Lemon Chicken- 2 points, Menu Plan

It doesn't feel anything like spring in Tennessee, but that doesn't mean it can't taste like it. If you are lucky enough to have grilling weather, use the sauce as a marinade and throw your chicken strips on the grill. Either way, you can't help but savor the delicious lemon and herb sauce that coats these low point chicken treats.

Lemon Chicken

22 oz chicken breast strips

2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp fresh basil, chopped

6 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk lemon juice with garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, thyme, and rosemary. Taste and adjust seasoning.

2. Place chicken in the bottom of an oven safe dish; pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and springy to touch.

3. Yields 11, 2 point servings

Menu Plan

Saturday

tamale pie

green rice casserole

egg yolk cookies

Sunday

prairie bean tortillas

Monday

ratatouille

Tuesday

yogurt soup with spinach and barley

Wednesday

gingery butternut squash and tofu curry

Thursday

out

Friday

slower cooker lasagna

banana cookies

Spicy Sweet Potatoes - 6 points, Menu Plan

In my opinion, one of the most inspiring sites on the Internet is Sizing Down the Diva. One of the Diva's favorite dishes is a sweet potato recipe from the New York Times. Trusting in her good taste, I gave it a go. Yum, indeed! The combination of sweet and spice is a favorite of mine, and this is a vitamin rich example of that combo. You can see the original recipe by clicking here. Since I like my potatoes with some extra spice, I adjusted the recipe slightly.

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

1 tsp olive oil

2 medium onions, quartered

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp + 2 tsp paprika

2 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tbsp chipotle sauce

8 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup white wine

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the paprika, cayenne and chipotle sauce, and cook, stirring, about one minute.

2. Add the sweet potatoes, and stir for about a minute until coated with the onion and spice mixture. Add the white wine, enough water to cover the sweet potatoes halfway (1 1/2 to 2 cups), and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce thick. Taste and adjust salt.

Menu Plan

Monday

tempeh with sate sauce

Tuesday

out

Wednesday

tamale pie

Thursday

round steak in mushroom gravy

Friday

sweet and sour meatballs

Saturday

green rice casserole

I do hope to be a bit more active in my blogging this week. Hopefully, after 1 1/2 rounds of antibiotics and a rather painful shot in my hip, I am going to be back to normal soon. 

Eier-Kuchen - 5 points

Eier Kuchen (from the Loaves and Fishes book Dom at Belleau Kitchen inspired me to pull off the shelf) are a lovely, thin German pancake. They have the pliability and light texture of a crepe. They are versatile - equally good topped with cottage cheese and chives or smothered in cinnamon cream syrup (as below).  They have the added bonus of being kind to one's diet - three pancakes for only five points.

Eier-Kuchen

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

1. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add flour, milk, and salt; beat until smooth.

2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour out pancakes by 1/4 cup. Flip when bubbles form and the edges are dry.

3. Yields 4, 5 point servings (approximately 3 pancakes per serving)

 

If you would like the recipe for the taste bud tempting cinnamon cream syrup, it is posted directly below this recipe. Yes, two posts in one day - I know, I know. Too much. I am just trying to catch up a bit, and I am anxious to post on the cookie I made tonight for the Random Recipe challenge!

 

For more about points, click here.

Here is my plan a la Menu Plan Monday.

Sunday

loaded potato soup

creamy cabbage soup

banana brownie pie

Monday

old fashioned stewed chicken

gingerbread modeling dough for Random Recipe Challenge

Tuesday

spicy split peas

Wednesday

spicy teriyaki mushrooms

bunny cake for Simon to take to school

Thursday

dinner out before Maundy Thursday services

Friday

onion, pepper, and feta quiche

prepare bean casserole to take to party on Saturday 

Saturday

eat at former students' quinceanera

Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies - 2 points, Menu, Baking Votes Needed!

This is a twist on my husband's favorite cookie - the chocolate no-bake cookie. I adapted this from Health magazine because I needed a cookie recipe that my students could make at school. That means - no oven, ready in less than 20 minutes, and acceptable for a diabetic. This recipe fit all three requirements and got all - around approval from a group of adolescents who will freely complain if they do not like what you feed them! Stone even says that these are just as good as the classic, less healthy version, (which is high praise indeed).

Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies

4 tbsp creamy peanut butter

4 tbsp soy milk, original flavor, light

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1. Place peanut butter, milk, and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 45 seconds; stir. Continue to heat at 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until chips are completely melted.

2. Stir oats into bowl. Mix until coated.

3. Drop by spoon fulls onto waxed paper. Refrigerate 10 minutes before serving.

4. Yields 16, 2 point servings

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday

macaroni with tomatoes

Monday

crock pot black beans

Tuesday

apple cinnamon muffins (for work event)

sushi

Wednesday

salmon burgers

Thursday

crock pot chicken

Friday

night out

Saturday

Sunday School Picnic

grilled Italian chicken

mojito cupcakes

Baking question: My church is having a baking competition. I know I won't win, but I would love to partake and help raise money for the church mission trip to an Oklahoma reservation this summer. What should I make? Right now the votes are between Strawberry Brownie Bonbons (Stone, fab friend Lisa, and super co-teacher Carr) and Dulche de Leche Bars (that one is just me). What do you think?

Perch with Marjoram Sauce - 4 points

I am a cheater, but I am an honest one. If you do not understand - here is what I mean. I don't follow the rules, but I can admit that I don't follow the rules. Here is my story about attempting to be a good, rule abiding blogger and failing miserably (interspersed with random pictures to keep you from getting bored.

First picture break, Tennessee sunset:

I was looking over Dom's fabulous, amazing, wonderful blog today and thinking, "I should like to try that challenge he has going on." The challenge was to count through your cookbooks until you reach number 18. Open the book at random and prepare whatever dish is on that page.

Problem...I have already gone grocery shopping for the next week. I do not want to go spend more money this close to vacation. Solution...I shall try the challenge anyway. If the fates decide to give me a recipe for which I have the ingredients, so be it. If not, I will just sit this one out.

I count to eighteen on the shelf and come to a book I thought I had rid myself of. It is a horrid book in which the recipes have long lists of hard to find and seasonal ingredients followed by directions like "twist your arm around the back of your head and peel a lemon without breaking  the rind". I meant to give it to the used book store but must have forgotten. Fine. Whatever. I open the book - a page full of directions. I open the book again - a page full of tips for cutting artichokes. Again, a page with menu for French New Year (I do not think France has its own New Year, further lowering my opinion of this book. )

Second picture break, Tennessee lake:

Cheat #1- I skip to book two. This is a very slim cookbook given to me by Beck's teacher. The title is Go Red for Women and it is published by the American Cancer Society. I open the book and see the recipe "Chicken in Tarragon Sauce". Eureka! I had tarragon on my shopping list, so that is a go. I have all of the other ingredients save one.

Cheat #2 - "Dom, you understand that I don't have chicken, right?" I ask him telepathically. "You do not mind if I use the perch that was 1/2 price today?" Of course, I decide that he completely supports this decision and go ahead with my preparations. Things are going swimmingly until I get to the fruit bowl and reach for the lemon. It is moldy. "Frickenjibbit!" I think.

Cheat #3 There is lemon in the recipe and there is pepper in the recipe, so if I use lemon pepper, that is not really cheating, right? I know it is cheating. I am starting to feel very guilty about my continual rule breaking. Still, I go on. I add the lemon pepper, the onions, the celery, and then the tarragon. No. No I do not. I reach for the tarragon and find that I have rosemary. You know, the spice that sits right next to the tarragon. The spice I grabbed in my haste to get out of the store and to my chicken fajita lunch. I consider crying or cursing or giving up. But the voice in my head says, "It is a stretch, but you are doing your best. Go ahead."


Third picture break, Tennessee waterfall:

Cheat #4 I add marjoram. It looks quite nice, really. Everything is going to be fine. I remove the fish from the pan, and try a bit of the sauce. It lacks something. It is time to add the flour. If I add white flour, the sauce shall continue to lack. If I add seasoned flour, it will have a better flavor. The  voice in my head, now sounding a bit miffed, says, "You've already shot to the whole recipe to hell. Who cares at this point?"

Cheat #5 I used seasoned flour. The rest of the recipe went by the book. Really, it did.

Dear Dom, I am sorry for mucking up this challenge and hope that you will accept my submission despite my flagrant cheating and long winded story. If not, I shall fully understand as I am a self confessed rule breaker and cannot expect people to put up with my foolishness.

Last picture break, a Civil War bullet hole in the Carter House, Franklin, Tennessee.

Here is the recipe, as I made it.

Perch with Marjoram Sauce
1 lb perch fillets
10.5 oz fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 medium rib celery, sliced
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 medium bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
salt to taste
1 tbsp seasoned flour
5 oz fat free evaporated milk
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Brown the perch for 1 minute on each side; transfer to a plate.
2. Place broth, onion, celery, lemon pepper, bay leaf, and salt in pan. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and add perch. Simmer, covered for 2-3 minutes, until perch is cooked through.
4. Remove perch and vegetables to a plate. Remove all broth, leaving 2 tbsp, to a bowl. Add flour to pan with a whisk.
5.Whisk in broth from bowl along with milk. Cook over medium heat 6-9 minutes, until bubbly. Stir in parsley.
6. Add fish and vegetables and warm for 1-2 minutes, until fish and vegetables have reheated.
7. Yields 3, 4 point servings

Ta-da!

Now time for menu plan Monday. We are going to be with Stone's parents on Friday. I cannot very well ask them to be meatless on Friday. So

Cheat #6 We are going meatless every day but Friday. I think that is a reasonable solution.

Sunday

perch with marjoram sauce

Monday

sushi

Tuesday

ratatouille

Wednesday

spaghetti squash kugel

salmon burgers

Thursday

quesadillas

Friday

Stone's parents

Saturday

Helen, GA

If you are making your own menu, here are some recipes suggestions.

Monday

garlic mushrooms in creamy sauce

Tuesday

broiled tofu

Wednesday

piperade

Thursday

easy Italian shrimp

Friday

night out!

Saturday

Cornish game hens in cranberry sauce

Happy Monday!

Simple Spice Cake - 3 Points

Growing up I had a fabulous "aunt" who decorated her entire house in zebra strips and royal purple. She frequently hosted tea parties with the who's who and once took me to the home of the French ambassador for a fashion show. You can imagine that her cookbook was full of delicacies that would please the most discerning palate. Her go-to cake, for drop in visitors, was this deceivingly simple spice cake, topped with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Simple Spice Cake
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

1. Sift flour before measuring, then add remaining ingredients and beat for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Bake in a greased 9x13" pan for 30 minutes at 350F.
3. Yields 24, 3 point servings.

Here is the cake with a custard topping (I will give you that recipe later).

 

Now for menu planning! I read an interesting article in Self about being a flexitarian. I had never heard that word before. Apparently, it is someone who views beef as an occasional indulgence and eats vegetarian several times a week. I think that means that I am a flexitarian. I rarely eat beef. How often I eat vegetarian is up for debate. Going by a traditional definition, I guess I eat vegetarian 3-4 days a week. However, that includes fish. As far as I am concerned, if it died before I ate it - it's meat. That definition gets me down to 1 or 2 days a week. 

I am a member of a liturgical church, which means that I am about to celebrate my favorite holiday season - Lent. That means, you will be seeing even more meatless meals from me. Beans, eggs, and fish? Yum!

Sunday

spicy braised sweet potatoes

Monday

black bean soup

Fat Tuesday

mom's chicken

Ash Wednesday

scallops with tomatoes and mangos

Thursday

mom's pork chops

Fasting Friday

bean and cheese quesadillas

Saturday

"Rotisserie" chicken

If you are interested in your own Weight Watchers menu, here is one (click the menu item for the recipe):

Monday

egg in a hat

Tuesday

orange roughy with tropical salsa

Wednesday

scallops in red wine sauce

Thursday

toasted bobotee sandwhich

Friday

hummus and tomato pizza

Saturday

night out - local favorite: Ahart's, chain favorite, Logan's (they have a nice skinny section on the menu - excellent veggie skewers)

Now, since I have made you go so long without a picture (which, we learned was a no-no from David Lebovitz) here are some lovely pictures of some rocks.  I took this while visiting the Ozarks. My friend Alex loves rocks, and I was trying to get some nice photos for her. 

Menu Plan Monday!

Menu plan time again! This week my menu is probably all wishful thinking. I am having a root canal on Tuesday and a crown sometime later in the week. I imagine that might get in the way of my eating! Oh, well, we shall see.

My menu is:

Sunday

twice cooked pork

Monday

grilled chicken with herb lemon sauce

Tuesday

slow cooked beef with beer

Wednesday

chana dal

Thursday

eat out at Thai restaurant

Friday

creamy scallops with pasta

Saturday

grilled shrimp

If you are looking for a Weight Watcher's friendly menu, here are some possibilities for you. If you followed last week's menu, then you made a rotisserie chicken today. You can use that for your meat Monday and Wednesday. If not, you can always buy a rotisserie chicken at your grocery store.

Monday

chicken paprikash

Tuesday

mahi mahi in sesame chili sauce

Wednesday

old fashioned chicken pot pie

Thursday

breakfast for dinner - cream cheese and fruit French toast

Friday

night out - local favorite: Mexivenn, chain favorite: Panera (low fat black bean soup=yum)

Saturday

soup and sandwich night (canned soup and sandwich made with deli flats, lean meat, and fat free cheese)

Sunday

bobotee

I have to confess that I watch very little TV and, therefore, have no idea who Ginnifer Goodwin is. However, I did enjoy reading her interview in the January/February issue of Health. "I've been a member of Weight Watchers for 23 years, and I'm back on it right now. It's the only thing on the planet that doesn't dehydrate you or just make you miserable" Gennifer Goodwin. I am sure that there are other perfectly healthy plans out that, but it was nice to see that little shout out to WW.

Menu Planning

First off, the mommy of two of Simon's adorable little friends asked me about my menu planning. I was thinking about participating in Menu Plan Monday, so I decided to go ahead and show you my menu and how I plan it.

Here are the basics. I go to the store on Saturday or Sunday. I have a list of any pantry staples that need to be replenished, but nothing apart from that. I buy what is cheap and on sale - enough meat, veggies, and fruit to last the week. When I get home, I look at what I have purchased and make my menu. I don't like to go to more than one store, so I typically shop at Aldi one week (stocking up on frozen veg and fruit) and Publix the next week for a greater variety of fresh produce.

Next, I plan my meals around my schedule. This week I have to work late on Thursday, so I have planned a crock pot dinner. However, I am flexible. If I am running late tomorrow, I will not take the time to make chicken curry - I will switch it with Wednesday's easier meal.

You will not see side dishes on my menu plan. I always have salad greens, fresh vegetables, and frozen vegetables. If I am short on time, I throw some greens in a bowl or steam a veg in the microwave.  If I have time, I will make a more elaborate side dish on the spur of the moment. But, the main dish always comes first.

As far as points, I try to plan for 4-8 points for dinner. I like 4-5 for breakfast, 4-5 for lunch, and then several left over for snacking. I eat six times a day - three meals and three snacks- so I need to space out my points.

Now that I am done going on and on and on...here is the menu for this week:

Sunday

tofu and vegetable stir fry

Monday

chicken curry

saffron rice

Tuesday

pork roast

Wednesday

eggs with vegetarian chorizo

Thursday

spicy split peas

Friday

tuna a la king

Saturday

(I am having guests)

beef and vegetable stew

cheese quesadillas

dark chocolate no bake cookies

At the risk of this post being forever long (too late) here is a menu of recipes already posted here or self explanatory if you are looking for some inspiration for the week.

Monday

Shrimp Scampi

Tuesday

Macaroni and Tomatoes

Wednesday

Hungarian Goulash

Thursday

sandwich night - low carb wraps with fat free cheese and lean meat

Friday

eat out - keep it as healthy as you can

(personal favorite - local, Ahart's Pizza Garden; chain, Wendy's (salad and small chili- yum!))

Saturday

Make Rotisserie Chicken to use next week

Creamy Chilled Avocado Soup

I hope this is helpful! If you are making your menu for the week, I would love to know what you have planned.