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Turkey Pot Stickers+

3 points/3 stickers + sauce

Dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

Dumplings:
1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced carrot
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 cups chopped skinned cooked turkey
24 (4-inch) gyoza skins
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup water, divided

To prepare dipping sauce, combine first 5 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk.

To prepare dumplings, place mushrooms, onions, carrot, ginger, and vinegar in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping sides. Combine mushroom mixture and egg whites in a large bowl; add turkey, stirring until combined.

Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to keep from drying), spoon about 1 tablespoon turkey mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumpling on a baking sheet (cover loosely with a towel to keep from drying). Repeat procedure with remaining skins and turkey mixture.

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange half of dumplings in pan; cover and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn dumplings; add 1/4 cup water. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Wipe pan dry with a paper towel. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable oil, dumplings, and water. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 3 pot stickers and about 2 teaspoons dipping sauce)

  • CALORIES 144
  • FAT 2.5g
  • FIBER 0.9g

 

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Pork Tenderloin Agrodolce

 

5 points

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and about 1/3 cup sauce)

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup dried sweet cherries
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
6 garlic cloves
3 thyme sprigs
1 pound cipollini onions, peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 500°.

2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 45 minutes or until onions are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook 7 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.

3. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add pork to pan, and cook 1 minute. Turn pork over. Place pan in oven; bake at 500° for 12 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink). Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Slice pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.


CALORIES 238 ; FAT 7.7g (sat 1.7g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.1g); CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 43mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.4g; SODIUM 416mg; PROTEIN 18.9g; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 1.4mg

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Spicy Beef and Tofu Salad+

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: about 2 3/4 cups)
5 points

8 ounces firm tofu, cubed
6 cups torn or chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 serrano pepper, minced
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 ounces skirt steak, trimmed, cut into 3 equal pieces, and cut across grain into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Arrange tofu on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

2. Combine lettuce and next 4 ingredients (through onion) in a large bowl. Combine juice and next 4 ingredients (through serrano) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle half of the dressing over lettuce mixture; toss to coat.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanut oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add tofu and beef; sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until tofu and meat are lightly browned, stirring once or twice. Remove pan from heat. Add remaining dressing to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tofu mixture to lettuce mixture; toss to combine.

CALORIES 214 ; FAT 13.1g (sat 3g,mono 5.1g,poly 4.5g); CHOLESTEROL 17mg; CALCIUM 105mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.8g; SODIUM 527mg; PROTEIN 15g; FIBER 3.2g; IRON 2.9mg

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Almond-Crusted French Toast

Top with maple syrup, fresh berries, or bananas sautéed with a bit of butter and cinnamon.

1/3  cup ground flaxseed
1/4  cup sliced almonds
1  cup vanilla soy milk (such as Silk)
1/2  cup egg substitute
1  tablespoon maple syrup
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract
2  large egg whites
6  (1.5-ounce) slices whole wheat or whole-grain bread (such as Earth Grains)
Cooking spray
1  teaspoon butter, divided
1 1/2  teaspoons sifted powdered sugar

Combine flaxseed and sliced almonds in a shallow dish. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (through egg whites) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk, and pour milk mixture into another shallow dish.
Working with 1 bread slice at a time, place bread slice into milk mixture, turning to coat both sides. Let bread stand in milk mixture 2 to 3 minutes. Remove bread slice from milk mixture; dredge 1 side of bread in flaxseed mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat procedure with remaining bread slices, milk mixture, and flaxseed mixture.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in pan; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add 3 coated bread slices, coated sides down; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with cooking spray, remaining butter, and remaining coated bread slices. Sprinkle powdered sugar evenly over toast.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

CALORIES 216(30% from fat); FAT 7.3g (sat 1.1g,mono 2.7g,poly 2.7g); PROTEIN 10.7g; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 126mg; SODIUM 286mg; FIBER 5.2g; IRON 2.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28g

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Thai Beef Tacos with Lime Cilantro Slaw

Packaged coleslaw and matchstick carrots speed preparation. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.
Reviewers had issues with the short marinating time but raved about the slaw.

Ingredients
Steak:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray

Slaw:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups packaged angel hair slaw
2 cups packaged matchstick-cut carrots
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Remaining ingredient:
8 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Preparation
To prepare steak, combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak to bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
Prepare grill or broiler.
Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.
To prepare slaw, combine juice and next 6 ingredients (through 2 garlic cloves) in a large bowl. Add slaw and next 3 ingredients (through cilantro); toss well to combine.
Divide steak evenly among tortillas; spoon about 1/2 cup slaw onto each tortilla. Fold in half; serve immediately.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

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Rosemary-Merlot Flank Steak

5 points

If you don’t have dried Italian seasoning on hand, use 1/8 teaspoon dried basil and 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano. You can also substitute 1 teaspoon dried rosemary for the fresh. Prepare marinade up to a day in advance, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1/4 cup sauce)

1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
3/4 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preheat grill or broiler.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.

Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices; keep warm.

While steak cooks, combine reserved marinade, tomato paste, and mustard in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 7 minutes). Serve the sauce with steak.

CALORIES 203 (39% from fat); FAT 8.8g (sat 3.6g,mono 3.5g,poly 0.5g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.1g; SODIUM 445mg; PROTEIN 23.8g; FIBER 1.1g

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Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Variation: VIKINGS VEGETARIAN CHILI!

Use yellow peppers and swap purple potatoes for the sweet potatoes; think of the jalapeno as Favre – just how much green do you want with your purple and gold?  And if you are purely vegetarian, obviously use the veg broth and not chicken — GO VIKES!


·    2  tablespoons  olive oil
·    1  large yellow onion, chopped
·    1  red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
·    1  green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
·    2  jalapeño peppers, diced and partially seeded – proportional to how spicy you want it!
·    2  medium sweet potatoes, diced
·    3  large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
·    2  to 3 tablespoons chili powder
·    1  to 2 teaspoons sea salt
·    1  to 2 teaspoons ground cumin
·    1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
·    1/4  to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
·    1  to 2 teaspoons dried basil – better yet use fresh – about 1 Tbsp
·    1/4  to 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram – better yet use fresh – about 1 tsp
·    1  bay leaf
·    1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
·    1 32 oz box vegetable or chicken broth
·    2  (15-ounce) cans black beans, I like Kuner’s SW style with cumin and chili spices
·    Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
·    Garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, green onion slices

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers, jalapeño, and sweet potato; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Add chili powder and next 7 ingredients; stir and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and broth. Simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes. Stir in beans, and continue to cook 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lime juice. Garnish, if desired.

Yield: Makes about 2 quarts

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September 4, Grimentz to Zinal

Day summary:

    • 5.5 hours (Kev time)
    • 8.5 miles
    • gain 1617 m, lose 459 m

But remember that we didn’t walk all of this.

The rides on the front and back end of today made it a good test of Barry’s feet and allowed us to ease back into hiking, helping us to decide that we really could finish the trip as planned.  After Riedmatten, I had told Barry that I would be okay if we never hiked another day in Switzerland.  I’m glad that we did – it was much easier after that day, and we still feel a great sense of accomplishment from completing the journey.

Here is the journal entry for today:

Today was a pretty easy day.  We had a great breakfast at Hotel Alpina – they even had a cool set-up for making soft-boiled eggs.

We took the bus up to the Barrage de Moiry – then it was a fairly quick walk up to the Col de Sorebois – that is the top of the ski area in Zinal.  We walked down amidst cows and sheep in the ski runs, under lifts and around to make our way down to the telepherique.  It was running once an hour, so we had to wait a bit for it.  While we were waiting, Alistair and Mike (our British friends) came down the mountainside!  They had not been able to stay at the Cabane de Barrage and had to hike another 2 hours up and east to Cabane des Becs de Besson – at 3000 m!  Sounds like a horrible evening, and both breakfast and supper were minimal.  They must have hiked super-fast this morning (the only people we met who could meet or beat Kev time) – when I think about how much ground they covered compared to us today.  We waved at them on the way down – us on the tram, them scurrying down the ski slopes.

We are staying at Hotel Pointe de Zinal- it is very comfortable, with a bright room and a view of the street.  It also has a little balcony (a much appreciated clothes-drying spot).  We booked this hotel on the Internet using Coeur du Valais, but I think we wouldn’t have had any trouble finding a place to stay.  Because it is a ski resort there are lots of hotels and dortoirs.

Barry took a nap; I went down to get postcards and ran into Alistair and Mike again and we chatted for awhile.  It has been fun to talk with them because Alistair is also a physical therapist, so we can compare and talk “shop.”  We’re planning to meet for a beer at 4:30 and share maps and books (Mike has an older Cicerone guide that doesn’t describe a newer cabane that they want to hike to beyond the Hotel Weisshorn).

Barry’s feet are much better, we’ll likely get back on track and make our way to Gruben tomorrow.

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Barrage du Moiry

We took recursive photos while on Col de Sorebois!

Kev claims the views keep getting better as you descend into the valley – he is right!

Our hotel in Zinal