I had high hopes for this recipe – it sounded and looked so good in the magazine, and it received great reviews online.

But both Stas and I hated this meat loaf! It was spicy, but not in a yummy kind of way – I think it lacked seasoning. And the ketchup topping was such a bad match with that spiciness – it was too sweet and… well.. nasty. (In all fairness, I did use reduced carb ketchup instead of regular. Maybe regular would have been better).

It was painful finishing these leftovers, but we did it. And I will *not* be making this agian. Instead, I’m sticking with my tried-and-true meatloaf recipe.

… which reminds me: I haven’t blogged about my favorite meat loaf recipe yet!

Spicy Turkey Meat Loaf with Ketchup Topping
from Cooking Light, October 2009

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.

cooking the mushrooms and onion

Combine mushroom mixture, panko, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; stir well to combine.

meat mixture

Shape turkey mixture into a 9 x 5–inch rectangle on a pan coated with cooking spray. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and nutmeg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spread ketchup mixture evenly over top of meat loaf.

after shaping the loaf and spreading the sauce on

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

cooked & ready to serve

Serves 8

(note: the information below is based on using regular ketchup. When I made it, I used low-carb ketchup)

1 serving = 4 Weight Watchers points

Calories: 184
Fat: 3.7g
Protein: 23.2g
Carbohydrate: 15g
Fiber: 1.2g

The original recipe calls for trout, but the grocery store didn’t have any, so I used tilapia. I’m not sure it was the best choice for a substitute… Cooking Light suggests cod, halibut, or catfish. (Hey, tilapia was on sale!)

If you don’t like pecans, you could use another type of nut – like almonds or walnuts!

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia
adapted from Cooking Light, October 2009

1/4 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

ingredients

1. Place pecans in a mini chopper or food processor; pulse until pecans are finely ground. Combine pecans and panko in a shallow dish.

2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Dredge fish in nut mixture, pressing gently to adhere.

dredging the fish

Place 2 fillets in pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Turn fish over; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from pan; cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining fish.

cooking a fillet

Stas' dish

Serves 4

1 serving = 6 Weight Watchers points

note: this is the nutritional information for the trout version:
Calories: 267
Fat: 15.3g
Protein: 27.8g
Carbohydrate: 3.5g
Fiber: 0.8g

I love that Cooking Light has so many 20 and 30 minute meals in their magazines; they make weeknight dinners a breeze!

Tonight, I made Chicken Cacciatore. It was good, although a little bland. If I make it again, I’ll add more salt – both to season the chicken and to the sauce. I think it may have been lacking because of the pasta sauce I used (I think it was “too healthy”). I may also add some bread crumbs to the sauce to thicken it a bit.

Chicken Cacciatore
from Cooking Light, October 2009

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
olive oil
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce (I used Ragu No Sugar Added Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil (tip: slice it length-wise so that it doesn’t brown!)

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with oregano, basil, and red pepper. Place a small amount of olive oil in the pan. Add chicken to pan; saute 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.

browning the chicken

Add mushrooms and bell pepper to pain; saute 5 minutes.

add the mushrooms and peppers

Stir in pasta sauce and wine; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

add the wine and sauce

Stir in the salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with cheese (optional) and basil.

Serves 4
(1 serving = 1 cup chicken mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)

the plated dish

1 serving = 5 Weight Watchers Points (probably less if you omit the cheese!)

calories – 239
fat – 6g
carbs – 11.1g
fiber – 2.6g

I’ve been away from this blog for so, so long and I am so, so sorry! My excuse? I was off planning my wedding… and then getting married… then spending time with the in-laws… then catching up at work after 2 weeks off… phew!

Throughout all of this madness, I didn’t cook any new dishes – just rotated my tried-and-true recipes, many of which I’ve already blogged about. Sometime soon, I’ll post pictures and details of the wedding (it was perfect!).

Now that things are finally starting to settle down, I have time to try new dishes. My new issue of Cooking Light came in the other day and it’s packed with good stuff! (The last 2 issues were disappointing.)

Tonight, I made the cover recipe. It was the most hearty and time-consuming out of the recipes I flagged, so I thought it would be perfect for a rainy Sunday evening.

If you decide to make this, plan ahead! It is by no means a quick dish… It takes about 3 hours to cook. But it’s worth it!!! This is a new favorite for me, and I plan to rotate this recipe with my usual beef stew recipe.

Beer-Braised Beef with Onion, Carrot, and Turnips
from Cooking Light, October 2009

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 (1 lb.) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cubed
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (12 oz.) dark beer
1 bay leaf
3 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
9 ounces small turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Place flour in shallow dish. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef evenly on all sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour.

preparing the beef for browning

Add beef to pan; cook 10 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.

browning the beef

Add broth, beer, garlic, and bay leaf, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil.

ready for the oven

Cover and bake at 300 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots; cover and cook 25 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, turnips, and onion; cover and cook an additional 1 hour and 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and beef is fork-tender.

3. Remove beef and vegetables from the pan; discard the bay leaf. Cover beef and vegetables; keep warm. Let cooking liquid stand 10 minuts. Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of the bag. Drain cooking liquid into a medium bowl, stopping before the fat layer reaches the opening; discard the fat. Serve cooking liquid with beef and vegetables. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon parsley.

Serves 4

(1 serving = 9 Weight Watchers points)

Calories – 383
Fat- 19.7
Carbs – 21
Fiber – 3.6

the plated dish

I served mine alone, and served Stan’s over egg noodles (as seen in the first picture).

The first time I made zucchini bread was in high school, in my Food & Nutrition class. When the teacher gave us the recipe, I remember thinking that it was going to be the most disgusting bread ever. I mean, how could anyone possibly incorporate zucchini into a sweet and tasty bread?!

One taste of the finished product and I was convinced; I loved it! But I never made it again…. until last week…

This time, Stas was the skeptical one (and I don’t blame him… he doesn’t even like zucchini much). But he liked it too – and even took some to work. (or maybe I made him take some to work )

The zucchini doesn’t add any strong taste to the bread. I think it serves mostly for moisture and a nice, chewy texture. Whatever purpose it serves, it does it well!

the finished loaf

Zucchini Bread
from Cooking Light

2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place shredded zucchini on several layers of paper towels, and cover with additional paper towel. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Set aside.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder in a large bowl and stir well; make a well in center of mixture. Combine zucchini, applesauce, egg substitute, oil, and vanilla; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

4. Divide batter evenly between 1 large 9 inch loaf pan (or 2 smaller 7 1/2 x 3-inch loaf pans) coated with cooking spray.

before going into the oven

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool in pan(s) for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan(s), and let cool completely on wire rack.

straight from the oven

Serves 28

1 serving = 3 Weight Watchers points

I used 1 large loaf pan for my bread. I think this way, the center of the bread stays more moist- and you get that yummy section of almost-but-not-quite-fully-cooked part… the part that’s extra moist and chewy… the best part!

I found a zucchini recipe that Stas likes!

It wasn’t a huge surprise, though – this dish contains dill and sour cream (the 2 components of what I call ‘Russian crack’). If I haven’t mentioned this before in my blog, I have a theory that no Russian can resist dill or sour cream. This irresistableness (is that a word?) increases tenfold when the two are combined.

Anyway, on to the recipe…

Dilled Zucchini

equivalent of 6 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream (I used a combo of 1/4 cup fat free and 1/4 cup regular)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, garlic, and onion and cook for 8-10 minutes (or until zucchini is light brown), stirring occasionally.

zucchini and onions, before going into the pan

zucchini and onions: before

zucchini and onions: after

2. Season to taste with salt and pepper; remove from heat.

3. Mix the sour cream and dill; stir into the zucchini mixture.

sour cream and dill mixture

the finished side dish

4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

serves 6

(Weight Watchers points will depend on the type and amount of sour cream you use – adjust accordingly)

As soon as I laid eyes on that massive zucchini, I started Gooling zucchini recipes. This was one of the first ones I found, and I knew right away that I’d love it. This is a great healthy alternative to mozarella sticks. I didn’t have any marinara sauce on hand to dip them in, but I plan on buying some and making these again!

I loved these – but Stas hated them… I ended up eating all of mine, PLUS his.

But in all fairness, he doesn’t care much for zucchini to begin with.

Baked Zucchini Sticks

• equivalent of 3 medium zucchini, sliced into 3″ x 1/2″ sticks
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)
• cooking spray (or parchment paper)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• salt
• fresh pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and cheese; shake well. Cove cookie sheet with parchment paper (or spray cookie sheet with cooking spray) and set aside.

zucchini slices

breadcrumbs and egg white

3. Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer on parchment paper (optional: spray cooking spray on top).

zucchini sticks pre-baking

4. Bake at 425 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

baked zucchini sticks, plated

Serves 3

Here is the breakdown of Weight Watchers points:
zucchini = 0
1 egg white = 0
1/3 cup bread crumbs = 2
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese = 2

I hope you like zucchini.

Why?

Take a look at the treat I got from a coworker this week:

one very big zucchini

I stuck my sunglasses on it for scale – but I still don’t think it captures the massiveness.

I thought I’d be able to use it up quickly, but now I have my doubts. I’ve made three things with it so far (posts to come) and it’s not even 1/3 of the way gone!

Luckily, I found this post on how to freeze zucchini. I’ll probably end up going that route.

In the meantime, stay tuned as I go zucchini-crazy…

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for awhile, and I’m not sure why I hadn’t made it previously – but I’m glad I finally did! It was so good – definitely a keeper!

And the best test of how good it was? Stas liked it – even with the mushroom sauce. Actually, that was his favorite part!

This recipe uses dried mushrooms. Dried mushrooms are readily available in most supermarkets. You’ll find them in the produce department. If you don’t see them, ask an employee.

Porcini-Dusted Chicken Scaloppine
from Cooking Light, October 2007

• 1/2  cup  dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil, divided
• 2  tablespoons  minced shallots (about 1)
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 3  cups  sliced wild or cultivated mushrooms (about 1/2 pound…  I used baby bella mushrooms)
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3  tablespoons  reduced-fat sour cream
• 1  tablespoon  minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Place porcini mushrooms in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Transfer to a large plate and set aside.

2. Place a layer of plastic wrap over the chicken breasts and pound them to even thickness using a meat mallet. Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Then dredge them in the porcini powder, shaking off the excess.

covering the chicken breasts in porcini powder

3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until chicken is lightly browned and done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

cover with foil to keep warm

4. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.

cooking the shallots and garlic

5. Add 3 cups mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.

after adding the mushrooms to the pan

6. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add broth to pan; simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes).

reduce the liquids

7. Stir in sour cream; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and parsley.

after adding final ingredients

Serves 4

(Each serving is 6 Weight Watchers points.)

I served it with boiled potatoes garnished with chives and fresh tomatoes. For wine, I used the same wine I used in cooking… my current favorite, Nobilo 2008 Sauvignon Blanc:

plated and served

Shortly after my zebra nails started chipping, I did this:

leopard nail design using Konad

Again, I used my Konad nail stamping kit, purchased here.

I’m happy with how they came out – and even though I can never get enough leopard print, I think I like the zebra more!

another view of my leopard nails

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