Great idea, AM! I have been thinking I really need to get serious and drop a few pounds. It's tough to do when you love to cook, tho!

Here are a few good ones.

Potato Gratin
From Weight Watchers Easy Weeknight Favorites
5 points per 1 c serving

1 garlic clove, halved
Cooking Spray
1 c chopped onion
6 medium size baking potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c grated romano cheese
1-3/4 c chicken broth
1 c evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425F.Rub a shallow 3 quart baking dish with cut sides of garlic halves, discard garlic. Coat dish with cooking spray

Coat non-stick skillet with cooking spray, place over medium heat until hot. Add onion, saut5 minutes or until tender; set aside. Arrange one third of potato slices in prepared dish, sprinkle with half of the salt and half of the pepper. Top with half of the sautéed onions and half of the cheddar and romano cheeses. Repeat layers, ending with the remaining potato slices.

Bring broth and milk to a boil over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour over potato mixture. Bake uncovered, at 425F for 50 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Steak With Marsala Sauce
From "Eat and Stay Slim" cookbook
3 meat & 1 vegetable exchange (I calculated 6.5 points per serving)

1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak cut one inch thick
Cooking spray
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c sliced onion, separated into rings
1/3 c dry marsala wine
1/4 c water
2 T snipped parsley
1/2 tsp instant beef boullion granules
Dash ground pepper

Trim separable fat from steak. Place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 inches from heat for 5 minutes, turn and broil 3-7 minutes more or until done to your liking.

Meanwhile spray a medium saucepan with cooking spray. Preheat the pan over medium heat, add mushrooms and onions. Cook and stir until tender. Stir in marsala, water, parsley, beef boullion and pepper. Boil gently, uncovered, for about 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup.

To serve, slice steak, serve sauce over slices. Yield 4 servings

Fantastic! Thanks for setting this up!

Meatloaf with Bell Pepper & Onion
(5 pts each slice) Serves 8

1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup (divided)
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
1 egg white
2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400°
Chop the veggies, microwave for about 2 minutes. Then mix everything together, saving 1/2 cup ketchup for the top of the meatloaf.
Shape into loaf,top with ketchup and bake for 45 - 50 mins.
per serving: (1 slice) 224 Cal, 6g fat, 2g sat fat, 1 g trans fat, 62 mg chol, 695 sod, 16 g carbs, 1g Fib, 26 g Prot, 37 mg Calc.
I made this tonight and it's delicious.

Not so much a recipe but a tip. When I feel like having a huge plate of pasta, I use "al dente" cauliflower instead of noodles. It is soooo good. I put my sauce on top and sprinkle on some parmasan and lots of pepper.
Here's a very good tortilla soup from allrecipes (which is slightly altered sans bad stuff as in the tortillas)
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 (1 pound) package frozen pepper and onion stir fry mix
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons ground cumin
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 3 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
* 4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn
*
* sprinkle Cheddar cheese
* some chopped avocado
Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the pepper and onion stir fry mix, garlic, and cumin, and cook 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Mix in the tomatoes and chile peppers. Pour in the broth, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes.
2. Mix corn into the soup, and continue cooking 5 minutes. . Top with cheese and avocado.

Here's my all time favorite pork roast recipe from Cooking Light:

APPLE CIDER BRINED PORK ROAST

3 cups apple cider
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
¼ cup salt
1 tbls black peppercorns
1 tbls coriander seeds
1 2 lb. Pork loin, trimmed
2 cups cider
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh sage
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat, cool, and pour into a Ziploc bag or container big enough to hold the pork loin. Add pork, seal and let marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350, bring 2 cups cider to a boil over medium high heat. Boil until cider is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Remove pork from bag or container and discard brine. Place pork on broiler pan or baking dish and lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and bake about 1 hour, until pork is done, basting twice with the reduced cider in the last 20 minutes of baking. Remove from oven, baste with remaining cider reduction. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8

200 calories per 4 oz. Serving, 6 grams fat

Annie

This is not a WW recipe but is a nice low fat way to cook firm fish like cod or halibut. I've also made shrimp this way or 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 fish. If you do the prep work on the vegetables except the tomatoes the day before or in the morning, it's a quick dinner.

FISH STEW

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, cut in half crosswise and cut lengthwise into thin slivers
1 large unpeeled zucchini, cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and then into julienne slivers
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 peeled carrot, cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and then into julienne slivers
1 large stalk celery, cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and then into julienne slivers
3 large ripe tomatoes, cut in half crosswise and cut lengthwise into thin slivers
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 pound firm white fish, cut crosswise into strips 1 inch wide
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, zucchini, garlic, carrot and celery; saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

Stir in tomatoes, wine, broth and parsley. Cover, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add fish, stirring gently. Cover and cook another 5 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4 servings.

These are great. I will try to post when I get home.

This is from Clean Eating magazine...it's YUMMY! (when you can grill) and for those trying to reduce carbs somewhat...flank steak is a wonderful lowfat cut. I have made it without jicima when I can't find it...just improvise. use seeded cucumbers or something...:-)

Grilled Flank Steak with salsa

EVOO

2 lbs of flank steak

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup ripe tomatoes diced

1 small green pepper seeded and diced

½ cup jicama, finely diced

¼ cup white onion, finely diced

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped (I use cilantro)

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey (I omit)

I add some hot pepper flakes to taste

Instructions:

Coat a stovetop grill pan or griddle with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high.

Season both sides of steak with salt and black pepper to taste. Place steak on hot pan and cook 5 minutes per side for medium doneness. Remove steak from pan and let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing. ( I grill it)

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, green pepper, jicama, onion, chives, vinegar and honey: then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice steak, across the grain, into thin strips. Serve with the tomato-jicama mixture spooned over top.

This is one from the Slimmer Dinners series:

Skillet Chili Beans and Fish - serves 4

2 teasp olive oil
2 celery stalks diced finely (2.5 oz)
1 medium onion finely chopped (4 oz)
1 clove garlic minced
One 14 1/2 oz tin of whole tomatoes, crushed and undrained
One 15 oz can of butter beans, drained
1/2 teasp chili powder
1/2 cup (4 oz) dry white wine
4 boneless white fish fillets (1 lb) cut into cubes
2 TBS chopped flat leaf parsley
freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a nonstick saucepan or large frying pan. Add the garlic, celery and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the crushed tomatoes and their liquid, the drained beans and the chili powder. Stir and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

3. While the above is simmering, heat the wine in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add the cubed fish and poach gently until just cooked, about 3 or 4 minutes.

4. Add the undrained fish/wine from the saucepan to the bean and tomato mixture in the frying pan. Stir and add the parsley and pepper to taste.

5. Serve immediately with basmati rice

Glycemic Index Value: 27
Calories 223
Fat 5 g
Carbohydrate 23 g
Fiber 6

Source: Adapted from: "The Glucose Revolution - The Authoritative Guide to The Glycemic Index"

******************************************************************************

Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo)

A garlic soup recipe from the Island of Mallorca.

Ingredients:

9 oz (250 grams approx) *shaved dry brown bread
6 garlic cloves
6 fine stalks spring onions
1 small cabbage
2 medium size ripe tomatoes
fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1 teaspoon red sweet pimento powder
salt
water

* Note: this refers to a type of local bread often used in soups (sopas) as a
way of using up stale bread. It's a round, flat and heavy tan-coloured dense country bread loaf which is sliced crosswise paper thin, the cut pieces having a half-moon
shape and being as thin as a slice of salami. (An electric meat slicer does the
job well if you can find a heavy loaf of brown country bread.)

Method:

Heat the oil in an open, shallow casserole dish and add the peeled garlic cloves;
remove them when browned and set aside. Add the finely chopped spring
onions to the oil and when lightly golden add the finely chopped cabbage.
Stir fry together then add the pimiento powder and enough water to cover all.

Mash the browned garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle, add a little water
to dilute the paste then add to the casserole. Season with salt and cook until
tender at a low heat on the stove top. Then add the bread slices, scooping
up the cabbage mixture and piling it on top of the bread to sink it down.
Let return to a boil and remove from the stove. This soup is usually brought
to the table and served out of the same casserole.

I don't have a photo of the finished product but I do have my Mallorquin clay
casserole which is what is normally used. Called a *greixonera* I brought
mine from Mallorca 20 years ago and whatever comes out of it tastes
wonderful. It works equally well in the oven or on an open gas flame.

****************************************************

Baked Lettuce & Cheese (Lechuga al Queso)

For 2 persons:

2 heads of lettuce
4 TBS butter
4 TBSP grated cheese
salt, white pepper and water

1) Remove damaged outer leaves from lettuce, wash and put in saucepan in boiling salted water. Cook 10 minutes.

2) Remove from pan and rinse under cold water. Drain.

3) Cut each lettuce in two lengthwise, fold the pieces in half and place them in a buttered baking dish.
Sprinkle with pepper and cheese and dot with the rest of the butter.

4) Put the dish in the oven for about 5 minutes and serve the dish at the table.

Source: 'Cocina Balear' - Ana Maria Calera

*****************************************************************

Fresh Garden Peas with Lettuce

1 large onion, sliced
1 young lettuce, broken into largish pieces
1/2 lb fresh peas
butter
sugar - about 1 TBSP (optional or use less)
salt & pepper

1) Sauté a large sliced onion in a little butter, then transfer to a large saucepan, add lettuce and shelled peas.

2) Add a little more butter, salt & pepper to taste and the sugar. Mix well and add a little water. Bring to the boil and then simmer very slowly with lid on, until peas are tender, about seven minutes.

Source: 'The Bar we Found' - Anne Oates - Palma de Mallorca 1972

SharonCb

I love this thread, we are trying to eat much less red meat. Sharon, I remember making a whole wheat pasta with lots of veggies that I think was one of your slimmer dinners. I loved it but lost the recipe, can you repost that one?

Thanks,

Lee

Here it is Lee. I also liked this one.

Here's another in the series of slimming dinners based on foods that rate low on the glycemic index.

Mediterranean Spaghetti With Pesto and Vegetables

Serves 2

Ingredients:

wholewheat spaghetti for 2 portions

Pesto

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 teasp salt
1/4 teasp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teasp water

Place all ingredients except olive oil and water in food processor. Add oil and water slowly while machine is running,
and process until mixture is creamy, using spatula to wipe down sides of container as needed.

Ingredients for Spaghetti vegetables:

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic finely sliced
parmesan, salt & pepper
8 - 10 black olives
olive oil for stir frying

Grilled Vegetables:

2 small courgettes sliced lengthwise
leek hearts - two to four white centres of leek (or use celery sticks) about 4 inches long
3 - 4 fresh Italian plum tomatoes (or tomatoes similar in size)
Romaine lettuce and chopped flat parsley to garnish
avocado halved
olive oil, balsamic vinegar
salt and FG black pepper

1. Prepare pesto as above and set aside.

2. Slice grill vegetables and prepare serving platter with lettuce and avocado
Put 2 TBS oil on grillpan and when heated, add courgette halves, tomatoes and leek hearts or celery
Cook on medium heat, turning once until lightly browned but not overdone.
Arrange on lettuce on prepared serving platter and sprinkle with oil, balsamic vinegar, S & P and chopped parsley

3. Prepare spaghetti vegetables and stirfry in 1 or 2 TBS oil until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile cook spaghetti to al dente in boiling salted water to which a few drops of oil were added.
(Wholewheat takes a little longer - check package.)

4. Drain spaghetti and return to pot, mixing in the diced vegetable mixture and pesto.
Serve on heated plates, add black olives as garnish and top with grated parmesan.

5. Serve room temperature grilled vegetables from platter on dining table.

Source: Created from List of Low Glycemic Index Foods

My Notes: This meal was one I put together with one eye on the green list of
diet friendly low GI foods. Carrots are low GI when raw (30) and high GI when cooked (85).
It's amazing how vegetables can be more fattening depending on how you cook them,
so avoid overcooking them and keep them crisp.

SharonCb

magothyrivergir posted her recipe for Pork Chops stuffed with Feta & Spinach on this very board. Here's a link to her wonderful photo and recipe, complete with nutritional info.

I do agree that next time I make recipe, I'll reduce the lemon rind to 1/4 teaspoon. Be sure, for WW purposes, that you use only 4-4 oz pork chops...nothing larger.

I entered the nutritional info into WW and it comes out to 5 points/serving. I've made this, and it is quite good. I served it with a mix of white/brown/wild rice and a salad made of Romaine lettuce, 1/2 pear (sliced), 1 tsp of Maytag blue cheese & 2 tsp of Brianna's Blush Wine Vinagarette.

Thanks Magot!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta & Spinach

I love the creamless cream of mushroom soup from a local store (Stew Leonard's). Each serving is only 1 point and it's very filling. I need to do a search for the recipe - I know it has brown rice in it to give it the "creamy" texture without any cream.

Anyone have any recipe that might fit the bill?

Of course, I could just keep buying it by the truckload and freezing....

AM

AM we don't have Stew Leonard's here so I don't know how this will compare. I have this in my to try file and others have certainly liked it a lot. It was posted on the Mushroom thread. Don't be put off by the length of the post, I included the comments that were on the original post.

Lee

RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

* Posted by dishesdone (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 10:32

Renee, this has no cream and it's a fabulous soup. Delicious. It has butter, but I suppose you can use a nice olive oil!

Mushroom Soup (posted SusanQ at GB's ~ I found this on Epicurious and posted some of the reader's comments as well. One comment suggests making parmesan croutons which I used and were a wonderful addition)

Makes 4 servings.
By Anthony Bourdain with Jose de Meirelles and Philippe Lajaunie Bloomsbury

6 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, thinly sliced 12 ounces button mushrooms 4 cups light chicken stock or broth 1 sprig of flat parsley Salt and pepper 2 ounces high-quality sherry (don't use the cheap grocery-store variety; it's salty and unappetizing and will ruin your soup)

Equipment Medium saucepan Wooden spoon Blender (I used an immersion blender)

In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.

After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom purée to erupt all over your kitchen?
When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately.

To astound your guests with a Wild Mushroom Soup, simply replace some of those button mushrooms with a few dried cèpes or morels, which have been soaked until soft, drained, and squeezed. Not too many; the dried mushrooms will have a much stronger taste, and you don't want to overwhelm the soup. Pan sear, on high heat, a single small, pretty, fresh chanterelle or morel for each portion, and then slice into a cute fan and float on top in each bowl.

And if you really want to ratchet your soup into pretentious (but delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the surface just before serving. Why the hell not? Everybody else is doing it.

reviews cookykamp on 12/06/06 This soup was an awesome surprise. Imagine, a mushroom soup with no cream that is absolutely to die for! And so easy too. I topped mine with home-made garlic roasted croutons and fresh grated parmesan. Can't wait to try this with Portobellas and beef broth. YUM-O!

akalish from New York, NY on 10/30/06 This recipe is amazing, but a few changes are imperative. I used portobello mushrooms because I had them on hand, and I allowed the onions to brown to deepen the flavor (and because I knew the portobellos would darken the soup anyway). I did not bother with the sherry since I didn't have any on hand, nor the parsley because my chicken broth was already quite flavorful. I used a hand blender to make the process a bit easier, and allow it to cool so I could de-fat it the next day since my guests prefer lighter foods. Most importantly(!!!), I finished the soup with a few drops of black truffle oil, which was pungently delicious. I also took a baguette, sliced it and topped each slice with some freshly grated parmesean. I melted them in the oven, inevitably making frico alongside the croutons, until the bread was nice and crusty. I put a crouton in each soup (serving as a garnish) and served a plate of extra croutons and frico on the table alongside the soup. The black truffle oil and the parmesean-croutons MADE this soup. It was phenomenal. This is at the top of my list for my next dinner party. Delicious! And FYI: when I say crouton, I do mean baguette slices, not cubes--more like crostini but without brushing them with oil and baking them first.

A Cook from Palo Alto, CA on 10/27/06 wonderful flavor! I doubled the recipe and added one half ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and added the strained mushroom liquid to the broth. I was very glad I doubled the recipe!

malby from NYC on 01/16/06 Made this for my second Christmas in a row--guests actually requested it before RSVPing! We loved it again, and I played with it this year by picking up a dried wild mushroom stir-fry mix. Re-moistened the mushrooms as the package instructed and used the reserved water in addition to the chicken stock. Wow!

Adina A from Philadelphia, PA on 11/13/05 A very simple yet elegant and complex soup. One way to make it even easier to make is to put the mushrooms and onions in the cuisinart before you fry them. That way you don't have to whiz them after the sou

I just got this by email from Midwest Living, I love corn chowder. I wouldn't probably use the chicken bouillion (because I'd have to buy some!) I'd add 1/3 cup of chicken stock instead of the water and dried bouillion. Anyway, I think I'll make it next week sometime, it would make great lunches.

Midwest Corn Chowder
4 side-dish servings
Start to Finish: 25 minutes

1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup cubed, peeled potato (1/2 medium)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon white or black pepper
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons non-fat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon cooked bacon pieces

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, stir together corn, potato, onion, water, chicken bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or just until the corn and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the 1-1/2 cups milk.

2. In a small bowl, stir together dry milk powder and flour. Gradually stir in the 1/4 cup milk until mixture is smooth. Stir milk-flour mixture into corn mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with bacon pieces. Makes 4 side-dish or 2 main-dish servings.

Servings Per Recipe 4 side-dish servings
Calories 158
Total Fat (g) 1
Cholesterol (mg) 4
Sodium (mg) 373
Carbohydrate (g) 31
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 8
Vitamin A (DV%) 4
Vitamin C (DV%) 16
Calcium (DV%) 19
Iron (DV%) 4

Annie

this one isn't WW, but from Cooking Light. There is nothing light about the taste. I am watching fat, not carbs, so this one works for me!
White Chili
Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
* 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 3 15-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed
* 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 4 cups diced cooked skinless turkey, or chicken
* 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chiles, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in beans and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add turkey (or chicken) and vinegar; cook for 5 minutes more. Serve.
   **from Cooking Light Magazine Fall of 2004**

Thanks Lee - I'll try it!

These all look like great recipes.

Thanks for the (th)inspiration, everyone!

AM

Thanks Sharon, I'll be making this again as soon as I can grow enough basil for a small batch of pesto - my freezer stash is gone.

AM, I'm going to try the mushroom soup too, but I think I will cut way back on the butter. If I think it needs more, I'll add it at the end. I'll probably use part olive oil also.

Lee

The crème fraiche thread got me thinking. Can you get hold of 4% fat crème fraiche? It makes a lovely salad dressing mixed with s&p, loads of chopped chives and a squeeze of lemon juice. I love that mix on baked potatoes and it's only :
2 coffee spoons = 0 points
2 soup spoons = 0.5 point
so it's a great addition to our recipes.
Full fat is 1 point per 2 coffee spoons
15% fat is 1 point per 2 soup spoons.

If you're reducing fat in your diet, here's an alternative to steamed clams dipped in melted butter.

CLAMS WITH WINE AND GARLIC serves 4

4 oz. Italian bread, cut into 8 slices
1 clove garlic, halved, plus 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped, or 1/3 cup chopped scallions
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
24 littleneck clams
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

In a toaster oven or under the broiler, toast the bread on both sides. Rub both sides of the toast with the cut garlic.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot over medium heat. Add the shallots and minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, oregano and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

Add the clams to the skillet, cover, and cook just until the clams open up, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to 4 shallow bowls, discarding any clams that have not opened. Stir the parsley into the skillet and spoon the sauce over the clams. Place two slices of garlic toast in each bowl and serve.

Here's one I made last night and served with orzo and some steamed julienned carrots and zucchini.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH LEEKS & SHITAKES (2 servings 330 calories each)

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 Tbs. flour
3 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, trimmed and sliced
4 oz. shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/8 tsp. salt
Sprinkle of ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried

Place chicken on a plate and sprinkle all over with flour. Reserve the excess flour.

Heat 2 tsp. oil in nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tsp. of oil, leek and mushrooms to the pan. Cook over med-high heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender.

Sprinkle the reserved flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Add broth, wine, salt and coriander and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer, turning the chicken occasionally, until it is cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tarragon and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

That looks really nice.... I love orzo.

Here's one I'm hoping to try this week. If I like it, I'll post it to the new recipes thread:

Senegalese Peanut Stew with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes

POINTS® value : 4
Servings : 6
Preparation Time : 23 min
Cooking Time : 48 min
Level of Difficulty : Easy

soups : This African stew pairs cayenne with peanut butter to make a comforting winter warmer.

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 medium onion(s), roughly chopped
1 medium green pepper(s), cored and roughly chopped
1/2 pound(s) sweet potato(es), peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium carrot(s), peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
2 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cup(s) vegetable broth, reduced-sodium
6 Tbsp peanut butter, natural, creamy variety
8 cup(s) spinach, leaves, stemmed, packed, chopped
Instructions

Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potato, carrots and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the ginger, cloves, salt and cayenne; cook for 30 seconds.

Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly, stirring once in a while, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the spinach; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.
Notes

Keep the heat low as the soup simmers so the peanut butter doesn't break (that is, in culinary terms, "doesn't fall out of suspension" or separate).