I was walking with a friend last week and out of the blue… ‘stuffed artichokes’ to which I emphatically replied ‘yes’ love them.  Then I couldn’t get them off my mind.  Are you an artichoke fan? Steamed, then pull their lushes pedals off one by one and dunk them in butter or better yet a mayo/mustard dip?? Are you with me?

I steamed then stuffed these bad boys. I am a complete fan, grew up with them, fighting over the heart.

For the stuffing I started with butter. Because butter. Added garlic and shallot, a couple of my favorite aromatics, a little lemon juice and white wine.

Stuffing implies bread. Now here’s a story. We had our annual Christmas Party a few weeks back. Our catered dinner was from a favorite local restaurant, that delivered delicious Italian dishes, complete with hot from the oven bread sticks. When it came time to pack up leftovers, I ended up with a full pan of garlicky breadsticks. I turned them into breadcrumbs and froze them.  Three. Gallon. Ziploc. bags of breadcrumbs.

I love that they are newly introduced in this Stuffed Artichoke recipe.

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Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients

• 4 artichokes
• 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup
• 3 shallots finely diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parsley minced
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

• Trim artichokes. Cut the stem off, making a stable base. Cut an inch or so off the top, trimming the tough leaves with scissors.
• Bring a large Dutch oven or pot, fitted with a steamer basket and 2-inches of water to a boil. Place artichokes on steamer basket; steam for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare stuffing. Melt butter and saute garlic and shallot, 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice and white wine and simmer 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat and fold in breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan and seasoning.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• When artichokes are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to remove the choke, the most center leaves and furriness. Fill with stuffing, into cavity and between leaves. Top with more grated parmesan cheese.
• Bake in a foil covered dish for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The post Stuffed Artichokes appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Braciole {Italian Beef Rolls} slowly simmered in spicy Arrabbiata sauce until the beef is fork tender.  The filling, comprised of parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, Italian bread crumbs, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and hard-boiled egg, is my loose interpretation of this classic Italian dish.

The first time this recipe caught my attention was while flipping through a Taste of Home magazine at my in-laws.  Everything about the recipe sounded wonderful. Then this week when my friend shared her new Weight Watchers cookbook with me and there was a modified version of a Braciole recipe, it was clearly time to make it happen.

I took some liberties, beginning with the beef.  Who wants to pound out steaks when you can step up to the deli counter and order slices of nice lean rare roast beef cut an 1/8-inch thick.  I’m sure if we had any Italian fans they are fleeing quickly at the sound of this.  But wait.  If convenience is what’s keeping us from enjoying a recipe as delicious as Braciole, can’t we make an exception.  Just this once.

No pounding required with my modified version.  Just combine the filling ingredients, spoon them in the middle of each slice of beef, fold in edges and roll tightly.  You could tie them neatly at 1-inch intervals with butchers twine ooooor you could take yet another short cut and just pan brown them, carefully turning so they don’t unfold.  That’s what I did and they held together just fine.

The third and final short cut I should have used was my slow cooker.  In my head I reasoned that this sliced roast beef, albeit an 1/8-inch thick, would be melt in your mouth tender from the get go.  As it turns out it wanted a good hour, if not a bit longer, to braise in the arrabbiata sauce.  This could have been achieved in a LOW slow cooker while I went about my business.

Loose interpretations and liberties aside, they were amazing.  Don’t take my word for it, just ask my work-mates who enjoyed the four remaining beef rolls, cut into bites to be shared even further.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I’m making daily Healthy Choices as I work towards my goal of Fit by 50.  I have several teammates on this journey who’s support is invaluable.  We motivate each other, walk together and most importantly share recipes (and the finished product) with each other.  These Briacole {Italian Beef Rolls} with a 1/2 cup of sauce weighed in at 8 WW Pts+.  We served them over roasted spaghetti squash which added no additional points values.  Winning.

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Braciola {Italian Beef Rolls}

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 8 slices 1/8-inch thick, about 4-ounces each Boar’s Head Roast Beef
• 2 hard-boiled eggs chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf Italian parsley chopped
• 3 Tbl. toasted pine nuts
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tbl. olive oil divided
• pinch salt & pepper
• 3-4 cups arrabbiata sauce
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 large spaghetti squash optional

Instructions

• Combine chopped hard-boiled eggs, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, 1 Tbl. olive oil, salt & pepper.
• Lay each beef slice on a flat surface; spoon 1/8th filling mixture onto center of beef slice. Fold over one of the short sides, then fold in edges and roll tightly. Reserve and repeat with remaining beef and filling.
• Heat remaining 1 Tbl. olive oil in a large covered skillet over medium-high heat. Brown rolls, 1-2 minutes per side, working in batches. Once browned, top rolls with arrabbiata sauce or transfer to a slow cooker and top with sauce. For stove top method, simmer beef rolls covered over low heat for 60-75 minutes or until tender. For slow cooker method, place on LOW for 3-4 hours or until tender.

For spaghetti squash…

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and rub inside with olive oil. Place cut side down on shallow baking sheet. Roast for 50-60 minutes until skin is easily pierced with a fork and flesh is easily removed. Scoop flesh from skins into a bowl and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Notes

These Briacole {Italian Beef Rolls} with a 1/2 cup of sauce weighed in at 8 WW Pts+. We served them over roasted spaghetti squash which added no additional points values.
The 1/2 cup red wine listed under ingredients is used at your discretion. Great in the sauce or on the side.

The post Braciola {Italian Beef Rolls} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I had this vision of presenting a big bowl of Cream of Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto & a side of Mozzarella Dunkers aka Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks.  You know the scene, a gorgeous bowl of tomato soup with a side grilled cheese sandwich.  One glimpse and you’re committed.  The epitomy of comfort.  

It’s all about comfort in this house and I’m proud to say that we’ve learned to adapt to a lighter lifestyle.  Our Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks start with Weight Watchers String Cheese.  They’re just 1 Pts+ per cheese stick BEFORE you bread them.  I decided to cut them in half so that after breading each piece is still just 1 WW Pts+.

First thing to do is freeze your cheese sticks.  This helps keep the cheese from oozing out during baking.  Cut them in half, then roll them in flour, dunk in egg whites and coat in seasoned parmesan panko/Italian bread crumbs before baking.  A little olive oil spray goes a long way towards achieving golden goodness.

Being on a Healthy Choices eating plan doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy cheesy love.  These Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks make a great appetizer and are fantastic dunked in Cream of Tomato Soup.

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Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

These Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks make a great appetizer and are fantastic dunked in Cream of Tomato Soup.

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 6 WW 1 Pts+ Mozzarella String Cheese cut in half
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 3 Tbl. egg whites
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

• Unwrap cheese sticks, cut in half and freeze (about one hour).
• Place oven rack to the top third position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread panko and Italian breadcrumbs on a shallow baking sheet and toast in oven for 5-8 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to shallow bowl to cool. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil spray.
• In a shallow bowl beat egg whites until foamy. Put flour in a second bowl. Combine toasted bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil and garlic powder in a third bowl.
• Coat frozen cheese sticks in flour, then dip into egg. Next roll in breadcrumb mixture until coated well. Place onto prepared foil lined baking sheet. Continue dipping each cheese stick, then lightly spray tops with olive oil spray.
• Bake for 5 minutes, then turn them over and coat with olive oil spray. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Notes

Each Cheese Stick = 1 WW Pts+

The post Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

That qualifies this as a great week night meal.

It’s been nearly a week since my last new recipe share.  Seems like an eternity to me.  I’ve been a bit preoccupied. 

Truth be told I’ve been trying to avoid dreaming about food and instead jump starting a Healthy Choices campaign. 

By ‘campaign’ I mean personal, no worries…I’m not going to solicit you to jump on my band wagon.  It’s just that I needed to get a solid week of “Eat Right and Exercise” under my belt….which I have successfully accomplished.

Chicken Piccata, while it looks absolutely decadent in a picture, is a deliciously light and flavorful dish.  Follow along and I’ll share the super simple process.

For the Chicken

• First begin with boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been trimmed of any fat. 
• Place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness, something less than 1/2-inch.  This one step will double if not triple the surface area of each piece.  Now cut these in half.
• I like a light breading on my piccata.  A simple dip into egg whites then into Italian bread crumbs does the trick. 
• If you have time, chill the breaded chicken for 10 – 15 minutes before browning.  This really helps the breading adhere to the chicken.

Recipe note:  I shared with my walking buddy last week some of the basic pantry/fridge/freezer staples that we generally keep on hand.  When boneless skinless chicken breasts go on sale, we will buy several packages.  I trim them, pound them slightly to a uniform thickness, then freeze them flat in quart sized freezer bags. 

In fact we freeze most things flat in freezer bags.  Once frozen they can be stacked or stood upright and take minimal space.  Ingredients also thaw more quickly this way.

For the Pan Sauce

• After browning the chicken, remove it from the skillet while you make the pan sauce. 
• I use a combination of chicken broth and white wine, however you may omit the wine if you choose. 
• Capers, fresh lemon juice, butter and fresh parsley bring the sauce together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve

Because the pan sauce is so delicious you’ll want to serve your Chicken Piccata with a nice pasta, like Angel Hair or even on a bed of couscous or steamed broccoli.

Over the course of this past week I have been reminded how much I adore food.  Therefore I have also come back to the key to making Healthy Choices, which is portion control. 

One serving of Chicken Piccata over angel hair pasta with a side of Mushroom Thyme Hericot Verts was completely satisfying.  We enjoyed a restaurant quality meal at home with full control over calories.  That’s winning in my book.

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Chicken Piccata {over Angel Hair Pasta}

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 298kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the piccata…

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 6-8 ounces each
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 Tbl. olive oil

For the pan sauce…

• 2 Tbl. butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 Tbl. capers
• salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley finely chopped

To serve…

• Angel hair pasta prepared according to package instructions.
• Lemon slices

Instructions

For the piccata…

• Pound chicken to an even thickness (between plastic wrap), something less than 1/2-inch. Then cut each breast into two pieces. Dip pieces in egg white then dredge in bread crumbs. If time permits, chill before cooking to set crumbs.
• Spray sauté pan with cooking spray and add just enough olive oil to coat pan. Brown both sides over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from pan.

For the pan sauce…

• Wipe out any crumbs from sauté pan, then bring sauce ingredients to gentle boil for 3-4 minutes until reduced slightly. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

To serve…

• Place chicken piccata on each plate, with serving of angel hair. Spoon sauce over both. Serve with lemon slices and fresh parsley.

Notes

1 4-ounce serving of Chicken Piccata with Pan Sauce = 7 WW Pts+
1 1/2-ounces (dried) Angel Hair Pasta = 4 WW Pts+

The post Chicken Piccata {over Angel Hair Pasta} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Arancini {with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce}

I was the girl who grew up eating my spaghetti with butter and parmesan cheese.  No red sauce for this kid.  I even scraped the sauce off pizza before eating it.  

Over time I fell in love with Alfredo Sauce but still avoided tomato based sauces for the most part.  It was all about white sauce in our home, with lasagna and occasionally meatballs being an exception.  This all changed on Christmas Day.

Our annual family Christmas dinner has evolved over the years into a vast array of appetizers and heavy hors d’oeuvres.  Each family brings a couple different dishes to share. 

This past Christmas I made Arancini, deep fried mozzarella stuffed risotto balls served with homemade basil pesto and store bought marinara sauce. 

We’ll get back to the marinara sauce in a minute. 

The risotto balls were a hit, definitely a recipe worth sharing.  Yet with the hustle and bustle of the holidays no pictures were taken until now.

THE Marinara Sauce

When the party was over nearly a full jar of marinara sauce remained in our refrigerator.  I decided to make those occasional Italian Meatballs and serve them with the marinara sauce. 

Rao’s Marinara Sauce.  

Oh my word. 

Rrrrao. 

No, no…really, unless you’ve had Rao’s you won’t appreciate when I say, it changed our lives.  

Little did I know when I selected it off the super market shelf that this sauce had achieved award winning status.  We are full-in believers now.  Rrrrrao. 

If you want to hear your family roar like tigers you’ll want to pick up a jar.  Spaghetti & Meatballs with Rao’s Marinara have become a weekly staple for us.  We are working on our own copycat version of Rao’s but for now I’m keeping an eye on the sale flyers and stocking up.

The Arancini

So now back to what you came for.  Arancini begins with a Basic Risotto Recipe that is then chilled for about an hour.  A beaten egg and fresh basil are stirred in before forming the risotto into 1 1/2-inch balls.  A cube of mozzarella cheese is inserted into the center of each ball which is then sealed around it.

The cheese stuffed rice balls are then breaded.  Each ball is dipped into flour, then beaten egg, then dry Italian bread crumbs; coating well.

Working in small batches, the Arancini are fried in oil until nicely browned on all sides.  The outside will become crispy while the cheese center is nice and gooey.  Serve the Arancini with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce, for twice the dipping pleasure.

Arancini {with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce} is a fabulous appetizer that can be prepared at home, just allow yourself enough time to prepare the basic risotto recipe first, including time to chill it.  Your family and guests will love and appreciate this classic Italian dish.

All my best,
xo Libby

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Arancini {with Basil Pesto & Marinara Sauce}

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• Basic Risotto Recipe recipe link in post
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbl. fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cubed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
• Peanut oil for deep-frying
• Basil pesto
• Marinara sauce

Instructions

• Prepare Basic Risotto Recipe according to instructions. Chill for 1 hour. Stir in 1 beaten egg and fresh basil. Form into 1 1/2-inch diameter balls. Press mozzarella cube into the center of each ball and seal by rolling into a smooth ball.
• Set up three bowls for the breading. One for flour, one for two beaten eggs, one for the Italian bread crumbs. Dip each risotto ball into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs; coating each one well.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a large saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 370 degrees. Fry the balls in small batches until they are well browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with basil pesto and warm marinara sauce. Yield = 16 Arancini

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