Spinach and Feta Stuffed Focaccia+

6 servings – 7 points

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ c chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 (6 oz) pkgs baby spinach

¾ c (3 oz) crumbled feta cheese

2/3 c golden raisins

3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp chopped fresh oregano

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground red pepper

1 (13.8 oz) can refrigerated pizza crust dough

cooking spray

1 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp water

¼ c (1 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

 

1.  Preheat oven to 450.

 

2.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic; saute 1 minute.  Add half of spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts.  Add remaining spinach cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until spinach wilts.  Remove from heat; stir in feta and next 6 ingredients (through pepper).

 

3.  Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 15 x 12 inch rectangle.  Spread spinach mixture lengthwise over half of dough, leaving a 1 inch border.  Fold other half of dough over filling; press edges together with a fork.  Cut 5 (1 inch) diagonal slits in top of dough.

 

4.  Combine milk and water; brush evenly over dough.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until golden.  Yield: 6 servings.

Sesame-Soy Meatballs

6 points

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 5 meatballs)

1/3 cup minced green onions
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add beef; mix gently to combine. With moist hands, shape beef mixture into 20 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs to pan; cook 4 minutes, turning to brown meatballs on all sides. Arrange browned meatballs in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining meatballs. Bake meatballs at 400° for 7 minutes or until done.


CALORIES 241 ; FAT 11.3g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.8g,poly 3g); CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.3g; SODIUM 491mg; PROTEIN 23.5g; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.9mg

Sautéed Chicken and Zucchini with Parsley-Chervil Pan Sauce

6 points
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half, 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce, and 1/2 cup zucchini)

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 1/2 teaspoons chilled butter, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups (3/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried chervil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

2. Add zucchini and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan; keep warm.

3. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth and chervil; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, and parsley. Serve chicken with sauce and zucchini.


CALORIES 276 ; FAT 12.6g (sat 5.4g,mono 4.6g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 110mg; CALCIUM 39mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.8g; SODIUM 479mg; PROTEIN 35.9g; FIBER 1.3g; IRON 1.7mg

Pistachio Granola

2/3 c packed brown sugar
¼ c apple cider
2 c regular oats
2/3 c chopped pistachios
2/3 c Grape Nuts
2/3 c dried sweet cherries
½ c sunflower seeds
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt

Combine sugar and cider in a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.  Stir in oats and remaining ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until granola is lightly browned, stirring frequently.  Cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week.  Yield: 5 cups.

Cheese Muffins

Be sure to splurge on freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano for these muffins because the flavor is superior. Serve any leftover muffins with soup or a salad for a light lunch.

Ingredients

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/4 ounces) fresh finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Place 3 tablespoons cheese in a small bowl; set aside. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, remaining cheese, sugar, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, oil, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into 15 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved 3 tablespoons cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Yield:  15 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Curried Parsnips+

Another recipe from “Clean Food

I have been basically cutting this in half.

  • 2 lbs. parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4″ or so)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large leek, quartered (how do you do that?) and thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (we use the tube)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tbsp mirin (I have not been using this…)
  • 1 tsp curry powder

Steam sliced parsnips until not quite tender (time will vary depending on how thick you’ve sliced your parsnips).  Remove from heat and set aside.

In large pan over medium heat, saute leek, ginger, garlic and mirin in oil until leeks are tender.  Add curry powder and parsnips and saute until parsnips start to brown.  Deglaze pan with a little water, releasing any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Season to taste with salt.

Serves 4.

Lessons Learned (or what’s not in the book that you should know)

Here is a summary of the insights we gained that are interspersed in our trip summary – in no particular order….

If you end up using buses or trains to move around, look into a 3-day pass for the Valais region, it can save you a decent sum.

The demi-pension tends to be a good deal – you will usually get a full 3-4 course meal for the price of an entree at most other restaurants.

The Cicerone book does not talk about when lifts run and when they stop for the season – don’t take anything for granted.

Corollary to previous: take advantage of the Office of Tourism – they can alert you to the current lift schedule and help you find a place to stay if you haven’t made reservations.

Corollary to previous: there are a lot of crazy people who actually pay to RUN on the trails you will be hiking – be informed of races during your travel dates so that you can make appropriate reservations ahead of time (or avoid the madness altogether).

As in many other countries, the Swiss take a “siesta” between noon and 2-3 pm.  Restaurants are open but no other businesses will be available during this time (except in larger towns like Chamonix and Zermatt, based on our experience).

There are some great lifts at both Chamonix and Zermatt that will offer you great views and proximity to the mountains.  They are not cheap, but we thought they were worth it (if you have the means).  There is a multi-day pass in Chamonix that will also cover the lift at Le Tour (if you are planning to use it).  In any case, examine what you want to do; we were not really prepared and ended up spending more than we should have on tickets for individual lifts.

“Kev time” is not a reality for many of us lesser hikers – however, we (elderly 😉 50 year olds) were able to easily accomplish each leg with time to relax in the evening, so don’t get too hung up on your speed.  You are there to enjoy the moment, not just to endure the day.

If you buy maps, get the ones with a “T” on the end, otherwise you won’t have all the hiking trails marked.

If you stay in a hotel in the Chamonix valley, you will get a free pass to use public transportation during your stay – including buses and trains.

Trail difficulty is marked by colors: yellow/black is easy, red/white is more difficult, blue (we never encountered it) is the most challenging.

Take advantage of other traveler’s knowledge and whatever else you can pick up from people along the way – the trail is definitely subject to change from avalanches or other natural phenomena.  You can save yourself time or at least be mentally prepared for an altered route.

BE PREPARED FOR BLISTERS!  They are benign injuries, but will significantly impact your enjoyment of the trip and even your ability to stay on schedule.  We both brought different sock combinations and had various ointments and tapes – but blisters still created a distraction and could have delayed our trip more significantly.

Take advantage of hostels, cabanes and other group resting spots to meet fellow travelers.  These interactions are what will make your experience much richer and more memorable.