Jujubee

I'm always on the lookout for 0-point snacks, so here's my latest: Chopped Cucumbers and Tomatoes, well salted and left to sit for a bit, with Raita-ish dip. The key, in my book at least, is the salt - it makes it tastes more like food you did something to, rather than just raw food (which triggers my diet-depravation mentality). I use about 1/2 t salt for a cup of yogurt (along with cilantro or mint and some garlic), and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt for the cucumbers and tomatoes.

Just pull them in half with your fingers (I sort of start at the stem end and just pull apart - it's pretty easy), and then flick out the seeds with your fingers. It goes pretty quickly once you get the hang of it. Or you can chew and spit, but I prefer to pre-seed.

Sort of in the same vein, can you increase a cake recipe and then bake it in a deeper pan with more batter? I'm thinking of recipes that call for 8 or 9 inch by 1.5 inch rounds, and instead using 2 inch (or taller) rounds to get a taller cake.

Gee, thanks for making a newbie feel like an idiot.

$50 for a 12-inch square? Wow. I paid much less for 2 of them at Costco.

I have bamboo cutting boards and I really like them. I don't know why, but they seem cleaner to me than the old plastic-y ones, even though I ran them through the dishwasher. No matter what I've been cutting, after a wash in hot, soapy water and left to dry (it only takes a minute - I also wonder how they dry so quickly) they always have this clean bamboo scent. No idea how they measure up in scientific evaluations of sanitation, but aesthetically they feel very clean to me.

So I tried quinoa for the first time last night (since it's core) and we really liked it. It's sort of got a caviar texture, with the little grains popping in your mouth a bit. We did a quinoa pilaf with apples and pecans. Anyone else have suggestions or experience with it?

Betts, I hear you on the breakfast problem. I'm finding it hard to find something portable that has something starchy too. I was going to do oatmeal this week, but it has been too hot and humid, and plus I would prefer not to eat with utensils in the car. That rule has been pretty much thrown out the window this week though (my first week on core). Stuff I've had so far (not all in one breakfast, but mixed-and-matched): scrambled egg + egg beater, canadian bacon, soy sauce eggs (like hard boiled tea eggs but without the tea in the braising liquid), leftover bulgur and mushroom pilaf, ricotta w/ splenda & almond extract, figs, bananas, plums, nectaries, & grapes. Keepers are definitely the assorted fruit and hard-boiled eggs, but again, few ideas in the way of grains. Also, I know there's not a limit on eggs, but I'm worried that eating too many may be bad for my health. Anyone know?

I decided to switch over to core this week and see what happens. For dinner tonight: Pan-Seared Flank Steak w/ Spice Rub: A friend gave me a gift box of spice rubs from The Spice House, so I used one of them on the flank steak. Instead of putting oil in the pan, I brushed a very thin layer of canola oil directly onto the meat and lay it in the hot, dry pan. I have been doing this with chicken breast too, and find that it works much better than using a tiny bit of oil in a non-stick pan because you get more even coverage and browning. Sliced thin against the grain, this was delicious and a huge hit with my husband. We also ended up wrapping some of the strips in bibb lettuce from the salad. Bulgur and Mushroom Pilaf: My first experience cooking with bulgur, and I must say I really liked it. Easy to like and not overpowering. My husband thought it tasted too "whole" though. Avocado, Tomato, and Red Bell Pepper Salad w/ Lime Vinaigrette: The recipe I used recommended serving them in bibb lettuce leaves. Very attractive and very delicious. My husband loved this one too. The only modification I made to any of these recipes was to reduce the amount of oil used (~1-2 tsp per dish that served 4) with no difference that I could tell.

Re: tamarind I bought some of these pods in the grocery store without knowing what I was going to do with them. Can I use the flesh in recipes that call for tamarind paste (the kind that comes in blocks)? Or is it for eating plain?

Hi Folks, After an almost year long break from WW, this thread inspired me to sign back up (online). I had a similar experience to many of you: I just couldn't relate to many of the people at the meetings, but I found that doing it on my own without any comraderie was not that effective. So I am very excited to have found you all! I am doing Flex for my first week back, because I already knew that plan and it was easy to start with, but I think I am going to give core a shot. I am concerned because I am a little too excited about the fact that avocados and edamame are considered core, as well as skinless chicken thighs, which I find so much more appealing than breasts. And Cusina, is soba really core? I guess that makes sense. Geez louise, I hope this works and I don't overeat just because I love this stuff. So I have a question: how do you count points for wine that you use in cooking? Since some of the alcohol cooks off, do I have to count a full 2 points for 1/2 c?

A little late to this thread, but maybe you're still reading... I'm not sure how helpful these suggestions are since you don't have a car, but here goes: Russo's in Watertown - THE best place for produce (and a good selection of cheeses, bakery items, and prepared foods from the looks of it, though I haven't tried). They have a room of asian vegetables which equals or surpasses the asian markets I've tried, and the rest of their produce is top notch too. Kam Man Center in Quincy - I MUCH prefer this place to Super 88. The last time I went to Super 88 (the one in Allston) I was so frustrated with the limp produce that I haven't been back since. Kam Man is located in an Asian Mall, and has a much better and fresher selection of produce, meats, seafood, and prepared foods, at least in my experience. (You might be able to get to this place by Red Line and then a bus, but it would be a pretty long haul.)