Weight Watchers Recipes

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Beef and Macaroni Goulash

My mom made the best goulash with ground beef that I have ever tasted.  I have tried and tried to match hers but I failed to do so.  When I saw this recipe I thought that it came close but I am sure she always added celery and onion.  Maybe a pinch of brown sugar and prepared mustard too.  Mom is gone now but I will continue to try and duplicate her recipe.  She always made it from scratch and never followed any written instruction.  We talked about it on occasion but I never wrote down her helpful hints.  I wish I had now.

    * 1 lb. ground beef
    * 1 med. onion
    * 1/2 c. chopped green pepper
    * 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce or 1 (1 lb. 13 oz.) can undrained tomatoes and 1 can tomato sauce and omit water
    * 2 c. water
    * 2 c. macaroni noodles (6-8 oz.)
    * 2 tbsp. sugar
    * 2 tsp. salt


INSTRUCTIONS
In Dutch oven, brown ground beef. Drain excess fat. Add onion and green pepper.
Continue frying until tender. Add rest of ingredients. Cover; reduce to simmer 20
minutes or so until macaroni is tender. The beef goulash recipe serves 4-6 persons.

Christmas coal candy

Unfortunately, the Christmas holidays are gone.  But I will post this recipe for the 2011 Christmas holiday and beyond.

1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to overhang the sides by about 2 inches. Set aside.
2.  Bring sugar, corn syrup and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, and wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipping inwater to prevent crystals from forming.
3.  Once mixture comes to a boil and all the sugar has dissolved, clip a candy thermometer to pan, and raise heat to high. Continue cooking without stirring until mixture registers 300 Fahrenheit (hard crack stage). Remove from heat.
4.  Carefully add food coloring, extract and baking soda; stir slowly with a clean    wooden spoon until thoroughly combined and mixture no longer bubbles, about 2 minutes.
5.  Pour into prepared pan, and let cool completely.
6.  Lift foil to remove candy from pan, and transfer candy to a large plastic bag. use a kitchen mallet or hammer break candy into pieces.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

Makes 12 to 16 servings

2 1/2 cups sweet potato chunks

1 cup bittersweet baking chocolate squares

2/3 cup margarine

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

5 Tbsp semi-sweet mint chocolate chips

» Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

» Over a saucepan of boiling water, steam sweet potatoes until very tender. (Make sure there is a gap between the top of the water and the bottom of the steamer basket.) Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl and mash using a potato masher. Add chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes or until melted, then stir to combine. Let cool.

» In another large bowl, beat margerine and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and beat in vanilla. Beat in cooled sweet potato mixture.

» In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture until combined. Scrape into parchment paper-lined 13- by 9-inch baking pan and spread evenly in pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

» Immediately after cake comes out of oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over top of cake and let cool.

- Source: www.livestrong.com

Cooking Light Jambalaya

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Mardi Gras is right around the corner so I thought I'd post this recipe.  Some people have substituted Smoked Turkey Sausage in place of the shrimp in other recipes I have read.

Congealed Diet Dr. Pepper Salad

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I just have to give a shout out to one of my favorite websites Southern Plate.  Christy Jordan is the publisher of this website and she does a super job.  She has a new cookbook out if anyone is interested.  It is titled: Southern Plate: Classic Comfort Food That Makes Everyone Feel Like Family.  

Lemon Blossoms

Lemon anything is a favorite in our house.  So when I saw this recipe on Southern Plate's website I thought I should share it.


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Meatball Sub Casserole

This sounds so yummy!  Click on title to view

Strawberry Limeade

With the warm weather approaching I thought I'd post this recipe for those warm summer days.  It sounds great to me!

1-1/2 cups quartered fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh lime juice
5 cups cold water
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar (depending on how sweet the strawberries are)
Ice cubes
Lime slices-for serving, if desired
1. Blend strawberries and lime juice in blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Pour strawberry and lime mixture into a large pitcher. Add cold water and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Add in ice cubes and pour into individual glasses. Garnish with lime, if desired.
4. Pour over ice cubes in tall glasses; garnish each with strawberry or lime wedge, if desired.

Cook's Country Recipe for hot wings

low-Cooker Sticky Wings

Serves 12

In step 3, the oven rack should be 10 to 12 inches from the broiler element. Don’t wander off while the wings are in the oven.

1	(3-inch) piece fresh ginger , peeled and chopped
4	garlic cloves , peeled
3/4	cup  packed dark brown sugar
1/4	cup  soy sauce
1/2	teaspoon  cayenne pepper
4	pounds  chicken wings , halved at joint and wingtips removed
1/4	cup  water
1/4	cup  tomato paste

1. MAKE RUB Pulse ginger, garlic, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in food processor until finely ground. Add mixture to slow cooker insert. Add chicken and toss until combined.

2. COOK AND COOL Cover and cook on low until fat renders and chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours. Using slotted spoon, remove wings from slow cooker and transfer to clean large bowl (discard liquid in slow cooker). Let wings cool 20 minutes (or cool briefly and refrigerate up to 24 hours).

3. SAUCE AND BROIL Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with baking spray. Whisk water, tomato paste, remaining sugar, remaining soy sauce, and remaining cayenne in bowl. Add half of sauce to bowl with cooled wings and toss gently to coat. Arrange wings, skin side up, on prepared rack. Broil until wings are lightly charred and crisp around edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip wings, brush with remaining sauce, and continue to broil until well caramelized, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

3 squares Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Microwave chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.  Stir together until all the chocolate is melted and combined with the butter. Stir in sugar until well blended.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt.  Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar to cover completely.  Place on parchment covered baking sheet.  Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.

The Best Lemonade Ever

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