Lemon Pepper Salmon

Recipe straight from the kitchen of my mom, Sue!



This comes out to one Weight Watchers Points Plus value per ounce.

Ingredients:
Salmon filets
lemon pepper seasoning
non-stick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 2 glass baking pans with nonstick spray (or rub with extra virgin olive oil)
3. Rinse salmon, pat dry with a paper towel.
4. Cut slits in salmon filet every 2-3 inches apart so that each portion will get spices on all sides.
5. Cover generously with lemon pepper seasoning (to taste)
6. Separate salmon into thick/thin filets using kitchen shears. Put thick pieces of salmon in one pan, thin pieces in the other (since cooking times vary based on thickness, you can cook the thinner pieces for a shorter time and not overcook them)
7. Place thick filets in first, set timer for 5 minutes
8. Add second tray with thin filets, set timer for 25 (net cooking time of the thick filets is 30, thin is 25)
9. Take out of oven when cooking time complete, enjoy.

Curried Chickpeas (aka Chole or Chana Masala)

This recipe is from a hard copy cookbook I have by Anupy Singla, called The Indian Slow Cooker. Slow cookers aren't popular in India, but a lot of dishes do well in them because long cooking times in a lower heat setting can make the flavor blends simply amazing. We made this recipe a few weeks ago while my friend Katie was visiting, and Shyam commented it was some of the best chickpea curry he's ever had. He was a crockpot skeptic and is often critical of my cooking (in a kind, constructive way), so that say a lot about this recipe!

The entire batch per the measurements below comes out to 59 Weight Watchers Points Plus values, so if you divide into 12 servings, it's 5 Points Plus each. Not bad!

Ingredients

3 cups dried chickpeas, cleaned and washed thoroughly
1 medium yellow or red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
1 (2 inches) piece ginger, peeled and chopped or grated
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped, minced, or grated
4-6 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chilis, stems removed and chopped
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon chana masala
1 tablespoon red chile powder
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
12 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
thinly sliced red onion, for garnish
lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. Put all incrediences except the cilantro, red onion and lime wedges into a slow cooker.

2. Cook on high for 14 hours. Toward the end of the time, use the back of a large spoon to mash some of the beans against the wall of the slow cooker, or pulse 2-3 times with an immersion blender. This is to create a little bit of a 'paste' texture, but not critical to flavor. Then add the cilantro.

3. To serve, sprinkle sliced onions on top and eat with a lime wedge on the side, accompanied by roti or naan, or in a bowl over basmati or brown rice.

Suggested alternative from the author:
Toast a hamburger bun, place a slice of cheese on each half and a spoonful of chana masala in the middle. It's a fast and healthy veggie alternative to the open faced sandwich.

Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

I got this one from allrecipes.com, it was super easy to make, yummy, and filling. The curry flavor is not at all over powering and doesn't hint India too much. A great fall recipe, for sure!

Below is the actual recipe I made, which comes out to 5 Weight Watchers Points Plus values, plus any sour cream on top. The original recipe had 1 cup of half and half in it, 2 lbs of squash, and 2 pears. With the half and half, it comes to 7 points plus per serving. Below is the recipe as I had it in my WW eTools recipe builder:

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr 30 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 45 Min

Ingredients

3 1/2 pound(s) butternut squash
3 tsp margarine
1 medium onion(s), diced
2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)
2 tsp ginger root, minced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp table salt
4 cup(s) fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 medium pear(s), suggested - Bartlett, cut into 1 inch cubes (peeled/cored)
1 cup(s) half-and-half cream

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. 3. Roast in preheated oven until very soft, about 45 minutes.
4. Scoop the pulp from the peel, and reserve.
5. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.
6. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and bring to a boil. Stir in the pears and the reserved squash, and simmer until the pears are very soft, about 30 minutes.
7. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender. Puree in batches until smooth.
8. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the half and half, and reheat.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 169 Total Fat: 4.7g Cholesterol: 0mg




Link to original recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-baked-sweet-potato-fries/detail.aspx

The entire batch of these is 35 Weight Watchers Points Plus units. If divided into 6 servings (1 sweet potato per person), then it is 5 points plus per serving per eTools.

These were a hit with us, what a fun way to 'spice up' sweet potatoes!

Ingredients
6 sweet potatoes, cut into French fry wedge slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
1, In a plastic bag, combine the sweet potatoes, olive oil, taco seasoning, and cayenne pepper.
2, Close and shake the bag until the fries are evenly coated.
3. Spread the fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.