Braised Halibut Steaks

This fish dish was flavorful and easy to make. All you have to do it chop up a couple items and throw it in the crock pot. I did cook it for a little bit longer than the recipe stated, and I served it with 1/2 cup of brown rice. I found this recipe in The Italian Slow Cooker cookbook.

Serves 6
2 large tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I used fresh)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 thick halibut steaks (2lbs total) or other white fish steaks
Salt and pepper

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and cut out the stem ends. Squeeze the tomatoes gently to extract the seeds. Chop the tomatoes and place them in a bowl; there should be about 2 cups. Add the parsley, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the oil, butter, and garlic. Cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant. Stir the garlic mixture into the tomatoes.

Arrange the fish steaks in slow cooker. Spoon on the tomato mixture. 

Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 hours, or until the fish is just cooked through. Serve hot.

Vegetable-Barley Soup

There isn't anything in the winter season than a good hearty soup for dinner. And soups that I can make in the crock pot on a working night is even better! This is another great slow cooker recipe from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook 2013. This recipe is very easy but takes a lot of prep time.

This soup looks less "soupy" because I started it before I went to work and when I got home late  most of the liquid was gone. I love a heartier soup so it worked for me!

Serves 8
1 (8oz) package white mushrooms quartered
2 carrots, sliced
1 large zucchini, diced 
1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced 
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 (14 1/2 oz) can Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes (I used plain diced tomatoes and added my own fresh Italian seasonings such as oregano and parsley) 
1 cup frozen lima beans
3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 pepper

Combine all ingredients in 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.

Weight Watchers Point Plus Value: 4 point plus
Nutritional Facts:
Calories 141
Total Fat 1g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Trans Fat:0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium 445mg
Carbohydrates 30g
Sugar 9g
Fiber 6g
Protein 6g

Garlicky Chicken Stew

I made this stew over the weekend and I am in love! So delicious! I found this recipe in the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook 2013. 

I decided to serve it over rice, I think it gave a little more substance to the dish. We ate the leftovers for lunch the next day and had it without the rice, it was super yummy either way.

Serves 8

1 (3 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skinned (I just used 4 chicken cutlets)

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 (14 1/2 oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

5 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp dried thyme (I used a couple springs of fresh thyme) 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 (9oz) package frozen green beans (I used fresh)

3 tomatoes, halved and sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Put chicken in slow cooker (I browned the chicken in a frying pan first). Whisk together wine and tomato paste in small bowl until smooth. Pour over chicken. Add 1 1/2 cups of broth, the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is fork tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. (I skipped this part because I used boneless chicken breast, I just added everything together and cooked on low for 5 hours).

2. Meanwhile, refrigerate remaining broth.

3. About 40 minutes before cooking time is up, whisk together remaining broth, vinegar, and flour in small bowl until smooth. Whisk in about 1/4 cup of hot stew liquid until blended. Gradually stir broth mixture into slow cooker.

4. Add green beans and tomatoes to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until stew simmers and green beans are tender, about 35 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley. 

Weight Watchers Point Plus Value: 4 point plus
Per Serving (1 piece chicken with 1/2 cup sauce)
Nutritional Fact:
Calories 166
Carbohydrate 8g
Total fat 3g
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 67mg
Fiber 2g
Protein 23g
Sodium 390 mg
Sugar 2g

Peppery Beef Stew

There are a couple nights a week that I work nights so I have to get creative on still making a great dinner for the Mr when he gets come, and when I get home later that night. The crock pot is my savior! I have a couple great crock pot recipe books but one that really stands out is The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicoline. She takes slow cooker cooking to the next level by focusing on things like browning the meat before you put it in the slow cooker. Making the sauce on the stove top before you add it to the crock pot. All these things make a big difference in the end product!

This may not be my prettiest plating job but it sure tasted good! This was my plate late last night when I got home from work, next time I make this dish I hope to get a better picture of just the beef. This recipe is just about cooking the beef, the veggies are just something a threw together (frozen Green Giant veggies).

Serves 6

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 pounds boneless beef chunk, cut into 2 in chunks

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups canned tomato puree

2 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, or to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste

On a piece of wax paper, stir together the flour and salt to taste. Toss the beef with the flour and shake off any excess. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat in batches, without crowding the pan. Brown the beef well on all sides. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a large slow cooker.

Add the wine to the skillet and bring it to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato puree, garlic, peppercorns, and ground pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Taste for seasoning before serving.  

I don't have the exact Weight Watcher point value or nutritional facts but Weight Watchers did a review on Michele's cookbook here.