Menu Plan Monday Jan 17th- Jan 23rd 2011 with Weight Watchers New Points Plus and Recipes

Menu Plan Monday Jan 17th- Jan 23rd 2011 with Weight Watchers New Points Plus and Recipes
Click on Recipe Titles for recipes

1. Baked Penne with Meat Sauce 8 PP
     Green Beans

2. Pizza Night 4PP to 6PP
     Tossed Salad

3. Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore 5 PP
     Peas
     Sugar Free Jello Fruit Salad

4. Slow Cooker Salsa Swiss Steak 6 PP
    Whole Wheat Noodles
     Lettuce Wedge and  Light Blue Cheese

5. Honey Mustard Pork Chops 5 PP
     Roasted Vegetables
     Roasted Dijon Potatoes

6. Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas  6 PP

     Mexican Rice

(Velveeta Isn't as bad nutrtionally as you think click here)

7. Yankee Pot Roast 9 PP
     Pot Roasted Veggies
     Honey Wheat Roll 3 PP

My New Recipe Reader and Cuban Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe

With My Mother's Day Money I bought a frivolous toy. Ok it is not a toy and I love it. I have had recipe software on my computer for years and have an extensive collection of recipes. However my computer is not in the kitchen and I always had to print or write out my recipes off the computer to have them in the kitchen. Ok for what this gadget cost I could have bought a lot of ink and paper. However it is like a Kindle for the kitchen and I can put all my recipes on it. It is designed for the Kitchen and sticky fingers and kitchen spills and can be easily cleaned off. I didn't like using my ipod touch in the Kitchen cause I figured I would ruin it some how. Here is my Demy Reader.

They have a Cool Site (that is free) where you can post and share your recipes and organize them online and you don't need a reader. Feel free to Join- Befriend me if you do.

Here is one of my Recipes that I uploaded to the site- Now I can Make a Cool Digi Recipe Card to add to my Blog-
Go Ahead and click the tabs :-)

Awesome Smoked Baby Back Ribs Recipe and Method

Awesome Smoked Baby Back Ribs Recipe and Method.

I used a Method called 2-1-1

Anyway it was a hot boring Saturday and I knew I wanted to grill something. I went to my
neighborhood grocery and they were having a 2-day special sale. I was planning on a sirloin
steak, but then I saw them- Baby Back Ribs on sale for $3.99 a pound. Ok that may seem like
a lot but they usually run $8.00 to $12.00 a pound. I have never ever made Baby Back Ribs
and have in the past always gone for the much cheaper but also much fattier Pork Spare Ribs. 
So this was going to be my Saturday challenge. I researched recipes on the web. Most wanted 
me to boil or braise the ribs first. This seemed sensible but I really wanted to smoke them on
my smoker. I read one article that was totally against boiling the ribs. Would you boil a steak
first? Of course not. The article claimed boiling leaches all the flavor out of the ribs. That 
seemed logical to me. 

The article then went on to describe a 2-1-1 method on a smoker for the Ribs. This method
is low and slow. The smoker temp should be maintained around 225 degrees give or take 25 
degrees. 2-1-1 refers to hours. Cook ribs 2 hours with dry heat and smoke, then cook 1 Hour
wrapped tightly in foil so they can steam and become tender then cook 1 more hour back on 
the grill on indirect heat. Mop with BBQ sauce during last 15 minutes of cooking time.

 
OK this was going to be my plan. I was going to try the 2-1-1 method on my good ole 
(has seen better days) Char Broiler Grill/Smoker.

Step 1: Remove silvery membrane from back of two slabs of baby back ribs. Click Skim and Trim to
see how to do this.

Step 2: Take regular yellow mustard and slather all over ribs. Next rub your dry rub all over ribs.

This is the dry rub I used. I always make a big batch and keep a bottle of it in the pantry.

All-purpose Barbecue Rub Recipe

Recipe By: From Beer-Can Chicken by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing)

Yield: Yield: about 3/4 cup

This barbecue rub may be used on poultry, pork, seafood, and all varieties of meat. You can vary the heat level by using hot paprika instead of sweet. Try it with the interesting Beer-Can Chicken recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix.

Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 6 months.

Then warp ribs in plastic wrap and put back in the refrigerator for at least an hour (This is all I had time for today) But you could probably let these marinate up to overnight and they would be even better. I will do that next time when I plan better and it isn't a spontaneous thing.

Step 3: Prepare your smoker. I have a Char Broiler Smoker with an off set fire box. I am using Hickory Wood chunks for smoking because that is what I have on hand. The ribs need to cook low and slow.
Prepare the coals for a 225 degree fire. Soak your wood chunks and place appropriately for smoking.
I place mine on a grate above the hot coals in the fire box.

Step 4: Here is where the 2-1-1 Begins
Place Rib Slabs on grill grates (you can place a drip pan underneath the grate and ribs if you like).
Now cook and smoke low and slow for 2 hours.

Step 5: Now take the ribs off the grill and wrap loosely but completely in foil with a little

water or beer. I used a foil pan and about a half cup or so of flat warmed Micholob Light Beer.

Then place the foil pouches or pan back on the Smoker/Grill. Close lid and keep the temp 

around 225 degrees. No need for smoke at this point - just heat. Leave on there like this for 1 hour.

Step 6: After the last hour has past take ribs out and place on grill grates. You are going to continue cooking them with dry heat for 1 more hour at 200 to 225 degrees. No need for smoke at this point. During the last 15 minutes Brush both sides of ribs with your favorite BBQ Sauce.
Store bought sauces I like are Sweet Baby Ray's, or Bull's Eye Original

Or from Scratch

Basic Barbecue Sauce

Recipe By: Steven Raichlen

Ingredients:

2 cups Ketchup

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup Firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Molasses

2 tablespoons Prepared Mustard

1 tablespoon Tabasco Sauce

1 tablespoon Your Favorite Barbecue Rub (or the Basic Barbecue Rub)

2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke (opt)

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and bring slowly to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer the sauce until dark, thick, and richly flavored, 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the sauce to clean (or even sterile) jars and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for several months.

Here Is A Digital Recipe Card: You can Click the

 Tabs at To to See the Recipe or try the buttons 

at the bottom to Save or Print the recipe

I Made Traditional Sides To Go With The Ribs

My Potato Salad

Corn on the Cob

and Cuban Bread

Austin's Italian Chicken Pasta Bake -Kid Friendly and Weight Watchers Friendly

 Austin's Italian Chicken Pasta Bake 8pts
This is a great dish for  kids, but also adults who want to serve something kid friendly but have something they can also enjoy while on Weight Watchers or another healthy eating plan.

I created this dish for my 13 year old.  Austin requested a baked pasta dish with chicken and spaghetti sauce, similar to the baked chicken pasta at Pizza Hut, but in a red sauce not white. I didn't have any spaghetti sauce on hand but had canned tomato products in the pantry so I created this quickie spaghetti sauce. I divided the 13 X 9 inch pan into 6 servings for 8WWpts. These were really good size servings but you could have divided the dish into 8 servings and still had a nice size serving for 6 WW pts

Austin's Italian Chicken Pasta Bake 8pts
INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
14.5 oz. diced canned toamtoes, (1 can undrained)
8 ounces tomato sauce, (1 sm. can)
6 ounces tomato paste, (1 sm. can)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons dried basil
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in about 1 inch pieces
1 Tablespoon canola oil
8 oz penne pasta, dry, cook according to package directions
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, part skim milk
METHOD
Spray bottom of Large sauce pan with cooking spray and saute onions and peppers till soft. Add to pan diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Can also add a little garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Meanwhile bring cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Heat a medium skillet with oil. Cook chicken pieces in oil to lightly brown and cooked through. Preheat oven to 350. Combine cooked chicken, the cooked drained pasta sauce with the tomato sauce you have simmering on the stove. Spray a 13" X 9" baking dish with cooking spray. Fill casserole with your chicken pasta and sauce mixture. Heat 10 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and continue cooking till cheese is melted and everything is hot and bubbly about another 10 minutes. Serve hot with garlic bread and a salad or green beans.

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 394
Total Fat: 9.27g
Cholesterol: 59mg
Sodium: 752mg
Total Carbs: 43.92g
    Dietary Fiber: 4.69g
    Sugars: 9.89g
Protein: 32.64g
Rating

Source: Deana Course: Main
(6 servings)

Beer Can Chicken: a How To Pictorial

Beer Can Chicken: a How To Pictorial

Beer Can Chicken: Great On the Grill
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Recipe By: From author Steven Raichlen ( modified a little by me)
Serving Size: 6

Notes:

Special Equipment: 1 1/2 cups mesquite chips, soaked in cold water to cover for 1 hour and drained


Ingredients:

1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
3 tablespoons Basic Rub for Barbecue or your favorite dry barbecue rub
(all Purpose BBQ Rub Recipe at Bottom)
1 can (12 ounces) beer

Directions:

1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the chicken. Remove the package of giblets, and set aside for another use. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water. then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the body and neck cavities, then rub another 1 tablespoon all over the skin of the bird. If you wish, rub another 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture between the flesh and skin. Cover and refrigerate the chicken while you preheat the grill.
(The All-Purpose BBQ Rub- Recipe is at the bottom of this post)
(When I make Beer Can Chicken I usually do two at a time)

2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; then, when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium.
(On my grill I place the coals on the right side and place a drip pan , if I am using one, on the left side of my grill for indirect grilling. Use the method that works for your size and shape grill. On my grill I mound about 45 coals in a pyramid and light. Once the fire has died down and the coals are all grey, I spread them out on the right side of my grill and put the iron grill grates on. Today I am not using the soaked wood chips because I do not have any. If I was using them I would put a few on top of the hot coals. I am not using the side smoker box today.)


3. Pop the tab on the beer can. Using a "church key"-style can opener , make 3 or 4 holes in the top of the can. Pour out the top inch or a bit more of beer, then spoon the remaining dry rub through the holes into the beer. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity down, insert the beer can into the cavity.


(Now you can Just put the beer can in the butt cavity of the chicken [sometimes this recipe is called Beer Butt Chicken] and stand the chicken tripod style up and that will work, but I have these nifty holders just made for beer can chicken. I got them at target in the BBQ seasonal section. They make the chicken more stable in my opinion but they are not necessary.)
(Another step I do is to place a quartered or halved onion in the neck cavity and pull the chicken skin over and use a skewer to secure everything.)
4. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on the coals. Oil grill grate. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod, to support the bird.

5. Cover the grill and cook the chicken, until fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side and the remaining chips after 1 hour.

6. Using tongs, lift the bird to a cutting board or platter, holding a large metal spatula underneath the beer can for support. (Have the board or platter right next to the bird to make the move shorter. Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand for 5 minutes before carving the meat off the upright carcass. (Toss the beer can out along with the carcass).


I served these with Grilled Criss Cross Potatoes
and Corn On the Cob



All-purpose Barbecue Rub Recipe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: From Beer-Can Chicken by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing)
Yield: Yield: about 3/4 cup

Summary:

This barbecue rub may be used on poultry, pork, seafood, and all varieties of meat. You can vary the heat level by using hot paprika instead of sweet. Try it with the interesting Beer-Can Chicken recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix.
Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 6 months.

Notes:

Excellent with Beer-Can Chicken

A Healthy Jumbo Bran Muffin Recipe

Healthy Jumbo Bran Muffin

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Serving Size: 6

Yield: 6 jumbo muffins or 12 standard size muffins

Weight Watchers Points 6 for one jumbo muffin

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

1 Tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces

2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups unprocessed bran

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 egg whites

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons molasses

1 cup lowfat buttermilk, 1% or fat free if you can find it

2/3 cup golden raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 6-jumbo-cup (1 cup each) nonstick muffin tin with non-stick spray (or line with foil or paper liners).

2. To make the crumb topping, combine 2 T. of the all-[purpose flour and the brown sugar in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the walnuts.

3. Combine the bran, whole wheat flour, the remaining 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and the baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg, egg whites, sugar, molasses in a large bowl until blended. Gradually add in the buttermilk. Gradually add the bran mixture, mixing on low speed until just blended. Stir in the raisins.

4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about half full. Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake until atoothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 5 minutes; remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

Notes:

For smaller muffins, spoon the batter into a standard 12-cup muffin tin and bake about 20 minutes, and cut the points in half.

Nutritional Information:

WW Points 6

Per Serving ( 1 jumbo muffin) 329 cal., 6g. Fat, 2g. Sat Fat, 42 mg Chol, 481 mg Sod, 64 g carb, 8g Fib, 10g Prot, 111 mg Calc.

Today's Bread

This is the bread I made today. I used my Kitchen aid for the loaves and my bread maker to make the roll dough. Nope it isn't 100% Sourdough Whole Wheat. They are both made with a ratio about 1/3 whole wheat and 2/3rds white flour. I like this ratio for bread. They rise well and are light, and the family likes them.

Recipes: Family Bread

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Bread and Rolls before baking. Final Rise.

Deana's Decadent Delights

Deana's Decadent Delights

These are the Best Cookies You've ever Tasted. I serve them at Christmas Time. Ok you looked at the ingredients and say how can they be that great when they have raisins in them. I know what you are thinking. Nobody likes raisins in their cookies. Well in these cookies the raisins just work. Don't leave the raisins out. You must toast the walnuts and you must use real butter not margarine. I have never used anything but Mona's Granola so I don't know if another kind would be as good. I can get Mona's Granola at Publix. It is slightly sweetened with honey but has no added sugar or salt. Last but not least don't overcook them. They must look underdone in the center when you take them out of the oven. They will crisp up a bit when you take them out of the oven. They aren't the most decorative of holiday cookies but they really do taste amazing.

Recipe By: Deana
Serving Size: 48

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups walnut halves coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups unsweetened granola mix
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cut in pats
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to moderate 375 degrees. Toast walnuts on cookie sheet in preheating oven, stirring about 7 minutes until lightly browned. Cool COMPLETELY.


2. Toss together raisins, granola, oats, and chocolate chips in large bowl.
Add COOLED walnuts and set aside. (If the walnuts are not completely cooled, you'll melt the chocolate chips and end up with a chocolate blob mess. I've done this before so trust me on this one.)


Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into small bowl. Whisk together to combine thoroughly. Set flour mixture aside also.


3. Place brown and granulated sugars in food processor. (Or blend real well together by hand or use a Mixer like I did this time in the Photos) Whirl until blended. Add butter. Whirl until smooth and creamy(again I used the Kitchen aid mixer and I blended the butter with the sugar about 5 minutes on medium spead before adding the eggs and vanilla). Add eggs and vanilla. Whirl to combine.


4. Add flour mixture. Pulse in just untill incorporated. (I used the Kitchen Aid Mixer and mixed on low just till combined)

Remove Bowl from mixer and fold in granola, raisin chocolate chip, & nut mixture by hand.


5. Shape dough into balls with hands, using 2 level measuring tablespoonfuls for each cookie. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. (I lined my baking sheet with parchment but it is not necessary.)


6. Bake in preheated moderate oven 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or untill golden. Cookies should be very soft when pressed, although edges will be set. Cool cookies on sheets a few minutes untill firm enough to transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature for several weeks

Note: these cookies may seem underdone when hot, but on cooling will continue to crisp. If not over baked, they'll stay soft and chewy for days. The unbaked dough keeps at least 5 days covered tightly in the refrigerator.





For more Recipes visit my recipe site: Deana's Recipes