Quesadillas

A few weeks ago my sister in law told me about these awesome 1 point tortillas! I had heard of them, but I'd never been able to find them at the store. She told me where to find them at Dominick's, and when I found them I knew I wanted to try to make a lightened-up quesadilla! Here's the recipe I came up with:

Ingredients:

2 Tortilla Shells (note: one  tortilla shell is 1 ww pt, but 2 shells are 3 pts)

1/4 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese

2Tbs light sour cream

2Tbs chunky salsa

1Tsp olive oil

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together salsa and sour cream; set aside.  Add 1/2 tsp of the olive oil to a skillet. Place one tortilla in the pan spreading it around to coat the bottom side with oil.  Spread the sour cream mixture over the tortilla.  Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the sour cream mixture.  Cover with the second shell and cook over medium heat.  Watch carefully! When cheese is melted and the bottom tortilla is slightly brown and crispy, remove the quesadilla to a plate.  Add the other 1/2 tsp of the olive oil to the pan and return the quesadilla to the pan, uncooked side down. Cook for another few minutes or until bottom tortilla is crispy. Cut into four triangles and enjoy!

The entire quesadilla is 7 weight watcher points

Easy Vegetarian Lima Beans

I might be in the minority on this one, but I LOVE  lima beans, especially the ones from Cracker Barrel.  I decided to try to make a lighter copy-cat version, and I'm really pleased with how they came out.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. bag of frozen lima beans

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 chicken bullion cube

1Tbs light butter spread (I used Brummel & Brown)

1 clove of garlic, pealed and slightly smashed

 garlic salt, black pepper,  & onion powder to taste

Directions 

Add chicken broth  and bullion to a pot and bring to a boil. Add lima beans and enough water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low; add all other ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until beans are tender. 

One cup of beans is 2 weight watcher points .

Lightened-Up Chicken Stips and French Fries

This is too simple to really be considered a recipe, but it's a great way to satisfy that craving for fast food chicken strips.  My sister-in-law Rachel reminded me the other day about Shake-N-Bake.  I hadn't used it in a long time, but it's really point friendly!

Ingredients:
1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders (trimmed of fat)
1 Box Shake-N-Bake (I used the garlic flavor)
1 Bag Frozen Steak Fries

Directions:
Coat chicken pieces in breading and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake according to package directions.  Place desired amount of steak fries on a cookie sheet and bake according to directions.

The brand of steak fries I bought were 16 fries for 4 weight watcher points.  The chicken is one weight watcher point per ounce plus one point per piece of chicken for the breading.

Cajun Dirty Rice

I hadn't made this in while, and I forgot how much I love it. I included the recipe for the creole seasoning, but you can also purchase it at the store.

 Ingredients:

1 pound  93/7 lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper (green or red)
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
4 cups long grain rice, cooked and drained
1/4 cup water (more as needed)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Directions:

In fry pan stir ground beef and bell pepper. Cook over medium high heat until beef loses its pink color and bell pepper is soft. Remove excess grease. Turn temperature down to medium or medium low. Add remaining ingredients; stir and cook together until ground beef is completely cooked and liquid is gone - about 25 to 35 minutes. More Creole seasoning may be added for taste.

Creole seasoning

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Each one cup serving is 6 weight watchers points.