Steak Kabobs

Poor Kiddo has a stomach virus today, but Hub and I decided to grill out just for ourselves anyway (the prior plan was to have a play date tonight including my parents and Sis, who is breezing through town during her hiatus from the Sudan). Anyway, the kebabs were very nice and very easy. A party centering around people building their own kebabs from an array of cut vegetables and meats (and tofu) works very well...we've done it in the past, as have the M's.

POINTS® Value: 7
Servings: 4

Ingredients

* 1 pound Beef, New York steak, trimmed, raw
* 2 cup mushroom(s)
* 3 medium zucchini
* 1 medium red onion(s)
* 1 medium yellow pepper(s)
* 4 sprays cooking spray
* 1 tsp table salt
* 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Cut vegetables and steak into cubes, thread onto 8 skewers...this can be done by each individual according to taste.
Grill over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Stuffed Trout

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 4
We always serve this with couscous, which mixes beautifully with the spinach/parsley "stuffing". I used to stuff whole trout instead of doing the fillets, but recently Whole Foods stopped carrying whole fish! And not everyone likes fish heads.

Ingredients

* 1 pound rainbow trout (2 large fillets)
* 1 cup parsley, from one large bunch
* 3 garlic clove(s)
* 3 1/2 oz spinach
* 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, parsley, spinach, some fresh sorrel or dill if you have it, lemon juice, salt and pepper
Spread the mixture on the bottom of a glass 13x9 baking dish
Lay the trout fillets, skin side down, on top of the spinach mixture
Broil on high heat for about 8 minutes, or until the skin is pulling easily away from the fish
Using a large spatula, turn the fish and spinach mixture over, broil for 3 minutes more.

Green Vegetable Soup

Hub talked with his Mum in Scotland yesterday, and she mentioned she had lost 2 stone on the Weight Watchers plan so far...and her secret was to make homemade vegetable soup. So here's my first stab at it...even Kiddo loved it. I think I'd put in more fresh peas next time, they were delicious little surprise packets of green yumminess. Hub was not crazy about the whole peppercorns, but I enjoyed the occasional blast of pepper in a mouthful.

POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 16

Ingredients

* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 medium leek(s)
* 10 medium carrot(s)
* 3 stalk broccoli
* 1/2 pound green snap beans
* 1/2 cup peas, raw
* 2 small potato(es)
* 2 tsp kosher salt
* 1 Tbsp peppercorn
* 1 oz fresh oregano
* 2 clove garlic clove(s)
* 12 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

Chop garlic; wash and chop leek, white and green parts. Add olive oil to large stockpot and heat, then add garlic and leek and saute briefly.
Add the chicken stock, and then chop and add all the rest of the vegetables. For the broccoli, peel the stalks and add them as well, chopped.
Add salt, peppercorns (not ground) and oregano branches.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour.

Mediterranean Garden Fagottini

OK, this post may look a little bit weird, but I've finally started a diet. Weight Watchers Online has some cool features such as a "Recipe Builder" where I can add my ingredients and it figures out the points value. And then I can just copy and paste the thing into here! Wish me luck on the diet thing...only two days in and I'm huuuuungry!

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 6

Ingredients
18 oz (2 packages) Mediterranean Garden Fagottini - we got it at Harris Teeter. The one I used has 290 calories per serving, 5g fat and 2g dietary fiber -- if you use something with cheese or meat in, it will probably increase the point value.
1/4 pound semisoft goat cheese - I like goat gouda, but feta or chevre will also do
3 medium tomatoes
5 oz mixed baby greens
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to directions
Grate the cheese, chop the tomatoes, toss in bowl with 1T of olive oil, balsamic vineger, salt and pepper
Wilt the greens in other 1T of olive oil, add to bowl
Add drained pasta to bowl with 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, toss and serve