Rocco DiSpirito's Now Eat This!

Comfort Food. We all love it. We all have our favorites. In his latest book, Now Eat This! Rocco Dispirito chronicles his personal weight loss and his desire to indulge in comfort foods. Now Eat This! is all about comfort foods, 150 comfort foods all under 350 calories.

The book is broken down into eleven chapters: Appetizers; Soups; Salads; Sandwiches and Pizza; Fish and Shellfish; Chicken and Turkey; Beef and Pork; Pasta and More; Sides; Sauces; and Desserts. There are lots of pictures of food and lots of pictures of Rocco (ladies, you know what I'm talking about here). The book does rely heavily on many products, such as: nonstick cooking spray, low-fat cheeses, greek yogurt, bacon bits, whole wheat panko, Truvia, Splenda, and also egg substitute. While these products will appeal to some, they will not appeal to all, and for this reason, this book is probably not for everybody.

I based my review on my favorite types of comfort foods: Macaroni and Cheese, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Pizza, Potato Soup, and Chocolate Ice Cream.

The first recipe I made from the book, and probably our favorite of the five, was his Macaroni and Cheese with a Crusty Crunch. Coming in at 227 calories a serving, Rocco's Macaroni and Cheese was a combination of an onion-garlic puree, mixed with reduced-fat cheddar and Greek yogurt, topped with crispy whole wheat panko and Parmigiano.

The final result was very creamy and the portion was pretty big for 227 calories. We all enjoyed it!

The second recipe I made was Rocco's Mama-Approved Spaghetti and Meatballs. The meatballs were a mix of ground turkey breast, eggplant, onion, egg white, garlic and chicken broth. They were served over marinara sauce and whole wheat spaghetti. At some point during the cooking process, my nine year old daughter decided to "help me" by "stirring the pot of meatballs". You can imagine how well that went over. Needless to say that our meatballs ended up being meat sauce. Regardless of whether we had meatballs or meat sauce, this was not Mama-Approved and wasn't one of our favorites. Saying that, spaghetti and meatballs is probably our number one favorite meal and maybe I should have known better than to try a diet version.

The third recipe we tried, was Rocco's Deep Dish Pizza. I had seen Rocco make this pizza on an episode of Rachel Ray and it did really look good. I was excited to give it a try. A homemade whole wheat pizza crust is made using molasses and then the dough is topped with low-fat mozzarella cheese and reduced-fat pepperoni. At 218 calories a slice, this pizza was pretty good. We did like the crust and I would definitely like to make a veggie-loaded pizza next time.

Creamy potato soup is one of my very favorite comfort foods, so I chose Rocco's Cheddar Cheese and "Potato" Soup. Rocco's "potato" soup relies on cauliflower instead of potato to make a creamy, cheesy-based soup that is low calorie. Cauliflower, milk, onion, and garlic are pureed to make a hearty and thick soup. Reduced-fat cheese is added to give it a cheesy consistency. A huge bowl of this "potato" soup comes in at only 190 calories. I found that I didn't really miss the real potato in this soup. I liked this recipe and ate it for lunch most of this week. With the calories you save from using cauliflower I think you could definitely indulge in the real full-fat cheese!

I had a hard time picking out a dessert recipe. Most of the desserts contained Truvia or Splenda and I had never worked with either of those ingredients before. I opted for Rocco's Chocolate Frozen Yogurt, made from 99% unsweetened chocolate, agave nectar, skim milk, and Greek Yogurt. The final product was not real great. The frozen yogurt was very bitter (probably because the recipe calls for 99% unsweetened chocolate) and tasted very strongly like coffee. I also had trouble getting the ice cream to "set up". I don't know that I would recommend this recipe. The ingredients were pretty expensive and the end results weren't that great PLUS one serving is 276 calories and I don't know if that is a real savings in the calorie department. I think you could probably find some tastier options for the same calorie content.

Like everyone, I love the concept of indulging in comfort food without the guilt. Although I had some hit and miss results, there are still some more recipes that I would like to try. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll find a new favorite!

I'm submitting the Cheddar Cheese and "Potato" Soup to my friend Deb @ Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup!


What are some of your favorite comfort foods?

Twenty Minute Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a pretty cool and unique cookie recipe. Wanna know why? The first reason is because the cookies don't contain any flour. The second, and best reason, is because they are done, start to finish, in all of twenty minutes! I'm always hesitant when someone throws a time out, so I timed it just for fun and it was exactly twenty minutes. Clean up wasn't bad either. A mixing bowl, a wooden spoon and two cookies sheets, that's it!

My daughter's last day of school was yesterday, so her and all her friends are excited to be starting their summer break. After lunch today, we whipped up a batch of these cookies in record time. They were perfect for sharing. I had one cookie and sent the rest out for the kids (gotta get rid of that temptation, right?) Those kids have a much better metabolism than I do!

I've been eyeballing the recipe in Emeril's 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast for sometime now and I'm glad that I finally got around to making them. Check out how easy they are!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Emeril 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast
Makes 24 cookies
Time: Start to Finish 20 minutes (Using 2 cookies sheets w/ 12 cookies on each)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position two oven racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Divide the dough into 24 portions, about one tablespoon each. (I used a small ice cream scooper, which holds about one tablespoon). Roll each portion between your hands to form a smooth ball. Place the balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. You should get about 12 cookies per sheet. Using a fork, press on the dough in two directions to form a crosshatch pattern.

Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets between oven racks and turning them back to front midway, until the cookies are puffed and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets. Then remove them with a metal spatula.

Notes/Results: Absolutely delicious! The cookies are tender and just about melt in your mouth. I highly recommend these cookies. Definitely a great recipe for kids who are learning how to bake and/or for anyone who needs a dessert in a hurry. Because there is no flour in the dough, there is really no mess at all. Also, the peanut butter is really a pronounced flavor in the cookie. Maybe because there is no flour to tame the PB flavor? Big peanut butter flavor is always a plus in my book!

Also, you have exactly ten more days to join up with the Blogger Burger Club and make the Caesar Salad and Flank Steak Burgers with Garlic Crostini. If you'd like to join along, please click HERE for the recipe and guidelines.

Mark Bittman's Cornstarch Based Vanilla Ice Cream

This morning I knew of two ways to make ice cream: basic custard-style(with eggs) and Philadephia-style(without eggs). I was all set to make Mark Bittman's Basic Philadelphia Vanilla Ice Cream. Out of sheer boredom, I typed the words "Mark Bittman's Vanilla Ice Cream" into my search bar, thinking maybe I would find others who had made the recipe. Instead, I found another Mark Bittman recipe for a cornstarch-based vanilla ice cream, courtesy of the New York Times. Having already made both custard-based and Philadelphia-style ice creams before, I was intrigued with Bittman's cornstarch-based ice cream.

A short article in the New York Times can be found online, which explains the advantages of making ice cream both with cornstarch and with eggs. Apparently both cornstarch and eggs help to impede crystals from forming in the ice cream, thereby leaving the ice cream with a smooth and creamy consistency. Bittman says there are two different advantages in making the cornstarch-based ice cream. The first, and most obvious reason, is that the cornstarch is much lower in fat and calories than an egg-based custard. The second reason, Bittman says, is that the cornstarch helps to bring out the flavor of the ice cream, rather than mask the flavors as eggs can do. Taking into consideration the obvious advantages of making a cornstarch-based ice cream, along with the fact that my son is allergic to eggs, I knew immediately I was going to try this recipe. The article and recipe can be found HERE.

This is a very basic and easy recipe. It is also adaptable because you can chose to use cream, half & half, whole milk, 2% milk, or even skim milk. I had some half & half that needed using up, so I decided to use that. If you choose to use 2% or skim milk this would actually be a pretty healthy ice cream. Two cups of half & half were mixed with 1/2 cup sugar, a pinch of salt, and one vanilla bean and heated on the stovetop until the half & half began to steam. When the half & half begins to steam, you add in a slurry of 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup half and half. The mixture, with the cornstarch added, cooks for about 5 minutes, or until it reaches a light boil. The custard needs to cool completely before being added to your ice cream maker. This process takes at least one full hour, sometimes longer.

Notes/Results: This is a really easy and quick recipe for ice cream. The mixture comes together very quickly and yields a thick custard/pudding. Bittman's instructions fail to state that you will need to cover the custard with plastic wrap while it is cooling. If you don't cover it, then there will be a "skin" that develops. I don't really like skin in my ice cream, so I skimmed it off the top. No major problems, no worries. The mixture took about 1-1/2 hours to cool down completely and I impatiently put it into the ice cream maker. The end result was in fact very smooth and creamy, much like a soft serve ice cream. The flavor, however, was over the top vanilla. I'm thinking maybe the cornstarch base really does let the flavor of the ice cream shine. You could definitely get away with using one half a vanilla bean instead of the whole vanilla bean. I liked the ice cream, but it was a little different and had somewhat of a different flavor. I'm very glad to have learned about the cornstarch-based method and I'm happy that I tried it, but I think I'll stick with the other two methods.

This is my submission to this week's Potluck theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs.

Popsicle of the Week: Peach Melba

I thought by now we might be growing tired of popsicles, but it hasn't happened yet! This week I have one of my all-time favorite combinations: peaches and raspberries. I really LOVE when summer arrives and I can have a bowl of juicy sliced peaches sprinkled with ruby red raspberries. It's one of my favorite food combinations and just happens to be healthy, so it's all good! I figured I would try my hand at a peach popsicle with raspberries sprinkled in. With only 1/4 cup sugar in all nine popsicles, this is the healthiest popsicle yet.

I've been using the natural light in my kitchen window to shoot most of my pictures and we were having a rather dark and dreary day on the day I took the picture. The above picture definitely isn't the best, but the peach popsicles were the color of peanut butter. In fact, the final product reminded me of a peanut butter and jelly popsicle (hmmmm...can't decide if that is a good idea or bad idea, but it makes me think....) I used the peach popsicle recipe from Shelly Kaldunski's book, Ice Pops.
Fresh Peach Popsicles
Adapted from Ice Pops by Shelly Kaldunski
Makes 6-8 pops (I made nine pops in my Zoku)
3 ripe peaches, about 1 pound total weight, peeled if desired (I used 4 small peaches)
1/4 cup superfine sugar (I make my own superfine sugar by pulsing in the blender)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits, then chop the flesh. Place in a blender or food processor. Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and 1/4 cup water and process until the mixture is completely smooth.
If using conventional ice pop molds, divide the mixture among the molds. Cover and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. If using sticks, insert them into the molds when the pops are partially frozen, after about 1 hour, then continue to freeze until solid, at least 3 more hours.

Notes/Results: The peach popsicles were delicious all on their own, but I had an overabundance of fresh raspberries to use up, so I decided to sprinkle some fresh raspberries into the bottom of the molds and call them Peach Melba Popsicles. I really enjoyed the popsicles with the added raspberries, but the kids preferred them without (no surprise there). I really liked the peach popsicles and must admit that they are one of my favorites so far. With only 1/4 cup sugar, these are definitely one of the healthier pops. I will definitely be looking for more fresh, juicy, ripe peaches at the farmer's market. I definitely see myself making these again.

Greek Salad Pitas with Feta Spread and Chicken with Homemade Cracked Pepper Potato Chips

When I want to lighten things up, I turn to Ellie Krieger. If you've been reading Stirring the Pot for the past few months, then you know how much I love Ellie's recipes. I really feel like Ellie knows how to maximize flavor while providing recipes for well-balanced meals that are healthy. This week I chose her Greek Salad Pita with Feta Spread and Chicken as my sandwich of the week. To go with the sandwich, I made a batch of her Homemade Cracked Pepper Potato Chips.

If you enjoy feta cheese like I do, then you will also enjoy this sandwich. The feta spread is a rather thick spread made from feta cheese, which is thinned out with yogurt and lemon juice. Oregano, lemon zest and black pepper are added to season the spread. This feta spread is some pretty tasty stuff, especially served inside of a whole wheat pita with chicken, romaine lettuce, sliced english cucumbers and mint leaves. Ellie's original recipe calls for turkey, but I had leftover chicken, so I used that. I enjoyed this sandwich for lunch a couple times this week! You can find the recipe HERE.

To go along with the pita sandwich, I made Ellie's Cracked Black Pepper Potato Chips. Russett Potatoes are sliced thin, tossed with olive oil and black pepper and baked until crispy. Some of my potato chips did stick to the baking sheet, so the next time I will add a tad more oil than the recipe calls for. I do think this is a recipe worth perfecting because everyone loved them and you can really customize them with different spices to suit your taste. I see a spicy version in my future, very soon! You can find Ellie's recipe for the Cracked Black Pepper Chips and also the recipe for her Onion Dip HERE.

I am submitting my Greek Salad Pitas with Feta Spread and Chicken to my fabulous friend Deb @ Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays Roundup.

Also, my sweet friend Julie at The Sporadic Cook was kind enough to feature me on her blog today! Head on over to Julie's site by clicking HERE to see my answers to her Seven Sporadic Questions. Thanks so much Julie for featuring me on your blog today.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Risotto with Fresh Herbs

Herb Gardens. Every year I attempt to grow one. Every year I end up killing one. It's not for lack of trying, but I definitely don't have a green thumb. This year I'm trying again. I have a small herb garden out back with lemongrass, chives, basil, parsley, cilantro, oregano, mint and dill. For now, everything is thriving and I am taking full advantage of having those fresh herbs in my backyard. I'm crossing my fingers that I can "do what it takes" to keep them alive throughout the summer, but I'm not making any promises either.

This week's theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Herb Garden. I decided to make a risotto with fresh herbs. I went out to the garden and picked some chives, basil, mint, dill, and parsley, about 1/2 cup fresh herbs in all.

Simple Risotto with Fresh Herbs
How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
4 - 6 cups vegetable stock
Large pinch saffron threads (optional) *I didn't have any saffron so I left it out
4-6 tablespoons butter or EVOO, to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh herbs(parsley, basil, dill, mint, chervil, oregano, marjoram, or a combination of fresh herbs
Put the stock in a medium saucepan over low heat; add the saffron if you're using it. Put the 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. Allow the remaining butter to soften while you cook. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 3 -5 minutes.
Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with butter, 2-3 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, then the white wine. Stir and let the liquid bubble away.
Use a ladle to begin to add the warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When the stock is just about evaporated, add more. The mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Keep the heat medium to medium-high and stir frequently.
Begin tasting the rice 20 minutes after add it; you want it to be tender but with still a tiny bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes to reach this stage. When it does, stir in 2-4 tablespoons butter or oil (to taste) and at least 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Toss in the fresh herbs, reserving some for garnish if you like and serve immediately. Pass Parmesan cheese at the table if you like.

Notes/Results: We love risotto, so I knew we would love this recipe. It was perfectly creamy and full of fresh herbaceous flavor from all the fresh herbs. This recipe is a great main dish, but also would make for a beautiful side dish. I would definitely make this recipe again.

I am submitting this to I Heart Cooking Clubs for this week's theme Herb Garden. Stop on by to see what everyone else is cooking up.

Do you have an herb garden?

Mulberry Muffins

I finally got the chance to go to the Lexington Farmer's Market this past Saturday. Boy was I surprised to see all the changes they've made!! There was a brand new pavilion to house the market, complete with overhead fans and all. As I drove up on the farmer's market I did a double take. With the addition of the pavilion, the market almost doubled in size and there were all kinds of new vendors. We're talking big time, big city market here folks. Good stuff! When I go back, I am definitely going to take my camera and get some pictures.

Many of the new vendors were food stalls, selling some really good eats. There was a smoothie stand powered by bicycles, a creperie, wood fired pizzas, homemade ice cream, and a breakfast stand with fresh breakfast omelettes and and all other sorts of tasty treats. All of the food vendors were using the fresh and abundant produce from the market. As usual, I was too indecisive to decide upon what to eat and decided to do my shopping first.

One of the first things I bought were these freshly picked mulberries. I had never seen mulberries before and really didn't know what they were until I asked. They look a lot like a very long blackberry and they are very sweet. My mom and I really enjoyed our samples, so I bought 2 pints @ $3.50 each. My three-year old son, aka The Popsicle King, is also The Berry King. That kid will eat an entire pint of berries like no one's business. I figured I would stock up on them since they might not be back the following week. I thought "The Berry King" would finish them off in no time, but it turns out that he didn't really care for them. I thought about making them into popsicles, but they stain very badly. Instead, I decided to turn them into muffins.

Mulberry Muffins
Adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
Makes 12
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup fat-free milk (I usually use 2%)
1 large egg
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted (4 tsp. butter is equal to 1tbsp + 1tsp)
3/4 cup mulberries
Preheat the oven to 400F, spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray (do not try to use cupcake/muffins liners. The batter sticks to the liners).

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Toss the berries lightly in the flour mixture to coat. In a small bowl, combine the milk, egg, and butter. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour mixture, folding until just blended being careful not to break up the berries. (Do not overmix).

Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes; remove from the pan and serve hot.

Notes/Results: I thought I would be smart and use cupcake/muffin liners. It wasn't the end of the world, but the batter stuck to the liners pretty badly. It didn't make a huge difference to me, but I wouldn't like it if I wanted to serve these to guests, etc. Therefore, I do recommend using the nonstick cooking spray. The mulberries themselves were very sweet, but the muffins were not overly sweet. I really enjoyed these muffins with a drizzling of honey for breakfast.

Per serving (1 muffin): 96 calories, 2g fat, 1g fiber, 3g protein, 17g carbs
WW points:2

Have you ever had mulberries? Do you have a favorite recipe for them?