled egg dish (or just on a plate or platter) and fill with a piping bag or spoon. 

I estimate about 2.5 points for 2  halves.

There are MILLIONS of ways to make deviled eggs.  This way is just my family "tradition" - less the fat.  Nobody suspected I changed the recipe to extremely low fat!!  Add or remove anything you want.  Make them Southwest, Standard, Spicy, Asian, or any other way you can dream up!  Try Deviled eggs.com also....there are many recipes on that site that you could enjoy in a healthy diet.

From my home to yours, ENJOY!