Cider-Braised Beef

It's cold out. It's going to snow. A lot. Sounds like a good night for some serious comfort food, Weight Watchers style.

On tonight's menu: Cider-Braised Beef with Root Vegetables

(adapted from Weight Watcher's Healthy Cooking Basics)

2 pounds beef bottom round roast, trimmed
salt
black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup unsweetened apple cider
1 cup dry red wine
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
3 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
2 onions, cut into wedges
2 tsp dried thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef and sear on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add cider and wine and garlic, and bring to boil. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and bake for 1 hour, turning once halfway through.

Stir in vegetables and thyme. Cover and bake until beef and vegetables are tender, about 2 hours. Transfer beef to cutting board and let cool for about 10 minutes. Cut into 16 slices and serve with vegetables and broth.

Please note: I did not include Point Value here because I tweaked the recipe and don't want to get in trouble with the powers that be at Weight Watchers. Let's just say that a serving of one slice of beef with a half cup of vegetables and broth (like in the photo above) is roughly 5 points.

Skinny AND tasty

I have a new favorite web site. It is called Gina's Skinny Recipes and it is fabulous. She has lovely recipes and includes point values for each. I have made several items and all have been successful.

Right now I have this banana bread baking in the oven. Can you smell it?

In other Weight Watchers news, I have now hit goal, which is exciting. I can't brag much, since I only lost 12 pounds, but I guess it is 12 pounds less than I weighed six weeks ago.

To celebrate, I bought a Weight Watchers cookbook, Healthy Cooking Basics. I had been resisting it, but it was half off, so what-the-heck. So far, I've made three recipes, two were glorious, one, the spinach with pine nuts, tasted like leather. I will say I have never been a big cooked spinach fan, unless it's surrounded by crust, eggs, cheese, and lots of butter, so it was an uphill battle.

This quinoa with butternut squash and cranberries was divine. My family also raved about the pear and cranberry crisp, but we devoured it all so quickly, I never got a picture of it.

Weight Watchers

Sigh. Yep, I am doing WW, along with the rest of the world, apparently.

This is my new favorite lunch: a WW English muffin. Half is topped with an egg white scramble with green peppers, spinach, mushrooms and onions, while the other half has peanut butter and the teensiest dab of honey.

I miss Fair food :(

Comfort food

On a recent cold, rainy day, Millie and I made short bread cookies (with sprinkles, of course) and chicken soup. Really, what else do you need on a cruddy fall day? 

More fair food

Don't let the small number of photos fool you, I just keep forgetting to take pictures! Must be because I am too excited about the food. Not pictured: deep fried pickles, mint lemonade, turkey sandwich, cherry float, quesadilla, walleye cakes,key lime pie on a stick, fudge puppy, and an elephant ear.

There is no better way to start a day at the fair than with a pair of cream-filled zeppoles. This is zeppoles order number two this year



and Strawberry and Rhubarb sundae number three.

Fair food

Deep fried Reese's Cups. Of course.

Pizza on the grill

My first successful attempt at grilling pizza. Previous attempts ended up with the bottom looking like charcoal and tasting like what I can only imagine charcoal tastes like, but this pizza was delightful. Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil (thanks Sarah!), onion and and tomato sauce. Simple and summery.