Taste from Chicago

Pioneer Woman's Skillet Potatoes

2011-09-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

When I make sausages or burgers, I always crave a hearty potato dish like fries or skillet potatoes to go along with it. I found these Googling a recipe for skillet potatoes to go with the brats that we brought back from Michigan. They are fantastic for dinner topped with lots of Frank's Red Hot or your favorite hot sauce, but they would also be great with breakfast. A cast iron skillet is perfect for this recipe. I picked one up at my local Marshall's for $14.99. Lodge is a great brand. Click here to see Pioneer Woman's recipe.

potatoes (I love redskins or Yukon Gold for this recipe)

olive oil spray

a pat of butter or 1 Tbsp. bacon grease (if you're cooking breakfast this is most convenient)

onion, chopped

bell pepper, chopped (optional)

black pepper

seasoning blend with salt (I used Penzey's Cajun seasoning)

1. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Heat a large cast iron skillet and add olive oil spray. Melt a small pat of butter or bacon grease in the pan. Add the onion and bell pepper saute until soft. NOTE: At this point, you can remove the onions and add them back in when the potatoes start to brown. I like them as PW says, "nice and burn-y" so I leave them.

3. Remove the potatoes from the pan using tongs and place them on a cutting board. Cut them into bitesized pieces. Add them to the skillet. Sprinkle with seasoning and pepper. Spread them around and toss gently to coat them with seasoning.

4. Spread the potatoes evenly over the skillet and using a turner, lightly pack them and press them to the skillet. At this point, I cook them about 5 minutes.

5. Turn them over and pack and press them again. Cook them for about 5 more minutes.

Just before the first 5 minutes is a good time to start cooking your brats or burgers. Flip the burgers with the potatoes. This time I cooked everything in one big skillet.

Southwestern Chicken Skillet

2011-08-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

During the year and half that I was planning my wedding, I was religiously on The Knot message boards in both Chicago and Detroit getting ideas for planning my wedding. During this time is when my food blog was born. One "Knottie" created a food blog, and many more followed suit. I have many of these women's blogs in my blog list and I refer to them when I'm looking for an inexpensive, easy weeknight meal. Most of them offer great home cooked meal ideas. To me, most of them offer the kind of basic, but super delicious meals that everyone's mothers cooked us growing up. This meal to me, is one of those. I got this idea from Amy Horgan's blog, The Horgan's Cooking Blog and Patrick and I both really loved it! It makes a quick and delicious weeknight meal.

2 tsp. olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Your favorite Mexican spices, such as a fajita or taco seasoning or a blend of chili powder, cumin, etc. (I have used Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning for this before and it was awesome!)

1 cup uncooked white or brown rice (I used instant brown rice)

1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles (I used Safeway's version, which is the same)

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 cup water

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup cheddar cheese ( I used 2% milk sharp cheddar)

Toppings of your choice, such as: sour cream, black olives, more chopped green onions, hot sauce, salsa, etc.

1. Season chicken with seasonings and toss to coat. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet and add the chicken. Cook until just cooked through.

2. Add the rice and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil.

3. Simmer for 20 minutes until rice is tender. Top with cheddar cheese and remove from heat. Let stand 2 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve with toppings and enjoy!

Serves 4.

Giada's Fried Smashed Potatoes

2011-08-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

I bought redskins to make alongside salmon and asparagas for dinner and that afternoon watching the Food Network, Giada made these potatoes and I decided to make them for dinner that night! They were excellent and Patrick and I both loved them! Here is the link to Giada's recipe. There's also a video, which may help! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/fried-smashed-potatoes-with-lemons-recipe/index.html

2 pounds baby redskins or fingerling potatoes (here is used baby redskins)

2 Tbsp. olive oil (plus more if needed)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and cracked

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh italian parsely

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used dill because it was what I had)

2 lemons, zested

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Put potatoes in a stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let sit for about 5 minutes. Using the palm of your hand, gently press to lightly "smash" the potatoes. Try not to let them fall apart, but if they do that's ok.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil. Add the garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic cloves and discard. Add the potatoes and cook without stirring until brown, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side.

3. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and combine.

4. Add the dressing to the potatoes and toss or serve the dressing at the table for people to top at will.

Serves 4.

Spaghetti Carbonara

2011-07-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

This recipe is an old favorite of my family's. It's easy, it's a comfort, and it's simple to adjust the amounts for dinner alone or with friends.

1 lb. spaghetti

1/2 lb. bacon

1 stick of butter

2 Tbsp. dry white wine (this can be left out)

1/2 c. parmesan

1/3 c. milk

2 eggs

fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta and brown bacon.

2. Melt butter in a pan and add wine.

3. Beat together eggs and add milk.

4. Drain pasta and add butter mixture. Toss.

5. Add egg and milk mixture. Toss.
6. Add parmesan and toss. Serve topped with bacon and pepper

Serves 8.

Antipasto Salad-Lightened Up!

2011-06-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

I have always loved an antipasto salad, typically as an appetizer before pizza. In the summer when I have more time to chop and plan good lunches, I love trying new versions of salads. For the first week of summer vacation, I decided this would be great on the menu! Feel free to add or subtract toppings as you like.

1/2 romaine heart
Handful of spring mix or other lettuce blend (I used Fresh Express Rocket Zest)
4 grape tomatoes, halved
1 mini orange sweet pepper, cut into rings
2-3 pepperocinis, cut into rings
5 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 c. garbanzo beans, drained
1 artichoke heart, quartered
2 slices of Polish ham (I used Krakus)
1 slice of light swiss cheese (I used Jarlesberg Lite)
2 Tbsp. your favorite dressing

1. Chop the romaine and add the lettuce blend. Blend the two together. Add the next 9 ingredients.
2. Layer the swiss cheese between the two slices of ham and roll the 3 slices up. Slice to create pinwheels and arrange on top of the salad. Add your favorite dressing and serve!

Serves 1 for lunch
5 WW Points+ (without dressing)
My salad was 9 Points+ with 2 Tbsp. of Garlic Expressions Salad Dressing

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

2011-04-25T17:20:00.001-07:00

This recipe is a comfort from growing up. My Mom would always use the leftover ham to make it. I had never made it myself until now, and I forgot just how delicious it was! There is no science to this recipe, just eyeball the amounts of potatoes and ham to feed the number of people you need to.

leftover sliced ham
potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. milk
salt
pepper

1. Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour, stirring with a whisk. Add milk and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and add a bit of sauce to the dish, just enough to cover the bottom. Make a layer of potatoes, then a layer of ham and continue to alternate (I made 2 layers of each).
3. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the layered potatoes and ham. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2011-01-30T18:07:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my "How to Cook Everything" cookbook by Mark Bittman. He proclaims it as a mac and cheese for the grownups because it's not extra creamy and cheesy as most kids prefer. I agree that it is more sophisticated, with it's sharp flavor and little bit of a crunch from the breadcrumbs. We have eaten it as a side and a main dish. Either way, it's amazing!
2 1/2 cups milk (low fat or non fat is fine)

2 bay leaves

1 lb. your favorite pasta shape

4 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1/2 c. Parmesan

salt and freshly groud pepper

1/4 c. bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and begin to cook. Cook the milk with the bay leavesin a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When small bubbles appear along the sides, about 5 minutes later, turn off heat and let stand.

3. When the pasta is to the point where it feels like it could go another minute or two, remove from heat, drain, and add back to the pan. In a small saucepan, over medium-hi heat, melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter. When it's foamy, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to brown. Remove the bay leaf from the milk and add slowly little by little, about 1/4 c. at a time. Whisk with a wire whisk constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the Cheddar and stir to combine.

4. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Add the parmesan, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Melt the remaining Tbsp. of butter and add to the breadcrubs. Stir to combine.

5. Add the pasta to a baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake 15 minutes. I like to put the dish under the broiler very briefly at the end as well to brown the breadcrumbs. It should only take less than a minute.

Serves 4-6

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2011-01-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

I had been looking around for a good spinach artichoke dip recipe to snack on while watching some football on a cold winter Sunday. After vetoing a few recipes, I found this one on Annie's Eats, one of my favorite blogs. Annie created this one herself and it somehow sounded just like what I wanted. I lightened it up a bit by using light versions of the cream cheese, mayo and sour cream, and I can guarantee that if you did too and didn't tell anyone, no one would know! It turned out to be EXACTLY what I wanted! It was delicious, and perfect for our football game snack.

8 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1/3 c. light mayo
1/3 c. light sour cream
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. coarsely chopped artichoke hearts
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (if you don't like spice, you can leave this out or lessen the amount)

1. Preheat oven to 400. To thaw my frozen spinach, I followed the directions on the package for cooking in the microwave. I then drained the liquid out by squeezing it over a colander in the sink.
2. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and combine with a rubber spatula until they are all blended evenly. Spread into a small baking dish (I used a pie plate, you could also use a gratin dish). Sprinkle additional parmesan cheese on top. At this point, I also sprinkled a bit of a shredded jack/cheddar blend that I happened to have. I didn't completely cover the top though I wanted it to be easy to dip into.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. We ate the dip with Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips and it was perfect!

1/2 of the dish= 18 Points+

1/4 of the dish= 9 Points+

1/8 of the dish= 5 Points+

Marinated Lamb Chops and Greek Caponata

2011-01-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

I had been craving Greek food, but you either have to make the long and chilly trek on public transportation to Greektown or spend your money on overpriced food in the neighborhood. I decided to make my own! After searching through my cookbooks and the internet I found these two recipes and we know that they will be repeated! The lamb chop marinade has been adapted from an Ina Garten recipe, and the Caponata has been adapted from one by Giada DiLaurentis.

Lamb Chops:
2 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. dry red wine
1 rack of lamb, frenched, with 8 chops

1. Add the garlic cloves, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper to a chopper or food processor and process until the herbs are finely minced. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to combine.
2. Add the lamb chops and marinade to a large Ziploc bag and put into the refrigerator to marinate for 2 or more hours.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet. Add the lamb chops and cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Let stand 5 minutes on a plate covered with foil and then serve.

Greek Caponata
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 large zucchini, cut into fourths and then diced so 1/4 inch thick
1 yellow squash, cut into fouths and then diced uniformly
1 small eggplant, cut into fourths and then diced uniformly
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pour the canned tomatoes into the bottom of a 2 1/2 qt. baking dish and spread to cover the bottom. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Add veggies to the baking dish in an even layer. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 more minutes.

Serves 2.
1 serving=4 lamb chops and 1/2 the veggies
7 Points+ (6 for the chops & 1 for the veggies)

Salsa Chicken with Cheese

2011-01-19T13:08:00.001-08:00

This recipe is one that I made up all on my own. It's light, easy and delicious. It has quickly become one of our favorites! 2 (1/4 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 wedges of Laughing Cow Queso Fresco and Chipotle cheese
1 jar of your favorite salsa verde
1 c. brown rice

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Slice a small opening in the side of each chicken breast. Insert 1 wedge of cheese into the opening in each chicken breast.
3. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with a bit of salsa just to cover. Add the chicken breasts and pour in salsa, as much as you would like.
4. Cook rice and serve topped with chicken and salsa.

Serves 2.
1 serving=1 chicken breast and 1/2 cup of brown rice
10 Points+ per serving

My Chicken Parmesan

2011-01-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

This one's for those days you are counting calories. I've adapted this recipe from a Weight Watcher's cookbook. It's delicious and was a real hit at our dinner table!

4 (1/4 lb) boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt
2 Tbsp. light Mayo
1/2 c. plain dry bread crumbs
4 Tbsp. shredded part-skim mozzerella
1 jar store bought pasta sauce
pasta of your choice (I used Angel hair)

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, then brush both sides with the mayo. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and one piece at a time, dredge the chicken to cover it with crumbs.
3. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Add the chicken pieces and top each with one tablespoon of the mozzerella. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the cover and bake for 10 more minutes to brown.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and heat the pasta sauce.
5. When chicken is done, add pasta and sauce to a plate and top with one of the chicken breasts.

Serves 4.
1 serving=1 chicken breast
5 Points+

*Add the value of your pasta and sauce to get the total. I used 1/2 c. of Barilla Whole Grain Angel Hair and 1/2 c. of pasta sauce for a total of 9 Points+.

Giada's Chicken Parmesan

2010-10-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

This dish was AMAZING and SO easy! Here's the story that goes along with it: I had been craving Italian all week. It was Friday, and the next day we had a 7 mile run ahead of us, so I was prepared to splurge. In Googling "Chicken Parmesan" I found this recipe by Giada De Laurentis. The reviews on the Food Network Website were excellent and it was! It's also a lighter version of chicken parm than what you usually see. I altered it just a bit from Giada's recipe.

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (my store was out of it, so I used fresh basil)
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsely
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 chicken breasts cut in half from end to end to make 8 cutlets (like creating 2 thinner chicken breasts from each one)
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 c. shredded mozzerella (I used fresh mozzerella "medallions")
16 tsp. shredded parmesan
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into chunks
8 oz. pasta (we used Barilla Plus angel hair)

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix and brush onto both sides of the chicken cutlets. Preheat an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Spoon the marinara sauce on top of and around the cutlets. Top the chicken with 1 tsp. of mozzerella (or 1 medallion) and 2 tsp. of parmesan. Sprinkle butter pieces over the cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. When the pasta is cooked, add 1 cup of pasta to each plate and top with 2 cutlets of chicken and sauce for the pasta. Enjoy!

Serves 4.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-10-17T16:59:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe while searching on the internet for tortilla soup recipes on Centsational Girl, a very cool blog with many ideas for decorating, crafts, cooking, and much more. I made it on a Sunday night when I had lots of time for prepping and simmering. It really was very easy to make, but it does need to simmer for 40 minutes, which was the longest part of the process. I adapted a few things and cut the recipe in half to make one dinner for the two of us and then there was one more bowl for my lunch the next day! You can add/subtract any of the ingredients to your taste which is the great thing about this soup. Patrick is not a fan of corn, so I left that out and I really didn't miss it.

4 chicken breasts, diced
1 packet of taco seasoning (I used Penzey's Bold Taco Seasoning, I also love McCormick)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
1 Tbsp. red taco sauce
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
14 oz. water
1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 cups diced carrot
1.5 cups diced celery
1.5 cups frozen corn
Toppings: Tortilla chips, avocado, hot sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

1. Season the chicken with the taco seasoning and cook in a grill pan or non-stick skillet until cooked through. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a dutch oven or stockpot over med-low heat and add onion, celery, carrot and chiles to the pot. Cook until soften, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth and water.
4. Add corn, tomato paste, taco sauce, and cumin. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce to low. Add chicken.
5. Cook soup on low for 40 minutes. I also usually let soup sit for about 5 minutes or so in the pot to cool a bit before serving. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Serves 6.
1 serving=1 cup of soup

Pumpkin Bread

2010-10-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

After making the pumpkin spice pancakes (below), I had plenty of pumpkin left and it seemed a shame to waste it. Since it was a beautiful fall day and I was in the mood for baking, I used the it to make this pumpkin bread! This recipe is my mom's and it has always been a family favorite, as well as a staple at Thanksgiving dinner. I think I end up making a loaf every October as well. Enjoy! 1 3/4 flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted butter or oil
2 eggs
1 c. cooked pumpkin
1/3 c. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1/3 c. raisins (optional)

1. Stir together first 6 ingredients.
2. In a seperate bowl, whisk together oil (or butter), sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. Add in pumpkin and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in water and vanilla gradually (I added the vanilla to the water in a Pyrex measuring cup so that I could add both gradually). Mix well.
3. Fold in nuts and raisins. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake in 350 degree oven 1 hour or until a knife inserted comes clean.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

2010-10-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Patrick and I love pumpkin spice anything, so I knew we would like these. I got them from a great food blog it seems I am always looking at, Gina's Skinny Recipes. Her blog is very creative, with great photos and the best part about it is that she provides Weight Watchers Points for all of her dishes.

1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I made my own using 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. each of allspice, ginger, and nutmeg, then I measure out 1/2 tsp. from that mixture)
1/4 c. pumpkin butter or canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
whites from 3 large eggs
2 tsp. oil
butter flavor cooking spray
pumpkin butter for topping (we used real maple syrup)

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, vanilla, egg whites and pumpkin butter or canned pumpkin in a bowl and mix until smooth. Combine wet and dry ingredients and combine until there are no dry spots. Don't over mix.

2. Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle of medium heat. Spray oil to lightly coat and add 1/4 cup of batter to the pan for each pancake. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancake over. Repeat with the remaining batter. Top with pumpkin butter or butter and maple syrup.

1 serving=2 pancakes with 2 Tbsp. pumpkin butter
7 WW Points+ per serving

Swedish Meatballs

2010-09-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed Swedish meatballs ever since I was a kid. They are definitely one of my favorite comfort foods. Since today was the first Sunday of fall and there was a chill in the air, this dish was on my mind. I have been making it for years, so I'm always adding ingredients and experimenting with the recipe. Today I had mushrooms on hand, so I added them after whisking the mushroom soup and beef broth together. I also added a some McCormick meatloaf seasoning to the beef mixture before making the meatballs. However you adapt it, it will definitely turn out great!
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 c. finely chopped onion (I use my mini prep chopper for this)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. plain breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, minced (I chopped it with the onion in the mini prep)
cooking spray
1 (10 3/4 oz can) condensed reduced fat low sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz can) beef broth
4 oz reduced fat sour cream
4 cups egg noodles (I like Ronzoni Healthy Harvest)

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into 16 meatballs.

2. Brown the meatballs in a large non stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat, browning on all sides, but you don't need to cook all the way through. Remove meatballs from the pan and add to a plate.

3. Add mushroom soup and beef broth to pan and whisk together (I also added fresh sliced mushrooms). Add meatballs back to pan, reduce heat and simmer, 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream.

4. Serve meatballs over egg noodles.

Serves 4.
1 serving=4 meatballs and about 1/4 of the sauce (Point value does not include the noodles)
10 WW Points+ per serving for the meatballs and sauce. Add the Points+ value for your noodles

Iceberg Wedge Salad

2010-09-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

One Friday night, I was trying to come up with a fun dinner to start off the weekend and I wanted to try something new. Suddenly, it hit me: steaks. To top of the dinner, I added baked potatoes and these iceberg wedge salads. We enjoyed them so much, they are now in rotation as a side on our menus on a regular basis.
1/2 c. low fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp. reduced fat sour cream
7 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese, divided
1 head of iceberg lettuce, quartered
grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

1. Combine buttermilk, sour cream, and 3 Tbsp. of the blue cheese.
2. Divide the lettuce onto plates, drizzle each wedge with dressing, and top with 1 Tbsp. of blue cheese.

1 serving=1 wedge, 1/4 of the dressing and 1 Tbsp. of blue cheese
2.5 WW Points+ per serving

Homemade Salsa

2010-09-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

I may never buy salsa from the store again! This is a great recipe and it's worth ordering the seasoning from Penzey's to make it work. You could also probably pull it off without the seasoning. 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 cup cilantro
1/2 of a medium red onion, cut into large chunks
1 jalapeno, trimmed of stem and cut into fourths (leave this out or remove the seeds and ribs if you prefer less spicy salsa)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half
Juice of 1-2 limes, depending on how juicy they are
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Penzey's Salsa Salad Seasoning

1. Take the tomatoes out of the can by hand one at a time and using kitchen shears, cut them in half and add them to a food processor.
2. Add the remaining 6 ingredients to the food processor distributing each evenly around the blade. Pulse, stopping once to scrape the sides.
3. Check for consistancy and flavor. Add more ingredients to taste.

0 WW Points+
Store in a container in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long!)

Chicken Tostadas

2010-08-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from an Everyday Food recipe. We loved the tostadas, but they really needed to be lightened up, since they were about 9 points a piece!
4 oz. of cooked chicken breast seasoned with the Mexican seasonings of your choice (I used cumin, chili powder and paprika)
4 (0 pt. each) tortillas (I used Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat fajita tortillas-2 of them will be 3 Points+)
Light Mexican cheese blend
salsa
tomatoes
lettuce
1/2 of an avocado* (optional)
4 Tbsp. light sour cream* (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Add the cooked chicken to a bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken.

2. Lay tortillas onto a baking sheet and top each with 2 Tbsp. of the Mexican cheese blend. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the tortillas from the oven and top each with 1 oz. of chicken. Put back into oven and bake for 5 more minutes.

3. Serve the tostadas and top with salsa, lettuce, and tomato.

Serves 2.

1 serving=2 tostadas

7 WW Points+ per serving

*Dividing 1/4 of an avocado between your two tostadas will make the Points+ value 10, and adding 1 Tbsp. of light sour cream to each of the two tostadas will make the Points+ value 11.

Chicken Chili

2010-08-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

This chili was very good and very filling! Patrick is not a fan of traditional chili (I know, who DOESN'T like chili?) but we both liked this one, which I got from one of my new Weight Watcher's cookbooks. This cookbook recommends taking the leftovers and using them as a pasta sauce, but I plan to just eat the leftover chili as chili...2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/4 c. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 c. salsa verde (If you have red salsa on hand that works too!)
1/2 c. water
2 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1/4 c. shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over med-hi heat. Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Brown the chicken, breaking it up with a wooden spoon about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, cook stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, salsa, water, zucchini and yellow squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the flavors are blended, 45 minutes (on my hot stove it only took 20 minutes, and I can't imagine going until 45 because I think the veggies would have been too mushy). Serve with the cheese (we also added a little sour cream which was yummy!*).

Serves 8 (or 4 & 4 servings of leftovers)
1 serving=1 cup & 1 Tbsp. cheese
4 WW Points+ per serving

*Adding the sour cream would increase the Points value

Greek Salad

2010-08-18T10:25:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite lunches! I eat it at home during the summer and take it to school during the year. If you pack it, it's best to take the dressing in a seperate container and top it when you're ready to eat. Feel free to add/subtract the ingredients as you wish. I don't always add the bell peppers, but this time I had them on hand.

5 leaves of red leaf lettuce, chopped
1 handful baby spinach
half of 1 roma tomato, chopped or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
pepperocinis, sliced
6 pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp. Garlic Expressions dressing (or a 2 pt. serving of your favorite Greek dressing)

1. Add the lettuce and spinach to a large bowl and toss to blend. Top with the remaining ingredients. Serve.

This recipe makes 1 serving.
8 WW Points+

I also love to add 2 oz. chopped grilled chicken breast. It will increase the points value to 10, but is more filling.

Orange Beef and Broccoli

2010-08-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

I bought a great new cookbook from Weight Watchers, so of course I had to try some of the recipes right away! This one was good for when your craving Chinese but want a healthier alternative.

1 large bunch broccoli

3 naval oranges

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 (1-1/4 lb) flank steak, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced against the grain

1/3 c. water

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

3 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. minced, peeled ginger

1. Cut broccoli into smaller, bite sized pieces.

2. Grate 1 tsp. orange zest from 1 orange, then squeeze 3/4 juice (from about 2 oranges) into a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup. Add cornstarch, pepper flakes, orange zest, and 2 Tbsp. soy sauce.

3. Spray a skillet or wok with non stick cooking spray and set over med-hi heat. Toss beef with remaining 1 Tbsp. soy sauce in a large bowl. Add beef to wok and stir fry until beef is no longer pink, about 1 minute or so. Transfer to a plate.

4. Add broccoli and water to wok. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover, add bell pepper and stir fry 1 minute. Stir in scallions, garlic, and ginger; stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir orange juice mixture and add to wok. Stir fry until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook until heated through.

Serves 6.

1 serving=1 2/3 cups

6 WW Points+ per serving*

*I put the stir fry over 1/2 cup of rice to make a total of 8 points

BBQ Chicken BLTs

2010-08-03T16:38:00.001-07:00

Since I've been doing Weight Watchers, I've revamped this blog to include points for more of the meals and am now more dedicated to adding more healthy meals as well, since that was one of my original plans with starting this blog.

In the seach for healthy meals that are also easy and satisfying, I came across "Point-less" Meals, a healthy food blog which includes Weight Watchers points for everything in the blog. The writer of the blog is a working mom who cooks healthy, delicious meals every night of the week. A lot of her meals appealed to me right away and this was one of them. We ate them with oven fries (which you can find under the label for potatoes) and it was a very satisfying meal.

2 La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Tortillas

6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 slices reduced fat cheddar cheese slices

4 slices turkey bacon (I used Oscar Myer Center Cut Bacon)

1 roma tomato, sliced

2 large lettuce leaves (I used red leaf lettuce)

Your favorite BBQ sauce

1. Cook the bacon until crisp. Grill the chicken (she recommends a George Foreman, I used my grill pan) until cooked through. Just before removing from the grill, baste with BBQ sauce. Remove and let rest for 4 minutes. Slice very thin.

2. Top each tortilla with 2 oz. of chicken, 2 slices of bacon, 1 slice of cheese, tomato and lettuce. Roll and cut in half.

1 serving=1 whole wrap

10 WW Points+ per serving

Steak and Blue Cheese Salad

2010-07-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Since I'm doing WW again, when I recently made some NY Strip steaks for dinner, I was limited to only eating about half...which was okay, because I got to create this yummy salad from the leftovers (we also had lettuce wedge salads). 1 heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 oz. steak (any kind)
grape tomatoes, cut in half (as many as you like)
1 Tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled

Dressing
1/2 c. low fat buttermilk
3 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp. light sour cream
1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

To make the salad:
1. Add lettuce to a large serving bowl. Top with the steak, tomatoes, and blue cheese.
2. Top with 3 oz. of the dressing (I had mine in a Pyrex measuring cup which helped with the measuring).

Makes 1 serving of salad.
1 serving=5 WW Points+

Southwestern Chicken Salad

2010-07-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite lunches. I make it during the school year and during the summer when I'm at home. It's light, it's filling and it's yummy. I usually buy a can each of corn and beans and then save them in containers in the fridge to use during the week for more salads or other meal ideas. I also like to grill up a chicken breast or two and keep them on hand so they are ready to go.

1 Romaine heart, chopped

1/4 c. black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 c. corn, drained

2 oz. grilled chopped chicken

grape tomatoes

pickled jalapenos

2 Tbsp. light Ranch dressing

Your favorite salsa

1. Add romaine to a bowl and top with the beans, corn, chicken, tomatoes and jalapenos.

2. In a small bowl, mix the ranch dressing and about 3 spoonfulls of salsa (You can add more or less if you like). Mix together. Add to the salad.

Makes 1 serving.

1 serving=8 Points+

Shrimp Enchiladas

2010-06-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

These are delicious! This is not a healthy recipe at all, and although it's easy, it does take some time, so they were perfect for a weekend night. I was looking for something to do with shrimp and was searching through some of my favorite cookbooks, and then I decided to check Annie's Eats and found these! Annie adapted hers without the sauce over them though, so I looked at the blog where she got them, My Kitchen Cafe and Mel added the sauce over hers-score! I love my enchiladas saucey and cheesy and these were right on the mark.

1/2 c. red bell pepper

1/2 c. green bell pepper (I used 1 whole green bell since that's what I had)

1/2 c. onion

1/4 c. butter (I know! I used 2 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. olive oil instead and it was fine)

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3/4 c. whipping cream

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 c. Monterey Jack cheese, divided (I used 2% milk Mexican blend)

1/2 c. sour cream

2 Tbsp. butter (I know! More butter! I used 1 Tbsp. butter w/1 Tbsp. olive oil)

1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled, deveined

2 c. tomatoes, chopped (I used about 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes chopped small)

8 (9 inch) flour tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350. Saute peppers and onion in butter (or butter/oil blend) until crisp-tender. Add spices, cream and flour, blend well. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until slightly thickend. Add 1 1/2 c. cheese, stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir to blend. Set aside.

2. In another skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter (or butter/oil) and add 1/2 c. onion and shrimp until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and chop, return to butter and onion. Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon shrimp mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of shrimp mixture. Roll and place seam side down into the baking dish. Spoon cheese sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes or put under the broiler for a few minutes to brown.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2010-06-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

For my wedding, my great friend Annie and her family gave me a fabulous cookbook, Food & Wine's Annual Cookbook for 2009 (our wedding year!). I haven't made quite enough recipes from this book, but I intend to, and I already have a favorite, the one for gumbo. This time I used some of my new Penzey's seasonings, so I'll show you how I altered it to use those AND how you can make this great stew without them.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Aidell's Cajun Style Andouille sausage links, sliced

2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2 inch dice (I have also used frozen okra or added it in addition)

1 red bell pepper (green is also fine), chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Penzey's (or your favorite) Cajun Seasoning
1/4 c. all purpose flour (if you use Penzey's Gumbo File there is no need for this)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/2 c. uncooked instant brown rice
Your favorite hot sauce for serving

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a heavy stockpot or dutch oven, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each side.
2. In the same pan, brown the sausage. Add to plate with the chicken.
3. Add the celery, okra if using, bell pepper, and onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
*Skip step 4 if using Gumbo File*4. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring until the flour smells nutty, 5 minutes or so (always less on my hot stove).
5. Add tomato paste now if you skipped step 4. Add the broth, tomatoes, and Cajun Seasoning. Bring to a simmer.
6. Shred the chicken using two forks and add it and the sausage back into the pot. .
Add the rice and simmer 10 minutes or so or until rice is cooked.

Serves 6.

1 serving=6 WW Points+ (when you use the Gumbo File and/or okra in place of the flour)

7 WW Points+ if you use the flour

Kentucky Derby Party!

2010-05-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I get this from my Dad because growing up, he always made us watch the Derby, or maybe it's just a good excuse to make good food and drinks, who knows! This year, I decided to get really into it and make Juleps and a true Derby-related dinner. I chose Hot Brown Sandwiches, named for the Brown Hotel in Louisville. I got the recipe from their website http://www.brownhotel.com/dining-hot-brown.htm. The story of the sandwiches are there too. They were created as an answer to the Derby goers who came in late night and were tired of eating just eggs and bacon late night. Thank you to Elizabeth Johnson, a Facebook friend, for pointing out the recipe! She sent me the link!

We made the juleps and had shrimp cocktail for the Derby, then made the sandwiches for dinner once the Derby was over. So, on to the recipes!

Mint Juleps

2 Tbsp. Simple Syrup (the recipe is in this blog under extras and Stiff Drinks)

3 fl. oz. (90 mL) bourbon (we used Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon)

3 large mint sprigs, for garnish

crushed ice

1. Fill a rocks glass or julep cup with crushed ice. Add the simple syrup and bourbon and stir (in a julep cup, you would stir until a frost forms on the glass). Garnish with mint springs.

Hot Brown Sandwiches

2 oz. butter

2 oz. all purpose flour

1 Qt. heavy cream

1/2 c. Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

14 oz. sliced, roast turkey breast

2 slices of Texas Toast

4 slices of crispy bacon

2 Roma tomatoes (for two sandwiches, I just used 1)

paprika, chopped parsely and more Romano cheese for garnish

1. In a 2 quart saucepan, slowly melt butter. Whisk in flour and stir to make a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook for 2 minutes over med-low heat stirring frequently. Remove sauce from heat and add Romano cheese. Stir until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. For each sandwich, place 1 slice of toast in a baking dish. Top with 7 oz. of turkey and set the two halves of the tomato on either side of the bread (I instead put slices of tomato on top of the turkey). Cover completely with sauce and sprinkle with Romano. Place entire dish under the broiler and broil until the cheese is browned. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of bacon on top and garnish with paprika, parsely and more Romano. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Italian Turkey Meatballs

2010-04-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from my Everyday Food cookbook. Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic and a comfort. This is a great recipe because it's simple, healthy, and delicious! They are a favorite of ours and they have a lot of flavor. I was surprised when I first made them because ground turkey that is not properly seasoned can be bland. 2 large egg whites
1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper
1 small or medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. dried breadcrumbs
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. chopped fresh flat leaf parsely (this can be left out-I have used dried italian herbs like basil and oregano and I have also used a few tablespoons of fresh chopped basil as well, all are good)
1 lb. ground turkey (I like Jenny-O Turkey Store)
I also added a few dashes of Penzey's Italian Herb Mix
8 oz. pasta
1 jar of pasta sauce (or make your own homemade for 0 Points+!)

1. In a large bowl, whisk the egg and the milk. Add the salt and pepper and stir in the onion, breadcrumbs, cheese, and parsely. Add the turkey, and mix until combined. Form the mixture into 8 meatballs.
2. Add pasta sauce to a large saucepan (you may not need all of it) and arrange meatballs in the sauce. Cook the meatballs for 8 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add to bowls. Top with sauce and meatballs.

Serves 4
1 serving =2 meatballs
4 WW Points+ per serving
11 WW Points+ per serving with 1/2 cup of pasta sauce and 1 cup of white or whole wheat pasta

Shrimp, Feta and Fresh Herb Mac and Cheese

2010-04-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

This mac and cheese is far from healthy, but it. was. AMAZING! I got the recipe from another blog that is one of my favorites, Annie's Eats. As far as difficulty, it was about a medium, but really the tough part was all of the prep and the organization needed for putting it together. Once the prep was done, it was easy to make. 1 lb. pasta shapes
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

10 oz. feta cheese, crumbled and divided

zest of 1/2 a lemon, divided

1/2 c. Panko breakcrumbs

2 Tbsp. fresh parsely, chopped, divided

5 Tbsp. butter, divided
4 Tbsp. flour

3 c. milk

2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped and divided

8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Add the shrimp to the pasta and toss together to partially cook the shrimp.

2. In a small bowl, combine half of the feta, a pinch of lemon zest, the panko, 2 tsp. of the parsely, and 1 Tbsp. of butter that has been melted (I melted mine in a small bowl in the microwave). Toss to combine, set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4 Tbsp. butter over med-hi heat. Add the flour and wisk to form a paste. Cook 1-2 minutes until whisking constantly, until the paste is a light golden brown. Whisk in the milk. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is bubbly and thick, about 5 minutes. Once it is thick, remove from heat and add the remaining feta, Gruyere, parsely, lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the pasta and shrimp, toss to coat.

4. Transfer the mixture into a baking dish that has been lightly greased (I sprayed mine with olive oil spray). Sprinkle the breadcrumb-feta mixture over the top and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Fajitas

2010-04-10T10:32:00.001-07:00

This is a REALLY easy recipe and great for a weeknight! Some may wonder why I would even post it to a food blog when it's so easy, but one of the objectives of this blog is to prove that cooking can be easy and delicious and can be both any night of the week!
Cooking spray
2 medium chicken breasts cut into strips
1 bell pepper cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
4 Mission Carb Balance Small Tortillas
fajita seasoning (I used Penzey's, but I also really like McCormick)
Juice from 1-2 limes
toppings of your choice (salsa, avocado, light sour cream)

1. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add the chicken to a bowl and season chicken with 1 Tbsp. of Penzey's seasoning and the lime juice or follow the directions on the seasoning packet. Add chicken, pepper and onion to a large skillet, a grill basket on the grill, or a large grill pan (my choice). Cook until chicken is done and veggies are tender. Top each tortilla with 2 oz. of chicken and bell pepper and onion.

Serves 2.

1 serving=2 fajitas

7 WW Points+ per serving

1/4 of an avocado is 3 P+ and 2 Tbsp. of light sour cream is 1 P+

Bruschetta

2010-04-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

We were at The Farm for Easter and Saturday Patrick and I took over dinner. We made this bruschetta (I made up the recipe myself) and for dinner we made Greek Shrimp Fettuccine (which can be found under the shrimp and pasta tags on this blog). Both were a big hit!

1 french baguette

olive oil

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. dressing of your choice (I used Garlic Expressions) Patrick wanted to try balsamic vinager next time

salt

pepper

fresh mozzerella, cut into slices

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut bread into slices and add to a baking sheet. Brush bread with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes. Turn and bake for 10 minutes to brown the other side. Keep an eye on them, bake until lightly browned.

2. Add tomatoes, basil, garlic, dressing, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Stir to combine.

3. When bread is toasted, top with mozzerella and the tomato mixture. Serve immediately.

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

2010-03-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great quick dinner and is one of Patrick's favorites. It's very easy, low in calories, and great for a chilly weeknight!

1/2 lb. (2 links) turkey italian sausage
3/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14 oz.) can italian style diced tomatoes

2 (14 oz.) cans fat-free less sodium chicken broth

1 (9 oz.) package fresh cheese tortellini, uncooked
2 c. bagged baby spinach leaves

1. Heat a stockpot or large saucepan over med-hi heat. Remove sausage from casings and add along with the onions and garlic to pan. Cook until browned, stirring to crumble.
2. Add tomatoes and and next 3 ingredients to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add tortellini. Cover and simmer 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the soup from heat. Add spinach and stir into the soup until wilted.

Serves 4

1 serving=1 cup

1 serving=5 WW Points+

Homemade Rueben Sandwiches

2010-03-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

These were amazing! Restaurant quality! This was a great way to make a great rueben, and they weren't hard to make, you just have to invest the time to simmer the corned beef. This was all Patrick's project and was our St. Patrick's Day dinner for this year!

1 (2 1/2 lb.) Vienna Beef Corned Beef
2 bottles of beer (Patrick used Harp)
1/8 c. peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 can saurkraut
1 loaf of marble rye bread
Thousand Island dressing (next time we will make out own, this time we used Marie's and it was great)
swiss cheese
butter

1. In a large stockpot, bring the two bottles of beer to a boil. Add the corned beef and enough water to bring the liquid level to an inch above the beef. Return to boil. When water is boiling, reduce heat to a medium simmer and skim out foam. Add the peppercorns and bay leaf. Cover and let simmer for at least 3 hours (this was perfect for us).
2. Drain and lightly rinse sauerkraut. Pat dry and let sit on paper towels.
3. Take corned beef out and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Slice the corned beef diagonally against the grain. Assemble sandwiches by topping bread with dressing, corned beef, sauerkraut, and swiss. Spead butter over the top piece of bread and place the sandwich, butter side down in a large skillet (we used our cast iron one). When the bread has browned, spread butter on the face up side and turn the sandwich to brown that side.
5. Remove from the skillet and slice in half diagonally.

We ate ours with oven fries (check for the recipe in the potatoes tag!).

Chili Crusted Flank Steak Fajitas

2010-03-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

I have been making these fajitas for years. I even make them enough that I have the recipe memorized. They are delicious and will work if made on the grill or on the stove.

1 (1 lb.) lean flank steak
1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper (or a good fajita seasoning, like Penzey's)
1 bell pepper, cut into stips
1 medium red onion, sliced
4 small Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas

1. Combine the steak, Worchestershire, lime juice, garlic, and salt in a large Ziploc bag (or your Food Saver marinator). Marinate for 30 minutes or more.
2. Heat a non stick grill pan over med-hi heat. Season the steak with the seasonings and add to the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side along with the peppers and onions. Remove from the grill or pan and let sit for 4 min to rest. Slice against the grain and top each tortilla with 2 oz. of steak and the veggies.

Serves 4. 1 serving=2 fajitas
7 WW Points+ per serving

Add 1/4 of an avocado for 3 P+ and/or 2 Tbsp. reduced fat sour cream for 1 P+

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-03-10T16:49:00.001-08:00

These lettuce wraps are dedicated to my sister, Melissa, The Queen of Lettuce Wraps. She has made different recipes, tried different meats in them, and has been known to make a enough to eat for a few days in one week. I hope she tries these, the were awesome! We thought they were close to those served at P.F. Chang's or Pei Wei. I adapted it from a Cooking Light recipe.

They were great served with Boston (Butter) Lettuce and Mae Ploy Chili Sauce drizzled inside (which would up the WW point value). We didn't have a side with them and we were plenty satisfied.

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, minced

1 c. cremini mushrooms (baby bellas), minced

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into small pieces

1/2 of an 8 oz. can of whole water chestnuts, minced

1/4 red bell pepper, minced

1/2 c. minced green onions

2 Tbsp. oyster sauce

2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

Sriracha sauce to taste

2 heads of Boston Lettuce, washed

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, 1 minute. Add mushrooms and chicken, cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water chestnuts and red pepper, cook until the red pepper is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in green onions, oyster sauce, soy sauce and Sriracha. Serve in a bowl alongside lettuce and build at the table!

Serves 2 (or 4 with other food)

1 serving=1/2 of chicken mixture (1/4 of the mixture to serve 4)

11 WW Points+ per serving (6 if divided for 4 people)

Beer Battered Fish

2010-02-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

This is a fantastic recipe! It easily rivals fish fries that we have had at restaurants on Friday nights. It made more than enough for two (we are having fish sandwiches tomorrow) and was perfect with the cod we used. I used 5 cod filets cut into pieces and it used up almost all of the batter.

2 1/2 c. flour
paprika
salt and pepper
Old Bay seasoning
1 (12 oz.) beer (use your favorite, dark ones are great for this, but any will do)
1/2 c. water

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Heat 3 cups of canola oil in a large cast iron skillet until bubbling (350 degrees). Dredge fish pieces in batter and add to the pan (Carefully, it's hot!). Fry until golden brown, turning to fry both sides. Don't crowd the pan, too many pieces of fish will bring the temperature of the oil down.
3. Remove fish from oil using tongs or a skimmer and place on paper towls to cool. Sprinkle with kosher salt (Patrick says this is the ultimate tip).

Tartar Sauce
1/2 c. reduced-fat mayo
1 Tbsp. pickle relish
juice from 1/2 a lemon
hot sauce to taste (optional, I used Sriracha)

1. Combine and mix all ingredients (you can use more or less of each, depending on your preference, I really just eyeball the amounts for this). Serve with fish.

Carne Asada

2010-02-21T18:18:00.000-08:00

You may not have noticed, but I love Mexican food. I could eat Mexican just about every day. This is a great recipe, because it gives you a lot of great Latin flavors, but is outside of the realm of tacos, burritos and fajitas. I created this recipe by using what I liked about two different recipes that I have from two different Weight Watcher's cook books. It was an amazing and easy dinner!

1 lb. flank steak
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. Worchestershire
2 cloves of garlic, minced
chili powder
cumin*
salt
pepper
2 poblano peppers, cut into strips

*This time I also added some Penzey's Hungarian Sweet Paprika that I bought recently, and it was soo delicious! You can use just about any combo of your favorite spices for this and it will be good, I have also used Penzey's Fajita Seasoning and it's excellent!

1. Combine steak, lime juice, Worchestershire and garlic in a Ziploc bag or Food Saver Marinator. Marinate for 30 minutes or more (in the Food Saver, cycle as many times as you can, the more, the better).
2. Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat. Season steak with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper on both sides. Add to grill pan with the poblanos and grill 5 minutes on each side.
3. Remove the steak from the pan and let stand for 4 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain and serve with the poblanos.

This was fantastic served with the poblanos, some corn on the cob and/or rice on the side and our favorite salsa on top! I also added fresh avocado-delicious!

Serves 2 with some leftover (it's great on a southwest salad the next day!)
1 serving=6 oz. of steak with poblanos and salsa
9 WW Points+ per serving

Oven Roasted Asparagus

2010-02-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

I served this with the flank steak recipe, below. This asparagus is a great weeknight veggie that we eat often.

2 bunches asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut in half
olive oil spray
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet generously with olive oil spray. Add asparagus and spray another time with spray. Season with salt and pepper. Toss. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Serves 4.
0 WW Points+ per serving

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

2010-02-18T17:29:00.000-08:00

I needed a flank steak marinade, and fast. It was a weeknight, I was hungry, and Patrick would be home soon. I typed "flank steak marinade" into Google and this came up. Turns out, it was from a blog it is also in my blog roll! Simply Recipes has some great simple yet delicious recipes. This steak turned out to be delicious! Here is the recipe as I modified it:

1 (1 lb.) flank steak
1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. red wine vinager

1/3 c. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. honey

pepper

1. Add all ingredients to a ziploc bag or Food Saver Marinator (I have one and I love it!).
2. Marinate for 2 hours (1 cycle with the Food Saver).
3. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Add steak and cook 4 minutes on each side.
4. Remove steak from grill and let rest for 4 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve.

Serves 4.
1 serving=4 oz. of steak
7 Points+ per serving

Lemony Salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce

2010-02-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

1 lemon

1/2 c. fat free yogurt

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

1 tsp. salt

4 (6 oz) salmon filets

pepper

1. Grate 1/4 lemon zest from the lemon. Cut the lemon and half and juice one of the halves. Set the remaining half aside.

2. Combine the yogurt, zest, juice, dill and salt. Set aside.

3. Squeeze the juice out of the other lemon over the salmon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook salmon until just opaque in the center, about 4 minutes each side. (My favorite way is to bake for 18 minutes at 400 degrees). Remove skin and serve topped with sauce.

Serves 4

1 serving=1 piece of salmon with 1 tbsp. sauce

10 Points+ per serving

Baked Buffalo Wings

2010-02-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

For Super Bowl Sunday, we almost always have Buffalo wings, so I'm always on a quest for a healthy version that would be just as good as the original fried version. This is it! There is a bit of planning ahead with this recipe and I recommend doing the steaming the morning of your party, but the extra time spent is worth it!

The wings on the left are Buffalo, on the right is Asian Zing

18 whole chicken wings

4 oz. unsalted butter

3/4 c. Frank's Red Hot

dash of garlic powder

dash of chili powder

dash of salt

1. Place a 6 (or 8) oz. saucepan and 1 inch of water in the bottom over high heat, bring to a boil.
2. Cut the wings apart into three pieces, discarding the tips. Use a sharp knife for this, and it's easiest if you can find the joints to cut through. Place the wings in the steamer basket, cover, reduce heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and pat dry. Lay the wings on a cooling rack set on a sheet pan lined with paper towels and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 425. Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Turn wings and then roast for another 2o minutes. While chicken is roasting, prepare the sauce.
4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Once it is melted, add the Frank's. Stir until combined. Add the other seasonings and stir until combined.
5. Take wings out of the oven and put them into a large bowl. Add sauce and stir to coat the wings. Serve immediately.

French Bread Chicken Melts

2010-02-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

I adapted these from a Cooking Light recipe. They are not very low in WW points, so we enjoy them on weekends when I can splurge! When I made them, they ended up being more points than the original recipe because I used french bread rolls from my supermarket's bakery and my favorite honey mustard dressing, which is not low fat or low cal! If you substitute low fat dressing and low cal rolls you can cut the point value to 7. We love them with my oven fries!

1 medium onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, cut into slices

2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 Tbsp. Brianna's Dijon Honey Mustard dressing

4 (3 oz) french bread rolls

4 slices of reduced fat provolone, or your favorite cheese

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook. Set aside.

3. Saute onion and bell pepper about 8 minutes or until tender adding water 1 Tbsp. at a time to keep from scorching. Remove from heat. Add chicken and dressing. Set aside and keep warm.

4. Top bread with chicken mixture and cheese. Broil open faced, until cheese melts and bread is lightly toasted.

Serves 4.

1 serving=1/4 of the mixture on a roll and topped with cheese

12 Points+ per serving

Roasted Pepper Pesto Pizza Sauce

2010-02-07T09:44:00.001-08:00

I've had this recipe for years. It came from a Cooking Light magazine. Whatever toppings you choose, this sauce makes amazing pizza!
1 large garlic clove peeled
1 c. basil leaves
1/4 c. grated parmesan
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. olive oil
1 (5.2 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, mini prep chopper, or blender. Process until smooth scraping sides of the bowl once. Spread over the pizza crust of your choice and top with mozzerella and toppings or your choice.

I usually use Boboli or Pillsbury crusts. Pillsbury is pictured here. I followed the directions on the package, topped it with the sauce and mozzerella. I then added mushrooms, turkey italian sausage, red peppers, kalamata olives and grape tomatoes. I then topped with more mozzerella and a little parmesan. It was amazing!

1 Point+ for the sauce per slice on an 8 slice pizza

*The crust lowest in Points+ that I have found is Trader Joe's pizza crust. You will have to roll it out and fit it to your pan, but it's delicious and only 3 Points+ per slice (without toppings)!

Lazy Lasagna Soup

2010-02-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

My sister Melissa shared this favorite of hers with me on a week that I needed something new. She got it from The Pampered Chef. It's a great soup for a cold weeknight and is easy and delicious!

1 c. chopped zucchini
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 lb. turkey italian sausage (casings removed)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 (14 oz) cans beef broth
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. radiatore or other pasta (I used Campanelle)

1. Brown sausage, garlic and onion.
2. Add spaghetti sauce, borth and water; bring to a boil.
3. Stir in pasta.
4. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered, 7 minutes.
5. Stir in zucchini, cook another 2-4 minutes.

Makes 6 servings
1 serving=1 1/3 c.
8 Points+ per serving

Salmon Cakes

2010-02-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

This recipe is one that I created myself by merging what I liked about two different recipes. It's a great healthy weeknight dinner.

For the salmon cakes:

1 (14.75 oz) can pink salmon

3 Tbsp. reduced fat mayo

3 Tbsp. chopped dill

1/3 c. thinly sliced green onions

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. panko bread crumbs

salt

pepper

For the tartar sauce:

1/4 c. reduced fat mayo

1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish (my favorite is Wickles)

2 tsp. chopped dill

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Hot pepper sauce (I used Sriracha)

1. To make the tartar sauce, combine all of the ingredients, adding the hot sauce to taste. Set aside.

2. Drain the salmon and add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix with your hands and then form the mixture into 4 equal sized patties.

3. Coat a large non stick skillet with cooking spray. Add the salmon cakes and cook 3 minutes on each side, until browned and warmed through. Serve with the tartar sauce.

Serves 4.

Serving size=1 salmon cake and 1 Tbsp. of sauce

3 Points+ per serving

Smoked Sausage Soup

2010-01-19T18:26:00.001-08:00

This soup is delicious and very low in calories! We love to eat it with crusty bread.

1 tsp. olive oil
1 (14 oz) package low-fat smoked sausage (I used Turkey Smoked Sausage), sliced
1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped carrot
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32 oz) carton fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/3 c. long grain rice
salt and pepper to taste
1 (7 oz) bag baby spinach

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add sausage and next 4 ingredients. Saute 4 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
2. Add broth and next 2 ingredients season with salt and pepper (I also love a Cajun seasoning that includes salt as a substitute for the salt). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is done (I used Minute rice and it was done in about 7 minutes). Turn off heat and stir in spinach. Serve immediately.

Serves 8 (But it's so low in points, you can have 2 servings!)
1 serving=1 cup
3 Points+ per serving

Greek Wrap

2010-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

Growing up in Metro Detroit, I was a fan of Mr. Pita's Greek Pita. When I moved to Chicago, I found myself craving it and decided to make my own version. This makes a yummy lunch, especially if you love Greek salads!

1 large 100 calorie tortilla (WW followers, find one that is 1 point, such as La Tortilla Factory) 2 oz. of lean ham (I used Sarah Lee Honey Ham, but use your favorite)
1/4 c. feta cheese
4 kalamata olives, sliced
3-4 pepperocinis, sliced
2-3 grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 c. baby spinach or spring mix
1 Tbsp. low calorie salad dressing (60 calories or less and less than 4 g of fat for one Tbsp.-I love Garlic Expressions for this recipe)

1. Top tortilla with ham, feta, and then next three ingredients.
2. Fold one end, then fold up sides to wrap. Wrap in tinfoil to pack.
3. Add dressing immediately before serving.

1 serving=1 wrap
8 Points+ per serving

Portobello Mushroom Fajitas with Cilantro Sauce

2010-01-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

When I tell people about this recipe, they don't know what to think...mushroom fajitas? Well I have been known to eat fish tacos (an idea my own Mother can't get used to) so maybe that's why I could do it. I got this recipe from a Weight Watcher's cookbook that I got from a library book sale, and I've been making it for years. It's low in calories, it will fill you up, and it's delicious! It's one of our favorites!

1 1/2 medium bell pepper (yellow or green) cut into strips

1/2 c. cilantro sprigs
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese or light cream cheese (about 1/2 a c.)
1/4 c. tomatillo salsa
1 red onion (medium-small in size), cut into wedges and then separate to make strips
2 packages portobello mushrooms cut into slices
cumin
chili powder
salt
pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
12 small fajita size tortillas

1. Place 1/2 bell pepper, cilantro, cheese and salsa in a food processor, chopper, or blender. Process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat oil over med-hi heat. Add pepper, onion, and mushrooms. Sprinkle all with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste (I make an even layer of each of the top and that's all I need). Saute 8 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat, set aside.
4. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Top with the veggies and 1 Tbsp. of the cilantro sauce.

Serves 6.
1 serving=veggie mixture topped with 1 Tbsp. of the sauce
2 Points+ per serving (just add the Points+ value of your tortillas to get the total)

*If you use Mission Carb Balance small tortillas (3 Points+ for 2), the Points+ value would be 7 for 2 fajitas!

Roasted Salmon and Fresh Vegetables

2010-01-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

Patrick and I eat salmon at least once a week so I'm always looking for a new spin on it. This recipe was so easy and was delicious! I got this recipe from my Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008 cookbook.

2 tsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
1 (12 oz.) package prewashed, trimmed whole green beans
1 (8 oz.) baking potato cut lengthwise into 12 wedges (I just used baby redskins and just chopped them in half or into wedges depending on size so that they were all uniform)
grape or cherry tomatoes (it says to use 24, but put in as many as you would like per person)
4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Combing oil, salt, pepper, potatoes and beans in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Place potato on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 10 minutes (I stopped at about 8 min. for the redskins).
3. Reduce oven head to 425. Add beans and tomatoes to baking sheet. Season fish with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add fish to the baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or knife.

Makes 4 servings
1 serving=1 salmon fillet and 1 cup. of vegetables
10 Points+ per serving

Caesar Salad

2009-11-30T17:46:00.000-08:00

We are pretty good about eating healthy during the week, but after the bender that was Thanksgiving weekend, we really needed some light meals. I went on cookinglight.com to get a few ideas and found this one. It turned out very tasty and was really easy to throw together on a busy Monday night.

6 Tbsp. light mayo
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste*
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oregano
fresh ground pepper
Romaine hearts, chopped (we did one heart per person)
grilled chicken breast(s) sliced (optional)

Combine first seven ingredients in a small bowl and blend with a whisk. Add lettuce to large bowls and top with the chicken. Drizzle with salad dressing and top with a bit of shredded or shaved parmesan (to shave parm, use a vegetable peeler and make thin shavings).

1 serving of dressing=2 tablespoons
2 Points+ per serving

*We couldn't find it at our market, so I used the same amount of fish sauce which is made from anchovies. Whichever you use will add saltiness and cut the sourness of the lemon.

Fried Pork Chops

2009-11-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

I had a rough day. With a capital R. Patrick said he would take over dinner and asked what we were having. When I said pork chops, we both were less than thrilled. Pork chops are a quick, inexpensive dinner, but there is just no excitement there! Then Patrick suggested, "How about Chicken Fried Pork Chops?" Hmm...not as healthy, but who cares today! I found this recipe on Cooks.com. It was sooo good! It think it would also be great with chicken, fish, etc.

I cut it in half, and it worked for 3 pork chops. Here is the original recipe, I would say for 6.

2/3 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 c. fine bread crumbs

1. Combine all ingredients in a shallow dish (We used a small baking dish)

2. Heat oil and dredge the pork chops (or whatever you want to fry), coating them.

3. Fry until golden brown.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

2009-11-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

I have recently become obsessed with my Everyday Food cookbook and a few of the magazines that I have. This recipe is from one of them. It was very tasty, filling, and low in calories.

1 head cauliflower
Olive oil spray salt
1 Tbsp. butter
1 large or 2 small onions, sliced
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
4 c. water
2 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth (1 can)

1. Preheat oven to 450. Spread cauliflower out on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 25 minutes.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over med-hi heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder (I also added some crushed red pepper here to make it a bit spicy), roasted cauliflower, water, and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, lower the heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

3. There are 3 ways to do this step. Try 1, 2, or 3 below.

#1-Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups cauliflower to a bowl, and set aside. Put the remaining soup in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add the puree and cauliflower that was set aside back into the saucepan and stir to combine.

#2-Use an immersion blender (one of the best tools I own!) to blend some of the soup while it is in the pot.

#3 Skip this step. Doing #1 or #2 will make the soup thicker and more substantial though. We ate this served with Asiago Cheese bread on the side. Yum!

Serves 4.

1 serving=1/4 of the soup

1 Point+ per serving

Mustard-Glazed Salmon

2009-11-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

Patrick made this salmon for me on one of my Monday tutoring nights when I get home late. It's from an Everyday Food magazine. It was delish!

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
chopped fresh dill (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
2. Put the salmon, skin side down in a baking dish and spoon the mustard glaze over each piece. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped dill, if desired.

Serves 4.
1 serving=1 filet and 1 Tbsp. of the sauce
10 WW points per serving

Pasta with Sausage and Ricotta

2009-11-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

This is a delicious pasta dish that's easy and great for a weeknight meal!

2 cup of the pasta of your choice

1 turkey italian sausage link removed from casing

1 cup pasta sauce

1/2 c. part skim ricotta cheese

1/4 c. chopped flat leaf parsely (I skipped this)

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. Remove the sausage from its casing and crumble into a skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sauce, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, set aside.

3. Combine the ricotta, parsely, Parmesan, and pepper in a small bowl. Combine.

4. Add the sauce to the pasta; toss to coat. Divide between 4 bowls. Top each with a dollop (2 1/2 Tbsp.) of ricotta mixture.

Serves 4.

1 serving=1 cup pasta and 2 1/2 Tbsp. ricotta mixture

6 Points+ per serving

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

2009-10-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

olive oil cooking spray
2 tsp. olive oil
cauliflower
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the cauliflower into florets and add to a baking sheet. Spray with the olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake until done, about 15 minutes.

Serves 2.
1 serving=1/2 of the cauliflower
0 Points+ per serving

Cornish Hens

2009-10-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

I made these for Sunday dinner. This is my mom's recipe, the kind that she knows in her head and doesn't have written down anywhere, so sorry if it's a little vague for you.

They are very easy, but take quite a bit of time to bake. They are fairly cheap too (the ones we got were $2.99 each). I think they would be excellent for entertaining, since guests would be very impressed! 1 box long grain wild rice mix

dried fruit of choice (I used a mixture of dried cherries and cranberries)

2 cornish hens

salt and pepper

butter

honey or jelly (I used honey)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Make the rice according to package directions. Add the dried fruit.
3. Unwrap the hens, empty them and rinse under cold water, and place into a baking dish.

4. Put half of the rice into a bowl. Using a spoon, stuff each hen with this rice mixture.

5. Melt about 2 Tbsp. butter and add about 2 Tbsp. of honey. When the butter is melted, brush the mixture over the hens. Salt and pepper.
6. Bake the hens at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

7. Serve with the reserved rice (I also served them with the oven roasted cauliflower, recipe follows).

Steak and Onion Sandwiches

2009-10-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

This one was ALL Patrick. He made them for a Saturday night dinner. We got the recipe from Everyday Food orginally but Patrick made it his own. We ate them with Oven Fries (the recipe can be found on this blog, under the potatoes label).
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions
salt and pepper
4 minute steaks (steaks sliced thin, about 3 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
cheese of your choice (we used Pepper Jack)
Ciabatta (or your favorite) bread

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet or grill pan over med-hi heat. Cook the onions until browned, tossing occastionally. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce and let sit.
2. Heat the remaining Tbsp. of oil in the same skillet over high heat. Season the seaks with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds on each side, remove. Add the onion mixture back to the pan along with 2 Tbsp. water. Toss.
3. Heat broiler. Top bread with steak and onions. Add cheese. Put sandwiches open faced under the broiler until the cheese is melted. Assemble sandwiches and serve immediately.

Breakfast Sandwiches

2009-10-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

I have been making these for years and since Patrick loves to make breakfast he has taken it over. We love them on Saturday mornings since they are a hot breakfast that won't make you stuffed.

2 eggs, fried sunny side up or over easy to your preference (you can also used poached)
2 whole english muffins (I like Healthy Life, they are 3 Points+)
2 slices Canadian bacon or 4 oz. of lean ham
2 slices 2 % American cheese

Cook the eggs, toast the english muffins and warm the canadian bacon. Once the eggs are cooked, put a slice of cheese over each one and cover the pan to melt the cheese. Top the english muffin with the bacon, egg and cheese. We love these topped with a dash (or several) of Frank's Red Hot.

Serves 2.

8 WW points per serving

Thai Curry Soup with Shrimp

2009-09-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

1 lb. peeled, deveined med. shrimp

1 (12 oz can) evaporated fat-free milk

1 cup lite coconut milk

1 C. water (I have also used chicken broth)

2 Tbsp. red curry paste

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1/2 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce (or to taste, for spiciness)

1 tsp. ginger (I like the one in the tube you can find in the produce section)

1 1/2 cups green beans cut into 1 inch pieces or 1 (9 0z package) frozen French style green beans

3 oz. rice noodles

1. Combine the evaporated milk, coconut milk, water and next 4 ingredients in a soup pot or Dutch oven set over high heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the green beans and rice noodles and bring back to a simmer. Adjust the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally until the noodles and green beans are tender, 8-10 min.

2. Stir in the shrimp and continue cooking until heated through, about 3 minutes more.

Optional: Top each bowl with 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro and/or 1 tbsp. peanuts

1 serving=1 generous cup

6 WW Points per serving

Meatloaf (or Mini Meat Loaves)

2009-09-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is a really great, simple meatloaf recipe that is great with McCormick Brown Gravy and mashed potatoes!

1/2 c. ketchup

1 1/2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1 lb. ground sirloin

3/4 chopped onion

1/4 c. seasoned breadcrumbs (I never buy seasoned, so I always use plain)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano or Italian herb blend

pepper

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 package of McCormick Meatloaf seasoning

Optional: 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400. Combine ketchup and mustard. Reserve 2 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup mixture.

2. Combine remaining ketchup mixture, beef and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Put beef mixture into a loaf pan (or divide into 4 equal portions and shape each into a 4 by 2 1/2 inch loaf for mini meat loaves).

3. Spread the reserved ketchup mixture onto the loaf or loaves. Bake at 400, 25 minutes for the mini loaves and about 30-40 for one.

1 serving=1 mini or 1/4 of the full loaf

7 Points+ per serving

Greek Shrimp Fettucine

2009-09-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

I can't take any credit for this one. This is a recipe that I got from a family cookbook and all of the credit belongs to my Aunt, Beth Karczewski. It is awesome, and very easy!
4 tsp. olive oil divided
1 lb. med. shimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. dry white wine
4 c. tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/3 c. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
8 oz. fettucine

1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp. olive oil. Add shimp and cook just until pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper and transfer to a large baking pan.
2. Heat remaining 2 tsp. olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered 10 min. and remove from heat.
3. Sprinkle feta cheese over shimp mixture and cover with tomato mixture. Cover and bake 10-15 min. Remove from oven. Dish pasta onto plates or bowls. Top each with 1/4 of the shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

1 serving=1 c. pasta, and 1/4 of the shrimp mixture
8 Points+ per serving

Thai Chicken Pizzas

2009-09-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

If you love Thai flavors, you will love these. They are great as a dinner, but would be fabulous as an appetizer at a party!

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 Tbsp. Bangkok Padang peanut sauce (made by House of Tsang)
1-3 tsp. chile past (taste for your level of spiciness)
4 (6 inch) pitas
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup shredded carrot (you can buy it shredded, I cut matchsticks from baby carrots)
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzerella

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. At this point, I started cooking the diced chicken breast.
3.Combine the first 3 ingredients to make the sauce. Spread 2 Tbsp. sauce on each pita.
4. Top each pita with cheese, chicken, carrot, bean sprouts, green onions and cilantro.
5. Bake for 8 minutes or until thouroughly heated.

TIP: We baked 2 pizzas on a baking sheet, 2 on a pizza pan. I thought the ones made on the pizza pan were better because they were more crisp.

1 serving=1 pizza
11 Points+ per serving

Stuffed Shells

2009-09-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Italian food is always a comfort to me, especially saucy, cheesy dishes. These stuffed shells are very easy and really hit the spot in the fall and winter when there's a chill in the air and your craving something comforting. I got this recipe from an old Weight Watchers cookbook and I just don't make it enough. The shells can be made with or without meat and is great either way!

8 jumbo pasta shells (I also usually make a few extras, just in case they fall apart while cooking)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
half of a 5 oz. package of fresh baby spinach
1/8 c. of Romano cheese (I used Parmesan since that's what I had)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (you can also used dried, but I think fresh was the key to making it so tasty)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (I have also used an Italian Herb Blend for this step)
salt
pepper

4 slices of turkey pepperoni, but I thought the canadian bacon would be better, you could also use a cooked link of italian sausage, removed from casing before cooking so that it would be crumbled)
1/2 of a 15 oz. carton of part-skim ricotta cheese
Optional: 2 slices of Canadian bacon, minced OR 4 slices of turkey pepperoni, minced OR 1 link or turkey or pork italian sausage, cooked and crumbled (using the sausage will alter the Points+ count)

Jar of your favorite pasta sauce (you won't use it all)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cook pasta shells to al dente doneness, which helps when stuffing them. They are much easier to stuff when they are not too soft. Drain and rinse.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over med-hi heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add spinach and saute, stirring constantly until wilted.
4. Combine spinach mixture, romano (or parmesan), and next 6 ingredients in a bowl. Stir to combine.
5. Pour about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and spread to cover the bottom. Fill each shell with cheese mixture and add to the dish. Spoon more pasta sauce onto the shells. I also sprinkled a little shredded mozzerella over the top before baking.
6. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes.

This recipe serves 2.
1 serving=4 stuffed shells
10 Points+ per serving

Enchiladas Verde

2009-08-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite dinner! So easy and so good! This is another recipe that really has no measurements, I just eyeball the amounts to make enough for two. This recipe will make 3 enchiladas for 2 people. 1 whole boneless skinless chicken breast (my market has large ones)
seasoning of your choice (I used Penzey's Chili 9000 this time, in the past I have used chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.)
1 (2 cup) package of cheese of your choice (this time I used Supremo Enchilada Queso)
sour cream
6 (4 inch) tortillas
1 jar of tomatillo salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. There are two ways to cook the chicken (I told you there was no science to this)
1st way-poach (boil) the whole chicken breasts in water until cooked. Put into a large bowl and pull apart with two forks to shred. Add seasonings and mix.
2nd way-cut chicken into stips, season and cook in a skillet.
3. Pour a small amount of salsa into the bottom of your backing dish and spread to cover the bottom of the dish (you really don't need to much for this, it's just so the enchiladas don't stick).
4. To assemble the enchiladas, layer chicken, cheese and sour cream in each tortilla. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Once the enchiladas are layered, cover with salsa and cheese. Bake covered for 20 minutes. When finished, remove the cover and bake for 5 minutes to brown the cheese (you can also put them under the broiler for 2 minutes depending on your oven. This is usually what I do, because I can't wait to eat!).

Weight Watchers Version
4 oz. seasoned and cooked chicken
4 small Mission Carb Balance Fajita Tortillas
4 Tbsp. light sour cream
salsa verde of your choice
1/2 cup of light Mexican cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 350. Fill each tortilla with 1 oz. of chicken and 1 Tbsp. of sour cream. Roll and add to a baking dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Top enchiladas with salsa and cheese. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.
1 serving=2 enchiladas
8 Points+ per serving

Saucy Beef Burritos

2009-08-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

These are easy and so tasty! There is no science to this recipe, but this is how I made it for Patrick and I.
1 lb. ground beef (this time my market had chopped steak "for tacos" that I used)
1 package of taco seasoning
1 can of refried beans
2 cup package of mexican cheese blend
2 (8 inch) tortillas
1 package of McCormick brown gravy mix (don't be scared, it's good in this recipe!)
1 can of red enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Make beef according to directions on the taco seasoning. You might choose to add onion and/or green pepper, which I did because I had some on hand. As the beef browns, make the gravy according to package directions. Once it is made add the enchilada sauce and combine.

In a tortilla, spread a desired amount of refried beans (Patrick hates them, so I left them off of his). Layer beef and cheese over the beans. Sometimes I also layer a bit of sour cream over the top. Roll up the burrito and place seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat with the rest of your burritos.

Cover the burritos in the baking pan with the enchilada sauce mixture. Top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Sometimes if the cheese needs to be browned more, I throw it under the broiler for 2 minutes, which may vary depending on your oven.

Top your finished burritos with sour cream, jalapenos, or any other toppings of your choice. This is a great recipe for a weekend!

Salmon with Chipotle Cream

2009-07-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

We make salmon a lot (once a week or so) so this was a good way to change it up a bit. This is a great recipe!

1/2 c. light sour cream
1 chipotle en adobo, chopped (use more if you like, keep adding until it's the spiciness you like)
4 (6 oz.) salmon filets
1 tbsp. lime juice
salt
pepper

1. To make chipotle cream, combine the sour cream and chipotle(s) in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat the broiler, grill or grill pan and drizzle the salmon with lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook the salmon until done.
3. Serve salmon with chipotle cream.

Serves 4.

Serving=1 salmon filet and 2 Tbsp. sauce
10 Points+ per serving

Lemon Pesto Pasta Salad

2009-07-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

This salad is really good as a side dish for grilled or barbequed meats. It's very summery!
1 pound cavatappi, corkscrew pasta, or medium shells
1 packet Knorr Pesto Pasta sauce, prepared as directed on package (or 1 c. prepared pesto sauce from the refrigerated section of the grocery store)
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 scallions, chopped
1 lb. fresh mozzerella, cut into pieces
Black pepper

Cook pasta to al dente then cold shock it and chill it down under cold running water. Drain well. Place cooled pesto sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, tomatoes, scallions and cheese in a large bowl. Add pasta to bowl with the pesto mixture. Combine salad and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Thai Shrimp Stir Fry with Tomatoes and Basil

2009-07-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. water
2 tsp. Asian fish sauce
4 tsp. light brown sugar
3 tbsp. peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger
1/2 to 1 tsp. red chile flakes
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 med. red onion, cut into 1 in. dice
1 med. yellow pepper cut into 1 in. dice
1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced into rounds
2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved (we usually use less)
3/4 c. torn fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. torn fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce and sugar. Set aside. Heat the oil in the large non-stick skillet over med-hi heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile flakes, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir fry until pink but still translucent in the middle, about 2 min. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion, pepper, and chile to the skillet, and stir fry until lightly browned, about 2 min. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir fry until the sauce glazes the shrimp, about 1 min. more. Add the tomatoes and stir until coated with sauce about 15 seconds. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil, mint, and lime juice. We like this dish served over rice.

Steak Sandwiches with Oven Fries

2009-07-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

These were delicious with an ice cold Bell's Pale Ale.

Steak Sandwiches
Steaks of your choice (we bought thin sliced, boneless ones)
salt and pepper (or steak seasoning)
Ciabatta bread
cheddar cheese slices
arugula
Horseradish spread (We used Inglehoffer)

1. Heat a large grill pan over med-hi heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and grill until they reach desired doneness.

2. While steaks cook, slice the ciabatta bread. Spread with the horseradish spread and top with cheese. When steaks are done, add to bread and top with arugula. Before I added the arugula to mine, I put it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Oven Fries
Montreal Spicy Steak seasoning can have a kick, use regular Montreal if you don't like your food to be spicy.

Cooking spray 2 baking potatoes cut into french fry size pieces
Montreal Spicy Steak Seasoning to taste

1. Put potatoes into boiling water and par boil for 5 minutes.

2. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Add the potatoes to the sheet and spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasoning.

3. Bake at 500 for 20 minutes, or to desired doneness.

Serves 2

1 serving=1 cup of fries

2 WW Points per serving

Chicken, Mushroom and Cheese Quesadillas

2009-07-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

I have been making these quesadillas for years. They are delicious and very satisfying!
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, divided
12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 (8 oz.) package presliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 large 100 calorie tortillas (such as La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat 100 Calorie Tortillas)
1 cup preshredded light Mexican cheese blend (such as Sargento--most grocery store chains make their own version)

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-hi heat. Combine cumin, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, sprinkle over chicken (I also usually add chili powder and some of my other favorite seasonings. Add chicken to pan, saute until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan, set aside.

2. Add onion, mushroom, garlic, jalapeno, and remaining salt and pepper to pan. Saute until softened. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Heat pan over med-hi heat. Add a tortilla and top half with 1/4 cup cheese, 1/2 c. mushroom mixture and 1/4 of the chicken. Fold the tortilla in half and brown on the first side. Once browned, carefully turn over and brown the other half. Repeat procedure for the remining 3 tortillas.

Makes 4 servings
1 serving=1 quesadilla
9 Points+ per serving

Thai Red Curry Chicken

2009-07-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite dishes! It truely tastes like something right from a Thai restaurant! Add the whole can of coconut milk for more sauce (it will add many more points though).
2 tsp. Canola oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or strips
1/4 tsp. salt
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ginger, grated and peeled (I used ginger from a tube found in the produce section and so then used less, about 1/2 tsp.
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1/4 c. fresh basil (can be omitted, but adds great flavor)
2 c. cooked brown rice

1. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the chicken and the salt and saute until browned and cooked, about 5 min. Transfer the chicken to a plate or bowl.

2. Add the remaining 1 tsp. oil in the same skillet over low heat, then add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute until fragrant and the onions are softened, about 6 min. Stir in the sauce, curry paste, and cumin, cook 1 minute, stiffing constantly. Add the asparagus, coconut milk, and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce the hear and simmer, covered, until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 min.

3. Add the chicken and basil heat through. Serve over 1/2 c. of rice.

Serves 4
1 serving=1 c. chicken mixture and 1/2 c. rice
9 Points+ per serving

Stir Fried Shrimp and Vegetables

2009-07-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tsp. bottled ginger (I buy the kind in a tube in the produce section)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (Add more if you like spice! I use Sriracha sauce, about 1/2 tbsp.)
1 tbsp. Asian (dark) sesame oil
3 garlic cloves
veggies of your choice
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 c. cooked brown rice

1. Combine the cornstarch and the soy sauce to a smooth paste in a medium bowl. Stir in the broth, ginger, and red pepper (or Sriracha sauce).

2. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the oil, then add the garlic. Stir fry until fragrant about 20 seconds. Add the vegetables. Stir fry 4-5 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir fry intil just opaque in the center and the vegetables are tender crisp, 3-4 min.

3. Stir the cornstarch mixture and then add to the wok and cook, stiffing constantly until it simmers and thickens, about 2 min. Serve with the rice.

Serves 4
1 1/2 c. of stir fry with 1/2 c. rice
3 Points+ per serving

Jambalaya

2009-07-08T11:31:00.002-07:00

I've been making this dish for years! It was one of the first "real" things I learned to cook and it is definitely one of my favorites! What I like about it is that you can include what you want, add or subtract ingredients, and it's always yummy and easy! It also makes great leftovers, so I usually make the full batch and have some for lunches later!

2 tsp. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. celery 1/2 c. red or green bell pepper
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried basil (I also have used Italian Seasoning)
Dash of ground red pepper (I have also substituted a Cajun Seasoning, such as Penzey's)
6 oz. Aidell's Andouille sausage
3 garlic cloves
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion (or your favorite, I have used Fire Roasted diced tomatoes and that's good too!)
1 bay leaf
3 c. long grain rice
1/2 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven or skillet over med-hi heat. Add onion and next 8 ingredients. Cook 7 min. or until veggies are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in rice and shrimp, cook 6 min. or until thouroughly heated. Discard bay leaf.

Serves 4
Serving=2 cups.
9 WW Points per serving

Salsa Ranch

2009-07-08T11:31:00.001-07:00

This sauce is great on the fish tacos above or on a southwestern salad.

2/3 part salsa (use your favorite, we used one that is homemade from our favorite mexican market, which is very similar to the Jack's Salsa sold in supermarkets.

1/3 part ranch dressing (I used lite this time, you can also use regular, I love Hidden Valley Lite Ranch)

Mix the salsa and ranch in a small bowl. Add to your favorite dish.

Fish Tacos

2009-07-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

We really like these tacos for a light, easy weeknight dinner.

2 (6 oz.) tilapia filets (after cooking, they should weigh about 3 oz.)
cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper
2 teaspoons lime juice (approx. 2 limes) 4 Mission Carb Balance Small Tortillas

4 Tbsp. salsa

2 Tbsp. light ranch dressing (I like Hidden Valley Ranch Lite)

1. Preheat oven to 450. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Season the filets with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper (or your favorite seasoning). Spray filets with non-stick spray and drizzle with lime juice. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
2. To make the sauce, combine the salsa and ranch in a small bowl.

3. When the tilapia is done, cut into pieces and add to tortillas, using one filet for every two tacos. Top each taco with 1 Tbsp. of sauce and lettuce or cabbage and any other desired toppings.

Serves 2

1 serving=2 tacos with 1 Tbsp. of sauce on each taco

5 WW points per serving