mashed mistake

Yes, I know this recipe is extremely similar to the one below. I'm posting it again because I made a mistake -- better yet, I've had a learning experience, and a humbling one at that. I may get my chef credentials pulled for admitting this, but I was given some rhubarb and looked up recipes for rutabaga. I made this dish with the wrong ingredient last week.

This is rhubarb.

This is a rutabaga.

I know. I'm freakin' brilliant.

Hey, but here's the fun part: it worked. The potato, carrot, and rhubarb mixture had a sweet and tart taste that was really good -- particularly if you use the naturally sweet Yukon Gold potatoes.

So, here's my recipe, born of embarrassment, mistakes, and a little luck.

1 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes (or big ones cut into chunks)
1 lb carrots
1 lb rhubarb
3 tablespoons butter, melted
salt & pepper
bread crumbs

Cut the rhubarb crosswise into thin slices, and put it in a large pot with plenty of water; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Peel the carrots and cut them in thick slices. When the rhubarb reaches the 10 minute mark, add the carrots and let the two cook together for 10 more minutes. Add the potatoes and cook the whole mixture for another 20 minutes. Drain them and mash them with the butter, salt and pepper until almost pureed. Turn them into a buttered casserole dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 375 for about ten minutes until crumbs are lightly toasted on top.

Serves 6. 3 points a serving.

Peace,
Milton

clapshot

(That's carrots, potatoes, and rutabaga to you and me.)

This recipe is not mine. I was given some fresh rutabaga this week and went searching for something interesting to do with it other than bake it into a pie. You can find the original here. The only thing I did differently was not to add an egg before I put it in the oven. We ate it tonight as the side with a roasted pork loin and it was awesome.

1 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes (or big ones cut into chunks)
1 lb carrots
1 lb rutabagas
3 tablespoons butter, melted
salt & pepper
bread crumbs

Peel the rutabaga, cut it in thin slices, and put it in a large pot with plenty of water; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Peel the carrots and cut them in thick slices. When the rutabaga reaches the 10 minute mark, add the carrots and let the two cook together for 10 more minutes. Add the potatoes and cook the whole mixture for another 20 minutes. Drain them and mash them with the butter, salt and pepper until almost pureed. Turn them into a buttered casserole dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 375 for about ten minutes until crumbs are lightly toasted on top.

Serves 6. 3 points a serving.

Peace,
Milton

lemon-dijon chicken

(Not to be confused with Dijon Chicken, which is also good.)

4 serving chicken breast, boneless
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tsp olive oil
dried bread crumbs

Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Mix Dijon, lemon juice, and 2 Tsp olive oil and toss with chicken; cover and let sit in refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Put bread crumbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Press each piece of chicken in bread crumbs to coat both sides and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle remaining 2 Tsp olive oil over chicken and cook in 375 oven for about twenty minutes.

1/4 cup white wine
1 medium lemon
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp cornstarch

In small saucepan, put sliced lemons and 1/2 cup white wine and cook over high heat until wine is almost all cooked away. Reduce to medium heaat and add 1/2 cup skim milk. When it gets hot, put into food processor to puree and return to saucepan. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 tsp corn starch into chicken broth until dissolved and add to milk mixture. Heat until sauce thickens. Pour over chicken before serving.

Serves 4. 6 points per serving.

Peace,
Milton

chicken with olives, capers, and roasted lemons

I adapted this from a recipe I got at Food & Wine, so it would be a little more Weight Watcher friendly. All the good stuff is still there, just in moderation. The taste is similar to Chicken Piccata. The spinach and bread crumbs is a nice side. You don't really need an added starch unless you just want one.

2 medium lemons, sliced

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the lemon slices in a small bowl and toss to coat with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the lemons begin to brown around the edges.

10 oz spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp dried bread crumbs

While the lemons are in the oven, heat a large skillet and cook the spinach and over high heat, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a strainer; press out the liquid. Wipe out the skillet and heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in it. Add the bread crumbs and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until toasted, 2 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Cover and set aside.

1/8 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Tbsp capers
20 large olives, pitted (I used the mix at the deli counter)
2 Tbsp parsley
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

In a deep medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/8 cup of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with the flour, shaking off the excess. Cook the chicken over high heat, turning once, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the olives, capers and stock and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the stock is reduced by about two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted lemons, butter and parsley, season with salt and pepper and simmer just until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.


Transfer to plates and serve. I used the spinach as the base on which to put the chicken, but it can also be served on the side.

Serves 4. 7 points per serving.

Peace,
Milton