I’ve gained a little weight over the last few years. I’m sure I could blame it on turning 50 and a slowing metabolism. I could argue that life is short and we should eat the butter. Goodness knows I love to cook and love to eat. However, I’m not happy that I have what a friend of mine refers to as “the bigness.” So I’m taking a closer look at how I cook and what I’m eating.

I don’t believe in unrealistic or faddish diets. I just want to drastically cut down on my fat intake and switch to healthier carbohydrates. This week’s recipe serves six and each serving has 455 calories and 4 grams of fat.

Tuscan Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 28-oz. can tomatoes
2/3 cup red wine
1 16-oz. can cannelini beans, drained
1 15.5-oz. can red kidney beans, drained
½ cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and cook chicken until it is no longer pink. Remove from pan.

Cook onions and pepper in the chicken juices – don’t forget to add salt and pepper. Add garlic and oregano. Cook for a few minutes and add tomatoes, wine and cooked chicken.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add beans and cook an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Then pour contents into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and place in an oven set to broil until browned. Watch closely and don’t let it burn.

I served with a side of fresh herb mixed greens and baby kale. Instead of salad dressing, I squeezed the juice of a lemon slice over the top.

In all honesty, I missed the fat. But that being said, dinner was tasty and I felt satisfied. I’m sure in time I’ll get used to less fat and enjoy the benefits of a smaller waistline.

I love cooking with fresh ingredients. Last week green peppers were calling to me in the produce section, so I bought four.

After spring cleaning, I found pantry items that needed used. I’m too frugal to throw anything away. I had canned salsa from last fall and an old box of stuffing mix. Who knows where the stuffing mix came from, but it won’t be wasted. I made stuffed green peppers to go with chicken breasts and salad.

Stuffed Green Peppers
1 onion, diced
1⁄2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint salsa or canned roasted tomatoes, divided
1 box stuffing mix
2-1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
2 Tbsp. butter

Drizzle a little olive oil in an oven-safe dish. Cut off the tops of the green peppers and reserve. Clean out the seeds and ribs. Set the peppers into the dish and rub the exteriors with olive oil.

Sauté the onions in olive oil. Then add 1 cup salsa, stuffing mix, butter and 1-1⁄2 cup stock, mixing together until well incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the green peppers. Put the tops back on the stuffed peppers.
Mix the remaining salsa and stock together and pour over the peppers. Cover and cook in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes.

While the peppers cooked, I seasoned boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt, pepper and chili powder. I seared each side in olive oil in an oven-safe pan. Covered with a lid and placed in the oven with the peppers for the remaining 25 minutes.

While those dishes finished, I prepared a simple side salad. Dinner was really tasty. It looked complex, but was very simple. In fact it was pretty filling so I ended up eating only half the pepper and saving the rest for lunch the next day.

My little asparagus patch is putting out loads of green shoots. Each day I pick more than a handful. Last week I roasted some for a side dish and on Saturday I made asparagus bisque. The weather was cool, so warm soup and homemade bread made for a comforting dinner.

Asparagus Bisque
1 stick of butter, divided
1 onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches asparagus, cleaned, separated and sliced 1″ thick
8 cups vegetable stock
1⁄4 cup flour
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste

I knew I would be making asparagus bisque for dinner on Saturday evening, so that morning I cleaned the asparagus and cut off the woody ends. I used the ends in a vegetable stock set to slowly cook in my crockpot all day. Then David and I went outside and worked on the vineyard trellis reconfiguration. Later that evening after it started to rain, we walked inside to the wonderful aroma of vegetable stock, just ready for the bisque.

Start by separating the asparagus tips from the remaining stalk. Reserve the tips for later while slicing the stalks. Sauté the onion, celery, garlic and asparagus stalks in 4 Tbsp. of butter in a large deep pot for about 15 minutes. Don’t forget to add salt and pepper. Then add the vegetable stock. Cook for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Puree the vegetables (using the immersion blender I suggested you get for Christmas) until silky smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

In another small skillet, sauté the asparagus tips in 4 Tbsp. of butter. Add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Then add 1 cup cream and stir until it thickens. Add to the pureed vegetables. Turn the heat on low and stir while the soup thickens. Check and adjust seasonings.

I served the bisque with homemade bread. A dollop of sour cream, yogurt or shredded cheese on top of the soup would be good – if you have it.

Utilizing a bread maker, combine the following:
2 tsp. yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp. sugar
1 cup combined rye flour and ground flax seed
3-1/2 cups bread flour
¼ cup gluten
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. caraway seeds

Select the dough setting on the bread maker and turn it on.

After about an hour and 15 minutes, the bread will have kneaded and risen. Remove and shape into two loaves, placing on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 415 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove, letting the bread cool for about 20 minutes before slicing – if you can wait.

Roughly chop vegetables: 1 onion, 3 celery ribs, 3 carrots, a handful of asparagus ends, or other vegetables you want to use.

Saute in olive oil until lightly browned.

Place in crock pot with a parsley, thyme, and sage bundles, 4 cloves smashed garlic, 8 peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, and 3 quarts of water. Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Strain the vegetables, reserving the liquid for stock.