Pan Seared Shrimp and Arugula Risotto

I found this recipe in the May issue of Cooking Light. I'm no stranger to making risotto, thanks to Mary Ellen's fantastic recipes.

This one did not dissapoint. The arugula was the perfect spicy complement to the shrimp. Mr. Tote loved it, as well. We'll definitely be making this again!

4 C chicken stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
dash salt and pepper
1 shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 C Arborio rice
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 C grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 Tbsp butter
3 C baby arugula
1/2 C thinly sliced fresh basil - I omitted since I didn't have any on hand

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Keep warm over low heat.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with a dash of salt and pepper. Add shrimp to pan and cook or 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil and the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan. Sautee for five minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine. Cook for one minute or until the liquid is almost all absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add 1 C stock. Cook four minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining stock, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently until each amount of stock is absorbed before adding the next. This should take about 25-30 minutes.

Stir in shrimp and cook one minute or until done. Stir in cheese. Remove from heat. Stir in arugula and basil until slightly wilted. Serve immediately.

Creamy Chicken with Walnuts and Artichokes

1/4 C walnut pieces
2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1 large one
1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained
Handful of sliced button mushrooms
2 tsp hazelnut oil (olive oil will work just fine, too!)
1 C low fat cottage cheese
Angel hair pasta

Start by roasting the walnut pieces in a large saucepan on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Also, bring a pot of salted water to boil for your pasta.

Meanwhile, cube the chicken breast. When the walnut pieces are toasted, remove them from the pan and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken.

Add your pasta to the boiling pot of water and cook for 5 minutes or until done.

Sautee the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes before adding in the mushroom pieces and artichoke hearts. Continue to sautee until the chicken is cooked through (3 to 4 minutes).

Drain your pasta and add it to the saucepan with the chicken mixture. Add the cottage cheese and toss to coat. Serve immediately :-)

Spiced Nut Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Cheesy Marsala Sauce

More fun with Grandma's spiced nuts! While I don’t have the actual spiced nuts recipe, I’m sure this pork would be great crusted in any sort of nuts. My grandma’s nut mix combines walnuts, almonds and pecans with a little bit of Splenda and some cinnamon. OK, enough “nut” talk.
1/2 pork tenderloin, cut lengthwise
1/4 C flour
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 C spiced nuts
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
Pam spray
1 shallot
1/2Marsala wine
2 oz. lite cream cheese
1/3 C fat free half and half

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Clean and pat dry the pork tenderloin. Slice in half lengthwise.

Use a food processor to chop the nuts. Combine the egg and milk in a bowl.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.

Using three bowls, dip the pork into the flour, then the egg mixture, then the nuts.

Sautee the pork pieces over medium high heat for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish coated in cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

In the same skillet, remove any excess grease with a paper towel. Finely chop one shallot and add to the pan over medium heat. Sautee for 2-3 minutes before adding the Marsala wine. Continue cooking over medium heat until the wine reduces by 1/3.
Add the cream cheese and lower the heat. Use a whisk to incorporate the cream cheese. When almost fully incorporated, slowly add the creamer. Mix until heated through and cream cheese is fully incorporated. Add additional creamer if sauce seems to thick. Serve over the pork.

Apps and Wine Party Wrap Up

The weekend before Christmas, we hosted an Appetizers and Wine party. It all stemmed after Mr. Tote and I attended a client appreciation event where they served us shrimp cocktail shooters in shot glasses. Now, I've seen this done many times before, but I had put the idea in the back of my mind. Seeing these beauties at the party reminded me that I never did make those darn things. Hence, the reason for the holiday get together. So we had 11 of our friends over, along with three children under the age of 2. We asked everyone to bring a bottle of wine, while we supplied the food goodies. Below is the menu we served...

Roast Beef and Sharp Cheddar Sandwiches
Ham and Aged White Cheddar Sandwiches

Stone Ground Honey Mustard - recipe follows

Creamy Horseradish - recipe follows

Shrimp Cocktail Shooters with a salt and pepper rim - recipe follows

Pesto Pinwheels from Ellie at Vintage Victuals

Buffalo Chicken Dip, aka Chicken Shit

Baked brie with walnuts and apricot preserves inspired from Vintage Victuals

Veggie tray with ranch dip

For desserts we had:

Rocky Road Fudge

Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies from Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

Hershey Pretzel Bites

I added some fun DIY touches to our "counterscape." To avoid having to use regular old plates for serving, I grabbed a few spare tiles and used other items around the house to raise them up. This worked great for the shrimp cocktail shooters because I hid a big bowl of ice in the shadow box frame to keep the shrimp cold.

I also picked up some holiday colored paint swatches from Lowe's and used a white pen to put signs up for all of the food. This really came in handy for when folks were wondering what the heck was wrapped up in dough (the brie with walnuts and apricot preserves).

Mr. Tote was so helpful!

The sandwich platter took a reeeaaaallllly long time to make. I purchased rolls that had to be baked and sliced in half. Then I had to slice the cheese thinly off the blocks I bought. It was really time consuming, but they turned out so cute.
With the sandwiches, I served some stone ground honey mustard and creamy horseradish.

Stone Ground Honey Mustard
1/2 C stone ground mustard
2 Tbsp honey

In a small bowl, microwave the honey for 20-30 seconds, or until thin. Mix in the mustard with a fork until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until serving.

Creamy Horseradish
1/3 C mayonnaise
1/3 C sour cream
1/3 C horseradish

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until serving.

As I mentioned earlier, the inspiration for this party came from some cocktail shrimp shooters I had at a client appreciation party. Their shrimp were served in a tall glass shotglass with WAAAAAY too much cocktail sauce for one little shrimpy. So I headed to Party City to pick up some 1.5 oz. clear plastic shot glasses.

I wet the rims of the cups with a sponge and dipped them into a mixture coarse kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper in a shallow dish. Now I know how bartenders feel when they have to rim margarita and daquiri glasses with sugar or salt.

I made the cocktail sauce with about a cup of ketchup, a third of a cup of horseradish and a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Here are some additional pictures of the food.
The rocky road fuuuuuuuuuuuudge...

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I feel so blessed that I was able to spend lots of time with my family and friends.

Manchego Foccacia

It's not a secret that I love cheese. So it's not uncommon to find me perusing the cheese cooler at our local market. I swear I come home with at least one block of cheese each time I go there, regardless of what my original reason for going there was. So, this beautiful block of Manchego has been sitting in my fridge for a week or so. I was looking for an EASY bread to make with my cheese and came across this recipe from Tyler Florence for his "Fabulous Focaccia." Any recipe that has the word 'fabulous' in its title is worth a shot.

I must say, in one word, this foccacia was FABOOSH (a la Perez Hilton). So easy, so yummy. The manchego crisped up on top and provided a sharpness that paired so well with some Chicken Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup. I'd love to make this again with something like aged white cheddar. I'd also like to try Tyler's recipe as is, which included a topping of caramelized onions, rosemary and parmesan.

2 teaspoons rapid-rising dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Cornmeal, for dusting

1 C Manchego cheese
2 Tbsp dried oregano

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, proof the yeast by combining it with the warm water and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes until foam appears. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the flour to the bowl. Dissolve salt in 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the mixture. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil.

When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold over itself a few times. Form the dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so it doesn't form a skin. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rise over a gas pilot light on the stovetop or other warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Coat a sheet pan with a little olive oil and corn meal. Once the dough is doubled and domed, turn it out onto the counter. Roll and stretch the dough out to an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick. Lay the flattened dough on the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Uncover the dough and dimple with your fingertips. Brush the surface with more olive oil and then add the manchego cheese. Sprinkle with the oregano and bake on the bottom rack for 15 to 20 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I find that certain restaurants really nail spinach artichoke dip. Others fail miserably. And that's what I really hate. When you go to a restaurant, craving some of the cheesy, tangy, creamy goodness, and then you're seriously dissapointed when "said restaurant" totally misses the mark. That being said, one of my favorite places to get this amazing app is Claddagh's Irish Pub and one of my least favorite places has to be Applebees.

HOWEVER, I think that the recipe below is a serious contender for the top of my list! I'll deem this "Carla's Spinach Artichoke Dip," named after the coordinator at our wedding reception venue. I cannot remember how we got talking about food, but she told me I had to try this recipe. I have since made this for many social gatherings with friends and family. And every time I take my first bite, my eyes slightly roll back in my head, my knees get weak, I mumble some choice words and am taken to a very happy place. If you're looking for a winner, THIS IS IT.

Carla's Spinach Artichoke Dip
1/4 C butter
2 cloves garlic
1/3 C chopped onion - original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp
10 oz package of frozen spinach
1 can artichoke hearts
1/2 C half and half - I used 1 cup of fat free
8 oz cream cheese - I used the 1/3 less fat variety
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Thaw the spinach in the microwave and drain thoroughly.

Roughly chop the artichoke hearts on a cutting board.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.

Crush the garlic cloves and add to the butter, along with the chopped onions. Sautee for 3 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Add the drained spinach and artichoke hearts and continue sauteeing. After 1-2 minutes, add the creamer.

After incorporated, cube the cream cheese and add it to the mixture. Lower the heat and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and incorporated. Add the parmesan cheese and stir.

Transfer to a pie plate or shallow dish. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Melt in a 350 degree oven or microwave until warm and melted.

Note: I added extra creamer because I found that it tended to dry out when heated. Also, this last time, I served this out of my mini CrockPot, so I omitted the sharp cheddar cheese. The extra liquid really helped in this case, too.

A Tale of Two Squashes: Part 2

Wow! Let me just say how much I looooove spaghetti squash. I've never worked with this stuff until now and it is SO FUN! It's like my mother-in-law's obsession with popping zits. Once you start, you can't stop! String after string of squashy goodness, peeling away from the skin like magic!

Spaghetti Squash Gratin
1 two to three lb spaghetti squash
1 C light sour cream
1/2 C fat free half and half
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 oz gruyere cheese
4 oz baby swiss cheese
1 tsp dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Piercethe spaghetti squash CAREFULLY in many spots. Place in a baking dish and bake for about an hour, or until soft.

Remove from the oven and let rest until it's cool enough to handle, at least with a hot pad holder. Carefully cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and pulp, with tongs or a spoon. Then separate the strands with a fork and remove from the skin.

In a large bowl, combine the squash, salt, pepper, gruyere, sour cream and creamer.

Place the squash mixture in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Top with the baby swiss and a sprinkle of dried thyme.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. This dish easily serves six to eight people.

A Tale of Two Squashes: Part 1

Ahhhh... fall. One of my favorite times of the year because of all the fresh produce that is available. I decided to experiment this year with different types of winter squash. First, the butternut. I've seen this prepared most commonly as a sweet side dish, combined with brown sugar and butter. I decided to prepare this squash with a savory flavor.

Butternut Squash Casserole
1 two to three lb. butternut squash
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3 C fat free half and half
1/2 C blue cheese crumbles
1/2 C parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the squash for baking by cutting it in half WITH A VERY SHARP KNIFE and scooping out the seeds. Rub both halves with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the halfs cut side up in a baking dish with about an inch of water. Bake uncovered for about an hour, or until fork tender.

In a large bowl, combine the squash (after scooping/scraping it out of the skin) and remaining ingredients, except for the parmesan cheese. Mash with a fork to incorporate everything.

Lightly coat a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the squash mixture to the baking dish and top with the parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

P.S. Sorry for the craptastic picture above, but we dove into the squash dish before I remembered to grab the camera. We had this with pork tenderloin, rubbed with dijon mustard and baked with apples and onions.

Pasta with Brussel Sprouts, Bacon and Mascarpone Cream Sauce

1 C uncooked rotini pasta
6-8 strips bacon
8 brussel sprouts
6 mushrooms
1/2 C Fat free half and half
4 oz Mascarpone cheese – can substitute cream cheese if needed
1/3 C freshly grated parmesan

OK, before you make fun of me for indicating the exact number of brussel sprouts and mushrooms in this recipe, let me say this… I try to make my recipes as “user friendly” as possible. Some readers who are new to cooking may be looking for specific direction about quantities as they become familiar with their kitchen. So that’s why I provided specific numbers of the veggies. Otherwise, this recipe (and countless others) would say “a bit of this” “a smidge of that” “a handful of this” and “a bunch of that.” I tend to use what I have on hand, so tonight, I had half a package of mushrooms and some leftover raw brussel sprouts from a previous dinner. So there’s my two cents on that. Now, on to the recipe!

Start by cleaning and finely chopping the brussel sprouts lengthwise, almost like shredding them. Roughly chop the mushrooms. Set both of these aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta and add in when the water is boiling.

Cook the bacon, according to your liking. For this recipe, we used the pre-cooked stuff and just threw it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large saucepan and sautee the brussel sprouts and mushrooms while the pasta is cooking. Meanwhile, crumble the bacon.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta, reserving a half cup of the pasta liquid. Add the pasta and crumbled bacon to the saucepan with the sautéed vegetables.

Add the creamer, mascarpone cheese and parmesan cheese and allow the entire mixture to meld together over low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top with additional parmesan cheese prior to serving.

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini

This is a great recipe I found over at Gina’s Weight Watchers Recipes. Without ground turkey on hand, I used 95% lean ground beef. I also added some marinara sauce on top, which was a great addition, for only one extra point.

2 medium zucchini
1/2 tsp butter
1/4 onion, finely diced
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp white wine
8 oz (1/2 lb) ground turkey, or 95% lean ground beef
1 large egg white
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Arrange in a baking dish. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces.

In a large saute pan, melt butter and add onion, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini and season with a pinch of salt, cook about 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook until it reduces. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper, cooking until turkey is white, breaking up in smaller pieces. Add paprika, garlic powder, marjoram and basil. Mix well and cook another minute.

Place turkey meat in a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. When cooled, add parmesan cheese and egg white, mix well. Using a spoon, fill hollowed zucchinis with stuffing, pressing firmly and top with bread crumbs. Place chicken broth in bottom of the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 35 minutes.

WW Points per Serving (serves 2): 4 points; 5 points with 1/4 C warmed marinara per person

Creamy Brie and Truffle Grits

So... our favorite restaurant, Dusty's Cellar, serves some of their entrees with "Creamy Truffle Infused Grits" which are like crack. I can't get enough of them. O.M.G. So frickin' good. So last time we were up in Traverse City, we stopped at one of our favorite spots, Fustini's, and picked up a small bottle of White Truffle Oil. At $10 for 1.7 ounces, this stuff ain't cheap.

Tonight, I attempted to replicate Dusty's Creamy Truffle Infused Grits to go with The Most Amazing Ribs. I added in some Brie cheese because, well, I can't seem to make anything without cheese in it.

I took my first bite and couldn't believe it. They tasted almost exactly like the grits at Dusty's! I still have this ridiculous shit grin on my face because I am so surprised that these turned out so similar to the Dusty's fare that I crave so often. I can't WAIT to make these again!

4 C chicken stock
1 C quick grits
1 Tbsp butter
3 oz brie cheese, rind removed, shredded
2 tsp truffle oil

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the grits. Cover and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes.

When liquid is mostly absorbed, add in the butter. Stir to incorporate. Then add the cheese and stir to incorporate. Right before serving, add in the truffle oil and stir to incorporate. Serve hot! Be sure not to drool on your plate while saying your dinner prayer :-)

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

Matt had wanted to make chicken caesar salads with a grilled chicken breast that was in the fridge. I was craving carbs so I decided to make a pizza out of it. The crust was light and thin and the caesar ranch I drizzled over the top was refreshing with the fresh lettuce.

1 recipe of pizza dough, see below
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
Southwest or other blended seasoning
6 oz lite cream cheese
1 C mozzarella cheese
1/3 C parmesan cheese
Handful of grape tomatoes, halved
Handful of button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/4 C Ken’s Lite Caesar dressing, plus 3 tablespoons
1/4 C lite Ranch dressing
1 Tbsp half and half cream
Romaine lettuce, chopped, for topping the pizza

First, make the pizza dough, as it needs to rise for about an hour or so in a warm spot. The pizza dough is from Giada, via Epicurious.

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp garlic powder

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Season the large chicken breast with southwest seasoning and grill or bake until fully cooked. Allow to fully cool. Then shred with a fork. In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken with 1/4 cup of the Caesar dressing. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the pizza dough out on a pizza stone or baking pan. Place in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the cream cheese over the pizza dough. Then spread the chicken, followed by the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, the mushrooms and tomatoes.

Pop it back in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

After removing from the oven, top the pizza with the freshly chopped lettuce. In a small bowl combine the extra 3 Tbsp Caesar dressing, the Ranch dressing and half and half. Use a spoon to drizzle the sauce over the pizza. Slice. Devour.

Lemon Basil Bowties with Chicken

Oh.My.Gosh. This pasta dish tasted AMAZING! I saw this recipe over on Chelsey's blog, originally from Rachael Ray. Seriously, this tasted SO GOOD! I added chicken to make it a one-dish meal. I also threw all the ingredients into my WW online recipe builder to figure out the points per serving. I can't wait to make this dish again!

2 1/2 cup(s) bowtie pasta
Zest of 1/2 to 1 lemon, plus juice
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, raw, cubed
2/3 cup(s) 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup(s) pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup(s) fresh basil, roughly chopped

Cook the pasta in a large pot with 1 tsp olive oil until al dente.

In a saucepan, roast the pine nuts until golden brown. Remove the pine nuts. Add 1 tsp olive oil, the cubed chicken and lemon juice to the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until chicken is no longer pink.

Strain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the cottage cheese, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, basil and chicken and stir until all ingredients are incorporated and the cheese is starting to melt. Serve immediately.

WW Points per Serving (half of recipe): 11 points

Cabernet Sauvignon Braised Short Ribs with Blue Cheese and Toasted Pine Nut Risotto

Our sister in law and her husband came over for dinner on Friday night with our cutest (and only!) nephew, Calvin III. I wanted to make something special since they have been so busy with the baby lately. How lucky was I to find short ribs at the local grocery store!!! I have been wanting to make short ribs after having a fantastic meal at Aerie restaurant at Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City. I found this recipe on epicurious.com and adapted it for a smaller group. I also conserved some wine. I couldn't justify using two whole bottles of wine. And using Mary Ellen's perfected risotto technique, I put together a few of my favorite things... cheese, nuts and 'shrooms.

Cabernet Sauvignon Braised Short Ribs
3 to 4 pounds meaty beef short ribs
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbps chopped fresh thyme
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbps freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
4 C beef stock
2 Tbsp corn starch

Arrange ribs in single layer in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Mix rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in small bowl; sprinkle all over ribs. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add ribs to pot and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer ribs to large bowl. Pour off drippings from pot; discard. Add wine and stock to pot and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot; bring to boil. Cover; transfer to oven and braise until meat is very tender and almost falling off bones, about 2 hours.

Bring to simmer before continuing. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ribs to large bowl; cover tightly to keep warm. Skim any fat from top of braising liquid. Boil liquid until reduced to 2 generous cups, about 20 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons corn starch with 4 tablespoons COLD water with fork in small bowl until well blended. Whisk corn starch mixture into reduced braising liquid. Whisk over medium-high heat until sauce thickens very slightly, about 2 minutes.

Blue Cheese and Toasted Pine Nut Risotto
1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 C arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine
5 cups chicken broth, heated
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted
1/4 C Reduced Fat Blue Cheese Crumbles (I like Treasure Cove)
6-8 button mushrooms, roughly chopped
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan. Add shallots and garlic; stir until tender, about 2 minutes.

Add arborio rice and stir until coated. Add the white wine and stir until absorbed.

Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This process of adding broth takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes. Taste as you go along so you don't over or under cook the rice.

When you add your final ladle of broth, add the blue cheese, mushrooms and pine nuts, and stir until broth is completely absorbed.

Serve immediately.

New York Strip with Blue Cheese Sauce and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Our local market had a great deal on some fantastic looking New York Strip steaks. We bought a larger steak, trimmed it of all fat and made two perfect morsels of steak. We also bought some brussel sprouts from Meijer because I was craving them... note that I have never had brussel sprouts in my life. We roasted them and they were excellent! I can't wait for our local farmer's market to open for the summer so we can buy some locally made brussel sprouts!

But the real highlight of the dinner was the blue cheese sauce. This sauce was so simple, yet complemented the steak so well.

We pan seared the steak to the perfect medium-rare preparation that I love so much. After removing the steak from the skillet, I added some roughly sliced button mushrooms and sauteed until soft. Then I added 1/2 cup half and half and brought it up to temperature. Then I added 1/4 cup of Treasure Cove reduced fat blue cheese crumbles. The sauce needed just a moment to thicken before we poured it over the steak.

I can't say enough about the simplicity of this sauce. With the delicious steak and my new-found treasure in brussel sprouts, this was a hit. Matt couldn't stop raving about it between bites. We can't wait to make this one again!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Oh yummy! This dish took 5 hours to make in a slow cooker and it was so delicious. All of the flavors melded together to create the perfect harmony. I found this recipe on The Crockpot Lady's A Year of Crockpotting blog, one of my absolute favorite blogs to peruse. *Sorry for the blurry picture above. We were up at Lake Charlevoix with some friends and I offered to make this for dinner. The blurry picture is no indication of the deliciousnes of this dish*

The Ingredients:
1 lb cooked, shredded chicken
28 oz can of enchilada sauce
1 colorful bell pepper, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I didn't use these but I bet they would make a great addition!)
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 red onion, chopped
8 fat free flour tortillas
2 C 2% shredded cheddar cheese
Lite sour cream

Combine the shredded chicken with the enchilada sauce.

Starting with 2 tortillas, layer ingredients into crockpot insert. Here's the order I went with
tortillas
chicken mixed with sauce
chopped pepper
red onion
black beans
olives
1/3 C cheese

Repeat layers. Finish with a handful of cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. This is a no-peeking recipe. A lot of times it's okay to peek and to stir, but for this one it's best left alone for the flavors to meld properly and for the edges to get that yummy crispy cheese texture.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Barbeque Beef Sandwiches with Red Onions and Blue Cheese

Still trying to use of the leftover pot roast, we made these delicious sandwiches for dinner last night. The red onions have been marinating since Sunday and the blue cheese gave such a nice flavor to complement the barbeque sauce. But I have to admit, I didn't do much measuring for this dish, so the quantities are approximate.

Hamburger buns
6 oz. leftover pot roast meat
1/2 C barbeque sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/4 C honey mustard
Blue cheese crumbles, to taste

For the Marinated Red Onions...
1/3 large red onion, sliced thin and cut in half
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

Combine the onions and marinade ingredients and let sit overnight, at least.

When ready to prepare, combine the pot roast, barbeque and honey mustard in a small saucepan and simmer until warmed through, about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally, breaking apart any chunks of beef.

Toast the buns. Assemble with the barbequed beef on the bottom, blue cheese and then the marinated onions.

The onions were originally supposed to be for a spinach and almond salad, but I never ended up making it. I bet the onions could be used on top of just about anything. They were delicious!

Chicken Parmigiana

Mmmm... cheeeeeese. I found this recipe online today at weightwatchers.com. Unfortunately, I can't link to it because it's under the Members Only section of the site. I discovered a whole new world or WW recipes by signing up for their Monthly Pass. The website has a great tracking tool that keeps track of my points for me. I am still experimenting with it, but so far I'm in love.

2 four ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Cooking spray
1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/4 part skin mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tsp Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.

Place egg white in a shallow bowl. Combine bread crumbs with Italian seasoning and salt; pour into another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg whites; turn to coat. Dip chicken in bread crumb mixture; turn to thoroughly coat.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and add oil; heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink in center, about 4 minutes per side.

Pour 1/2 cup of sauce into prepared baking dish; place chicken in dish and pour remaining sauce evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake until chicken is cooked through and cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

WW Points per Serving: 5 Points

Spinach and Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Two important things... First, if you haven't figured it out yet, Matt and I have an obsession with cheese. Second, do not be fooled, my little banditos, by the fancy name of this dish. It is just about the easiest thing I have made in a long time!

Inspired by Joelen's Spinach and Feta Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, I bought some low fat Blue Cheese Crumbles and had some fresh spinach around. I must say that this dish was absolutely delicious! The creaminess and intense flavor of the blue cheese paired perfectly with the mild pork. The ingredients in my recipe below are slightly different than Joelen's but the method is the same.

tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
3 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed
One pork tenderloin
1/4 cup low fat blue cheese crumbles
Kitchen string
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and let wilt. Remove from heat and let cool.

Cut through the pork tenderloin lengthwise to within a half-inch of cutting all the way through. Open up the pork like a book and pound out each side until it’s about a quarter-inch thick. Distribute the spinach over each tenderloin and top with the cheese.

Roll the tenderloin jelly-roll style from the long side, and tie with string in 5 places. Season the outside of each tenderloin with salt & pepper. Let stand 30 minutes (I omitted this because we were starving).
Roast the pork until a thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 150°F, about 35 minutes. To serve, remove strings from the pork and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Be sure to check Joelen's blog for a killer sauce that she made for this recipe. We were too hungry to make the sauce.

Shrimp Ravioli with Carmelized Shallot Cream Sauce

Still recovering a bit from our night out on Friday, I was craving something carb-y and cheesy. I googled shrimp ravioli and found this easy recipe, using wonton wrappers for the ravioli. I completely modified the original recipe's sauce, which was for a basil cream sauce. Carmelized shallot just seemed like it fit better for the mood I was in. The sauce was absolutely fantastic. The carmelized shallot had such a sweet, rich texture.

The wonton wrappers worked good, but didn't have the "authentic" ravioli texture, like real pasta would. That being said, I don't have a pasta press, so the wonton wrappers were a very nice substitute. And I had planned to shred some fresh parmesan over the pasta, but like I said, Friday was a rough night and I totally forgot to add it.

Now, I want to make wonton soup. Too bad I used the rest of our ground pork on the Thai Noodles and Pork dinner from a few nights ago... I'm a mess.

My modified recipe is below...

1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 lb deveined, peeled, shrimp (if you have cooked shrimp, even better!)
4 oz fresh goat cheese
1 large egg yolk, reserve the egg white
1/2 half and half
1 shallot, sliced
1/4 C white wine
24 wonton wrappers, or as many as you need

If your shrimp are uncooked, cook up in a skillet with the clove of crushed garlic and a little butter until no longer translucent.

Chop the shrimp into tiny pieces. Mix shrimp, goat cheese, egg yolk and garlic (if you didn't cook it with the shrimp) in bowl.

Sautee the sliced shallot for 8-10 minutes, or until the shallot is medium to dark brown. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.

Add the creamer and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced.

Place half of wonton wrappers on work surface. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon shrimp mixture to each. Brush edges with egg white (or water) and fold over to form triangles. Repeat with remaining wontons. Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water about 3 minutes.

Serve with warm sauce. NOTE: I may toss the pasta with the sauce next time to prevent the ravioli from sticking together when plated.