Cheesy Sunday Night Dinner

I watched Rachael Ray's new show this morning as I was enjoying my coffee and oatmeal. The new show is based on the concept of cooking a week's worth of food in one day. Then all you have to do is re-heat when the busy week commences. I fell in love with one dish, so I did the cooking for that today. I'll post the recipe and pictures on the night we actually eat it! Can't wait.

Since I was on a Rachael Ray kick, I pulled out a cookbook I was given a couple years ago. There are some really great quick recipes so I made one for dinner tonight. This dinner took me all of 15 minutes. WOW.

Gnocchi with Spinach and Gorgonzola
2 (10 oz) boxes of frozen chopped spinach
2 (14 to 16 oz) packages fresh gnocchi (I used DeLallo brand Tri-Color and Whole Wheat)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp chopped garlic (I used the jarred kind because its so quick and easy)
black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Defrost the spinach in the microwave according to package instructions. Drain in colander.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for gnocchi.

Place walnut in saute pan over medium heat and toast until fragrant, about 4 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and then the spinach, breaking up with spatula. Season with salt and pepper, add the stock and bring to a light boil. Add the Gorgonzola and stir until the cheese melts.

As the cheese is melting, add the gnocchi to the pot. Cook about 3 minutes, until the gnocchi start to float to the top. Drain, then add the spinach mixture to the drained gnocchi and toss to coat. Add in most of the walnuts. Serve topped with reserved walnuts.

We purchased a rotisserie chicken while we were at the store this afternoon. It went perfectly with the slightly heavy gnocchi.

This dish was a winner! Because it didn't require heavy cream for the sauce, this is relatively healthy. Although, I didn't like the whole wheat gnocchi as well as the regular or tri-color.

Zucchini Chicken Couscous

The second zucchini recipe for the week also comes from Weight Watchers, but I adapted this a bit since I didn't have mint, but I did have basil leftover from an earlier soup I'd made.

This was also easy to make--I think I had the whole thing ready in about 10 minutes. I bought a rotisserie chicken from the store on Sunday night and used it as the shredded chicken this recipe calls for.

Zucchini Chicken Couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
4 oz couscous
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
Salt and pepper to taste

Place medium stock pot over medium high heat. Add first five ingredients and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add couscous, stir and remove from heat. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and gently stir in chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2 for only 6 points each.

Before the couscous step

This tasted light and it was really filling. Next time I think I'll try to find mint as the original recipe suggested since ginger and mint and lemon go so well together. You could also substitute lime for the lemon and add cilantro instead of basil or mint. Easy to mix and match as you please.

Generous helping of the finished dish

Craving Pizza...Only Have Leftovers?

I had chicken leftover from my Buffalo Chicken Salad and I was craving pizza, after looking at my friend Susan's Italian Honeymoon pictures. What to do? Make a Buffalo Chicken Pizza!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

1 whole wheat pita
3 boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cooked
1 Tbsp Texas Pete's Buffalo Hot Sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp light mayo
1 Tbsp light sour cream
1 Tbsp skim milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 roma tomato, diced

Heat oven to 400. Dice chicken and toss with hot sauce. In a small bowl, mix together mayo, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and blue cheese. Spread blue cheese mixture on pita. Top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Top with chicken. Finish with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Place tomatoes on top and place back in oven for about 2 minutes. Slice in quarters and enjoy.

Makes 1 serving. I didn't skimp on the cheese so this was a little point heavy. I counted 8 points, but it was delicious and worth every one of them! I served it with a crisp iceberg salad topped with carrots and celery that I had leftover from the salad earlier in the week.

Some Like It Hot: Buffalo Chicken Salad

I love Buffalo Chicken wings--boneless, breaded, bone-in, naked, you name it. I can't handle quite as much heat as Brent can, but I think I hold my own. If you want some good wings and you're in Denver I recommend: Piper Inn (ride your motorcycle and get some fried rice too) or College Inn.

Last week, I decided to make my own but in the form of a salad with boneless, skinless chicken tenders. I was inspired by Ellie Krieger's recipe on foodnetwork.com and on her show: Healthy Appetite. It was good, but next time I need to make sure I have Franks or Texas Pete's hot sauce on hand. Chalula wasn't the flavor I really wanted.

Buffalo Chicken Salad
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
Hot sauce, to your heat tolerance
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn
3 cups romaine lettuce, torn
6 stalks celery, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
3 Tbsp light mayo
3 Tbsp light sour cream
3 Tbsp skim milk
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Cook tenders in skillet over med-high heat, flipping until cooked to 165. Remove from heat and toss with hot sauce until well coated--or until you think your mouth will be on fire--whichever you prefer. Meanwhile, toss lettuce, celery and carrots together. In a small bowl combine mayo, sour cream and milk. Stir in blue cheese crumbles. Plate salad, dressing and then tenders.

Serves 4. I counted 6 points for one serving.

Next time I think I'll add a little vinegar to the dressing mix. It wasn't as tangy as I would have liked it to be. And, as noted above, I'll use Franks or Texas Pete's Buffalo Sauce.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Figs and Blue Cheese

In last week’s search for dishes to fit into the menu plan, I ran across a meal for the slow cooker! I love using my slow cooker. I can come home for lunch, throw everything in the slow cooker and when I get home from work, dinner is ready! I already had polenta and onion as well as oranges for the zest. So I only needed a few more items.

Also, I’d never cooked with boneless, skinless chicken thighs—they were delicious! Even my mom, who doesn’t love dark meat, liked it. (She had leftovers over brown rice a couple days later.)

Chicken with Figs and Blue Cheese

1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp grated orange zest

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 package (8oz) dried mission figs, stems removed

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp flour
3 cups prepared polenta
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

In a bowl, stir together broth, vinegar, orange zest, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Coarsely chop figs. Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes per side until browned. Remove into slow cooker.

Add onion to skillet, sprinkle with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Pour in broth mixture and bring to a boil. Add all contents to slow cooker, including figs.

Cook in slow cooker for 5 hours on low (or 2 hours on high). When chicken is ready, prepare polenta. Serve chicken mixture over polenta and divide blue cheese over servings.

Makes 6 servings. I pulled it into my WW recipe builder and it came up with 7 points.

Brent’s comment: “ I could eat this over and over.” He loves blue cheese!

I loved it too! Next time I might add the figs in later in the cooking process so they aren’t as soft.