Mongolian Beef

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Est. WW pts: 12

3 Tbsp oil

1 ½ lb sirloin

1 leek

4 Tbsp dry sherry

2 Tbsp hoisin

1 Tbsp dark soy (sub 2 Tbsp regular soy)

¾ Tbsp fish sauce

8 dried chili peppers

1 Tbsp corn starch

1 Tbsp water

2 cups cooked white rice

Prep:

1)      Rinse leeks and slice leeks into 1 in x 1 in pieces.

2)      Slice sirloin into thin pieces.

3)      Mix soy, hoisin, sherry and fish sauce in a bowl and set aside.

4)      Combine cornstarch and water in a container and set aside.

Cooking:

1)      Place 1 ½ Tbsp oil in a wok on med high heat and add chili peppers

2)      When peppers are blackened add leeks, sauté until slightly caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside.

3)      Add remaining oil in the wok and stir in sirloin, cook until about medium rare – medium

4)      Stir in sauce mixture and leeks. Once combined, add cornstarch and water mixture to thicken and remove from heat.

To plate:

Place a ½ cup of rice in a bowl and top with ¾ cup of Mongolian Beef.

There is no love sincerer than the love of food.  ~George Bernard Shaw

 

 

Cold Cucumber Soup

 

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min

Est. WW pts: 1

1 lb cucumber

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup scallion

½ small onion

4 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp dill weed

Salt & Pepper to taste

¼ cup half and half

1 cup light sour cream, plus some for garnish

10 sprigs of mint

Prep:

1)      Peel and dice cucumber all but about a ¼ cucumber into ½ inch pieces. With ¼ cucumber not diced, slice into ¼ inch slices for garnish.

2)      Mince scallion and onion

Cooking:

1)      Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and scallion, sauté for 2-3 minutes.

2)      Add cucumber, broth, vinegar and dill. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 – 30 min.

3)      Remove from heat

4)      After 2-3 minutes add half and half and sour cream stirring thoroughly.

5)      Add salt and pepper to taste, be careful not to add too much salt.

6)      Strain and chill for several hours

To plate:

1)      Pour approx. 1 – 1 ½ cups into each bowl.

2)      Top each with a slice of cucumber, a spoon of sour cream and a sprig of mint.

Worries go down better with soup.  ~Jewish Proverb

 

Easter Dinner

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

Picture includes lamb (left) and ham (right). Ham was simply baked with honey.

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 2 hours

Est. WW pts: 8

3 lb boneless leg of lamb

5-6 rosemary stems

1 head of garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil

Prep:

1)      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2)      Cut top off of garlic, just to expose the garlic cloves

3)      Place garlic on a piece of foil and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil

4)      Wrap tightly and place in oven for 30 min

5)      Allow garlic to cool about 30 minutes. Squeeze garlic head so cloves come out and make garlic into a paste, set aside

Cooking:

1)      Open leg of lamb and season inside with salt and pepper

2)      Roll lamb and wrap with cooking twine

3)      Rub lamb with garlic paste and insert rosemary under twine

4)      Place lamb in a baking dish and drizzle olive oil over lamb and pat to cover rosemary

5)      Cover lamb with foil and cook for 2 hours or until the internal temp is 160 degrees

To plate:

1)      Remove rosemary and twine from lamb

2)      Slice into 12 slices

3)      Serve with natural juices from pan or mint jelly

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Ratatouille

Serves: 12

Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 30 – 45 min
Est. WW pts: 2

¼ cup olive oil

1 sm onion, thinly sliced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 sm eggplant, peeled and diced

1 ½ can diced tomato

2 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chiffonade

2 tsp fresh thyme

3 fresh sage leaves, chiffonade

Salt & Pepper to taste

Prep:

1)      Slice onion and mince garlic and set aside.

2)      Dice eggplant into ½ inch cubes and set aside.

3)      Slice zucchini and squash and place in a bowl.

4)      In a bowl, remove thyme from the stalk.

5)      Remove rosemary from the stalk and mince. Place in bowl with thyme.

6)      Chiffonade oregano and sage and place in bowl with other herbs.

Cooking:

1)      Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Saute onions and garlic until the onions become slightly translucent.

2)      Add eggplant, herbs and tomatoes. Cook until eggplant is tender when stabbed with a fork.

3)      Gently stir in zucchini and squash. Cover and cook until all vegetables are tender.

4)      Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To plate:

Pour into a serving dish with a large slotted spoon.

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Potatoes Au Gratin

Serves: 12

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 2 hours
Est. WW pts: 8

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

5 lg red potatoes, cut into ⅛ - ¼ inch thick

1 med onion, cut same as potatoes

1 ½ cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1 ½ cup heavy cream

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

Prep:

1)      Using a mandolin, slice potatoes and onions into separate bowls. Grate the cheese in another bowl.

Cooking:

1)      Grease the bottom of a 13 x 9 oven safe dish. Layer potatoes to cover the bottom, over lapping each halfway, to completely cover the bottom; you may need to half some of the potato slices to layer around the edges.

2)      Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Continue to layer until you have about a ½ inch to the top.

3)      In a bowl, break up softened butter with a fork or spoon.

4)      Add cream, salt, pepper and paprika to the butter and stir together. It will be lumpy because the butter is not melted.

5)      Pour mixture over the potatoes. Smooth any butter pieces with a fork or spoon.

6)      Cover with foil and bake for 1 ½ hours.

7)      Remove foil and bake remaining 30 min or until potatoes are tender and cheese has browned.

To plate:

                Slice with a knife and use a large spoon or spatula to serve.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.  ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Apple and Mushroom

Serves: 3

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Est. WW pts: 13

¾ lb pork tenderloin

8 small red potatoes

2 mushrooms

2 green onions

1 small granny smith apple

2 Tbsp red cooking wine

½ cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp butter

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp garam masala

2 ½ tsp sugar

Salt & Pepper

Prep:

1)      Slice green onion in 2 inch pieces.

2)      Slice apple into 2 inch long, ¼ inch thick pieces. Set aside ¾ of apple and toss with garam masala.

3)      Cut potatoes in half and place in a bowl with vinegar, 2 tsp sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper, fill with water to cover.

4)      Slice mushrooms into ¼ inch pieces. Take remaining apple and slice into ½ inch chunks.

5)      Cut a pocket into pork side, extending to almost the other end of the tenderloin.

6)      Stuff pork pocket with apple and onion slices (leaving the apple chunks for later).

7)      Dust the outside of the pork with paprika, ½ tsp thyme, salt, pepper and 1 tsp olive oil.

Cooking:

1)      Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2)      Place an oven safe pan on medium heat. Remove the vinegar from the potatoes. Season potatoes with thyme, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil. Place in pan cut side down until slightly browned.

3)      Heat another oven safe pan on medium heat. Place pork in pan.

4)      Turn potatoes and place in oven.

5)      Turn pork and place in oven. Cook approx. 30-45 min or until the internal temp is 160 degrees.

6)      Place a sauce pan on medium low heat. Add butter, mushrooms and apple chunks. Once they start to sizzle, add red cooking wine and remaining sugar; reduce.

To plate:

1)      Allow pork to rest 5-10 min after removing from oven.

2)      Slice into 6 slices. Place 2 slices on a plate, spoon mushroom mixture over pork. Place potatoes on other side of plate.

 

The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live.  ~Confucius