Kosher Meatballs

I've recently rediscovered the joy of meatballs. I can make a big batch one night then have all kinds of easy leftovers for the rest of the week - spaghetti, meatball sandwiches, crushed over rice - they're just so versatile!

• 1 pound of the leanest ground beef available
• 1/4 cup "Italian" style breadcrumbs (if the only spiced ones you can find are dairy, add 1 tsp "Italian" blend spices to plain breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced fine
• 1/4 cup bell pepper (red, yellow, or green), diced fine
• 1 tbsp worstechire sauce
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground mixed peppercorns

The real key to these meatballs is texture. If you like a meatball with a little interior crunch, dice the onions and peppers by hand. If you prefer a smooth texture in your meatball, dice the onions and peppers in a food processor until they're very, very fine. If you want a buttery smooth texture in your meatballs, use a food processor on the vegetables first, then once everything is thoroughly mixed together, put meat mix into the food processor again and process until smooth.

However you prefer to do it, thoroughly mix all ingredients until they're well blended. Once you have the texture you prefer, roll the dough into golfball sized balls.

Heat your largest skillet to medium/medium low. Do not add any oil. Arrange the meatballs in the skillet so you still have a little space for maneuvering room. Allow each side to brown, about five minutes, then use a tablespoon to turn. Mine usually need to be turned 3 - 4 times before they're finished.

These freeze very well. You can put 3 - 4 between a couple papertowels and microwave them from frozen in just a couple minutes (depending on your microwave.) They're great for fast, low-fat meals.

Kosher Persian Inspired Beef and Yellow Split Pea Stew

This is a dirt simple recipe, perfect for stuffing into the crockpot on your way out the door to work. It works equally well with beef or lamb, depending on your preference, but use a cheap, tough cut! Otherwise, the meat will fall completely apart after cooking for 8 hours. If you use cheap stewing meat, it'll be deliciously tender without falling to pieces.

• 1 pound inexpensive stew beef or lamb, cubed
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 fourteen point five oz can stewed or diced tomatoes
• 3 (newly emptied stewed tomato) cans of water
• 3 tbsp tomato paste (about half a 6 oz can)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tbsp tumeric powder
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 lime, juiced

Mix everything BUT the time in your crockpot. Stir thoroughly. Leave the crockpot on low for at least 6 hours, preferably at least 8. Just before serving, juice 1/2 of the lime into the crockpot. Taste, and if it needs a little more lime, squeeze in the other half.

Don't put the lime in while cooking! The cirtus acids don't play nicely with the meat.

Serve with hot rice and/or pita bread.

Variations:

• If you can find them, use 2 - 3 dried persian sour limes instead of a single regular lime. Ethinic groceries might have them. If they're not available where you live, don't worry.
• Most versions of this recipe call for eggplant. I've never developed a taste for it, so I leave it out, but if you like eggplant, chop up a medium one and add it to the crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients. Eggplant lovers tell me it's a very tasty addition.
• A bay leaf added to the crockpot adds nicely to the flavor.

Kosher Tzaziki Sauce - Turkish and Persian

Since I'm lactose intolerant, this is something of a sin food for me. It can be made with soy yogurt, but to be honest with you, it's just not as good. I'm a big fan of cucumber, so I like the Turkish style Tzaziki best, but a lot of my friends prefer the mintier Persian, so I thought I'd include them both. The Turkish is delightful with falafel while the Persian is a fantastic accompaniment to salmon. Turkish Tzaziki

• 2 cups plain yogurt (fresh if you can get it)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 4 tbsp dried mint
• 1/2 tsp salt

Persian Tzaziki

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup dried mint
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp dried dill
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp salt

The instructions for both are the same. Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. If you eat it too early, it'll taste like lumpy yogurt, but if you let it sit overnight, the flavors will mingle and it'll be to die for. Stir again before serving. Serve chilled with falafel, salmon, a fresh vegetable tray, or whatever cries out to you. Stays good in the fridge for several days, though mine never lasts that long.

Kosher Vegan Banana Ice Cream

I made 2 ice creams this weekend - one with Lactaid milk, one with Soymilk. My husband raved over this one and said the Lactaid milk experiment was okay, but nowhere near as crack-a-licious. This is also so easy it's almost criminal. No scalding of milk or melting of cocoa - just mix and pour. In a couple hours, it's ready to eat. I can picture making it every weekend this summer.

• 2 cups vanilla soy milk (8th Continent or Sun Soy preferred)
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sugar

Mash the bananas until they're paste. The blacker the skins, the easier this is. Mix in the sugar. Mix in the soymilk. Keep mixing until relatively smooth. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow your manufacturer's instructions.

Variations:

I think 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips would be a tasty addition.

Kosher Cinnamon Apple Chicken

I've finally made a chicken dish with no garlic or onions! Be impressed. Of course, I personally think a teaspoon of minced garlic and a small sliced onion would mingle beautifully with the rest of the flavors, but I've been outvoted on this one.

• 1 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp coase ground peppercorns
• 4 four oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 medium granny smith apples, cored and sliced thin (1/4 inch slices)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix sage, coriander, salt, and pepper. Dampen chicken then rub the spice mix onto both sides. If you have a George Foreman Grill, cook the chicken there. If not, spritz a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook the chicken on both sides until done (usually 7 minutes per side, though always cut your chicken open to make sure).

Set cooked chicken aside. If you used a skillet, keep using the same one. If not, get out a skillet and put it over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Mix until smooth. Now add the sliced apples and stir until they're evenly coated with oil mix.

Cook apples over a medium heat for about five minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat and add the chicken back to the pan, stirring until it gets a nice glazed coat of the sugar/oil mixture.

One serving is a single chicken breast and about 3/4 cup of apples. It comes to 6 Weight Watchers points per serving.

Variations:

• Add 1/2 tsp minced garlic to the oil, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon mix.
• Add 1/2 tsp anise seeds to the oil, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon mix. This will add a sort of licorishy flavor which goes well with fruit.
• Substitute 2 medium white onions for 2 of the apples. Yes, I love onions. I promise, a nice mild white onion would go beautifully with these flavors. If you do it, I'd also add the garlic.

Kosher Lite Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Unlike the Blueberry and oh-so-tasty Banana Chip muffins, these are Healthy with a capitol H. I still like them, but keep in mind, these are for enjoying the sensation of fullness after a hard workout, not for kids lunchboxes (unless you want them trading up for Fiery Hot Cheetos.)

• 1 1/2 cups lite apple pie flavored yogurt
• 1 cup lowfat milk
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs (or your favourite egg substitute equivalent)
• 1 cup diced dried apples
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Preaheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix yogurt, milk, oats, vanilla, and eggs. Let sit around 5 minutes (so the oats will soak up the moisture. Otherwise, you'll have tough muffins.) While waiting, take your cup of dried apples (an entire bag of the Sunmaid brand) and dice them up. Add them to the bowl and mix well. Let sit another 2 minutes (again, so the dried apples can soak up some moisture.) Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Either use paper liners or spritz your muffin pan with cooking spray. Fill muffin cups about 1/2 full of batter. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Makes about 32 muffins at 2 Weight Watchers points per muffin. These freeze well for a couple months.

Kosher lite Blueberry Muffins

I've been looking for a low-fat blueberry muffin recipe that isn't chock full of artificial sweeteners. Most recipes either go overboard with healthiness, substituting wheat bran and oatmeal for normal flour, or they're loaded up with so much butter and eggs they're a gazillion calories each. This is my personal compromise. These light and fluffy low fat muffins are moist but still pleasantly sweet. They're not healthy, but they're not cholesterol-o-rific, either.

• 3/4 cup lite vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix the yogurt, milk, egg, and sugar until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well. When the batter is smooth, gently fold in the blueberries. You don't want to overmix them or else they'll fall apart and turn the batter purple.

Either line a muffin pan with paper cups or spritz it with nonstick spray. Fill the cups 1/2 full of batter. Bake at 350F for 18 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Variations:

• If you're absolutely obsessed with low sugar as well as low fat, substitute 1 cup of Splenda for Baking (the type measured cup for cup like sugar.)
• To make this recipe parve, substitute plain soy yogurt and vanilla soymilk.
• If you really want more blueberry flavor, substitute low fat blueberry yogurt for the vanilla. If you do, be prepared for your muffins to be a lovely shade of blue.

Weight Watchers Points: 3 points per muffin. If you make them as mini-muffins, reduce the baking time to 12 - 15 minutes. The mini muffins only have 1 point each.

Kosher Lite Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

I made some minor but tasty modifications to a Weight Watchers brand recipe to end up with these oh-so-tasty mini loaves. They make an incredibly filling six point breakfast for days when you have to be out the door in a flash. Cut in half, they're a great 3 point snack. Since there is no consistency in the size of a "mini loaf," I should add my Weight Watchers scale says my loaves are about 100 grams, baked in a 3x2 inch mini loaf pan.

• 3/4 cup lite banana yogurt
• 1/2 cup fat free skim milk
• 1/2 cup uncooked quick oats
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (black if you can stand them that long)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix yogurt, milk, oats, vanilla, and egg until well blended. Set aside for at least five minutes. This will give the oats a chance to absorb moisture. If you don't let it sit, you'll end up with very textured bread instead of tasty smoothness.

After five minutes, stir in the mashed bananas.

Now add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Spritz your mini-loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and fill about half way with batter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a fork poked inside comes out clean.

Variations:

• To make this recipe parve (or to make it dairy free for people who are allergic to milk/lactose intollerant) substitute vanilla soy yogurt (banana flavor is better, if you can find it) and vanilla soy milk for the regular yogurt and milk. Leave out the chocolate chips (unless you have a source of good dairy free ones.)
• Instead of mini-loaves, bake the batter in the form of mini-muffins. The muffins take 15 to 18 minutes to cook and have only one point each.
• Have fun with the yogurt flavors! I used a generic Banana's Foster lite yogurt and had great results.
• If you prefer a more traditional tasting banana bread, leave out the chocolate chips, substitute vanilla for banana yogurt, and add 1 tsp cinnamon.

Kosher Vegan White Beans and Corn

I've never been fond of black-eyed peas, but I absolutely love most white beans. This is my (much lighter) take on a colorful southern dish.

• 1 cup Habichuelas Blancas (small white beans), soaked overnight (you can find canned ones in some Mexican groceries)
• 1 cup (two large ears) fresh corn, cooked
• 3 cups water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or two cloves, chopped)
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp basil
• juice of 1 lime

Bring water to a boil. Add beans, cover, and reduce to low. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes. If you haven't already boiled the corn, this is a good time to do so. You'll have some time to kill.

When the beans are nearly ready (no more than 15 minutes left to go), put a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Saute the chopped onion until translucent (longer if you like). Add the bell pepper, cooked corn, tomato, and garlic. Saute until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes.

When the peas are fully cooked (all water absorbed, tender when tasted), add the corn mixture and all remaining ingredients. Stir until well blended. Serve hot.

Variations:

• If using canned beans, cook the corn mixture as per directions. Drain the beans and add them directly to the frying pan, along with the vinegar, garlic, lime juice, and spices. Mix well and serve hot.
• You can make this even more colorful by adding half a green bell pepper to the corn mix.

Kosher for Passover Parve Deviled Eggs

These aren't lite by any stretch of the imagination, but they're very tasty and can be served with meat or dairy meals, or just eaten as an enjoyably fatty snack.

• 12 hard boiled eggs
• 1/3 cup Kosher for Passover mayonnaise, such as Manischewitz
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Shell the eggs. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Mix the yolks, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cumin, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Mash until an even texture. Spoon the mash back into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika.

I don't dare figure up the Weight Watcher points. Assume it's a lot. A whole lot.

Kosher Vegan Vegetable Medley

This is so simple I don't even think it deserves the title "recipe." My husband disagrees. In fact, he disagrees so fervently he has promised, if I'll post it, he'll make dinner without me sitting in the other room and eyeballing everything for him. I can't turn down an offer like that. In case you've never tried, fresh vegetables with a dash of olive oil cook up beautifully in the microwave. The olive oil keeps them from drying out and the microwave cooking leaves them beautifully crisp.

• 2 cups mixed veggies (I use green beans, sliced carrots, red peppers, asparagus & sliced onions)
• 1 tbsp basil flavored olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic (the refridgerated kind that comes in a jar, or you can mince yourself)
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix the olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large, microwave safe bowl. Add the veggies and toss well until the veggies are coated. This may take a couple minutes. A tablespoon really will coat them all - you don't want them to drip.

Microwave on high for 3 - 4 minutes (we have a weak, cheap 600 watt microwave. A more powerful machine will need less time.) Mix well again, recoating veggies with oil. Serve hot.

Yes, it really is that easy.

Use whatever vegetables you prefer. Like broccoli? Go for it. Hate onions? Leave them out. All you need to do is make sure your vegetables cook at the same speed. That means if you add carrots or squash, slice it into thin pieces.

Other good oil-and-herb mixes include 1 tbsp garlic olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of your favourite Jamacian, Cajun, or Moroccan spice blend. I've also used 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp steak rub (especially good on asparagus) or fish rub (good with carrots and green beans.) Sadly, curries and Indian spice blends do not work well.

Kosher Bread Pudding

I love bread pudding, but it's almost always dairy. I whipped up this parve version at home recently and absolutely loved it. The soy chai adds a nice punch of flavor.

• 3 cups Italian bread, cubed
• 2 cups soy chai
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 tbsp lite olive oil
• 2 shots bourbon or whiskey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix everything but the bread until smooth, then mix in the bread. Pour mixture into a nonstick baking pan and let sit for at least 10 minutes so bread can soak up the mixture. Bake for 1 hour at 350. For an espically moist bread pudding, place your baking dish into a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with water until the water reaches about half way to the top of your baking dish. Put the whole caboodle in the oven, treating it like a giant creme brulee.

Since this is parve, there won't be a whiskey sauce. You can make one with veggie margarine, but it's just not as good, so why pretend? Instead of topping a good bread pudding with a merely adequate whiskey sauce, try combining 1 shot bourbon with 3 shot glasses of packed brown sugar (or a larger 3:1 ratio if you want more coating) so the sugar is soaking wet. Sprinkle wet sugar on top of your baked bread pudding and either heat dramatically with a creme brulee torch or just broil within 4 inches or less of the broiler for a few minutes, until the sugars start to carmalize. It'll make an incredibly tasty topping.

Variations:

• Slice 1/2 cup granny smith apple. Pour 1/2 bread mix into pan, layer half the apples. Add 1/4 mix in, layer remaining apples, then top with final 1/4 mix. Bake normally.
• Slice 1 medium banana. Mix in with the bread and liquid then bake normally.

Kosher Lite White Chicken Chilli

This is a lite take on the heavy southwest inspired soups which are usually served with a ton of shreaded cheese and fried tortilla strips. In this version, the lack of cheese not only keeps it kosher, but also strips away a ton of calories. If you love cheesy soups, try adding a quarter cup shreaded soy cheese before serving.

• 12 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
• 6 cups veggie broth or low fat, low sodium chicken broth
• 3 fifteen oz cans Great Northern Beans
• 2 four and a half oz cans diced green chilli peppers, undrained
• 1 can "Fiesta" corn
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp minced bottled garlic
• 1.5 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Bring oil to medium-high heat. Add diced yellow onions, cloves, and garlic, then cook until onions are translucent. Add broth and stir well. Add all other ingredients, mixing well. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, preferably for about an hour. Serve hot.

There are 30 Weight Watchers points in the entire pot. That adds up to 3 points per 2 cup bowl of soup - not as lite as the Confetti Soup, but incredibly filling.

Kosher Vegan Lite Confetti Soup

This is a light, tasty, zero point soup. The key to it is dicing the vegetables into very tiny pieces. A food processor works well in this regard. If you don't have one, just be patient when chopping.

• 6 cups home made vegetable broth
• 2 yukon potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces.
• 1/2 large carrot, sliced very thin
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 ear yellow corn (or 4 tablespoons canned)
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Bring broth to a boil. Add spices and potato. Cover and reduce heat to low. Add everything else. Mix well, cover and continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 15 - 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fully cooked. Makes about 8 cups. Like most soups, this one is even better the next day.

There are only 4 Weight Watchers Points in the entire pot. That adds up to about half a point per cup, so eat up and enjoy!

Kosher Vegan Lite Vegetable Stock

As part of my diet, I decided to experiment with home made broth. I'd always heard they were both tastier and better for you, but I'd never actually put in the time to find out for myself. Now, I'm glad I did. This broth is good enough to drink on its own as a soup. It freezes well and makes a fantastic base for quick soups.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 4 large yellow onions, with skin
• 4 celery stalks, with leaves
• 4 carrots
• 1 turnip
• 1 rutabaga
• 1 head garlic
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 4 strands fresh thyme
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 16 cups (4 liters) water

In a large stockpot, heat oil at medium-high.

Chop all vegetables into rough pieces, no more than 2 inches each. KEEP the skin of the onions and garlic - they will add color as well as flavor.

Add the vegetables to the stockpot, stirring frequently until they are lightly coated in oil. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the vegetables are almost burned, about 20 minutes. If they start to smell burned, you've gone too far, but you really do want the vegetables to be dark brown and well past the point where you'd normally eat them. If they look edible, keep cooking. The longer you cook, the more flavorful your broth will be.

When the vegetables are a deep brown, add the water and fresh spices. You can find fresh spices in your produce section, but if they're not available, substitute 2 tablespoons of thyme and basil. Mix well and bring to a rolling boil. Partially cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer at least two hours, stirring about once every half an hour (more if you just like to peek in the pot every now and then.) Put in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, strain broth through 2 layers of cheesecloth. If you can't find cheesecloth, put oil splatter screen over a bowl. Put your colander over the splatter screen. Then carefully pour the broth through the two layers of mesh. Discard vegetables. Use or freeze broth.

This broth has no Weight Watchers points. That's right, folks, it's free!

Kosher Curry Chicken Salad

I know it's not terribly creative, but I like a nice, sweet curried chicken salad. I wanted to make one that would fit into my new Weight Watchers diet. If you're having trouble getting in all your fruits and veggies, one serving of this is a much better choice than a Lean Cuisine microwavable lunch.

• 12 oz chicken (2 small kosher breast halves)
• 1 medium apple, diced (granny smith works best)
• 1 1/2 cups red or green grapes, sliced in half
• 4 tbsp parve fat free mayo substitute
• 2 tbsp canned crushed pineapple
• 2 tbsp medium heat curry powder

Coat the chicken with half the curry powder and cook in a George Foreman grill (or other fat-free cooking method). When the chicken cools, shread it into the smallest pieces you have the patience for. If you prefer to use precooked chicken, cut the curry powder down to 1.5 tbsp.

Combine all ingredients in a single bowl until well mixed. Chill and serve cold either on whole wheat bread or a bed of lettuce. Yes, it's that easy.

Points estimate for entire dish: Chicken, 12; Fat Free Mayo, 4; Grapes, 2; Apple, 1; Pineapple, 1; spices, 0. Total points per serving: 5 (meal sized serving), 3 (sandwich sized serving).

Kosher Chicken Vatana Soup

It was 20 degrees outside and I was in the mood for a thick, hearty, chicken soup. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to experiment with the Vatana Dahl I picked up at Jungle Jim's. If you like light, sipping broths, cut all solid ingredients in half. I prefer dense soups that will fill you up on a cold night. This is a flavorful, colorful soup that helps warm the belly and sustain you for a long night out in the cold. Incidentally, Vatana Dahl is the same as yellow peas (remember Mendel's genetics experiments? These are the peas the west decided they disliked in favor of the common green peas found in the supermarket.)

• 1 cup dry vatana dahl/yellow peas
• 2 fourteen and a half oz cans fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans water
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast (about 2 small kosher breast halves)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 ear corn (or 1/2 cup drained canned corn)
• 1.5 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 fresh chopped cloves)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cover the beans with 2 - 3 inches of water and soak overnight. Trust me, you really have to do this. Dry beans stay ubercrunchy if you don't.

The next day, put the broth and 2 cans of water (just refill the broth cans) into a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Add all spices. Drain the soaking water off the beans and add them to the pot. Let boil uncovered for about 45 minutes. You'll boil off about 1 can of water. Don't worry. You're supposed to.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and red pepper and cut the kernels off the corn cob. When the soup has boiled for half an hour, add the onion, pepper, corn, and chicken. Cover and let simmer for another half hour. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup of water and adjust seasonings to taste.

Points estimate for entire dish: Broth, 0; Water, 0; Vatana Dahl, 4; Chicken, 8; Onion, 1; Corn, 1; Bell Pepper, 0; spices, 0. Total points per serving: 2 (8 side dish servings), 4 (4 meal sized servings).

Variations:

• Add 1 can diced mild green chillies when adding spices to broth
• For a hotter soup, add 1/2 tsp red pepper or a few drops of your favourite hot sauce
• For a stronger base, substitute more broth for the cans of water

Kosher Vegan Lite Aloo Masala

To my surprise, potatoes aren't prohibited by Weight Watchers. I'm looking forward to rediscovering some of my favourite Indian vegetarian foods. In this one, all I really did was cut down on the oil and cheat a bit on cooking the potatoes. It's dirt simple and very, very fast.

• 2 cups unpeeled red potatoes, cut into the size of cheese cubes
• 2 tsp garlic flavored olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1.5 tbsp chaat masala (available from Indian grocery stores)

Put the potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Trust me on this one. Meanwhile, add the 2 tsp of oil to a large skillet and bring to a medium heat. Throw the microwaved potatoes and chaat masala in the pan and stir well. What you're doing is the equilivent of parboiling the potatoes so they'll fry in less oil (and less time). Keep stirring until potatoes are evenly coated in oil and spices. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. The potatoes should begin to brown. Add the peas and onions. Stir until well mixed, then cook, stirring frequently, for another five minutes. (If your chaat masala is salt-free, add 1/2 tsp salt when adding spices.) Serve with cool sliced cucumbers or (if octo-lavo) a cucumber-yogurt sauce. Makes 2 servings as a meal, 4 servings as a side dish. Points estimate for entire dish: potatoes, 4; olive oil, 2; onion, 1; peas, 1. Total per (side dish) serving: 2.

Kosher Lite Sumac Chicken

I fear I like to eat as much as I like to cook, so I've joined Weight Watchers. Many of my recipes from this point forward will probably be on the slimmer side. This is a lite version of one of my favourite middle eastern dishes. In addition to being lower in calories and points it also cooks up in under fifteen minutes. This makes two servings of (by my rough estimate) 6 points each (5 without pine nuts), plus whatever's in your brand of naan/pita bread. You can find sumac at Mediterranean grocery stores or you can order it over the internet.

• 6 oz chicken breast, cut into small strips
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced very thin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp red sumac
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
• 1 slice naan or Greek style pita bread

Add one tsp of olive oil to the pan and saute the onions over a medium heat until nearly translucent. Add the chicken, remaining oil, and spices. Stir well, ensuring everything is nicely coated. Continue to saute, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through.

Warm naan/pita in the same oven you've used to toast the pine nuts (or just pop it in the toaster oven or microwave if you're not using pine nuts.) Cut the warm naan/pita in half. Separate the sumac chicken into 2 servings as well. Serve with fresh sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Curried chick peas would make a good side dish.

To toast the pine nuts, spread them on a nonstick cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 400F. Keep a close eye on the nuts. As soon as the tops take on the smallest hint of golden brown, yank them out and sweep them off the cookie sheet. Time will vary depending on how fresh or stale your pine nuts are, how dark your cookie sheet, and how accurate your oven, but they rarely take more than 5 minutes.

Points estimate per serving: Chicken, 3; Pine Nuts, 2; Olive Oil, 1; Onion, 0; Spices, 0. Total, 6.