De veau a la sauce au Vin Rouge - Veal in Red Wine Sauce

Here is a wonderful recipe with a bit of a French flair. We had some uncooked veal left over from a previous recipe, Veal Piccata, and needed to use it while it was still fresh.  I went on-line to see what I could find and came up with several options.  I decided on today’s featured recipe because it reminded me what a fantastic time Judy and I had on a recent visit to la belle France.

The French prepare their cuisine with sauces that incorporate the use wine, lots of wine. They’re no fools. 

I enjoy cooking with red wine for two reasons; 1. Red wine adds a wonderful level of flavor to any dish. And 2. You have an open bottle of wine available for sipping.  That can’t be a bad thing. 

This recipe is quick and very easy to prepare. And the Sauce? You’ll almost want to bath in it.

So here it is, today’s featured recipe, De veau a la sauce au Vin Rouge.

Delicious “Lite” Recipes.  From Our Kitchen to Yours.  Enjoy the Adventure

Veal with Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients

Veal in Red Wine Sauce

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 Pound of Veal, lean, 4 chops or 4 scaloppini cutlets. I used the cutlets, cut in half for 8 pieces

1 small Onion, finely chopped

½ cup Red Wine

2 Tbsp Red Currant Jelly.  May be difficult to find, keep looking! I found it near the Mint Jelly.

½ Tbsp Brown sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp water

Instructions

Heat Oil in a non-stick pan and add Veal.  Cook until browned, about 2 – 3 minutes per side

In a small pan, heat Onion, wine, Jelly and sugar. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

Combine Cornstarch and Water and add to the pan. Stir until sauce thickens, a minute or two

Serve over Veal. We added small roasted Yukon potatoes as a side dish with Parsley as a garnish

Yields 4 servings. PointsPlus value per serving is 5. Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is 10 minutes. Cooking time is 15 minutes.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.  

Photo by Barry Baruh

Chicken Cacciatore, and for dessert, Chocolate Marshmallow Blueberry Bark

The other night Judy and I hosted a wonderful dinner party for a few of our closest friends.  The theme of the evening was a “Champagne Gift Exchange”.  Everyone brought an upscale bottle of Champagne to the dinner, and went home with a different bottle to enjoy.  Judy likes having different themes or games planned whenever we have a dinner party.  The guests always enjoy themselves and look forward to whatever it is that Judy has arranged for the evening.  The other night was no exception. 

Judy took over the cooking responsibilities for the evening and wanted to prepare something truly exceptional for our guests.  The recipes, of course, all had to come from the Weight Watchers website. Judy wanted to show everyone that delicious party food didn’t necessarily have to be either fattening, or unhealthy.

The menu consisted of; Caesar Salad as the Starter course. Chicken Cacciatore, with sides of Roasted Green Beans with Fresh Tomatoes (a recipe from our Thanksgiving dinner) and small Yukon Potatoes, as the Main course. And for the Dessert course, to go with a delicious Non-Fat Frozen Caramel Yogurt Pie brought by our friends Julie and Dave, Judy made a Chocolate Marshmallow Blueberry Bark.  All I can say about that is “OMG!!!” 

The night was amazing.  The food was delicious. Our friends are incredible.

Delicious “Lite” Recipes, From Our Kitchen to Yours.  Enjoy the Adventure.

Chicken Cacciatore 

This recipe is a compilation of several that Judy found on the Internet

Ingredients

Chicken Cacciatore

1 pound Chicken Breast, uncooked, boneless and skinless

½ tsp table Salt

¼ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

1 tsp Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 medium Onion, chopped

1 cup Mushrooms, sliced

1 medium Green Pepper, chopped

1 medium Yellow Pepper, chopped

½ cup Red Wine, dry

28 oz Tomatoes, canned, diced

¼ cup Parsley, fresh, chopped

1 tsp Italian Seasoning, or to taste

Instructions

Heat Oil in a large non-stick saucepan or stock pot over medium-high heat.

Add Onion, Peppers, Garlic, and Mushrooms. Saute until veggies are tender and Mushrooms release juice, about 4 – 5 minutes.

Add Chicken and continue to sauté until Chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Add Red Wine, Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning and Tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in Parsley. 

Yields 1 Breast and about ¾ cup Sauce per serving. PointsPlus value per serving is 10. Level of difficulty is Moderate. Prep time is 25 minutes. Cooking time is 30 minutes.

Chocolate Marshmallow Blueberry Bark

Ingredients

Chocolate Marshmallow Blueberry Bark

8 oz Bittersweet Chocolate, finest quality recommended

2 tsp Butter

3 cups Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallows

Blueberries, fresh

Instructions

Line a 9” x 9” pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

In a double boiler, melt Chocolate and Butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly combined; remove from heat and stir in Marshmallows and Blueberries.

Scrape chocolate mixture into prepared pan using a silicon spatula; smooth into a somewhat even layer. 

Refrigerate until chocolate sets, at least 1 hour; keep refrigerated until ready to eat. 

Cut into 12 pieces and serve.

Yields 1 piece per serving. PointsPlus value per serving is 4. Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is 5 minutes. Cooking time is 5 minutes. How long will it stay around after the first bite? 5 minutes.  Beware!

Notes; This is a very versatile recipe. Feel free to add your own favorite ingredients, like nuts, dried fruit, crispy cereal, crumbled cookies, etc.  If you use fresh fruit, however, the Bark must be kept refrigerated and eaten the day it’s made. Any added options may affect the PointsPlus values.

Recipes shown on Cooking D’Lites may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate.  

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc. 

Photos by Barry Baruh

Vietnamese Flank Steak

Our incredible food journey brings us to Southeast Asia for today’s featured recipe. Vietnamese Food is increasingly famous worldwide, with restaurants sprawled over the globe.  Vietnamese cuisine includes dishes varying from simple everyday meals to the most complex dishes designed for Royalty. Reaching a balance between fresh herbs and meats; as well as a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food can be considered one of the healthiest yet most divine cuisines worldwide.

Vietnam’s ingredients reflect its geography and climate. Rice (grown in water paddies throughout the country) is the main starch used in everyday meals, and is also made into different kind of cakes and noodles. Besides a number of Buddhist vegetarian dishes, most Vietnamese dishes or meals are a combination of a variety of vegetables, herbs and meats.

Common herbs may include lemon grass, lime or kaffir. Popular meats are pork, beef, chicken, prawn and a variety of fish, as well as lamb, duck, and birds. Fish sauce and soy sauce are used as both flavorings and dipping sauces for nearly every dish. Peanuts are also used widely in Vietnamese cuisine.

The Vietnamese cook their food in a variety of ways: deep fry, stir fry, boil, and steam. Unlike the Chinese, the Vietnamese use a minimal amount of oil while cooking. Vietnamese cooks aim to preserve the freshness and natural taste of food as much as possible. 

Like everything else, Vietnamese food also differs geographically from location to location. North Vietnam’s food uses soy sauce, fish sauce and prawn sauce and has many stir fried dishes.

With harsh weather and less developed agriculture than in the South, the North Vietnamese tend to use less meat, fish and vegetables; and black pepper (instead of chili) to create spice. The taste is strict and less sweet, but more salty than in other regions.

Central Vietnam is distinct in its extreme spices and color of food. Hue’s cuisine, affected by royal cuisine once created for kings and queens, emphasizes quality as well as quantity.

Southern Vietnamese are heavily affected by Cambodia, Thai and Chinese cuisines (due to trade and immigration). Southerners prefer sweet tastes (created by adding sugar or coconut milk) and spicy tastes (created by chili peppers).  

Our featured recipe for today, with its sweetness followed by a hint of heat, probably hails from the Southern region of Vietnam. You’ll enjoy the rich deep flavor of the sauce as it bathes the Steak and Rice to perfection. Although Judy has always been a big proponent, Flank Steak has never been one of my favorite cuts of meat. This dish has made me a believer.

Delicious “Lite” Recipes. From Our Kitchen to Yours. Enjoy the adventure.

Vietnamese Flank Steak with Rice

Ingredients

Vietnamese Flank Steak, with Rice and Squash

2 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

2 ½ Tbsp Lime Juice, Fresh

4 tsp Sugar. We used Brown Sugar in our recipe, just for fun.

½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes, crushed

1 pound Flank Steak, Lean

1 Tbsp Scallions, minced

2 Cups Rice.  We prefer Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Brown Rice. Microwavable in 3 minutes.

Instructions 

In a small bowl or cup, mix together Soy sauce, Lime juice, Sugar and Red Pepper flakes.

Score one side of the Flank Steak using a sharp knife. Place steak in a shallow bowl or zip lock bag with ½ of the soy mixture. Cover steak, or zip bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 – 8 hours. Turning occasionally. Refrigerate the remaining Soy mixture.

The meat may be cooked under a broiler, on a stove-top grill pan, or backyard grill. We prepared the dish on our stove-top grill pan. Cook the meat for about 4 minutes per side and check for desired doneness.

Remove the steak from the heat and carve across the grain into thin strips, about ¼ inch each. 

Stir the Scallions into the Soy mixture and warm for 10 – 15 seconds in the microwave.

Drizzle over the meat and ½ cup of Rice. We served steamed squash as a side dish, zero points

Yields 4 servings of about 4 slices of Steak and ½ cup Rice each. PointsPlus value per serving, including Rice is 9.  Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is 12 minutes. Cooking time is 10 minutes (more or less).

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate.  

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.  

Photo by Barry Baruh

Spicy Pork Stir Fry - Keep the Fire Department on alert

You’re going to need a couple of glasses of cold water and a big stack of paper napkins to get through this dish, but it is absolutely going to be worth it.  

Our food journey has brought us to China for our featured recipe today. Probably to Hunan Province where the spiciest of Chinese foods are found.  If you are not as crazy about really spicy food as Judy and I are, this recipe can be toned down by substituting Peanut Oil for some, or all, of the Chili Oil and reducing the amount of Red Pepper flakes. I prepared this last night and found it quite exhilarating. 

Our featured recipe for today is;  Spicy Pork Stir Fry

Delicious “Lite” Recipes.  From Our Kitchen to Yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Spicy Pork Stir Fry with Rice

Spicy Pork Stir Fry

Ingredients

2 tsp Chili Oil, divided

1 pound Lean Pork Tenderloin, cut into thin strips of roughly 2 inches

4 cloves Garlic, fresh, minced

1 Tbsp Ginger Root, fresh, minced (a great time to use your Microplane Grater/Zester. See our ad)

1 tsp Red Pepper flakes, crushed

2 tsp Cornstarch

¼ cup water

1 pound frozen mixed veggies, Asian stir-fry mix

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce, low sodium

1 tsp Rice Vinegar

1 tsp Orange Marmalade

Instructions

In a large non-stick skillet, or Wok, heat 1 tsp of Oil. Cook Pork until it begins to brown and is just cooked through. About 4 – 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Heat remaining 1 tsp of Oil in the same skillet over high heat; add Garlic, Ginger and Pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 1 – 2 minutes.

Mix Cornstarch and Water. Add Veggies to the skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until just tender, 4 – 6 minutes,

Stir in Soy Sauce, Vinegar, and Marmalade.

Add Cornstarch and Water mixture and bring to a boil.

Add Pork to Vegetable mixture in skillet, stir to blend for about a minute and Serve immediately.

We served ½ cup of Brown Rice as a side dish. PointsPlus value for the Rice is 2 per 1/2 cup.

Yields 4 Servings. PointsPlus Value per serving, not including Rice, is 6. Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is about 20 minutes. Cooking time is about 10 minutes.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate.  

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc. 

Photo by Barry Baruh

Veal Piccata with Fusilli Pasta Marinara - "Bentornato in Italia" - Welcome back to Italy

Two of my favorite words in the Italian language are “Veal Piccata”. Well, Veal isn’t actually Italian. In Italian it would be, “Vitello”, but I wasn’t sure if I’d get the same message across if I used the Italian. Anyway, I have been a big fan of “Vitello Piccata” for a long time. That, and Linguini Vongole are the two dishes that I order the most often, to form my first impression of an Italian restaurant, where I haven't previously eaten.

Have I ever cooked this dish before? Never.  However, when I found this recipe the other day as I was “Travelling” through the Recipe Finder on the Weight Watchers website; I knew the time was right to make it now.

Veal Piccata with Fusilli Pasta

I can’t for the life of me figure out why I never prepared this dish before. It takes only minutes of preparation time and even less time to cook.  And, as if that weren’t enough, it’s fantastic!!

We served the dish with a side of Whole Wheat Fusilli Pasta bathed in a low fat Marinara sauce. This could truly become habit forming.

Today’s featured recipe is; Veal Piccata

Delicious “Lite” Recipes, From Our Kitchen to Yours.  Enjoy.

Veal Piccata

Ingredients

1/3 cup all purpose Whole Wheat Flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

1 pound lean veal scaloppini. I used two ½ pound packages, 4 slices each pkg. and each slice cut in half.

2 tsp Olive Oil

1/3 cup canned Chicken Broth

3 Tbsp Lemon juice, fresh

2 Tbsp White Wine

1 Tbsp Lite Butter

2 Tbsp Parsley, Fresh, chopped

2 tsp Capers

Instructions

Mix flour, ¼ tsp of salt, and ¼ tsp Black Pepper together in a shallow bowl or pie plate.

Coat Veal cutlets lightly with flour mixture. Heat Oil in non-stick skillet and cook the cutlets on medium-high until just cooked through and golden, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.

Deglaze skillet (add liquid to remove remaining bits on the bottom) with Chicken Broth, Lemon juice and Wine. Reduce heat to medium and cook until liquid reduces by about half.

Swirl in Butter and Capers then Parsley, stirring until fully blended.

Remove and pour over Veal.

We served this dish with Whole Wheat Fusilli Pasta and Marinara Sauce as sides. 1 Cup Fusilli (dry), and 1 Cup Low-Fat Marinara Sauce. 

Yields 4 servings. Veal Piccata PointsPlus value per serving is 5. Pasta and Sauce PointsPlus value per serving is 4. Level of difficulty is Moderate. Prep time is 10 minutes. Cooking time, including Pasta, is 9 minutes.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I "Tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate.

Photo by Barry Baruh