Chicken Parmesan

I modified a recipe from my grandmother to make this. I don't use very much oil, so that keeps the calories down.

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 egg

water

1-2 Cups shredded wheat cereal

8 chicken breasts (Mine were thick, so I sliced 4 in half. The thin ones cook much faster)

1 Jar spaghetti sauce
sliced Parmesan

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Ina large skillet, heat oil. Beat the egg with a little water. Crush the cereal. Roll the chicken breasts in the egg, then in the crushed cereal. Place in the skillet and fry until the outside of the chicken is cooked, and the "breading" is golden brown.
In a 9X13 casserole dish, spread a little spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay each chicken breast in the pan. Cover all the chicken generously with remaining sauce. Lay one slice of Parmesan cheese on each piece of chicken.
Bake until chicken is done ~ 30 - 45 minutes. Serve over whole grain pasta.

5 points without pasta

Orange Chicken

This is fantastic! I got it off the Weight Watcher's site, but modified it, because the orange zest became bitter....

Points per serving: 5

2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp orange zest, strips
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces
15 oz Mandarin Oranges In Light Syrup, or similar item
1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch


Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. With a carrot peeler, peel the zest off the orange. Cut into small strips (I cut it the short way) Add zest strips and cook, stirring, until fragrant and slightly cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cube chicken. When zest is finished, increase heat to medium-high; add chicken to skillet and cook until golden.
Drain oranges and reserve 1/4 cup liquid. Juice the orange you used for zest. Whisk together broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add oranges, reserved liquid, and juice to skillet. Add broth mixture to pan and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
We ate this over brown rice and broccoli.
It is sweet, but not too much and is great over rice!

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread

I usually use applesauce in place of the oil in my pumpkin bread recipe, but the olive oil sounds like it might be an interesting flavor mix.

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from Vivian Hasbrouk's Gibson-family recipe.

- makes 3 small loaves -

Ingredients

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup delicately flavored olive oil (such as Bertolli Classico)
2/3 cup water
2 cups pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
3 cups sugar
3 1/3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 1-pound loaf pans (8.5-by-4.25-by-2.75 inches) with olive oil or spray with cooking spray (or bake in batches).

2. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the olive oil, water, pumpkin purée, and sugar and whisk with a fork to combine thoroughly.

3. Sift some flour into a small bowl. Measure out 3 1/3 cups of sifted flour by spooning the flour into a measuring cup and leveling off the top with a knife. Then sift the measured flour again together with the salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda into the mixing bowl. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in raisins, cranberries, or nuts, if using.

4. Pour into prepared loaf pans, nudging batter into corners. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely. The bread will keep at room temperature for more than a week if tightly wrapped in plastic. It also freezes beautifully.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

I got this recipe from a Serious Eats weekly blog...and thought I would share it with you.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

- serves 6 -
Adapted from All Recipes.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can red kidney beans
2 cups (1 14.5 ounce can) pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (at least 3 good shakes)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green chiles, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Make room in the center of the skillet, add turkey, and brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and cayenne.

3. Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. Stir in fresh cilantro. If preferred, serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes and juice
1 can kidney beans
1 can tomato juice (small)
1 onion
1 pound turkey sausage
1 bag baby spinach (it looks like a lot, but it isn't!)
10-15 baby carrots
1 yellow squash
2 stalks celery
1 orange pepper
4 cloves garlic
10-12 mushrooms
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables


Put first 5 on list in a pot on medium heat.Dice onion, saute with the turkey sausage. Just as the meat is browned, add the spinach. Let it wilt. Put in with the sauce.
Slice carrots and squash. Put in the pot.
Simmer for approximately 1 hour.
Slice celery, pepper. Add to pot.
Simmer ½ hour.
Crush garlic.
Thinly slice mushrooms.
Add garlic, mushrooms, and frozen vegetables to the pot.
Simmer for about ½ hour.

Goal: soft (not mushy - just without crunch) carrots, peppers and squash. Slightly crunchy celery.
You may have to simmer a little longer.
We also like a sauce with more vegetables and less meat, but I have made this with another pound of turkey sausage or with 1 each turkey sausage and ground beef.

We really like garlic - I almost always ad 6-9 cloves (depending on size).
You can also add any other vegetables to it. Depending on how we feel, sometimes we also add zucchini, red pepper, fresh tomatoes, etc.

Muffins!

I'm trying this recipe for this week - the last recipe was 5 points per muffin. This one is only 2 points!

POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 12

	1 item(s) egg, slightly beaten
	1 cup(s) Bran Buds All-Bran, substitute for Fiber One original bran cereal
	1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
	1/3 cup(s) packed brown sugar
	1 1/4 tsp baking soda
	1/2 tsp table salt
	1/2 cup(s) dried apricot halves, chopped
	1 tsp vanilla extract
	12 oz plain fat-free yogurt
	1/4 cup(s) Apple Sauce, substitute for vegetable oil

1. Heat oven to 400F. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups, or spray muffin cup . Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and crush with rolling pin or meat mallet (or crush in food processor).
2.In medium bowl, stir together egg, oil (apple sauce) and yogurt. Add cereal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in fruit. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
3.Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.

Habanerno Chili & Green Chili Turkey Sausage Corn Chowder

This is still simmering on the stove so I'm going to assume that with the sausage added to the recipe a serving will be about 1-1/2 cups = 4 servings ---I'll let you know how it really turns out.

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 4

Ingredients

	6 cup(s) water
	4 serving(s) Bruce Aidells Habanero & Green Chili Smoked Chicken & Turkey Sausage, 1 link = 1 serving, chopped into bite size pieces
	5 serving(s) Hearthland Foods Corn Chowder Mix, 5 servings = 1 bag mix

Instructions

Brown sausage, add water - pour mix into pot, rapidly whisk to mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Reading in twenty minutes.

Bran Pumpkin Muffin

I was looking for a bran pumpkin muffin recipe online and found this one...added 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for some texture and entered it into the recipe builder to find the point value.

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 12

	1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
	2 1/2 tsp baking powder
	1 tsp table salt
	1 tsp ground cinnamon
	1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
	1 1/4 cup(s) Kellogg's Original All-Bran
	2/3 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
	3/4 cup(s) raisins
	1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
	1/2 cup(s) sugar
	1 item(s) egg
	1/2 cup(s) shortening
	1/4 cup(s) walnuts, chopped

Instructions

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place in a large bowl. Mix All-Bran cereal, milk, raisins, pumpkin, walnuts, and sugar in a bowl and let stand 2 minutes to soften. Add egg and shortening. Beat well. Add dry ingredients to All-Bran mixture, stirring only until combined. Fill greased muffin pans 3/4 full. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture (1/4 cup sugar to 1 teaspoon cinnamon). Bake at 400 degrees about 35 minutes. Serves 12.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Hominy Chili

POINTS Value: 5
Servings: 4

Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium stalk celery, chopped
1 medium portobello mushroom, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash, diced
1 cup chopped tomatillos, about 4 medium husked tomatillos
15 1/2 oz canned hominy, drained and rinsed
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp uncooked corn grits, regular-variety
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth


Instructions
* Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and mushrooms; sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.
* Place squash, tomatillo, hominy, jalapeno, salt, oregano, cumin and black pepper in slow cooker; add grits, stirring constantly, to avoid lumps. Add chicken and broth; cover and cook on low setting for 4 to 5 hours. Yields about 1 3/4 cups per serving.

Slow Cooker Chicken

So I changed this up some up when I served it so my points are all off. I have these two guys I know who don't regularly get homemade foods - so I split one of the cooked breasts between the two of them with the potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables from the pot.
I carefully scrapped the onion and vegetable pieces off of the second breast and shredded in a separate container for a recipe I'm making later this week.
I then shredded the last two breasts and warmed them in the gravy after all of the vegetables were removed. I ate a scoop full of this shredded chicken over a baked gold potato for dinner. So the question is, how many servings did I really get from this recipe? I'll probably still get 6 servings out of the shredded chicken.
This is a great way to make a dish that is dinner for one night while prepping for another night.

POINTS® Value: 4 Servings: 8

Ingredients

	4 medium carrot(s), sliced
	1/2 medium onion(s), chopped
	3 medium stalk(s) celery, chopped
	4 breast(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
	1 small turnip(s), chopped
	2 clove(s) garlic clove(s)
	2 medium Yukon Gold potato(es), chopped
	2 packet(s) onion soup mix
	1 cup(s) water
	2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Rinse chicken breasts, remove skin and as much fat as possible. Pat dry.
2. Chop carrots, onion, turnip, potato, and celery; drop into bottom of crock pot.
3. Add garlic.
4. Rub 1 packet of onion soup mix into the chicken breasts. Place into the crock pot on top of the vegetables.
5. Mix 1 packet of onion soup mix with 3/4 c. water. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.
6. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High 4-6 hours. Remove chicken and vegetables.
7. To thicken gravy, stir in 1/4 cup water blended with 2 tbsp flour. cook on High until thickened.

**this recipe can be used for a lrg Turkey Breast or a Pot Roast, however, the point value may be different.

New CousCous Recipe

So I had some Kale, Mushrooms, and Chicken broth left in my fridge from some other recipes I made this last week. So I thought to myself, what can I make to use these ingredients that will be yummy but still be a side dish.
Here's what I came up with:

The walnuts will give you a little crunch - but if you are looking for a crunchier side saute the onions for a little less time.

1 c. kale, chopped finely
1/2 sm. onion, chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c. walnuts, chopped finely
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. water
1 c. couscous

Saute the kale, onions, mushrooms, walnuts, and garlic in the olive oil until the vegetables are tender. Add the broth and water and bring to boil, add the couscous stirring quickly. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit about 5 minutes and fluff with fork. (*add a little salt, pepper, and oregano to flavor)
I made 1/2 c. cooked side dish as a single serving which equals 2 points.
Enjoy!

Spanish-Style Hominy

So this is the second time or so that I've made a recipe from this WeightWatchers cookbook I have and the servings and points didn't come out like they anticipated. I entered the recipe and the number of servings into the recipe builder and found the new point value.

Hominy is dried corn that has had its outer hull and inner germ removed by soaking in lye or soda. When cooked it plumps up into delicious, juicy kernels. Though hominy is usually breakfast fare down South (it can also be ground into grits – another Southern staple) or made into porridge in Mexico (where its called posole), it makes a delicious casserole, too.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS (I got 7 servings 2/3rds cup each)

3 cups drained canned golden hominy
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 onions, finely chopped
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
½ cup tomato paste
2 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¾ cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
¾ cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350ºF; spray a 2-quart casserole with nonstick spray. In the casserole, combine the hominy, bell pepper, mushrooms, onions, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and pepper; sprinkle with the Monterey Jack and cheddar. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Per serving (1/6 of casserole - this is too vague for me - I measured out 2/3 cup servings): 196 Cal, 6 g Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 20 mg Chol, 789 mg Sod, 24 g Carb, 5 g Fib, 11 g Prot, 285 mg Calc.
Points value: 4 (with 7 servings typed into the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com is 2)

Smoky Vegetarian Chili

I'm making this for dinner tonight and am freezing the rest for meals in the future.

Smoky Vegetarian Chili
Serves 4
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ½ oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ½ oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
½ tsp salt
3 drops liquid smoke
4 scallions, sliced
½ c shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
½ c fat-free sour cream

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, salt, liquid smoke; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chili thickens slightly about 15 minutes.
Divide the chili evenly among 4 bowls and top evenly with the scallions, cheddar and sour cream.
(~1 c chili, ~2 tbsp scallions, 2 tbsp cheese, & 2 tbsp sour cream)
Points value: 6

Quiche 2

Tia asked me to post any quiche recipes I had for Sarah.

These are what I emailed her, without the spelling errors I found in the email. (Sorry Sarah - I hate sending emails to English teachers for this exact reason) ;)

Enjoy!

Classic Quiche
"Here is a classic quiche - vegetarian-style. But you can add 2 slices of crumbled crisp-cooked thick-cut bacon with the egg mixture if you like. For veggie variations, add 1 cup chopped cooked broccoli to the egg mixture; or top the egg mixture with 2 thinly sliced plum tomatoes, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake as directed."
Makes 8 servings
2 tsp butter
1 lg onion, finely chopped
2 lg eggs
2 egg whites
1 1/2 c low-fat (1%) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 c shredded Gruyere cheese
1 Basic Pie crust, prebaked

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/4 cup of the cheese in a medium bowl until blended.
4. Spoon the onion into the bottom of the baked pie shell. Pour the egg mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until the top is golden and knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Per serving: (1/8 quiche) 200 cal, 11 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 1 g trans fat, 73 mg Chol, 259 mg Sod, 17 g Carb
Points value: 5

Spinach and Cheese Quiche
"This quiche gets its richness from evaporated fat-free milk and cottage cheese. If you prefer to use fresh spinach, you'll need about 8 cups of washed trimmed leaves. Steam then in a large saucepan using only the water that clings to them, stirring as needed, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain well and finely chop."
Makes 12 servings
1 (12 oz) can evaporated fat-free milk
1/3 c low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Basic Pie crust, baked and cooled
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, cottage cheese, Parmesan, eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper.
3. Place he pie plate on a baking pan; spread the spinach over the pie crust, then pour the filling over the spinach. Bake 15 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake until the filling is set, 20 minutes longer. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Per serving: (1/12 quiche) 139 cal, 5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 40 mg chol, 359 mg sod, 14 g carb, 1 g fib, 9 g Prot, 188 mg Calc
Points value: 3

Basic Pie Crust*
"The secret of a good pastry crust? Keep it cold, work quickly, and let it rest to relax the gluten (grain protein) before rolling it out. For best results, make and refrigerate the crust about 24 hours before baking."
Makes 8 servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsps sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tbsp cold vegetable shortening
1 tsp cider vinegar
3-3 1/2 tbsp ice water

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the vinegar and then the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough begins to form. Press the dough together and shape into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing to fit and crimping the edges to form a rim. Freeze 20 minutes. Prick bottom with a fork.

For Prepared Crust
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line the crust with aluminum foil; fill with dried beans. Bake until the crust is set, 10 minutes; remove the foil and beans. Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes longer. Cool on a rack.
Per serving: (1/8 of pie crust) 114 cal, 6 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 8 mg chol, 37 mg sod, 13 g carb, 0 g fiber, 2 g prot, 3 mg calc.
Points value: 3

*when measuring your points - you do not need to add points for the crust as it is built into the recipe.

Breakfast Casserole

I brought breakfast last week, and here is the casserole recipe:
POINTSValue: 4
Servings: 8
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
1 cup cooked corn kernels
6 item(s) egg
1 1/2 cups shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
2/3 cup 2% reduced fat milk

Instructions
Brown hash browns. Season with garlic, cumin and thyme to taste. In a casserole dish, add hash browns, corn, egg, milk, and cheese. Mix well.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until set.

Chocolate

I really like chocolate.
Here are two recipes I have found that are worth the work.

Raspberry-Chocolate Cups
1 point each

Ingredients
6 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp Smucker's Seedless Red Raspberry Jam, or similar product (I have used orange and even peanut butter - but the peanut butter adds a point each)

Instructions
* Place chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 15 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1 minute.
* Spoon 3/4 teaspoon of melted chocolate into a small foil candy cup (1-inch wide by 3/4-inch high). Use a small flat paint brush to spread chocolate evenly over bottom and up sides. Repeat with remaining cups, place them on a plate and refrigerate for 3 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
* Spoon 3/4 teaspoon of jam into each chocolate-lined cup. Tap bottom of each cup on counter to settle jam.
* Reheat remaining melted chocolate in microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until chocolate is completely smooth. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of melted chocolate over top of jam in a foil cup. Use brush to spread chocolate to sides so that it seals in jam. Repeat with remaining 11 foil cups.
* Refrigerate 3 minutes or until chocolate is firm, or allow chocolate to firm up at room temperature, about 3 hours. Yields 1 candy per serving.

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes
POINTS Value: 5
Servings: 6
These warm, dark chocolate cakes with creamy fudge centers will heat you up on the coldest of winter days.

Ingredients
1 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp fat-free skim milk
2 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, melted
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup fat-free fudge topping
6 tbsp water, boiling

Instructions
* Preheat oven to 350°F.
* Whisk together flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, baking soda and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder. In another bowl, stir together yogurt, milk and margarine. Combine wet and dry ingredients with a few quick strokes; divide among six 8-ounce custard cups.
* Stir together remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, fudge topping and brown sugar. Drop cocoa mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the center of each cup; top each with 1 tablespoon boiling water.
* Bake until firm, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm in custard cups.

Quiche

Last week I was asked for a quiche recipe. This is the one I like best... And it is only 3 point per serving.
Bacon and Swiss Quiche
POINTS Value: 3
Servings: 8

Ingredients
2 sheet(s) phyllo dough, cut into three strips each
3 large egg(s)
1/4 cup(s) regular egg substitute
1 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup(s) low-fat hard cheese, Swiss, grated
4 oz cooked crisp turkey bacon, diced
Instructions
* Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
* Lay phyllo dough in pie plate, one piece at a time, coating each layer with cooking spray — dough should cover bottom and sides of dish. Fold in any overhanging corners.
* Whisk together eggs, egg substitute, milk, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
* Sprinkle cheese and bacon over phyllo dough. Pour in egg mixture and place quiche on a baking sheet. Bake until firm, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting into 8 wedges.

Banana Raisin Muffins

This is the same base recipe as the Orange Muffins I made last week. They looked a lot better when I pulled them out of the oven after 20 minutes than the last ones; the butter I think helped it rise a little better.

Makes 12 servings

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
4 tsps sugar
2 tsps baking powder
2 tbsp flax seed
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. fat-free milk
1 banana, mashed
1/2 c. raisins
1 large egg
4 tsps unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400F; spray 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, banana, raisins, egg, and butter. Pour over the flour mixture, stirring until just blended (do not over-mix).
3. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 5 minutes; remove from the pan and serve hot.

Points value 2

Orange Muffins

Makes 12 servings

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
4 tsps sugar
2 tsps baking powder
2 tbsp flax seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. fat-free milk
1/2 c. orange juice
2 tsps grated orange zest
1 large egg
4 tsps unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400F; spray 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, orange zest, egg, and butter. Pour over the flour mixture, stirring until just blended (do not over-mix).
3. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 5 minutes; remove from the pan and serve hot.

Points value 2

So as I was typing this I realized I made these muffins without the butter last night. They still taste pretty good - maybe a little dry but okay. Next time I will be sure to remember the butter.

Easy Enchiladas

So, I got this recipe out of the Weight Watchers cookbook I checked out of the library - I have made a few changes. I used ground chicken instead of turkey sausage, switched canola oil to olive oil, omitted black beans, added the zucchini, 1/2 an onion instead of a full one and added a little extra 2% cheese. With my changes in ingredients and portion size I was able to drop the dish by about 3 points.
Enjoy!

2 tsps olive oil
1/2 lb ground chicken
1 red bell pepper (I used a green), seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 sm zucchini, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup canned stewed tomatoes
3/4 c canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained (if you use the black beans match the amount)
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas (I used 3.5 tortillas by making the dish as a casserole instead of individual roles)
1 c shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 2-quart casserole with nonstick spray. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the meat, bell pepper, onion, and zucchini, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Add the chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and pinto beans. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Place the tortillas on a work surface; spoon the meat mixture down the center of the tortillas, then roll them into cylinders. Place, seamless side down, in the baking dish; sprinkle with the cheese (I added 1/2 cup cheese to each layer of the casserole). Bake until heated through and the cheese is melted, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I entered the recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe builder online. If you break this into 6 servings you have a Points total of 5.

Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice

I used white rice and added bell pepper. The orange marmalade gives the dish a nice hint of sweetness but isn't overwhelming.

Makes 6 servings

1 c wild rice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 carrots, diced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tbsp dried
1/4 c + 2 tbsp orange marmalade
1/4 c Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the wild rice according to the package directions.
2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and the carrots and saute, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the rosemary; cook until chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes longer.
3. Stir in the marmalade, mustard, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the rice, toss to combine.

Per Serving (generous 1 cup): 304 cal, 6 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Tran Fat, 52 mg Chol, 326 Sod, 40 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 24 g Prot, 45 mg Calc.
Points value: 6

Couscous

This is a great recipe! It is filling and is is really good. I eat it for meals and for snacks. It is one of those foods that I will eat even when I don't feel like eating.


4 oz ground turkey sausage
1/2 medium onion(s), diced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried coriander
2 tbsp raisins
1 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) uncooked couscous
1 tbsp chopped almonds, unblanched, toasted
(I also add craisins and currents)

In a nonstick saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
Stir in onion, cumin, cinnamon and coriander; cook until onion has softened. Stir in raisins and chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork, sprinkle with almonds and serve. Yields about 3/4 cup servings.

POINTS:3
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Buffalo Wings

There are times when I crave things, and this is one that I know is bad for me, but is oh! so good.
This is one of the recipes I use a lot to quell the cravings.

1 spray olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat sheet
12 oz uncooked skinless chicken wings
1 1/4 oz Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix, or similar product
A dash of hot sauce (by taste)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp blue cheese, or gorgonzola, crumbled
2 tbsp fat-free skim milk
4 medium stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place chicken wings in a zip-close plastic bag, add taco seasoning, seal bag and shake to coat. Transfer wings to prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to prepare dip, whisk together sour cream, cheese and milk.
Serve wings with dip and celery on the side. Yields about 3 wings, 3 tablespoons of dip and 1 celery stalk per serving.
4 points per serving

I made this recipe for my family for our Christmas dinner -

Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna

"A rich, cheesy lasagna loaded with vegetables. You could also omit all veggies except broccoli for a broccoli lasagna."

INGREDIENTS
12 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 small zucchini, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (8 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
24 ounces ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot add broccoli, carrots, onions, bell peppers, zucchini and garlic. Saute for 7 minutes; set aside.
4. Place flour in a medium saucepan and gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture. In a small bowl combine cottage and ricotta cheeses; stir well.
5. Spread about 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer noodles, ricotta mixture, vegetables, spinach mixture and 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ending with noodles. Top with reserved spinach mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving.

Servings Per Recipe: 12
Cal 379, Total Fat 15.3g, Chol 44mg, Sod 536mg, Carbs 36.4g, Fib 4.2g, Prot 25.8g
Points value: 8

Lunch - Sandwich

I had my first sandwich for lunch today since I've been on the diet; I wasn't really sure I'd be able to make a sandwich I would actually enjoy while not using a ton of points.

2 slices - 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat bread
1 tbsp Athenos Roasted Garlic hummus
1 tbsp Cream cheese
6 slices Oscar Mayer Oven Roasted Turkey breast (94% fat free)
1/4 Avocado

Since I don't count fruit and vegetables (raw) for points this sandwhich was 4.5 points per the WW point tracker.

Recipe

Sweet-Potato Chips

Don’t worry if the chips aren’t perfectly crisp by the end of the cooking time; they’ll continue to crisp as they cool.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1-pound sweet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

1. In the medium bowl, combine the potatoes, sugar, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and cold water to cover. Soak 30 minutes; drain and blot dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F; spray 2 nonstick baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Place the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake, turning the potatoes frequently so that they color and crisp evenly, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.

Per serving (1/4 of chips): 118 Cal, 0 g Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 447 mg Sod, 28 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 2 g Prot, 32 mg Cacl.
Points value: 2

TIP: Soaking sliced or grated potatoes in water before cooking crisps them, leading to a crunchy texture when baking “fries” and chips or making potato pancakes.