Caesar Roasted Cabbage

When I was perusing the internet a few weeks ago I saw that someone used Caesar dressing to flavor their cabbage and I thought it was genius! I like to add vinegar at times to my cabbage and to me Caesar has a similar tangy taste to it. I used Newman's Own because it was what I had on hand but you could use any NON-creamy Caesar dressing or even Italian to add a little flair to your cabbage.



Caesar Roasted Cabbage: Serves 4

1 Medium Cabbage - Sliced into ~1" thick Rounds
1/4C Caesar Dressing - NON Creamy

First set your oven to 425°, then slice the cabbage into nice thick rounds, I did approximately 1" slices, lay flat on a greased cookie sheet and pour approximately 1/2TB of dressing on to the top of each round, with your fingers gently push the dressing around to coat the top of the cabbage, keep the remaining Caesar dressing for later in the cooking process. Put the tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, after 20 minutes carefully flip the discs and pour the remaining dressing over the new top side of the cabbage, place back in the oven for another 20 minutes, flip again and cook for one last 20 minute set (an hour total). Remove from the oven and enjoy!

__________________________
WW: 2 Points Plus / serving

Roasted Garlic & Lemon Shrimp Pasta

A few months ago my sister told me about a tasty dish she had at Applebees, Lemon Shrimp Fettuccine, and asked if I would try to make a dish similar to it though healthier! The description of the dish on Applebees website is: Seared plump shrimp, ripe tomatoes, onions, sautéed fresh spinach and basil served over fettuccine noodles lightly tossed in a roasted garlic cream sauce and topped with artichokes, lemon zest and Parmesan. I am not a huge fan of artichokes and happened to have zucchini on hand so I substituted that for the artichokes and spinach. I really enjoyed this dish and didn't find it to overwhelmingly lemon like some other recipes I have tried. And for those watching their waist line this is only 10 Points Plus on the Weight Watchers system while the original dish from Applebees is 28 Points Plus, so I would call it a success - still tasty and much healthier!



Roasted Garlic & Lemon Shrimp Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
1lbs Shrimp - Peeled & De-veined
4-6 Garlic Cloves - Separate the the cloves, but leave in their papery shell.
2tsp Olive Oil
1 Zucchini - Chopped
1 Onion - Chopped
1-2 Plum Tomatoes - Seeded & Chopped
1TB Lemon Zest
Juice of 1 Lemon (Approx 1/4C)
1C Chicken Stock
2TB Cream Cheese - I use 1/3 Less Fat
1/4C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
1tsp Corn Starch
1tsp Basil (Or 1TB fresh if you have it!)
Salt & Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking set a large skillet over medium heat and add the whole garlic cloves - paper and all - in the pan with NO oil. cook for 8-10 minutes browning on each side, try not to let them burn, little brown spots are okay. They are ready when you push down on them and can tell they are soft inside. Remove the garlic from the skins and set to the side.

In the same skillet add 1tsp of olive oil with the zucchini, onion and some salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are translucent and the zucchini is cooked through, remove to the side. Add the remaining tsp of olive oil to the pan and add the shrimp with some salt, pepper and half of the basil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are completely cooked through. Add the shrimp to the vegetables on the side.

To make the sauce I tossed the ingredients into the blender, stock, lemon zest and juice, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, corn starch, remaining basil. Lastly peel the papery shell off of the garlic cloves and toss the cloves into the blender and blend until smooth. Once the sauce is fully blended pour it into the skillet over medium heat and stir constantly as it warms up. Once it starts to boil it will thicken pretty quickly. When the sauce has reached a gravy like consistancy add it to the pasta with the shrimp and veggies, stir to incorporate evenly, then cover with a lid and let it sit for a minute or two then serve and enjoy!

__________________________
WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Mexican Beans & Rice

Hi Everyone, remember me!? Sorry I have been MIA for the past few weeks! Between recovering from vacation (it is a hard life lounging on a tropical beach for a week ya know!), and a week long seminar I am finally home and cooking again. At the end of my seminar I spent some great time with my friend Alicia and we made Beans and Rice which were delicious and the inspiration for this meal. I did change things up, adding more veggies and using chorizo instead of ham but the basics are the same. This is a simple meal with tons of flavors, hearty and healthy - some of my favorite characteristics in a dish.



Mexican Beans & Rice: Serves 4

1 Box Goya Yellow Rice
2tsp Olive Oil
8oz Red Potato - Cubed into 1/4" Cubes
1 Bell Pepper - Chopped
1 Onion - Chopped
1oz Chorizo - Chopped into small chunks
1/8-1/4tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4tsp Coriander
1/4tsp Cumin
8oz Tomato Sauce
1C Salsa
16oz Canned Pinto Beans - Drained & Rinsed
1C Water
Salt & Pepper

First chop up all your veggies, put a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the potato, bell pepper, onion and chorizo and stir to coat. Add the cayenne pepper, cumin & coriander with some salt and pepper (light on the salt as the chorizo has lots of flavor). Cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies soften up then add the beans, tomato sauce, salsa and water, give it a stir, bring up to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Once you set the veggies to simmer you can get started on the rice. Add 2C of water to a pot with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil, bring up to a boil then add the goya rice (it has seasonings in the rice packet to make it nice and tasty!), let it boil for a minute, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for approximately 25 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed into the rice. Fluff with a fork then split the rice into 4 bowls, top with the veggie mix, serve and enjoy!

__________________________
WW: 10 Points Plus / serving