Ancho Beef and Bean Chili

Todays' recipe is from the Weight Watchers Points Pus Power Foods cookbook, page 69

2 dried ancho chile peppers, seeded and torn into pieces
2 dried pasilla or New Mexico red chili peppers seeded and torn into pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 1/4 cups canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained.

1. Set medium skillet over medium-low heat.  Add ancho and pasilla peppers; toast until fragrant, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to medium bowl; add enough boiling water to cover peppers.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Drain peppers, reserving 2 tablespoons of soaking liquid.  Combine peppers, reserved soaking liquid, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and cinnamon in mini-food processor or blender and process until smooth.

2. Spray large saucepan with nonstick spray; set over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens, about 4 minutes.  Add ancho pepper mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add steak and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in broth and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered 20 minutes.  Stir in beans and simmer, covered until beef is tender and chili thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. 

makes 4 servings

6 WW Points Plus per serving

269 cal, 6 g total fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 g transfat, 31 mg chol, 362 mg sod., 29 g carb, 5 g sugar, 12 g fiber, 27 g protein, 48 mg calc.

May cut up 4 tortillas into 1 inch strips, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chili powder and bake for 6-8 minutes, until crisp.  Points/Nut info would vary depending on tortillas used.

My changes:

Used can of pintos as that is what we had on hand
couldn't find dried peppers (despite looking in 3 stores) so used 1 fresh pasilla and 1 fresh Anaheim chili, seeded, chopped and sauteed.
Byron added crushed hot red pepper to up the heat level
used less onion than called for (Byron doesn't much like onion, so I routinely cut onion in recipes by about 2/3 - 3/4)
added 4 t olive oil (1 t per serving) to add in 1 healthy oil serving (1 PP) per serving, bringing PP to 7.

Kickin' Chicken Pot Pie



This is from Hungry Girl "Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World" page 128.
http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/710

First the recipe, as written, (from the link) and then my changes.

Pot Luck
	Oh, chicken pot pie -- we thought we'd never get to spend quality time together again. You with your crazy-fatty crust and gooey, creamy innards. Us with our calorie-conscious ways. We were wrong again! One of our lovely and talented subscribers inspired us to create this super-simple CPP swap (thanks, Margaret). Don't be chicken -- check it out! Ingredients: 8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into bite-sized pieces 3 cups C&W Ultimate Petite Mixed Vegetables (or any other frozen mixed vegetables) 1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Soup, 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery 3 servings Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls (unprepared) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute chicken pieces for several minutes in a pan spritzed with nonstick cooking spray, until chicken is light brown/cooked but still tender; set aside. Heat frozen veggies in microwave according to package. Mix chicken, vegetables and soup together and put in a 9" round baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place dish in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly (stir about halfway through). While dish is cooking, unroll 3 crescent rolls. Combine pieces together with hands to make one large ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out into a circle to cover top of dish. Add dough to the top of the dish and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 4.
	Serving Size: 1/4th pie (approx. 7 oz.) Calories: 210 Fat: 6g Sodium: 800mg Carbs: 24g Fiber: 2.5g Sugars: 6g Protein: 16.5g *4 Points My changes: 1 pound 2 oz of chicken (two breasts from a bag of frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts) instead of the frozen veggies I used:  1 cup fresh chopped broccoli,  1 cup chopped celery,  2 large chopped carrots (about 1.25 cups),  1/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup frozen corn I also tossed in about a 2 teaspoons of minced garlic into the pan when sauteing the chicken and added about a tablespoon of olive oil for flavor and a serving of healthy oil for Weight Watcher Daily Healthy Guidelines.  While sauteing the chicken, I also sprinkled about a teaspoon of Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning on top. Then in addition to the soup, I added 1 cup of chicken broth whisked with a heaping tablespoon of flour. I baked that in a deep dish pie pan for about 40 minutes, then added all 8 of the reduced fat crescent rolls on top, with the points in the center and the big ends around the outside, arranged more or less to fit.  That baked another 25-ish minutes. The end result is 8 Points Plus for 1/6 of the pie and 11 PP for 1/4.  I had 1/6 and it was very filling. We will be making this again for sure, only I'll use less celery (maybe 1/2 cup) and might sub green beans or asparagus for the broccoli and maybe a bit of bell pepper might be good. I think the leftovers will freeze beautifully and plan on freezing single serving portions for lunches at home or at work.

A fresh start.  Life has been a bit up in the air and crazy lately.  I've let my blogs slip. However, I'm doing some menu planning these days and after a recent hospitalization due to heart issues (I'm ok now), I have a renewed motivation to healthy tasty cooking.

So, without further ado here are my menu options between now and 4/18-ish. I don't like to plan which night we will have which items as it just never works for us.  I picked recipes from cookbooks I have on hand for new ways to work with old favorite.

I will post these recipes as I make them.

Choices for
3/29- 4/18

Beef Broccoli/fried rice/egg flower soup (getting started for rice/Chinese cookbook for beef/broccoli

Lemon Thyme chicken (taste of home comfort food) steamed asparagus/rice

Grilled Lamb Koftas/with yogurt cilantro sauce (fresh, fabulous fast)/ cucumber salad (WW best darn food ever)

Ancho beef & bean chili (sub ground beef for steak) (power foods) salad

Kickin’ Chicken pot pie/salad (HG Survival Skills)

Oven Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes with garlic, creamed corn (WW Best Darn food Ever)

Barbecued chicken & roasted corn salad (PC Spin on salads)

Teriyaki pork stir fry (PC It’s Good for you p 68), plain rice and egg rolls

Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya, (WW Ready, Set Go, p 112)

Grilled Pork Pitas with Tomato-Yogurt Sauce/Greek Salad (WW points Plus cookbook p 141)

Santa Fe Chicken (once a month cooking/family favorites p 31)

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (HG 300 under 300 p 311/rice)

Byron cook x2

Leftovers x 2

Chicken sandwiches x 1
Burgers x 1
Hog dogs/polish sausage x 1
Pizza x 1
Ravioli/tortellini x1

Other: Great Grilling Recipes (PC), Magic Pot cookbook (PC)


Lunches:
Leftovers
Salad
Curry chicken salad (Just 5)
Pizza burger (morning star version)
Cheese Beefy Supreme Wrap HG 123
0 point soup (Meet Points Plus 2012)
Honey mustard vinaigrette (Meet Points Plus 2012)
Crazy Calypso Salad (GH 200 under 200 page 139)
Big bad burger wrap (200 under 200 page 140)

Cashew Chicken

This recipe can be used with Almonds or Cashews.  I'm using with cashews tonight. The recipe is from the book Chinese Cookery by Rose Cheng & Michele Morris.  My uncle gave me this book many years ago.  I believe it's out of print.  ISBN 0-89586-088-0. It's a wonderful book full of great recipes.

This recipe is 8 WW Points Plus per serving (4 servings per recipe), it was only 5 WW Points Plus, but then the cashew added in 3 points.

The recipe calls for 1 cup of vegetable oil.  With my heart problems and my attending WW, that's SOOOO not happening here, so I'm using cooking spray and 2 T of olive oil.


Cashew Chicken (or Almond Chicken if you use almonds)


1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

Marinade
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg white

1 cup vegetable oil (hahaha, ok 2 T olive oil and some cooking spray)
5 slices fresh ginger root
3 green onions chopped into 1 inch lengths
1 green pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup diced whole bamboo shoots

Seasoning sauce:
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice wine (Mirin) or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup Crisp Almonds (or Cashews) or toasted almonds or cashews

Dice chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add diced chicken; mix well. Let stand 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat 30 seconds. Add chicken to oil. Stir-fry 30 seconds until very lightly browned. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon, rain well and set aside. Remove oil from wok except for two Tablespoons, Reheat oil over medium heat 30 seconds. Stir-fry ginger ginger slices 30 seconds, remove and discard. Add green onions, green pepper and bamboo shoots to oil. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Combine ingredients for seasoning sauce in a small bowl; mix well and add to wok. Bring to boil. Add chicken to boiling sauce. Stir-fry until chicken is coated with sauce. Add almonds (or cashews), mix well and serve hot.

Makes 4 servings

CRISP ALMONDS (or Cashews)

I will be toasting the nuts in a small frying pan with cooking spray.

However, the recipe calls for the following:

4 cups oil for deep frying
1 cup blanched almond halves (or cashew pieces)

Heat 4 cups oil in a wok over medium heat to 350 degrees (175 C). Add nuts and stir 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and drain well on paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes before using. Make about 1 cup.

Crisp Cashews: Substitute 1 cup blanched cashew halves for the almond halves.

Easy Fried Rice

This fried rice recipe is from Weight Watchers Getting Started book from fall 2010. It's a wonderful fried rice recipe.

Easy Fried Rice
Serves 6 at 4 WW Points Plus per serving or
serves 4 at 6 WW Points Plus per serving


2 sprays cooking spray
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup scallions, sliced divided
3 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed (I substitute another vegetable here, we strive for a pea free live)
1/4 cup soy sauce

Coat a large nonstick pain with cooking spray. Warm pan over medium-high heat. Add eggs, tilt pan so that eggs cover bottom.

When eggs start to set, break them up into pieces with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon.  Cook until eggs are cooked through, about 1 minute more; remove them from skillet and set aside.

Off heat, recoat same skillet with cooking spray, set over medium-high heat. Add carrots and all but 2 tablespoons scallions, saute until carrots are crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in cooked rice, peas (or other vegetable) and soy sauce; cook until heated through, stirring once or twice, about 1 minute. Gently stir in cooked egg and remaining scallions; heat through.

Yields about six 3/4 cup servings (or 4 just over one cup servings)

Honey Garlic Chicken in the Crockpot

I found this in my Google Reader today. It's what's for dinner. I'm about to start it now. This recipe from: A Year of Slow Cooking: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Honey Garlic Chicken

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 or one thigh per family member)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup  soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey


The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 (I'd go with low---).
Serve with basmati rice and steamed and/or roasted vegetables. Tonight it will be broccoli and zucchini

Pork Roast a la Jan

Pork Roast a la Jan

about 1.5 pound of pork roast

sprinkle roast with Pampered Chef rosemary herb seasoning on it

fresh broccoli and baby carrots

2 potatoes cut into about 8-10 chunks each

2 garlic cloves

couple stalks of celery chunked up

half medium onion chuncked up.

about 1 cup of boxed vegetable broth (whatever was left in the box we had in the fridge)

about 1/4 cup Tastefully Simple's basil balsamic dipping oil

salt, pepper, rosemary and oregano to taste (maybe 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper and 1 t each of the herbs)

Put veggies in Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker (or covered roaster or deep pan that you can cover with foil). Put vegetables in DCB (Deep Covered Baker). Toss with herbs and oil. Put roast on top, cover with some seasoning. Put lid on Put in oven for an hour and check to see if it's done.

Serve with steamed fresh green beans (I'm a bit veggie heavy cause I have a bunch of stuff to use up, plus I like vegetables anyway and It's WW friendly).

If I wasn't being lazy today, I'd have browned the roast in some olive oil and sauteed the onions, carrots and garlic and celery in there too. And then put it in the baker. BUt I'm doing homework and just didn't bother today. However, that DOES give it color and depth of flavor that's YUMMY!