Southwestern Black-Eyed Pea And Corn Salad

Black-eyed peas illustrate their all-around usefulness in recipes ranging from Black-Eyed Pea Hummus or Texas Caviar Salad to Hoppin John with Grits Polenta. Black-eyed peas are great in soups, salads, sides, and main dishes, you can make them for virtually any meal.

Ingredients:

• 1   medium bell pepper
• 1   small red onion
• 2  15 1/2 ounce cans black-eyed peas
• 1  15 1/4 ounce can corn kernels, no salt added
• 3   tablespoons canola oil
• 2   tablespoons vinegar
• 1   teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

  
  

  Directions:

   

  1. Rinse and dice bell pepper, removing core and seeds. Peel and dice onion.

  2. Add the diced pepper and onion to a large serving bowl.

  3. Drain and rinse canned black-eyed peas and canned corn kernels in a colander.

  4. Add corn and peas to serving bowl.

  5. Measure and add the canola oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, and black pepper to the pea mixture. Mix well.

  6. If using cilantro, rinse and tear the leaves into smaller pieces and add to salad. Mix well before serving.

   

  Tips:

  
  

  1. Try chilling the salad and serving it over spinach or kale. For slightly varied flavor, use any type of vinegar you have on hand, such as balsamic vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, etc.

   

  Source: bhg.com

Buffalo-Style Chicken Fingers

Love wings but not the mess of preparing and cooking them? Substitute this neat-to-eat chicken breast version, which can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated.

Ingredients:

•  1   cup crushed corn flakes
•  1   tablespoon finely snipped parsley
•  1/4  teaspoon salt
•  1   pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
•  1/3  cup bottled blue cheese salad dressing
•  2   teaspoons water
•  1 - 2   teaspoons bottled hot pepper sauce
•  Celery sticks
•  Bottled blue cheese salad dressing

   

  Directions:

   

  1. Combine crushed corn flakes, parsley, and salt in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Cut chicken breasts into strips about 3/4 inch wide and 3 inches long. Combine the 1/3 cup dressing, water, and hot pepper sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken; stir to coat. Roll chicken pieces individually in crumb mixture to coat. Place strips on a foil-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

  2. To serve, heat oven to 425 degree F. Place frozen chicken strips in a single layer in a lightly greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink in center and crumbs are golden. Serve warm with celery sticks and additional blue cheese dressing for dipping. Makes 12 servings.

   

  Make Ahead Tip Make Ahead Tip Place frozen strips in a freezer container. Cover and freeze up to 1 month.

   

  Source: bhg.com

Kale Salad

Take a break from the same old lettuce salad. Try this creative mix of kale, tomato, and sweet pepper tossed with a captivating Asian dressing.

Ingredients: 

• 3   cups finely chopped fresh kale leaves
• 1   plum tomato, chopped
• 1/3  cup chopped red sweet pepper
• 1/4  cup pitted ripe olives, quartered lengthwise
• 3   radishes, thinly sliced and halved if desired
• 2   green onions, sliced
• 2   tablespoons raw sunflower kernels

Asian Dressing:

• 3   tablespoons lemon juice
• 3   tablespoons water
• 2   tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2   teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4  teaspoon garlic powder

   

  Directions:

  
  

  1. In a large bowl, combine kale, tomato, sweet pepper, olives, radishes, green onions, and sunflower kernels. Toss gently to mix.

  2. Drizzle Asian Dressing over vegetables. Toss gently to coat. Makes 4 (1-cup) side-dish servings.

   

  NoteAsian Dressing: In a screw-top jar, combine lemon juice, water, reduced-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cover and shake well. Chill until ready to serve or for up to 1 week. Makes 1/2 cup.

   

  Source: Food.com

Salisbury Steak: 30-Minute Meal

When is a hamburger not a hamburger? When it’s a Salisbury steak, a 19th-century invention named for the doc, J.H. Salisbury, who was big on high-protein diets. Classic Salisbury steak combines ground beef with onions, bread crumbs, eggs, and various spices and herbs. It’s formed into a steak shape (not a patty), is traditionally broiled, not fried, as a burger is, and it can be served with a brown gravy or other meaty sauce.

Salisbury steak is distinctly old-school, but it remains a delicious alternative to plain old burgers. Especially when you give that old-school recipe a distinctly new-school twist. And these “superburgers” take just about a half-hour to make.

In this Asian Salisbury Steak recipe, all the basics are there, but when hoisin sauce and sherry are added, along with chopped red peppers and scallions, it becomes an irresistible nod to the East. These steaks are served on a bed of sautéd watercress, which makes them ultrahealthy.

Pasta with Baby Salisbury Steaks takes the classic broiled beef, makes each one a mini version, and combines it with pasta, tomatoes, and zucchini for a wonderfully complete one-dish dinner.

Ingredients:

•  12   ounces 90%-lean ground beef
•  3/4  cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 3/4  cup chopped scallions
• 1/4  cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 4   tablespoons hoisin sauce, divided
• 2   tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 3   teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 4  2 - 4  ounce bunch watercress, trimmed (16 cups)
• 1/2  cup Shao Hsing rice wine, (see Ingredient note) or dry sherry

   

  Directions: 

   

  1. Place rack in upper third of oven; preheat the broiler. Coat a broiler pan and rack with cooking spray.

  2. Gently mix beef, bell pepper, scallions, breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce and ginger in a medium bowl until just combined. Form the mixture into 4 oblong patties and place on the broiler-pan rack. Brush the tops of the patties with 1 teaspoon oil. Broil, flipping once, until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

  3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add watercress and cook, stirring often, until just wilted, 1 to 3 minutes. Divide the watercress among 4 plates. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add rice wine (or sherry) and the remaining 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce and stir until smooth, bubbling and slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Top the watercress with the Salisbury steaks and drizzle with the pan sauce.

   

  Tip:

   

  Ingredient Note: 

   

  Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing) is a seasoned rice wine available in most Asian specialty markets and some larger supermarkets' Asian sections.

   

  Nutrition information

   

  Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 303, Fat, total (g) 13, chol. (mg) 56, sat. fat (g) 4, carb. (g) 18, Monosaturated fat (g) 6, fiber (g) 2, pro. (g) 21, vit. A (IU) 3401, vit. C (mg) 83, sodium (mg) 392, Potassium (mg) 623, iron (mg) 3, Vegetables () 1, Other Carb () 1, Lean Meat () 1, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

   

  Source: recipe.com

  
  

Grilled Salmon With Herb Crust

Finely chopped herbs create a flavorful crust on this grilled salmon, which is low in both calories and sodium.

Ingredients:

• 12   ounces fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillets, 3/4-inch thick
• 1/3  cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/3  cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4  cup sliced green onion
• 1   clove garlic
• 1   tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2   teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/8  teaspoon pepper

Directions:

 

1. Thaw salmon, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into two (6-ounce) pieces. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a food processor or a mini-chopper combine oregano, cilantro, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until chopped. (Or, use a knife to finely chop oregano, cilantro, green onion, and garlic. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Stir in lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper.) Generously coat both sides of salmon with the herb mixture.

3. Cook the salmon on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals for 6 to 8 minutes or until the salmon just begins to flake easily with a fork. To serve, cut each salmon piece in half. Makes 4 servings.

Source: bhg

Low Fat Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix (any kind)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups Cool Whip, thawed (8 ounce container)
½ to 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, and Cool Whip. The batter will be sticky!

Form dough into tablespoonfuls and roll in powdered sugar.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden. Allow to cool 1 minute on baking sheet; then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Low Fat Baked Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

12 square saltine (soda) crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons low fat plain yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper (from the jar)
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
hot pepper sauce to taste
salt to taste
1 pound fresh crab meat, picked over for shells & cartilage
2 large egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together saltines and parsley. Stir in the yogurt, red pepper, water, lime juice, 2 to 3 dashes of hot sauce, salt to taste, and the crab meat. Lightly mix the egg whites with a fork and stir them in. It is important that the mixture be thoroughly combined.

3. Using your hands, form 16 crab cakes and arrange them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning the crab cakes with a spatula after 6 minutes. The crab cakes are done when they are browned and cooked through.

Nutrition Facts (for two crab cakes)-Amount Per Serving of 2 crab cakes

Calories 146, Calories From Fat (17%) 25, Total Fat 2.8g, Sat Fat .5g, Cholesterol 33.7mg, Sodium

452mg, Carbohydrates 16.25g, Dietary Fiber 0.7g, Sugar 0.38g, Net Carbs 15.5g, Protein 13.39g

WW POINTS per serving of 2 crab cakes:

Points Plus Program: 4 Old Points Program