Keema Matar - Spiced Indian Lamb Patties

Yum, this is a "core" recipe, and super-delicious. It's really very different from your usual ground beef type dish. I make this with some brown rice and love it UP. It does require a lot of Indian spices, though - I made a trip to Central Market for a bunch of these a couple of years ago and am still using them - they go a long way.

• 1.25 lb lean ground lamb
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and diced small
• 1c frozen green peas, petite variety
• 3/4 c fat free yogurt
• 2 TB cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, with your hands or a wooden spoon, until thoroughly mixed. Form 12 patties, 2.5 to 3-in. Place on large baking sheet wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 min.

Preheat broiler or grill to high. Cook patties on grill rack or broiler pan, gently turning once, about 4-5 min per side. (Side note, I can never get these to actually stick together myself, I don't usually manage to turn them successfully. But, I end up with a delicious mess that's not really patty-like.)

Yields, 4 servings, 5 points each

Salisbury Steak

This was really terrific and is a WW "Core" recipe. The original recipe called for white rice, and you're welcome to substitute, but I made it with brown rice and increased the cooking time slightly.

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 c uncooked brown instant rice
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 large egg white
• Cooking spray
• 1.25 c presliced fresh mushrooms
• 2x 10.5 oz cans beef consomme
• 1.5 TB worstershire sauce
• 2 TB water
• 1.5 TB cornstarch

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, stir well. Divide into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a half inch thick patty.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, place over medium high heat. Add patties and cook 5 min on each side or until browned. Remove from skillet, set aside and keep warm.

Recoat skillet with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, saute over medium high heat 3 min. Add consomme and worstershire, cook 10 min. Return patties to skillet. Cover, reduce heat and simmer ~20 min, turning halfway through.

Remove patties, keep warm. Combine water and cornstarch, stir well. Add to broth mixture, bring to a boil, cook until thick, stirring constantly. Spoon gravy over patties, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings, 8 points each

Grandma's Tomato Sauce Recipe

This is a recipe I've made with my Italian grandmother for years, so there are no exact proportions. I encourage you to try this yourself and play around with it, based on what flavors appeal to you. It can either be cooked in a crock pot or a saucepan if you have less time. I definitely encourage you to make lots - you'll need more than you think for most pasta recipes and it's awesome frozen and reheated.

• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• ~4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 14 oz can tomato sauce
• (optional, requires less cooking time) Jar, prepared sauce
• 1 sweet onion diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup red wine
• (optional) 1 lb ground lean beef and/or ground sausage meat
• 2 tsp olive oil

In a deep saucepan (or frying pan if you're doing crock pot cooking), heat olive oil over medium heat, then add garlic and onion. Cook until onion is translucent but not browned. If making meat sauce, add ground meat and brown. If cooking in a crock pot, add these ingredients plus all the rest to the crock pot, and cook on low, covered, for a minimum of 2 hours, then an additional hour uncovered. If cooking in a saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan and cook on med heat until bubbly, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 min, at a minimum.  Ideally, this sauce is actually cooked on low for 2-3 days, with occasional stirring.  I advise you to hold some of the chopped herbs in reserve and then taste several times during the cooking process to assess flavor, adding more as needed.
Number of servings: variable, depending on what you're making, but don't be stingy if you're making lasagna or ziti! - 2 points for the whole batch if making vegetarian sauce, 18 points if making meat sauce, divide points by number of servings. Add 10 points if adding jar sauce to speed up cooking time.

Chicken Ragout with Potatoes and Olives

Just tried this one - YUM. Soooooo good. Really nice comfort food.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1.5 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of all visible fat
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large baking potato, cubed
• 10 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 c reduced fat chicken broth
• 1/4c dry white wine
• 1/2c chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper and sautee until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and the garlic, cook until the onion is just tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes, potato, olives, broth and wine. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potato tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.

Yield: 4 servings, 6 points each (306 cal, 9g fat, 3g fiber)

Kielbasa, Cabbage and Potato Stew

Great Winter recipe! This is also from that "Make it in Minutes" book and it's surprisingly quick to make. Not too much chopping.

• 3/4 lb turkey kielbasa, cut into small pieces
• 1 head green cabbage, cut into ribbons
• 3/4 lb new potatoes, cut into 3/4" chunks
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced(Ok, yes, I used presliced carrots)
• 1 3/4 c fat free chicken broth
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook the kielbasa in a large pot over medium high heat until it begins to brown, about three minutes. Add onion, cook another few minutes. Add the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, cover and cook. Stir occasionally until the potatoes & cabbage are tender, 15-18 min. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Yield: 4 servings, 5 points each

Tortellini with Prosciutto & Peas in Alfredo Sauce

I bought some new cookbooks for myself for New Year's and have been making some fabulous recipes from a WW "Make it in Minutes" cook book. This one's yummy.

• 1/2 lb refrigerated fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1/4 lb thin sliced deli prosciutto, chopped
• 2 TB flour
• 1.5 c fat free half and half
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. Stir in the peas during the last two minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with spray and heat over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring until lightly browned. Remove and reserve the prosciutto. Add the half and half and the flour and stir to break up any lumps. Then cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese and pepper, remove from heat. Add the prosciutto, tortellini and peas and toss to coat with sauce.

Yield: 4 servings, 2 cups each, 6 points

Chicken Potpie

New one from Cooking Light. I bulked up the veggies on this with some extra frozen veg and made it a bit more substantial:

• 1/2 15-oz refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 TB flour
• 1 tsp sage or rosemary
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz chicken breast tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1.25 c water
• 1.5 c frozen mixed vegetables (I probably doubled this, used spinach, brocoli and peas)
• 1 c mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can reduced fat reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 425.

Place refrigerated pie dough on cookie sheet or casserole dish, coated with cooking spray. Cut to the right shape for a 9x13 casserole dish. Lightly spray dough with cooking spray, then sprinkle evenly with 1/8 tsp salt. Pierce with a fork, and bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until golden.

Combine flour, and spices in a ziploc bag, add chicken and shake to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, coat pan with cooking spray and add chicken to pan. Cook 5 min, or until chicken is browned on all sides. Stir in water, scraping up browned bits, add vegetables, mushrooms, and soup. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 10 min. Spoon chicken mixture into casserole dish, top with pie crust and serve.

Yield: 4 servings, 6 points each