White Bean, Rosemary, Garlic and Red Pepper Dip

We made this dip way back in February for our little Super Bowl snack fiesta!  It was very low in points -- only 1 point for 1/6th of the recipe! -- and yummy.  I did make quite a few modifications to the original recipe however.  It called for parsley and I used rosemary instead.  It called for small diced red pepper to be mixed in the dip and I just threw it in the food processor with everything else (this modification was mostly out of laziness and time constraints of watching the big game).  We already had the roasted garlic from a previous recipe, so that was quick to just pull out of the fridge.  The original recipe also called for lime juice, which I substituted with lemon juice.  First off, we had a lemon left from a recipe I needed the zest for, and I thought lemon would go better with rosemary than lime.  I'd definitely feel free to vary the herbs as I did here, lime and  cilantro would be very good I would think.  I served it with whole wheat pita chips, red pepper strips and cucumbers for dipping.  

White Bean, Rosemary, Garlic and Red Pepper Dip

adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 garlic bulb, about 6 large cloves

1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 scallions, cut into large pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 decrees.  Cut off a thin slice from the pointed end of the garlic bulb.  Wrap the garlic in foil and roast until soft, about 30 minutes.  
• Unwrap the foil and let the garlic cool slightly.  Squeeze the garlic from the skins into a food processor.  
• Add the beans, lemon juice, olive oil, scallions, red pepper, rosemary and caynne, puree.
• Transfer to a bowl.  Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least one hour.  Serve with pitas, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for dipping.

Nutritional Info
Calories: 84
Fat: 3g
Fiber: 3 g
WW Points: 1

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

I found this recipe in my appetizers section of my clipped out recipes.  It was perfect since we had just bought a bag of almonds for snacking and had some rosemary leftover from another recipe to use up.  We had them as a snack during the Super Bowl and then for snacking for a few weeks afterward.  Yum!

Rosemary Roasted Almonds
Cooking Light
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

Ingredients
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chile powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash of ground red pepper
1 (10-ounce) bag whole almonds (about 2 cups)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325°.

• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Arrange nut mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool to room temperature.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 111 
Fat: 9.9g 
Carbohydrate: 3.6g
Fiber: 2.1g
WW Points: 3

Grits Casserole with White Beans and Rosemary

This recipe is from my Cookbook of the Month for January and February, The Best of Cooking Light.  What drew me to the recipe was the rosemary.  I used to not like rosemary.  I had only encountered it rarely, and when I did the shape and often charred manifestation of it reminded me of pine needles.  It wasn't an herb that made me want to come back for more.

My mom did not use many fresh herbs in her cooking, probably because they were not as readily available as they are now, and I'd imagine if they were available, they were expensive.  My mom used the be the queen of bargain shopping, and was an expert at coupon clipping.  Now that I am the primary cook, I am a huge fan of coupons and use them whenever possible, but I also have come to realize the fantastic flavor that fresh herbs can bring to a dish.  In my mind, they are worth the money in the winter especially.

This spring, now that we finally have a summer when we wont be moving, and a cute little outdoor yard and deck, we plan to plant three or four big pots of herbs for our own mini herb garden.  Rosemary is at the top of our list.  Chopped finely, and not left to it's normal pine needle like state, it's a great addition to many recipes and a flavor I am coming to greatly enjoy.  I did make one change to the recipe, I used bread crumbs we already had instead of the fresh bread crumbs.  The ones I had were made from whole wheat bread, so I think they added some extra nuttiness and worked just fine.

Grits Casserole with White Beans and Rosemary
Adapted from The Best of Cooking Light
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
7 cups boiling water, divided
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular grits
2 tablespoons butter
Cooking spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°.

• Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and parsley in a small bowl; set aside

• Combine 3 cups boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes over a bowl, reserving 1 cup liquid.

• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved 1 cup liquid. Bring to a boil; cook 7 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and beans.

• Combine 4 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon salt, grits, and butter in a large saucepan. Cook 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour grits mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over grits; top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Information, per serving
Calories: 303
Fat: 7.4g (sat 3.4g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 10.2g
Carbohydrate: 47.2g
Fiber: 5.2g
WW Points: 6