Fig and Walnut Biscotti

When I was a kid, Mom made biscotti only at Christmas time. They were never my favorites only because they weren't covered in chocolate. Now I consider biscotti more of an everyday cookie. Biscotti are great when you want to satisfy a sweet tooth without the guilt. Two of these little lovelies have 179 calories and only 6 grams of fat! The dried fruit and nuts give a nice boost of fiber too.

Makes 30 cookies
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp coarse salt
3/4 tsp fennel seed
1 tbsp orange zest
1 cup coarsely chopped dried figs(I prefer Black Mission Figs)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.
3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, fennel and orange zest. Stir in the figs and walnuts. In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the eggs until they can hold a ribbon for 1 second. This may take up to 5 minutes. Mix the eggs into the dry ingredients until combined. Don't be afraid to use your hands for this. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment. If using parchment, spray it with some cooking spray. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Spray your hands with cooking spray and form each half into logs about 2 inches in width. Bake the logs for 25 minutes or until the dough is firm but gives slightly. Transfer the logs to a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 300. Slice the logs on the diagonal and place the cookies, cut side up onto lined baking sheets. Bake again for 7 minutes on one side, then flip each cookie and bake again for 7 minutes on the other side. Cool completely and store in an air-tight container for about 1 week.

Meatless Mexican Lasagna Bake

I always struggle to find creative ways to fix a meatless meal during Lent. I happened to be watching the Food Network yesterday as Trisha Yearwood was making her black bean lasagna. I was intrigued by the tofu filling that she used as a substitute for the ricotta. However I couldn't bring myself to do away with cheese altogether so I added some to the filling and the top of the dish. I wanted to give this recipe a try but lasagna with black beans wasn't doing it for me. I decided to swap out the noodles for corn tortillas and change the sauce to taste more like enchiladas. The recipe will make a large casserole that will feed 8 and a smaller casserole that will feed 4. Here's what I came up with.

Sauce
15 oz of enchilada sauce, reserving a 1/2 cup for the bottom of the casserole dishes
15 oz of tomato sauce
1 15 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 15 oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper

For Later
12-14 corn tortillas, cut in half
1/2 cup low fat shredded cheese for topping

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt, pepper and cumin. Cook until the veggies begin to soften. Add the black beans and tomatoes. Finish with the enchilada and tomato sauces. Cook until heated through and set aside.

"Cheese" Filling

14 oz of extra firm tofu
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/4 brewers yeast
salt and pepper
1/4 fresh Italian Parsley leaves
1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles

An hour before using, remove the tofu from it's packaging and place the tofu on a cutting board across your sink. Lay a clean plate on top of the tofu and weigh it down with a heavy object. This will allow as much water as possible to drain away from the tofu. Place the cashews in a food processor and finely grind. Add the tofu and remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
To Assemble
Spray the bottom of each casserole with cooking spray and coat the bottoms with the reserved enchilada sauce. Lay 2-4 tortillas halves on the bottom of the casserole. Spoon some of the sauce over the tortillas and scoop small amounts of the "cheese" filling over the sauce. Lay more tortillas over that to create another layer. Press down on the tortillas to spread out the filling. Top with more sauce,filling and tortillas to create as many layers as needed. Finish with sauce and the shredded cheese. Baake for 30 minutes at 350.

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

I've started preparing meals for my folks more and more these past few weeks. Part of my weekend consists of grocery shopping for them and then fixing 2-3 make ahead meals. I've got soup in the crock pot now and have just finished a casserole for later in the week. This is a hearty soup that is big on taste but light on the calories. It makes a nice take along for sack lunches. I have a large slow cooker and my recipe reflects that. If you have a smaller one, cut the amounts in half.

2 pounds beef cubes for stew
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 large red potatoes, diced
salt and pepper
6 cups beef stock
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup red wine
1 14oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown the meat on all sides. Place it in the bottom of the insert. Add the garlic, onions, carrots,barley and potatoes to the insert. Pour in the wine and stock. Finish with the tomatoes and the herbs. Adjust the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8.

Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Capers

This dish should really be called Not So Crock Pot Chicken. I originally had planned to make this meal in the crock pot but forgot to set it up the night before. When I arrived home and realized my blunder I needed a plan B. I was able to save the day and get dinner on the table.

Cook's Notes- The original recipe called for 2 cans of cream of chicken soup. I used my SOS mix instead. I've included the recipe for the mix below. Either works equally well. If you want to crock pot this meal, place everything except the pasta, cheese and fresh herbs in your insert. Brown the chicken before adding to the pot. Cover and cook on low for 7 to hours or on high for 4-5 hours. If you are planning on using cream of chicken soup instead of the SOS mix, reduce your liquids to a total of 1 cup for the crock pot, 1 1/2 cups for the skillet.

Serves 6

2 pounds of chicken tenders or 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
2 tbsp capers
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can artichoke hears, drained and cut into pieces
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
torn basil leaves or minced Italian parsley for garnish
cooked orzo or pasta for serving
salt and pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup SOS Mix
1tbsp olive oil
Parmesan Cheese for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Brown the chicken on all sides. Add the garlic, tomatoes, capers and olives. Deglaze the pan with the wine and let it reduce by half. Whisk the SOS Mix with the chicken stock and pour it over the contents of the skillet. Stir until the mixture comes to boil and thickens. Turn down the heat to a simmer, place a lid on the skillet and let it cook while you prepare the pasta or orzo. To serve, place the pasta on each plate and top with the chicken. Garnish with basil or parsley and cheese.

SOS Mix
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2tbps minced dry onion
1 cup cornstarch

Place all the contents in a jar or zip lock bag. Shake to mix.
1 1/3 cups liquid(water, wine, chicken, beef, or veggie stock, low fat milk
1/3 cup SOS Mix
This equals 1 can of cream of anything soup. Whisk together well and bring to a boil over medium/high heat until the mixture has thickened. You can season this with any herbs you like or use any liquid you like. I have added cheese to make a cheese sauce for mac and cheese.

Mango and Hearts of Palm Salad

Green salad seems to be my go to side for week night meals. How boring could I be? I needed to shake things up so I decided to try a Mexican inspired salad to go with my Chicken Enchiladas. Mangos and Avocados are in season right now so they were tossed into a bowl with hearts of palm and a lime vinaigrette. This was really good, I would have licked the bowl if I could.

Serves 4-6
1/4 fresh lime juice
4 tsp dijon mustard
2tsp olive oil
2 large mangos, peeled,cut off the pit and diced
1/4 diced red onion
2 large avocados, pitted, removed from the shell and cut into chunks
1 can hearts of palm, drained and cut into pieces
salt and pepper
lettuce leaves

Place the lime juice, mustard,oil, salt and pepper at the bottom of a large bowl. Mix well. Add the onion and let it sit in the vinaigrette for a few minutes. This will help take away the bite from the onion. Meanwhile, prep the mangos, avocado, hearts of palm and add them to the bowl. Toss gently. Spoon the salad onto a plates lined with lettuce leaves.

Slow Cooker Arrabbiata Sauce

Arrabbiata Sauce is a pasta sauce that is flavored with pancetta. Pancetta is an uncured Italian bacon that adds a nice touch to the sauce. It also has crushed red pepper flakes to give it a subtle kick. But what I love most about this sauce is that I can cook it all day in the slow cooker while I am elsewhere. I like to double the batch. I serve half over pasta and the other half goes into the freezer for when I want to make a baked pasta dish.
Serves 8

1 large onion, diced
5 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 28 ounce cans of san marzano tomatoes, pureed
2 6 oz cans of tomato paste
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/4 cup fresh minced Italian Parsley
salt and pepper

In a large skillet cook the onion, garlic and pancetta over medium heat. Drain off any fat and place the onion mixture into the bottom of a slow cooker insert. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Serve over cooked pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

Slow Cooker Apple Bacon BBQ Chicken

I'm always looking for something different to do with chicken. The apple and bacon add a nice twist. It tastes like it's loaded with calories but only has 284 calories per serving and 7 ww plus points.

Serves 4

8 slices of turkey bacon
4 (4oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup bbq sauce(I used Stubbs Original with only 6 calories per serving)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 large granny smith apples, peeled and diced
black pepper

Wrap the bacon around each breast and brown the breasts in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Lay the breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with the apples, pepper and lemon juice. Pour the bbq sauce over all. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Goat Cheese Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes make a nice change from the regular spuds. These make a nice side for my Slow Cooker Apple, Bacon and BBQ Chicken. A serving of these are just 3 ww plus points.

12 servings

3 lbs sweet potatoes
1/2 cup fat free half and half
3 T Smart Balance
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Using a sharp paring knife, make some slits in the top of each potato. Lay them onto the baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted into a potato goes in easily. This can be done up to a day ahead of time. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Slice each potato open and remove the flesh from the peel, placing it into the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the goat cheese, Smart Balance, sage, salt and pepper, fat free half and half. Mix until all are combined and smooth. Serve.

Healthy Start Granola

I love granola but am usually disappointed with a the calories that go along with it. The majority of the calories stem from the sweetener and the oil that traditional recipes require. Here's a much better option. I like to serve mine with greek yogurt, fruit and a drizzle of honey. A half cup serving is 6 ww plus points.

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large bowl place the following
3 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats(not instant)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sugar free maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
5 tsp canola oil
1/3 cup golden raisins

Toss all together and spread evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Will keep for up to 2 weeks

Chocolate Sweet Heart Cookies

These little nuggets of joy are only 50 calories apiece. Melted chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder provide the cookies with a rich chocolate taste. I doubled the batch to give to my students on Valentine's Day and to have plenty left over to share with family and friends.

Makes about 70 2 inch cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
granulated sugar for decorating

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the flour, baking soda and cocoa together in a medium bowl and set aside. Line baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper. In a double boiler set over simmering water, melt together the chocolate, brown sugar and butter. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a standing mixer and let cool slightly. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Mix until just combined. Turn the mixer down to low and add the flour mixture. The dough will come together in a ball. Scoop out 1/4 of the dough at a time and mound it together on a piece of parchment. Pat the dough into a disc, place another piece of parchment on top and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 2 inch hearts and place them onto a cookie sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a small amount of white sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Lightened Up Peanut Butter Cookies

I found these on Pinterest and was intrigued. They sounded delicious and they are! I added flour to the recipe because the original picture showed the cookies all having run together during baking. I wanted to see if I could avoid this. I am happy to report that I solved that problem but I found I had to really watch them during baking. They need about 10-12 minutes but that time will depend on how hot your oven runs. Too little time resulted in a cookie that didn't appear done in the center. Too much time the bottom became overly dark. The original recipe posted the calories at 36 per cookie. With the addition of the flour, I'm estimating my cookies are about 45 calories per cookie.

Makes about 24-30

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup flour

Mix the honey and peanut butter together. Add the baking powder and mix to combine. Add the egg and flour and mix again until combined. Scoop onto a baking sheet that has been lined with a silpat or parchment. Use a teaspoon sized cookie scoop. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Allow them to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.