Couscous Salad with Turkey

Couscous Salad with Turkey


3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/3 cups couscous
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup shredded or julienned carrots
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 (1 1/2-pound) piece cooked turkey breast, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 cups torn fresh baby spinach

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup of the orange juice, the couscous, and the raisins. Cover the pan, then remove it from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer the mixture to a large bowl to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until it's well blended.

Add the carrots, nuts, turkey, spinach, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the couscous. Pour in the dressing and toss to mix.

Makes 4 servings.

Roasted Potatoes

3 small potatoes
1 small onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 packet powdered Italian dressing mix (I have also used vegetable dip mix)

Cut potatoes into 1/2" slices. Cut each slice into thirds and then into small chunks.

Cut onion into small chunks.

Coat potatoes and onions in olive oil and sprinkle with dressing mix, mix well to coat. Chill until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook potatoes and onions until tender on the inside and a little crispy on the outside, about 20 minutes or so.

Note on Recipe: Manny does not like potatoes, but he does like these, probably because they are crispy on the outside.

Tomato Phyllo Tart

Tomato Phyllo Tart

12 sheets phyllo dough (I use ½ the package and make the tart 1 ½ times as long)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoon pesto (I use however much I want, it depends how much you like pesto, I love it)
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (Again, if I can find a bigger container, I use more)
1 large red tomato, cut into thin slices
1 large yellow tomato cut into thin slices
10 small basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

**I used torn spinach and put it under the tomatoes. I couldn't find yellow tomatoes, so I use thinly sliced yellow pepper and I don't use the basil)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay one large sheet of phyllo dough on the prepared pan. (I overlap two sheets in the middle to form a larger rectangle.)

Lightly coat phyllo with olive oil using a pastry brush. Repeat layers until all phyllo dough has been layered.

Using the same pastry brush, spread pesto across the phyllo dough. Sprinkle with half of the feta cheese. Spread spinach across pesto. Arrange tomato slices and any other vegetables over the spinach, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining feta over the top.

Bake the tart until the crust turns brown and crispy, 30-35 minutes (May not need to cook it that long, I think my oven may be off). Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. To serve, lift parchment paper and slide the tart onto a cutting board or large platter. Scatter basil leaves on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.


*Note on the Recipe: I guess I have changed it quite a bit from the original, but Manny will eat it, and it tastes good, so that is all that really matters :)

Vegetable Fritters

Vegetable Fritters (Weight Watchers)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Points per serving 3

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

1 large egg, beaten

½ cup buttermilk

1 medium sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

6 medium mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1 small onion, trimmed and chopped

2 large egg whites, beaten until stiff

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, stir together flower, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.

In a small bowl, stir together egg and buttermilk. Stir into flour mixture.

Add vegetables to flour mixture. Gently fold in egg whites. Season with salt and pepper.

Warm a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Drop fritters by heaping tablespoons onto skillet. Spread fritters flat. Cook 3-5 minutes on one side, flip and cook until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes more.

Yield: about 5 fritters per serving

Variation: I add more vegetables than called for (adding yellow/green peppers and corn). This addition changes the point value.

*Note of the recipes: Manny really likes these and will even dip them in a little salsa sometimes.