Chicken Bolognese

Chicken Bolognese

adapted from Food Network

Using ground chicken instead pf the traditional beef make the sauce lighter and reduces the calories.

I'm usually a little behind the times when it comes to technology. It's only been the past year that I have begun listening to podcasts. I was listening to some older Sporkful™  and learned that the author, Dan Pashman, developed his own pasta shape - cascatelli ™. So we had to try it and see if it lived up to the hype of providing a good bite, stays on the fork and holds on to sauce. It did not disappoint.

Serves 2 with leftover sauce                                            9 WW points / serving

Cooking spray
1/2 lb. ground chicken

1/2 large carrot, shredded

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 small bay leaf

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup fat free evaporated milk

1 8 oz can tomato sauceedsw32

1/4 cup water

3/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

4 oz. Cascatelli ™ pasta or your favorite pasta, cooked according to package directions, reserving the pasta water.

Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil (optional)

1. Heat a 2-3 quart pot over medium heat; When hot coat with cooking spray and cook the ground chicken until browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and onions and cook until tender, about 7 minutes
3. Add the garlic, chili powder, Italian seasoning and bay leaf; all the seasonings to toast for about a minute.
4. Add the tomato paste and let it toast and gets dark, about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the wine and simmer until it is absorbed
6. Stir in the evaporated milk and continue simmering until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
7. Stir in the tomato sauce and water; Cover and cook until the sauce is thick, about 45 minutes.
8. While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
9. Add the sauce to the pasta and thin with the pasta water to taste.
10. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and basil if using prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Crab Louie Dressing

Crab Louie Dressing

adapted from Sonoma Magazine

Crab Louis dressing can be used as a dipping sauce for Dungeness crab or Kings Crab legs or use it to make a Crab Louis Salad.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups                                            1 WW Blue point / 2 Tbsp.                                        

2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup homemade chili sauce

1/2 cup fat free evaporated milk

1 1/2 tsp. brandy

1. Put the evaporated milk and the beaters of the mixer you are going to use in the freezer for about 30 minutes before making.
2. Combine the relish, mayonnaise, and chili sauce in a medium bowl.
3. In another bowl, whip the evaporated milk and brandy to stiff peaks.
4. Gently fold the whipped milk into the chili mixture.

Enjoy! 

Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini

Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini

adapted from Comfort Food Fix by E. Krieger

Have you noticed that even the "lighter" versions of recipes still are a lot of points. If made as originally written this would have been a 15 point meal. I have brought it down to 9 and it is still as filling.

I had initially planned to cook the fettuccine and zucchini like I do in Noodles & Zoodles but my zucchini was crooked so instead of getting fettucine style zucchini noodles I ended up with semi-circles so we altered the the cooking method a bit. If you can get long fettucine zoodles, it will reduce a step in the cooking process.

Makes 4 servings                                                    9 WW Blue points / serving

1 medium zucchini (about 10-12 oz.), spiralized or thinly sliced

Cooking spray

2 garlic cloves, minced, separated

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 2" x 1/2" pieces

1 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning

6 oz. fettuccine pasta

1 Tbsp. Wondra flour or all-purpose flour

1 cup fat-free milk

1/2 cup fat free evaporated milk

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In a pan coated with cooking spray, cook half of the garlic for about 30 seconds.
2. Add the zucchini and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
3. Add more cooking spray to the pan.
4. Season the chicken with the steak seasoning, and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
5. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
6. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
7. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
8. Meanwhile, make the sauce by combine the flour and milk, whisking until the flour is dissolved.
9. Add the remaining garlic and cook 30 seconds.
10. Add the flour-milk mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to boil.
11. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 more minutes, whisking constantly.
12. Add the evaporated milk and Parmesan cheese and cook, stirring until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.
13. If the sauce is too think, thin it with a little of the pasta water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
14. Add 1 cup of the sauce, zucchini and 3 Tbsp. of parsley to the fettuccine.
15. Divide among 4 plates, top with chicken, additional sauce and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Onion & Fennel with Fennel Cream Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Onion & Fennel with Fennel Cream Sauce

adapted from Bon Appetit October 1995

Using evaporated milk gives a creamy texture to the sauce without the added fat and calories of heavy cream.

Makes 4 servings                                                      4 WW Blue points / serving

Cooking spray

1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed, separated

1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup water + more as needed

1 Tbsp. minced garlic, divided

1 20 oz. pork tenderloin, trimmed

2 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning

1 1/2 large shallots, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup homemade chicken stock or canned broth

1/4 cup fat free evaporated milk

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. In a non-stick pan, cook the 1/2 tsp. crushed fennel seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the onion and fennel with the water until they begin to stick to the pan.
4. Add a couple of tablespoons of water, and stir; they will begin to brown; repeat to desired level of caramelization.
5. Add 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, sauté another minute. Set aside.
6. Season the pork with Montreal Steak seasoning.
7. In an ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray, brown the pork on all sides, about 10 minutes.
8. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and cook until the  pork registers 150F, about 20 minutes.
9. Remove the pork to a cutting board and cover to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Meanwhile cook the shallots, 1/2 tsp. crushed fennel and 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
11. Add the wine and cook until it cooks down to a glaze, about 2 minutes.
12. Add the stock and evaporated milk, bring to a boil; continue cooking and whisking until it becomes a sauce consistency, about 5 minutes.
13. Reheat the caramelized fennel and onions.
14. Carve the pork and serve on the caramelized vegetables and topped with the sauce.

Enjoy!

Blackened Shrimp with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Andouille Sauce

Blackened Shrimp with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Andouille Sauce

adapted from  Food Network

You can adjust the heat of this dish by increasing or decreasing the blackening spice.

Makes 3 servings                                                  5 WW blue points / serving

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

3/4 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

2 Tbsp. Parkay Vegetable Oil Spray

Pinch of cinnamon

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Andouille Sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. minced shallots

2 Tbsp. minced celery

1/4 cup white wine

2 oz. Lidl andouille chicken sausages, chopped

1 fresh thyme sprig

1/2 c. evaporated fat free milk

1 tsp. Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning or your favorite

Cooking spray

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

24 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Our Favorite Blackening Seasoning or you preferred

Cooking spray

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the potatoes until for tender. Drain and put through a ricer or mash.
2. Add the oil spray, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile make the andouille by cooking the garlic and shallots in a small pan coated in cooking spray.
4. Add the wine, sausage and thyme. Cook for about a minute or until reduced in half.
5. Add the evaporated milk and reduce inn half again then add the Cajun seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Keep warm and remove the thyme sprig before serving.
7. For the shrimp, dredge the shrimp in the blackening seasoning and cook in a sauté pan coated in cooking spray until cooked through. Be careful not to burn the spice mix or it will be bitter.
8. Serve the shrimp with the potatoes and topped with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Maple Mustard Cream Sauce

 Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Maple Mustard Cream Sauce

My husband and I love the Whatley Inn in Whatley, MA, so much so that we had our rehearsal dinner there. One of their signature appetizers is the Scallops Brochette -- "Fresh Sea Scallops wrapped with Apple wood smoked bacon on a bed of our house Saffron rice finished with a mild mustard sauce". Even after moving to PA I could not get the chef to part with the recipe. I have been working on it over the years and have come close but now I want to make a skinnier version ... one without applewood smoked bacon and a heavy cream sauce. We think this is a reasonable alternative.

Serves 12 

1 WW Blue point for 4 scallops and 1 WW Blue point for 1 Tbsp sauce - in case you want extra sauce 

12 slices turkey bacon

48 sea scallops

1/2 cup evaporated whole milk

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2  Tbsp pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Partially cook the bacon in a skillet. It should still be pliable. Cut into quarters - once vertically and once horizontally.
3. Wrap a scallop in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Depending on the size of the scallop some of them may need to be wrapped sideways since we are limiting the amount of bacon. Place in a baking dish. 
   
   
   
4. Bake until the scallop is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, boil the evaporated whole milk, mustard and maple syrup until it becomes a thick sauce consistency, about 4-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Remove the toothpicks. Spoon a tablespoon of the sauce on a plate and serve with 4 scallops.

Enjoy !