Basil and orange roasted tofu and asparagus with Israeli couscous: 8 PTS

Hello readers! This is an unusual blog. The reason it's unusual is because I didn't actually like this meal I'm writing about! It was just a personal taste on my end. Ron liked it. It was visually dynamic. Very low fat and calories. And captured the essence of both spring eating and healthy eating. I think I will try this recipe again in the future and make some Darcie-changes to it to suit my own taste.
Start by patting dry a block of extra firm tofu. Cut it into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl combine 2 tsp of olive oil and 1 TBS of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Toss the tofu in and coat. I let mine sit for a few hours at this point to marinate.

Roast the marinated tofu for 15 mins in a 450 degree oven. While it roasts- start your couscous. I used Israeli couscous from Trader Joe's and just followed the package. I'd say that you should get whatever kind you can get your hands on and follow their directions. When your 15 mins of roasting are up, add 1 lb of clean chopped asparagus to the roasting tofu. Be sure to previously "snap" the woody ends off. Wherever it breaks is where it's not worth eating. Toss the tofu and asparagus together and cook about 15 mins.

In a large bowl combine 1 TBS of balsamic vinegar, 2 TBS of olive oil, a pinch of salt, 3 TBS of fresh chopped basil, and the juice and zest from one orange. Give it a whisk. When the asparagus and tofu are done cooking- toss them in the bowl of dressing before serving. Serve alongside the couscous and sprinkle chopped basil on top for garnish and flavor.
*note: I followed a recipe for this and made a few alterations. But I tallied up the weight watchers points and it's 4 pts a serving (it makes 4 servings). I also cooked my couscous with fat free chicken broth- as I would any grain as it adds more flavor without adding calories or fat. The couscous box said it was 4 servings as well and I calculated points for it- it to was 4 pts. The finished plate was beautiful but the serving size was on the large side. I only ate 1/2 mine- bringing the point value down to 4 pts total!
Next time I will put the Darcie twist on it and it will be even better than this time!!
Happy spring friends!!

Low fat(ish) Veggie Lasagna (SO YUM!!!)

Ok, first let me say that this recipe was a total knock out! One of the best lasagnas I've ever made I think! However, I didn't get as many pictures as usual, nor did I write down all the measurements so if you try to recreate this you'll have to "wing it".
For starters- I make my sauce from scratch. It's always different. I know I've written about a sauce before but this was today's sauce:

2 TBS olive oil
1 sweet onion
Saute
Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic
In a food processor add
1 red pepper
1 large can of italian tomatoes
Puree
Add puree to sauteed onions and garlic
Add 1 tsp of sugar, 1 TBS each of garlic powder and oregano
And of course some salt to taste
Now for the weird ingredient of the day: 1 oz of goat cheese! (it's super creamy and tangy and adds a nice zippy little kick!)
Slow cook the sauce on a low heat and taste to make sure there's enough salt

While the sauce simmers away and makes your house smell delicious....
Roast another 4 large cloves of garlic (I told you I love garlic!!) in a little olive oil at 400 degrees for about 20 mins. While it's roasting- thinly slice 3 or 4 zucchinis lengthwise (I use a mandolin but if you're good with a knife- go for it!). Take the garlic out and put the zucchini in the oven with a little cooking spray and salt and pepper. Basically you just want to soften it up and brown it a little.
When the zucchini is roasting... get the food processor out and blend the roasted garlic, 1/2 cup of regular ricotta cheese, 2 cups of fat free cottage cheese, 1 TBS of chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp of dried oregano, 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, salt to taste and 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese. Blend. Taste. So creamy and flavorful isn't it??
Your zucchini should be perfectly cooked now.
Layer your lasagna with sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, zucchini and.... a sprinkle of asiago cheese on the 1st layer... repeat all steps and add a sprinkle of parmesan on the second layer... and after repeating again add slices of fresh mozzarella cheese on top. Interesting fact for weight watchers folks... fresh mozzarella = 1 point!
Bake at 35 for 45 mins. At the very end- broil for 5 until the cheese looks like toasted marshmallows! Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Turkey and Black Bean Chili

Ron and I love chili. I've been making it forever and my recipe is always different! That's what happens when you use up what's in the fridge and pantry and "eyeball" things! Usually the things that vary are different kinds of peppers, soy meat vs ground turkey, beans...etc.

I always make it in the crock-pot. It's really the most amazing thing. You throw a few things into a pot on your counter, go to work and come home to a steaming hot dinner and a house that smells all yummy and cozy!
Start with 1-2 cans of beans. This batch was initially just black beans but we ended up adding kidney beans later. A can of corn and a can or two of fire roasted tomatoes (I feel like the fire roasted gives it more depth and flavor. If you can't find them, try a jalapeno or garlic tomato!)
Next add a chopped onion and a chopped bell pepper and lots of fresh garlic. I like using all colors of the bell pepper but you can just use what you have in your fridge. Also- should you chose to use a fresh jalapeno- now is the time. My dad was coming for dinner this night and he doesn't care for extreme spice so I opted to offer jalapenos on top instead.

I tried to get a picture of how much spices I used because I don't usually measure my spices. Sorry!
Anyway this is what I use to make my chili yummy:
sea salt
chili powder
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
cinnamon
cocoa powder (or a block of baking chocolate that is unsweetend)
cumin
smoked paprika (I'd like to add that as I was typing that line Rachel Ray in the back ground said "smoked paprika"!! AND she's mixing cumin and cinnamon in with whatever it is she's making!! lol)
and of course garlic hot sauce (or smokey hot sauce... or BOTH!!)

Sometimes I use "veggie crumble" by Morningstar Farms. Sometimes I use ground turkey. Sadly, turkey is more affordable. So this batch was a turkey chili. If I have the time I like to pre cook the meat to give it more flavor. I heated a pan with a little garlic olive oil (again from Gustare Oils and Vinegars because I love them so much!!) and seared the meat just a little. Then I added about a tablespoon of tomato paste to add some color and flavor. When it was about 85% cooked I added it to the hot chili to cook the rest of the way.

Usually I bake cornbread to go with chili. But since Ron and I were running around that day and I had a "play date" with a friend in the afternoon I did not have time for baking. So we went to one of our favorite breakfast joints (Grumpy's) and got an order of corn cakes to go... and broke a piece off to put in the bottom of the bowl! Then we topped with chili, a little lowfat cheese, a dollop of low fat sour cream and either jalapenos or hot sauce!
The best part of cooking is sharing with your friends! And even better than that is sharing with friends who don't even like chili but still eat it and still enjoy it!! Thank you Kate for at least pretending to like black bean chili!! ;0)

Vegan stir-fry with brown rice and edamame

Oh hello! It's been so long since I've sat down and done some writing! And good quality cooking too for that matter!
I made a tofu and veggie stir-fry the other night that I will share.

You will need:
1 small red pepper julienned
1 small yellow pepper julienned
1 zucchini sliced
1 small head of broccoli
1 small sweet onion chopped
2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic
4-6 scallions
3 carrots sliced thin
1/2 C. of cashews
2 TBS of sesame seeds
1 TBS of sesame oil (for flavor- not cooking)
1 TBS of soy sauce (give or take as you would for flavor)
1 package of extra firm tofu
Brown rice
Edamame + seasonings

Heat a large skillet or wok if you have one and add veggies (use a cooking spray or oil 1st to prevent sticking!!). Start with the more hard veggies like carrots and onions and peppers. Add the zucchini, garlic and scallions last.
After they are all cooked to perfection add the sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds and cashews and give it a taste.
Meanwhile in another skillet- cook up cubed tofu (that you have previously patted dry) over medium heat until golden brown. When cooking tofu you do unfortunately need to add a little more fat to the pan than you would with other things as it tends to stick easily! You can lightly season your tofu. Usually I heavily season tofu but because it's going to be eaten with the veggies which have the soy sauce I'd say to go light handed with salt.
Make your brown rice as the normal directions say to do. I get edamame from the freezer section of Trader Joe's which I just steam up and season. I used sea salt, chili pepper and garlic powder.



Get out your chopsticks! Set a bowl of edamame between you and your dinner guests and also an empty bowl for the pods! Serve a scoop of rice alongside a mound of vegetables and tofu!

Darcie's School of Italian Cooking... Pasta Lessons and Zucchini and Eggplant Parmesan

My dad's side of the family is Italian. Like real Italian! My maiden name is Alvin but it was originally Alviano when our grandfather came from Italy to America. This post is a nod to my Italian heritage... though I know I'm not truly doing it justice!

While I am fortunate enough to have been the only one of us Alvin's to have actually travelled to Italy, I think my brother and sister have more of the traditional Italian personalitytraits. That's strictly my opinion of course....but they have the true Italian blood! They're more passionate and intense than myself. Or so I think ;0) While they were both home this week on break my brother Justin asked me to make him and the family the pasta I wrote about in my blog early on.

I invited the whole family for dinner of course. But instead of making all the food, I got Molly and Justin in the kitchen with me to learn how to make pasta! I told Justin that he had to pull up my blog and follow the recipe. I was over his shoulder giving him pointers all along but he did it! We took turns rolling because it's a hard job with no pasta roller! (especially when cooking for 6 people!)







I started early that morning with the sauce. I like to slow cook it all day in my crock-pot. I buy large cans of pureed imported Italian tomatoes. No salt. No spice. No additives. Just pureed tomatoes. Then I add to it a whole chopped onion (usually a sweet onion but I used a red onion last time), a few minced garlic cloves, sea salt, chopped red peppers, a few carrots (to absorb acidity), fresh herbs (oregano, basil and thyme), olive oil and some parmigiano reggiano (I also save the rinds to add to the sauce to add flavor and then remove at the end). At the end of the night when the vegetables are cooked down and all the flavors have meshed- I give the sauce a whirl in my food processor to blend all the yumminess (don't forget to remove the cheese rinds!!).

I also made a low fat baked zucchini and eggplant parm! I started with 3 or 4 zucchinis which I sliced long ways and roasted. Then I mixed some fat free ricotta cheese with some minced garlic and grated parmigiano reggiano, herbs and salt. I had initially intended it to be only zucchini but I didn't have enough in the end. Fortunately I had some Trader Joe's frozen breaded eggplant in my freezer! So I layered sauce, zucchini strips, eggplant, ricotta and fat free mozzarella cheese and toped the final layer with low fat provolone and herbs!

Make some rustic whole grain garlic toast (topped with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and parmesan) and a big green salad and you've got yourself an Italian feast! The only thing missing? All the family gathered around the table talking and enjoying the food you just prepared for them! Even though I don't love Italian food...I love meals that take the entire day to prepare and I love meals that bring people together. Having Molly and Justin at my house for the day to experience this with me was truly an experience.

ADORO LA MIA FAMIGLIA!!!
(I love my family!!!)

**Random fact**
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My dad designed the apron I am wearing for my bridal shower!!

Nutty-Crunchy Sugar Free Low Fat "Sugar Cookies"

So I promised the nutty crunch Molly cookie recipe I made. Since Molly is hypoglycemic she can not have any refined sugar- ever! But come on! The girl needs treats now and then!! Fortunately she CAN have fructose sweetened baked goods! So from time to time I make her something special to enjoy. Always low fat and made with whole grains as well. As usual I found a recipe online to use as a reference and then altered it to suit my needs!

1 C. of whole wheat flour
1/3 C. of white flour
1/3 C. of almond meal (I buy mine at Trader Joe's... LOVE Trader Joe's!!)
1 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
5 TBS of butter
5 TBS of fructose
2 TBS of Splenda
1/4 C. of egg beaters
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of almond extract







In your mixed beat together the butter, eggbeaters, fructose and splenda and extracts then add the dry ingredients.
Make a ball of dough and cut it in half and wrap both sides in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour. The reason for the two balls is because you want it cold and firm when you roll it out so it's best to handle it as little as possible!
Preheat oven to 350 when you're ready to bake.
Clean your counter very well and sprinkle some flour or powdered sugar out to keep the dough from sticking.
Roll the dough about 1/8 to 1/4 thick. It's hard to make cut out sugar cookies because when you move them to the cookie sheet they get all mushy and the shape changes. So I wrapped the dough around my rolling pin and unrolled it right onto my silpat and cookie sheet and cut my shapes right there!!

Since Molly can't have frosting and I wanted to make something more artistic I decided to make linzer cookies with the little see-through-window! So I cut out big hearts and then hand cut the center out in the shape of a heart! Then I was left with small hearts I made sandwich cookies out of and large hearts I could play with later! Bake the cookies for 7 - 10 mins until they are a very light golden brown. Let them cool a few mins and then move to a cooling rack. When they are cool you can play! I took the large solid hearts and spread some naturally sweetened strawberry fruit preserves on them and put them aside. Then I took the large hearts with the hole in the middle and dusted the top side with a sprinkle of powdered sugar just to make it pretty. Then I put that cookie- powdered sugar side up on top of the strawberry one!
I took the small hearts and made little sandwiches with them. I also made a few small round ones with organic red sprinkles on them!

LOVE is in the air! Valentine's Day goodies for my loves!

I'm not huge on Valentine's Day. However, I am still a newlywed I suppose...and I'm absolutely head over heels in love with a certain dark haired, dimpled man! I also love surprising my family with goodies! So I went all out this year! I made sooo many things!!

I even made Ron a heart shaped breakfast sandwich "to-go" before work yesterday with a "sugar and spice" (brown sugar and cinnamon) latte with a cocoa heart on top! It's the little things in life, right?

I sent my little brother and sister (Justin is a junior at Brandeis University and Molly is a 1st grade teacher in Greenfield Ma) each a box of valentine's day cookies! (that recipe I will share in another entry) I saved 4 cookies out of those- 2 for my parents, one for Ron and 1 for Ron and I to share.

If anyone wants any of the other recipes I'm posting pictures of- just ask! I'm happy to share them! But there is a LOT to write and none of them are my own recipe and none of them are "heathy" except the cookies I baked (which I will make an entry for later I promise!)

Every Valentine's Day Ron and I have spent together- as cliche as it is- we make chocolate covered strawberries. This year I wanted to make him something extra special (even though I'm not a fan my self). So I made him a heart shaped tiramisu! It literally took me two days to make this thing! It's crazy!

I also made some truffles and finally succeeded! I've made them for Ron once before (the Valentine's day he asked me to marry him) but I tried something new this year. I figured that they or the tiramisu might be a failure so I did them both so I'd have a backup if that happened! As it turns out- everything came out great! So now we are sending chocolates and tiramisu off with our friends!! lol MUST GET CHOCOLATE OUT OF THE HOUSE!!!

Like I said... I made lots of stuff! I'm still not done! I know that the bowl of buffalo wings probably doesn't scream "Valentine's day" to you. You are right. However, along with not really like tiramisu myself, I also definitely don't eat buffalo wings. Especially extra spicy and on the bone! Yuck! But Ron loves them! I also despise blue cheese (hello! it's MOLDY!!!) but Ron likes it. So I bought wings and expensive fancy blue cheese and all the fixings and surprised him with extra spicy wings and a bowl of homemade blue cheese dressing!
If that doesn't say "I love you" I don't know what does.

I'd like to dedicate this Valentine's day post to my one and only Valentine. The love of my life, my best friend, my taster of all my creations! The best husband I could ever ask for.