Monday, June 25, 2012

Stir-Fried Ginger-Sesame Bok Choy and Seitan

Tonight I decided to use the bok choy from my CSA and attempted to cook seitan for the first time. I have had this "wheat meat" before,  I just never cooked it. Anyway, I used the ginger-sesame dressing that Heidi Swanson uses in her Otsu recipe. This recipe is in Super Natural Cooking, a beautiful cookbook full of healthy recipes and a staple in my kitchen. The only thing I changed was the addition of garlic. This dish is filling and healthy.

Serves 4.
WW = 10 points per serving (with rice)

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Skinny Salmon Sandwich

This sandwich is delicious and so light! Let me show you another pic so you can see how simple it is:
Part of the trick is these new light wraps I found called Roll-ups.

Anchovy-Caper Chicory Catalogna Puntarelle Salad

Well that is a long name! I got this Chicory Catalogna Puntarelle from our CSA this week. This veggie is a bitter, leafy green. You can see it in the picture below. Its' end starts right above the cherries. It is sandwiched between the sage (left) and swiss chard (right).
Needless to say, I had never heard of this veggie. Apparently it is pretty hard to come by in the US. Many people in Rome cook with this. Well, people in Rome and Mario Battali on occasion when he can get his hands on some. I had no idea what to do with this veggie but I was intrigued. There are not many recipes online for it either. But of the few that I could find, I saw a trend: caper, anchovy, garlic...you see where I am going here? So I decided to make up my own recipe.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Miso Chili-garlic Summer Choi and Chicken

This stir-fry can be whipped up fast. I recommend cooking the couscous (or other grain) before beginning to cook the meat and veggies. Also, do all the chopping and make the sauce before you begin to stir-fry so everything can just be thrown together. It is an easy week night meal.

 
Serves 4.
WW = 9 points per serving (with couscous)
5 points per serving (without couscous)


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Lettuce and White Bean Soup


So I know this might not sound like the most appetizing soup in the world. I definitely had my doubts! Who would think to cook lettuce let alone put it in a soup? Well this soup is very tasty, healthy and a easy way to use up CSA greens. It is inspired by Epicurious. I was stuffed after eating it!

Makes about 4 cups.
Serves 4-8 (1 cup servings for main meal or 1/2 cup servings for appetizer)
WW = 4 points per cup

Ingredients:
1 cup white onion, chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
5 cups green leaf lettuce (or romaine), broken into pieces
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup veggie broth (use all veggie if you prefer)
1 cup cooked cannellini beans
1/2 t agave nectar
fresh black pepper
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 sprigs summer savory, rough stems removed and chopped
1/2 T (per serving) non-fat greek yogurt (optional)

Instructions:
1. In a large pot saute onion in the olive oil until just starting to brown.
2. Add the lettuce and stir constantly until wilted.
3. Add broth, beans, agave, black pepper (to taste) basil, and savory.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.
5. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then puree in a blender in batches. (Be careful of the steam build-up! I learned that lesson the hard way a long time ago= soup all over the kitchen).
6. Serve warm or cold. Add a 1/2 T greek yogurt if you desire but it is already pretty creamy.

Update: 7/1/12
I didn't have anymore basil left for the recipe as I used it all in my pesto recipe. Instead for the fresh herbs I used 2 sprigs of savory, 2 sprigs lemon-thyme, and 2 sprigs of oregano. If you would like the soup thinner just add a little more water. I added a 1/2 cup the second time around in addition to the broth.