Smart Chicks, Good Eats

Sauteed Cabbage with Parmesan Cheese

2011-12-28T20:16:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
10 c chopped cabbage
1/2 c or so chicken broth
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Saute onion in olive oil for about 5 min, add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Add cabbage and broth and cook covered about 10 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed.
Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese.

Review:
Quick and easy way to use up the cabbage from my CSA. It had no bitter taste at all and the cabbage tasted quite bitter raw.

Garlicky Broccolini

2011-12-13T11:21:00.003-05:00

Garlicky Broccolini by Rachel Ray
Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds broccolini
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions

Trim broccolini of ends. Place 4 to 5-inch long, thin stalks into a skillet and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add salt and reduce heat. Simmer broccolini 6 to 7 minutes, until tender and bright green. Drain the broccolini and return skillet to stove over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to pan, then garlic. Cook garlic 2 to 3 minutes. Add broccolini to pan and coat in garlic and oil then serve.

Review: Simple & Delish! I used only 1tbsp EVOO and that was fine. A great healthy side dish!

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

2011-12-11T12:01:00.008-05:00

Fresh Brussels Sprouts!

Love the bright green!!

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
- EatLiveRun
serves 2-4 as a side-dish

Ingredients:

12-14 large brussels sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

Directions:
Slice each brussels sprout very thin until you have a mound of feathery brussels sprout ribbons. Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the brussels sprouts and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender. Add the sea salt and brown sugar and toss together. Finish by adding the toasted nuts.

Review: LOVE!!!!!! SO delish! Because I'm a garlic nut, I used 2 cloves and only 1 tbsp of brown sugar since I am sensitive to overly sweet things. Also used toasted walnuts because that's all I had. I can imagine how yummy it would taste with pecans or any other nut.

Eggdrop Soup

2011-12-06T11:41:00.004-05:00

Egg Drop Soup
Servings:6

2 tablespoons corn starch
6 cups chicken broth fat free
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 green onion -- chopped
3 eggs -- beaten
In large saucepan mix cornstarch with small amount of cold broth.
Add remaining broth and other ingredients except eggs. Bring to a boil,then simmer, stirring occasionally. Gradually pour the beaten eggs into the saucepan while stirring. Serve at once.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 37 Calories; 2g Fat (55.0% calories
from fat); 3g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 94mg

REVIEW: Delicious!!! Will definitely make again & again. I added bokchoy & sliced bella mushrooms (but will try with shiitake next time). The vinegar really gave this soup a nice Chinese-takeout taste. A great low-point side-dish to a meal. Thanks to Em the Soup Queen for giving this recipe.

I also sprinkled some white pepper before eating. Yummy!

Thai Style Crock Pot Curry

2011-11-15T21:54:00.004-05:00

Thai Style Crock Pot Curry

Ingredients

1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Thai red or green chili paste (you can add more if you like things really spicy, just be careful – this stuff's hot!!)
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 large eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
White rice
1 lime, cut into wedges, to garnish
2 scallions, thinly sliced, to garnish
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, to garnish
1/2 cup chopped basil, to garnish

Yields: 4 servings
Preparation

In the bowl of a crock pot combine the coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili paste, and fish sauce (if you're using it). To that add the onion, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and chicken. Turn the crock pot on to high heat, cover it, and let the curry stew for about 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the curry with prepared rice and garnish with lime wedges, scallions, cilantro, and basil.

Review
I give this recipe 4 stars. While I didn't think it was exceptional, my parents loved it. It does have a good Thai-curry taste but I thought the liquid was too watery. I prefer thicker curries. All the veggies & the tender chicken is very scrumptious and filling. I served the curry over basmati rice & peas. This recipe is also + because all the ingredients can be easily found at any American grocery store. The only 'odd' item is the Thai Chili Paste, but they are usually in the Asian/Ethnic aisles.

Substitutions/Changes:
Instead of chicken thighs, I sliced 2 large chicken breasts. They came out so tender and delicious.
Used one sweet potato (instead of 2) because I thought the ratio of veggies to chicken/curry was getting to be a lot.
2 tablespoons of the HOT Thai red curry paste. This did make it spicy but not overly.
Added 1/2c ff milk (which next time, I would not) because I thought there was not enough liquid.

I would remake this again because it is easy enough (no need to stand over a simmering pot and stirring) for easy tasty dinners.

Baked Kale Chips

2011-10-22T22:39:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

1 bunch kale
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
very light sprinkle of seasoned salt

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Review
This isn't really a recipe but I wanted to post it as a reminder to myself to use my kale this way. Every time we've made these, Jason and I have eaten the whole bunch of kale immediately. It is so good. I think you have to be very light on the salt and watch them closely so they don't burn but other than that, these are amazing!

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale

2011-10-18T13:18:00.003-04:00

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale

Added by Andrea

Prep Time
Cook Time

Servings 4

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

2 whole Spaghetti Squash
1 package (about 16 Oz. Package) Turkey Sausage
3 teaspoons Olive Oil Plus More To Drizzle On Squash
½ cups Onion
½ cups Red Pepper
2 cloves Garlic
⅛ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
¼ teaspoons Italian Seasoning
½ cups White Wine
1 cup Chicken Broth
2 cups Kale
Parmesan Cheese
Salt And Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Cut the squash in half and cook it cut side up at 375F for about 40 minutes. Let cool then, using a fork, shred the squash out of its shell onto a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Keep warm.
While squash cooks, cut the sausage into bite size pieces and brown in olive oil, set aside.
To the same pan, adding more olive oil if necessary, saute onion, red pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper until softened. Deglaze with white wine, then add the chicken broth.
Add back in the sausage and simmer until sauce reduces some. Add the chopped kale and simmer until tender.
Serve over squash with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and some good bread to sop up the sauce.

Kim's Verdict:

I cooked as written. This one was just okay to me. I had never eaten spaghetti squash before and I have news - it doesn't really taste like spaghetti. Omari and I both didn't really jump over the moon on this one because of the squash. The kale mixture topping was delicious though, that was the part that saved the meal. We may finish this meal by putting the topping over some rice or some (real) spaghetti with a small amount of the spaghetti squash. I don't have the nutritionals on this one, but all the veggies make it a very light dish.

Potato Frittata

2011-10-18T13:03:00.004-04:00

Potato Frittata

Added by A Cozy Kitchen

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 30 Minutes

Servings 4

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 whole Small Yellow Onion
5 whole Russet Potatoes, Peeled And Cut Into 1/8-inch-thick Slices
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper
7 whole Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Minced Flat-leaf Italian Parsley
1 Tablespoon Minced Chives
2 whole Scallions, Trimmed And Thinly Sliced
4 strips Bacon Fried And Chopped
1-½ ounce, weight Goat Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400˚F.
Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil into it. Add the onions and cook until they’re caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup water, scraping any brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook until the water evaporates and the onions take on a uniform brown color, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onions to a roasting pan and toss the with the potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the potatoes. Season them generously with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Set them aside to cool for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, herbs, and scallions together and season them with salt and pepper.
Add the potatoes and onions to the egg mixture. Heat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet, and add the egg and potato mixture. Sprinkle the bacon and goat cheese on top and slightly mix with a fork. Cover the skillet with aluminium foil, transfer it to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
Slice and serve directly from the skillet, warm or at room temperature.

(Recipe adapted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook.)

Kim's Verdict:

I followed this recipe as posted except I used turkey bacon and forgot to buy scallions. I also may have cooked an extra piece of bacon since I only had 5 pieces left and it really didn't make sense to leave one piece in the container :) This was SO GOOD!!! I cut mine into 8 slices into 4. I sometimes had 1/8th and added some fruit for breakfast and sometimes I had 1/4th and had it for lunch. If I made this again, I think I would actually use maybe 3 potatoes and add an extra egg or two if I was going to make it for breakfast again to make it a little more like a quiche and keep it with this recipe for a brunch/lunch dish.

Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Dish

2011-10-18T12:52:00.004-04:00

Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Recipe
from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 289.2 • Fat: 7.1 g • Carbs: 48 g • Fiber: 4.9 g • Protein: 11.7 g • Sugar:1.0
Sodium: 103.7 (without salt)

Ingredients:

12 oz uncooked pasta
6 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, no stems
5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When water boils, add pasta and broccoli at the same time and cook according to pasta instructions for al dente. When pasta is almost done cooking, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli.

Return the pot to the stove and set heat to high; add 1 tbsp olive oil, when hot, add garlic. Cook until golden, reduce flame to low and add pasta back to the pot.

Mix well, add remaining olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste mixing well and smashing any large pieces of broccoli to break up.

Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and mix well adding more if needed.

Serve in pasta bowls with additional grated cheese on the side.

Kim's Notes:

I made this as directed except I used egg noodles (because I just love them) and I added some pork (because I wanted to boost the protein profile).

Verdict?

I saw all the comments on how good this was so even though it seemed super basic, I went for it. This was really good, and I really liked it. Very simple and quick, but good. I think it would be good without the meat too and definitely can see making this as a vegetarian meal or as a side dish. The servings are really filling :) Definitely recommend for an easy light meal. I grabbed the picture from the site, but it doesn't look like this. This is how it looks after you boil the pasta/broccoli.

Stuffed Zucchini or Summer Squash

2011-10-08T20:28:00.002-04:00

Picture taken prior to baking.

3 zucchini or summer squash, halved lengthwise
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 small eggplant, cubed (about 1 cup)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Scoop middle of flesh from the center of the zucchini or summer squash to create boats; reserve the flesh balls. Preheat oven to 350.

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the eggplant and zucchini/squash middles; cover and cook for 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Fill the zucchini shells with the ratatouille, sprinkle with the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and the shells are slightly softened, about 12 minutes.
These can also be grilled until shells are soft and cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information 1/3 of the recipe
Calories: 150
Fat: 8 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein:7 grams

Review:
This was a great way to use many of the things in my CSA box in one dish. I really loved the taste of the fresh parsley in this. I made it the first time as a side dish for chicken but I also ate it for lunch the next day on it's own. I love getting my veggies in and this was something I'll make again.

Cherry Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2011-10-08T20:19:00.002-04:00

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 c chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 c chopped canned water chestnuts
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 c cherry flavored craisins
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup toasted and sliced almonds
12 large leaves of lettuce
Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, chicken, mushrooms, and water chestnuts, and saute until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and honey until mixed together. Add chicken mixture, craisins, carrot, green onion, garlic, and almonds; toss together.
To Serve: Spoon 1/12 of the chicken/cherry mixture onto the center of each lettuce leaf; roll up leaf around filling and serve.

Serves 6
295 calories
10 grams fat
3 grams fiber
23 grams protein

Review:
I have only had lettuce wraps a few times at restaurants but since I got some beautiful and huge romaine lettuce, I wanted to try making some at home. The original recipe, that I found on All Recipes, asked for fresh cherries. I wanted to make them a little easier and since we have so much fruit on hand right now didn't want to buy more. I thought these were good, but a little salty. I think the mixture would also be tasty on top of rice as a stir fry.

Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops

2011-10-06T21:58:00.003-04:00

A "Do as I say, not as I do" Recipe Production

From the Food Network Magazine Great Easy Fun Meals (pg. 181)

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
4 bone in thick cut pork chops (6-8 ounces each)
1/2 medium head escarole
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
freshly ground pepper (or the stuff in a jar, it worked for me)
4 slices provolone cheese
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 19 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Dissolve 1/4 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar in 3 cups warm water in a large bowl. Insert a paring knife into teh curved side of each pork chop to make a deep pocked about 2 inches wide. Soak the chops in the brine, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, finely chop the escarole and garlic. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry. Fold each cheese slice and tuck into the pocket of a pork chop, then stuff with the escarole mixture. Brush the pork with olive oil, sprinkle with sage and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the beans and 1/3 cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits; season with salt and pepper. Return the pork to the skillet, cover and cook over medium heat until no longer pink, about 5-7 more minutes. Serve the pork with the beans.

Kim's Notes

You NEED the thick pork chops. Because if you don't pay attention to that and buy thin ones, you end up folding the pork chop up like some kind of weird low carb taco looking thing. Which is why I didn't post a picture, LOL. Do as I say - not as I did!
You can brine for longer. I think mine were in 10-15 minutes while I chopped escarole.
I chopped up the whole head of escarole and cooked it. Figured the extra veggies would be good in the beans. The were.

Verdict

Delicious. Omari loved it, I loved it, it's a winner for us. Great flavor, fairly simple recipe, and it's really really good. I was fine with the pork and the beans, but if you wanted to make this a bigger meal you could always add a good green salad on the side. I could see doing that on a really hungry day. Anyway, make this. You will love it!

Nutrition info per serving (4 servings)

Calories 463, Fat 28 g, Carbohydrates 21g, Fiber 6g, Protein 31g

Tilapia with Green Beans

2011-10-03T18:49:00.007-04:00

Recipe from Food Network Magazine's Great EASY Meals Cookbook

Tilapia with Green Beans

Ingredients

2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp fresh chopped oregnao
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 6-oz tilapia fillets
1/2 lb haricots verts or thin green beans
1 clove garlic chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Combine the flour, oregano, and parsley in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper
Place a large skillet over med-high heat. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Melt 3 tbsp butter in the skillet, then add 2 fillets and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
Add the green beans and garlic to the skillet and cook about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add tomatoes and cook until just softened, about 1 more minute. Stir in the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water, then cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 3 more minutes. Remove from head and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter.
Divide the fish and veggies among the plates, sprinkle with oregano and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Alterations

I didn't add the butter at the end, just while cooking the fillets
I made 6 fillets and used 1 lb of green beans and about 1.5 cups tomatoes.
I used regular old green beans.

Nutrition info:

Calories 306, Fat 14g, Cholesterol 115 mg, Sodium 155 mg, Carbs 10g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 36g

Thoughts

I really really enjoyed this meal!! The fish was really flavorful and the green beans were really yummy cooked in the stir fry style. This meal seemed really fancy but didn't take long to make at all. It's definitely one I would try again.

Quinoa Burger - Guest Post

2011-03-17T10:51:00.009-04:00

{I've been following this blog for a while and was thrilled when Emily let me create a guest post for my quinoa burger. Thanks! Clare}

Quinoa Burger

What? You don't know about quinoa? The magic grain that is actually a seed? It's gluten-free and high in protein. Don't be scared to try this wonderfully, nutty, light burger.

Start with uncooked quinoa for this recipe. When I made this with leftover quinoa, it was too wet.

Quinoa:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. You should see tiny white threads surrounding each kernel of quinoa. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Burger:

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, finely grated
1 egg
1 egg yolk (save the white for a different recipe)
1 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 green onions, including white parts
1 /2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 TBS Olive oil for frying

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, sugar, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Measure 1/3 C (I used an ice cream scoop) and form into patties about 1/2 inch thick - mixture will be slightly sticky. This recipe makes roughly 7 quinoa burgers. Fry low-medium heat until golden-brown, about 4-6 minutes on each side. A low heat makes the cheese crispy without burning the veggies.

One burger is 4 PointsPlus but two burgers are 7 PointsPlus. Enjoy!

My husband likes to have leftovers for breakfast. They are delicious with a side of cottage cheese and salty tomatoes.

P.S. I'd like to make these even lower fat, and will experiment with adding nutritional yeast for some of the cheese or substituting with parmesan cheese.

Kim's Pantry Pork Chops

2011-02-05T15:52:00.002-05:00

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
* 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon celery salt (consider omitting)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/8 teaspoon salt (omitted)
* 1 pinch pepper
* 4 (3/4 inch thick) pork loin chops
* 1 tablespoon cooking oil
* 1 cup ketchup (recommend low sodium)
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

1. In a shallow dish, combine the first 10 ingredients; dredge pork chops on both sides. In a skillet, brown chops in oil on both sides. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Combine ketchup, water and brown sugar; pour over chops. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until tender.

Review:
I don't make pork very often but had some pork chops that I wanted to make. Kim recommended this recipe and since I had everything in the house already, it was perfect for a weeknight dinner. At her suggestion I served it with brown rice. I thought it was pretty good but a bit salty for my taste. I'm pretty sensitive to salt though. I think I would buy a lower sodium ketchup or cut out the celery salt next time. There was about 3/4 of the flour mixture left over after dredging the chops so you could certainly make more without increasing the dry amounts.

Serves 4
8 Points Plus for pork and sauce

Turkey Taco Mac

2011-01-23T21:32:00.003-05:00

Will add picture when I make it again! :)

Ingredients:
20 oz. 93% lean ground turkey
8 oz. dry whole wheat pasta
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained, set aside liquid
1/3 c canned black beans
3 tbsp. taco seasoning (reduced sodium recommended or make your own)
3 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey and chopped over medium-high heat until the turkey is cooked through. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes, beans, and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and add 1/2 cup of the reserved tomato liquid, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Serves 6
9 Points Plus per serving

Review: This is kind of like a Hamburger Helper taco mac meal, but better. It was quite salty with the regular taco seasoning so I changed the recipe to use reduced sodium seasoning next time. Jason and I found it to be really filling with all of the protein and fiber. It was really quick to make for a weeknight meal and Henry actually liked it, so I would make it again.

Chicken Tamale Bake

2010-12-02T20:35:00.004-05:00

Ingredients

* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
* 1/3 cup fat-free milk
* 1/4 cup egg substitute
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
* 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
* 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
* Cooking spray
* 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
* 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

8 points
9 points plus

Recipe and nutrition information from Cooking Light November 2008 or online
I also took the picture from the website because it didn't look very good in my pictures!

Review:
This was pretty good. Basically a green chile and cheese soft corn bread with chicken in enchilada sauce on top. It was an easy weeknight meal and pretty filling. Although it's certainly nothing fancy, I would make it again.

Arugula and Walnut Pesto with Whole Wheat Linguine

2010-08-16T20:05:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
2 cups basil leaves
2 cups arugula leaves
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons walnuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups hot cooked linguine (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)

Preparation:

Place first 6 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 7 or 8 times or until mixture forms a smooth paste. Add cheese, broth, salt, and pepper; pulse until combined. Combine pesto and pasta in a large bowl, tossing to coat.
Nutritional Information

Serves 6
Calories (with white pasta): 356 (37% from fat)
Fat: 14.6g (sat 3.5g,mono 6.4g,poly 2.5g)
Protein: 14.1g
Carbohydrate:44.9g
Fiber: 3.2g
Cholesterol:10mg
Iron: 3mg
Sodium:685mg
Calcium: 212mg

Review:
This was a great, light tasting summer dinner. It was much less oily than traditional pesto and the arugula had a nice peppery finish. I found it to be a tad salty and reduced the salt from the original Cooking Light Recipe. I also subbed fresh, whole wheat linguine.

Salsa Verde

2010-08-15T15:41:00.009-04:00

1 lb. tomatillos, hulls & stems removed
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
3 jalapeno peppers, stems removed & cut in half the lengthwise (remove seeds if you don’t like heat)
1 large banana pepper, cut in half lengthwise (optional)
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced (optional)
1/2- 1 tsp. salt (to taste)

Directions:
Roast tomatillos, quartered onion, whole cloves of garlic, & halved jalapenos and banana pepper in baking pan at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tomatillos are soft & everything is starting to char. Cool roasted veggies a bit & throw them, the cilantro, lime, & salt in a food processor & pulse until smooth or use immersion blender.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Stores in refrigerator for about a week.
Freezes well.

Review:
This was an excellent way to use the tomatillos that came in our CSA box. We seeded the jalapenos and the salsa still had a nice kick. Delicious!

Aloo Gobi

2010-07-07T20:33:00.006-04:00

Ingredients

* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 2 cups unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
* 2 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
* 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat and add onion. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes, then stir in garlic and cumin. Continue to cook until onion begins to brown.
2. Stir in tomatoes and almond milk, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir until mixture begins to boil, then put in the potatoes, cauliflower, and garbanzo beans. Mix well. Reduce heat to low and cover.
3. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to an hour (this will depend on the size of the potato chunks).

Review:
I decided to make this because I had a head of cauliflower to use and since Jason doesn't care for cauliflower, I wanted to find a creative recipe that he might like. I modified this recipe quite a bit from an All Recipes version. We both really liked it and I would make it again. It's filling and a great way to get in veggies. I'm trying to make more vegetarian meals and this was a good start. This is pretty spicy so if you don't like spice, you may want to cut the spices down a lot.

Banana Whipped Oats

2009-10-05T12:51:00.004-04:00

So I found this recipe on Kath Eats Real Food and modified it to fit my tastes. It's a fabulous way to make oatmeal without using sugar or splenda or anything to make it sweet. And if you are like me and love sweet oatmeal, it greatly reduces the amount of brown sugar you have to add to it. Winner all round. The beauty of these oats is that they are a great vehicle for toppings. I have been throwing strawberries on top, but if you look at Kath's tribute to oats, there are a TON of variations if you are more adventurous than I am.

Banana Whipped Oats from KERF

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup 1% or skim milk
1 cup water
1 banana
Pinch of salt
Stirred in 1 tsp vanilla extract

Start by combining rolled oats, water, and skim milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Slice a banana into VERY thin pieces, leaving just a few bigger chunks. As the oatmeal heats, stir vigorously at times to “whip” the banana into the oats. The oats will take 5-7 minutes on medium heat to fully absorb the liquid. They’re done when they reach your desired consistency! Then I stir in the vanilla and portion into bowls. Add any toppings you like.

This makes 3 servings of oatmeal.

She makes hers w/ wheatberries and flax..things that I don't have on hand and again, way more adventurous than I was ready for. Check the link for her full recipe.

Turkey Taco Meat

2009-06-01T21:31:00.002-04:00

20 oz 93% or 99% Lean Ground Turkey (could sub 1 lb. lean ground beef)
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups tri color bell peppers roughly chopped (frozen works great)
2/3 cup corn kernels
1 package 40% less sodium taco seasoning
1/3 cup water
1 can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown turkey with onion and drain. Add peppers and cook 3 minutes. Add taco seasoning and water and bring to simmer. Add corn, beans and spices to taste.

Review:
Jason and I really like this as either taco filling or taco salad meat. I think the extra veggies really bulk it up and make it much better than plain seasoned meat. I actually don’t like the taste of ground turkey plain but with all of these added ingredients, it’s delicious!

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas

2009-06-01T19:52:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 mashed ripe banana
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Fat free plain yogurt or skim milk

Directions:
1. In large mixing bowl, whisk egg, applesauce, mashed banana and milk. Once creamy, add oats, salt and baking powder and mix through. Stir in blueberries.
2. Pour batter into 8x 8 baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Sprinkle top with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with milk or yogurt.

Review:
I made this for breakfast after seeing a recipe that was very similar on a blog about inexpensive cooking. The original recipe had a lot of sugar in it and I think a misprint about the amount of baking powder. I thought the recipe was a nice twist on classic oatmeal.

Serves 4

Thai Beef Salad

2009-06-01T19:36:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated jalapeño (or to taste)
5 scallions, very thinly sliced, white and some green parts
8 cups very thinly sliced Napa cabbage
2 cups packaged shredded carrots
1 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped mint
1 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 pound flank steak
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:
Preheat broiler to high or grill. In a small bowl, whisk together lime and orange juices, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and jalapeño. Add scallions and set aside. In a large salad bowl, toss together cabbage, carrots, mint and cilantro. Set aside.

Season steak with salt and pepper and place on broiler pan or grill. Broil or grill, turning once, until done to your liking (about 6-7 minutes per side for medium rare, 8 minutes for medium, 9-10 minutes for well). Remove meat to a cutting board and let cool 10 minutes before slicing thinly. Add to cabbage salad, then add dressing and toss to coat evenly. Divide between 2 serving plates and serve immediately.
Serves: 2

Review:
I got this recipe from Shape Magazine and have made it quite a few times. This is a delicious entrée salad. It’s really refreshing with the mint in the salad and I love Napa cabbage. Since I found that flank steak is pretty affordable at Costco, I’ll be making this a few times this summer. Jason really loves this dish!

This would be 7 points per serving or I would count it as Simply Filling +1 for the OJ and brown sugar.

Nutrition Information per serving:
(1/2 of recipe: about 4 cups salad, 4 ounces of meat): 371 calories, 23% fat (10 g; 4 g saturated), 44% carbs (43 g), 33% protein (32 g), 13 g fiber, 259 mg calcium, 6 mg iron, 1,576 mg sodium.

Shrimp Diavolo

2009-04-02T20:58:00.002-04:00

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 tsp. salt, divided (1/2 and 1/4)
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (15oz. can) petite diced tomatoes
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
whole wheat couscous, whole wheat linguine, bulgur, brown rice, or something else to put this saucy dish over

1. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in a large pan and saute the shrimp until golden and just opaque in the center. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

2. Add the remaining 2 tsp. of oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic, oregano, and peppers stirring constantly until fragrant......about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste; cook until thickened 4-6 minutes. Add the shrimp and the remaining salt; cook until everything is heated through.

3. Meanwhile, cook your pasta/rice/grain according to the package directions; drain and then top with the shrimp and sauce.

Serves 4

From the Ultimate Flex and Core Cookbook

Review: Jason used to tell me he didn't like shrimp but I have him converted now. This is a really quick and easy weeknight dish that we both enjoy. I like this the best on whole wheat couscous. I have also substituted chicken for the shrimp and that was also very good.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-02-08T21:37:00.009-05:00

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced small
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds (when raw) boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large carrots, peeled
1 cup diced tricolor sweet peppers
oil as needed to prevent sticking
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can regular diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chipotles in adobo, blended or finely diced
1/2-1 medium jalapeno pepper, deseeded (optional if you like things hotter)
6 cups of Chicken Broth (or sub 1 c for beer)
1/4 cup quinoa
1 small can mild green chilis
2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
10 oz frozen corn
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, washed and chopped

Garnish with (optional):
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Oven baked strips of tortillas
Guacamole
Additional cilantro

Cut the chicken into rough dice no larger than 1/2 inch. Add oil to a large pot and heat over medium high.

Add diced onion, carrots, red pepper flakes, and chicken. When you have a nice sear on one side of the chicken, agitate the pot to toss the chicken.

When chicken is partially opaque but not fully cooked through, add the tricolor peppers. Again, allow to rest approximately 2 minutes before agitating to get a little seared edge on the peppers.

Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant, stirring. Do not allow garlic to burn: reduce heat if necessary.

Add: both cans of diced tomatoes, diced zucchini, chicken broth, quinoa, can of green chilis, corn, cumin, oregano, cloves, chili powder and salt.

If you prefer a very spicy soup, you may increase the chipotle mixture up to 2 tsp and may optionally add 1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced.

Heat over medium for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, the quinoa is translucent, and the vegetables are cooked to al dente.

Just before serving, stir in the cilantro, lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper.

Garnish with your choice of: sour cream, guacamole, additional cilantro, and oven-baked tortilla strips.

Makes 14 servings, freezes well.

150 calories, 5 grams fat, 3 grams fiber

Review:
I found this recipe on another cooking blog (Skinny Gourmet by E. McDonnell)and since I love soup, I decided to give it a try. This soup had a very rich flavor and the cloves gave it a unique taste. It made a lot of soup, about 5 quarts, and I'm looking forward to having it for lunches! I didn't think it needed any tortilla strips or sour cream. It was great as is. I made it with about 2 teaspoons of chipotle in adobo and 1/2 jalapeno and omitted the red pepper flakes and it was pretty spicy. I also used TJ's fire roasted corn in the recipe.

Beef Stew

2009-01-28T20:53:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
1 lb beef for stew
2 can diced tomatoes
1 can white beans (drained)
1 lb carrots (I used baby)
1 can beef broth (97% fat free or something like that)
1 packet beef stew seasoning
1 bag TJ's Fire Roasted Corn

Directions:
Add everything to the crockpot. Cook on low for 7-9 hours, until done.

I served with a nice loaf of bread and pickles. Nom Nom comfort food. Z heartily approved.

Vegetarian Chili

2009-01-26T18:07:00.004-05:00

Recipe by: Jim (Dina's WW leader), adapted
Serving size: 6
Categories: Vegetarian

6 C. water
1 1/2 C. dried lentils (9 oz., rinsed and sorted)
1 C. onion, chopped
1 can corn (approximately 16 oz.), rinsed and drained [I used frozen]
2 cans stewed tomatoes (approx. 16 oz. each)
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 packet taco seasoning mix (1 1/4 oz.)
Hot sauce, to taste
Crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)

Toss everything into a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and let cook for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning. Depending on consistency, add more water as necessary. (Note: I didn't need to add water.)

REVIEW: Got this recipe from BCB. It's definitely a keeper... easy to make, delish, and nice to have meat-less chili sometimes. I did add some canned jalopenos + cayenne pepper for additional spice (and boy was it spicy!).

"Pan "Fried" Chicken

2009-01-21T17:19:00.006-05:00

"Pan "Fried" Chicken
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp EACH rosemary and thyme

Spray cooking spray in skillet. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until just brown. Remove chicken and add oil and garlic, saute 1 minute. Add flour and cook for about 30 seconds. Add broth and spices and throw the chicken back in there. Bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer about 15 minutes (or until done), turning once halfway through. If the gravy gets a little thick, add more water or broth.

REVIEW: Got this recipe from BCB. Yum! Easy to make and very delicious. I loved the herbs! Plus, I seldom use chicken thighs so this was a nice different taste. In the above picture, I served it with a side of core mashed potatoes (a little dry, because it was the first time I made it with soy milk and was afraid it'd be too sweet if I added more) and some mixed veggies. There was a lot of broth/gravy in the end, so the 2tbsp of flour loses any point value per serving.

Chicken Oreganata and Warm Bulgur and Spinach Salad

2009-01-19T20:59:00.004-05:00

Chicken Oreganata
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients other than chicken and stir. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour sauce over the top. Let stand 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.
Serves 4

Warm Bulgur and Spinach Salad
3 cups hot cooked bulgur
5 ounces baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces fat free feta cheese

Combine hot bulgur and baby spinach, cover and let stand about 15 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Stir in cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, teaspoon salt, pepper and feta cheese. Serve warm.
Serves 4-6

Review: Jason and I both liked the chicken breasts and the flavor the lemon zest gave them. I think I liked the bulgur salad a little more than he did because he’s not a huge bulgur fan. The lemon juice and feta gave it a nice flavor. Both the chicken and the bulgur were very easy to make.

Chicken Yucatan with Caribbean Rice and Beans

2009-01-05T21:10:00.004-05:00

Chicken Yucatan
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup pineapple juice
2 limes, juiced
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
6-8 dashes Tobasco sauce
6 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients other than chicken and puree until smooth. Place chicken in 9 x 13 baking dish and pour sauce over top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

* I like to put some pineapple tidbits and onion slices over the chicken in addition to the sauce.

Serves 6

Caribbean Rice and Beans
2 c cooked brown rice (I use 2 packages TJs rice or cook in chicken broth)
1 1 /2 teaspoon olive oil
7 1/ 2 ounce jar roasted red peppers drained and cut into short, thin strips (I use a 12 oz jar of TJs fire roasted red and yellow peppers)
1 small green pepper, cut into short, thin strips
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
5-10 dashes Tobasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried cilantro or oregano

In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add peppers, and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add black beans, vinegar and Tobasco sauce (if using dried spices, add now). Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the hot rice and if using fresh herbs, add those now as well. Serve with additional Tobasco sauce.
Serves 6

Review:
I always make these two things together and serve some of the sauce from the Chicken on top of the rice. This is one of the first recipes I made when we got married and still a favorite. I have changed it to use brown rice and this time used pureed frozen pineapple tidbits in place of the pineapple juice because I had frozen pineapple rather than canned in juice. I think the sauce was just as good this way and it’s more of a simply filling dish than it is with the juice. If using the juice, I would count it as Simply Filling + 1 point.

Ground Turkey Chili with Black Eyed Peas and Fennel Seeds

2009-01-04T15:22:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
20 oz lean ground turkey
1 cup carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
Large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 jalapenos, diced
2 c colored bell peppers, diced
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions:
Brown turkey with vegetables. Once turkey is cooked and vegetables are tender, add spices, tomatoes, water, and black eyed peas and simmer 45 minutes.

Review:
This recipe was a nice change from regular chili. The fennel seeds added a really interesting flavor, almost making it seem like turkey sausage. I adapted this recipe from one in Shape magazine and it was a little too spicy with 3 jalapenos. I would use 2 next time. I also used the frozen bell peppers from TJs/Target and they were really easy to cut up while still frozen.

Creamy Roasted Eggplant Soup

2009-01-04T15:20:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
8 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise
2 onions, quartered
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 c. chicken broth
1 can (13 oz.) ff evaporated milk
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion, and garlic (cut side up) on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Roast in preheated oven till tender and lightly browned in spots, 45 minutes.
Scoop out eggplant pulp and discard skin. Place pulp, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan with thyme and broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes.
Puree in batches in food processor or blender (don't overfill) or mix with immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in ff evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer, thinning with more broth if desired. Season with salt & pepper.

Review:
I added more vegetables to the original recipe for this, found on BCB. It was nice and thick with a roasted garlic flavor. I would definitely make this soup again because I love soup and it’s nice to have a creamy soup that does not contain potatoes.

Moroccan Crockpot Chicken

2008-12-29T20:19:00.005-05:00

Ingredients:

8 Boneless/skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
2 onions, peeled and sliced into sections
1 bag baby carrots
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 cans mandarin oranges in water, drained

1 cup water with the following added:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. red cayenne
Juice of one lemon

Spray inside of large crockpot with olive oil Pam.

Layer ingredients in crockpot in this order:
onions
carrots
water/lemon/spice mixture
chicken
olive oil
oranges

Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Serve over couscous or rice

Review: This is a BCB recipe that I changed a little. I don't have a lot of experience cooking chicken thighs but they were so tender and flavorful in this dish. I shredded the chicken with two forks a little when it was done cooking. The dish was quite saucy and I actually used liquid from the dish to make my whole wheat couscous. I would definitely make this again.

Chicken Amandine

2008-12-29T18:05:00.002-05:00

Chicken Amandine
Serves 9
4 pts per serving

16 oz raw chicken, cut into bite sized cubes
1 package (6 oz) Stove Top chicken stuffing
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 1/2 c water
1 can 98% ff cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
2 c frozen green beans (I use brocoli, I like it WAY better)
1/2 c rf shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Place chicken in 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with seasoning. Combine stuffing mix with water. Mix soup and milk until combined. Stir in green beans. Spread over chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Top with stuffing mixture. Bake 30 mins or until chicken is heated through.

Recipe also says this serves 6, but I always divide a 13x9 dish into 9 servings. Points for 6 servings are 6.5

REVIEW: Lindsey gave me this recipe (above are her modifications) and it was OK. Easy to make, tasted good, but nothing totally 'spectacular' though. I doubled the broccolli and probably would sprinkle a bit of salt on the chicken next time. I also divided it up into 6 servings (7pts, rounded up) which w/ a side of veggies was very filling! Here is a second picture of my plate: Picture#2

Chicken Sausage Pizza

2008-12-29T12:29:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:
1 light whole grain flat out (1pt)
1-2 tbs of red sauce (1pt)
1 serving mozz cheese (2pts - I used Weight Watchers)
1 sun dried tomato chicken sausage (3pts - from Trader Joes)
Chopped onion and peppers (0pt - I used frozen)

Total - 7 pts for a LARGE serving

Directions:
Heat oven and spray baking sheet with no cal spray. Put flat out on sheet and put in oven. While flat out is cooking, prepare other ingredients - thaw and drain onions and peppers, slice sausage, measure out cheese, etc. When flat out gets slightly crispy, take out and make pizza! Sauce, sausage, veggies, cheese. Put back in oven and cook until cheese melts.

The trick is not cooking it too much or too little before you dress it - you don't want it to be soggy but you also don't want it to burn. Good luck!

Creamy Steel Cut Oats

2008-12-29T08:02:00.004-05:00

It's cold outside and this breakfast is sure to warm you up! Steel cut oats are filling and delicious and this preparation makes them a winner! Plus it's super easy and cooks w/o constant attention.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups water
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat free buttermilk
brown sugar and cinnamon

Directions:

1. Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil.
2. In a different saucepot, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 min to toast.
3. Add the boiling water to the oats. Reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Keep at low simmer for 25 minutes w/o stirring.
5. Combine the milk and buttermilk with the oatmeal. Stir gently to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Spoon into serving bowl. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp more ff buttermilk.

Nutritional Info: Core as written. If you use low fat buttermilk, it may add a point or so to each serving, but I don't know the nutritional info for low fat buttermilk so I can't say for sure.

Review: I love oats this way. A long time ago, a BCB buddy named suzie_lightening gave me this recipe and it really is the best oats prep I have found. You could use low-fat buttermilk, but my store only had fat free or whole, so I went with the fat free. I make a big batch and take it for breakfast over the week. I just put the cinnamon and brown sugar in the big batch when it's done and store it. Then in the morning, I put my serving in a dish and put a splash of buttermilk in and take to work. Then at work, I stir it all up and microwave about 1.5 minutes. Delish! People like to mix in all kinds of things - nuts, dried fruit, ect. Be creative!

Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Chowder

2008-12-28T19:13:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe from weightwatchers.com

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup(s) onion(s), diced
3/4 cup(s) carrot(s), diced
1/2 cup(s) celery, diced
4 cup(s) vegetable broth
28 oz canned tomatoes, diced, in juice, undrained
15 oz canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup(s) kale, frozen, chopped
1 cup(s) frozen cut green beans
1/2 tsp table salt
1 cup(s) dry textured vegetable protein, granules (TVP)
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:
* Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, carrots and celery. Saute 5 minutes until onion is translucent. Add broth, tomatoes and juice, beans, TVP, garlic, fennel and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes.

* Stir in kale, green beans, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until vegetables and TVP are tender. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving. (Note: Store in refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for future consumption.)

Simply Filling Recipe or 3 pts per serving

When I made this, I subbed spinach for the kale and I omitted the TVP - I'm not sure if it would change the points - maybe down to 2 pts / serving without the TVP? It was very delicious and hearty. It's a very filling serving and a perfect fall/winter soup. The fennel really makes this soup special.

Baked Rotini w/ Asparagus and Beef Sauce

2008-12-28T18:34:00.005-05:00

So tonight's dish is a recipe from the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. One of my new favorite places to get awesome and healthy recipes. This recipe makes 6 servings of 1.5 cups each as written, but I think that serving is HUGE. This is a dense casserole and very filling. One full sized serving is 8 points or no-count on simply filling/core (at least I'm 99% sure it is). But like I said, you can easily half this and have a 4 pt serving and be completely satisfied or add a salad to it for a bigger meal.

Ingredients
12 oz whole wheat rotini (original recipe called for penne, but I used rotini since I already had it)
3/4 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 lb lean ground meat (original recipe called for turkey, but I used beef since it was on sale)
3 cups spaghetti sauce (original recipe called for no-salt added tomato sauce, but I used what I had)
1 cup fat free mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (original recipe called for parmigiano-reggiano, but again, used what I had at home)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta as directed on box. During the last few minutes of boiling the pasta, add the asparagus and let boil together. Drain when done and return to pot.
3. While cooking pasta, brown ground meat. When lightly browned, drain and add spaghetti (or tomato) sauce. I seasoned in this step w/ basil, garlic, oregano, and a touch of pepper. Continue cooking until the sauce is heated through.
4. Add the meat sauce to the pasta/asparagus combo and stir to combine.
5. Coat a 3 qt. baking dish w/ cooking spray. Add 1/2 the pasta combo then 1/2 the mozzarella. Add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan (or parmigiano-reggiano cheese).
6. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Let rest 5-10 min before serving.

Thoughts: YUM! I really enjoyed it. The boy said it was like hamburger helper and really liked it too. Next time I make it, I'll try it with turkey vs. beef. And use the tomato sauce vs. the spaghetti sauce. But hey, I was trying to be frugal :) Anyway very good, extremely filling, and healthy. On top of the stats vital to WW, this dish has 28 whopping grams of protein in the full serving. It will fill you up and keep you full, at least it did for me. The other thing I really like - is that most of these ingredients I have around the house all the time, so it's easy to whip up w/o a major shopping trip. I had most of the stuff, or a good equivalent at home. And you could probably use different veggies/meats/pastas to mix it up and stay with what you already have and on a budget.

Grits Casserole!

2008-12-08T09:56:00.004-05:00

So I just wanted to share one of my FAVORITE recipes for core. Really, it doesn't matter if you are on Weight Watchers, eating clean, or just trying to be healthy - it's a winner all round. It's an anytime dish. Grits are usually a breakfast food, but can be eaten for any meal of the day. The best part is that you can really do what you want with it. It's a good "base" recipe. I've made it 3 or 4 different ways over the last year or so. I also should note that as a faux southern belle - especially when i'm doing core - I tend to be horrible with measuring when cooking. It's just until it looks right, which is how my grandmother and mom taught me how to cook. Makes cooking on flex hard, but on core, it's a blessing for me. Especially for dishes like this, where measurements don't really matter since this dish can be 100% core. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Basic grits casserole instructions:
1.5 cups water
3/4 cups grits
2-3 eggs (i have used eggs or egg beater equivalents and there is no difference in the final product)
splash milk
salt/pepper

Instructions:

Set oven to 350 degrees. Cook the grits like normal (like you cook any other grain - rice, couscous, ect. boil water, add while stirring, let sit til water is absorbed). Add the remaining ingredients.

Now, you have two options at this point. Either cook now or add in other items. Some combos I like are:

1. garlic
2. garlic, cheese, diced ham, chili powder (just a splish!)
3. cheese, garlic

Add as much of these as you like. Really, I never measure. If you are making a core recipe, obviously use FF cheese and lean ham for option #2. You can add butter if you like, but in my opinion, you don't need it. The first time I made it, I used butter, but I haven't since then and haven't missed it.

After you have added what you like (or don't add), pour into a glass baking dish sprayed with pam. The dish size will depend on your mix ins, but I usually use my 8x8 pyrex or a regular sized pie dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Dish up and enjoy! If you want to be authentic southern, serve the basic or basic w/ garlic and cheese grits with a side of nicely seasoned shrimp. YUM! You can also have with salsa on top for a real south of the border treat (especially good when you used a little chili powder).

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

2008-12-03T20:23:00.006-05:00

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped white onions
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed, drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 package Crumbled fat free feta cheese
Optional-Cooked, diced chicken breast (I used a 20 oz package)

Preparation:
Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro; cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and cheese, if desired.

Serves 6 as a main dish with chicken added.

Review:
This was a delicious meal. I added chicken to make it a main dish. At first it seemed like the feta may be a strange addition but it was a nice addition to the flavor because it added a little saltiness. Jason had thirds.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

2008-11-10T11:46:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. (6 oz.) chicken flavored Stove Top Stuffing
1/2 cup water
1lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup KRAFT part-skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes with liquid in medium bowl. Add garlic, stuffing mix and water; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

6 servings, 6 Points each

Review:
This is a really good chicken dish. I like to layer a little of the stuffing mixture over the chicken , add the cheese and then top with the remaining stuffing. I have usually served this with a salad and a simple vegetable because this is very flavorful.

Mushroom Barley “Risotto”

2008-11-10T11:43:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 cups water
4 cups Chicken Broth
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package mushrooms,sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine barley and water in a bowl. Let stand for 2 hours; drain. Or combine barley and water in pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes and drain. (When I have cooked rather than soaked, the barley, I have reduced the chicken broth to 2 cups)

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, add garlic and cook one more minute. Add mushrooms cook 3 minutes. Add barley, and broth to the mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, sage, and (second tablespoon of olive oil if desired).

Core + 1 for cheese , serves 5-6

Review:
This is a delicious, creamy side dish. The fresh sage gives it a woodsy flavor and the cheese makes it creamy. I think it goes well with beef or would also be good with chicken. It’s one of my favorite Core sides and Jason really enjoys it too.

Smothered Chicken with Pierogies

2008-11-10T11:41:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
1 box Mrs. T's frozen Potato and Cheddar Cheese pierogies
1 can (10 3/4 oz) low-fat cream of chicken or low-fat cream of mushroom
1 8 oz package mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Thaw pierogies in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain, and place in casserole dish.

In a large saucepan, combine soup, mushrooms, peas and chicken. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until heated through. Pour over pierogies. Bake 15 minutes.

4 servings, 7 POINTS each

Review:
This is a comforting dish that tastes similar to chicken pot pie. I think it makes 4 generous servings and when I have made it, I have divided it into 5 or 6 servings. I usually eat 2 pierogies when I eat it and Jason likes to eat 3. I also add a little more skim milk to the sauce and some more veggies sometimes.

Salmon and Tuna Loaf

2008-11-03T20:27:00.005-05:00

Ingredients:
15 oz can Pink Alaskan Salmon - drained
7 oz can white chunk light tuna in water - drained
2 c dried bread crumbs (I used 5 slices oven toasted light wheat)
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Parsley
1 small onion, minced
Juice of 1 medium lemon
1/3 cup skim milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pan lightly with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In med. bowl, stir in egg, parsley, olive oil, onion, salt, pepper, milk, lemon, and bread crumbs. Fold in tuna and salmon until well blended. Put in pan. Bake 45 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 6

Review:
I thought this was pretty good and something I could keep most of the ingredients in the pantry for. Jason is not really a fan of salmon and I don’t think he much cared for this. I think I’ll make it once in a while just for something different.

I count this as Core +1 because of the bread. I combined a couple recipes to make this but did see one that used 1 cup of quick oats in place of the bread crumbs. I may try that some time because it would make the recipe completely Core.

Crockpot Ribs and Kraut

2008-10-23T22:04:00.012-04:00

Ingredients:
Boneless Pork Ribs (I used 5 pieces of meat - maybe 1.25-1.5 lbs)
Bag of saurkraut, drained
1 can beer (I used Bud Light :-) )

Directions:
Put all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for about 4. I wound up doing high for about 3, then low for another 3, to keep warm until we had dinner.

Review:
So simple and delicious. Very filling - good man-type comfort food. It was really tender.

PS - Sorry I can't figure out the picture. No matter how small I make it, it still comes up as giant.

Deli Roasted Chicken

2008-10-20T20:43:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Olive oil or cooking spray
Lawry's seasoned salt -no substitutes
Aluminum foil

Directions:
Clean chicken inside and out. Spray with olive oil or cooking spray. Sprinkle with Lawry's. Spray inside of crock with cooking spray. Roll some aluminum foil into balls and put them in the bottom of the crock. The chicken is going to sit on these. Put chicken back side down in crock on top of aluminum balls. Cook on High (will not come out the same on low), 4-6 hours.
Note: Do not add water to the crock.

Review:
This recipe was really easy to make. The chicken turned out very moist and the foil balls kept the fat away from the chicken as it cooked. I don’t think that I put enough Lawry’s salt on it because I couldn’t taste it very much. I recently made a roast chicken in the oven and put dried rosemary and thyme in the cavity and I think I would do that next time in addition to adding a little more seasoning salt.

Lowfat Potato Leek Soup

2008-10-20T17:17:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon butter
4 cups sliced leeks (whites + 1" green)
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrot
1 32 ounce package Ore Ida Southern Style Hash browns (the ones that are fat free)
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 package (3/4 oz) chopped fresh dill

Directions:
1. Saute leeks, carrots and celery in butter in large pot for about 10 minutes, until soft.
2. Add potato, broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Puree in blender or with immersion blender and return to pot.
4. Let cool for at least 30 minutes and stir in buttermilk and dill.

Review:
This is a delicious, creamy soup with a mild flavor. I find it to be comfort food. I don’t find it to be filling enough for a meal on its own but it is good as a side or with something else. When frozen, it does separate a little but is fine when reheated. This makes a large amount of soup, about 20 cups but you could easily make a half batch. I got this recipe from BCB and have modified it some. I think it’s 2 points per cup due to me adding more buttermilk. I do use a little less butter and the frozen potatoes as well.

Split Pea and Ham Soup

2008-10-20T17:13:00.006-04:00

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, diced
2 c carrots, peeled and diced
1 c celery, diced
2 lbs. dry spilt peas
8-12 cups water
1 lb. lean ham, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook onions, celery and carrots in large soup pot until tender (use cooking spray or water to prevent sticking). Add rinsed split peas, ham, water and spices and cook about 2 hours or until peas are soft. Add more water if necessary to thin soup. Remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 20 cups.

Review:
I know split pea soup is not something that everyone likes but it is Jason's and my favorite. When we first got married, I never made split pea soup because Jason said he didn’t like it. A few years ago, I decided to make some just for me and had him try it. Now we’re always fighting over the last bowl. I like this soup for lunch because it is very filling and high in fiber.

Italian Beef

2008-10-10T20:43:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:
3 lb. round roast, trimmed of fat
1 packet au jus seasoning
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing (Zesty for spicy flavor)
1 small jar pepperocini peppers
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Combine and cook on low 10 hours in the crock pot or until tender enough to shred with a fork. When tender, pull apart and serve on buns with au jus on the side.

Review:
This was pretty spicy but very good. I served it with provolone cheese. I gave Jason a hoagie bun and ate mine on a 1 point wheat bun. We just had a salad along with it. I’m sure you could use other types of beef but the round roast was on sale and Core so I just used that.

Simple Miso Soup

2008-10-08T19:59:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1/2 package firm tofu, cubed
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup miso paste

Preparation:
Heat water to just under boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in miso paste until dissolved. Add tofu and gently heat until tofu is warm, without boiling. Serve and sprinkle with scallions.

Serves 4

Review:
This was super easy to make and very delicious. I got the miso paste in an Asian grocery store a couple blocks from my house. It was in the refridgerator section and I ended up having to buy a pretty big box of it so I’ll be enjoying miso soup often!
* I think miso soup is core! ;) It's only the miso paste I wonder about but the recipe only contains 4 points worth of that.

Mexican Fiesta Salad

2008-10-07T20:44:00.006-04:00

Ingredients:
1 15oz can of corn
1 15oz can of black beans
1/2 red or purple onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
Fresh cilantro to taste (I use one whole bunch)
1 cup cooked wheatberries
2 diced chicken breasts

Juice of one or two limes
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and lemon pepper to taste

Preparation:
Drain corn and beans. Add onion, wheatberries, chicken, cilantro and red peppers. In separate bowl, stir together oil, lemon juice, lemon pepper and a few dashes salt. Pour dressing over salad.

Serves about 6

Review: This is one of Jason’s favorite recipes since he really likes both lime and cilantro. The original recipe did not have chicken or wheatberries in it. Since we like it so much, we wanted to make it more of a main dish. With the added chicken and wheatberries, it’s filling and delicious. I have also made it without chicken when I am bringing it somewhere as a side. For a special tread, add some diced avocado right before serving.

Pasta w/chicken sausage

2008-10-06T23:31:00.005-04:00

Super easy and quick, and not too bad in the points department!

Ingredients:

1/2 box of pasta (i used Ronzoni smart taste)
1 bottle Prego sauce
1 tsp italian seasoning
4 chicken sausage links, sweet italian (3 pts each)
1 tbsp olive oil
sprinkle of parm cheese

Directions:

boil pasta, drain and set aside. slice sausage and brown in olive oil. Add sauce and italian seasoning, sautee for a few minutes. Serve, sprinkle parm cheese.

Makes approximately 6 servings, 6 pts each.

Review: With a newborn at home, i dont have a lot of time, so this recipe was perfect. The picture doesn't do it much justice, it was very tasty. You can use whichever pasta you'd like (i just happened to have elbows on hand). I usually use the Barilla mix, and i still prefer it over the Ronzoni...anyway, i will be making this again.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

2008-10-06T21:57:00.008-04:00

Ingredients
2 cans Campbell's 98% FF soup (i did celery and broccoli)
2/3 cup skim milk
4oz jar of sliced mushrooms
3 cups broccoli (frozen)
2 tsp garlic powder
5 full sized chicken breasts (frozen)
1/4 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese
1/4 cup ian's panko whole wheat breadcrumbs

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 5 chicken breasts in an ungreased pan.
2. Mix first 5 ingredients well in a bowl. Spread mixture over the chicken breasts
3. Mix the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the pan.
4. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Serving: 1/2 chicken breast and 1/10th of the sauce/topping mixture (approx 1/3 cup).
Points: 3 for chicken (3oz) + 2 for sauce + topping

Review: I love this dish! I had it with 1/3 cup brown rice and it was very filling! It is very easy to throw together after work and pop in the oven while you do a workout or listen to your videolecture for class :) I've made this dish before and I made 1/2 the recipe. I only made this big a batch so after my boyfriend eats the equivalent of 2 of my servings, we would still some leftovers. Highly recommended comfort food with a low fat twist! You can also use other vegetables if broccoli isn't your thing.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

2008-10-05T23:58:00.003-04:00

Ingredients
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used SOY parm for core)
2 teaspooons paprika
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used dried parsley)
4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total)

1 lemon, cut into wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400º. In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

REVIEW: I really liked this simple recipe. I had everything in my pantry already. It was a nice kick to my usual plain tilapia filets. I would definitely make this again, yummy!

Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini and Tomato

2008-09-30T21:01:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
12 oz. dry whole wheat pasta
12 tsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchinis, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped fresh basil
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 pound bay scallops
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta 5 min. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil, add garlic and cook until tender. Add the zucchini, salt, red pepper flakes, dried basil (if using) and saute for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, bay scallops, and fresh basil (if using) and simmer for 5 minutes, or until scallops are opaque.
3. Add drained pasta, toss and simmer for a few minutes to absorb some of liquid. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Makes 6 servings
WW points: 6.5 or CORE + cheese

Review:
I thought this was really good. My skillet was NOT big enough for me to toss everything together - so after I drained the pasta I added everything to the pasta pot, which helped alot of the stuff get lost to the bottom of the pot. I might cook the scallops separately and then add them to the veggies so as not to overcook. Yummy recipe though and my first foray with scallops (and seafood, really).

Save My Life Veggie Salad

2008-09-30T18:12:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or 1 english cucumber)
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
½ large sweet onion, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can corn, drained (I used fire roasted corn from TJ's)

Mix all the above ingredients and chill. If you leave the tomatoes out until serving, it lasts for up to a week in the fridge. I used a spoonful of my tzatziki (which I wound up food processing) for the dressing and it is great. The original recipe suggested using Ken's Sweet Vidalia dressing, but I could not find it.

Review:
Delicious. Maybe too cold for chillier weather, but this will be great for summer!

Simple Chicken Pot Pie

2008-09-28T08:37:00.003-04:00

Simple & Delicious Chicken Pot Pie (5 Pts)

4 servings, 5 points each

INGREDIENTS
7.5 oz. can Pillsbury buttermilk refrigerated biscuits
12 1/2 oz. can cooked chicken breast, drained **I usually cook 12 oz. chicken breast instead**
10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
8 1/2 oz. can of peas and carrots, drained
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, soup, peas and carrots, parsley, black pepper and salt. Mix well to combine.

Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken mixture in baking dish. Slightly flatten biscuits between your palms. Top chicken mixture evenly with biscuits.

Bake for 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:
268 cal., 2.7 g. fat, 2.5 g. fiber

REVIEW: I thought it was a pretty good dish, but not something really rave-able though. On the other hand, Chris LOVED it and went for seconds. He was a little baffled at first, bc this recipe is more of a deconstructed chicken pot pie. But after the first bite, he devoured the rest! It definitely is comfort food. I'd recommend trying it out at least once. Really easy and cheap to make also.

Mole Chicken

2008-09-27T20:24:00.005-04:00

Ingredients:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
2 teaspoons Canola Oil
1 15oz can Tomato Sauce
1/2 c Medium Picante Sauce
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. oregano
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
dash of nutmeg
dash of cinnamon
dash of clove

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet. Brown chicken two to three minutes on each side.

Mix well all other ingredients, then add to skillet.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 15 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan.

Increase heat on sauce and stir until thickened, approx. 3-5 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Review:
Jason and I really like this dish. It's pretty easy to make and I usually have all of the ingredients in the pantry. I ordered this at a restaurant once and really liked this version better. I like to serve it with brown rice, fire roasted corn, refried beans and or avocado. As you can see, I had all of the mentioned sides tonight!

Tzatziki

2008-09-25T20:59:00.001-04:00

1 large English Cucumber or 2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tsp salt
2 cups ff greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2-5 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped or 2 tbsp dried mint
salt and pepper

Place diced cucumber in colander, sprinkle with salt, and mix well. Set colander in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to drain 3-6 hours.

Pat cucumbers dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the yogurt and stir to combine. Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and mint. Season to taste with additional garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Makes 6 1/2 cup servings = 1 healthy oil.

Review:

I would use less mint I think...but then again, I'm not a fan of mint. I used a lot of garlic - like 7 cloves and it might have been too much. But I think it'll be better sitting over night.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

2008-09-24T21:38:00.007-04:00

Ingredients:
1 15-oz can pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
2 Eggs
1/2 cup DaVinci or Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
1 T. pumpkin pie spices (or combination or cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves)
1/2 cup Cream of Wheat (uncooked) or 2 packages instant cream of wheat

Directions:
Mix the wet ingredients together with wire whisk, then add in dry. Pour into 8" square pan (or pie pan) sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 60 minutes in 350 degree oven. Tastes great warm, but is extra delicious cold - and totally CORE!

Review:
I think this is a pretty good substitute for pumpkin pie. It especially works for me because I don't like pie crust.

Easy Spicy Black Bean Soup

2008-09-24T21:10:00.009-04:00

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Optional Garnishes:
Salt and pepper
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chopped red onion

Directions:
In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and peppers and cook until tender about 5-8 minutes. Stir in spices and toss to coat vegetables. Pour in stock and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. In a blender, puree half of the soup until smooth and stir back into soup pot. Serve hot with garnishes.

Review:
This is a delicious and easy soup. It's quite spicy and I think best served with some fat free sour cream and cheddar cheese. I also get to use my hand blender for this recipe, which is a plus in my book!

Tuscan Chickpea Soup

2008-09-24T20:45:00.009-04:00

Garlic, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan cheese deliver authentic Mediterranean flavors.

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese if desired.
Recipe from cooking light

Nutritional Information (including cheese)
Calories: 373 (22% from fat)
Fat: 9.1g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.6g)
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrate: 59.7g
Fiber: 11.4g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Iron: 3.7mg
Sodium: 955mg
Calcium: 197mg

Review:
I thought this was very good. I really liked the flavor of the balsamic vinegar and rosemary in the soup. It also had a nice garlic flavor. Jason had cheese on his and I didn't add any to mine. It was filling due to all of the fiber! I used my hand blender rather than putting it in the blender.

Braised Porkchop

2008-09-24T20:13:00.004-04:00

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 bone-in pork loin chops, 3/4-thick each
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Combine seasonings; sprinkle over pork chops. In a nonstick skillet, cook chops in oil until browned on both sides. Add water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until tender. Remove meat and keep warm. Combine cornstarch and broth until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over pork chops.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 pork chop with 2 tablespoons gravy) equals 180 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 83 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 23 g protein.

REVIEW: A fav recipe from BCB (posted by Christine P. in the CORE forums) that I cook from time to time. It's the only way I cook porkchops that I've liked so far. Usually I add more around 1c of water to braise the meat further. It is VERY tender and tastes like yummy comfort food. Chris likes it a lot too! In the picture above, I added caramelized onions on top and a side of mushrooms (that simmered in ff beef broth).

Cheesecake Tarts

2008-09-20T21:34:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:

8 oz fat free whipped topping
1 box ff/sf cheesecake pudding mix
1/3 cup ff milk
6 strawberries, washed and sliced in half
6 small graham cracker cups
ff redi whip (optional)

Directions:

Mix the pudding mix into the ff whipped topping. Add the milk and stir through. Portion the mixture evenly into the 6 graham cracker cups. Place 2 strawberry halves on each tart. Put FF redi whip on top if desired.

Review: O thought it was funny that I gave him a little tart and a little spoon, lol. But I like this desert. The portions are controlled and small and really tasty. It tastes like cheesecake, which is obviously way too decadent for dessert more than every once in a while. I got this idea from something my nutritionist mentioned I should try for my sweet tooth. You could always adapt this to make it something new. You could use a different pudding mix and/or a different fruit to make it to your liking. Enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Pepper

2008-09-16T22:29:00.003-04:00

4 medium sweet peppers
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 c. instant brown rice
1 medium onion chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 can 28 oz. tomatoes
1 can 8oz tomato sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. splenda
1/4 tsp. dried basil

Combine all ingredients (except for the peppers + tomato sauce).
Cut out the top of the pepper, rinse out seeds.
Put mixture into pepper, leaving leftovers in the casserole dish.
Top each pepper with some tomato sauce, using the rest of the sauce to cover the leftover mixture.
Bake at 350' for one hour.

(I garnished my peppers with shredded soy cheddar cheese)

*Serving size is 4 if you use smaller peppers, but I bought this gigantic peppers and we could only eat half a pepper each.

REVIEW: This was pretty good! I was originally going to make Deb's version, but then wasn't so sure if Chris would like the cottage cheese.. so I found this recipe on cooks.com and tweaked it a little bit. I liked it a lot (but my taste buds aren't too picky), so the ultimate test was with Chris..and he liked it a lot too! It was quite filling. I added a side salad to the plate and that plus half a pepper each was more than satisfying.

Artichoke and Feta Topped Chicken Breasts

2008-09-15T19:37:00.008-04:00

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup soft sun dried tomatoes, julienned
3/4 c artichoke hearts, chopped
3 ounces fat free feta crumbles
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 c boiling water

Directions:
Mix everything other than chicken in a bowl. Place chicken breasts in 9 x 13 pan and top chicken breasts with mixture. Bake at 375 until done, about 45 minutes.

Serves 4

Review:
I created this recipe with some of our favorite ingredients. I think it's really good. It's one of Jason's favorites.

Lemon-Greek Mahi Mahi

2008-09-14T21:14:00.012-04:00

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Greek seasoning
4 mahi-mahi fillets (about 6 oz each)

Directions:

1. Mix lemon juice, oil, and greek seasoning in a pie plate or shallow bowl. You can make your own greek seasoning if you don't want to buy it with oregano, salt, and pepper. I used greek seasoning. Remove and reserve 1 Tbsp. Add fish to pie plate and turn to coat. Marinate 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan.

3. Grill fish 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through. Remove to serving platter and drizzle with reserved lemon juice mixture. Scatter onions on top.

Nutritional Info (one serving = 1 fillet)
Calories: 198g
Fiber: 0g
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 1g
Protein: 40g

Review: Sooo delish!! The serving is really filling. The picture is the plate I made for O, I gave him some steamfresh rice and veggies as a side. Since this dish has practically no carbs and a ton of protein, you can easily serve something carby on the side and still have a balanced meal. I love the flavor of the lemon and Greek seasoning and the aroma is to die for. No fishy smell here. I will probably cut my fillet in half and eat them as mini-meals with a side of brown rice and green veggies. I cooked mine in a grill pan coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Summer Museli

2008-09-14T20:01:00.012-04:00

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup quick oats
1 cup nonfat, plain yogurt
2/3 c frozen berries (raspberries or mixed berries)

Directions:

Mash banana and add cinnamon. Stir in yogurt and oats. Fold in berries. Let sit in the refrigerator at least several hours or overnight.

Serves 1.

Review:
Although it doesn’t look very pretty, I think this is a satisfying breakfast or snack. It’s one of my favorite easy recipes. I made this version with frozen mixed berries . The bag contained raspberries, blueberries and blackberries but my favorite is just making it with the banana and frozen raspberries.

9-Can Chili

2008-09-14T19:55:00.005-04:00

Ingredients:
1 lb extra lean ground beef
2 onions, chopped
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
2 cans diced tomatoes w/garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (I used tomato sauce made for chili)
1 can white beans (I used garbanzo)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans (I used spicy chili beans)
1 package powdered chili seasoning

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion, drain. Combine all ingredients in large pot and heat to boil and simmer to let flavors blend. I simmered for two hours. It had the perfect amount of spice for us - you might like it spicier or milder. You can use beans w/out spicy seasoning for more mild or the spicier flavoring for spicier.

Review:
Perfect for the cool, fall weather. Spicy, hearty, and warms you to the bone. Would be great with a dollop of sour cream and corn muffins or bread. I served with some garlic texas toast which was also delish. Another two thumbs up from Z...but I think he loves everything! I do believe this is also Core.

Whole Wheat Penne with Broccoli, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

2008-09-14T19:53:00.009-04:00

Ingredients:

1 ½ c whole wheat penne, cooked al dente
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 c fresh broccoli florets
½ cup soft sun dried tomatoes, julienned
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons dried basil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 oz. goat cheese

Directions:

Cook noodles to al dente. In sauté pan, heat olive oil and add broccoli and spices. Add ¼ to ½ cup pasta water as needed to cook. After 1-2 minutes add garlic and sun dried tomatoes and cook 2-4 more minutes. After serving on plate, sprinkle one ounce goat cheese per plate.

Serves 2

Core + 2 points for goat cheese

Review:
I had a pasta dish like this at a restaurant with my mother when I was a teenager and I think this is a pretty close, but healthier version. Now that I’ve slowly converted Jason to tolerating broccoli, I make this dish every couple of months. It is a quick meal and great for a week night. You can substitute fat free feta to make the dish Core but I really like the goat cheese in it. It is also good with fresh parmesan cheese on top.

Mexican Bulgur and Beans

2008-09-14T18:32:00.010-04:00

Ingredients:

medium onion, diced
1 ½ cups bell pepper strips
1 Tablespoon canola oil
½ c bulgur
1 can diced tomatoes and hot green chilies
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water
¾ cup fire roasted corn
1 can black or pinto beans, drained

Directions:

Cook onions and peppers in oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and bulgur and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer 5 minutes. Add corn and beans and simmer an additional 8-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Makes 4 servings.

Review:

I really like this dish for lunch. It’s very easy, vegetarian and doesn’t contain any rice, potatoes or pasta so it keeps my carbohydrate choices open for Core. You could easily reduce the oil for cooking the onions but I like to get an oil serving in with this recipe.

Apple Dumplings

2008-09-12T21:57:00.010-04:00

Ingredients:
3 sm-med apples (tart, if possible)
1 package crescent rolls (in tube)
cinnamon
sugar (or sub)
lemon juice

Directions:
Peel and core apples. I chunked them into about 1" pieces. Squirt with lemon juice. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over apples - I used 6 packets of Splenda and two separate really good shakes of cinnmaon. Roll out crescent rolls on greased cookie sheet - DO NOT PULL ROLLS APART INTO TRIANGLES. Separate the crescent rolls into rectangles. Place apple mixture in the middle of each rectangle. Bring in the ends of the rectangles and pinch at the top. Bake for ~8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

The recipe I based it off of is here.

Nutrition (per 1 dumpling):
Crescent roll - 110 cal, 6 fat, 0 fiber x2
~3/4 apple - 60 cal, 0 fat, 2 fiber
Sugar - count what you use
Points for my version - 7 pts

Review:
VERY good. A keeper. It would've been better if I made some kind of glaze for the top. But other than that, delish! 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up from Z. The reason he liked it so much is that it wasn't overly sweet, like many pastries.

Baked Creamy Spaghetti

2008-09-11T12:20:00.004-04:00

Baked Creamy Spaghetti
Makes 12 1-cup servings

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home Comfort Diet Foods. It really is filling and tastes really junk-foody. It's pretty carb heavy, but still packs a mean protein/fiber punch. It is a favorite of mine for those reasons.

Ingredients:
1 box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest whole wheat spaghetti style pasta
6 ounces lean beef
Gianelli Sweet Italian Sausage, 2 links w/ casing cut off
Green Peppers (bell peppers), .1/2 pepper
1 can Campbells 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom,
1 can Tomato Sauce,
1 can Campbell's Healthy Request, Tomato
Brown Sugar, 3 tsp unpacked
Kraft Mozzarella, Fat Free, 0.25 cup
1cup water
spices to taste: rosemary, marjoram, salt, pepper, oregano, basil

Directions:
Boil Spaghetti. While that's boiling, brown ground beef and sausages in a pan. Add green peppers to meat. Cook until done and drain. Add soups, water, brown sugar, seasonings to drained meat. Heat through. Add drained spaghetti to meat sauce and mix. Add cheese. Pour mixture into a greased 11x7 pan and bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Take cover off and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Addt'l cheese can be added during this time, but is not considered in the nutritional info for this recipe. When ready to serve, slice the pan into 12 servings (3 cuts lengthwise, 4 width wise) to make for easier portion control.

Nutritional info for 1/12th of the recipe (1 serving):

Calories: 202.0

Total Fat: 5.7 g
Cholesterol: 22.9 mg
Sodium: 467.0 mg
Total Carbs: 31.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
Protein: 11.5 g

Stuffed Peppers

2008-09-09T18:11:00.009-04:00

Stuffed Peppers
4 peppers
1 lb ground beef - cook and drain - add onions and garlic, saute
onions
garlic
ff or lf cottage cheese (drained)
1 c. cooked rice
tomatoes (stewed or diced, 15oz can)
tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and stuff in peppers - top with a spoonful of tomato sauce. Bake at 350 until peppers are tender. This is such an easy recipe to modify - I borrowed my mom's basic recipe and added the cottage cheese - it gives it an extra something special. I also like to use red and green peppers, 2 of each. When I cut the tops off, I chunk up the tops and put it in the stuffing. Any extra stuffing (and there is always extra) just goes around the peppers in the baking dish. I'm not sure about the WW points, but it is core if you use the extra lean ground beef, ff cottage cheese, and brown rice.

EDITED:
I made this tonight - I used about 3/4 lb of ground beef and probably 1/2 - 3/4 c. of cottage cheese.

Welcome!

2008-09-09T18:10:00.004-04:00

We're five friends who love to cook and we wanted a better way of sharing recipes we liked, than just emailing back and forth.

Guidelines:
I think we should use the labels really well - label what kind of dish it is: main, breakfast, appetizer, etc; what the main ingredient is: beef, poultry, vegetarian; and mabye the method of cooking: crock, oven, stove top.

Get posting ladies! I'm ready to cook!