Low- Fat Broccoli and Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes

These make a perfect light meal for busy days. Of course, they would also be great served as a side dish.

Side Note: Did you know you can make baked potatoes in the crock pot? It's so easy and perfect for hot days when you don't want to turn on the oven.  Just wash and wrap desired amount of potatoes in foil. Place them in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Ingredients:
4 Baked Poatoes
1 Can of Cambell's Cheddar Soup
1/4 Cup Low-Fat Sour Cream
1 Package of Microwave Steamer Frozen Broccoli
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:
Cook broccoli in the microwave according to package directions. Drain any water and cut broccoli into small pieces; set broccoli aside.  Add soup to a pan and cook over low heat. Mix in sour cream and salt and pepper. When cheese mixture is warm, add broccoli and stir well.

Weight Watchers Points:
Cheese & Broccoli Mixture: 2 points per serving if divided into 4 servings
Medium Sized Baked Potato: 2 points (points vary depending on size of potato)

Healthy Sweet Potato Fries

 Ingredients:
1-2 large egg whites
chili powder
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
desired amount of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch strips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. In large bowl whisk egg whites until frothy. Add potatoes; toss to coat well. Spray the cookie sheet well with non-stick spray. Place on nonstick baking sheet in single layer. Bake until golden brown and crisp. About 20 minutes Stirring once during baking.

Sweet potatoes are 2-4 weight watcher points depending on size.

Lemon and Parmesan Chicken with Tri-Colored Peppers

I started experimenting the other day, and this recipe was the result. It was pretty tasty!

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
Tri-colored peppers (cut into bite-size pieces)
1/2 cup Kraft Reduced-Fat Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Chicken Broth, plus 1/4 cup seperated
4 cups cooked pasta (I used whole-wheat rotini)
1/2 fresh lemon
salt & pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic diced
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbs corn starch

Directions:
Cook pasta, drain and set aside. Heat one tsp of oil in a skillet; add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add the other tsp of oil to the pan with the chicken. Add peppers and minced garlic; cook until peppers are just tender crisp. Pour the 1/2 cup of chicken broth and the parmesan cheese into the skillet, add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 of a fresh lemon and stir. Turn the skillet to medium heat. While the mixture is warming, add the corn starch to the 1/4 cup chicken broth and mix well. Pour the corn starch mixture into the skillet and bring to a boil. Stir constantly and cook until thickened. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to mix. Serve with additional parmesan cheese sprinkled on the top.

If this is divided into 6 servings, each serving is 5 weight watcher points.

Fool-Proof Brown Rice

I used to think I hated brown rice, but it turns out I hated the way I made it! My path from from white to brown rice has been paved with many a pot of burnt or half crunchy/half mushy brown rice.  A while back I was determined to get it right. I started researching on the internet and found the BEST way to cook brown rice. It comes out perfectly every time, and there's really no way to mess it up! If you think you don't like brown rice, give this a try at least once. I've tried it with long-grain and short-grain brown rice, and both came out perfectly.

What you Need:
brown rice (long or short grain -- not minute rice)
water – use at least four cups of water for every one cup of  dry rice
salt – to taste

Instructions:
Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds, swirling the rice around with your hand.  Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.  When water boils, add the rice, stir it once.  Turn heat to medium and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After 30 minutes, pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.  Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat.  Immediately cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes (if your pot lid isn’t extremely tight, place a piece of aluminum foil over pot then place the lid on top of foil for a tighter seal). After ten minutes, uncover rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt to taste.

I found this technique at pinchmysalt.com.  It's a great  cooking blog. You should check it out!

Chicken Stir Fry

SN: I realize that some people reading these posts may have switched over to the new points system for Weight Watchers, so I will try to post nutritional information when I can for items that can't be easily looked up. I just wanted to make it clear that I am still figuring points for my recipes based on the old points system.

We have a fridge full of fresh produce, and a stir fry sounded like a great way to use them up. I usually have trouble making a good stir-fry sauce, but this one was easy and delicious.

Stir Fry:
I have no set recipe as I tend to change it up based on what vegetables and meat I have available. This time I used:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces)
tri-colored peppers
baby corn
green beans
baby leaf spinach
water chestnuts
mushrooms
bean sprouts

Stir Fry Directions:
Add one tsp of olive oil to a hot skillet; add chicken and cook until it is no longer pink.  Add 2 more tsp of olive oil to the pan and add vegetables. Continue to cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender crisp. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Add sauce (see recipe below) and bring to a boil.  Dissolve the cornstarch in water and pour slowly into the stir fry. Cook until the sauce has thickened. Serve over brown rice or noodles.

Sauce Ingredients:
3/4 cups of chicken broth (use beef or vegetable broth if making beef stir fry)
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup cider vinegar
2 tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except for the cornstarch and water and mix thoroughly. Add the mixture to the stir fry and bring to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and pour into the stir fry. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Nutrition:
Vegetables - zero points
Chicken - 16 points (for entire amount)
Sauce - 4 points (for entire amount) or 184 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0.6 grams of fiber
Olive Oil - 4 points (for entire amount) or 119 calories, 13.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of fiber

1/6 of the stir fry it would be 4 points. 1/2 cup of brown rice would add 2 more points.

Low-Fat, Cheesy Potato Soup

I found this recipe the other day on the Taste of Home website. We love potato soup, so I was excited to try it. It was excellent! It was quick, and I love that it came out thick and creamy like full-fat potato soup. I'm going to post the recipe the way I found it, but I did make a few changes. The biggest difference is that I used red potatoes with the skin on. I did this mostly because I had some that I needed to use before they went bad. I also added some sauteed collard greens. I find that soups are great way to get greens in your diet. They tend to take on the flavor of the soup and add a nice texture. I also felt that the soup was a little bland, so I added garlic salt. The recipe calls for no salt to be added, and it calls for reduced-sodium chicken broth. I felt it needed a little bit of salt for added flavor.

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 can (12 ounces) fat-free evaporated milk, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (I used 2% cheddar)

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, onion, celery, broth and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup milk until smooth; stir into potato mixture. Add the remaining milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Yield: 5 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 178 calories, 2 g fat (0 saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 274 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 14 g protein. (4 weight watcher points per cup)

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I'm bummed that I forgot to take a picture of this, but we will just have to deal with the stock picture above until I make it again! :-) This was so good! Matt and I both loved it.

Basic Recipe:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbs taco seasoning

Directions:
Add chicken to crockpot. Dissolve seasoning in broth and pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred meat with a fork and return to juices. Serve on taco shells with cheese, lettuce and sour cream.

How I changed the recipe:
I added half a can of rotel tomatoes with the juice to a blender and blended until smooth. Make recipe as listed above but add the blended tomato before cooking. After chicken was cooked I mixed in some fresh cilantro for even more flavor.

Chicken is 1 weight watcher point per ounce.

Roasted Edamame

I'm on an edamame kick right now! I find it kind of addicting. I found some frozen, in-the-pod edamame at my local Aldi the other day, and I was really excited. It was fun, but I do find the frozen, pre-shelled edamame from Trader Joe's quicker to work with. Anway, I found this recipe online, and it is wonderful. I've been eating it as my after-workout snack and find it very satifying.

Ingredients:


2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10 ounce) package ready-to-eat soybeans, thawed if using the frozen variety (fresh or frozen, edamame. If using the edamame in the shell, you will need to steam them by boiling them for 7 minutes and then remove the beans from the pod before starting the recipe)

Directions:


1 Preheat oven to 375°F.
2 In small bowl, stir together oil, basil, chili powder, onion salt, cumin, paprika and black pepper.
3 Drizzle mixture over soybeans and toss to coat well.
4 Arrange beans in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
5 Roast, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until soybeans begin to brown.
6 Serve hot as a vegetable side dish or cooled as a snack.
7 Refrigerate any leftovers.

This makes 3 servings. Each serving is 4 weight watcher points.

Baked Feta-Crusted Salmon

I have been so lazy about updating my blog, and I have pictures of recipes just waiting to be shared. So, I promise I will make a few posts this week. We are not seafood eaters. We've tried to be, but it's just not our thing. Somone told me the other day that I couldn't give up on seafood until I tried salmon. I found this recipe and decided that everything is good when covered in feta cheese. I was right! :-) It was surprisingly good. I served it with parmesan couscous and sauteed green beans. We will defintely have this again.

Ingredients
4 (4oz) salmon fillets
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon light cream cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika, ground
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or regular dry bread crumbs

Directions


1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place salmon onto foil and set aside.

2.Mix together feta cheese, mayonnaise, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a bowl until smooth. Spread mixture over salmon, then sprinkle panko over top, covering completely.

3.Bake in preheated oven until easily flaked with a fork, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Each fillet is 4 weight watcher points.

Banana and Honey French Toast

I cannot sing the praises of this recipe enough!!! It is so sweet and fulfilling...not to mention insanely low in points! :-)

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon skim milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Arnold's sandwich thin or two slices of low-cal bread
• 1/2 small banana
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• one spray of non-stick spray

Directions:

Beat the egg whites in shallow bowl with milk, cinnamon and salt.

Split the sandwich thin and coat both sides in egg mixture.

Heat a frying pan and coat with a low fat cooking spray and fry the bread for 2 minutes on the first side or until set and golden.

Turn over and fry for another 1.5 - 2 minutes or until cooked.

Place french toast on a plate and add pieces of 1/2 of small banana between the two slices.

Drizzle with honey.

This makes one serving and each serving is 3 points.

Low-Fat Cucumber & Dill Salad Dressing

Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 of a large cucumber (seeded and chopped; I left the skin on)
1/2 tsp dry dill
1/2 tsp season salt
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs chopped onion

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Chill for an hour before serving. Can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

The entire recipe is 3 weight watcher points.

Pasta Fagiloli

This was so good! I loved the blend of the Italian spices! If you blend the beans according to the recipe, you will not even taste them; they just add texture. Next time I will leave the beans whole to make this even heartier.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb lean ground beef
32 oz of chicken broth
15 oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced
1 15oz can cannellini beans (or any white beans)
1 large bay leaf
1 tbs parsely
1 tbs basil
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups dried pasta (any small pasta will work; I used elbow)

Directions:
Add the can of beans undrained and one can of water to the blender; blend until smooth.  Add bean mixture to crock pot.  Brown ground beef and add to crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients except pasta to crock pot.  Stir and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Cook pasta and add to soup just before serving. Serve with shredded parmesan cheese.

If this is divided into 6 servings, each serving is 5 weight watcher points.

Parmesan Spaghetti Squash

We had this as a main dish because we try to have at least one vegetarian meal a week, but I have to say that this would be awesome served on the side of the parmesan crusted chicken recipe I posted a while back. I slightly overcooked the squash. You  should be able to see the strands more clearly.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1/3 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese
desired amount of cherry tomatoes, diced
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp olive oil
shredded italian cheese, for garnish

Directions:
There are several ways to prepare a spaghetti squash.  Click here to see your options.(note: I baked mine, but I skipped the olive oil step). Once your spaghetti squash is done and shredded into strands, set it aside. Dice garlic and saute it lightly in the 1 tsp of olive oil. Add the garlic mixture to the spaghetti squash; add remaining ingredients and toss to mix. Serve the squash in one half of the shell and garnish with cheese.

The entire recipe is only 4 weight watcher points.

Cauliflower with Cheese and Bread Crumbs

Monday, the day I happened to do my grocery shopping, I also happened to be having an extreme vegetable craving. So, now I have a fridge full of fresh produce, and I'm looking for creative, new ways to cook them. I stumbled across this recipe for cauliflower and decided to give it a try. It was pretty good. Like most things, it would be better with extra cheese! :-)

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
non-stick cook spray
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut cauliflower into florets and cook in a steamer basket until tender.  Add bread crumbs, garlic salt and pepper to a skillet sprayed with cooking spray.  Cook until bread crumbs are browned.  When cauliflower is tender add it to the skillet with bread crumbs; stir to mix.  Sprinkle cheese over top and allow to melt.

Recipe makes 4 serving.  Each serving is one weight watcher point.

Basic Vegetable Soup

I love this soup because it's so adaptable! I rarely make it the same way twice. Once you've made the broth, you can add just about any veggies you like. It's a perfect cold-weather meal and a great way to use up leftover veggies.

Ingredients:
(Basic Broth)
1 large can V8 vegetable juice (48 oz)
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
3 cups of water
6 beef or vegetable bouillon cubes
black pepper to taste
(vegetables/add in ideas)
you can use fresh, frozen or canned veggies.
mixed veggies
carrots
potatoes
corn
green beans
spinach
any kind of beans (kidney, lima, etc.)
diced tomatoes
zucchini & squash
broccoli & cauliflower
any variety of pasta
and the list could go on and on....

Directions:
add all ingredients except pasta to the crock pot and cook on low for at least 6 hours. Frozen and fresh vegetables may require longer cooking times. If you are adding pasta to the soup, I suggest cooking your pasta separately and adding it to the soup just before serving. If you cook the pasta in the crock pot it tends to absorbs too much of the broth. I like to serve this soup with oyster crackers and grilled cheese sandwiches.

The basic broth for this soup is zero weight watcher points. The addition of pasta and starchy vegetables will add points.

Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Over Rice

Can I just say that I LOVE the crock pot. I am seriously sick today....like finding it hard to move....possibly might die sick! :-) But of course, dinner still must get made. So I quickly came up with this recipe, tossed in the ingredients and let the crock pot do the rest. It was that simple and surprisingly good!

Ingredients:
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup Kraft fat free parmesan cheese
1 bag frozen brocoli
1/2 TBS garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
rice

Directions:
Put chicken in crock pot and cover with soup. Sprinkle spices and parmesan cheese over top and cook on low for 6 hours.About a half an hour before serving add broccoli to a  pot of water and cook on the stove over high heat until broccoli is tender. Shred chicken with a fork and return to crock pot. Drain broccoli and add to chicken mixture. Serve over hot rice.

The chicken mixture is 4 points if divided into 4 servings. White rice is 2 points for a 1/2 cup or 4 points for cup.

Fruit Dip

I made this the other day for a party, but I forgot to take a picture. So the picture above is not mine; it was just an image I found on the internet. Anyway, this recipe is so easy, inexepensive and yummy!

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. tub fat free cool whip (thawed)
1 small box vanilla instant pudding

Directions:
Combine cool whip and dry pudding mix. Stir with an electric mixer until completely blended.(about 2-3 minutes) If you don't mix thoroughly, the pudding will not dissolve and taste grainy. Refrigerate for at least an hour and serve with a variety of fresh fruits.

If you divide the dip into six servings, each serving is 3 points. Be sure to add additional points for fruit.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1/4 cup reduced fat, grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs olive oil

Directions:
Mix cheese, garlic salt and pepper together in a small bowl.  Rub parmesan cheese mixture into both sides of chicken breasts.  Heat oil over medium low heat.  Add chicken breasts and cook for 7 minutes on each side. (depends upon the size and thickness of chicken)

Each serving is around 4 weight watcher points if this is divided into 4 servings..

Dijon Herbed Chicken

Just tried this today, and it was great! It was so easy!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. light Italian salad dressing
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb total)

Preparation:

Combine mustard and salad dressing in shallow dish. Mix bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, and basil in another dish. Spread mustard mixture on both sides of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then pat crumb mixture onto both sides, pressing firmly. Bake at 400 degrees for 19-24 minutes until chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read meat thermometer. 

 

Serves 4.  Each serving is 6 weight watcher points.

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

This was delicious, but... I'm not going to lie to you....it wasn't a quick, throw-together meal. And it was kind of messy to make. :-) I felt the results were worth it, but you could make it simpler by using jumbo shells which are easier to fill than manicotti noodles. You could also layer the filling in between lasagna noodles. Filling the manicotti was the hardest part.

Ingredients:
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
14 manicotti shells
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 jar pasta sauce
1/4 cup Kraft reduced-fat parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese (I found this at Aldi - it was a mix of parmesan, mozz. and ramano)
1 egg white
1 TBS orgegano
1 TBS basil
1/2 TBS garlic salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:
dd pasta to boiling water and cook for about 9 minutes; drain and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, parmesan, shredded cheese and egg white.  Add spices and 3 TBS of pasta sauce to the cheese mixture; stir well.  Fold in spinach.  Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of pasta sauce. Add cheese mixture to a large zip-loc bag and snip off one corner of bag.  Squeeze cheese mixture into each manicotti noodle.  Line filled noddles in the baking dish.  Pour remaining pasta sauce over the filled manicotti. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

2 manicotti are 7 weight watcher points.