Spinach Salad with Feta or Goat Cheese for 2 Weight Watchers Points

This salad has an easy-to-make dressing with a little kick to it and it goes well with the Chile Carmelized Pork Medallions I'll be posting soon (because I forgot to take a picture of them last week).

I don't like feta cheese, but Mr. F loves it, so leave the cheese off and allow people to "pick their poison" as they say for personal preferences.  

Ingredients:

Dressing:
   2 Tbs. Hoisin sauce
   1 Tbs. rice vinegar
   2 tsp. canola oil
   2 tsp. water
   1/4 tsp. chili paste

Salad:
   5-oz. pkg baby spinach
   1/2 c. yellow bell pepper
   1/4 c. thinly sliced red onion
   1/4 c. (1 oz) crumbled feta or goat cheese


Instructions:   Combine dressing ingredients in a container with a lid if you don't plan on using the entire salad in one sitting amongst your diners and apply only enough to each serving individually if so.  It doesn't store well after dressing application, but you can store it without the dressing on it.

Add spinach and remaining salad ingredients into a large bowl.   If going to eat the entire salad preparation in one night, apply all of the dressing and toss to coat.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  Calories 73; Fat 4.6 g (saturated 1.6g, mono 1.9g, poly 0.9g); Protein 22 g; Carbohydrates 6 g; Fiber 1 g; Cholesterol 9 mg; Iron 0.8 mg; Sodium 256 mg; Calcium 68 mg

Cauliflower Mash for 2 Weight Watchers Points

As I'm sure you are aware, cauliflower is the thang these days.  People turn it into pizza crust, sandwich bread layers, breadsticks, rice, etc.

I have an old recipe book from which I got this one and it is pretty close to actual mashed potatoes, so I'm sharing.  Nobody else in my Family had a clue it was cauliflower. 

I first tried using a hand mixer to turn the Florets into mashed potatoes, but no dice.  Just put them into the Food processor as suggested and save yourself 2 more pieces of utensils to wash.

Ingredients:

2 (10-oz) pkgs cauliflower florets (6 cups)
1 Tbs butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs evaporated milk
1/3 c. (2.7 oz.) tub-style light cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Steam cauliflower, covered, in a large pan 20 minutes or until very tender and drain.  Melt butter in same pan over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned.  Put cauliflower back in and add milk and remaining ingredients and stir.  Place cauliflower mixture in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

YIELD:  4 servings

SERVING SIZE:  about 1/2 cup

POINTS:  2 points

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  Calories 120 (51% from fat); Fat 6.8 g (sat 4.5 g); Protein 5.5 g; Carbohydrates 10.3 g; Fiber 3.6 g; Cholesterol 20 mg; Iron 0.7 mg; Sodium 461 mg; Calcium 83 mg

Acorn Squash with Maple Syrup for 2 Weight Watchers Points

The Fall season is Fast approaching, so here is a good squash recipe!   You can eat a whole half for only 2 Weight Watchers Winning points!

Ingredients:

1 (1 lb.) acorn squash
water
1 Tbs. light butter
1-1/2 Tbs maple syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place whole squash in microwave for a minute to make easier to cut in half.  Cut squash in half from stem to bottom.  Cover the bottom of a bake-safe dish that can be covered with a lid with water.  Maybe about 1/4" deep.  Place each squash half cut side down in water-lined baking dish and pierce each with a knife a couple of times. Cover and bake for about 40 minutes.

While squash is cooking, mix butter, syrup, and salt in a small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Spoon this mixture over cooked squash and sprinkle with cinnamon.

YIELD:  2 servings

SERVING SIZE:  1 squash half

POINTS:  2 points

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  Calories 134 (21% from fat); Fat 3.2 g (sat 1.8g); Protein 1.4 g; Carbohydrates 28.7 g; Fiber 2.7 g; Cholesterol 8 mg; Iron 1.4 mg; Sodium 202 mg, Calcium 69 mg

Roasted Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots for 2 Weight Watchers Points

Well, I'm not really sure what has happened to Pinterest while I was away for the summer, but it looks like you guys/girls, any of my readers, needs to create a description of each new recipe and pin it for a description to show up or for it to show up in an actual search???  All I'm getting is a picture now on Pinterest when I pin my own stuff.  It always winds up being about the marketing dollar and not us little guys who are actually trying to network socially versus advertise doesn't it?

If anybody wants to take pity on this tech-challenged lady and help me Figure out what I'm supposed to be doing now to reach people looking for recipes, it'd be greatly appreciated.  In the interim, I will be searching online to Figure it out. 

Frustrated is my F word for that reason.

Anyway, here is today's recipe for Roasted Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots for only 2 Weight Watchers Winning Points per 3/4-cup serving.

This is really easy and really Flavorful.  I just reserve some bacon from a morning session of frying it up in a pan; maybe some goes into a breakfast for the Family or some BLT's for a lunch, but I keep bacon aside for this later in the day and sometimes even the next day in the fridge until I make it. 

Ingredients:


1 (12-oz.) pkg pretrimmed green beans
2 small shallots
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
2 slices precooked bacon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Arrange beans in a single layer on a large jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 450 degrees for 13 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.  Crumble bacon and sprinkle over green beans.

YIELD:  3 servings
SERVING SIZE:  About 3/4 cup
POINTS:  2 points

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  Calories 98 (51% from fat); Fat 5.5 g (sat 1.2 g); Protein 4.2 g; Carbohydrates 9.8 g; Fiber 3.9 g; Cholesterol 6 mg; Iron 1.4 mg; Sodium 225 mg; Calcium 46 mg

Quick Pesto Pasta Tauce Recipe for 3 Weight Watchers Points

This side dish is quick and easy...I repeat quick and easy. I have to fight Mr F because he wants to eat it all by himself versus leaving any leftovers for me for quick points figuring.

Next time I make this, I'll try adding in a bit of chicken breast.  Let me know if you do that first and how you liked it please!

Ingredients:

4 oz.  uncooked multigrain penne pasta (1-1/4 c uncooked)
2 Tbs commercial pesto
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions omitting salt and fat.  Drain.  Combine pasta, pesto, and cheese in a bowl and toss well.

YIELD:  4 servings

SERVING SIZE:  1/2 cup

POINTS: 3 (Winning points)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  147 calories (29% from fat); 4.8 g Fat (0.8 g saturated); 6.3 g Protein; 20 g Carbs; 3 mg Cholesterol; 1.6 mg Iron; 93 mg Sodium; 38 mg Calcium

Goat Cheese Sandwich with Cucumber and Alfalfa Sprouts for 4 Weight Watchers Points

This is a light and refreshing snack recipe that I sometimes pair with this recipe for Spicy Vegetarian Black Bean Soup.  Yes, that is a lot of veggies!  I like it that way though, as the cheese and cucumber of the "sandwich" balances the spicy in the soup.

I also sometimes add a bit of other seasoning to the layer of goat cheese, such as garlic powder to switch up the Flavor.  Play around and make it your own that way!  It doesn't get any easier than this really.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. goat cheese
1 (2-oz) whole-grain English muffin, split, toasted
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 (1/8" thick) slices English cucumber
2 Tbs. alfalfa sprouts

Instructions:  Spread 1 tablespoon goat cheese on each half of warm English muffin.  Sprinkle with pepper (and seasoning of your choice to switch it up).  Top with 3 slices of cucumber each and about 1 tablespoon of alfalfa sprouts each and voila!

YIELD:  1 serving

SERVING SIZE:  2 halves

POINTS:  4 points

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  223 Calories (39% from fat); 9.7 g Fat (6.1 g saturated); 11.5 g Protein; 24.5 g Carbs; 4.1 g Fiber; 2.2 mg Cholesterol; 2 mg Iron; 508 mg Sodium; 240 mg Calcium

Spicy Vegetarian Black Bean Soup for 3 Weight Watchers Points

If you're pressed for time, this is a quick and easy soup to make!  The only real prep involved was mashing half of the black beans; the rest was prepackaged for an open-and-dump-in situation.

I paired this with the Goat Cheese Sandwich with Cucumber and Alfalfa sprouts recipe found here for a total of 7 Weight Watchers Winning points.  As soon as the sugars portion of this recipe is Figured out, I can share the Smart Points values.  Sorry, but old recipes just don't list sugars in the nutritional information and I haven't had the time while cooking to stop and figure them out myself.

I used a Chipotle-flavored meat crumble package, so that added a lot of flavor on it's own.  It was the only bag left, but I'm sticking with those because it worked.   I also had to make my own Mexican Spice blend because I couldn't find any at the store, so I'll include the mixture of spices I used for that as well in case you can't find it either.  I think the pepper stir-fry and fajita vegetables may be the same thing, but I'm not certain because, as is the story of my life, I couldn't find the pepper stir-fry mix either and went with the frozen fajita vegetables mix. 👌

Only Mr F is willing to give this a go.  As I've mentioned previously, the kids don't do beans of any color, shape or size.  If you find you won't eat this faster than it may spoil, then cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 (16-oz.) pkg frozen pepper stir-fry, slightly thawed
1 (12-oz.) pkg frozen meatless burger crumbles
1 (14-oz.) can organic vegetable broth
2 tsp. salt-free Mexican seasoning
1/2c (2 oz.) reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheese with jalapeno

Home-made Mexican Spice Blend/Seasoning:

2 Tbs. paprika
2 Tbs. no-salt-added chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne or ground chipotle pepper (optional)

Mix all Mexican spice blend ingredients together and store in an airtight container for future use.


Instructions:

Mash half of the beans with a fork or a potato masher.  Combine mashed beans and remaining beans in a large dutch oven.  Add pepper stir fry and next 4 ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese.

YIELD:  8 servings

SERVING SIZE:  1 cup soup and 1 Tablespoon of cheese

POINTS:  3 points

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  185 calories (18% from fat); 3.7 g Fat (0.9 g saturated); 14.1 g Protein; 24.9 g Carbs; 6.2 g Fiber; 5 mg Cholesterol; 3.1 mg Iron; 717 mg Sodium; 125 mg Calcium

Chicken Tenders with Pita Chip Coating for 2 Weight Watchers Winning Points

My youngest child requests this dish Frequently.  It happens to be a Family Favorite.  Family Favorites make for a stress-Free meal, and I know all to well that satisfying the Family members is the only way I can maintain a diet.

I tried breaking up the pita chips for this recipe in my food processor, but they just spent a lot of time flying around and not really breaking up.  I wound up using a sandwich baggie and and the bottom of a coffee mug to smash them into tiny bits.

(Raw and prepped for the oven)

As is usual when I don't have the sugar Figures for Figuring out the newer Smart Points, I am only currently able to list the Winning Weight Watchers Points, so if you don't see Smart Points below my recipes, then you need to Figure out the new points by obtaining the Sugar figures necessary.  

Ingredients:

1/2 c. egg substitute
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 c. Parmesan, Garlic and Herb pita chips, finely crushed
1 Tbs. salt-free Italian seasoning
8 (2-oz.) chicken breast tenders
Cooking Spray
1/2 c tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Classico), warmed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Break up pita chips using a plastic zip-seal sandwich bag and your choice of tool to crush.  Heat a large baking sheet in oven 5 minutes.  While baking shet heats up, combine the egg substitute and pepper in a shallow dish to accommodate your chicken tenders.  Combine the chips and Italian seasoning in another shallow dish to allow for dredging the tenders after the egg dip.  Really pat the chip coating on there.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spray with cooking spray.  Place coated chicken tenders onto the baking tray and place into the oven.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until done and warm the tomato-basil pasta sauce in a small saucepan.   When done baking serve up with warm pasta sauce.

YIELD:  8 servings

SERVING SIZE:  1 chicken breast tender and 1 Tablespoon pasta sauce

POINTS:  2 points

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  79 Calories (11% from fat); 1 g Fat (0.1 g saturated); 14.3 g Protein; 3.7 g Carbs; 0.5 g Fiber; 33 mg Cholesterol; 0.8 mg Iron; 120 mg Sodium; 13 mg Calcium