Tomato Tart

I made this tomato tart last night. (Recipe from Williams-Sonoma.) I used a store-bought pie crust, and did it in a circular tart pan. Also, I thought I had basil at home, but I didn't, so I substituted with dried greek herbs. It was very good last night, but I think I am enjoying it better cold today. It is very rich, so I would serve it with a light green salad. Delicious!

Toodles, Starbucks!

For the first time in my life, I am on a strict budget. That has been a little bit of a transition. Gone are my morning Starbucks visits. I am using a recipe that my friend Jamie passed on to me, and it is a very delicious, inexpensive alternative.

- Chilled coffee, (I keep mine in a pitcher in the fridge)
- Sugar-free syrup, (I bought some Starbucks sugar-free hazelnut syrup from their website.)
- Low fat milk

In the morning, mix two to three pumps syrup, about a cup of chilled coffee, and about a quarter cup milk in a to-go coffee cup. I never measure this concoction, but I taste test and add ingredients as needed. I don't miss out on taste, and I certainly don't miss that $4 latte bill in the morning.

Non-Boring Vegetables- (WW 1-2 points)

You know those people who are like, "Oh, I'm starving. I think I'll have a cup of carrots"?

That is so not me.

Well, maybe... if the carrots are drenched in butter, pureed and then stirred into a cup of cream. And even then, I'm probably going to need a side of steak.

Before recently, I'd never met a dish of vegetables that made me say, "Yum," without a heck of a lot of cheese or butter. But butter and cheese are a bit taboo when one is trying to get rid of cottage-cheese thighs. So, here is a recipe for a truly delicious, healthy vegetable dish.

(Above photo shamelessly stolen from Martha Stewart. 'Cause that's how I roll.)

Vegetable Tian, (adapted from MarthaStewart.com)

3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large potatoes
5 medium zucchini
4 large carrots
1 large red onion
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil, (or multiple olive oil sprays)
1 Tablespoon oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel vegetables as needed. Chop into 1/8 inch slices. Try to make the slices fairly uniform in width; I like to use my mandolin slicer. Grab a big casserole dish, like 9x13" or so. Spray the bottom with olive oil cooking spray. Add the onion, garlic and oregano. Toss to coat.

Put the other veggies over the onion mixture in layers. (Mine never looks as pretty as the picture, cause I get bored.) As you layer, crack some black pepper over a couple of the layers, and spray a little olive oil on it. You don't need to spray every layer, and it doesn't have to be much, but do make sure to spray the top layer.

Cover the mixture with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue roasting for about 25 more minutes.

This recipe makes a lot of veggies. If you divided this into six servings, it would be 2 points. If you divide it into 10 servings, it would be 1 point. I made this on Sunday, and we will eat it all week. It is good cold, too.

Skinny Chicken (WW Points-4)

Last night, my husband and I enjoyed this yummy, low-calorie chicken dish. I made this in an enameled, cast-iron frying pan.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, all visible fat removed
3/4 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup diced red onion
2 cups baby carrots
2 Tablespoons Spices- greek seasoning and pepper, or chicken spice rub
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat pan over medium heat. Drizzle in olive oil. Add onions. Rub chicken with spices. Put chicken in the pan, and brown both sides of the chicken, to seal in juices. (About 2 minutes per side.) Add carrots over and around chicken, add broth. Put into oven, bake for 25-35 minutes, until chicken is done. 1 serving is a chicken breast and 1/4 vegetables.

Optional: Once cooked, take carrots and onions, and put into a bowl. Blend together with an immersion blender, adding pan juices spoonful by spoonful as necessary. Veggies should be the consistency of mashed potatoes.