Salmon Pasta Puttanesca

I'm starting a new segment within our blog featuring Weight Watchers friendly recipes! When you are on a diet, you have to be adventurous and an innovator to sneak tons of veggis in everything you make. I had a groupon to Whole Foods this week so when I saw the fresh broccoli rabe, I knew I wanted to add it to this recipe. At only 4 points per serving, this is a healthy and filling dinner! 

Salmon Pasta Puttanesca

Serving Size- 5

WW Points Plus- 4 points per serving

10 oz wild Atlantic salmon fillets

2 cup(s) canned diced tomatoes 

1 cup(s) uncooked zucchini, chopped 

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 package House Foods Tofu shirataki angel hair shaped noodle substitute    

5 Tbsp capers   

1/2 pounds cooked broccoli rabe, washed

salt

freshly ground pepper

cumin

oregano 

cayenne pepper

1. Place salmon in baking dish . Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt and cover. Place in oven set to 400 degrees until cooked (about 25 minutes.)

2. In the meantime, wash and chop broccoli rabe, taking off about an 1-inch from the stem.

3. Par-boil in a pot of salted water and drain after about 3-5 minutes. Place immediately in bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. 

4. In a large, deep skillet or pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute garlic and onions until lightly brown.

5. Reduce heat to medium and add zuchinni, cooking for about 8-10 until softened.

6. Add broccoli rabe and canned tomatoes to pot and bring to a boil.

7. Season with salt, pepper, cumin,cayenne pepper, and oregano.

8. Add capers and cook until mixture is thick.

9. Take shirataki noodles out of bag and prepare as per the package instructions.

10. Remove salmon from oven and cool until can be handled.

11. De-skin the salmon and flake.

12. Serve putanesca sauce and salmon ontop of bed of “pasta.”

Dijon-Baked Chicken with Rice and Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas

All I can say about this dinner is YUUUUUUUUMM!! I am not a fan of chicken breast but this was soooo good! Like always I tweaked it a bit. I love curry and I got really excited when I found it in the grocery. MAKE THIS!! You will not be disappointed!!

Ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken breast (thighs are good too, just has to be cooked longer)
• 1 tablespoon mild or regular curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chili sauce ( can use Asian chili sauce too)
• 1 1/2 cups basmati or any rice
• 3 cups water

Directions

For the sugar snap peas sautee onion and garlic till they are soft. Add the sugar peas with some salt and pepper to taste. It takes about 3-5 minutes for them to be finished, it all depends on how crunchy or soft you like your sugar peas.

Make the rice as per the instructions. The flavors I add are just garlic salt to taste

The night before... I know I know so annoying but worth it! You don't have to marinate it over night. Combine the following in a small mixing bowl in this order: spices, honey, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Stir. Pour evenly over chicken. Flip the chicken around with a fork until each piece is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Turn chicken over with a fork. Place in preheated oven. Cook the chicken for about 30 minutes, could be less depending on the size of your chicken. About halfway through the cooking time for chicken, I like to flip the chicken over again.

Mini Pecan Pies

I can't believe its already Thanksgiving time. The year has just flow by and so much has been going on! I promised myself I would be better about posting and so here is this weeks recipe. As this is only my second time celebrating Thanksgiving, I haven't really had a chance to try out a lot of traditional holiday recipes. This year I was going to my boyfriends, sister-in laws family (thats a mouthful) for the Thanksgiving meal and I wanted to bake something traditional yet put my own style on it. I saw this recipe and tweaked it slightly to conform with my love of mini, personal size baked goods (Yes they are totally like a cupcake :) Thanks to Jeremy for the use of his iphone to take the food shot! As always, please become a member of the blog and drop us a comment to let us know how were doing and if you have any suggestions! Share with your friends!!!  

Mini Pecan Pies

Makes about 36 mini pies

16 oz. pecans

2 sticks margarine

16 oz. package light brown sugar 

1 heaping tablespoon flour

16 oz. bottle light corn syrup

1 heaping tablespoon imitation vanilla

6 eggs

36 mini frozen pie shells 

1. Melt margarine in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until melted and set aside.

2. Place brown sugar in a large bowl. Work out any lumps with the back of a spoon. If the brown sugar is too hard, you can loosen it up in the microwave. Heat it for a few seconds and it will be fine.

3. Add a heaping serving tablespoon of flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.
4. Add a bottle of light corn syrup. Then add 1 heaping tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined.
5. Add melted margarine. Fold carefully into the mixture so it doesn’t splatter. Fold until the margarine is thoroughly worked in and disappears.
6. In a separate bowl, crack open six eggs. Remove the “roosters” and loosely beat the eggs with your spoon.
7. Fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.
8. Add pecans and stir until completely coated.

9. Remove pie shells from the freezer at this point and check for cracks. If you do have a crack, thaw and knead the crack together and refreeze.

10. Distribute the mixture evenly into the shells using an ice cream scooper. You’ll probably have a little bit leftover in the bowl. Tap tops with a spoon to check consistency and make sure there is the same amount in each pie. Redistribute pecans if necessary to make equal.
11. Bake for about 25-40 minutes at 350. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.
12. Remove and cool for about three hours. Store on the counter or in the refrigerator depending on how you like your pie.

Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

I discovered red velvet cake a few years ago and Ive been obsessed since. Ive made cupcakes, cake, muffins, pancakes, and cake pops but when I saw this recipe I knew that it would be next on my list. Just a warning...they are very dense and rich so be sure to share it with your friends!

Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake Brownies 

~ yields 16 squares @ 350 degrees using a 8” x 8” baking tray 

INGREDIENTS: 

Unsalted Butter – 8 tbsp (1 stick) – melted

Sugar – 1 cup

Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp

Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 1/4 cup

Pinch of salt

Red Food Coloring – 1 tbsp

Vinegar – 1/2 tsp (original recipe is 1 tsp)

Eggs – 2

All Purpose Flour – 3/4 cup

Cream Cheese Layer:

Cream Cheese – 8 ounces (softened)

Sugar – 1/4 cup

Egg – 1

Vanilla Extract – 1/8 tsp

DIRECTIONS for Brownie Layer: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking tray.

2. Melt a stick of butter.

3. Once melted, add it to a mixing bowl.

4. Add sugar and vanilla extract.  Blend until combined.

5. Add cocoa powder, pinch of salt, red food coloring, and vinegar.  

6. Blend until well combined. 

7. Add the blended eggs and combine until well incorporated.

8. Add the white flour.

9. Gently fold flour into batter.

10. Pour 3/4 of the batter into the prepared pan and reserve a 1/4 batter for later.

DIRECTIONS for Cream Cheese Layer:

11. In a separate bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar, and vanilla extract.  

12. Blend until smooth and creamy.

13. Add the cream cheese layer over the brownie mixture and spread.  

14. Add the remaining red velvet batter and swirl with fork or spatula.

16. Place into the oven for 30 minutes exactly – DO NOT OVERBAKE.  

18. Cut into 16 squares.  Refrigerate before serving.

Chocolate Filled Melting Moments

We went home for the holiday and I brought back a book all about chocolate chips. I saw this one and had the urge to make it right away. They made the cookies with a different filling of more margarine and mini chocolate chips in it. I went all chocolate!! It looks super long and complicated but it really is not at all!!

Ingredients-

• 1 cup flour (you can do 1/2 cup regular flour and 1/2 cup cake flour I did all regular flour)
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup margarine (1 1/2 sticks margarine) at room temp
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp maple flavoring (they say vanilla but I think switching it to maple gives it a something special taste)

Filling-

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbs margarine
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or maple)

Directions-

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees making sure that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt together and set aside. In another bowl mix the margarine and sugar together on medium speed (with an electric mixer). Once it is smooth and a light color, about 1 minute of mixing, add the vanilla until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. On low speed add in the flour mixture. It should be mixed just until it is all incorporated and the dough is smooth. To make each cookie, take a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, level out the dough and roll it in your hands. Put the cookies on the sheet about 2 inches apart. Use a fork to press the cookie down to 1 inch thick disks. The fork marks give the cookies a cute design on top. Bake the cookies one cookie sheet at a time. They back for about 25-30 minutes till the cookies feel firm when you touch them and the bottom of the cookie is light golden colored. While you are cooling the cookies make the filling.

In a sauce pan heat up the whipping cream and margarine on a low flame till the margarine melts. When you see small bubbles on the side turn the flame off and put in the chocolate. Once the chocolate is all melted add in the vanilla or maple. Once the filling cools take a small metal spatula or a butter knife and spread the filling on the bottom of the cookie, not the side with the fork marks. Place another cookie on top an that's it!!

Another great thing about this recipe is it can be stored in a covered container for upto 5 days!!!

Corn Muffins

I woke up with a huge craving for corn muffins. I made these once before and they were so good so I made the again. This time I remembered to photograph them and share the deliciousness with you all! They are super easy and fast to make. I would suggest, like everyone else I am sure, to use an ice cream scoop to have perfect even muffins.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cornmeal, they say medium but I don't think it matters
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, I used almond milk because its parve and I don't like milk
• 2 sticks of unsalted margarine or butter
• 2 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. Fill the muffin liners with the ice cream scoop to the top then bake for 30 minutes. 30 minutes really was the perfect time for mine to cook. Depending on the size of your muffin pan it will make a dozen or for me it made around 18 muffins. You can always use mini cup cake pan but be sure to use the smallest size ice cream scoop!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

So we all love Chinese food but it can get super pricey and really fatty! I was watching foodnetwork one day and one of the cooks was making a baked "fried chicken". I though okay thats awesome but why did she not make a sauce for it. I went searching and I found a sauce. Now it calls for Pineapple juice but tonight I was a huge space out and threw out my pineapple juice. I had to find a sub and thank goodness we just got more oj this morning. Oj is a PERFECT sub buuuut of course it was pine orange BANANA. I tried it and it came out really well!! Enjoy!! This is the 2nd night I have made this!

Ingredients-

-Chicken breast (2 or 3 breasts for 2 people work great)

- Flour to coat the chicken

- Pinch of salt and and pepper to flavor the chicken

- 1 green and one red pepper (orange and yellow work fine)

- 1 can of cut pineapple SAVE THE JUICE!! you will need half a cup

- 4 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 4 teaspoons water

• - 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• - 3 tablespoons rice wine vinager
• - 1/4 cup chicken stock
• Directions-
• Cut the chicken into cubes and put it into a bowl with the flour seasoned with the salt and pepper, you can add some garlic powder if you like. I used a wok because I have one but a big frying pan works. Brown chicken and remove to plate. Add red and green peppers (or whatever color you used) and cook for 1 minute. Stir in pineapple chunks, juice, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce begins to reduce. Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring liquid to a simmer. You may think you dont need the corn starch because you have the flour from the chicken but trust me you do. Stir in chicken cubes and cook for 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice to keep it healthy.