Sweet and Spicy Baby Back Ribs

For the second year in a row, we made these ribs from Food Network Magazine for Father's Day. They are the best ribs ever! We use the Sauce for Spring Roll as our sweet chili sauce. We used a different sauce once and they were VERY spicy! They are pretty spicy with the Sauce for Spring Roll, even. We baked these in the oven for about 2 hours and then finished them on the grill. The sauce takes about twice as long to boil down, even with using less water, though....

 

Ingredients

• 3 1-pound racks baby back pork ribs
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup lager-style beer
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
• 1 cup Thai sweet chile sauce (such as Mae Ploy)
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the ribs meat-side down on a cutting board. Insert a paring knife between the membrane and the bones on one end of each rack, then loosen the membrane and pull it off. Rub the ribs with the lemon juice and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the ribs bone-side down in a large roasting pan, then add the beer. Cover tightly with foil, transfer to the oven and roast until the meat pulls away from the bone, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chile powder and cook 1 minute. Stir in the chile sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced by half, about 40 minutes.

Remove the ribs from the oven; increase the temperature to 400 degrees F. Uncover the pan; carefully pour out the cooking liquid. Stir 1/4 cup cooking liquid into the sauce, then discard the rest of the liquid. Generously brush the ribs with the sauce. Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting, uncovered, until the ribs are golden brown and tender, about 35 minutes.

Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and slice, then return to the roasting pan. Pour the remaining sauce on top and toss.

Blackened Shrimp Tacos

The second delicious Mexican recipe we made this week from the May 2013 Cooking Light was Blackened Shrimp Tacos. They were amazing!! We didn't have canola mayo or buttermilk, but substituted with whole milk and regular, light mayo. We also used white corn tortillas. Sawyer and Dave used some leftover tortillas to make a quesadilla for Dude. :)

Ingredients                               

2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise (such as Hellmann's)    

2  tablespoons buttermilk                           

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1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cooking spray                               

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/2 cup diced plum tomato

1 ripe avocado, peeled and roughly mashed

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag; seal and shake well to coat. Remove shrimp.
3. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp; cook 2 minutes per side or until done.
4. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, heat tortillas over medium-high heat directly on the eye of a burner for about 15 seconds on each side or until lightly charred. Divide shrimp evenly among tortillas; divide tomato, avocado, and sauce evenly among tacos.

Nutritional Information:  4 Servings, 2 tacos each

Amount per serving

• Calories: 287
• Fat: 13.5g
• Saturated fat: 2.1g
• Monounsaturated fat: 6.6g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 2.4g
• Protein: 17.9g
• Carbohydrate: 26.7g
• Fiber: 6.4g
• Cholesterol: 120mg
• Iron: 1.2mg
• Sodium: 372mg
• Calcium: 130mg

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

This past week we made two great Cooking Light Mexican recipes from the May 2013 edition. The first was a chicken quesadilla we made with some leftover rotisserie chicken. We also topped it with an avocado. Yum!!

 

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves                               
• 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 small orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• Cooking spray                               
• 3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream                               
  
  

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine paprika, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub paprika mixture evenly over chicken; let stand 10 minutes.
3. Arrange chicken, onion, and bell pepper on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cook vegetables 4 minutes on each side or until tender. Cook chicken 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken and vegetables from grill; coarsely chop vegetables. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; thinly slice chicken.
4. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; divide vegetables and chicken evenly over cheese. Fold each tortilla in half over filling; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray.
5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and tortillas are lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 2 wedges; serve with sour cream.

Nutritional Information: 4 Servings

Amount per serving

• Calories: 310
• Fat: 13g
• Saturated fat: 6.1g
• Monounsaturated fat: 4.1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g
• Protein: 26.8g
• Carbohydrate: 20.4g
• Fiber: 1.9g
• Cholesterol: 79mg
• Iron: 1.9mg
• Sodium: 552mg
• Calcium: 228mg

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

Tonight we made Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde.

Points+ = 5 per enchilada (Makes 8)

The only thing we really did different was use mozzarella instead of Mexican cheese. Note to self: Mexican cheese gets moldy real fast after you open it. ;)

These were pretty good- Dave really liked them. They were a little spicy, but not burn-your-lips-off hot. :)

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 enchilada • Old Points: 4 • Points: 5
Calories: 230 • Fat: 7.3 g • Protein: 20.4 g • Carb: 28.7 g • Fiber: 12.2 g

Ingredients:

For the Chicken and White Bean Filling:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
• 15.5 oz can Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)
• 8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1/3 can water
• 1 chicken bullion
• 1 tsp cumin

For the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:

• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 7 oz can chopped green chile
• 2 jalapeños, chopped
• salt
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
• 8 medium low carb tortillas
• chopped fresh cilantro or scallions (or both!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.

For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalepeños, and salt to taste. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

Baked and Breaded Ravioli

We made Baked and Breaded Ravioli last night for dinner. Got the idea from our wonderful friends the Delligers, but sorta followed a recipe we found online. We used Buitoni cheese ravioli and dipped them in pizza sauce. :) They were definitely very crunchy, but a little different than we expected. The cheese was completely dried up; it was almost like eating a hollow chip! Not bad, just not what we expected.

Points + = 10 per serving. The Buitoni container makes 2 1/2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (25 ounce) package cheese ravioli, thawed if frozen
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
2. Beat together the egg white and water in a small bowl. Mix bread crumbs, oregano, basil, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
3. Dip each ravioli in the beaten egg, and then roll in the bread crumb mixture. Spray both sides of breaded ravioli with cooking spray; place on the wire rack.
4. Bake breaded ravioli in preheated oven until golden brown and crispy, 15 to 25 minutes.

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

A couple nights ago we made Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese, a recipe we found in the April 2012 edition of Cooking Light magazine.

Points+ = 10 per serving (4 servings)

We followed the recipe fairly closely, but used about 5 pieces of microwave bacon instead of regular and we just added the broccoli to the pasta the last two minutes of cooking time. We also used Smart Taste Penne for the pasta.

This was pretty good. Not amazing, but I'd eat it again.

Ingredients

3 cups broccoli florets

8 ounces uncooked rigatoni

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

2 ounces reduced-fat processed American cheese, cut into pieces $

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1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)

Preparation

1. 1. Steam broccoli 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Pat dry, and keep warm. Cook pasta in boiling water in a large saucepan for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain and keep warm. Wipe pan with paper towels, and return to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the flour mixture in pan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, and remove from heat. Add American cheese; stir until smooth. Stir in sliced green onions and the remaining ingredients. Stir in broccoli and pasta; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 413
• Fat: 13.3g
• Saturated fat: 7.5g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.4g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g
• Protein: 19.6g
• Carbohydrate: 53.4g
• Fiber: 3.8g
• Cholesterol: 39mg
• Iron: 2.8mg
• Sodium: 772mg
• Calcium: 317mg

Italian Meatball Sliders with Spinach and Mozzarella Salad

We made these Italian Meatball Sliders last week, also. The recipe was from the March 2012 edition of Cooking Light, page 70.

We made them into regular size burgers instead of sliders. We doubled the recipe (mainly because the amounts of meat we had worked out more evenly that way) and froze 6 of them for later. We made a lot of changes to this recipe and the salad that went along with it (see below).

We omitted:
- the basil
- the toasting of the Panko

We substituted:
- regular onion for shallots
- (about a tablespoon?) dried parsley for fresh
- 3/4 pound ground turkey (we doubled it) for the pork
- 5 chicken and pork sausages (we doubled it) for the turkey sausages
- Sandwich Thins instead of buns

We added:
- mozzarella to the burger (using an ounce a piece between burger and salad)

Points+ =  12 for burger and salad

(sandwich thin- 3 pts, 1 oz mozzarella- 2 pts, burger- 6 pts, 1 tsp olive oil [dressing marinade]- 1 pt)

Burger Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 shallots, finely diced

1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), toasted

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 ounces lean ground pork

2 (4-ounce) links turkey Italian sausage, casings removed

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce

12 slider buns, toasted

12 basil leaves

Preparation

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add garlic and shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until shallots are softened, stirring frequently. Combine shallot mixture, ricotta, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl. Shape mixture into 12 (1-inch) meatballs; flatten each meatball slightly.
2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add meatballs to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning once. Add marinara sauce; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until meatballs are done. Top bottom half of each bun with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce, 1 meatball, 1 basil leaf, and top half of bun.

Salad

Again we changed A LOT! We used sweet peppers and white onion and marinated them in the dressing from the orange-avocado salad that we made previously (olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, substituting a little apple cider vinegar for the orange juice). We also added romaine to the spinach.

Original Recipe

Combine 1 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper, 1 cup sliced red onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Add 6 cups baby spinach, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss. Top with 6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mozzarella. CALORIES 98; FAT 7.3g (sat 2.3g); SODIUM 167mg