10 bucks for 3 years of vt?

Yup, it's true. Check out the ebay listing here. We buy all our magazine subscriptions on ebay through resellers who buy large blocks of subscriptions to help the magazine hike up their advertiser's rates. It's totally legitimate- we have been doing this for years, and trust me, I am totally suspicious of magazine scams. It took a few years for my husband to convince me, but when I got four years of Bon Appetit for $12, I was convinced. (As it turns out, that's about the right price for that crummy magazine.)

You can't find every magazine you want, and it is wise to check the seller's feedback. Also, do not buy from anyone who charges shipping fees. It's not clear to me whether it's a one-time fee or for every issue, so I just steer clear. The variety changes all the time, so shop around!

One more thing- If you already have a subscription, but want to extend it, follow the seller's instructions for doing so very carefully. I am set until 2011, so I hope to be blogging to you all for at least that long!

Please let me know if you have questions about this- I hate for anyone to miss out on such a good deal.

quinoa, corn and zucchini medley

If you're in my neck of the woods, then you know we have some record heat coming in the next couple of days. Which is why I think it is so fabulous that our fridge is near death. All of my beloved Skinny Cow sandwiches are as soft as marshmallows in the sun. But I'm not going to let that stop me from telling you about my new BVTRE, quinoa, corn and zucchini medley. It tastes just like springtime, and tastes even better if you are standing in the sun. I like it best in its current state of about 46 degrees.

This dish would be perfect for a potluck. I made it two days ago and it is still as good as the day I made it. So it would also be a good lunch-for-the-week food. I nixed the pine nuts (sadly) and all but 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and gave it a big pinch of kosher salt, and made it 4 servings instead of 6, and it totaled 4 WW points per serving.

If you would like some, or some mayonnaise, or semifreddo fruit salad, come on by.

crispy oven-fried okra (made with zucchini)

I was scanning through some of my old VTs when I came across this one. I hate okra, so I decided to make it with zucchini. It is simply zucchini dipped in egg, then dipped in seasoned cornmeal and baked. It turned out pretty good- I will definitely make this again- especially during zucchini season, when you really start thinking up crazy things to do with all that zucchini. It is about the fastest thing you can make, and healthy. I didn't even use oil on the pan- the cornmeal stuck to the zucchini and didn't stick to the pan.

But make no mistake- it tastes baked. The magazine description actually says 'it tastes just as good as traditional fried okra.' I don't think they thought anyone would really believe that. If you wanted to give it a little more fried-crisp (as opposed to cornmeal crunch) you might try spraying it with oil before baking. But as I made it, it was just 2 WW points for a medium zucchini's worth. Yum! Next time I'll experiment with more seasonings- cumin? Dill? Garlic powder! Here's the recipe. Oh yeah- best thing about the recipe- all that dry cornmeal baking makes the kitchen smell like popcorn.

perfect steamed artichokes with jalapeno-orange dipping sauce

I just love artichokes, but I'm afraid that dipping them in melted butter is a luxury of the past. I have been searching for alternatives, usually ending up with something mayonnaise-based, but have not found anything until now. This sauce is so simple, and has a slightly thick texture from the cornstarch. I thought the sauce by itself tasted only OK, but it was sooooo good with the artichoke.
I also usually boil artichokes, but this recipe called for steaming- I liked it a lot better. I usually have to squeeze out all the water (and nutrients, probably) after I boil it, but I was really happy to discover this method- I'll never go back to boiling.
This sauce would be great on so many things- tacos, bean salad, Three Sisters Casserole, scrambled eggs. You could probably keep a jar in the fridge for a while. I go through a lot of the Trader Joe's green salsa, but I think I could use this instead and save some money.
Using a third of the olive oil, one artichoke with sauce is only 2 WW points. I dare anyone to beat that for a lunch!
Here are the recipes-
Perfect Steamed Artichokes
Jalapeno-Orange Dipping Sauce
There were lots of other dipping sauces for artichokes in the May '08 issue, but I haven't gotten to them yet.

three sisters casserole

This is one of those good, healthy, easy recipes that you can make any time of the year. It looks nice, and you can easily adapt it to use whatever ingredients you have on hand. It would also be really good with cheddar cheese under the polenta topping. Also, this is a super cheap and filling meal. I made this with only 1 Tbsp total of olive oil, so it's only 5 WW points for a nice big serving. Here's the recipe.

creamy quinoa with dried cranberries, revisited

I just remade this with the quinoa instead of oat bran, like in my older post. I totally forgot how good quinoa is (sorry mom!). It's a little nutty and a tiny bit crunchy. But I still think the spices are a little intense. Next time I'll make it without any spices at all and add a little chopped crystallized ginger- don't you think that would be good with the cranberries? Also, only 5 weight watchers points when you make it without the nuts.

tempeh with zucchini, peas, and tomatoes

Ok, after a backlash from my friends who apparently love tempeh, I tried again. Yummmmmmm! I retract all former statements about tempeh.

The only reason I made this was because I needed to use up some zucchini and wanted to try tempeh again. OK, so you look at the ingredients and think - 'I know what that's gonna taste like'. Nooo! You have no idea! You must run home and make this now. It tastes... rich, buttery, sweet and salty, meaty... so hearty. I don't know why this is, but I used 5-grain tempeh instead of soy, and reduced the oil to 4 tsp from 2 T. Other than that, you know me, I followed it exactly.

You can find the recipe here. Note however that the instructions are off- I think you are supposed to add half the salt, half the broth, and the spices to the tempeh while it's cooking. The instructions got chopped off for some reason. I know all you smarties can figure it out.

I am now on weight watchers, and this is only 4 points per serving when made with 4 tsp of olive oil instead of 2 T.