Destinations Diva

Creamy Cauliflower Sweet Potato Mash Serves 6 Weight Watchers Smart Points: 2 per serving Ingredients: 1 small head Cauliflower, chopped 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed Water 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon  1 teaspoon salt 3 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese Method: In a saucepan, add cauliflower, garlic and sweet potato.   Cover with water and bring to a boil.   Lightly boil until vegetables are cooked and soft. Drain most of the water (reserve a little cooking water).   Add seasonings and stir.   Mash with a potato masher.   Add cheese wedges and stir until melted. Taste for seasoning and serve. To see more of this blog, click here: http://destinationsdiva.blogspot.com

Healthy Cranberry Bars Serves: 16 Weight Watchers Smart Points: 5 Ingredients: 2 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 1 teaspoon coconut extract 1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1/4 cup chopped pecans Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray and set it aside. In medium sized bowl beat the eggs until frothy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until creamy and  well blended.  Stir in the flour and coconut oil and extract, just until blended.  Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 16 bars. Cook's Notes Nutritional estimates per serving: 122 calories, 7 g fat, 19 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein To...

Cajun Cioppino is my own creation.  Cioppino originally was an American Italian dish.  Italian fisherman on the San Francisco docks created this dish using the leftover bits of seafood which didn't sell each day.  The dish was served hot with piping hot sourdough bread.  The dish is sometimes a soup or simply a seafood dish with a tomato sauce. My  recipe is  a good mix of Cajun and Creole styles of cooking.   I added tri-colored bell peppers to compliment the onion, celery, and garlic. Fresh tomatoes are best but I used cans of diced tomatoes and fresh local seafood versus Cioppino mainstays: mussels, clams and  dungeons  crab. This recipe is very healthy and great for anyone watching their weight.  It's a great choice for Lent too. Cajun Cioppino Serves 6 Weight Watchers Smart Points: 5 Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped...

I recently posted by recipe for Creole Shrimp Bisque.  This delicious recipe is an elevation of the Cajun classic using a French preparation commonly seen in fine New Orleans restaurants.   Cajuns, however, take a more rustic approach to shrimp bisque, adding corn as a filler and thickener.  Something typical of Cajun cooking is using ingredients to elevate flavors.  The "milk" from the corn ears elevates the recipe so the ears are cooked in the broth to add richness.   The results are no less luscious and creamy than the creole style, but create a more casual, family-style preparation.  Both are delicious and easy to make.  Actually, this one is easier!   Note:  If you want to use this recipe for Lent, eliminate the bacon and replace the fat with butter or olive oil. Cajun Shrimp Corn Bisque Ingredients: 3 lbs head-on fresh shrimp (peeled, deveined, heads and shells saved to make shrimp stock)   1/2 pound sliced b...

I was recently asked to do a cooking class to make Shrimp Bisque.  This request made me ponder, Cajun or Creole?  These two disciplines are often considered the same to anyone who is not from Louisiana.  Both types begin with a good shrimp stock. 3 pounds peeled deveined medium shrimp I myself am a born and bred "Cajun," who lives in the "Creole" world of New Orleans.  Cajun is a word which evolved from the word Acadian.  In 1755, the British governor of Nova Scotia, Canada, considering the French Acadians his enemy, expelled the people of Acadia, Nova Scotia from his provence by loading the people on ships, breaking up families and loved ones and sending the people to many different areas.  Eventually many of these refugees who survived the terrible conditions settled in New Orleans and in the swampy areas of Louisiana.  Depending on where they settled, their type of cuisine evolved from the local ingredients and and from i...

Every year my family celebrates the new year with a New Year's Day lucky feast.  Being a southerner, good luck rituals have always been important.  As a native of south Louisiana, and a pure bread Cajun, pork usually plays a role in the menu.  My mother always prepared a pork roast for health, cooked cabbage for prosperity and black-eyed peas for luck, a tradition which dates back to the Civil War.  Her pork roast was seasoned with a Creole seasoning blend and stuffed with garlic.  She made a thin gravy with the drippings to go with white rice, a staple of every meal. My husband grew up in an Irish family and his tradition is a little different.  On New Year's Day his mom prepared a boiled corned beef brisket, with cabbage, carrots and potatoes.  She always added a tablespoon of liquid crab boil in addition to the little pack of spices that comes with the corned beef to kick it up a few notches.  She also cooked a pot of black-eyed peas w...