Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

Posted on May 23, 2012 by

My wonderful hubby took me out to the Cheesecake Factory last Sunday.  If you don’t already know, they do have an amazing “Skinnylicious” menu,  It’s two full pages of scrumptious menu items to choose from that are 490 calories or less.

I decided to order the Mushroom Lettuce Wraps.  The at is out of the bag now.  Let me tell you, when they presented the plate onto the table, the couple across from us had to know what it was that I ordered because they couldn’t find it on the menu.  I had to let them know is was on the “Skinnylicious” menu.  And yes, they ordered it and loved it too.

I just couldn’t believe the incredible taste that was bursting in my mouth.  This was a no-brainer.  I HAD to make my own version of these.

My version comes out to 1 PP per serving, so this is great side dish would pair well with grilled teriyaki chicken and 1/2 cup of steamed white or brown rice.

So here is my knockoff recipe.

Ingredients

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Serves 2

1 PP per serving

  • 8 oz crimini, Portobello, and shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 8 Romaine lettuce leafs
  • 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoons Hoison Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • Non-stick spray

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat sprayed with non-stick spray.
Stir in mushrooms, ginger, cilantro and garlic; cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until mushroom liquid has evaporated.
Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice vinegar.
Reduce heat and simmer about 4-5 minutes to blend flavors.
Stir in chives just before serving.
Spoon filling into lettuce leaves, and garnish with the shredded carrots or as desired.

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I like adding the carrots because of the crunch and bright color it adds to the dish.

I am happy to report that I now have completed three days of tracking my PP.

Posted in vegatables | 2 Comments

White Wine Poached Salmon

Posted on May 22, 2012 by

Talk about frustration.  I could not get my website admin page to work in order for me to post last night.  I was about to throw my laptop out the window.  But, I didn’t want to pick up broken glass or laptop parts so I decided to shut of the PC for the evening. :)

Which leads me to the art of poaching.  Poaching seems so threatening to me.  My poached eggs leave a lot to be desired but the good news is I am not a fan of poached eggs anyway.  I actually never knew that the way I baked my salmon (covered in foil) in the oven was poaching too.  I have never tried to poach on the stove top.  But,what I found out is that it’s as easy as pie.  Wait, who ever said making pie was easy.  The only thing easy about pie is consuming it.  Sorry, I got off on a tangent there.  Back to poaching.

Poaching fish helps eliminate the fishy smell you can get in your kitchen with you grill or fry up fish.  The best part is that it can literally be done in about 10 minutes.

Ingredients

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Serves 2

8 PP per serving

  • 12 ounces salmon fillets
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup water
  • one shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon chives, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh sprig of cilantro

Directions

In a medium saute pan, add the wine, water, chives, salt and onions and bring to a simmer on medium heat.

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Place salmon fillets, skin-side down on the pan. Cover.

Cook 5 to 6 minutes. Do not overcook.

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Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper. Top with fresh cilantro sprig.

It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Oh I finally reached my bottom.  Seeing a recent photo of me was enough to get me to start tracking my food again.  I have successfully tracked my food for two whole days.  Let’s see how long I can keep it up.  This also means that I need to attend a WW meeting.  I am aiming for Friday morning.

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Ooey Gooey Nutella Brownies

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

Don’t you absolutely love a gooey brownie?  I much prefer that over the cake-like brownies.  I can imagine this one with a scoop of real vanilla bean gelato, or frozen vanilla yogurt.  I stumbled upon this recipe on my favorite place to browse, which is Pinterest.  And, since I am celebrating my daughter’s 2+2 Ceremony at HNU this evening, don’t you think that calls for some chocolate?

The recipe make 12 brownies.  You use a regular size muffin tin, but you don’t fill it up the way you do cupcakes.  And trust me, they are oh so sensual that you just won’t need more than one.

For the complete recipe go to Laura’s Sweet Spot.

They come in at 3 PP per brownie.  And trust me, they are worth those 3 PP.

Oh, did I mention that you only need three, yes, 3, ingredients?

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Nutella, Eggs, and Flour. The salt and chocolate chips are optional.  I personally like adding the salt.   There is something great that goes on in your mouth when you combine sweet and salty, don’t you  think?

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The chocolate chips make them look pretty, but totally not necessary to the already rich and chocolaty flavor in the brownie.

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Even if you don’t have something to celebrate, these are a must!

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Posted in dessert, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

Pork Chops

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

Boy oh boy am I ever so excited. Tomorrow evening we will be attending the 2+2 Ceremony at HNU for my daughter Caitlin (my first-born) .  I am so proud of how much she has accomplished over the past several years.  She still has 2 more years before she gets her BS in Nursing, but she definitely has a lot to be proud of.  I wish I had as much determination as that child.  If I did, then perhaps I would have had more confidence in myself.  I have always taken the high road in life.  Not my girl!  She speaks her mind and is true to herself.  She is unique, with a warm heart and soul.

Speaking of warm heart and soul,  I can’t believe how cold it is outside today.  Cold and windy.  I thought I would give this recipe a try to warm my insides.  I was watching an episode of “Chopped” where someone marinated their chops in coffee. I found this recipe on the Food Network site.

Ingredients

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Serves 2

9 PP per serving

  • 2 5-ounce pork chops,
  • 1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Combine the coffee, molasses, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and pork chops in zip-top bag; seal and shake to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove pork from the bag and set aside.

Pour the marinade into a saucepan; boil gently over medium-high heat, stirring, until reduced to 1/2 cup, 12 to 15 minutes.

In the meantime,Heat  skillet over medium high heat. Spray with non stick spray.  Add the chops and cook about 4 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes; serve with the glaze.

I served mine with brown rice.

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I hope you enjoy the chops. They were quite juicy. I used a pan that resembles a grill to obtain those beautiful grill lines on the chops.

Enough said. Tomorrow, right around 6:00 PM, I will be the proudest mom on earth, as I watch my daughter celebrate the next step in her journey on becoming a nurse.

Oh by the way, did I mention that she made the Dean’s list? These are the times that I say, maybe I didn’t do such a bad job raising my family after all.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Lemon Broccoli Spaghetti

Posted on May 14, 2012 by

I had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday.  We all went out to brunch in San Mateo.  The only thing missing was my baby girl who lives in Newport Beach.

My big girl showered me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers that came in a watering can.  So cute!  Even the hubby showered me with gifts.  Oh to be loved!

I haven’t been feeling well these days, and now there seems to be certain foods I need to avoid.  What a bummer because some of my favorites are on the list of food to avoid.

Coffee, chocolate, onions, tomatoes just to name a few.

Which brings me to even worse news.  When I was visiting the doctor’s office, they forced me to get on the scale.  I had not been on one of those contraptions since February.  I went from 132 to 141.  My goal weight should be 120.  I have been sabotaging myself for many months.  I am not looking for pity at all.  I knew exactly what I was doing.  I even had to go and buy a couple of pair of pants that I can actually fit into.  Not only that, but I haven’t been to a WW meeting since February either.

I am not sure I will be posting as many recipes on here.  I need to focus on my weight loss and not on making sure a great tasting recipe is up on my blog.  I have a few in store for this week, but you may see less in the coming months.

But for today, I know you will love this lemon based pasta dish.

Ingredients

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Serves 6

7 PP per serving

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
  • 1 bunch broccolini
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 oz spaghettini
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup honey

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add broccoli and garlic, then saute for 2 minutes.

Add honey, lemon juice, lemon peel and seasoning, then saute another 5 minutes.

Toss with noodles, salt and pepper to taste.

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Optional: For additional PP Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top.

Can be served hot, cold or at room temperature.

Posted in Pasta | 4 Comments