My Recipes Are Moving

I feel like my blog is getting a little crowded, so I'm moving all of my recipes (and eventually my Food Calendar) to a new home: Cooking Without Carrots. The recipes that I've already posted here will remain for the time being, but to see the new ones, you'll have to go to the new blog.

Wild Rice and Barley Salad

Based on a recipe from Cooking Light.

1 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked brown and wild rice
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Bring chicken broth to boil, add rice and barley and simmer for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. In small bowl combine vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk until mixed. Poor over rice and barley mixture. Add raisins and onions and toss. Top with basil and chill.

Smokey Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are somewhat of a comfort food for me and somewhat of a back-up plan. When I have planned to make hamburgers and it rains, I make sloppy joes, but I ALWAYS lose the recipe and start from scratch. Tonight I wrote down one version.

1Tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 bell pepper (red if in season) chopped (optional)
1 small onion chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 1/2-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (optional)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, and meat and saute until browned. Add other ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until desired thickness.

Spicy Cilantro Hummus

I love hummus, and have just recently starting making my own. I had a sandwich at Panera earlier this week that had spicy cilantro hummus on it. Luckily, they publish their nutrition info (which includes ingredients), so I attempted to recreate it and changed a few things in the process.

1 roasted red bell pepper or pieces
Juice of one small lemon
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, quartered
1 medium chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. (more or less depending on desired heat)
Handful fresh cilantro

Blend until smooth in food processor or blender.

Revamped Mac and Cheese

I cook A LOT. It's relaxing for me, not to mention that at the end of the semester it is generally a productive means of procrastination as well. Lately I've spent a lot of time trying to recreate healthy versions of dishes I love and homemade versions of things I can't eat because of allergies. My problem is that I write recipes down on napkins and grocery receipts and other pieces of paper that end up getting lost. So, I'm going to start posting recipes here--mostly so I can find them again.

Healthy Mac and Cheese that Doesn't Taste Like Plastic:

The Basics:
1 Tbs Country Crock Light
1 Tbs flour
6 oz shredded Colby-Jack Cheese*
1 1/2 cups skim milk
2 Tbs Parmesan topping
7 oz whole wheat elbow macaroni

The Flavor:
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp dried mustard or 1 Tbs Dijon mustard**
1/2 tsp paprika
dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)
pepper to taste

Melt margarine in large sauce pan. Whisk in flour and cook one minute. Add milk and bring to boil stirring constantly. Let cook one minute, still stirring. Add cheeses and spices and stir until all of the cheese is melted. Add to cooked macaroni. (I added steamed broccoli and a little grilled chicken as well).

For those of you interested in points, a comparison:
This recipe: 8 points/serving (makes 4 servings)
Boxed mac and cheese (prepared as directed): 10 points
Small Mac and Cheese from Noodles: 10 points

It's not as low as some of the Weight Watchers recipes, but it actually tastes like Mac and Cheese. I have not been impressed by the taste that comes from losing two more points.

*This is really important: DON'T use reduced fat cheese. It takes twice as much to get something that tastes like cheese, which doesn't really save on points. In addition, it doesn't melt the same and generally makes the sauce separate.
**I know that this is really tempting to leave out because it sounds gross, but it's the key to the flavor. Don't ask me how it works, but after skipping it several times, I gave it a try and I'm sold.