Chicken Paella

If I didn’t have enough reasons already to be madly in love with Judy, last night’s meal should definitely be added to the list.  Judy and I began our Weight Watchers Lifestyle Change one year ago, on January 1^st. During the past year we have had so much fun cooking together, eating, writing our Blog, and of course…losing weight. Between the two of us we have now lost nearly 100 pounds this year. It’s been easy. It’s been exciting. And, as I mentioned before, it’s been a lot of fun.

Today’s featured recipe exemplifies the word fun. When I think of Paella I always think of a celebration, a party, people laughing and enjoying the company of one another. Paella originated in its modern form in Valencia on the east coast of Spain in the mid 19^th century.  There are basically three types of Paella. Valencia Paella includes Rice, Meat and Green Vegetables. There are also Seafood and Mixed Paellas.  The word Paella is the Catalan word for Pan. Catalan is the indigenous language of that part of Spain where both Valencia and Barcelona are located.

Traditional Valencia Paella is cooked in a shallow polished steel pan with two handles. According to tradition in Valencia, paella is cooked by men over an open fire, fueled by orange and pine branches along with pine cones. This produces an aromatic smoke which infuses the paella.  Also, dinner guests traditionally eat directly out of the pan.

Our version utilizes a Crock Pot rather than the traditional pan.  Simply prepare the ingredients, load them into your slow cooker or Crock Pot and in little more than 5 hours you’ll have wonderful, somewhat traditional Paella to enjoy.

Judy’s Paella was so enjoyable that I also had it today for lunch, and you know, it was even better.

From our kitchen to yours. Enjoy the adventure

Chicken Paella

Ingredients

Chicken Paella

1 Pound Chicken, Breast and/or Thigh, boneless and skinless

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium Onion, chopped

1 Bell Pepper, green, chopped

½ cup Chicken Broth

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp Turmeric, ground

1/3 cup Peas, green, frozen

2 cups Rice, cooked, Judy used Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice, microwavable

Instructions

Place Chicken, Tomatoes, Onion, Pepper, Broth, Garlic, Oregano and Turmeric in a 4 quart or larger Crock Pot. Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours.

Add Peas and cooked Rice. Cook, uncovered, until Peas are tender, about another 15 minutes.

Yields 4 servings, each about 1 ½ cups.  Include 1 piece of chicken per serving.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value per serving is 7. Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is 15 minutes. Cooking time is 315 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

Chicken and Dumpling Stew

One of the best ways to survive a cold winter evening at home is to fill your belly with something warm and comforting, such as our featured recipe for today, Chicken and Dumpling Stew.

Had I known how easy it was to make dumplings I certainly wouldn’t have waited this long to try.  Having never made dumplings before, and having not even eaten one since I was a kid, this dish brought back some wonderful memories of my childhood. If you were to look up “comfort food” in the dictionary, I believe that Chicken and Dumplings should be the first definition listed.

The dish takes a little while to prepare as there is a lot of chopping and cutting going on.  I like to get all of my ingredients prepared and ready before I start the cooking process. That is particularly true with this dish because of the many items that need to be included in the pot, each at a specific time.  So with this recipe it is critical to have everything measured out and ready ahead of time.  It would be much too confusing to try to read, cut, mix, blend and cook all at the same time.  

From our kitchen to yours. Enjoy the adventure.

Chicken and Dumpling Stew

Ingredients  

 

Chicken and Dumpling Stew

2 tsp Canola Oil

1 pound Chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes

½ tsp Kosher Salt

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 medium Carrots, chopped

2 stalks Celery, chopped

3 ½ cups low-fat, low sodium Chicken broth

1 medium Potato, peeled, uncooked, cubed, we used a Russet Potato

¼ cup String Beans, uncooked, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup frozen Peas

1 & 2/3 cup Bisquick® Reduced fat baking mix

2/3 cup non-fat or reduced fat Milk

 

1 ½ tsp dried Sage

½ tsp Black Pepper, coarsely ground

Instructions

Heat 1 tsp Canola Oil in a large non-stick pot over medium-high heat. Add the Chicken; sprinkle with Salt, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes.  Transfer the Chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining teaspoon of Canola Oil to the same pot, and then add the Onion, Carrots and Celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and turn slightly brown, about 6 minutes. Add the Chicken broth and Potato; bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer, covered, until the Potato is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the Green Beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the browned Chicken and the Peas; heat through, about 2 minutes.

To prepare the Dumplings, combine the Bisquick®, Milk, Sage and  Pepper in a bowl, using a spoon, until a soft dough forms.

Drop the Dough, by big rounded tablespoonfuls, into the simmering stew, making a total of 6 Dumplings. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Then cover and simmer until the Dumplings have doubled in size and are cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

Yields 1 cup of Stew and 1 Dumpling per serving.  Weight Watcher PointsPlus value per serving is 7. Prep time is about 35 minutes. Cooking time is about 32 minutes. Level of difficulty is Moderate.

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

Something Old, Something New

For tonight’s meal I prepared something old and something new. The old was the Potimarron Squash Judy and I discovered while taking a cooking class in Paris (for recipe see November 8, 2010). The new, a Sweet and Spicy Pork with Festive Fruit Salsa.  This is a sweet and savory dish that takes a little bit of time to prepare, but your effort won’t go unrewarded. It’s fresh, fruity and delicious.

I unexpectedly found the Potimarron Squash at our local Farmers Market last Saturday while shopping for this week’s dinner meals.  The vendor where I located the squash told me that he knew it as a Sunshine Winter Squash. It’s about the size of a softball and bright orange. The meat of the squash is dense and not at all stringy, like a pumpkin. No matter what the name is, I thought it was a great find. I couldn’t wait to get it home and cook it.  I felt it would pair perfectly with the Pork dish.  It did.

Delicious “Lite” meals, from our kitchen to yours. Enjoy the adventure.

Sweet and Spicy Pork with Festive Fruit Salsa

Ingredients

Sweet and Spicy Pork, Fruit Salsa and Potimarron

2 Tbsp Ginger Root, fresh, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, chopped, medium

1 Tbsp Jalapeno pepper, fresh, chopped (do not touch seeds with bare hands. We’ve discussed this before). Set aside about 1 tsp of the chopped Pepper for the Salsa

2 Tbsp Lime juice, fresh

½ oz Rum, about 1 Tbsp (more or less)

2 tsp Honey

1 tsp Allspice, ground

2 tsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 pound Pork Tenderloin, lean, trimmed of all visible fat.

1 medium Grapefruit, pink, skinned and sectioned, sections cut in 2 – 3 pieces each

1/3 cup Honeydew melon, diced

½ cup Pineapple, diced

½ small Red Onion, sliced into thin slivers

1 tsp of remaining Jalapeno Pepper, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F

Place Garlic, Ginger, 2 tsp of Jalapeno, Lime juice, Rum, Honey, Allspice, Soy sauce, and Oil in a blender or food processor and blend on high for about 30 seconds or until all ingredients have blended to form a smooth loose paste.

Place Pork in a non-stick baking dish and pour marinade over to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap and roast Pork, turning the baking dish halfway through cooking, about 20 – 25 minutes.  Pork is done when internal temperature reaches 160°F.

To make Salsa, peel grapefruit, remove segments, cut segments into 2 – 3 pieces each. Combine Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Pineapple, Onion and remaining teaspoon of Jalapeno Pepper in a medium bowl. Toss to coat.

Allow Pork to rest 5 minutes after cooking. Then, slice the tenderloin into 16 slices.

Yields 4 servings.  Each serving includes 4 slices of Pork and a Heaping ½ cup of Salsa.  Weight Watchers PointsPlus value per serving is 5. Level of difficulty is Moderate. Prep time is 35 minutes. Cooking time is about 30 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

Orange-Pineapple Duck

A couple of weeks ago we received an email from one of our friends who also happens to be a follower of Cooking D’Lites. Scott asked if we could post some recipes for Duck.   I have always had a fondness for Wild Duck, I’d been hunting them with my Dad since I was a boy, and I was more than happy to oblige. 

  

Wild Duck, however, with its gamy taste and minimal amount of fat, bears little resemblance to the “tame” farm raised duck found in fine restaurants and local supermarkets.  And, you can’t purchase Wild Duck at the store. That’s what Duck Hunting is for. 

Farm raised Duck has a very thick layer of fat which has to be rendered off during the cooking process, so recipes for its use would seldom be found in any weight loss regimen. Or so I thought. While searching the Weight Watchers website I happened upon three recipes for Duck. The first requirement was that they had to be skinless. No rendering required. 

I had been looking forward to making today’s featured recipe since discovering it on the web. After preparing, eating and truly enjoying the end result, I can’t wait to try the other two Duck recipes.

This dish has a sweet and slightly spicy flavor profile.  You can also try substituting Chicken, Beef or Fish for the Duck remembering that the PointsPlus value may change slightly with each substitution.

Delicious “Lite” recipes from our kitchen to yours. Enjoy the adventure. 

And a big "Thank you" to Scott for the request.  Send in your requests and we'll certainly try to accommodate.

Orange-Pineapple Duck

Ingredients

Orange-Pineapple Duck

15 ½ oz Pineapple, canned, packed in juice, chunks

¼ cup Orange Juice

¼ cup Rice Vinegar

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Ketchup

1 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

1 tsp Sesame Oil, dark

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

¼ tsp Red Pepper flakes, crushed. Or to taste

1 pound Duck breasts, uncooked, skin removed

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Pepper, Black, freshly ground

2 tsp Canola Oil

6 medium Scallions

1 Tbsp Ginger root, fresh, peeled and minced. (Still not too late to order the Microplane Zester/grater.)

2 cloves Garlic, chopped, medium

1 medium Sweet Red Pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 medium Oranges, sectioned. (4 Clementine Tangerines, or “Cuties”, would be a great substitute)

2 cups Rice, hot

Instructions

Drain the Pineapple, reserving the liquid. Transfer the pineapple to a small bowl and set aside.  Combine the Orange juice, reserved Pineapple juice, Vinegar, Sugar, Ketchup, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Cornstarch, and Crushed Red Pepper flakes in a medium bowl, set aside.

Sprinkle the Duck with Salt and Pepper. Heat 1 tsp of Canola Oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Duck and cook, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the Duck to a cutting board and cut across the grain into slices.

Cut 5 of the Scallions diagonally into 2 inch pieces. Thinly slice the remaining Scallion into thin slices and set aside, apart from the 2 inch pieces.

Add the remaining 1 tsp of Canola Oil in the same skillet. Add the 2 inch Scallion pieces, Ginger and Garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the Red Bell Pepper and Pineapple Chunks. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3 minutes. Whisk the Orange Juice mixture and add it to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until it bubbles and thickens.

Return the Duck to the skillet and add the Orange sections. Heat through. Sprinkle the Scallion slices over the top and serve over Rice.

Yields ¾ cup of Duck and Sauce and about 1/3 cup of Rice per serving.  PointsPlus value per serving, including Rice is 7.  Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is about 25 minutes. Cooking time is about 12 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

Chinese Pineapple Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Sharing an evening of laughter and provocative conversation with good friends seems to be the only reason for going out to dinner any more.  It certainly isn’t for the food.  Not since Judy and I discovered that we can have better tasting food, and a more versatile menu, by preparing our meals at home. 

If we want Italian, we make Italian.  If we want Chinese, we make Chinese. And so it goes. French, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Southern. We can prepare whatever type of cuisine strikes our fancy, and we know exactly what goes in it, how fresh it is, and how it fits within our healthier lifestyle.

Our amazing food journey can take us from country to country without ever leaving home. We do, however, keep Friday nights open for our favorite Italian restaurant, Ristorante Forli in Alamo, where we eat, drink, laugh and dance the night away. And, because Weight Watchers allows us to “Bank” food value points for special occasions, our Friday night affair is totally guilt free.

Judy, as Chef of the Week, took us to China last night, for something Sweet, Savory and Succulent. Forget Chinese take-out, this chicken dish is delicious and a breeze to make.

Our dinner last night and our Featured Recipe today is; 

Chinese Pineapple Chicken with Black Bean Sauce 

Chinese Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients

1 spray Cooking Spray

4 medium Scallions, chopped, both green and white parts

1 Tbsp Ginger root, fresh, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced (If you don’t already have a Microplane Grater/ Zester, this would be a good time to order one. See our ad at right)

1 pound Chicken Breast, uncooked, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes

20 oz canned Pineapple, packed in juice, use tidbits

¼ cup Black Bean Sauce

2 cups Brown Rice, cooked, kept warm. We prefer Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice

¼ tsp Red Pepper flakes, or to taste

Instructions

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat.  Add Scallions, Ginger and Garlic; cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add Chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides, stirring often, about 5 minutes

Add Pineapple (with its juice) and Black Bean Sauce to the skillet.  Bring to a simmer and cook until Chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Divide Rice among 4 shallow bowls and spoon Chicken mixture over the top.

Yields 4 servings, about 1 cup Chicken and ½ cup Rice per serving.  PointsPlus value per serving is 9.

Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is 15 minutes. Cooking time is about 13 minutes.

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

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