This is an adaptation from one of my coworkers with reduced heat and substituting coconut milk for heavy cream. This makes the dish healthier and maintains a creaminess.
Ingredients:
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
2 Cans Tomato Paste
3/4 Can coconut milk
1 Small container of yougurt (plain non Greek)4 pcs Chicken (~1 lb)
* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
* Olive Oil
Spices:
* Garlic Powder
* Ginger Powder* Turmeric Powder
* Cumin
* Coriander
* Paprika
* Garam Masala
* Cayenne Pepper
Preparation:
Chicken: Press garlic into a small sealable container and add in approximately 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of each of the spices. Add in yogurt and stir together (marinade should take on a yellow color). Place chicken in the marinade coating generously and chill in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 hours though it is recommended to do it overnight.
When ready to cook, heat 1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large stainless skillet. When hot, add chicken carefully as the yogurt will cause the oil to splatter. Cook evenly (as you would breaded chicken) for 3 - 5 minutes per side flipping only once. Chicken should take on a golden brown color and still have a soft exterior. Remove from heat and cut up into 3/4" cubes.
Sauce: Thinly slice onions (1/8" slice) and place in a bowl. Mince green pepper into 1/8" square pieces and more roughly chop red peppers to 1/2" or 3/4" square. In a nonstick skillet, pour in about 1 Tbsp olive oil and heat on medium to high heat. Add all vegetables and lightly season with salt and pepper. When onions begin to get translucent, add in a generous amount of the spices that were put in the marinade (3/4 - 1 tsp) and use garlic powder instead of fresh at this step. Once vegetables are well mixed and well seasoned, add 2 cans of tomato paste and 1 to 1 1/2 cans of water and mix together until well incorporated. Add in coconut milk and stir together (similar to a vodka sauce, it should start to turn a shade of orange / light red).
Reduce heat to low on the sauce and add in the chicken (don't worry if its not cooked all the way through as it will finish in the sauce). Cook covered for another 5 - 7 minutes.
Serving:
This dish is best served over rice, I use longer grain Jasmati (Jasmine and Basmati blend) rice cooked with 1 Tbsp of butter to keep it creamy. Additionally, Naan bread is a side dish that would pair well.
Ingredients: 5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Red Pepper1 Red Onion
1/2 Yellow Onion
1 Bunch of Scallions
1 cup of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 Bunch of Celery
1 Pound of either Stir Fry Beef or Stew beef
1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos or gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
* Onion Powder
* Garlic Powder
* Turmeric Powder
* Cumin
* Coriander
* Paprika
* Sesame Oil
Preparation
This will require a significant amount of vegetable prep and would be best prepared with 3 medium to large size bowls and one small one.
Ensure that the beef is cut into thinner strips (it will be easier to eat that way). If they are not to size, cut beef into strips about 1/4 inch wide and however long you please. Place into a medium bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp of soy sauce/aminos. Season generously with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and paprika. Lightly sprinkle with sesame oil as well and let sit.
In a small bowl, use a garlic press to crush garlic. Once all garlic has been crushed, set aside - this will be the first ingredient added to the skillet.
In a medium bowl slice onions and peppers into reasonably thin slices (between 1/8 and 3/16 of an inch) and cut in half so the pieces are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length. Set aside as this will be the second set of ingredients to be added to the skillet.
In another medium bowl cut up celery into 1/4 inch pieces. Add sliced mushrooms and dice up scallions and set aside as this will be the last set of ingredients.
If you do not have a wok, this is best cooked in a deep stainless steel skillet (4" at least) with a cover. Heat skillet on high and add coconut oil until it melts. After a minute, add in garlic and mix together to meld the garlic flavor with the oil.
After a minute or two, add bowl of onions and peppers, salt and pepper and stir until they begin to soften keeping them moving to not sit on the hot pan for too long in one spot. After softened, add the meat and again stir up keeping the mixture moving to not sit in one spot for too long. Put remaining tbsp of aminos/soy sauce in the skillet.
Pour in last bowl of vegetables/mushrooms, mix together, lower heat to medium and cover after lightly seasoning with salt and pepper. With lid on, shake the skillet every 2 - 3 minutes to keep everything mixing together.
Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables and meat and place in a bowl on the side covered. Raise the heat to high and cook down the cooking liquid until it thickens and then pour over the mix.
Serving
Best served to be eaten with chop sticks.
Ingredients: 2 Yellow Squash
2 Green Zucchini
1 Red Pepper
* Sea Salt* Black Pepper* Olive Oil* Crushed Dry Basil
Preparation
Leave peel on squash and zucchini and cut in half 2x, widthwise and lengthwise. In a bowl mix together salt, pepper, basil, and oil. Coat the squash and zucchini well in the oil dressing.
Preparation - Indoors
If grilling indoors, you are most likely using a cast iron griddle or griddle pan. Heat griddle over medium heat with a light spray of oil. On one of the burners, char the pepper turning until the skin blackens and can be removed. Do not worry during this span of time if the pepper catches fire (just turn it to put it out). Place squash and zucchini on the griddle and leave face down for 7 - 10 minutes leaving deep grill marks caramelizing the surface.
Preparation - Outdoors
If grilling outdoors, place squash, zucchini and pepper on the grill grate over medium / high heat. Turn pepper occasionally until it is charred all the way around. Cook squash and zucchini for 5 - 7 minutes on direct flame until leaving deep grill marks and caramelizing the surface.
Remove from heat and cut pepper, zucchini, and squash into 1/2" chunks. Mix together in a large bowl dressing with additional olive oil and sea salt and let rest before serving.
Serving
Goes well along side steak, chicken, burgers, and anything else that can be grilled.
Ingredients: 1/2 Large Red Onion1/2 Green Bell Pepper4 Tomatoes on the vine
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of tomato sauce
* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
* Vegetable Oil
Preparation
Rough dice the tomatoes, pepper and onion into 3/8 - 1/2" pieces. In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, heat some vegetable oil and saute peppers and onions with some salt and pepper. Once softened, add in tomatoes and generously salt. Add in tomato paste and sauce, mix well and cover allowing to reduce. After 30 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool before refrigerating.
Serving
Best served on chips, in tacos, or other Mexican fare.
Ingredients:
1 Large Red Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Tomatoes on the Vine
8oz Can of Tomato Sauce
6oz Can of Tomato Paste
6oz of Chicken Broth
12oz Can of Black beans
102g Boca Soy Crumbles
1/3 Lb Ground Pork
168g Sargento Reduced fat Mexican Cheese
* Kosher Salt
* Sea Salt
* Black Pepper
* Coriander
* Paprika
* Garlic Powder
* Vegetable Oil
Preparation:
Dice onion and pepper into 1/4" pieces (keep 1/8 cup of onion aside). Dice tomato into 1/2 - 3/4" pieces.
Spray a large dutch oven with a light coating of vegetable spray and over medium high heat saute onions and peppers. Add kosher salt and pepper and saute until translucent. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, with a light spray of oil, add remaining 1/8 cup of onions and tomatoes. Mix in tomato sauce and paste and stir well over low heat until it begins to bubble. In another saucepan, mix together 244g of black beans with just enough water to cover and cook over medium heat until it begins to boil.
In the dutch oven spread the onions and peppers to the outside and prepare for the pork. Season the pork with salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and coriander and brown in the dutch oven. Using a wooden spoon, break up the pork into small bits and mix together with soy crumbles. Once pork has browned, pour in 4oz of chicken broth and mix together until well blended. Pour in tomato salsa mixture and stir well. Strain black beans and mix all together.
Lower heat to low and cover for approximately 5 - 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Mix in remaining 2oz of chicken broth and add in 4 servings (102g) of cheese. Cook covered for another 2 - 3 minutes and remove from heat leaving covered.
Serve in a smaller heat resistant vessel and before serving add in remaining servings of cheese (56g) and cover until ready to serve.
Serving:
This is best served as a nacho dip with tortilla chips or inside of a flour taco enchilada style.
Ingredients:
2 Medium Potatoes
1 Yellow Onion
1 Tbsp light butter (Land o Lakes Light butter with canola oil)
2 pcs thick sliced chicken
1 oz Cabot Clothbound aged cheddar cheese
2 oz Sargento Reduced Fat Mexican Cheese blend
20 chives minced
Vegetable Oil*
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*
Preparation:
Peel and grate potatoes on the large size holes of a cheese grater. Set aside in some salt water. Thinly slice onion and then cut the semi-circle pieces into 3 segments approx 5/8 - 3/4" in length. Spray a large nonstick skillet with a light coating of vegetable oil and add in onions (lightly salting and peppering). Cook until onion is translucent, drain potatoes and add to skillet. Add 1 tbsp of butter and stir well over low heat.
Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and cook on a cast iron griddle or grill until cooked through. Takes about the same amount of time as the hash browns will take to cook in the broiler. (see next step to save time). When cooked, remove from grill and wrap in aluminum foil for 2 minutes to rest.
Set broiler to high and pour hash brown mix into an oven safe glass bowl and place in broiler for approximately 7 minutes removing and stirring every 1 - 2 minutes. Once hash browns are almost browned, add in cheddar cheese and return to the broiler for another minute to melt in the cheese. Remove from the broiler and set aside.
Slice chicken 1/4" strips approx 1" - 1 1/2" in length. Layer chicken on top of the hash brown casserole and cover with Mexican Cheese and chives. Return to broiler for approximately 2 more minutes until cheese has melted through.
Serving:
Best served with a side of grilled/sauteed vegetables (Squash, Zucchini, Red Pepper, Cauliflower). Serves 2.
Nutrition:
This meal in its entirety scores 14 weight watchers points plus points.
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup of Flour
1 Whole Egg
1 Egg White
1/8 cup of water
1 Medium butternut squash
Preparation:
Peel squash and cut up into small pieces approximately 1/2" cubes. Bring water to a boil and drop in squash allowing to boil until fork tender. Strain squash and use a potato masher to mash up similar to mashed potatoes. Set aside and allow to cool (you can put it in the freezer for a short while or use an ice bath).
In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix together flour, egg, and egg white until well incorporated. Set aside and allow dough to rest for 5 - 10 minutes. Split dough ball up into 3 - 4 smaller pieces. Run through the pasta roller attachment on the stand mixer (you can use a manual one but its significantly easier). Roll pasta down to a 4 in thickness and allow to rest on a drying rack.
How to Roll Pasta dough
Fill a small ziploc bag with the mashed squash and cut one corner off of the bag. Lay one sheet of pasta dough down, using the ziploc bag similar to a pastry bag, place a dollop of squash down every 1 1/2 inches. Wet a finger and make a square outline around each dollop of squash pressing a second layer of pasta dough over top.
To cut individual raviolis, use a ravioli stamp or a pizza cutter returning leftover dough to a ball to roll out again.
This recipe should produce between 30 and 40 raviolis. If you need to store these for the future, lightly coat in cornmeal and place in a freezer safe container using aluminum foil between layers as needed.
Serving:
Bring water to a boil and salt lightly. Drop in raviolis and boil until they float to the top. Allow raviolis to cook for between 3 and 4 minutes until cooked through. Strain and empty pot. Add 1 Tbsp of light butter and a light sprinkling of Parmesan cheese as well as raviolis. Cover and mix well allowing butter to melt.
Alternatively you can dress this with a Marsala sauce and some sliced Cremini mushrooms.
Nutrition Info:
8 Raviolis is 5 Weight Watchers Points plus points. (approx 0.625 points / ravioli)
Ingredients:
Homemade Vegetable Broth
1 Link Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa
122 g Pinto Beans drained
1/4 Cup Brown Rice (Carolina Brown Rice)
1 Clove Garlic
Olive Oil*
Black Pepper*
Preparation:
Mince or press garlic into small pieces (1/8" or less). Spray medium saucepan with a light coating of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic to pot, season with pepper lightly and add rice toasting. Add in 2 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil covered.
Slice Kielbasa link into 1/4" slices and drain beans. Once mixture has boiled for about 20 minutes, add beans stirring occasionally to ensure they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. After approximately 20 minutes lift cover to reduce and add Kielbasa stirring well. Reduce until there is as much or as little broth as you like.
Serving:
Serve in a bowl.
Nutritional Information:
This is about 11 Weight Watchers points plus points using the above ingredients.
This is a low salt vegetable broth with flavor similar to that from a can but with significantly less sodium content.
Ingredients:
2 Quarts of Filtered Water
1/2 Red Onion
4 Medium Carrots
4 Medium Parsnips
5 Stalks of Celery
2 Sprigs of Tarragon
2 Bay Leaves
Sea Salt*
Preparation:
Peel and rough chop all vegetables to between 1 - 1 1/2 " pieces. Cut onion in quarters and place all vegetables in the crock pot. Fill with water until vegetables are covered. Lightly salt. Add in bay leaves and tarragon and cook on high for approximately 6 hours covered. Add additional salt (less than 1 tsp) when broth is finished cooking (my crock pot switches to keep warm).
Serving:
This is a good base for any kind of soup, can be used for risotto, couscous, quinoa, or as the base for a cheese fondue. This is extremely low in salt but rich in vegetable flavor and keep in mind that anything added as part of a larger meal will require more salt than if it were from a can.
Ingredients: 1 Package Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate chips
1 heaping tablespoon of Peanut butter
Recommended to use:
Cuisinart Electric Fondue Set (Google Affiliate Ad)
Casino Cubes Ice Tray (Google Affiliate Ad) (you can opt to use any silicone ice cube tray)
Preparation:
In a fondue pot, melt together the chocolate and peanut butter, mix well together until incorporated and completely liquid. Spoon into the silicone ice cube tray while warm and place in the refrigerator for approximately 40 minutes before releasing from the mold.
Serving:
There isn't much to say about serving these. Enjoy
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Orange Pepper
1 Medium Red Onion
1/2 cup of Quinoa
1 Can chicken stock
1/2 tbsp butter
* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
Preparation:Dice pepper and onion into 1/4 inch pieces. Heat up a skillet over medium high heat and add peppers and onion seasoning with kosher salt and pepper. When softened and translucent, move vegetables to the outside and add butter and quinoa. Mix together and add in 1 can of chicken broth. Cook covered stirring often until liquid has reduced down and quinoa firms up.
Serving:
I suggest serving this alongside any strong protein such as pork or steak.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1 Egg
1 Egg White
1 Cup of baby spinach (optional)
1/2 Cup of Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese
*Extra Flour for dusting
* Sea Salt
* Cornmeal - this is used only to keep pasta from sticking together
Best if using: KitchenAid Pasta Roller And Cutter - KPRA (Google Affiliate Ad)
Preparation:
Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix together the flour and egg. Keep the mixer going until all flour has been incorporated and dough has a firm texture (not sticky).[If making the spinach dough, chop spinach finely and add to the dough mixture as it is kneading]. Add flour if necessary to smooth out. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 - 2 hours.
Using a pasta roller attachment on the stand mixer, start rolling dough until you have a long sheet. For reference on how best to roll out pasta dough, see this previous article:Rolling Pasta Dough. Once the dough thins (use flour if necessary to avoid sticking) begin reducing the roller thickness from 1 - 5. Hang sheets on a drying rack but do not allow them to dry out as we will need them to be moist.
Use a food processor/blender to shred mozzarella cheese into tiny pieces. Mix mozzarella and ricotta together in another bowl. Spoon this mixture into a ziploc bag and cut the corner off (leaving about a 1/2 - 3/4" hole in the bag.
Keep a small bowl handy with some water to help seal the pasta together. Lay one sheet of dough down, using the ziploc bag with the filling, squeeze a small dollop approximately every 1 - 1 1/2 inches lengthwise and if you can fit 2 across with a 1/4 - 3/8" border, do so otherwise only use 1 row to start. Once all filling is down, use your finger in the water and outline (square) around each dollop of filling. Press another sheet of dough over and apply pressure specifically over the seams that were just moistened. Using a pizza cutter (or ravioli stamp) cut out around each ravioli.
Allow raviolis to sit before cooking on a sheet of parchment paper dusted with cornmeal. If they will not be cooked right away, ensure that the container they are put in has a fair amount of cornmeal and parchment paper and freeze.
Boil salted water (should taste like the sea) and cook raviolis until they float. They will rise up quickly, let them cook for about another minute once they float to the surface.
Serving:
If making a spinach dough, this goes well with: Alfredo Sauce
If making a non-spinach dough, this goes well with: Joe's Homemade pasta sauce
This recipe is a conglomerate that assembled over the years. Particularly favored by one of my sisters-in-law, this dish can be a spectacle to make. (Just be sure to keep the fire extinguisher handy the first time you do it in the off chance that something un-intended catches on fire). The author takes no responsibility for accidental fires that may occur as a result of following this recipe in an unsafe fashion.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Butter
1 White or Yellow onion
1/2 cup of Vodka
28 oz can of Tuturosso Crushed Tomatoes
1/2 pint of heavy cream
1 Tbsp parsley (fresh or dried)
56 g / serving of Penne
* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
* Sea Salt
It is recommended to cook this sauce using a high walled stainless steel skillet: Bobby Flay 2-Pc. Stainless Steel Skillet Set (Google Affiliate Ad)
*** SAFETY TIP ****
It is also recommended to move any flammable objects away from the stove while cooking this such as oils, alcohol, paper products, or plastic utensils and to use either a wooden spoon or a high heat silicone spoon.
Preparation:
Dice onion into 1/4 inch or smaller pieces. Heat butter in the skillet on high heat until it melts completely. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Stir around until onions become translucent and soft. Add vodka and mix together. Using a Grill lighter, carefully ignite the vodka, it should produce a blue flame and be difficult to see (turn lights off for better visibility). Once all alcohol burns off (smooths out the sauce) mix in crushed tomatoes, stir well, and let sit covered for approximately 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and add parsley and continue to cook with the lid lifted to allow the mixture to reduce down. Cook for an additional 15 minutes until it thickens and stays a pink/orange color. Stir occasionally so that the sauce doesn't burn.
Prepare pasta using sea salt to season the water (should taste like the ocean) and keep slightly under-cooked (just before al dente). Strain and cook the remainder of the way in the vodka sauce.
Serving:
It is recommended to serve this with a garlic bread and with Parmesan cheese to compliment the flavors.
Ingredients:
Polly-O String Cheese sticks
Egg Roll Wrappers
1 Pint Egg beaters
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
Soybean Oil - Enough to fill a skillet approximately 1/2 inch
Preparation:
Cut cheese sticks in half (approx 2 1/2 inch pieces) and place at the end of an egg roll wrapper. Roll wrapper halfway around the cheese stick and then fold each side over (similar to how you would have rolled quarters in a wrapper). Continue to roll the remainder of the wrapper until approximately 3/8 - 1/2 of an inch of the wrapper exposed. Brush on a small amount of egg beater and complete roll.
Place breadcrumbs in one shallow dish and egg beaters in another. Dip the rolled cheese stick in the egg beater mix then roll in the breadcrumbs pressing them into the sides.
Repeat this with the rest of the cheese sticks (should yield 2x the total number of sticks in the package).
In a shallow skillet, heat oil until a droplet of water will dance (excess of 212 degrees F). Place cheese sticks in pan rotating every 10 - 15 seconds to ensure even cooking. Remove from oil when breading has browned and place on a paper towel to allow excess oil to drain.
Serving:
Best served with Joe's homemade pasta sauce
This is based loosely on the side dish that you can get at Cracker Barrel. The "flavor" i.e. the volume of cheese can be alternated to either make it cheesier or healthier.
Ingredients:
1 large potato
1 Tsp flour
1 Tsp butter
1/4 cup milk
8 oz Cheddar Cheese
* Kosher Salt
Preparation:Peel and shred potato into hash brown size slivers and let sit in lightly salted water. Bring water to a boil over high heat and add potatoes to quickly blanch for about 2 - 3 minutes. Strain and place in casserole dish.
In another saucepan melt butter and mix with flour, completely incorporating the two ingredients. Add milk and shredded cheddar cheese. Continue to stir until cheese melts completely and sauce thickens.
Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and mix well. Place in an oven at 350 degrees for between 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles and hash browns crisp.
OPTIONAL:
Use crumbled bacon or panko bread crumbs and throw in the broiler for a few minutes for extra crisp.
Serving:
This serves about 2 as a side dish.
Ingredients:
2 Cups White Flour
1 Cup of Rye Flour
1 pkg Active Dry Yeast
1 1/4 cup of warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp of Caraway Seeds split 2 1/2 and 1/2
1 Egg (whites only yolk removed)
It is recommended to use a silicone loaf pan: Smartware Silicone Loaf Pan - Terracotta (Google Affiliate Ad)
Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix together yeast, water and sugar. Using a whisk stir vigorously until bubbles form. Mix in flours, salt, oil and 2 1/2 tbsp of caraway seeds. Knead dough together until well incorporated and not sticky, if dough is still sticky mix in additional white flour 1 tbsp at a time. Let rise in a the bowl for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down and load into loaf pan with a small amount of flour in the bottom of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
Cut 3 slices across the top, wash with egg white and cover with remaining caraway seeds. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for between 25 and 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.
