And the morale of the story is....listen to your kids!

Those of us who are lucky enough to have children know the joy of raising them. We hope to impart wisdom and knowledge and cross our fingers that we did everything right. So it was with pride and amusement  that I took a step back this week and realized the knowledge that I have gained from them.
I am blessed to have 3 wonderful kids. They have taught me skills that are unique to each of them. My son, C, has an extraordinary ability to view things from a different angle. Give him a situation and he usually can pinpoint a different way to look at it. Perhaps it is this unique quality that makes him an awesome photographer.  From him I have learned not to take life too seriously. Oh, and also, how to take a mean eggplant photo. I can stare at the dish, take 100 pictures and not be satisfied. He can pick up the camera and with a click of the shutter take an awesome photo. Today's pictures are courtesy of C. As a matter of fact, if you ever see an extremely good picture on this site....it probably was taken by him.  Feel free to check out his photo website www.flickr.com/photos/thinmints137

From my daughter, S, I have learned to take true joy in the simple things in life. She was absolutely elated that her local produce market reopened on Sundays after a short hiatus. And her whole face lights up with joy when she talks about honey crisp apples! (Do yourself a favor and go buy them. We are talking about huge, sweet, juice running down your arm, apples here people!)

From my son, M, I have learned cooking techniques. He used to be a professional chef, so from him I have learned that it takes a hot pan, a superduper hotpan, to get a nice brown sear on the food without over cooking it. And I have been known to interrupt his day with a questions like, "How do you cook broccoli raab?".

So I dedicate this week's post to my children....who have taught me more than they will ever know!

This is a slimmed down version of eggplant parmigiana. Baking the eggplant gives this dish a crispy texture without the fat that comes from frying.

Eggplant Parmigiana

(http://www.weightwatchers.com/)

1 spray cooking spray

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs, italian style

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

 1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 medium raw eggplant

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, italian seasoning and garlic powder in a medium size bowl. Set aside. Remove skin from eggplant and trim off ends.  Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.  Dip eggplant first into egg whites and then into bread crumb mixture.  Bake eggplant on nonstick cookie sheet until lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes, flipping once.  Place a layer of eggplant on bottom of prepared baking dish, then add 1/3 of tomato sauce and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.  Repeat with 2 layers in the same order.  Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more.  Slice into 4 pieces and serve.

Sauteed Yellow Zucchini

No real recipe here, folks. Just get the pan screamin' hot, spritz with cooking spray or add a little bit of oil and saute the veggies with some salt, pepper and garlic powder

To those of my friends and future friends who celebrate the Jewish New Year, I send my and my husband's best wishes for a happy, healthy and joyous new year. May your year be full of welcome surprises, juicy apples,  and wishes fulfilled.

Enjoy! Happy Eating!

If I live in South Jersey...does it count as Southern Cooking??

Move over Colonel Sanders...this is finger lickin' good! How does Southern Oven Fried Chicken, Corn Bake and Broccoli Raab with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins sound? So good that your mouth is watering at this very moment, right? Dinner last night was so wonderfully good that I just had to share. This is comfort food at its best.

Southern Oven Fried Chicken
(Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)

1/2 cup fat free buttermilk (feel free to substitute lo fat italian dressing)
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed

3 Tbl flour                                          
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds skinless chicken parts
4 teaspoons canola oil


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour buttermilk (or dressing) into large shallow bowl.  On a sheet of waxed paper combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt and pepper.  Dip the chicken in the buttermilk (or dressing) and then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely.  Place the chicken on the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil.  Bake 30 minutes, then turn the chicken over.  Bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer.

Per serving: ( 2 small pieces or one large), 229 calories, 10g fat, o fiber


I made a full fat version of this corn bake last Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it! Imagine my surprise when I saw a slimmed down version in my Cooking Light magazine. Make this and your family will love you too, only skinnier and healthier.

            Corn Bake

      (Cooking Light Magazine)

       2 cups corn kernels

       1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream style corn

       1 (8 1/2 oz) box corn muffin mix

       1 cup low fat buttermilk

       2 tablespoons light butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.  Mix corn, creamed corn, corn muffin mix, buttermilk and butter in a large bowl.  Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Per serving: (1/10 of bake. Nice and big!!) 178 calories, 5g fat, 3g fiber, 4g protein

Broccoli Raab with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins

(Vegetarian Times)

3/4 lb broccli raab, tough ends and large leaves removed, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 tablespoon golden raisins

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add broccoli raab and cook 2 minutes, or until bright green.  Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again.  Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add broccoli raab to pan, and saute 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender.  Stir in pine nuts and raisins, and season with salt. (I added a little more pine nuts and raisins which increases the nutritionals a little)

 Per serving: (1/2 recipe) 140 calories, 5g protein, 10g fat, 1g fiber

( fat is a little high in this recipe, cutting some nuts will bring it down a bit)

And this is what it looks like when you put all these yummy dishes together . Enjoy!  Happy Eating!!

If I have my cake...why can't I eat it? 3 desserts...3 ingredients

I never understood the adage "You can't have your cake and eat it too."  If I have cake in front of me.. you can be sure that I want to eat it!! Life is too short never to eat dessert so I am always trying to find sweet endings that are not only low in calories and fat, but also delicious. Here are 3 easy, easy desserts that all have simply 3 ingredients. One is a favorite "go to" dessert when you just MUST have some chocolate. One is an oldie but a goodie. And one is a new idea that I discovered in one of my favorite South Jersey restaurants.

Make this chocolate cake and don't tell anyone that it is low fat. See it disappear before your eyes.

So Easy Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (any kind. The deeper the chocolate, the better)

1 cup water

1 small can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 inch pan and set aside. Empty chocolate cake mix into large mixing bowl. Stir in water and mix well.  Add pumpkin and mix well. (mixing can be done by hand...you see, I told you this recipe was easy!) That's it. Do not follow directions on cake box...only use these 3 ingredients. Pour chocolate mixture into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces.

Serving size: 1 piece 93 calories, 2g fat, .5 g fiber

You loved these as a kid and will love them as an adult too! They are surprising low in fat and calories and are a sure crowd pleaser. 3 ingredients and super duper easy!

Rice Krispie Treats

3 tablespoons margarine

1 package (10oz about 40) regular marshmallows

6 cups rice krispies cereal

Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat.  Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat.  Add rice krispies cereal.  Stir until well coated.  Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press muxture evenly into 13x9 inch pan coated with cooking spray.  Cut into 24 pieces when cool. 

Serving size: 1 piece  98 calories, 1g fat, <1g fiber

                               

Upscale does not have to be difficult to make...and it does not have to be fattening. I discovered this next dessert at one of my favorite South Jersey restaurants, Pasta Pomodoro. http://www.pastapomodoronj.com/ Why is it a favorite...because the food is delicious! It also happens to be very healthy minded with a menu that boasts not only an award winning gluten free menu, but attention to detail when it comes to healthy cooking. Their menu posts the nutritional stats on many of their dishes so you can choose wisely while at the same time be sure that there is no hidden fat or calories in the dish. And, it is a BYOB which always makes me happy! This dessert was a nice, fresh, surprising way to end our fabulous meal. It was so easy that I decided to recreate it at home.

Sweet Mission Figs

3 mission figs

pine nuts

agave nectar

Pour agave nectar on plate in a swirling fashion.  Arrange figs and nuts on top.  Pour more agave nectar on top. (agave nectar is similar to honey, but a little sweeter, thinner and lighter. It is a good alternative to sweeteners like sugar or articifial sweeteners)

Enjoy!  Happy eating!!