this was a fairly simple dish to make. instead of just the veggies listed in the recipes, i used one bag of frozen "stir fry" veggies with red peppers, onions, green beans, snap peas, celery, water chestnuts and carrots. i added in an additional small onion and carrot for extra crunch. i added in pepper flakes, for a little extra kick. instead of cashews, i had peanuts in the pantry... they worked out fine.

i like this recipe because it's a great starting point reference for making your own dish. add in whatever things suit you that make you happy. i bet this dish would be good with beef or pork, instead of chicken, even.

overall, i thought the dish was good, despite a few mistakes/corrections on my part. it was a little spicier than i like, assuming because of the pepper flakes. the chicken was a little too bland, even though i salted and peppered it first. i think that could be fixed by adding in the sauce before the chicken is entirely cooked.

jon, however, thought it was too "orangey." i didn't think it was orangey at all, but after eating leftovers for lunch, i can taste the orange a lot more. but, it doesn't bug me. i think next time i'll try this using a sweet and sour sauce i saw alton brown use recently. but, for simplicity in the kitchen i recommend this dish. i used a five minute white rice to pair with the stir fry. all together, this didn't make more than 30 minutes to make.

chicken honey nut stir fry
robyn webb (webb cookbooks); all recipes

2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup orange juice
tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup minced green onions

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the carrots and celery and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, then add the chicken and stir fry for 5 more minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the orange juice. Mix in the soy sauce, honey and ginger. Add this sauce to the wok and cook over medium heat until thickened. Top with the cashews and green onions. Can serve with basmati or steamed rice.

Yield: 6 servings

i made these a few weeks ago. they weren't bad. had a nice flavor to them. the only down-side is that they aren't quite perfect/authentic crispy eggrolls. they're a tad bit soft b/c they're baked in the oven. but none-the-less, a better alternative to dropping them in fatty oil.

i served them with soy sauce and sweet & sour sauce dipping sauce. the sweet & sour is best, but i'm not too keen on soy sauce as a dipping agent. i bet they'd be tasty with some spicy mustard sauce too.

i bought two smallish bags of pre-packaged, pre-mixed chinese cabbage (a variety of cabbages including napa and shredded carrots). that was a serious time saver. i had a ton of the mix, though, and ended up using an entire package of wrappers. so, we had a bunch of left-overs. the egg rolls re-heated very well and actually tasted even better. i just put them back in the oven for a few minutes to reheat and crisp up a little more.

vegetable egg rolls
weight watchers

1 head chinese cabbage, outer leaves removed, shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 medium scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger root, fresh, minced or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
8 average egg roll wrappers
4 servings olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat egg rolls

Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place cabbage in a microwavable dish and cover. Microwave on high until wilted, about 4 minutes; drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add carrots, garlic, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch and oil; mix well.

Arrange egg roll wrappers on a clean, dry surface. Spoon cabbage mixture diagonally onto each wrapper. Fold over one corner to cover filling. Fold up both corners. Moisten edges of remaining flap with water and roll up wrapper jellyroll style until sealed. Transfer egg rolls to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Yield: 8 servings
WWPOINTS per serving= 1

i've been wanting to try this one for awhile, and i finally took the time to do it this afternoon. it's pretty simple to mix up, just a little messy (sticky) when you spread it around on your baking trays. supposedly, in one cup portions, this is a healthy snack alternative. i made three variations. basically i split the recipe in half for each variety: nut (with sunflower seeds and almonds), fruit (wheat puffs cereal, soy puffs cereal, golden raisins and dried cranberries), sweet (peanut butter chips and chocolate chips). i added a cup of each ingredient, with the exception of the cereals i added 2 cups each.

the only problem i had was the granola occasionally stuck to the parchment paper when i tried to remove it. next time i'll spray the parchment with some spray. i don't suggest eliminating the parchment paper b/c it helps with breaking up (and removing) the granola. i divided each flavor into one cup servings and put it into ziploc "snack" bags.

i like each variety, except next time i think i'll combine the fruit and nut.

granola
kathy daelemans, cooking thin

1 to 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 cups rolled oats
2 cups nuts and seeds, almonds and sunflower or any kind

Preheat oven to 275º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Dissolve the water and sugar in a microwave safe dish for 5 minutes. Add salt and vanilla extract. Stir syrup into oats. Fold in nuts and seeds.

Spread mixture onto baking pans, squeezing together clumps of granola in your hand as you drop onto pan. (This creates crunchy chunks.)

Bake in oven for 45 minutes to one hour. Let cool. Store in an airtight container or in one cup servings.

Trail Mix Variation: Add to granola any low calorie, sugar-free cereals. Suggested cereals – rice puffs, wheat puffs and soy flakes. Add dried fruits, such as apple, cherry, raisins, apricots or cranberries. Store in an airtight container or in one cup servings.

i've never been a fan of tomato sauce. always have eaten my noodles with either butter or alfredo sauce on top. i prefer sauceless pizzas, or alternatives. and i'm good at using a knife (or usually the side of my plate) to wipe off the excess tomato sauce if necessary.

a few weeks ago, i was watching food 911 on the food network and tyler florence was making a batch of marinara. he made it look really simple and versatile so i thought i'd give it a try. it was incredibly easy, took no time at all to make. didn't make a mess of the kitchen, which i really liked. i made it earlier in the day, and reheated it for dinner. we had noodles and i added some meatballs. i actually enjoyed the (maybe) 4th marinara sauce meal i've ever had. it was tasty, and i'm going to try some of the variations again soon.

marinara sauce
tyler florence, food 911

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoons basil, dried
1 whole bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

Over medium heat, heat oil in a large pot until hot. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions begin to appear translucent. Add the tomatoes, stir to mingle the flavors. Add in the herbs and bay leaves. Sprinkle in sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.

Add a ladle full of marinara sauce to a bowl of pasta and meatballs. Top with parmesan cheese and basil.

In a piece of halved french bread, add meatballs, sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Put under broiler to toast bread and melt cheese.

Chicken Parmigiana: In an oven-proof dish, put a layer of marinara sauce. Add a layer of frozen breaded chicken tenders. Add another layer of sauce, followed by parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with chopped parsley. Put in the oven long enough to cook the chicken fingers appropriately, making sure not to burn the cheeses.

Yield: 4 servings