Quinoa with Peppers and Onions

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. 

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. 

Ditalini & Peas

This soup is another quick and easy comfort food. 


Ingredients: 
1 Red Onion
1 Small Can of sweet peas
1 Can of Chicken Broth (vegetable broth if you are allergic to chicken)
56 Grams of Ditalini
Spray Olive Oil*
Kosher Salt*
Cracked Black Pepper*
Parmesan Cheese*


Preparation:
This can be cooked in either a dutch oven or a stainless steel saucepan depending on cooking time. The dutch oven will also cook down the broth quicker than the stainless so if you would prefer a more brothy soup, use the stainless. 


Heat pot over medium high heat with spray of olive oil.  Dice onion into 1/4" dice and add to pot, season with salt and pepper. When onion turns translucent, add in broth and increase heat to high. When it comes to a boil add in the ditalini and peas and stir frequently. 

After about 25 - 30 minutes, the pasta will be finished cooking and should expand in size. 


Serving:
Serve in soup bowl with parmesan cheese topping. 

Nutrition Info:
This scores 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus points. 

Pasta Fagioli

This is a simple soup to make when you need an easy yet home made/comfort food. 


Ingredients: 
1 Red Onion
122 grams of Cannelloni Beans
1 Can (12oz) Chicken Broth (substitute Vegetable broth if you are allergic to chicken)
56 grams of Ditalini
1 tbsp Safflower Oil
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*
Italian Seasoning*


Preparation:
This can be cooked either in an enamel pot (dutch oven) or in a stainless steel saucepan. The dutch oven will keep the soup hotter and reduce faster. 


In one of the above cooking vessels, heat up oil under medium high heat.  Dice onion into 1/4" pieces and mix into pot.  Season with salt and pepper and stir frequently until onions become translucent. Pour in 1 can of broth and 1 can of water, cover, and increase heat to high.  When liquid boils, add beans and ditalini and stir periodically to ensure that neither beans nor pasta sticks. 


Keep covered and heat on high for 25 - 35 minutes stirring occasionally until soup reduces down and becomes thicker. (approximately 45 minutes total cooking time). 


Remove from heat and let pasta absorb broth. 


Serving:
This serves 1 as prepared above and is best served with Parmesan cheese or crackers (or both). 


Nutrition Info: 
This dish is a fairly healthy one, the beans add fiber and make it filling without adding less than healthy other ingredients. This scores an 11 on the Weight Watchers Points Plus. 

Foccacia Bread

This Italian flat bread can take on properties of a pizza or can spin off with a variety of different toppings. Listed below will be the most common toppings. 


Ingredients: 
1 1/4 Tsp Active Dry Yeast (1 package contents)
3/4 Cup of warm water (should be between 100 - 105 degrees F)
2 Cups of White Flour
1/2 - 3/4 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp of Sugar


Spicy and Savory Toppings:
1 Medium Red Onion
1 Medium Plum Tomato
1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese (Fresh grated 24 month aged cheese preferred)
1 Clove garlic


Smoky and Savory Toppings:
2 1/2 Cups of Cremini Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Gruyere Cheese
3 - 4 Strips of Bacon


Preparation:
In a stand mixer, mix together yeast and water until bubbles form (indicating the yeast is active).  Once well blended, add in flour, 1 Tbsp of oil, salt and sugar. Mix together with a dough hook until a solid ball forms. (if its too sticky add additional white flour). Once The dough ball has formed and is not sticky, let the ball rise in a large covered bowl in a warm dry place for about 2 hours. 


Slice onions thinly, rough chop tomatoes and mince up garlic for toppings. 


Preheat oven to 450 - 500 degrees. 


Flatten out dough ball into a shallow baking dish and with fingers poke shallow holes in the top. Cover with the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil and coat with toppings. 


Bake for between 12 and 17 minutes (bottom needs to be crisp, toppings need to be cooked through).  


Serving:
Cut into strips approx 1 1/2 - 2 inches in width and 3 - 4 inches in length. Best served with oil and Italian seasonings as a dip.