Chicken and Lentils in Apple-Curry Sauce

 

Make sure you get some good size chicken thighs for this dish because those suckers can shrink up big time, which is why my photo shows 2!  I only had a one-pound pack of chicken thighs instead of the 1-1/2 lbs this recipe calls for, so no biggie!  This is under 500 calories at 436!

Yes, there is 10 g of fat in this recipe but only 2 of them are saturated fats and chicken thighs have so much more flavor than chicken breasts.  Check out that 19 grams of fiber and 38 grams of protein though.   Very filling dish!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil
6 skinless/boneless chicken highs (about 1-1/2 lbs total)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs finely shredded fresh ginger
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs mild curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
3 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 c uncooked lentils, rinsed and drained
3 red and/or green cooking apples, cored and sliced
2 5-oz pkgs baby spinach (8 to 10 cups)

Instructions:

Rinse and drain dried lentils and set aside. 

Place oil in a large nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat and add chicken thighs once hot enough. Cook only 4 to 6 minutes per side turning once or just until nicely golden brown.  Remove (still undercooked chicken) from pan and set aside.

In the same pan add onion to skillet stirring and cooking for about 3 minutes and then add garlic and ginger stirring and cooking for another minute or so more.  Stir in tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala and 1/2 tsp salt mixing well.

Add chicken broth and lentils stirring well and place chicken thighs on top in pan.  Bring to a rapid boil and reduce heat to simmering and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Add sliced apples to skillet and cover and simmer for about another 10 minutes. Stir in about 3 cups of spinach until wilted.  No need to cook the spinach in.  The heat from the finished dish still in the pan will wilt your spinach nicely.

Divide the remaining 6 to 8 cups of spinach among the 6 plates or bowls to create a "bed" or a base.  Top each with the lentil-apple mixture and then the chicken thighs.

YIELDS: 6 Servings
SERVING SIZE:  1 thigh, 1-1/2 c spinach, 2/3 c lentil mixture

Nutritional Information:  436 calories, 10 g fat, (2 g sat fat), 108 mg cholesterol, 658 mg sodium, 49 g carb, 13.5 g sugars, 19 g fiber, 38 g protein

Kickin' Orzo Chicken Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

This cold chicken meal/pasta salad is such a refreshing twist on lunch and the homemade cilantro-lime dressing with a slight red pepper kick is definitely a keeper!  Save this one to put on more things for sure!

This salad is also really versatile!  You can change it up by using leftover pork tenderloin or grilled flank steak instead of the chicken and by using shelled edamame instead of the corn or red and yellow sweet peppers for the tomatoes!  I will share pics of the various tweaks I have tried in the future!

A time-saving tip is to utilize the breast portions from a rotisserie chicken removing the skin!

Notes:  I don't like feta cheese so in all recipes that call for feta, I substitute in creamy crumbled goat cheese.  A small avocado from those 4-count bags of avocados is sufficient for making the dressing!  And you may need more than one lime depending on the size and juiciness of the limes available to you. Lastly, while you can immediately eat this dish, allowing the flavors to combine overnight allow the flavors in the dressing to really blend well together so make ahead!

(dressing applied to bottom left salad)

Ingredients:

2/3 c. dried whole wheat or regular orzo pasta (3 oz)
1 c. fresh or frozen whole kernel corn
2 c. shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c. crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese (I use goat cheese)
1 small avocado, pitted, peeled and cut up
1/2 tsp finely grated lime peel
1/4 c. lime juice
1/2 c. water
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, cook up the orzo according to package directions or to desired doneness.  Add the corn to the cooking orzo during the last minute of boiling.

Rinse the corn and orzo with cold water after draining and divide evenly between 4 single-serve storage containers or bowls.

Top each serving with chicken, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Top that with your crumbled cheese of choice. 

For the dressing, combine the avocado, water, finely grated lime peel, lime juice, garlic, crushed red pepper and salt in a blender or a food processor and give it a good whirl until all ingredients are well blended.  Store in condiment cups like I have or cover and store!

Cover and chill everything for at least 2 hours but up to 24 hours.

To serve just drizzle the dressing portions atop the salad portions.  Cover and shake to blend if in a portable container or toss to coat.  Voila.  That's it!

YIELDS:  4 Servings
SERVING SIZE:  About 1 cup salad and 1/4 c dressing

Nutritional Information:  Calories 321, Fat 10 g (3 g sat), Chol 65 mg, Sodium 439 mg, Carb 30 g, Sugars 3 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 30 g

Freaking Update for 2020

I apologize I have been absent for so long!

Things have been a mess here since about last November, an absolute Fiasco! 

I lost my grandfather in November and then my father in December and then I spent most of January sulking and then most of February planning and preparing for the pandemic.  I think this 2020 mess is my Fault.  I kept saying all last year "2020 is going to be my year!  The best one yet!" I jinxed it didn't I?

Then my kids were sent home from school and my husband started working from home.  I tried to continue working in a face mask for as long as I could stand it, but it meant way longer days with larger breaks in between each job.  I finally threw in the towel.  The mask makes me extremely panicky, especially now in warmer weather. 

Dieting went way off track.  I too have had some good laughs at all the weight-gaining memes and gifs.  It turns out they all were true for me.  I went completely backwards having gained almost all of the weight I have lost back due to the stress I have encountered over the last 8 months or so.

We are blessed that so far we have all been healthy, as I hope you all have been as well!  I am ready to stop focusing on all of the "stuff" going on around me and to Focus on me and ditch my Feelings of hopelessness.

I have some new goals in mind and a new announcement!

1.  I no longer support Weight Watchers/WW nor encourage people to utilize the Shipt shopping services, as both companies have thrown their hats into a political arena by supporting groups, the funding of which, in one way or another, furthers certain political agendas with which I do not agree.  If you want my business, you need to stay neutral politically, especially when the cause involves a mob mentality against police officers since I am married to one and have the knowledge regarding his job that too many don't seem to want to learn the truth of.

As an aside, it really chaps my ass when a company asks their customers/members to donate to a cause of their choosing while saying they will *match* the donations by these folks *UP TO* $X amount.  In Shipt's case, it is $50,000.  If you want and are able to donate $50,000 then just Friggin do it!  Oh, and I hope those police officers you have smacked in the face come running to your aid when needed!

2.  Mostly as a result of number one above, I have decided to utilize good old fashioned calorie counting and healthier choices, including more exercise, moving forward as my weight loss method.  If I can add up points, I'm pretty sure adding up calories with no extra steps to reach a "magic number" will work just fine for me.  I believe this is also called Freestyling!

I am sure you can still figure out the points for the future recipes I will share since they will still be diet friendly, but I won't be figuring out points moving forward.

3.  I gave Noom a try!  I will share my experience with that soon!

4.  I plan to revamp my blog and bring it into this century for easier recipe browsing since I will no longer be listing WW points.  Instead it will be broken down into categories. 

5.  I am toying with the idea of vlogging as well!  What do you think about vlogging?

Spicy Shrimp Noodle Bowl for 6 SmartPoints/Serving

This colorful bowl is delicious and not too spicy!  It is only 6 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving too and just too easy to make!  Packaging it up per serving size is a fast grab option for lunch as well! 

I could not find banh pho wide rice stick noodles as the recipe as written listed, so I went with another rice noodle.  I hope you have better luck than I did there!  I also used precooked medium shrimp since I had some in the freezer and put it into the pot at a point that made sense so as to not overcook!

As you can tell, I am a woman of few words...well, online for sharing recipes that is.  People IRL would probably like to shut me up.  When it comes to sharing recipes online, I don't like to wade through all the stories that people share, although cute, I just want the recipe, so hear ya go!

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked wide rice stick noodles (banh pho)
4 c unsalted chicken stock
3 Tbs sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
2 c shredded napa cabbage
1 lb. peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp
1 c fresh snow peas, cut into 1" pieces
3/4 c matchstick carrots
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3/8 tsp kosher salt
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain them.

While noodles are cooking stir together the chicken stock and sambal oelek in a 3-quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the uncooked shrimp and cook for 3 minutes.  Then add the cabbage, snow peas, and carrots and cook just until the shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes. (Add precooked shrimp at same time here).  You want the veggies to remain slightly crisp so don't overcook them!

Stir in the noodles, cilantro, salt, and scallions.  Serve!

YIELDS: 4 Servings
SERVING SIZE:  1-1/2 cups

Nutritional Information:   Calories 290, Fat 2 g (sat 0.2 g, mono 0.4 g, poly 0.5 g), Protein 26 g, Carb 39 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugars 5 g, Chol 179 mg, Iron 1 mg, Sodium 7880 mg, Calc 120 mg

Springtime Ham and Asparagus Salad for Only 2 Weight Watchers Points

arranged to visually see each serving size via sections between asparagus spears

This salad is so low in points and light and refreshing that you can double up your servings for more of a meal salad.  It serves 6, so a single portion is more of a side salad and not as filling alone.

The homemade dressing has a strong lemon flavor, so if you're not a fan of lemon, try cutting the amount in the recipe back a bit.  I also added garlic powder to this batch but plan on trying it next time with actual minced garlic added to the dressing.

I also only applied one tablespoon of dressing per serving of salad with leftover dressing at the end, which means this actually fewer in point than I figured for the entire dressing recipe to begin with.

Single serving in large salad bowl

Salad Ingredients:

16 asparagus spears
4 c. torn lettuce
2 c. cubed 1/2" cooked ham
2 hard cooked eggs, quartered (I chose to slice them instead going for even eggs per serving)

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 c. fat-free dairy sour cream
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. low-fat mayonnaise


Instructions: 

In 10" skillet, place asparagus, add enough water to cover.  Cook over medium-high heat until water comes to a full boil.  Boil 1 to 2 minutes and drain.  Rinse immediately with cold water until fully cooled.  This stops the cooking process.  Don't overcook your asparagus. You want them crisply tender, not mushy.

Arrange ham, eggs, and asparagus spears on lettuce on either individual salad plates or platter.   

In small bowl, stir together all dressing ingredients.  Pour dressing over salad if all will be eaten upon serving.  If wanting to save your salad in the event you'll have leftovers, apply dressing to individual servings and store dressing in an airtight container.

YIELDS:  6 servings
SERVING SIZE:  1/6 of platter
POINTS:  2 WWWP or 2 SmartPoints

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

Chicken Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Sausage Breakfast Braid for 6 Points

Oh my gosh! This is a huge Family Favorite and it's only 3 Weight Watchers points per slice!  I've even made this just before going to bed and it heats up in the microwave just Fine the following morning because who likes to use an oven in the morning? Not me.

I'll take more photos of this one in the process of prepping in case anyone needs it the next time I make it.

I use a roll of sausage and double up the fixings for the sausage mixture portion so that I can then divide it up for different braids on different days. I just withhold the addition of the egg until after I divide the sausage mixture, rather than cooking up 4-oz portions of sausage. I have yet to find a version of the sausage with jalapeno peppers premixed into it so I just add my own jalapeno peppers to the pan as it is cooking.

Ingredients:

1 13.8-oz. can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking Spray
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
4 oz chicken sausage with jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Unroll the dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and pat into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sausage and cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned.  Stir in eggs and cook 1-1/2 minutes or until set and remove from heat. (My version: Cook sausage, chopped jalapeno, and onion until cooked through/slightly browned for whole sausage roll and then divide mixture up into servings for this recipe. Add sausage back to pan and then add eggs.)

Sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese lengthwise down center of dough leaving about a 2-1/2-inch border on each side.  Spoon egg/sausage mixture evenly over cheese and then top with cheddar over the egg mixture and top with jalapeno pepper.  (Since in my version I've added the jalapeno pepper into the sausage mixture myself, I do not add more jalapeno).

Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of the filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears (I recommend the shears!). Arrange strips over filling.  Press ends under to seal.  Brush with egg white and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand 5 minutes .  Cut crosswise into 8 slices.

YIELD: 8 slices

Servings: 4 servings
Serving Size: 2 slices

Points: 3 points per slice

Nutritional Information:  Calories 246, Fat 15.6 g (sat 6.3 g, mono 6.6 g, poly 1.5 g); Protein 15.9 g; Carb 11 g; Fiber 0.2 g; Chol 147 mg; Iron 1.2 mg; Sodium 516 mg; Calc 173 mg

Pizza Quesadillas for 6 Weight Watchers Points

These thick and hearty quesadillas are quick and easy!  For those in the Family who turn up their noses at the sight of mushrooms and green peppers, I limited their servings to just the cheese and pepperoni with a side of dippable raw veggies.  As you know, I'm on the hunt for meal ideas that can help me be successful and keep me from making more than one meal--one for me and one for "the others".

Since each quesadilla is 6 points and is cut into thirds, it stands to reason that each "wedge" (upon cutting them into thirds) is worth 2 points, so if you want to up your intake to 8 or 10 points if allowance permits, go for it!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 c fresh presliced mushrooms
1/2 c prechopped green bell pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
4 (8") 96% fat-free flour tortillas
1 c (4 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
20 slices turkey pepperoni (5 per quesadilla)
Pinches of garlic powder and/or onion powder
1 c pizza sauce such as Ragu Homestyle


Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes until tender stirring frequently. Stir in basil.

While cooking the peppers and mushrooms, coat one side of each of the four tortillas with nonstick spray and place the sprayed side down and dry side up on the counter/work surface.

When peppers and mushrooms are ready, divide this mixture up evenly among the four flour tortillas covering only one half of each tortilla.

Start your pizza sauce to warming in a small saucepan.

Top each vegetable-covered tortilla with 1/4-cup of mozzarella cheese and 5 slices of turkey pepperoni. Season each with pinches of garlic powder and/or onion powder to your personal taste.

Fold each tortilla in half and place two at a time into heated pan with the folded sides together creating a circle from your two now halves and brown each side.

YIELD: 4 servings
SERVING SIZE: 1 Quesadilla cut into thirds and 1/4 c sauce
POINTS: 6 points per quesadilla (and 2 points per wedge)

Nutritional Information:  Calories 283 (32% from fat); Fat 10 g (sat 3.9 g), Protein 16 g; Carb 33.2 g; Fib 4.6 g; Chol 26 mg; Iron 3.1 mg; Sodium 904 mg; Calcium 333 mg

Pumpkin Smoothie for 4 to 6 Weight Watchers Points

I modified this pumpkin smoothie into a pumpkin pie smoothie that has a hint of orange flavoring via the orange juice because it makes so much and the kiddos didn't really like it as written, so I'll include the original and how I modified it.  I added a dollop of whip cream on top for the kiddos too, but at 1 extra point, you may be able to do so on your own as well.

One servings of this smoothie gives you all the vitamin A you need for a day and almost half of your daily requirement of vitamin C!! BONUS! It also serves up 5 grams of protein!

The whole smoothie batch comes out to 24 points, so if you divide it up into 6 servings, each serving is 4 points.  Divide it up into 4 servings, and each serving is therefore 6 points.  Divide it into 2 and each serving is now 12 points.

Ingredients:

1 15-oz. can pumpkin, chilled
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk, chilled
1 cup orange juice, chilled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 medium banana, cut into chunks (optional as written) (I added banana for body)
Ice cubes (optional, but I added for body)
Ground nutmeg or cinnamon (optional as written)  (I added 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
Orange wedges (optional as written)


Directions:

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, orange juice, brown sugar, and, if desired, banana. Blend until smooth.

If desired, serve smoothies over ice cubes or blend them in and sprinkle each serving with ground nutmeg and garnish with orange wedges threaded onto a skewer.

Serves: 4 - 6
Points: 4 servings=6 points each, 6 servings=4 points each

Nutritional Information:  188 calories, 5 g total fat (3 g saturated), 17 mg cholesterol, 71 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein

Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce for 9 Points

Here is another entirely doable Fish recipe due to the addition of Flavor! I pair this with the Broccoli with Brown Butter and Almonds side dish for 3 additional points and actually feel Full.  You could probably shave off a point by substituting a light butter in place of regular, but what's one point?  Just kidding.  I find that the light butter seems to have a higher water content/consistency, so it might thin out the balsamic butter sauce in this one.

I have no idea why this recipe card I picked up from my local grocery store says approximate in parentheses under nutrtional information, but it does.  It seems to come out correctly points wise for me when I Figure out the points for each individual ingredient.  Maybe it depends on  how much of the sauce you take in with the fish.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. minced shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. butter
4 (6-oz) tilapia filets
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

For the sauce, combine the vinegar, honey, shallot, and garlic and bring to boiling over medium-high heat in a small sauce pan.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally or until slightly thickened.  Whish in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring each addition until melted.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Pat the tilapia fillets dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat 1 minute or until hot.  Add the fillets to hot oil in skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Transfer fillets to a serving platter and drizzle with sauce.  It's ready to serve!

Serves: 4
Points: 9 per serving

Nutritional Information (approximate):  370 calories, 17 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 45 g protein

Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip for 1 Weight Watchers Point

This is a low-point handy-dandy snack dip to have on hand for movie night in my house. This chips are not included, so eat the chips according to your caloric or points range.

I don't know about you, but I can never find shredded Monterey Jack cheese at my grocery store so I use a blend of Colby and Monterey Jack. I once bought a block of it and tried to shred it myself, but it wasn't pretty, as it was pretty moist and just clumped up all ugly and such.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup picante sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup (1 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs fresh lime juice (I use a little less than a full tablespoon)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Partially mash the rinsed and drained black beans in a small dish. Set aside. Just ensure that all beans have been roughly broken.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and sautee for about 4 minutes.

Add beans, toamto, picante sauce, cumin and chili powder and cook about 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Remove from heat. You can either stir IN the cheese or top each serving with a tad (but count those points as extra if you add extra and stir in some). Also stir in the cilantro and the lime juice. Serve warm or at room temperature with baked tortilla chips.

YIELDS: 13 servings of 2-Tbsp servings

POINTS: 1 point

Nutritional Information: 42 calories (21% from fat); 2.6g protein; 1g fat (0.4g saturated); 6.2g carbs; 1g fiber; 2mg cholesterol; 0.6mg iron; 136mg sodium; 30mg calcium

Friday Weigh-In

Jumped on the scale today, a Friday, to see how I've done the past 5 days without my points calculator and not having enough time to enter calories for my homemade meals into MyFitnessPal....I'm down 2 pounds since Monday and weighed in at 230.75. Color me happy with that!

I think I like weighing-in on Fridays because if something goes awry over the weekend, I have time to recover and save a little "Face".

Weekly Weigh-In Post Vacation

Welp.....big ol' sigh.  I've just returned from vacation with my Family and my parents.  My mother is a cooking Fiend.  I expected what I Found on the scale this morning.  We ate Fast Food on the drive down and the drive back.

The drive down was better, as we ate a Chick Fil A dinner in which I had a chicken wrap, Fries, and a pop.  The Following morning I ate nothing, as I had driven us to Atlanta from Michigan and was Fast asleep.  The Dole Shakers that I packed for everybody didn't stay Frozen even that long, so that planned low-point breakfast was a Flop anyway.  I know that I said it would be easy to Find a grocery story to buy them when needed, but I Forgot to Factor in my obsessive husband....Mr. F wants to drive straight through stopping only for bathroom breaks and gas refills. I have no idea what the others ate since I was out like a light. We ordered pizza as soon as we arrived at our rental because we had to unpack and get organized before we could go grocery shopping.  However, my mom had brought all the groceries into the house because she travels with only my dad and has room in her car. We drive separately via two different directions, and they usually tack on extra travel and sightseeing in other states on their way down.

I tried to eat according to my plan.  I took my oatmeal and bought green smoothie ingredients so that I only had to worry about dinner, but my mom had other plans.  I had even taken a number of bags of the SnaPea Crisps I love for snacking, of which I didn't do a lot of. I was too Full all of the time. I made it through the First Few days saying no thank you just Fine, but then I ran out of what I needed and mom had taken control of the refrigerator.  I actually only cooked one of my own meals, Pig on a Stick, a couple of salads, etc.  I resisted her homemade Belgian waffles piled high with pie Fillings and whipped cream until one theme park day we returned to the car at 10 p.m. to eat the chicken Caesar wraps I had planned out to discover Mr. F had covered the packaged wraps in ice and they were ruined by the water. I was starving and therefore ate one of the nutty bars and Cheetos bags he had packed. That night, at 11 p.m. as we all showered park grime off of our bodies, my mom made us all one of her Belgian waffles, and I ate it. I was too tired, too hungry, and too sore from walking all day long to care. She had bought two different kinds of ice cream.  I have no idea what Flavors they were. I didn't care to look and therefore didn't have any of that. So, overall, there were nonscale victories and just plain diet Failures.

I'm really shocked at the condition of produce in Florida.  I just can't get over how poor it is in the grocery stores.  The apples I bought for my smoothies were brown in the middle, as if they were going bad from the middle out somehow.  The avocadoes, which we can usually Find down there were bad as well.  I've never seen greener bananas in my life anywhere, not even in Michigan.

We had three park days in which I packed our lunches and in which we ate dinner at the park one day. The other two park days we waited until we got home to eat a dinner, and the traffic varied, so one night it was 10 p.m. and the other 11 p.m., and we all know how eating a dinner at that time of night derails weight loss. I had originally planned to take salads with me for my lunch, but my parents liked my salads and ate them.  Just after mid-vacation, I threw in the towel altogether.  I didn't go all ham on anything. I just quit thinking about it and quit worrying about what number I would get to report to you today.

I, as of today, weighed in at 234.5 pounds, which is a 3.75-pound gain since the last weigh-in I recorded on the blog, but 5.3 pounds more than the last recorded weight on my tracker at the beginning of March. That isn't too bad considering it probably isn't all vacation related, and I ate enough Fast Food on that trip than I have in months and care to ever again. I haven't really tracked any calories via MyFitnessPal or counted my points either because I can't Find my points slider right now.

Prior to vacation I had been suffering from a wry neck for months.  It has now worked it's way down into my arm via tingling, but the last two days has included numbness in my fingertips as well.  I'm tired of waiting for it to be completely Fixed and plan to restart my two-mile walking routine again tonight, weather permitting. I'm just glad I can move my neck again. Maybe actual movement via exercise will help because sitting around waiting for it to get better isn't working. While on vacation, I got what I had been calling my annual theme-park rash.  My ankles are itchy and sore.  I'm hoping that is not the case when I set out on my walk this evening, but when I got out of the car to pump gas yesterday after being in the car all day, it was the case and I Found myself waddling and grimacing. 

So that's what I've been up to since the beginning of March.....the chiropractor visits for a wry neck, arm tingling, fingertip numbness, a theme-park rash, a vacation derailment, and a cooking-Fiend of a mother who cooks Southern style.

Some will consider a painful and debilitating wry neck and a vacation excuses, but I don't.  I consider them obstacles and challenges.  How are you doing?