Spicy Walnut Broccolini

I hate to admit that I didn't snap a photo of side dish before we ate it but it's still worth posting. It's one of those side dishes that even though it's a Weight Watchers recipe, it doesn't really need to be one. We'll eat this on a diet or off. I will probably try it with broccoli as well for a cheaper option that I usually already have all the ingredients for. We'll see!

Spicy Walnut Broccolini

serves 2

1 bunch broccolini

1 tablespoon margarine

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Boil 1" of water in a large skillet. Add broccolini, cover, and cook 4 minutes. It should be tender, but not mushy (watch it because it can quickly cross the line). You'll also want to flip it once during cooking. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, stir together margarine, walnuts, lemon zest, and red pepper in a small bowl.

3. Wipe the skillet dry and return to medium - high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add broccolini and walnut butter to pan. Saute 2 minutes or until hot. Serve immediately. 

Nutrition (per 1/2 recipe):

         2 weight watchers points+

Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

People on diets often use cauliflower as a substitute for some carbs - mashed "potatoes" and "breadsticks" are the ones that I've tried. They are usually pretty good but never the same. I found this recipe as part of the Paleo-friendly blog I found on Pinterest. I tried the original recipe (without the paleo substitutes) and liked it but it needed a few changes. I didn't really care for the basil, cilantro, and mint. Otherwise the recipe is pretty much the same as how I usually make fried rice. 

As a main dish it probably would be enough to replace a craving for some good fried rice. However, as a side dish it was a perfect substitute to get rid of all those points from the carbs. You pulse the cauliflower until it's the size of rice and then cook it just like fried rice - so it really does taste close to the same. I'm definitely keeping this in my book to use as a fried "rice" for asian side dishes. I recommend it with the Mongolian Beef in my blog. It was quite a tasty pair. :)

Cauliflower Fried “Rice”

Serves 4

1 small head cauliflower, separated

2 eggs

½” knob of ginger, minced

1 garlic cloved, minced

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

4 oz sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Put cauliflower segments into a food processor and pulse until the size of rice.

2. Whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Spray a skillet heated over medium heat. Pour eggs into skillet and cook into a thin omelet. Remove and thinly slice.

3. Increase heat to medium high. Add chopped onions and sliced mushrooms. Cook until light browned and softened, about 5-6 minutes.

4. Add ginger and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add cauliflower pieces. Lower heat to medium, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be tender but not mushy.

5. Add soy sauce and sliced omelet. Serve hot.

Nutrition (1/4 recipe):

2 Weight Watchers Points+

Original Recipe inspiration - http://paleoparents.com/2013/paleo-p-f-changs-recipe-recreation-round-up/

Mongolian Beef

You probably know by now that I've been trying out a lot of Weight Watchers recipes and that I love Chinese food. So when I found a paleo website on Pinterest that had adapted P.F. Chang's recipes into Paleo-friendly recipes, I pinned almost all of them. If you want the actual paleo recipe, you can find it here - http://paleoparents.com/2013/paleo-p-f-changs-recipe-recreation-round-up/. My version, below, uses the regular ingredients rather than the paleo substitutes. I did however adjust it a little bit to make it more WW friendly.

I recommend serving it with Cauliflower Fried "Rice".

Note: This recipe could be for either 4 or 6 people, depending on how much you want to serve each person. I've included the points for both serving sizes at the bottom.

Mongolian Beef

Serves 4 - 6

1½ pound stir-fry beef (1” x 1.5” pieces)

3 tablespoons flour

1½ teaspoons garlic, minced

¾ teaspoon ginger, minced

⅓ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup green onions, cut into 1” pieces

1. Lightly dredge the beef in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Coat with cooking spray and add beef. Cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2. Coat the skillet again with cooking spray. Saute garlic and ginger for 90 seconds.

3. Pour in soy sauce and water. Simmer 3 minutes.

4. Stir in molasses and brown sugar until dissolved. Simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Be careful not to let it burn.

5. Add the beef and green onions to the pan and toss to coat. Cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve immediately while still hot.

Nutrition (1/6 recipe):

5 Weight Watchers Points+

Nutrition (1/4):

8 Weight Watchers Points+