Tomato Parsnip Soup

Tomato Parsnip Soup

adapted from New England Soup Factory Cookbook^©

The New England Soup Factory™ is a restaurant in Newton, MA that makes great soups, sandwiches and salads. The parsnips in this soup mellow the acidity of the tomatoes. 

Make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable broth.

Makes 4 servings                                                            3 WW pts / serving

Cooking spray

1 1/3 garlic cloves

1/3 large onion

2/3 celery stalk

4 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 cups whole peeled tomatoes, canned or fresh

2/3 cups tomato juice

1 1/3 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned broth

2/3 cup half & half

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Saute the garlic, onion, celery and parsnips in a pot coated with cooking spray, 10 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice and stock.
3. Bring to a boil; Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until parsnips are soft, about 40 minutes.
4. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor; Process until smooth and return it to the pot.
5. Add the cream and dill.
6. Season to take with salt and pepper prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Crispy Pork Belly Bao Buns with Pickled Cucumbers

Crispy Pork Belly Bao Buns with Pickled Cucumbers

adapted from Bon Appetit

The pork can be cooked 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat before serving.

Bao buns are available in Asian grocers. No bao buns? No problem! Serve in lettuce cups.

Makes 3 servings

1 12-ounce piece skin-on pork belly
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp.Truvia brown sugar blend™, divided

4 chiles de árbol
2 star anise pods
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 Persian or kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 scallions, thinly sliced
½ red chile (such as Fresno or jalapeño), thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
3 Tbsp.white miso
6 Bao buns
1/4 bunch mint
1/4 cup kimchi

1. Diagonally score fat side of pork belly, cutting through fat but stopping at flesh and spacing about ¼" apart. 
2. Season pork with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. brown sugar; Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let sit at least 2 hours, or chill up to 2 days.
3. Preheat oven to 400°. 
4. Unwrap pork and place in the smallest baking dish you have available. 
5. Add chiles de árbol, star anise, soy sauce, remaining 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, and 1¼ cups water. 
6. Roast until most of fat has rendered, meat is tender, and top is browned and crisp, 2–2½ hours.
7. Meanwhile, toss cucumbers, scallions, red chile, and vinegar in a small bowl to combine. 
8. Mix gochujang and miso in another small bowl.
9. Steam the bao buns for 10 minutes.
10. Transfer pork to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. 
11. Pour off pan juices into a measuring glass. Skim fat from surface.
12. Slice pork into ½" slices, transfer to a platter, and pour pan juices over. 
13. Meanwhile steam the bao buns for 10 minutes or until heated through; Cut  open the bao bun but not completely through.
14. Serve the pork in the bao buns with the cucumber salad, mint, kimchi , and gochujang-miso mixture for topping.

Enjoy!

Warm Asparagus Salad

Warm Asparagus Salad

adapted from Taste of Home

Who doesn't love bacon and eggs? Adding them to a warm salad with a light vinaigrette just makes them better.

Makes 2 servings                                                                  3 WW pts / serving

2 turkey bacon strips, cooked & chopped
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-pieces
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. avocado oil or olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Pinch of sugar substitute
Pinch Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

3 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
2 hard-boiled large eggs, halved
2 ounces fat free feta cheese, crumbled

1. Bring 2 inches of water in a saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket; Place the basket in the pot with the boiling water, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, oil, water, mustard, garlic powder, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes. 
4. Divide the lettuce and asparagus between 2 plates.
5. Top with dressing, bacon and feta.
6. Place 2 egg halves on each plate prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook© by Ina Garten

By not peeling the potatoes and using a stand mixer, these are some of the easiest potatoes to make. If the mixture still seems thick add additional half andhalf and butter as needed.

The point value can be reduced by using skim milk and Parkay Vegetable Oil Spray™ but sometimes you just have to splurge.

Makes 3 servings                                                                8 WW pts / serving

3/4 lbs. red potatoes, unpeeled
1/2 cup half and half
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. reduced fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus more for the boiling water

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover by an inch of water; add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes or until tender; Drain.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half and butter.
4. Put the potatoes into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix them for a few seconds on low speed to break them up. 
5. Slowly add the half and half mixture to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed; Fold in the last quarter of the mixture by hand. 
6. Mix in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
7. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve immediately. 

Enjoy!

Cauliflower with Zesty, Herbed Bread Crumbs

Cauliflower with Zesty, Herbed Bread Crumbs

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics© by The Moosewood Collective

The zesty herbed bread crumbs give a little crunch to the cauliflower.

To steam cauliflower place it in a steamer basket over 1-2 inches of boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Makes 2 servings                                                                2 WW pts / serving

2 cups cauliflower florets, steamed
1 1/2 tsp. butter
1 cloves garlic, pressed
4 tsp. panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 tsp. dried tarragon or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the garlic and bread crumbs for 3 to 4 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. 
2. Add the parsley, tarragon, chives, Dijon, and salt and mix well. 
3. Add the cauliflower florets to the skillet, toss with the seasoned bread crumbs,
4. Season to taste with pepper just prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Salmon with Fennel

Salmon with Fennel

adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook^© by Ina Garten

This is an Ina Garten recipe which she makes in large quantities for dinner parties using a 10 pound salmon. This version is scaled down to serve two. It also creates a way to  get the skin crispy which is my husband's favorite way to eat salmon.

Makes 2 servings                                                            1 WW pts / serving

Cooking spray
1/2 yellow onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick 
1/2 cup sliced fennel bulb, 1/4-inch thick 
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
1/3 tsp. coarsely chopped fennel fronds
1/4 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. orange juice
pinch Kosher salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. olive oil
2 1/4 lb. salmon fillets with the skin on

1. If time permits, pat the salmon dry and place it uncovered in the refrigerator for 60 minutes to further dry the skin.
2. Preheat an oven to 400F
3. In an oven proof pan coated with cooking spray, sauté the onion and fennel until tender crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add thyme thyme, fronds, zest, orange juice, salt and pepper; Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat until it reaches a surface temperature of 375-400F*.
6. Pat the salmon dry then coat it with the olive oil.
7. Place the salmon skin side down in a pan and cook until the skin is crisp, about 5 minutes, pressing down on it occasionally to prevent it from curling.
8. Transfer the fish skin side up onto the fennel-onion mixture.
9. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the salmon is just cooked through, about 5 minutes more or until cooked through.
10. Serve the salmon sitting on the fennel-onion mixture.

Enjoy!

*To make sure the surface temperature is hot enough I like to use a laser thermometer. Just point and shoot and it read the temperature.

Simple Pizza Sauce

Simple Pizza Sauce

adapted from Every Day With Rachael Ray March 2016

Quick and easy pizza sauce with all the flavor you need.

Makes about 1 cup                                                            0 WW pts / cup

1 14.5 oz. can whole tomatoes
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. Penzeys Pizza Seasoning

1. Crush the tomatoes with your hands into a small saucepan; Add the juices from the can.
2. Stir in the salt and pizza seasoning.
3. Simmer gently over medium, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens a bit, about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!