Jerry was commenting on how he wanted to try the new Tim Horton's French Onion Soup, but was disappointed when they had run out of it by the time he got there. So... I decided to surprise him with a ho-made version. This soup was delicious, and I'm sure contains much less sodium than the Timmy's version.

French Onion Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups thinly vertically sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion
4 cups thinly vertically sliced red onion
4 cloves of garlic,chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
8 cups less-sodium beef broth
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
8 (1-ounce) slices whole wheat french bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Stir in sherry, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.

Preheat broiler.

Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute.

Place 8 ovenproof bowls on a jelly-roll pan. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Divide bread evenly among bowls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 290 (30% from fat); FAT 9.6g (sat 4.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.7g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 317mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.4g; SODIUM 359mg; PROTEIN 16.8g; FIBER 3.1g

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread (or Muffins)

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread (or Muffins)

1 cup sugar (1/2 white/1/2 brown)
1 cup solid packed pumpkin (will be using baked sugar pumpkin)
1/4 cup water (I used some grated orange and the juice of the orange)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or applesauce)
2 cups all-purpose flour (1 cup ww flour/1 cup white)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup picked-over fresh or frozen cranberries

This recipe is very flexible. I added some chopped prunes and pecans to the mix. Delish!

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter a loaf pan, 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 3/4 inches.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together pumpkin, sugar, water, eggs, and oil. Sift in flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices and stir just until batter is smooth. Stir in cranberries and spoon batter into loaf pan, spreading evenly.

Bake bread in middle of oven 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean, and cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool completely. Bread may be made 4 days ahead and chilled, covered.

White Chicken Chili

I've had this recipe from Nancy (Noofies) for at least a couple of years now. I finally tried it last night. It was delicious! I soaked dried Great Northern Beans instead using canned beans. It required some additional salt to taste towards the end. It's very filling, and we both enjoyed it very much. I've calculated 4 points per 3/4 cup serving (without garnish).

White Chicken Chili

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T oil
6 T flour
1 small can diced green chilis
2+ T minced jalapeno (I dice jarred jalapeno rings - add more if you like it hot)
2 tsp cumin
2 cans Great Northern beans
2 14-oz. cans chicken broth
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded

In large saucepan, saute onions and garlic in oil until the onions are transparent. Add green chilis, jalapenos, cumin, and stir, then add flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn. Then add beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer and stir until it thickens. Add chicken, cook 1-2 minutes until the chicken is hot. Ladle into bowls, top with shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, combo, whatever you like) and garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Salsa is good on top, too.

This stays warm very nicely in a crockpot, and it's just as nice rewarmed the second (and third) day.

Greek Orzo Salad

Greek Orzo Salad
12 – 1 cup servings, 3 points per cup

This salad would make a great pot-luck dish for barbeques. It's a delicious way to enjoy a Greek style salad. I think I may add green and red pepper next time for extra colour and flavour.

1 1/2 cups uncooked Orzo pasta
1 can water packed artichoke hearts, chopped
2 tbsp. EVOO and 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar combination
2 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
120 g light crumbled feta cheese
9 Kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper


DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain artichoke hearts.
2. In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
3. Just before serving, drizzle EVOO/vinegar mixture over salad.

Better Butter Chicken

From the Eat, Shrink and Be Merry Cookbook. It's delicious.

Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli

Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli - 5 points per 2 cakes and 1 1/2 tsp. Aioli)

From Cooking Light July 2006

Aioli (ay-OH-lee) is a garlic mayonnaise from the Provence region in France and a popular condiment there for meat and vegetables. It can be made in advance and refrigerated. Total time: 45 minutes.


Cakes:
2 (1 1/2-ounce) slices whole wheat bread (I used whole wheat bread crumbs)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (I used ground chicken)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (I used green onion)
3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used my own spice mix)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites (I used one whole egg)
2 teaspoons canola oil
(I added additional garlic to the cake mix)

Aioli:
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt (I omitted)

To prepare cakes, place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup (discard remaining breadcrumbs). Set breadcrumbs aside.
Place chicken in food processor; pulse until ground. Combine chicken, chives, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, egg whites, and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl; mix well (mixture will be wet). Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

To prepare aioli, combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with cakes.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken cakes and about 1 1/2 teaspoons aioli - 5 points)

CALORIES 242 (26% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 29.5g; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 44mg; SODIUM 749mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.5g

Red Lobster Rock Shrimp Creole

2 lb rock shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced 1/2"
1/2 cup onion, diced 1/4"
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour, all purpose
1 can 14.5-oz whole peeled tomatoes, roughly cut (I use Rotel tomatoes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, especially if using Rotel)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 cups cooked rice
Rinse shrimp briefly and remove any large veins that are visible. In
a small sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Mix
in flour and stir until dissolved and mixture begins to thicken, then
reduce heat. Add tomatoes and their juice to the butter and flour
mixture, stir well, and heat through. The mixture will thicken.
Hold warm.

In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and over medium high
heat, cook bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic until soft but with
a little bit of a crunch. Add shrimp and cook until no longer
transparent (3 minutes). Add tomato mixture, bring to a boil, cover,
and let simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

Red Lobster Rock Shrimp Creole
POINTS® value | 6 (rice is addtional points)
Servings | 4