Sautéed Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Capers

This is our version of Chicken Piccata, an Italian favorite.  It’s fresh, lite, savory and easy to prepare.  The Thigh meat is so tender and juicy.  You’ll love this dish any time of the year.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Sauteed Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Capers

1 spray, Cooking Spray

¼ cup All Purpose Flour, we use Whole Wheat flour.

¼ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

1 ¼ pounds Chicken Thighs, skinless

1 cup canned Chicken broth

2 Tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 ½ Tbsp Capers

3 cups uncooked String Beans, steamed

Instructions

Coat a 12 inch nonstick skillet with Cooking Spray; set over medium-high heat.

In a small bowl, combine the Flour with Black Pepper, sprinkle over the Chicken Thighs. Brown the Chicken, in a single layer, in the prepared skillet until golden on the bottom, about 6 minutes; flip and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Remove Chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Pour the Broth into the skillet to deglaze. Scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.  Return the Chicken to the skillet, cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Stir in Lemon juice and Capers, heat for about 30 seconds, serve.

Yields 2 Chicken Thighs, ¾ cups String Beans and about 1 ½ Tablespoons of sauce per serving.  Makes 4 servings.  PointsPlus value per serving is 6. Prep time is 10 minutes. Cooking time is 20 minutes. Level of difficulty is Easy.

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 tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh

Beef Pho with Rice Noodles

“Pho” is a traditional Vietnamese Beef Stew that originated about 100 years ago.  It’s quite possible that Pho evolved from the French dish, Pot au Feu, which is a stew of boiled meats and vegetables introduce by French colonists when Viet Nam was under French rule.

Pho was brought to America during the post war migrations.  There are many Pho restaurants in cities throughout America catering to people of many ethnic backgrounds.

Our featured recipe is a lite, fresh, delicious blend of beef, vegetables and spices served over rice noodles, with broth.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Beef Pho with Rice Noodles

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 cup Onion, chopped

½ pound lean Sirloin Beef, sliced across the grain into thin strips about ¼ inches thick

2 cups canned Beef Broth, reduced sodium

1 Cinnamon stick

¼ tsp Black Peppercorns

½ tsp Salt

8 oz. packaged Rice Noodles, flat

2 medium Scallions, chopped

1 cup Bean Sprouts, fresh

¼ cup Cilantro, fresh, chopped

Instructions

Heat the Oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the Onion and sauté for 2 minutes, until the Onions are soft.  Add the Beef and cook 3 – 4 minutes, until browned on all sides.

Add Broth, Cinnamon stick, Peppercorns and Salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the Noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 6 – 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and transfer to four individual shallow bowls.

Remove the Cinnamon stick and Peppercorns from the Beef mixture. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the Beef and Onion over the Noodles.  Top with Scallions, Sprouts and Cilantro.  Ladle the remaining broth over the top of each bowl and serve.

Yields 4 servings, ¾ cups each. PointsPlus value per serving is 8. Prep time is 20 minutes, Cooking time is 17 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 tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh

Veal alla Toscana

Wherever Judy and I travel on this International Food Journey, we always seem to come back to Italy.  Today’s featured recipe is no exception.  Here we have a hearty Veal Stew to warm us up on these cold wintery evenings. Although this dish can be used as a starter course, we paired it with some Brown Rice and served it as our main course.

This delicious one pot wonder is brimming with flavor.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Veal alla Toscana

2 tsp Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 pound lean Veal shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces or off the bone as veal stew

2 medium Carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 stalk Celery, chopped

1 small Zucchini, sliced

1 cup canned Crushed Tomatoes

1/3 cup White Wine

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 cup canned Chicken Broth

½ cup frozen Pearl Onions, thawed

1 tsp Salt

¼ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

¼ tsp Red Pepper flakes

  

Instructions

Heat Oil and Garlic in a large pot; Add Veal and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add a small amount of Oil, about 1 tsp, and cook Carrots and Celery in the same pot, stirring occasionally, on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Add Zucchini and cook until tender, about 5 minutes more.

Add Veal, Tomatoes, Wine, Italian Seasoning, Red Pepper flakes and Broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Add Pearl Onions; simmer until Veal is tender, about 15 minutes more.

Season to taste with Salt and pepper.

Yields 4 servings, about 1 cup per serving.  PointsPlus value per serving is 5, plus 3 for the ½ cup of Brown rice. Prep time is 20 minutes. Cooking time is 95 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 tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh

Turkey Chili

When it’s a cold damp day outside and you’re chilled to the bone, it’s always comforting to have something nice and warm on the inside.  Chili has always been a popular dish when the weather gets nasty.  Such has been the case lately at our home.  To make matters worse, since Judy and I have lost so much weight we feel the cold more than we used to.  This is a perfect example of having to take the bitter with the sweet.

Today’s featured recipe includes kidney beans, lean turkey and lots of veggies, perfectly seasoned with a scallion sprinkling to garnish.  It’s all prepared in just one pot for easy cleanup.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Turkey Chili

1 spray Cooking Spray

1 tsp Canola Oil

1 large Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

½ pound Turkey Breast, ground, extra lean

½ pound Turkey Dark meat, ground

2 medium Carrots, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Paprika

2 tsp Red Pepper flakes

1 tsp Cumin, ground

2 medium Tomatoes, chopped

1 cup canned Tomato sauce

1 cup canned Chicken broth

1 ½ Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 ½ cups canned Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium Green Pepper, chopped

½ tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

¼ cup Scallions, chopped

Instructions

Coat a large pot with cooking spray; place over medium heat.  Add Oil and Onion, sauté Onion until soft, about 6 - 7 minutes.  Add Garlic and Carrots; cook until Garlic is softened, about 1 minute.  Add the Turkey; brown the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 minutes.  Stir to break up lumps.

Add Chili Powder, Paprika, Red Pepper flakes, Cumin, Tomatoes, Tomato sauce, Broth, Vinegar, Beans and Green Pepper; bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer until the meat and veggies are tender, about 30 – 45 minutes.  Season to taste with Salt and Pepper; garnish with Scallions.

Yields 6 servings, about 1 cup per serving.  PointsPlus value per serving is 6. Prep time is 25 minutes. Cooking time is 55 – 60 minutes. Level of difficulty is Easy.

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 tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh