Cobb salad

                                                                  

The Cobb salad is a main-dish American garden salad made from chopped salad greens (iceberg lettuce, watercress, endives, and Romaine lettuce), tomato, crisp bacon, boiled or roasted (not fried) chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, avocado, chives, Roquefort cheese, and red-wine vinaigrette. -- wikepdia.com

...As to who invented it. varies depending on who tells it, but it was invented at the the then famous Brown Derby restaurant in LA. It was named for the owner Robert Cobb who own the Derby in the 30's.

Anyway the salad is delish, and one of my all time favorites.  The is the Weight Watchers version.

Ingredients 3/4 cup(s) canned cranberry sauce, whole-berry 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped 1 Tbsp olive oil 5 cup(s) romaine lettuce, coursely chopped 3 cup(s) Iceberg lettuce, coursely chopped 8 oz cooked turkey breast with skin, smoked, chopped 1 cup(s) low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese, white 1 cup(s) frozen corn kernels, thawed 1 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), diced 1/2 cup(s) uncooked celery, chopped 1/2 cup(s) (sliced) uncooked red onion(s), diced Instructions Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended. Cover, and set aside. Combine romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce in a large bowl. Place 2 cups lettuce mixture in each of 4 large salad bowls. Arrange 2 ounces chopped turkey, 1⁄4 cup cheese, 1⁄4 cup corn, 1⁄4 cup red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons celery and 2 tablespoons onion over each. Serve vinaigrette with salad. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 salad and about 1⁄3 cup dressing).

  

© 2012 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2012 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and PointsPlus® are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Atkins Burgers with Blue Cheese

Another delish recipe from Atkins.


Ingredients:


Portobello Burgers with Blue Cheese Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari
½ teaspoon granular sugar substitute (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
4 large portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean
¾ cup cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup loosely packed arugula or watercress
4 ¼-inch-thick tomato slices
4 slices red onion (optional)

Atkins Hamburger Buns:

¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
1 ½ tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon granular sugar substitute
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 ¼ cup Atkins Cuisine All Purpose Baking Mix

Directions:

1.Heat grill to medium-high.

2.Meanwhile, combine garlic, vinegar, tamari, sugar substitute (if using), salt and pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil; brush over the mushrooms and let stand 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the bowl and discard the marinade.

3.Set the mushrooms on the grill rack and grill until tender, 4 to 6 minutes per side.

4.Meanwhile, combine blue cheese, mayonnaise, cream and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl; mix well, mashing chunks of cheese with the back of a spoon or fork.

5.To assemble, place half a bun on each of 4 plates; top with ¼ cup arugula, a mushroom cap, a tomato slice and an optional onion slice. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese sauce over each and top with the other half of the bun. Serve warm or at room temperature. (If serving without the bun, place the mushroom on the arugula, and top with the tomato slice and sauce.)


Atkins Hamburger Buns

1.Heat the cream and water in a small saucepan to 115°F. Add the yeast and allow to proof for 5 minutes or until it foams.

2.Add the yeast and milk mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the egg, oil, sugar substitute and salt. Mix thoroughly.

3.Add the whole-wheat flour and mix on the slowest setting for 10 seconds.

4.Add the baking mix and combine until the mixture comes together as a wet dough, about 10 seconds. Do not overbeat.

5.Form the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, 30–40 minutes.

6.Punch down the dough and separate into 6 equal portions. Form each portion into a disk on a sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, 20–30 minutes.

7.Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 13–15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Blue Cheese Polenta with Vegetables

. Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 (4-ounce) packages presliced exotic mushroom blend
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup quick-cooking polenta
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, or blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and thyme; sauté for 4 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; sauté for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Combine milk, 1/2 cup water, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in polenta; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Serve with vegetables. Sprinkle with parsley.

David Bonom, Cooking Light

SEPTEMBER 2011

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Grown up Mac and Cheese by Ina Garten.


Ingredients


4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top

Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese by Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 3 ripe but firm Anjou pears
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3 tablespoons port
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 ounces baby arugula
• Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.

In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.

Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

Veggie Bake

(20 oz.) pkg. frozen cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
2/4 Cup Bread crumbs
2 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375.
Combine veggies soup and cheese in a  8 x 8 inch oiled baking dish.

Toss bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle atop casserole. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before

Chicken-Zucchini Alfredo

Chicken-Zucchini AlfredoRecipe courtesy Ellie Kreiger for Food Network Magazine
Ingredients

Kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, thinly sliced into half-moons
4 4-ounce thin skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Freshly ground pepper
12 ounces fettuccine (preferably whole wheat)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup cold low-fat milk (1%)
1/2 cup evaporated nonfat milk
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 clove garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the zucchini, cover and cook until tender, stirring, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat another tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water as the label directs. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water; return the pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, whisk the flour and low-fat milk in a bowl. Place the remaining 1 clove garlic and 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, 30 seconds. Add the flour-milk mixture and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the evaporated milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cheese; stir to melt, 1 minute.

Cut the chicken into strips. Toss with the pasta, sauce, zucchini and parsley, adding the reserved pasta water to loosen.

Beef and Blue Salads

Today let's talk about salad. It is another of those quick meal ideas. i love salads, but i can never make enough of them.

For a Beef and Blue salad you just need a few ingredients and you have a delicious meal in a bowl For a twist use sandwich steaks. Some of you may know the joys of a Philly cheese steak. They use a very thin cut of meat the cooks quickly and can then be torn apart like the lettuce.

For one salad:
2 "Steak-Um" slices
1 Roma tomato
1 oz blue or Gorgonzola cheese
1 thin slice of red onion with its rings separated,
1/4 celery
a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts
2 cups romaine lettuce

cook the meat. it just takes a minute each. salt and pepper to taste. Set them aside to cool. slice the onion, and dice the tomato. slice the celery

tear the lettuce leaves to bite sized pieces. add all the ingredients. top with the nuts and serve with your favorite dressing. I like buttermilk ranch with this salad.

Now who said you can't have your steak and eat it too?

thanks for stopping by...
Kimberly, your kitchen fairy.