Friday, June 25, 2010

Pierogies with Creamy Mushroom and Sherry Sauce, Balsamic Spinach and Turtle Brownies

Perhaps my favorite recipe thus far into the WW cooking experience (beginning around March) has been what I deliciously whipped up for dinner last night. Growing up I had the occasional pierogie from the typical sources...Oktoberfest festivals, international cuisine events, etc. However, since meeting my sweet Polish love, pierogies have become somewhat of a staple. So imagine my surprise when I found a fantastic and super easy recipe from the, "WW Stir It Up! Super Skillet Cookbook." This recipe has a truly phenomenal taste combination of nutty mushrooms with caramelized onions in a sherry flavored sour cream sauce that when topped with chives is pretty perfect. The pierogies themselves require no effort as pre-made low fat store versions are used to keep the fat/calories in check. A generous 1 1/2cup serving is a great way to spend 5pts! Definitely try Pierogies with Creamy Mushroom and Sherry Sauce


To accompany the very rich tasting pierogies I usually opt for a side of steamed asparagus, but since local stores were out I went for another lovely green staple...spinach! To "fanci-fy" my side I quickly sauteed the spinach (one bag of pre-washed baby spinach) in 1tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Upon wilt I added a few quick seasonings: 1/4tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp black pepper. And to really add some extra flavor I used 1oz or 2tbsp of fat free feta for a great tasting side with a .5pt value! Serving size may vary depending upon how wilted you allow your spinach to become...however mine measured a very full 1/3 cup scoop.


For dessert I tried making a new kind of brownie; I love brownies and since starting WW I have tried at least four recipes that have results ranging from "ok" to "I actually had a friend try it and she spat it out." So imagine my surprise when the Turtle Brownies from, "WW Ultimate Classics 101 Best-Loved Recipes," turned out so good that I double checked the points value certain that I would find a 6 in place of the 3. These are definitely worth the effort! I think the secret lies in pre-toasting the pecans for that extra nutty flavor or perhaps it is just the inclusion of Rolos (by the way, I could never find Mini Rolos so I ended up cutting up a role of the regular kind...I cut each piece into fours.) To make this recipe even better (if you were not already convinced) by using butter, sugar and egg substitute I was able to make the brownies drop from 3pts to 2pts per brownie! If you are a brownie or chocolate lover you have got to try Turtle Brownies


So there you have last night's feast for a whopping total of 7.5pts! Happy Cooking!

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