Macaroni Salad

I’ve never been one who was big on macaroni salads…because they’ve always just had a *weird* flavor, to me.  I’ve always *wanted* to like the stuff, but…yeah…NO.

So…I decided to make my own.  And I did.  And it’s pretty damned tasty.

1 cup uncooked elbows.  Cook it.

2 eggs.  Boil ‘em.

1/4 onion.  Chop it.

1 rib of celery.  Chop it, too.

1 tomato.  Yup, chop that, too.

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/3 cup real bacon bits

2/3 cup Tzaziki dip (or however the hell you spell that…the Greek stuff…I got mine from Trader Joe’s)

1/2 cup Canola Mayo…or whatever kind of mayo you have/like/will use

1/2 cup (or so) Chobani fat free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon (or so) salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Put it all in a bowl and stir it until combined.  Chill for a couple of hours or more.  Consume.  It’s really, really good.  I didn’t figure points…and none of the measurements are exact…because I was busy flyin’ by the seat of my pants.

 

Mashed Caulitaters

(so yeah, you can eat a whole cup of these, and figure you’re only eating half a cup of “potato”…HELLZ YES!

I love mashed potatoes…LOVE ‘EM…but the points for them are a little daunting if I make them *really* tasty. So…tonight, out of sheer desperation, I made some sort-of “Fauxtatoes”…sort of. Most people mash up cauliflower, and I tasted that once, and was forever ruined…because it was DISGUSTING. So, here’s what I did:
4 yukon gold potatoes, equaling about 3 cups, chopped up (I don’t peel) 
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2/3 of a goodly sized head of cauliflower
4 wedges of The Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle cheese
1/4 cup FF chicken broth.
Salt
Pepper

Boil the chopped potatoes and garlic together until the potatoes are done. Drain. While this is happening, steam the cauliflower until it’s soft. Drain potatoes/garlic, and put the Laughing Cow in with potatoes/garlic and mash with hand masher a few times. Dump Cauliflower in on top, and mash some more. Put in chicken broth and give a couple more mashes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Eat ‘em up. This made about 4 cups, and I counted as 3 points per cup…figuring that the potatoes and cauliflower were pretty close to the same proportion…so counted the half cup of potato as 2, and the Laughing Cow as 1. 

Oh my Lord…Chris raved, and I was simply amazed. SO GOOD!

Turkey Picadillo

I made a lot…so this recipe is pretty large.  I served with steamed brown rice and refried beans with green chilis.  DAMNED TASTY!

 

3 lbs ground turkey, browned and drained well

1 cup Sofrito (frozen….Ethnic section of store)

1 cup Recaito (frozen….Ethnic section of store)

1 cup chopped tomato & green chilis (canned, dude)

2 T. tomato paste

2 heaping Teaspoons Cumin

4 Tablespoons capers & 1 Tablespoon of the brine

4 bay leaves

salt

pepper

 

Brown turkey…season with salt and pepper (NOT MUCH SALT, if any).  Drain well.  Throw back in pan with sofrito and recaito.  Add Capers (green olives might work).  Add tomatoes and paste, cumin and bay leaves.  Simmer covered for 20-30 minutes.

Tasty.  Seriously.

Black bean and tortilla bake

Ingredients

• • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • salt and pepper
  • 18 soft corn tortillas
  • 16 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded, reserve 4 tablespoons ( I usedCabot low-fat )

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray.
3. Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion, cumin, and chili powder.
4. Cook on medium heat until onion is tender.
5. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more.
6. Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.
7. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
8. Layer 6 tortillas, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 of the bean mixture; repeat 2 more times.
9. Top with reserved 2 tablespoons of cheese.

*my tweaks.  I used a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis, and a half can of regular diced tomatoes.  I also doubled the recipe, because I’m feeding a plague of locusts (the kids are both here) and this recipe is the doubled amount.  The original was half of all the measured amounts, called for 12 corn tortillas, and was made in a 9 x 9 baking pan.   I probably didn’t use a whole cup of green onions, either…I just threw a bunch …which is like…6 or 7 into the food processor and let ‘er rip.

For Weight Watchers folk, I cut it into six pieces, and each piece was 6 points, according to the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder.

It was TASTY.  Will definitely make it, again.  Even Andreas ate it with no complaint about there being no meat.  It was a little spicy, which was what I was after with the tomatoes with green chilis.  I hate bland food.  I plated it with steamed broccoli, and I couldn’t eat my whole serving…but then, my re-routed guts make sure of things like that.  Otherwise, I’m sure I would have chowed it right down.

Original recipe from http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=34881

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter
Gina’s Skinny Recipes
Servings: 14 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1.5 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 88.2 • Fat: 0.3 g • Protein: 1.0 g • Carb: 27.3 g • Fiber: 2.5 g

• 3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup apple cider or juice
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste.

I halved this recipe, because it won’t stay good in the refrigerator for very long, and it’s recommended not to can pumpkin butter, as it’s not acidic enough to be safe.

I haven’t eaten any of it, yet, but I did taste some on my finger…it’s pretty sweet.  We’ll see how it is as an additive, or on toast…or something.

Asian Glazed Thighs

Made with my own two little hands!

(from http://www.skinnytaste.com/)

Asian Glazed Drumsticks
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 drumsticks • Points: 5 ww pts
Calories: 213 • Fat: 4.7 g • Protein: 27.5 g • Carb: 12.7 g • Fiber: 0.4 g

• 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
• Pam spray oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8 minutes until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don’t want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve

*The recipe source used drumsticks, but I had thighs, already, in the freezer.  ”Paid for” is good.  Hers are “prettier” than mine…cuz all I had was black sesame seeds…but I’ll bet it didn’t taste better!  Also…she uses far more for servings than I do…but she never had her guts re-arranged, either.

Fried Quinoa

In my wok!

(from http://www.skinnytaste.com/)

Quinoa “Fried Rice”
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 servings • Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups • Points: 5.25 ww points

• 4 cups cooked quinoa
• 8 scallions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red peppers, diced small
• 1 tomato, diced small
• 4 tsp soy sauce (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• spray oil
• 3 egg whites, scrambled
• 1 whole egg, scrambled
• salt

In a nonstick wok, spray oil and add the eggs and salt and cook a minute or two until done. Set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and add the scallions, peppers and garlic. Sauteabout a minute, add the tomato and stir in all the quinoa. Add soy sauce and fish sauce stir to mix all the ingredients. Keep stirring a few minutes, then add cooked scrambled egg. Adjust soy sauce if needed to taste and mix well another 30 seconds.Serve with 0 point sliced cucumbers for a complete meal.

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Recipe website

http://www.skinnytaste.com/

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Crockpot Black-eyed peas

Oh my sweet Lord…these are so good!

6 cups water

1 teaspoon soup-starter chicken paste…or 1 cube chicken bouillon

1 pound dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed

1 onion, chunked

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced

8 oz diced ham (I used smoked neckbones)

4 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 t. cumin

salt, to taste (I threw in about a teaspoon)

1 t. ground black pepper (I was probably a little more generous than that)

Throw your beans in the crockpot, add the water, then add the chicken stuff and stir around to dissolve.   Put in rest of ingredients, stir around.  Put lid on.  Turn on high for 2 hours, then turn to low for 5-6 more hours, or until done.

We also had greens…Allen’s Seasoned Mixed Greens…from a can…because they’re freakin’ tasty, and I’m sick to death of cooking.  Amen.

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Cornbread

I made cornbread.

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar (if you like it…if not, leave it out…no bigs)

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/3 cup oil (I use canola)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients.  In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients.  Combine the 2 bowls.  Bake in 7×9 or 8×8 or whatever pan for 25 min. at 400 degrees.

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