Kale Chips....SERIOUSLY???

This week has been amazingly busy and I have to aplogize.  I really do mean to post at LEAST 4 times a week, if not everyday.  Sometimes family responsibilities and work get in the way....Last week I was sick and this week busy....but I should be on track now.

Before I get into the recipe, I have to say I had the WORST cooking experience ever!!  I couldn't cook ANYTHING properly.  My Mother was visiting and I wanted to make a really nice dinner.  So I made a Beef tenderloin with a port/plum sauce.  Now let me explain, I have made this SEVERAL times to perfection.  Really I have.  BUT this time I ruined the meat...yep, me. First it was severely undercooked and then, I tried to get it cooked and then the tenderloin was ruined.  UN-FRIGGEN- BELIEVABLE!!!!!
Let's just chalk it up to "performance Anxiety" and leave it at that.  AND NO!!!  There doesn't  appear to be a little blue pill that can help me.     So I am PERMANENTLY damaged from the experience and probably need months of therapy!!

But I digress.

I keep hearing people talk on blogs about Kale Chips.  SERIOUSLY???  Who the heck wants a KALE CHIP?  But the Weight Watcher community loves them because they are crispy, they are free, they are tasty and they are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

I am pretty sure most of you are not running out to purchase and cook kale for meal times on a daily or semi-normal basis - I for one only purchased kale to add beauty to a platter in order to show off other food!  I have a perfect record of NOT EATING KALE, and really I never thought about it at all.  But so much is coming out about the healthful properties of Kale and why, as part of healthy living, we should put Kale into our diets....Kale is high in vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese and fiber!  The medical community says 3 servings of broccoli, cabbage or Kale a week can reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 73%!   Not bad!! 

Kale comes from the same family of green vegetables as cabbage, and is jam packed with so  many cancer fighting, eye healing, organ protecting, detoxifying, immune supporting, cell building properties that it's silly NOT to add it to you diets.  But how?  It's kind of tough, super fibrous and a little "odd" tasting right?

Well, leave it to people to find a way to make things appetizing.  ALL OVER THE INTERNET you will find Kale Chip recipes.  Crispy little delicate morsels that really do taste good and are a bit addicting.  The best part?  You are putting something really healthy into your body. 

These satisfy the craving for snacking on something crispy and salty. 

Even though you will feel crazy, please try them....for your health!

KALE CHIPS
WW PP - O  (nice huh?)

2 bunches, Kale
Pam or some other spray oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

If you are going to rinse the Kale...do so, but then it has be dried completely before you work with it. 

To prepare the Kale, cut the leaves off that horrible stem...(very tough and very fibrous).....the stems should be disposed of.  Cut or tear leaves into 3" pieces or so.  I try to make the sizes as uniform as possible...but it really doesn't matter.

Line a baking sheet with foil and lay the kale in a single layer.  Do not stack Kale.  If you  have too much for your pan, use another pan or wait till the first batch is done.

Spray the Kale with Pam or other oil mist/spray until coated (be careful not to over do the spray) add salt and pepper to the kale - not too much and pop it in the oven.

 I bake them in 3 minute intervals.  Bake Three minutes and check them with your fingers.  The first three minutes they will feel kind of just soft.  The second three the edges will start to crisp.  If the smaller pieces are crisped, take them out and keep baking the balance:

After 6 minutes, I start watching them every minute and remove those that are done until the whole try is crisped.  They will crisp fast at the end so watch carefully.  Lots of people say they taste bitter when browned, but I find I like the browned ones!  LOL

When done you have a nice bowl of crisped greens!

The result?  Healthy, crispy, beautiful little "chips" that you should be encouraged to pop in your mouth as quick as you can!!  When you are done "binging" on the kale chips., take pride in knowing you just did something really good for your body! 

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!!

YUMMMM. Roasted Lemon Asparagus.....

Strange title right?  

How good can asparagus be?  Good enought to say YUMMMM??  It's not like they are drool worthy fair,  It's just a vegetable for cryin' out loud!

There is something to be said about satisfying food.  Eating something that is sub-par is....well....SUB PAR, DISAPPOINTING, LACKLUSTER, and UNINTERESTING. ( I have a million other words, but you get the point)  

I decided I simply cannot have boring food...yes, hard to imagine I came to that conclusion, but alas - it is true.

Last night I was telling you how tired I was.....what I didn't say is that I threw my back out on Saturday.  I know, what a dork!!!  Jogging on the treadmill and I stumbled.  YEP, get the laughter out now.  It was funny....but man did I ever through my hips and lower back out.  I have been in pain ever since and by last night, I was really hurting.  That made producing a good dinner hard for me to put together. UGGGHHH!!!!  We had the most boring dinner ever!!  Doctored up canned soup with flat bread crumbles.....yes, it filled me up and yes, I stayed on my points.  But SOOOO unsatisfying.  It made me want some little tidbit of deliciousness, all night long, which I didnt get.  (can you hear me pouting??)

And that brings me back to square one.

There is something really good about a great vegetable.  One that is cooked simply but in a different manner than you would normally prepare it.  That's definately not boring!!  Usually Asapragus are boiled or steamed and served with butter, Hollandaise, or a cheese sauce.   Obviously not LITE and way out of my particular calorie budget! 

God created Aparagus to be perfect little satisfying "sticks" of deliciousness.  This method is my favorite way to serve and eat them. (Even if I did have the calories to spend on fattening sauces!!)

Start with about a pound of Asparagus for 2-4 people....

Prep your Asaparagus by snapping off the tough ends and rinse them under cold water. 

I make these a lot when the "little guys" are in season, but I make a pound or less.  For Easter, I made 4 lbs!  it's very hard to get 4 lbs pan roasted and looking perfect but they were still yummy - just know that yours will be much browner than these ones!

Heat a large pan (I use a large  enameled cast iron pot) and add some olive oil....let's see....you probably want a good 2 tablespoons.  Get the pan hot.

While the pan is heating, pat the asparagus dry with paper towels....they don't have to be perfectly dry, but  enough so they dont spatter when the hit the oil.

Now, with tongs, turn them over, let them cook a bit then turn them again...you should just see them start to turn golden - see above pic.

Next add lemon juice.  For a normal batch, I squeeze the juice of one lemon into the pan. For this batch I squeezed 2-1/2!   Then turn and turn them until well coated and juice is evaporated.  TASTE ONE!  If it's not lemony enough, add more.  If too much add a touch of water and let it absorb. Continue to turn them over until they are the doneness you like.  I prefer crisp tender, with some really browned ones.

Add a little salt and pepper and put into a bowl to serve with some sliced lemons - Why?  Because its so pretty!

The result is a very rich tasting asparagus, with bright "Spring" flavor...SUPER SATISFYING....and you will never miss the butter or heavy sauces!!  Really, really!!

WW members, add points for the amount of oil only.

From my home to yours, ENJOY!

Spaghetti Squash Bake

I have to preface this post by saying that my husband DID NOT LIKE THIS DISH and he didn't like it for specific ONE REASON:  He hates Swiss Chard with a passion (what did it ever do to him?) In defense of the recipe, my 2 year old grandson LOVED it....He ate a TON of it and he kept saying..YUUUMMMM! with each bite.  So did I.

This recipe is a nice combo of Spaghetti squash strands, CHEESE (yum....cheese), light Alfredo sauce, balsamic vinegar, with two garlic, Chard layers.  Its filling, easily digestible and will not make you feel STUFFED.

Now here is the thing about swiss chard.  I planted some measly seeds...and BOOM!!  I have MASSIVE Chard plants that are of mutant size!  This is just ONE of about 8 plants I have. 

I love how my Chard garden looks.  The plants are gorgeous, delish and so healthy! But I don't get a chance to cook it too often due to the hubster.  I generally give it away. (if you want some, let me know!)  But part of healthy eating is getting in those green leafy vegetables...PLUS they grow in my back yard for goodness sakes!!  If you too are a Chard hater, substitute something else like Spinach (yes, he is not a fan either) or another veggie entirely (chopped up broccoli maybe?)

OK...onto the spaghetti squash.  Have you tried it?  It's got to be the most interesting thing ever!  After steaming it and "stringing" it with a fork, it makes spaghetti like strands that you can top with your favorite sauces, bake, or just put butter, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper on it.  It doesn't have much flavor on it's own so it needs to have added salt, pepper and other flavors to give it any real umph!   At only 42 calories per cup making it is a bargain in calorie count making it OK to top with real cheese for a sinful bit of butter!

If you haven't seen a spaghetti squash they look like this:

Now, cut it lengthwise and BE CAREFUL.  The outer skin is HARD and if your knife is not very sharp, you can cut yourself. 

Now, seed it and wrap each side in plastic wrap.  Pop it in the microwave for 12 minutes and take out (leave wrapped) to cool a bit.

Then from the SHORT width, start shredding (or stranding) the squash with a fork:

Once all stranded, put into a bowl and Set aside.

The Recipe:

1 whole Spaghetti squash (about 4 cups) shredded into strands

6-8  cups chopped swiss chard, stems removed

1 cup onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 jar light Alfredo sauce (I used Classico)

4 oz aged Gouda (or Parmesan or other sharp cheese)

1 large can tomatoes, drained well

fresh basil, chopped (about 5 tablespoons or more to taste)

about 3 tsp olive oil

balsamic Vinegar

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Foil line a baking sheet and arrange drained tomatoes in a single layer.  Pop in the oven and let roast while you prepare other ingredients, remove when you get to assembly stage.

Meanwhile, cook your spaghetti squash as indicated above, set aside.

In a saute pan, add oil and heat until very hot.  Add onion and cook till brown. Add garlic slices and cook about a minute or two.  Add all swiss chard and cook until wilted and greatly reduced.  6-8 cups will make a small amount of sauteed chard, but enough for this recipe.  Set aside.

ASSEMBLY:

Spray an 8X8 pan with non stick cooking spray.  Add half the spaghetti squash and pat down lightly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with balsamic.  Add half the alfredo sauce then top with Half the tomatoes, half the basil, half the chard mixture and half the cheese.  Repeat the layer ending with cheese.  Finish with another drizzle of balsamic.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until very bubbly and melty.   Pull out of oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

This will not hold it's shape when very hot (it will the next day though!!)

In the WW recipe builder 1/6th of this recipe is 7 points plus.....serve with your favorite sides, salad or bread.

From my home to yours, ENJOY!