Rice and Bean Roll-Ups

Oh Betty how I've missed you! I haven't checked her site recently, but when I did I found this wonder. With a few changes of course, it was ready to go.

Rice and Bean Roll-ups (6 servings at 4 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 medium roma (plum ) tomatoes, chopped
1 small bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (15 oz) black beans with cumin, undrained
6 tortillas
1 cup shredded lowfat or fat free Mexican cheese blend

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup of the salsa in an ungreased baking dish, 13x9x2 inches.

2. Mix rice, tomatoes, bell pepper, and black beans. Spread some mixture on each tortilla; roll up tortilla. Spread seam side down on salsa in baking dish. Spoon remaining cup of salsa over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese.

3. Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

This particular dish reminded the husband and myself quite a bit of enchiladas. The sauce was different of course, but still overall product was very similar. This was definitely right up my alley. They are messy, but still very tasty.

Note: When I calculated the points for this recipe, I used the Santa Fe one point tortillas. Also, I didn't have black beans with cumin, so instead I used a can of regular black beans (rinsed and drained) and about 1/4 tsp ground cumin.

Napa Style Ceramic Roaster

I mentioned using a cone roaster in my Thanksgiving post from a few days ago, and a few people wanted to know more about it. I purchased mine from Napa Style. If you aren't familiar with Napa Style, it is the line of products sold by the Food Network's Michael Chiarello.

A couple of years ago I saw him making a chicken with one and thought it would be a nice addition to my cooking arsenal. It actually cooks your meat both inside and out, so it takes a lot less time to cook overall. The one I purchased is ceramic and they also come in metal, or you can even do something similar with a beer can.

When I started my search for a ceramic roaster a few years back, the only one I could find was the one from Napa Style. But now a quick search seems to turn up several options. You can also get just the cone piece, but I really like how mine has the dish below for roasting vegetables. The vegetables absorb a lot of flavor from the juices that run down.

Tomatillo Chicken and Hominy Stew

I found this recipe right after I moved back to Morgantown from the DC area. This stew is so exciting in flavor and yet so comforting. I ended up making it A LOT at first, and eventually needed a break. So it's been a while, and I have been looking forward to having it again all week.

Tomatillo Chicken and Hominy Stew (4 servings at 5 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 sprays cooking spray
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 small onion(s), chopped
1 large chopped tomatillos
1 small jalapeno pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
14 1/2 oz canned tomatoes, diced, fire-roasted
2 cup cooked whole hominy, or a 15.5 oz can drained hominy
1 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp table salt
1 cup fat-free chicken broth

Instructions:

1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, onion, tomatillo and jalapeno. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in canned tomatoes, hominy, beans, chicken, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt and broth.

3. Cover skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Yields about 1 3/4 cup per serving.

If you can't find a tomatillo, you can substitute of a red tomato and 1 tsp of lemon juice. I usually just do this because sometimes I have a tough time finding tomatillos.

I really love the tanginess of this dish, but my favorite part I would have to say is the hominy. I used to eat hominy a lot when I was younger, but until recently hadn't touched the stuff. The husband and I just can't get over how good this stew is. And if you are new to hominy, this is a good way to ease into it :)

Menu (11/27/06)

Menu:

Sun: Vegetarian Stir Fry
Mon: Tomatillo Chicken and Hominy Stew
Tues: Leftovers
Wed: Bean and Rice Wraps
Thurs: Leftovers
Fri: Fend for selves
Sat: Fend for selves

Sunb: Chunky Vegetable Chili
Mon: Leftovers
Tues: Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon
Wed: Chicken Vegetable Udon
Thurs: BBQ Cheddar Chicken Sandwiches
Fri: Fend for selves
Sat: Fend for selves

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our table to yours!

The husband and I were unable to make it in to visit our family this year, so I made a little feast for us instead. And of course it was a dairy free feast so the husband didn't have to worry about it.

I have this neat cone roaster that can cook a whole chicken or a small turkey inside and out, so it cooks fairly quickly. Another neat thing about it is that it has a ring at the base where you can roast vegetables, and have the chicken or turkey juices run over them adding extra flavor.

I went with a chicken, and I took slices of orange and lemon and placed them in the cavity of the chicken for flavor. I then dried the chicken and spritzed it with a little bit of olive oil, and rubbed a mixture of orange zest, lemon zest, poultry seasoning, chicken herb seasoning, thyme, and a little bit of rotisserie chicken seasoning all over. And in the ring below I roasted a mixture of carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash with a spritz of cooking spray and a little bit of pepper.

I made some garlic mashed potatoes as a side dish, and to do so I used two cooking potatoes and boiled them with 4 cloves of garlic. Once they were soft I mashed the potatoes, leaving the cloves in with them. I then added about 1/4 cup of chicken broth, salt, pepper, and chives. This makes them 2 points for 4 servings.

For a final side I made a french bread stuffing. I added cooked celery, onion, a little bit of chicken broth, poultry seasoning, and sage to a cubed loaf of french bread. I then baked it until the top got fairly crisp.

I finished our meal off with some frozen 1 point wheat rolls and a premade gravy. It was tricky finding a canned gravy that didn't have whey in it, but in the end I went with Campbell's turkey gravy. And the rolls were Pillsbury's frozen Oven Bake dinner rolls.

The meal turned out wonderful, and it was nice to have a meal like this with just the husband and I. The vegetables were so tasty, and you could even taste a bit of citrus from the chicken juices. The chicken's skin was very crisp and a pretty golden brown; I really like cooking chicken on my cone roaster. And the stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, and gravy were such a treat too.

I hope everyone had a very happy and delicious Thanksgiving :)

Pumpkin Oatmeal Snack Cakes

Today I bring you a wonderful little snack cake. You can eat it for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert. I've really been enjoying these for breakfast. They are very filling and help keep me satisfied until lunch :) The recipe calls for cornmeal and it turned out that I didn't have any, so I just used flour instead. They turned out just fine and I don't think it changed the texture or flavor at all.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Snack Cakes (6 servings at 2 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp cornmeal
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 to 1 cup Splenda
2 Tbsp hot tap water
1/2 cup egg beaters
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
EDIT: 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix all ingredients. Pour into 8x8 inch baking dish sprayed with non-fat cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Birthday Cake and an Announcement

Today is my Birthday and last night the husband became very domestic. He made me a birthday cake using the diet coke cake recipe of course. He even decorated it all by himself. He actually made the little flowers. Just look how cute it is! Of course it tasted delicious too! And yeah I know I ate birthday cake a day early, but it was calling me ;)

Diet Coke Cake

1 box cake mix
1 can of diet soda
2 egg whites

Mix and bake according to the box directions. You can use this to make cupcakes, a sheet cake, or even a layer cake. You can mix and match different cake flavors and sodas too. I made my Halloween cupcakes using this recipe as well.

Now for my little announcement...

The local newspaper had an ad not too long ago calling for foodies. They wanted to create a panel of 10 people to try out different products and recipes, and then write articles about those items. The husband and I applied together and made it. We go this evening to get our pictures taken and find out a little more about what we will be doing. I'm excited!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Every year some very good friends of mine throw a Thanksgiving party. I wanted to bring some sort of side dish this year, and decided to try out this sweet potato recipe.


Candied Sweet Potatoes (8 servings at 4 points a piece)

Ingredients:

4 large yams
1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
4 tbsp light butter
1/8 cup Splenda
2 cups Kraft Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallows

Instructions:

Pierce sweet potatoes and place on waxed paper in microwave. Cook until soft (about 5 minutes, turn over and cook 5 minutes more.) Cool slightly. Peel and cut into large chunks. Spray 3 qt casserole dish with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes in casserole dish. Mix butter and sugars (cream together) and drop evenly over sweet potatoes. Sprinkle marshmallows over the dish. Cook uncovered in a 350 degree oven until marshmallows are golden brown.

The husband isn't a fan of sweet potatoes but I definitely am, and I thought these were pretty good for a low point side. I think I still prefer them more "whipped" than chunked, but that's just my personal preference. Also, if you are using large sweet potatoes, I would recommend cooking them in the microwave for a little more than 5 minutes on each side. I found that the middle pieces weren't quite as done as I would have liked.

Graham Smore Thingies

I was feeling hungry and creative last night, and somehow I came up with this :)

I really like smores and I also really like toasted marshmallows. I was wondering how well it would work if I stuck a Smore like thing in a toaster oven. It actually didn't turn out too bad.

I took a half serving of a graham cracker (one full graham rectangle broken in two) and topped it with 1 tbsp of peanut butter, a little drizzle of sugar free chocolate sauce, and six mini marshmallows. I then stuck it into the toaster oven until the marshmallows were a pretty golden color.

When I pulled out the cracker everything was so warm and gooey. These were a little messy to eat, but that's a part of the fun. And it tasted just like a real smore with the added bonus of peanut butter. This was an incredible snack for only 2.5 points :)

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

I saw Miss Giada make this recipe this past weekend. By the time she was finished I was drooling, and the husband was saying, "make it, make it! So I did (with a few minor modifications of course).

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina (4 servings at 5 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup fat-free grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon fat-free or low-fat butter
Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in an 8x8x2-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

I'm typically not a fan of bread crumb crusts on pastas, but this one was very pleasant. It mixed well with the rest of the dish and didn't stick out like a sore thumb the way some bread crumb crusts do. The rest of the dish was excellent. The melty cheese, warm tomatoes, and chicken was just delicious. This dish is definitely a keeper. The husband said I should make this everyday (along with turkey paninis and lasagna) :)

Note: You can find the original recipe here, if you would like to see it without my minor changes.

Garbanzo and Vegetable Sauce with Polenta

I recently bought a new recipe book, Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices, and have been really anxious to try some recipes from it. I finally got the chance last night, and I decided to try this one first because I was interested in having polenta in a different way.

Garbanzo and Vegetable Sauce with Polenta (4 servings at 5 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 tube (16 to 24 ounces ) refrigerated polenta
1 jar (26 to 28 ounces) fat-free chunky spaghetti sauce
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced (2 cups)
1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (4 ounces)
1/2 cup dry red wine or grape juice
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Prepare polenta slices as directed on tube. Heat remaining ingredients except cheese to boiling in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve vegetable mixture over polenta slices. Sprinkle with cheese.

Besides having simple ingredients and being very simple to make, this dish was also very delicious. I thought the sauce and the polenta complimented each other very well. I also really enjoyed the garbanzo beans.

Gingerbread Lattes

It's my most favorite time of year again. The time I pine for and think about all year long. I can't wait until I'm able to roll up to a Starbucks and order a tall Gingerbread Latte, non-fat, no whip. I HEART GBLs!

I happened to be in Pittsburgh on Friday evening, and while walking by a Starbucks I noticed that everything inside seemed to be decorated for the Christmas season already. So immediately I started searching for the sign. You know the one, the one about gingerbread, and I saw it! I wanted to run in and order one right then, but I was on my way to dinner, and I wanted to enjoy my dinner and not be full from my GBL goodness.

Unfortunately on Saturday and Sunday I was very busy and didn't have a chance to make a Starbuck's run. But the husband happened to be out and about on Sunday doing some birthday shopping for moi, and upon his return he confirmed that GBL's had made it to Morgantown.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend you give gingerbread lattes a try. They really warm you up and smell wonderful. And if you stick with tall, non-fat, no whip, it's only 4 points! I definitely think it is worth it for such a great treat :)

Chips Ahoy Dessert

The husband is a self-confessed cookie lover. If there is one thing that can make him break down and eat a million servings in one sitting, it is definitely cookies. For me it's chocolate of any kind. So the other day when I came across this recipe on the weightwatchers boards, I knew it would be a definite winner.

Chips Ahoy Dessert (9 servings at 3 points a piece)

1/2 cup ff milk
18 reduced fat Chips Ahoy Cookies
2 cups ff milk
1 8 oz. ff Cool Whip
1 sm. box choc. inst. pudding mix

Pour 1/2 c. of the milk in a shallow bowl. Dip a cookie in the milk very briefly and line an 8 x 8 dish with them. Take 1/2 the Cool Whip and spread over cookies. Mix the choc. pudding with 2 c. milk. Layer over top of C. W. Dip next 9 cookies in the milk and lay on top of pudding. Top with remaining C.W. Refrig 2 hours (best - 8 hrs)

This was delicious! The cookies were soft and mixed well with the cool whip and pudding. And the dessert itself is very rich, so one serving is all you need. That is definitely a good thing.

Fig Newtons

Little pre-portioned bags of delicious snacks are all the rage right now, and I for one love them. Sure I could buy the real thing and portion them out the out myself, but it just isn't the same. A whole bag of these tiny pre-portioned sizes are usually equivalent to just one or two of the regular item, and for some reason that is just so much more satisfying to me.

Recently, Fig Newtons joined the snack size craze with mini packs of their 100% whole grain cookies. The husband is a big fan of Fig Newtons, and these little snack packs are dairy free, so he was super excited when these hit the store shelves. I realize regular Fig Newtons aren't too bad when it comes to fat and calories, but the serving size is only like one or two cookies. And if we bought a whole bag we'd probably eat them all ;) At only 2 points a piece, these mini packs are definitely the way to go.

The packs come in original and strawberry flavors, and we've tried them both. Now of course the originals are great, but there is just something special about the strawberry flavored ones. I don't know what it is, but they are just too good. And the husband agrees. He has taken a bag with him to work for a snack every day this week. Needless to say these are not going to last long in our house.

Menu (11/9/06)

This week's menu...

Sun: Turkey Paninis
Mon: leftovers
Tues: Garbanzo and Vegetable Sauce with Polenta
Wed: Chicken Pastina
Thurs: Leftovers
Fri: Fend for selves
Sat: Fend for selves

Sun: Black Bean Chili
Mon: Leftovers
Tues: Vegetarian Stir Fry
Wed: Tomatilla-Chicken Hominy Stew
Thurs: Leftovers
Fri: Fend for selves
Sat: Fend for selves

Chicken With Stew Vegetables

Yesterday I went to prepare a recipe I found called Vegetable Medley, and it just wasn't meant to be. First, I looked more closely at the recipe and realized it was going to turn out bland due to the total lack of seasonings. Then, I discovered my zucchini had gone bad. So instead I used what I had to whip up this delicious and quick meal instead.

Chicken with Stew Vegetables (4 servings at 4 points a piece)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 medium carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups of frozen cauliflower and broccoli mix
1 cup cooked white rice
rotisserie chicken seasoning, herb chicken seasoning, and poultry seasoning
1 tsp olive oil

Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Lightly dust chicken with a little bit of the rotisserie chicken seasoning, herb chicken seasoning, and poultry seasoning. Over medium heat, brown chicken on each side until no longer pink in the middle. Add the teaspoon of olive oil to the pan, and toss in the carrots, celery and onion. Let the vegetables cook with the chicken for about 2 or 3 minutes and then add the broccoli and cauliflower. Reduce the heat slightly and cover pan. Let cook for about 10 - 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Finally, add the rice and mix well.

The dish ended up being similar to the Chicken Veggie Pot that I made a while back, but the taste was somewhat different. It turned out pretty tasty for me just throwing it together like that, and the husband really liked it as well. It was very easy to make and very quick; and since most people have these items on hand, this is a great dish to make when you are in need of a quick and tasty dinner.

Colorful Chicken Stew

I really like hearty stews, but more often than not I don't have the time to cook them. So I was happy to find this great stew recipe which is prepared in a slow cooker.

Colorful Chicken Stew (10 servings at 2 Points a piece)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 can 14 1/2 oz Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

5 medium carrots, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 cans (4oz each) mushroom stems & pieces, drained

2 low-sodium chicken bouillon cubes

2 tsp. sugar (I used Splenda)

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 cups cold water

In a 5 qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into chicken mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours, or until vegetables are tender.

This stew was tasty and very hearty, and the husband and I quickly devoured this stuff at dinner. We both really enjoyed the potatoes and tomatoes together.

Chili

Hello Cinnamon Dots readers! This is The Husband posting today, and I'm posting about my chili. This recipe is actually the same that my mother made when I was growing up, only with a few changes made to better suit our tastes.

Chili means a lot of different things to different people. For some it's simply meat and chili peppers. For others it's more of a stew with beans and vegetables. And for some it's even used to top spaghetti! The following recipe is along the lines of the second variety, and the great thing about it is that it's super simple to prepare.

The Husband's Chili (8 servings at 2 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 lb package of lean ground turkey (or ground meat of your choice)
1 medium onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
3 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
2 15.5 oz cans of kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 large 46 oz can of tomato juice

Instructions:

Brown meat in a skillet or large pot. Add onion, green pepper, and 2 tsp of chili powder and continue to cook. Once vegetables have begun to brown, transfer to large pot (unless you chose to go ahead and brown the meat and vegetables in the pot). Add tomato juice, beans, and the remaining tsp of chili powder. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

For me chili is definitely a cold-weather dish, and it's the perfect thing to begin serving when temperatures start to fall. So if there's a chill in the air where you are, make some tonight and warm up to a delicious bowl.

Ava's Bean Burrito Casserole

A while ago, while searching around for recipes on the weightwatchers boards, I came across this little gem. Whoever Ava is, she is a genius. A burrito in casserole form is an excellent idea, and of course I had to try it. Here's my take on it:

Ava's Bean Burrito Casserole (12 servings at 3 points a piece)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1/8 cup taco seasoning mix -- reduced sodium (1/2 packet)
3/4 cup water
15 ounces corn, canned -- no salt added, drained
14 ounces tomatoes with green chilies -- canned
15 ounces nonfat refried beans
5 ounces tomato paste
1 cup nonfat cheddar cheese -- shredded, divided
2 cup brown rice -- cooked
1 medium onion -- diced

Instructions:

Saute onion in large skillet with ground turkey. Add water and 1/2 packet of taco seasoning. Simmer until sauce thickens. Add canned veggies, tomato paste and beans. Spray a casserole dish and fill with veggie/bean/turkey mixture. Top with 1/2 c. of shredded nf cheddar cheese. Cover with cooked brown rice. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake covered at 350 until heated through, 20 min. Remove cover and continue baking until cheese is melty, 5 min.

I altered this recipe a bit; the one posted includes my alterations. It originally called for soy crumbles, 2 cups of cheese, and 4 cups of brown rice. I used ground turkey and only 1 cup of cheese. I thought that 4 cups of brown rice was overkill so I reduced it to 2 cups which was a perfect amount.

The casserole was excellent. It had everything that anyone could want in a casserole, beans, cheese, and rice :) The husband and I both really enjoyed this one. Hope you do too :)

Spicy Pumpkin Pancakes

I found a version of this recipe at the Betty Crocker website. I thought it would be great for this time of year, but of course I had to lighten it up a bit. Here's my take on it:


Spicy Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups Heart Smart Bisquick® mix
1/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/4 cups fat free milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons splenda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup egg beaters

Instructions:

1. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375°F. Grease griddle with vegetable oil if necessary. In medium bowl, stir all pancake ingredients until well blended. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle.

2. Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with syrup.

These were so great! I really like pancakes and I really like pumpkin, so together this dish was an unstoppable combination. All of the flavors were just right, and there is something so comforting eating a warm pumpkin pancake :)

Edit: The pancakes make 8 servings at 3 points a piece. So sorry I forgot to post that.