Posted on

Fettuccine with Butternut and Gorgonzola Sauce+

9 points/11 plus points

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)


1 tablespoon butter
3 cups vertically sliced onion
3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, divided
8 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, squash, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until the squash is almost tender. Add minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Cover and set aside.

Bring 2 cups milk to a boil in a saucepan. Combine the remaining 1 cup milk and flour, stirring well with a whisk; gradually add to boiling milk, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup cheese, and stir until smooth.

Combine squash mixture, pasta, and cheese mixture in a large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parsley, chopped walnuts, lemon rind, and the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Serve immediately.

CALORIES 429 (25% from fat); FAT 11.9g (sat 6.6g,mono 2.2g,poly 2g); IRON 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 299mg; CARBOHYDRATE 65.5g; SODIUM 723mg; PROTEIN 17.6g; FIBER 5.4g

Posted on

Clams Casino with Pancetta+

Soak the clams for about 10-15 minutes before shucking.  I found a great video demonstrating how to shuck clams.  It is kind of time-consuming, but these appetizers were well liked by all.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 3 clams)

Cooking spray
3/4 cup finely diced pancetta – get the store to slice this thin
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1 1/2-ounce) slice day-old country white bread (I used some stuffing mix but crushed croutons would also work)
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
36 littleneck clams, cleaned (this was about 2 lbs)
Lemon wedges (optional)

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pancetta to pan; cook 6 minutes or until pancetta begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Add wine; cook until liquid evaporates (about 30 seconds), scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add bell pepper, shallots, and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Place pancetta mixture in a medium bowl.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure about 3/4 cup. Add breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, and black pepper to pancetta mixture; stir until blended.

Preheat broiler.

Discard any clams with broken or open shells. Shuck clams; discard top halves of shells. Top each clam with about 1 rounded teaspoon pancetta mixture. Broil 4 minutes; turn pan. Broil an additional 3 minutes or until tops are browned and clams are done. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.


CALORIES 61 (43% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 1.2g,mono 1g,poly 0.3g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 25mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.2g; SODIUM 163mg; PROTEIN 5.3g; FIBER 0.1g

Posted on

Apple-Parsnip Soup

Pink Lady apples are wonderful for applesauce, and so work very well in this pureed appetizer soup. Sweet Fuji or all-purpose Spartan apples would also lend themselves nicely to the dish.

 

3 points

Yield: 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chopped peeled Pink Lady apple (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 1/2 cups chopped peeled parsnip (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 teaspoons crème fraîche

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple and the next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add parsnip, chicken broth, and apple cider; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until parsnip is tender.

2. Place half of parsnip mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat the procedure with remaining parsnip mixture. Stir in salt and pepper. Ladle about 3/4 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 teaspoon crème fraîche.


CALORIES 136 ; FAT 5.6g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.6g); CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.2g; SODIUM 381mg; PROTEIN 1.8g; FIBER 4.2g; IRON 0.7mg

Posted on

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts

7 points

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed chicken breast half)

5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Heat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; press until barely moist. Wipe pan clean.

3. Combine spinach, cheese, nuts, thyme, juice, and garlic. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 3 tablespoons filling into each pocket. Seal with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

4. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Add broth, and cover pan. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done.


CALORIES 297 ; FAT 11.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 4.4g,poly 2.4g); CHOLESTEROL 111mg; CALCIUM 131mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.4g; SODIUM 493mg; PROTEIN 43.3g; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 2.7mg

Posted on

Parmesan Soufflé with Fresh Fines Herbes

Although chervil is a traditional component of fines herbes, oregano is more readily available and makes a tasty substitute. Serve as a side dish or a light dinner with a green salad.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced shallots (about 1 large)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or chervil
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (optional)
6 large egg whites
Dash of cream of tartar

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly coat a 2-quart soufflé dish with cooking spray; sprinkle breadcrumbs over bottom and sides of dish. Set aside.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Remove shallots from pan; set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended; stir in wine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; cook 1 minute or until thick. Remove from heat.
Place egg yolk in a medium bowl, and gradually stir about one-fourth of hot milk mixture into egg yolk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add to remaining hot milk mixture, stirring constantly. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until smooth. Stir in shallots, parsley, chives, oregano, and tarragon, if desired. Spoon cheese mixture into a large bowl.
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into cheese mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon into prepared dish. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until puffy, golden, and set. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Posted on

French Toast Waffles

A waffle maker creates a crisp, brown French toast without a skillet. Just make sure you start with slightly hardened bread so that the toast won’t be soggy.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
16 (1/2-inch-thick) slices day-old French bread (about 7 ounces)

Preparation
Coat waffle iron with cooking spray, and preheat.
Combine milk and the next 5 ingredients (milk through eggs), stirring well with a whisk. Place bread in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; pour milk mixture over bread, turning to coat. Let stand 5 minutes.
Place 4 bread slices on hot waffle iron. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until done; repeat the procedure with the remaining bread.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 4 waffles)

Posted on

Asian Slaw

2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 16 oz. pkg cabbage and cole slaw
¼ c minced fresh cilantro
¼ c chopped green onions
2 Tbsp chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat.

Posted on

Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew

7 points

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

5 cups water
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
Cooking spray
2 (8-ounce) packages presliced button mushrooms
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 10 cups)
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups coarsely chopped red onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring water and broth to a boil in a saucepan. Add porcini; remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Chop porcini; set aside.

Combine flour, salt, garlic, and beef, tossing well to coat. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining beef mixture. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel; coat with cooking spray. Add button and cremini mushrooms; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes or until mushrooms release liquid. Stir in the reserved porcini liquid, chopped porcini, beef mixture, and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan; toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes, stirring twice.

Add roasted onion, rosemary, and pepper to stew. Cover and simmer stew an additional 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

CALORIES 324 (30% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.8g,poly 1.2g); IRON 7.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 71mg; CALCIUM 51mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.2g; SODIUM 509mg; PROTEIN 32.6g; FIBER 6.1g