Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry

I'm sorry, but does this plate not look like something you would get in a restaurant? For dinner, we had a basic shell steak on the grill that had marinated for 2 days in Lawry's Sesame Ginger marinade. That is tasty stuff. But the Asian flavors in the marinade don't lend to corn on the cob the way the typical steakhouse marinade I use does. The vegetables were crisp and colorful ... I don't know why we don't use the wok more often.

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 cup green bell peppers, sliced
1/2 cup red bell peppers, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup plum sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup baby corn
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts
1/2 cup snow peapods
2 cups bok choy, sliced
1/4 cup sliced scallions

Heat the sesame oil over high heat in a wok. Add broccoli and peppers. Toss, cover tightly and cook for 5 minutes. Add plum sauce and soy sauce, stirring to mix well. Add garlic, mushrooms and corn. Toss, cover and cook another 3-5 minutes. Add water chestnuts, peapods, bok choy and scallions. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, just until bok choy has wilted.

Serve over rice or by itself.

Yields 4 servings.

Crushed Potatoes

I haven't been blogging much but I religiously keep up with my blog reading (thank you, Google Reader!). I bookmarked Crash-Hot Potatoes at the Technicolor Kitchen and was inspired to alter it slightly. Being in the mood for baked potatoes one particular night but only have small white potatoes, I combined Patricia's recipe and a stuffed baked potato.

Smiles and clean plates were plentiful that evening.

16 small potatoes (Yukon Gold are my preference, about 2" in diameter)
non-stick cooking spray
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1–1 1/2 cups shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons finely snipped chives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add potatoes; boil for about 10-15 minutes, until soft yet firm.

Drain, and arrange on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Using the flat end of a meat mallet, squash each potato flat, until it is twice its original diameter. Drizzle the tops with olive oil, and scatter with salt and pepper. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Remove baking sheet from the oven and add approximately 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese to the top of each potato and give each mound of cheese a quick squirt of cooking spray (to aid in the melting if using fat-free cheese). Return to oven for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven.

Mix 1 tablespoon of the chives into the sour cream in a small bowl and dollop about 1 tablespoon of sour cream on top of each potato. Garnish with remaining chives.

Yields 8 servings.

WW info:
Click here

Bruschetta with Pesto

Where I'm from (New York City), Italian bread comes in a long, skinny loaf like a French baguette. When I moved to MA, I found that the local Italian bread is a short, fat loaf that you can't really slice into small appetizer-size pieces, which is why I tend to use a French baguette for this particular dish.

I promise the appetizer will disappear very quickly, so be sure to make plenty. Or serve it as a side dish like I do when I'm grilling steak.

1 long crusty loaf of bread (French baguette or Italian bread)
4 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
6 ounces buffalo mozzarella, diced
10-15 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup pesto
fresh Parmigiano Reggiano to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice bread on the diagonal, making about 30 slices, each about 1/2" thick (quantity based on a loaf about 2' long). Lay slices on a baking sheet and bake until crispy.

While the bread is in the oven, toss the tomatoes, onion, mozzarella, basil and olive oil in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of pesto on each slice of bread. Top each with a about 2 tablespoons of tomato mixture and thin sliver of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Yields about 30 slices (depends on length of bread loaf).

'Tater Skins

I am really looking forward to the Super Bowl this year for many reasons.

1. The New York Giants are in it! Go Giants! I hope they cream the Pats. I'm a New Yorker living in Massachusetts and I absolutely depise the New England Patriots.
2. We have a brand new 46" Sony LCD and we will be watching the game in HD.
3. Most of the yummy traditional football snacks I'm preparing are Weight Watchers Core-friendly!!!!! Which brings me to the point of this post....

So I don't remember the conversation my husband and I were having the other night, but in the middle of it, it all of a sudden occurred to me that I could make CORE potato skins and have no guilt about indulging in them!

8 baby white potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 Tbsp fresh chives
1 cup fat-free sour cream
4 strips lean Canadian bacon, fat trimmed
1 1/2 cups fat-free shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until soft in the middle, about 25 minutes. (You can also speed up this process by microwaving them at this step for 5 minutes). Stir 1 tablespoon of chives into sour cream and mix well; set aside.

Meanwhile, spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and place trimmed bacon in skillet. Cook until brown on both sides and crispy, about 4 minutes each side. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel to absorb any residual grease. When cooled, chop into fine pieces. Set aside.

Slice potatoes in half and spray the skin sides of them with non-stick cooking spray and season generously with salt and pepper. Place potato halves back on baking sheet, skin side up, and cook for 10 minutes,

After 10 minutes, flip potato halves over and scoop out about 1/4 of each potato and discard. Distribute half the cheese over the tops of the potatoes. Layer the bacon evenly over this layer, followed by the remaining cheese. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chives over tops and lightly spray finished skins with cooking spray. Return to oven and bake until cheese has melted.

Serve with sour cream.

Yields 8 servings (2 halves each).

WW info:
core - included
flex - 1 point each

Roasted Potatoes with Yellow and Red Piperade

Piperade: A traditional Basque dish that is comprised of peppers, onions, and tomatoes in olive oil. (Thank you, Wiki!)

These potatoes involved a little more work and effort for roasted potatoes but the final dish is wonderful. All the flavors come together perfectly. I found the recipe in the Thanksgiving issue of Bon Appetit where it was shown as a potential Thanksgiving side dish. I personally don't know if these flavors would work alongside traditional Turkey Day fare, but I will definitely make it again. I did alter the recipe slightly and I think it came out wonderful.

non-stick cooking spray
1 large red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and sliced into 1/4 strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and sliced into 1/4 strips
1 small red onion, sliced thin
2 Tbsp olive oil
coarse kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 large potatoes), sliced into thick
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 shallots, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, toss the bell pepper strips and red onion strips with the olive oil. Add to baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat salt and pepper evenly. Roast for 10 minutes. Add potatoes over the peppers and onion and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and toss with peppers and onion. Return dish to oven and continue to roast until the potatoes are golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Toss parsley and shallots into potatoes and roast an additional 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil immediately prior to serving.

Yields 4 servings.

Original recipe

WW info:
core - included
flex - 3 points

Fried Mozzarella Caprese

This is my husband's favorite. I've been feeling bad that I haven't cooked any of his favorites since I've been so focused on healthy cooking. I haven't fried a thing in about 8 months. Tonight I gave in because he's been having a bad week. And since I've been so good, I indulged myself in one piece of cheese. Damn, that was good.

1 egg, beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
8 oz whole milk, low moisture mozzarella ball
extra light olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce
fresh basil to garnish

Add egg to a wide, flat bowl and mix the breadcrumbs and flour in a second wide bowl. Slice the mozzarella ball into 8 equal slices, about 1/4" thick. Dip each slice into the egg and then dredge through the breadcrumbs and coat evenly.

Pour olive oil (1/4" deep) into a skillet. Heat over medium heat. Add slices to oil and cook for 30-60 seconds per side, until golden brown.

Serve with marinara sauce and fresh basil.

Yields 4 servings (2 slices and 1/4 cup sauce per serving).

Semi-Homemade Breadsticks

Let's face it ... sometimes you have to play the Sandra Lee card. I am no baker. I've never attempted to make anything that involves yeast. Frankly, working with yeast scares the bejeezus out of me. But I find that preseasoned breadsticks are always waaaay too salty (if you are a fan of my blog, you will rarely see salt as an ingredient), so I figured I'd give this a go. Score! I know most people use crescent roll dough for this sort of item, but I like the slightly denser dough of pizza dough versus the flakiness of crescents.

1 tube Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Open dough tube and spread evenly over a large non-stick baking sheet. Brush about 3/4 of the oil over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and the shredded cheese over oil.

Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough in half down the long length of the baking sheet, and then into 12 strips the other direction, creating a total of 24 breadsticks. Grab the end of each stick and twist each end in the opposite direction of each other, turning the underside of each end up. Firmly press the ends onto the baking sheet and then brush the undersides of the ends with the remaining olive oil.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Yields 24 breadsticks.

WW info: 1 point each

Latke vs. Latke

Some are fried; some are roasted .... can you tell which are which?

Latkes don't have to be unhealthy, you know. The ingredients aren't bad, its the frying that will do you in. I prepared the mixture (per weight watchers core so I could indulge myself as much as possible) but fried half and roasted half (again, so I could partake in the Hanukkah deliciousness without the fat and calories). The roasted ones were just OK. Nothing takes the place of a fried potato latke.

1 medium onion, grated
3 large all-purpose potatoes, grated
1/4 cup matzoh meal*
1/4 cup egg substitute
cooking spray

*If following WW Core, substitute matzoh meal with oats (quick or old-fashioned), ground in food processor to flour-like texture.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Grate onion and potatoes and squeeze as much moisture out of them as possible. Mix in a large bowl with ground oats and egg. Add more egg if the 1/4 cup doesn't seem to coat and bind the potatoes.

Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray and create 12 pancakes, each made up of 1/3 cup of the mixture. Spray tops of each pancake ightly with cooking spray and place sheets on center rack in oven. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Yields 12 latkes.

WW info:
flex - 1 point per latke
core - all included (if oatmeal is used)

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes were just OK. I think they needed more liquid. They tasted great right out of the pot, but after sitting for about a half hour waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to be served, they got too dry. There's definite potential here, but it needs more liquid to get there.

10 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup fat-free half & half, warmed
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Drain.

Add potatoes back to pot and add warm half & half and butter and mash potatoes. Halfway through mashing, add cheese and continue to mash potatoes and stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

WW info:
2 points per serving.

Haricot Verts with Shallots

Since only about 3 people at my Thanksgiving table would eat a green bean casserole (myself included), I decided to forgo it this year and just do some healthy green beans with a little extra flavor.

1 Tbsp light olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 pound haricot verts (the skinny green beans!)

Heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until soft. Stir in vinegar and cook for one minute. Add green beans and toss well. Cook until beans are heated throughout.

Yields 8 servings.

WW info
core-included
flex-1 point per serving.

Pan Fried Polenta

Hellooooooooo cornmeal! Who knew that cornmeal was a legal food item on WW core? Not me! So how psyched was I to find this information out? Then to only find out that polenta is cornmeal and water? Hmm.... the wheels are turning. I just got a new cookbook and there is a recipe for polenta, so I'm off and running. The best parts is, the cookbook isn't even a diet cookbook. Good food can be found in non-diet cookbooks!

2 1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
non-stick cooking spray
1 egg, beaten (or 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute)
1/8 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup marinara sauce

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan and gradually sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring constantly to break up any lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently until the cornmeal gets thick and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray and spoon in cooked cornmeal. Spread out evenly, using the back of a wet spoon or spatula. Allow to fully cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Cut cornmeal into 16 squares. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour breadcrumbs into a flat bowl. Using a pastry brush or basting brush, brush tops and bottoms of squares with egg and place squares in breadcrumbs to lightly coat with breadcrumbs. Cook squares until golden brown on both sides.

Yields 8 servings.

WW info:
flex - 1.5 points per serving.
core - included (the amount of breadcrumbs and cheese divided up among 8 servings makes the point amount trivial)

Stuffin' Muffins

This is a trial run for Thanksgiving. Until a few years ago, I only made stuffing from the bag (like Pepperidge Farms stuff, never Stove Top) and then I went to my mom's friend's house for Thanksgiving and all bets were off! I've made a few adjustments, but the idea is generally the same. Lots of veggies and flavor! Try a mix of red, yellow and orange peppers for flavor. Add feel free to add some fresh mushrooms, but makde sure to use the canned. You need the juice for moisture and flavor. This is my first time making it as muffins ... I've always made it in a 9x13 dish. This is portion control practice. ;)

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup white or yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons light butter
1 loaf Wonder Light White bread
1/2 cup Egg Beater
1/4 cup fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (6 ounce) can of mushroom pieces and stems
non-stick cooking spray

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add celery, onion, pepper, carrot, and garlic and stir well. Turn heat down to medium-low, cover and cook until soft, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Take bread and cut slices into cubes. Place in a large bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix egg, broth, seasonings, and liquid from canned mushrooms. If the mushrooms are in large pieces, run your knife through them to break them down a bit.

Add cooked vegetables, egg & broth mixture, and mushrooms to bowl of bread cubes and mix very well. If mixture seems dry, add some more broth.

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Distribute stuffing mixture evenly into muffin tin cups. If serving alongside roasted chicken or turkey, drizzle about a 1/2 tablespoon of drippings (or gravy if already made) over each muffin and spray tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes.

Yields 12 servings.

WW info:
2 points per muffin.

Mango Salsa (over Pork Chops)

There are three things on this plate that until recently I never would have considered eating: sweet potato, asparagus and mango. Now I have one word for all of it: yum!

I always thought I didn't like mango until I accidentally ate some thinking it was pineapple. Yum! Now its my favorite side on fish and stuff. Shown above on pork chops marinated in a little teriyaki sauce and garlic powder.

1 cup mango, cubed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and cover. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (preferbaly overnight) to allow flavors to blend. Serve over chicken, fish or pork. Yields 4 servings.

WW info: flex- 0 points core: all included

Portobello Layered Mashed Potatoes

I adapted this from the recipe I found on Cooking Light and it was DELICIOUS. A great twist on mashed potatoes. I'd bet you can even skip the baking step and just stir the mushroom mixture into the mashed potatoes. Its a shame you can't see the layers of potatoes and mushrooms in my pic though.
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/3 cup half and half
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon light butter
1/4 cup fresh onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon dried basil, divided
non-stick cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon olive oil

Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender; drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add potatoes back to pot; mash. Add reserved cooking liquid, half and half, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper, and mix until well blended.

Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes, without stirring. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 4 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and stir in half the basil.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Spread one-third of potato mixture in bottom of a 1.5-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Spread half of the mushroom mixture over potato mixture; repeat layers, ending with potato mixture. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese and basil; drizzle with oil. Bake for 25 minutes.

Yield 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

WW info:
flex: 3 points
core: 1 point

Turkey Burgers and Sweet Potato Chips

I love turkey burgers. And the best ones are homemade. And in my opinion (and a few other that have also told me so), I make the best turkey burger out there. The secret? Add enough stuff to the meat until it just doesn't smell like meat. Ha. I usually have at least a half dozen or so in the freezer ready to go when I just don't feel like cooking.

And my sweet potato chips.... I'm finally learning to eat hot orange food. I know that sounds wierd, but I've never been able to stomach things like pumpkin related items, anything sweet potato, cooked carrots, etc. But a coworker ordered some sweet potato fries from a take out place that we frequent, dn you know what? They weren't so bad. So I decided to try it out. I made chips, instead of fries, but its all the same in the end.

The Best Turkey Burger
1 egg white or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs*
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 ounces 93% lean ground turkey

*If you want to keep the burgers "core", then sub the breadcrumbs for oatmeal and add a dash of a few seasonings like onion powder and dried parsley.

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Mix ground meat into egg mixture, just until mixed being careful not to overmix (or else you'll wind up with tough burgers).

Shape into 6 patties. Grill or freeze promptly.

WW info: 3 points per burger (does not include bun)

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Sweet Potato Chips
1 large sweet potato
olive oil non stick cooking spray
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel potato and slice thin (a mandolin is recommended). Toss in a bowl with seasonings and a few sprays of cooking spray. Lay flat on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. Flip chips and continue to bake until crispy (about 10 minutes). Length of time for baking will vary depending on how thin your potato is sliced.

Yields 2 servings.

WW info:
1 point per serving (based on 4 oz of potato)

Crab Rangoon and Spring Rolls

The first time I ever ate a crab rangoon, I expected to bite into a big bite of crab, not cream cheese! It happened to be the grossest thing I ever ate. I love cream cheese on BAGELS, but not in a fried puff. Ew. The thought of it is just so gross...but they are my husband's favorite appetizer. So I decided to to make them for him (just 'cause I love him so much). But what can I do with the rest of the wonton wrappers? My favorite app: spring rolls!

The crab rangoons are the triangles on the right, and the spring rolls are the rectangles on the left. We tried 3 dipping sauces: sweet and sour sauce (straight from the jar with some red pepper flakes mixed in), homemade sesame-soy sauce (recipe here), and plum sauce (straight from the jar with a dash of rice vinegar stirred in to take down the sweetness level).

Crab Rangoon
10 ounces whipped cream cheese
10 ounces crab meat
1 tsp ginger root, grated
2 Tbsp scallions, finely chopped
24 wonton wrappers
non-stick cooking spray
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix cream cheese, crab meat, ginger, and scallions until blended well. Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixtures in the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet edges of the wrapper and fold over, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Seal edges by pressing firmly and pinching closed. Repeat until all wrappers and mixture is used.

Place all filled wrappers on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly brush the tops of each wrapper with the sesame oil. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Yields 6 servings (4 rangoons each)

WW info: 2 points per crab rangoon.

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Spring Rolls
2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
3 Tbsp scallions, finely chopped
6 ounces ground chicken or pork
24 wonton wrappers
non-stick cooking spray
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add the cabbage, carrot, scallions, and ground meat together. Toss lightly until mixed. Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the center of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper and fold over in half, pressing the edges firmly and pinching them to seal the wrapper closed.

Place filled wrappers on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray and brush the tops of each wrapper with the sesame oil.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

WW info: 1 point per spring roll.

Orzo Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil

Oh. My. God. I am so upset that I didn't discover this recipe over the summer. It is soooo light and perfect. Really....so disappointed, but so happy that now I've found it. Me and this recipe are BFF 4eva.

Dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Salad:
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups chopped tomato
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

To prepare dressing, combine first 6 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, and place in a large bowl. Spoon half of dressing over pasta; toss to coat. Cool to room temperature. Add the remaining dressing, corn, tomato, onion, and basil to pasta; toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes.

Yields 8 (3/4 cup) servings.
Recipe from Cooking Light.

WW info:
2 points per serving.

Cornbread

So I bought a new cookbook and as I was flipping through it I found a recipe for cornbread. Now all I've been thinking about since is CORNBREAD. So I went food shopping, bought my cornmeal but forgot the buttermilk. I searched high and low to find a recipe for cornbread that doesn't use buttermilk and my good friend, Cooking Light, had one. Yay! Either way it was pretty yummy. Nice and crumbly like a homemade cornbread should be. Or how I imagine it should be. And I changed the recipe to shave an extra WW point off per serving. The lighting where I took the photo was really bad...it is much more golden in color in real life, but would probably be even more golden with white flour (not whole wheat like I used)

I think I'll make this for Thanksgiving, but in individual mini-loaves. Way better than the canned, fatty crescent rolls. Ick.

1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Splenda
1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons light butter
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, applesauce, and egg substitute; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl and drizzle over top of batter in baking dish. Using a knife, swirl it through the batter as though you are "marbling" a cake.

Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Yields 9 servings.

WW info: 2 points per serving.

What am I, Chopped Liver?

If you squint, it looks like refried beans with some hard-boiled egg mixed in.
Hmm...that's even grosser than chopped liver!

Undoubtedly, the "grossest" item in my blog....but only gross if you don't like chopped liver! It's like comfort food for me. Anything Jewish and traditional is comforting to me. This is my first time making it and it came out great!

1 pound chicken liver
2 large onions
6 hard-boiled eggs
1 tablespoon chicken fat
salt to taste
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

Chop one onion into small pieces and place in a large frying pan with chicken fat. Turn heat to medium-high and start to cook until onions are translucent. Drain liquid from liver in strainer and add to onions. Stir well and cover, leaving the lid tilted to vent out steam. You'll want all the liquid to cook off. Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally.

If after 15 minutes there is still too much liquid, remove lid. Cook until liver is cooked through (liver is cooked when it will break with the edge of a spoon). Remove when cooked through and place in a bowl and allow to come down to room temperature. Do not proceed when warm.

Chop remaining onion into small pieces and place in a wooden bowl. Separate egg whites and egg yolks. Add egg whites to bowl with onions. Using a mezzaluna (mincing knife), cut egg whites and onions together. When they are finely chopped, add cooled liver and onions and continue to cut together until well blended. Add salt and mayonnaise slowly and mix with a fork until desired consistency is reached.

Crumble egg yolks on top and mix with a fork until well blended.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

My favorite spread.

1 garlic clove
1 (15 oz.) can of chick peas
1 roasted red pepper, sliced
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Place the garlic clove in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add chick peas, red pepper, lemon juice, and tahini. Close food processor and turn on, slowly drizzling in the olive oil. Process until smooth.

Serve with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and/or pita wedges.

Yields 2 cups.

WW info: 2 points per 1/4 cup serving