Chili con Carne with a Portuguese Roll and Browned Butter

On the weekends, I usually only have two meals instead of three, and be more indulgent in the type or quantity of food I consume. The cold winter weather and sadness of a funeral today increased my need for comfort food. So, today, I made chili, following the instructions on the packet, grabbed a handful of baby carrots, heated up a bakery-bought Portuguese bun, and made some browned butter.

Weight Watchers points for this meal:

Chili (8 points)

Roll (6 points, estimated)

2 tsp butter (2 points)

Total: 16 points

Mmm... browned butter. So rich and nutty-tasting. I wasn't sure how the hardening process would go. It turns out that I needed to stir it occasionally (I did this every 10 minutes or so, who keeping it outside then in the fridge to cool). This was so the heavier brown flecks were evenly blended into the butter. This is the first time I have re-solidified this type of butter (I have used it once before in baking, so used it in melted form).

French Onion Soup

Mmm.... I don't remember when I first tried French onion soup - I know I was an adult - but now I can't imagine not having it! This is a lower point version of a more standard recipe that I find makes a deliciously filling and satisfying meal. When I'm hungrier, I add a salad or raw veggies as a side and/or a glass of milk to meet my dairy servings for the day. Usually, a bowl of this soup is about 6 points for me, depending on how much bread and cheese I add.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4 medium yellow onions, cut in half then sliced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 box (900mL) chicken broth (I used Campbell's 30% less sodium)
• Stale/dried bread
• Grated cheese of your choice (I prefer old cheddar)

Instructions:

1. Put butter in a pot on low heat to melt while you slice the onions
2. Add onions to the butter and sautée until they start to caramelize (turn brown and smell sweet), stirring occasionally
3. Stir in the spoonful of flour
4. Pour the broth in and stir
5. Divide broth among four oven-safe bowls
6. Top with desired stale/dry/toasted bread followed by shredded cheese
7. Put into the oven at about 350F until cheese starts to melt, then broil until cheese bubbles

Nutrition information: 1/4 of recipe (before adding bread and cheese):
Calories: 95
Potassium: 333
Fat: 3
Carbohydrates: 14
Fibre: 3
Protein: 3
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 2

I add 1/2 to 1 slice of bread for another 1-2 points.
I usually add 20-40g old cheddar cheese on top for another 2-4 points.

Pan fried chicken with mashed potatoes and garden salad

To make the chicken, I took out some all-purpose flour and added a bit of any spices I had on hand that sounded good: paprika, mustard powder, oregano, coarse sea salt, etc. Then I broke one egg into a shallow bowl, and whisked it around with a splash of milk. After rinsing the chicken breasts, I dipped each into the egg mixture, coated it in flour, back into the egg mixture and a final flouring before gently putting it into a pan of hot oil. Once removed, I drizzled with some light Renee's Caesar dressing and honey.

The mashed potatoes were two red potatoes I washed, cubed, and boiled, then mashed with my new Pampered Chef potato mashing tool along with some butter and milk.

Point Plus Value for this meal: 14

A blogging failure... no time to post!

I was feeling so ambitious on the first day I started this blog, but quickly realized life is too busy to actually post regularly right now, so I think I will switch to posting meal photos and descriptions for a while to keep me going. I'll start you off with a few recent ones:

Fried chicken with sautéed asparagus and mushroom rice risotto

French onion soup in a handmade bowl

Meatloaf with oven roasted root vegetable and parmesan cheese casserole

Tilapia with asparagus and slightly overcooked (oops!) carrots sautéed with butter and brown sugar