Chicken and Broccoli with Black bean sauce

I have so many cookbooks that it takes me some time to work my way through new ones. Last spring we got the Fresh Fabulous, Fast cookbook here at Weight watchers, and I am now working my way through it. Here's my favorite so far:

Chicken and Broccoli with Black bean sauce

4 servings, 6 P+/serving

Ingredients

3/4 pound chicken tenders, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices

4 cup small broccoli florets

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP water

2 TBSP black bean sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 (8.8 ounce) package cooked brown rice (about 1 3/4 cups)

1- Spray a large wok or skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry until browned and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to plate.

2- Add broccoli, bell pepper*, and 1/4 cup of the water to wok; stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken, black bean sauce, sugar, and remaining 2 TBSP water; stir-fry 1 minute.

3- Heat rice according to package directions for microwave. Serve chicken and vegetables over rice.

* You can add more vegetables to this and bump the volume and the taste!

Source: Fast, Fresh, Fabulous Weight Watchers p. 129.

Ginger Chicken Yakitori

It's summer again! Well almost! It's grilling time for sure! Here's a favorite recipe from an older Weight Watchers cookbook It's delicious, easy, and a little different than the usual grilling fare.

Ginger Chicken Yakitori
6 serving, 4 P+/serving

Ingredients
3 TBSP reduced sodium Soy sayve
2 TBSP mirin (cooking rice wine)
2 TBSP Sake or dry Sherry
2 TBSP grated, peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp sugar
1 pound skinless bonless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1- Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat the grill to medium-high. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water 30 minutes.

2- Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 6 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat; set aside.

3- Thread the chicken on 6 (8 inch) skewers dividing it evenly. Place the skewers on the grill rack and grill, turning frequently and basting with the sauce, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken with the sliced scallion. Serve hot or warm.

Great idea: Grill a few green onion whole and serve with the chicken (baby leeks would be even better!)

From: Sizzle it, Weight Watchers 2008, p. 27.

Orange Chicken

This recipe is so delicious and simple. It looks good, so it's good for entertaining, and it makes great leftovers, so it's perfect for lunches. What else can we ask for?

Orange Chicken
6 servings, 5P+/serving

Ingredients
1 med. orange
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, trimmed (4 oz each)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F

Zest the orange and mince the zest. Mix the zest with the oil, the paprika, the rosemary, the garlic salt and the pepper.

Supreme the orange (making sure to remove all the "white").

Rub the zest-spice mixture over the 6 chicken thighs and put in a roasting pan (I used a pyrex oven dish), spread the orange pieces around the chicken thighs.

Roast until cooked through, about 45 minutes (until juices runs clear when poked).

Cover with a foil and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Greatest Hits Cookbook, 40th Anniversary collector edition (Weight Watchers) p. 119

Turkey Mulligatawny

I cannot believe that I haven't shared this recipe already! This has been a favorite of mine for years, and for some reason is sort of slipped off my list. It is delicious, easy to make, and reheat perfectly. Love it!

Turkey Mulligatawny
4 servings

Ingredients
2 teaspoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup long grain white rice (I use bulgur instead)
2 teaspoon Madras curry powder (2 to 3)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small apple, unpealed and diced
1 pound bonless, skinless turkey breast cubed (3/4 inches)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until golden. 7-10 miuntes. Add the rice, curry powder, turmeric and cloves. Cook stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the broth, bell pepper, and apple; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the turkey and salt; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered. until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with the pepper, then sprinkle with the tomatoe and cilantro just before serving.

Weight watchers "In one pot" cookbook, p. 21

Spicy Molasse-Barbecued Drumsticks

This recipe is for the grill, but I've used it in the oven also. You can make the sauce in double or triple batch and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's delicious with chicken, pork, even beef!

Spicy Molasse-Barbecued Drumsticks

2 servings, 5P+/serving

Ingredients

3 TBSP bottled chili sauce

1 1/2 TBSP plain or seasoned cider vinegar

1 TBSP light molasses

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp minced chipotle en abodo

1 garlic clove minced

4 (3oz) chicken drumsticks, skin removed

1 To make the molasses barbecue sauce, combine the chili sauce, vinegar, molasses, chili powder, chipotle en abodo, and garlic in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring, until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, spray the grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare the grill. Place the chicken on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Brush the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Cook, turning the chicken, until deeply glazed and cooked through, 5-6 minutes longer.

On the Broiler:

Preheat broiler, broil chicken 5 inches from the heat, turning frequently for 12-13 minutes, brush with the sauce and broil 5-6 minutes longer turning once or twice.

Cooking times vary with the size of the drumsticks!

Dining for Two, p. 135 Weight Watchers 2004

Spicy Indian-Style Chicken Kebabs

This is a go to recipe for me when I'm in the mood for grilled food but the weather isn't cooperating.

It also makes great leftovers for lunch the following day.

Spicy Indian-Style Chicken Kebabs

4 servings, 4 P+/serving

Ingredients

3/4 cup fat free plain yogurt

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 TBSP chopped cilantro

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut in 24 cubes

1 each yellow, red, green pepper cut in 24 pieces (each)

1/2 tsp salt

Combine the yogurt, coriander, garlic, paprika, cayenne, and 2 TBSP of the cilantro in a zip top bag; add the chicken. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag; refrigerate, turning occasionally for 25-30 minutes to 1 day.

Remove chicken from the bag and thread evenly (along with the pepper pieces) on 8 skewers*. Sprinkle evenly with salt.

Spray broiler rack with cooking spray; preheat broiler. Place skewers on the rack and broil 5 inches from the heat turning frequently until chicken is cooked through (about 12 minutes). Sprinkle skewers with remaining cilantro and serve.

* If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes before using to keep from burning.

Pantry to Plate p.160, Weight Watchers 2007.

Home-Style Meatloaf

Ok, I am the cook in the family, but the last year or so my husband jumped in and started cooking also. I'll be darned if he's not turning out to be at least as good a cook as I am.

This recipe is a little messy, but so worth it. It's delicious, makes tons of leftovers and freezes like a charm.

Home-Style Meatloaf

8 servings, 4 P+/serving

Ingredients

3/4 cup instant oatmeal

1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup diced onions

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper

3/4 pound ground skinless turkey breast

3/4 pound lean ground beef (7% fat or less)

1- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 5x9-inch loaf pan with foil

2- Combine the oatmeal, milk, broth, carrots, onion, egg, parsley, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gently mix the turkey and beef in a medium bowl. Add the turkey mixture to the oatmeal mixture; mix just until blended.

3- Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf register 160F, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Remove meatloaf from the pan and cut in half. Slice one half and serve immediately (that always cracks me up "Quick! quick! serve it NOW!"). Let the other half cool completely, cut in two and wrap the two pieces separately, keep in the fridge or freeze to use later.

Beat Eats, p. 66, Weight Watchers 2008.

Lemon chicken with olives

As I said last week we decided to theme each week in January. Last week was Vegetarian week (mostly!), this week is casserole week. So everything we make is 1 pot casserole type dishes.

Here’s a dish that I like to do every once in a while, it sounds more complicated than it is really, and it’s delicious!

Poulet au citron et aux olives (Lemon chicken with olives)
6 servings 6 P+/serving

2 TBSP olive oil

3 lbs chicken pieces, bone in skin removed

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

¾ cup chicken broth

2 TBSP lemon juice

½ tsp sugar

½ lemon thinly sliced

3 tomatoes cut in wedges

½ cup green or black olives, pitted

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a nonstick pan at medium high heat, heat up half the oil and brown the chicken on all sides (about 10 minutes, might need to work in batches) remove the chicken from the pan, set aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and put in the onion, garlic, bay leaves, pepper, oregano, coriander, cumin and salt. Cook at medium heat, stirring every now and then, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

Put the chicken back in the pan with whatever juice gathered in the plate. Add the chicken broth, the lemon juice and the sugar. Add the lemon slices on top of the chicken, lower the fire and let simmer for 15 minutes (pour a little of the broth on the chicken from time to time).

Add tomato wedges and olives and cook, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove bay leaves and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

From: Coup de Pouce a Table, 150 recettes simple comme bonjour Les Editions Transcontinentales, 2005 (translated by Melanie Bourgeois)