Kosher Vegan Lite Confetti Soup

This is a light, tasty, zero point soup. The key to it is dicing the vegetables into very tiny pieces. A food processor works well in this regard. If you don't have one, just be patient when chopping.

• 6 cups home made vegetable broth
• 2 yukon potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces.
• 1/2 large carrot, sliced very thin
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 ear yellow corn (or 4 tablespoons canned)
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Bring broth to a boil. Add spices and potato. Cover and reduce heat to low. Add everything else. Mix well, cover and continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 15 - 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fully cooked. Makes about 8 cups. Like most soups, this one is even better the next day.

There are only 4 Weight Watchers Points in the entire pot. That adds up to about half a point per cup, so eat up and enjoy!

Kosher Vegan Lite Vegetable Stock

As part of my diet, I decided to experiment with home made broth. I'd always heard they were both tastier and better for you, but I'd never actually put in the time to find out for myself. Now, I'm glad I did. This broth is good enough to drink on its own as a soup. It freezes well and makes a fantastic base for quick soups.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 4 large yellow onions, with skin
• 4 celery stalks, with leaves
• 4 carrots
• 1 turnip
• 1 rutabaga
• 1 head garlic
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 4 strands fresh thyme
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 16 cups (4 liters) water

In a large stockpot, heat oil at medium-high.

Chop all vegetables into rough pieces, no more than 2 inches each. KEEP the skin of the onions and garlic - they will add color as well as flavor.

Add the vegetables to the stockpot, stirring frequently until they are lightly coated in oil. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the vegetables are almost burned, about 20 minutes. If they start to smell burned, you've gone too far, but you really do want the vegetables to be dark brown and well past the point where you'd normally eat them. If they look edible, keep cooking. The longer you cook, the more flavorful your broth will be.

When the vegetables are a deep brown, add the water and fresh spices. You can find fresh spices in your produce section, but if they're not available, substitute 2 tablespoons of thyme and basil. Mix well and bring to a rolling boil. Partially cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer at least two hours, stirring about once every half an hour (more if you just like to peek in the pot every now and then.) Put in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, strain broth through 2 layers of cheesecloth. If you can't find cheesecloth, put oil splatter screen over a bowl. Put your colander over the splatter screen. Then carefully pour the broth through the two layers of mesh. Discard vegetables. Use or freeze broth.

This broth has no Weight Watchers points. That's right, folks, it's free!

Kosher Curry Chicken Salad

I know it's not terribly creative, but I like a nice, sweet curried chicken salad. I wanted to make one that would fit into my new Weight Watchers diet. If you're having trouble getting in all your fruits and veggies, one serving of this is a much better choice than a Lean Cuisine microwavable lunch.

• 12 oz chicken (2 small kosher breast halves)
• 1 medium apple, diced (granny smith works best)
• 1 1/2 cups red or green grapes, sliced in half
• 4 tbsp parve fat free mayo substitute
• 2 tbsp canned crushed pineapple
• 2 tbsp medium heat curry powder

Coat the chicken with half the curry powder and cook in a George Foreman grill (or other fat-free cooking method). When the chicken cools, shread it into the smallest pieces you have the patience for. If you prefer to use precooked chicken, cut the curry powder down to 1.5 tbsp.

Combine all ingredients in a single bowl until well mixed. Chill and serve cold either on whole wheat bread or a bed of lettuce. Yes, it's that easy.

Points estimate for entire dish: Chicken, 12; Fat Free Mayo, 4; Grapes, 2; Apple, 1; Pineapple, 1; spices, 0. Total points per serving: 5 (meal sized serving), 3 (sandwich sized serving).

Kosher Chicken Vatana Soup

It was 20 degrees outside and I was in the mood for a thick, hearty, chicken soup. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to experiment with the Vatana Dahl I picked up at Jungle Jim's. If you like light, sipping broths, cut all solid ingredients in half. I prefer dense soups that will fill you up on a cold night. This is a flavorful, colorful soup that helps warm the belly and sustain you for a long night out in the cold. Incidentally, Vatana Dahl is the same as yellow peas (remember Mendel's genetics experiments? These are the peas the west decided they disliked in favor of the common green peas found in the supermarket.)

• 1 cup dry vatana dahl/yellow peas
• 2 fourteen and a half oz cans fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans water
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast (about 2 small kosher breast halves)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 ear corn (or 1/2 cup drained canned corn)
• 1.5 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 fresh chopped cloves)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cover the beans with 2 - 3 inches of water and soak overnight. Trust me, you really have to do this. Dry beans stay ubercrunchy if you don't.

The next day, put the broth and 2 cans of water (just refill the broth cans) into a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Add all spices. Drain the soaking water off the beans and add them to the pot. Let boil uncovered for about 45 minutes. You'll boil off about 1 can of water. Don't worry. You're supposed to.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and red pepper and cut the kernels off the corn cob. When the soup has boiled for half an hour, add the onion, pepper, corn, and chicken. Cover and let simmer for another half hour. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup of water and adjust seasonings to taste.

Points estimate for entire dish: Broth, 0; Water, 0; Vatana Dahl, 4; Chicken, 8; Onion, 1; Corn, 1; Bell Pepper, 0; spices, 0. Total points per serving: 2 (8 side dish servings), 4 (4 meal sized servings).

Variations:

• Add 1 can diced mild green chillies when adding spices to broth
• For a hotter soup, add 1/2 tsp red pepper or a few drops of your favourite hot sauce
• For a stronger base, substitute more broth for the cans of water

Kosher Vegan Lite Aloo Masala

To my surprise, potatoes aren't prohibited by Weight Watchers. I'm looking forward to rediscovering some of my favourite Indian vegetarian foods. In this one, all I really did was cut down on the oil and cheat a bit on cooking the potatoes. It's dirt simple and very, very fast.

• 2 cups unpeeled red potatoes, cut into the size of cheese cubes
• 2 tsp garlic flavored olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1.5 tbsp chaat masala (available from Indian grocery stores)

Put the potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Trust me on this one. Meanwhile, add the 2 tsp of oil to a large skillet and bring to a medium heat. Throw the microwaved potatoes and chaat masala in the pan and stir well. What you're doing is the equilivent of parboiling the potatoes so they'll fry in less oil (and less time). Keep stirring until potatoes are evenly coated in oil and spices. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. The potatoes should begin to brown. Add the peas and onions. Stir until well mixed, then cook, stirring frequently, for another five minutes. (If your chaat masala is salt-free, add 1/2 tsp salt when adding spices.) Serve with cool sliced cucumbers or (if octo-lavo) a cucumber-yogurt sauce. Makes 2 servings as a meal, 4 servings as a side dish. Points estimate for entire dish: potatoes, 4; olive oil, 2; onion, 1; peas, 1. Total per (side dish) serving: 2.

Kosher Lite Sumac Chicken

I fear I like to eat as much as I like to cook, so I've joined Weight Watchers. Many of my recipes from this point forward will probably be on the slimmer side. This is a lite version of one of my favourite middle eastern dishes. In addition to being lower in calories and points it also cooks up in under fifteen minutes. This makes two servings of (by my rough estimate) 6 points each (5 without pine nuts), plus whatever's in your brand of naan/pita bread. You can find sumac at Mediterranean grocery stores or you can order it over the internet.

• 6 oz chicken breast, cut into small strips
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced very thin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp red sumac
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
• 1 slice naan or Greek style pita bread

Add one tsp of olive oil to the pan and saute the onions over a medium heat until nearly translucent. Add the chicken, remaining oil, and spices. Stir well, ensuring everything is nicely coated. Continue to saute, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through.

Warm naan/pita in the same oven you've used to toast the pine nuts (or just pop it in the toaster oven or microwave if you're not using pine nuts.) Cut the warm naan/pita in half. Separate the sumac chicken into 2 servings as well. Serve with fresh sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Curried chick peas would make a good side dish.

To toast the pine nuts, spread them on a nonstick cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 400F. Keep a close eye on the nuts. As soon as the tops take on the smallest hint of golden brown, yank them out and sweep them off the cookie sheet. Time will vary depending on how fresh or stale your pine nuts are, how dark your cookie sheet, and how accurate your oven, but they rarely take more than 5 minutes.

Points estimate per serving: Chicken, 3; Pine Nuts, 2; Olive Oil, 1; Onion, 0; Spices, 0. Total, 6.

Kosher Oatmeal Fig Cookies

These are basically just oatmeal-raisin cookies with figs instead. I adore figs, though, so I had to concoct some holiday desert including them. You'll need to cut off the stems and chop the figs yourself, as I've never seen chopped figs in my local grocery store. You're welcome to just substitute raisins or dates in their place, but the figs add a nice richness of texture and flavor. These can easily be made vegan/lactose free by substituting dairy-free margarine in the place of butter.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups flour
• 2.5 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chopped mission figs
• 1.5 cup cinnamon chips or toffee chips
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Beat until smooth. Add flour. Mix well. Stir in oats, chopped figs, and cinnamon/toffee chips.

Drop by tablespoonfulls onto greased cookie sheet. Place one dried cherry on center top of each cookie. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet (otherwise the toffee/cinnamon chips will stick to your spatula, making a mess.)

Makes around 4 dozen.