Butternut Squash Risotto

I started making risotto as a consequence of watching Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen and have morphed it into what this recipe has become today. 


Ingredients: 
1 Medium Red Onion
1 Orange Pepper
1 butternut squash (medium)
1 can of chicken stock (can substitute with vegetable stock as well)
1/2 Cup of Arborio Rice
1 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup of Chardonnay (any good dry white wine can be substituted)
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*
Olive Oil* 


Preparation: 
Dice onion and orange pepper into small (1/4") dice. Chop the butternut squash into roughly 1/2" chunks. In a large skillet (I like the stainless for this one) heat up olive oil (spray just enough to coat the bottom) over medium heat add in onion, peppers, and half of the squash seasoned with salt and pepper. Stir until vegetables soften and onions become translucent. Move vegetables to the outsides of the pan and add butter and rice. Stir mixing in the rice with the vegetables.  Mix in wine, chicken stock, and 2 cans of water, add salt pepper and cover. 


Periodically stir until liquid begins to get absorbed by rice and vegetables, after about 30 minutes use a spoon to crush up the squash in the pan.  Add remaining chunks of squash, cover and stir.  Let simmer for 15 more minutes and stir occasionally. Remove from heat and let rest until all liquid has been absorbed. 


Serving:
This serves 2 (technically) although you could easily serve this to 3 or 4 people comfortably. This can hold up against pork, beef, chicken, and even by itself. 


Nutrition Info:
One serving of the rice scores about 6 Weight Watchers points plus points. 

Home baked pizza

This is a recipe I've had for a while and have modified it over the years. It is recommended to cook this on either a pizza stone or a stoneware pan. 


Ingredients: 
1 Package or 1 1/4 Tsp of Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup of lukewarm water (~100 degrees)
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp Sugar
1/2 Cup of Whole Wheat flour
1 1/2 Cup white flour plus 1/4 - 1/3 cup extra for dusting/bench flour
2 Tsp of cornmeal


Toppings: 
Margherita
Park Skim Mozzarella Cheese shredded
Joe's Pasta Sauce


Hawaiian

Park Skim Mozzarella Cheese shredded
Joe's Pasta Sauce

Dole sliced Pineapples
Sliced deli ham (Taylor Pork Roll could be an interesting alternative though)


Mushroom
Sliced Cremini Mushrooms
Gruyere Cheese shredded


Preparation:
In a stand mixer, mix together yeast and water and whisk together until bubbles form.  Add 3 Tbsp of olive oil, white, wheat flour, salt, and sugar. Mix together until a dough ball forms (use dough hook).  If dough is still sticky use reserved flour until it becomes stiff and not sticky. Place dough ball in a lightly oiled large bowl and keep covered for about an hour while the dough rises. 


Pre heat oven to 450 degrees and place pizza stone on the lowest shelf. (if using a stoneware pan do not put the pan in the oven but instead raise heat to 500 degrees).  On a flat flourered surface, spread out dough ball into pizza shape or if using stoneware pan spread out in bottom of pan.  Lift the dough up one side at a time and spread cornmeal underneath.  


Cover surface with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and spread to cover entire surface. Coat with toppings to desired height. Bake in oven between 12 and 17 minutes (turning once about halfway through) until crust becomes crispy. 


Serving: 
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve. 

Joe's Homemade Pasta Sauce

This is my father-in-law's pasta sauce that I was taught how to make and has stuck with me ever since. 

Ingredients: 
1 Large Red Onion
6 cloves of garlic
2 cans of Tuturosso Crushed Tomatoes with basil
4 tbsp of olive oil
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper* 
Italian Seasoning*

Preparation:
Dice onion into a 1/4" dice and crush or mince garlic.  In a medium stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil and mix in onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.  When onion becomes translucent, add in 2 cans of crushed tomato and 1 can of water.  Add more salt and pepper and raise heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. 

Once sauce has boiled, add more salt and pepper and Italian seasoning and reduce heat to simmer slightly lifting cover. Cook for 4 hours (using nonstick) or 2 hours (using dutch oven) until it reduces and thickens.  Lightly season after cooking halfway. 

Serving: 
Served best over pasta, pizza, chicken, etc. (anything Italian that you can think of this will probably go well on it). 

Sirloin Tips with Roasted Root Veg

This recipe is an adaptation of one given to me by a friend and coworker. 


Ingredients: 
Sirloin Tips
12 oz Sirloin Chuck stew meat
1 - 2 Tsp of Olive Oil
30 grams of Parmesan Cheese (grated)
30 grams of Whole Wheat seasoned Breadcrumbs
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*


Roasted Root Veg
2 Medium Carrots
2 Medium Parsnips
1 Yellow Squash
1 Zucchini
1 Medium Red Onion
1 Red Pepper
Olive Oil*
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*


Preparation:
Mix meat and olive oil in a medium bowl until well coated. Cover with cheese and breadcrumbs until well coated. 


Rough cut all vegetables into 3/4" chunks. 


Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking dish by spraying lightly with olive oil and pour in vegetables. Cover lightly with salt and pepper and place in oven on middle rack. Prepare another dish for the meat by spraying lightly with olive oil and placing the meat in that dish. 


After about 10 minutes, mix vegetables up (steam will rise) move to top rack and place the dish with the meat on the middle rack.  Cook for between 7 and 10 more minutes before removing vegetables. 


Check meat done-ness, and remove and let rest when at desired cooking temperature. 


Serving:
Serve vegetables and meat. This can be complimented with the simple and tasty bbq sauce (http://raygasnick.blogspot.com/2012/05/simple-and-tasty-barbecue-sauce.html) . 


Nutrition Info: 
This entire dish scores fairly low on the Weight Watchers Points Plus scale at about a 5 or 6. This is a quick fix dinner. 

Summer or Fall Salad

This is a fresh and crisp salad that can adapt with the changing seasons depending on the available fruits in your area.  This is also probably one of the healthiest things that will be posted. 


Ingredients: 
1 1/2 Cups of Spring Mix Salad Greens
4 or 5 large strawberries (spring/summer)
1/2 Honeycrisp Apple (fall/winter)
34 Grams of Feta Cheese (fat free if you are going for the healthier version) [Typically 1 serving]
40 Grams of Ocean Spray Crasins
28 Grams of Walnuts
31 Grams of Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing


Preparation:
Slice strawberries by first removing their tops (the leafy end) and laying flat on that surface. Cut vertical slices all the way through approx 1/8" - 1/4" in width. [spring/summer]

First pass apple through apple corer and slice each of the slices in half widthwise and lengthwise producing thin "quarters" of each slice [fall/winter]


Line a bowl with the spring mix and fan out strawberries or apples on top.  Coat with Feta Cheese, Craisins, and walnuts. (This should not look like a pile but should be evenly distributed). 

Serving:
This produces 1 serving, pour dressing over top.  This can be packaged up and taken for lunches at work or placed in a large bowl and eaten as a hearty meal on the weekends. 


Nutrition Information:
As I said before, this is probably one of the healthiest dishes I'm posting a recipe for. Here's how this breaks down in Weight Watchers Points Plus points: 
Salad as served (either fruit): 11
Individual Components: 
Regular Feta: 2 pts
Fat Free Feta: 1 pt
Crasins: 3 pts
Walnuts: 5 pts
Dressing: 1 pt