Veggie fajitas!

I had these on vacation last year at a Cuban/BoHo place in Eureka Springs, AR. They were so good, I ate the veggies and completely forgot about the tortillas and toppings! So, when I came home I dreamt about then for almost a year. Then one day while chatting with DD, I decided to try and make them myself. Luckily, my first attempt was right on the money! They were so good, even though my grill was outta gas so I had to broil the veg. Here they are!

Veggie Fajitas P2
For the marinade-
6oz can of pineapple juice
half of a can of lite coconut milk
1/2 tsp Sweet-N-Low Brown (or for tidi_i, 1 tbsp Splenda )
1 tsp salt
one shot of REALLY dark rum

Portabello Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers- whatever color you like
Broccoli spears or broccolini

Leave the shrooms whole if you are going to grill them, otherwise slice into 1/4 inch slices. The peppers you can cut in half and remove the seeds if grilling, or slice if not. Onions, cut these in half. Marinate all of the veg in the liquid for at least 6 hours. Drain when ready to cook. Grill the veggies until nicely browned or really browned! If roasting them, use a big sheet pan and oil it well. Heat the oven to 500 degrees, or preheat the broiler. Spread the veg out on the pan and bake for 20 minutes or broil for 15 minutes until browned. If grilled, slice them right before serving with WW tortillas and normal fajita toppings.

Chicken Parmesan!

I will post the pic for now and come back for the recipe tomorrow!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I have been wanting this for a year now. My rhubarb plants are producing this spring, and my strawberry-cup runneth over! Here is mine SB-friendly version of the classic pie:

Strawberry Rhubarb Pies P2
Makes 8 small pies or one 9 inch pie
Crust-
1 1/2 cup WW pastry flour
1/3 cup canola
1/4 cup water
pinch salt
1/2 TBSP fructose
Filling-
2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups strawberries, chopped (measure these before chopping)
1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch (not really SB, but didn't use much)
1/3 cup fructose
Topping-
2 handfuls old-fashioned oats (maybe 1/2 cup?)
1/2 cup WW pastry flour
1/4 cup Fleishman's olive oil spread
2 TBSP fructose
1 TBSP SugarTwin Brown
Preheat oven to 425.
For the crust, mix the ingredients in a bowl and pat into the pie pans (or one 9 inch pan).
Mix the filling ingredients in the same bowl, and let them sit for 10 minutes while you make the topping.
Put all the topping ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well mixed. If you prefer, using a pastry blender, you can mix it by hand.
Scoop the filling into each pie crust- maybe 1/3 cup per pan? Top with the streusel. Bake at 425 for 7 minutes, then lower the temp to 350 and bake another 30-35 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and thickened. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover it with foil.

The filling is not as gooey as most pies, so if that's what you want then add up to 1/2 cup OJ or water. The topping did brown quickly, so you may want to wait and add it when you lower the oven temp.

Thai Beef With Green Beans

I have made this twice now, and it is better the next day- cold! It's a great salad!

Thai Beef with Green Beans

1 large steak, at least 1 inch thick (it calls for flank steak, I use top round steak. A more tender cut would be great!)
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 TBSP fish sauce
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (I have always used minced sweet onion)
1/2 tsp chili paste
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
fresh green beans, steamed just until crisp-tender

Rub the steak on both sides with the oil, and sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Grill over hot coals until medium-rare (you can cook it longer, but why would you???). Place it on a cutting board with grooves and set aside while you make the sauce.
Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, chili paste, onions, and cilantro. After the steak has rested for about 10 minutes, thinly slice it and toss the meat and it's juices with the sauce. Serve over the green beans. If you want it warm, heat the sauce first before tossing in the meat. It will cool off fast though!

Frosted Rhubarb Cookies

I get requests for these every year from my son. This year, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat them! They came out a little crumbly, so I will add applesauce for moisture next time. Here's how I have done it-

Frosted Rhubarb Cookies

1 C shortening (I used canola and will add some applesauce next time)
1 1/4 C packed brown sugar (used 2/3 cup SugarTwin Brown and 1/2 cup fructose)
2 eggs
3 C flour (ww pastry)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C diced rhubarb
3/4 C coconut (I always leave this out)
Cream shortening and sugar, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, soda, and salt, gradually add this to creamed mixture. Stir in the rhubarb. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. (I use my small scoop from Pampered Chef) Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.
They are to be frosted with a cream cheese frosting.
Frosting
3 oz softened cream cheese
1 TBSP butter, softened
3 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C powdered sugar

Instead of this frosting, I did this-
1/4 cup softened LF cream cheese
1 cup milk, warmed to keep from seizing the cheese
1 package SF vanilla pudding mix
Whisk this together and top the cookies with it.

Spinach Goat Cheese Chicken

Okay CB, here's my pic of a dinner with goat cheese!

Spinach Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 container of Chavre Goat Cheese
1 C frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 TBSP chopped garlic
2 TBSP sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cut a pocket in each chicken breast or pound each one flat to about 1/2 inch thick, salt and pepper them. Mix the spinach, cheese, garlic, and tomatoes together. Using a pastry bag or large zipper bag with the corner cut off, pipe the mixture into the chicken pockets or onto half of a pounded breast. Secure the holes with toothpicks, folding the pounded ones over to enclose the cheese.
Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until rippling. Add the chicken and sear on the first side for about 4 minutes, then flip them. Place the whole pan into the oven and bake for around 7-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thru, depending on the size of the pieces. When done, remove the chicken and pour any juices over it. Let it rest before eating.

I make a little pan sauce for this sometimes.
Pan Sauce
To the juices, add-
1/2 C chicken broth
1 TBSP sun-dried tomato/garlic mix

Bring to a boil scraping the pan to get the yummy stuck bits, and pour over the meat before serving.

Gnudi (Spinach Dumplings)

I got the recipe for these off the SB chat site I use. They are a Food Network recipe, made SB-friendly. Not bad! But they did need extra cheese! Even my hubby liked them...

Gnudi
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (I used light ricotta)
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used 2 cups frozen)
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for coating (I used WW Pastry flour)
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated (I didn't heat it)
I added 1 cup Italian blend cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and yolks. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and flour. Form mixture in to small, flattened balls. Dredge the formed gnudi in flour to coat, tapping off the excess. Slide formed gnudi into the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they float to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes. Arrange gnudi on a platter and lightly drizzle with marinara sauce (This is where I baked it at 400 degrees topped with the cheese blend for 15 minutes.)

New Photos!!!

Here are two new pics of me! These are me down a total of 50 pounds from the last pic posted.

My first "Catering" job...

These are pictures from yesterday. I "catered" the Staff Appreciation Luncheon at my son's school. We served about 30, and had plenty leftover for my helpers to each feed their families last night. Every year they have a "Salad" lunch- ham, chicken, and taco salads. My friends at the PTO meeting last month (That will teach me to skip the meeting!) volunteered me because they knew the meal would be something much more special! I decided to invite the staff for a lunch in Italy! They loved it! I made Grilled chicken Fettuccini Alfredo, Spaghetti with Meatballs, Garlic Bread, and the usual sides- tossed salad, fruit salad, lots of desserts! The recipe for the Alfredo was very much requested, so I will post it here (with my SB adaptations in bold).

Alfredo Sauce

1 stick butter (or 1/4 cup trans-free spread)
2-4 TBSP chopped garlic
1 quart half-and-half (or 1 quart 1% milk)
2/3-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan with the garlic, and bring it to a foam. You may remove the garlic if you wish, I personally like it in the finished sauce. Pour in the half-and-half, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and stir in the cheese. Stirring constantly over very low heat, simmer the sauc efor 10 minutes or so to reduce a little. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you may stir in a slurry of 1 TBSP cornstarch dissolved in 2 TBSP milk. That's it! A few grinds of pepper, and you have a delcious Alfredo sauce!

The principal- who is quite the suck-up- asked me if I catered. She said I should bring in a flyer for them to post in the office advertising my food and prices. I called the school this morning to have my son walk to the library when he got out, and the secretary asked if I was bringing lunch again today. I told her if they want to each pay $3, I would make them another meal next Wednesday. She said she'd mention it to the teachers. I would get about $100 then, with maybe $40 going to the price of the food (depending on what I made). Not bad, eh?

I did not get a picture of the beautiful tablescape we had. I brought the bottles of wine and olive oil my Dad and his wife got us when they went to Italy last May. It looked very nice with my old passport and a red-checkered tablecloth! Very Italian-Bistro!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken- Yummo!

I got this recipe from my friend Danielle. She said it was good, but she lied. It's INCREDIBLE!!! The picture isn't great, my camera doesn't like close-ups!


Parmesan Crusted Chicken

4 slices of ww bread, torn into large pieces
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 TAB coarsely chopped fresh parsley, or 1 TBSP dried
1/4 each salt and pepper (I didn't use)
1 large egg, lightly beaten (I used egg white only)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cutlets (I used 3 large ones)
2 TAB Olive oil
2 TAB fresh lemon juice (I doubled)
1 TAB Dijon mustard (I doubled)
2 TAB cold butter, cut into small pieces (I used 2TBSP olive oil spread)
1 pkt of Splenda (I used 1 TBSP)
1) In food processor, pulse bread, Parmesan, parsley and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper until fine and crumbles form. Transfer to a shallow bowl: place beaten egg in another.
2) One at a time, dip chicken cutlets (or strips) into egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Press firmly to get the breadcrumbs to stick well.
3)Heat 1 to 2 Tab Olive oil in large nonstick skillet over med heat. Cook cutlets a few at a time and add 1 to 2 TAB more oil if needed for each new batch, until through, 4-5 minutes per side.(Mine were really thick, so I baked them for about 10 minutes at 475, until they read 160 on a thermometer. Let them rest for 5 minutes or so before serving.)
4) Wipe skillet clean. Add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water; cook on low or med til steaming, 1 min. (I brought it to boiling since I doubled it.) Add mustard and remove from heat, and stir in butter until combined. Drizzle over chicken and serve. Note: when adding butter to the lemon-Dijon sauce, be sure to stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula.

I served this with broccoli that I had buttered (with olive oil spread), topped with more parmesan, and baked at 475 for about 10 minutes. So good!

Stuffed Peppers

These are the peppers I made last night. No measurements, as I did it all by look.

Stuffed Peppers

2 bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 bag Uncle Ben's boil-in-bag Brown rice, cooked
2 cups ground beef, cooked
1 can stewed tomatoes, with juices
8 baby carrots, diced
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
garlic powder
shredded cheddar, if desired
In a saucepan mix the tomatoes, carrots, beans, and garlic powder and simmer for 5 minutes on medium. Stir in the beef and rice and cheddar cheese if desired. Place peppers cut-side up in a baking dish, spoon filling into them- filling to overflowing. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, depending on how soft you like your peppers.

The Big Cookie!

My son is going to a birthday party this afternoon, and he wanted to make his friend a cookie on his own. Here it is!

Tostada (and Strawberries On A Cloud)

Okay, so I don't have a pic of that- YET! But here's one of our dinner from tonight. I made SB Tostadas, and I think they were better than the original! I will post both recipes though.

Strawberries On A Cloud

8oz LF or FF cream cheese, softened
1 package SF/FF white chocolate pudding mix
1 cup skim milk
1 cup FF Cool Whip
1/4 cup SF strawberry jam, melted
10 strawberries, sliced

Beat the cheese, milk, and pudding mix on high in mixer until well blended and no longer lumpy. With spatula, fold in the CW and jam. Spread into a dish and top with sliced berries. Chill 2 hours to "set up" a little.

This stuff is so good!

Here's what I did for the tostadas:

One Flatout 100% White WW tortilla
1/2 cup cooked ground beef
1/2 c FF refried beans
1 tsp taco seasoning
shredded lettuce
cheese
FF/LF sour cream
diced tomatoes
black olives

Put the tortilla on a baking sheet and "toast" it in the oven at 400 for about 7-10 minutes, or until crisp. In a bowl, mix the meat, beans, and seasoning- then nuke it for a minute until warmed. Spread the mixture on the tortilla to the edges and top with lettuce, sourcream, cheese, tomatoes, and olives. If you want salsa, add that too!

One of these was too much for me, so I think maybe I will use the smaller tortilla next time. They were better than the fried corn ones for sure!

Roasted Chicken Risotto

This is what I made last night. I got the recipe from an Allrecipes.com Daily Dish email, and changed it to make it SB-friendly. I used regular long-grain brown rice, and it took nearly 2 hours to cook. Next time I will use the faster-cooking brown or parboiled white.

Roasted Chicken W/ Risotto and Caramelized Onions

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I left this out)
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice (I used brown)
1/4 cup dry white wine
7 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter (I left this out)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used a deli roasted chicken, chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions are a dark golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the rice and mix well. Let heat for about 2 minutes, then pour in the wine. Reduce heat to medium low and start pouring in the broth about 1 cup at a time. Add more broth as each cup is absorbed. Continue in this manner until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the reserved onion mixture and allow to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish each serving with fresh thyme.

I sauteed some sliced mushrooms with the onion because in our house you can NEVER have too much shrooms! I also added peas to mine, and it was delish!

Toasty Applesauce Wheat Muffins

I created my own muffin recipe this afternoon because I forgot to buy my hubby anything to eat for breakfast! Hope he likes these as much as our son seems to, he's eating one right now and keeps telling me I'm the best cook in the world!

Toasty Applesauce Wheat Muffins

3/4 cup raw wheat germ
2 cups WW flour (I used white WW)
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup Splenda (they turned out pretty sweet, so maybe only 1/4 cup?)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 1/3 cup milk (I used 1 1/4 cup and think it may need a dash more)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the wet ingredients in a large bowl, mixing the honey well. Slowly add the dry, and stir until just moistened. Scoop into well-sprayed muffin cups (makes about 12-14). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Coconut Shrimp!

WOW! That's it. WOW! I LOVE Coconut Shrimp, and so does my hubby. When I said I was making it tonight, he was so excited. I, on the other hand, was nervous. I had NO idea how to make it SB friendly. Here is what I came up with:





Coconut Shrimp

1 # shrimp, peeled and deveined (the bigger ones work better)
1/4 cup WW flour
one coconut
6 oz pineapple juice
1 egg white
1/4 c Splenda
pinch of salt
1/4 c WW bread crumbs
1/2 tsp chili sauce with garlic
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or other thickener)
2-3 tbsp oil

The night before, get to work on the coconut. Crack open a fresh one, saving and straining the juices. Remove the meat and shred. Keep both separate in fridge overnight.
In a large dish, mix egg white and 2 tbsp of the pineapple juice. In another large bowl, mix the coconut meat, bread crumbs, Splenda, salt, and half of the flour. Put the rest of the flour in a baggie. Toss the shrimp in the bag to coat with the flour. Then wet the shrimp with the egg mix, and toss into the coconut mixture. Set this aside (do this in small batches).
To make the sauce, mix the remaining juice, coconut juices, chili sauce, arrowroot powder, and a little bit of Splenda, if desired. Bring this to a boil, remove from the heat, and set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over med-high heat until really hot. Add the shrimp in batches (I did two batches), cooking 3 minutes on the first side and 2 on the second or until nicely browned. Remove to paper towels, and finish with the rest of the shrimp.

Serve with the sauce on the side, or like Chinese with rice.

Ribeye Salad!

I finally remembered to take a picture of a meal! Unfortunately, the ones I took of MY plate didn't turn out, so no goat cheese (sorry Catherine!). Luckily, my hubby took a picture of HIS plate, so at least you get the general idea!

Ribeye Salad

One thinly sliced ribeye steak for each person, or one thick steak for two
bell pepper slices (and onion, which I forgot!)
salt and pepper
mixed salad greens
balsamic vinegar
EVOO
whichever cheese you'd like- I loved the goat cheese, he likes Italian crumbles

Season the steaks well with the salt and pepper. Grill the steaks (and sliced onion, if desired) over high heat for 3 minutes on the first die, 2 on the second ( 5 on the first and 5 on the second if using the thick steak) and remove them to a cutting board. While letting the meat rest, tear the lettuce greens onto a plate and toss with a splash of vinegar and oil. Slice the steaks into strips and top the lettuce with them, then sprinkle with the cheese. Top this with the pepper slices and onions, and serve with a nice Pinot Noir!

Muffins

Here is a picture of the Rhubarb Muffin I made. I will post the recipe too! It was originally a coffee cake recipe with a streusel topping, but I thought muffins would be easier for my hubby to take to work.

Rhubarb Muffins
1/2 c butter (I used Fleishman's Olive Oil Spread)
1 1/2 c sugar (I used 3/4 c fructose)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour (I used WW Pastry flour)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c buttermilk (I used 1/4 c dry buttermilk and 1 cup skim)
2 c rhubarb, chopped
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together butter and sugar, then add in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients then slowly add it alternating with the milk, until all is mixed. Stir in the rhubarb.
Scoop into sprayed (or lined) muffin tins, making 12-16 depending on how big you want them. I sprinkled the tops with oats. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from muffin pan immediately and cool or wire rack.

I can post? WOW!

YAY! I can finally post again! I have been basically "locked out" for the last few days. Guess they fixed the problem?

I did not get a photo of tonight's Beef & Broccoli or the potstickers ( made with homemade WW dough). I will try to get a picture of the wonderful Rhubarb Muffins I made last night. They are moist and delicious! And I guarantee that the next time I make the IHOP rip-off Nut and Grain Pancakes, I will surely get one of that!
I have been trying to get more exercise lately. I think I may be paying for it, too! For the last couple of days, my legs have been stiff and sore. I did a lot of bike riding and walking last Friday, and then quite a bit of strenuous lifting and gardening Sunday. I worked out Tuesday on our "Beast" in the basement, and when it came time to do my legs I was really struggling. I took a small walk today, and that wasn't too bad. I am planning to ride my bike to work on Friday, so hopefully it will be better by then.
Well, I promise to get back here with a picture soon! Hope everyone has had a great week so far!
KG

Me, as an elephant!

This is a picture of me at my heaviest of 270 pounds. This was taken at my son's 5th birthday party in January 2005. I did lose about 30 pounds after this was taken, but gained 10 back before I started SB this January.
I was a very skinny child, could eat anything! Then in high school, I became anorexic and bulimic. Not healthy, but I looked gorgeous. I was 5'2" and 105 pounds with a D cup when I graduated. Then after graduation, I started putting on the pounds 10 and 20 at a time.
As of last week, I weigh less than my hubby for the first time in at least 10 years! He will catch up eventually, but for now I am revelling in it!
My final goal is 150, and I am giving myself until July 2007 to reach it. I hope to be there before then obviously, but will not rush things. This is the first time in my life I have felt in control of my body. I will continue to eat well, and look forward to the day when I can shop in the regular section of the store again...

Life is a journey, and I am just along for the ride!