Skillet Baked Ziti

Love to cook, hate to do dishes...  Many baked ziti recipes require lots of steps resulting in plenty of dishes to wash at the end of the meal.  I was really excited to try this recipe for skillet baked ziti when I found it in one of my newest cookbooks, America's Test Kitchen...Light and Healthy 2010.  I was really happy with how this dish turned out, and true to word, it requires only one skillet to cook everything in.

The pasta is cooked right in the sauce in the skillet.  You will want to make sure your skillet is oven safe...so that you can melt the cheese on top in the last step.  Once out of the oven, be sure to wrap the handle in a towel, to remind you its HOT!  The original recipe gave very generous two cup servings, but to get the points plus values down, I increased the servings for the recipe to 6 instead of 4, giving each serving about a 1 1/4 cups of pasta...which was still a nice amount.   It also called for fresh basil, something else I do not readily have on hand this time of year, so I subbed dried and added it before the pasta, so it had time to flavor the sauce. If you want to use fresh, add it after the pasta is done cooking and before you put it in the oven to melt the cheese, so it keeps its fresh flavor. I used penne pasta since that is what I had in my pantry. I used my scale to weigh the cheeses and the pasta amounts. This dish was quick and easy and a great weeknight meal.

Skillet Baked Ziti adapted from America's Test Kitchen Light and Healthy 2010

Servings - 6   Serving size - 1/6th of recipe   PointsPlus per svg - 8 points+

Calories - 295.8   Total Fat - 6.3g,   Carbs. - 49.3,  Protein - 14.2g,   Fiber - 7.2g

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes ( low sodium if possible)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper, in amounts as desired

3 cups water

2 tsp dried basil OR 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

12 ounces whole wheat ziti or penne pasta

1/4 cup fat free half and half

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated ( about 1/2 cup)

4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded ( about 1 cup)
chopped parsley, for garnish, if desired

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F.  Pulse the tomatoes, with their juices, in a food processor until mostly smooth.  

2.  Combine the garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes in a 12 inch oven-safe skillet and cook over med heat until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.  Stir in the processed tomatoes and add salt to your liking ( I used 1/2 tsp)  and the dried basil.  ( If using fresh, add after the pasta has cooked )  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to med-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes.  

3.  Stir in the water, then add pasta.  Cover, increase the heat to med-high, and cook, stirring often ( pasta will try to stick to bottom of pan just keep it moving to avoid this)  and adjusting the heat to maintain a simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 15 -18 minutes. 

4.  Turn off the heat and stir in the fat free half and half, Parmesan, and fresh basil, if using and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This recipe is definitely going to make the regular dinner rotation at my house.  It was quick and easy, inexpensive, and made with mostly items I always have on hand.  I have really become a huge fan of America's Test Kitchen lately, and was so happy to see an entire cookbook devoted to making dishes light and healthy.  I am really enjoying this cookbook.  Besides the recipes, it gives tips on preparation as well as product reviews.  I am anxious to try many of the other recipes in it.  It has quickly become my go to cookbook these days.  Although I enjoy getting recipes and inspiration from the internet, nothing beats a good cookbook.   Do you have a favorite  "go to" cookbook ?

Mini Burgers

Seems like when the weekend rolls along, I always gravitate toward wanting what I consider "fun foods"....tacos, burgers, pizza...the kind of stuff that isn't exactly "healthy", but sure does taste good.  For the past few weeks, I have been on a  "burger on Friday night" kick.  Last week at my grocery store, I found the cutest buns for sliders.  So I picked them up and decided to make mini burgers for dinner.  I always feel that if you make the fun foods at home and control what goes in them, you can improve on their healthy quality, and probably save yourself some money in the end too.

I used a cast iron grill pan to make these burgers...but any heavy skillet will do.  If it were summer, I would probably use the gas grill outside. There is nothing special about the seasonings in these burgers...its pretty standard fare.  Each mini burger comes in at 2 points+, when you use extra lean ground beef (96/4).  The bun, of course, is not added into the point value given here.  My mini bun clocked in at 4 points+...a bit of a splurge, but worth it.  I had two burgers, one on a bun and another without and topped both burgers with shredded lettuce, ketchup, pickle and sauteed onions.  Yes, the burgers are mini, but sometimes you need less of something than you think to feed a craving.   I served these mini burgers with oven baked fries ( cheated and bought the Ore Ida Steak fries and weighed out my portion) and some roasted asparagus. It was a really fun meal! 

Mini Burgers

Servings -8   Serving size - 1 mini burgers ( without bun)    PP per serving - 2 points+

Calories -95.5   Total Fat - 5.3g,   Carb. - 0.1g,   Protein - 12g

1 lb. extra lean ground beef ( 96/4)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce ( or more if you like)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

salt, as you like

fresh ground pepper, as you like

1 TBS. canola oil

1. Combine the beef with ALL of the rest of the ingredients. ( I do add just a TBS of oil to the very lean beef, I have no proof,and you can call me crazy, but I think it helps the meat stay moist, and adding this little bit does not change the point value plus, you are exchanging some saturated bad fat for some good fat! :)   Mix gently.  With a scale, weigh out  2 oz. of meat.  Gently shape into patty, leaving a slight indentation in the middle ( so when the beef cooks and puffs up the burger stays nicely shaped.).  Repeat until all the meat is used.  You should get 8 patties. 

2.  Heat a heavy skillet ( I used my cast iron grill pan) over med high heat.  Spray with cooking spray,  put patties on and let them get a nice sear before you flip.  Flip and cook on other side until the meat registers an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.  Let burgers sit on plate loosely covered with foil for 5 - 10 minutes before enjoying them. 

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Do you have any foods that you consider "fun foods"?  What is your favorite?  

Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque

Who doesn't think grilled cheese and tomato soup isn't one of  the top comfort foods ever?  I have been craving this combo all week!   I am a big fan of Amy's Organic Tomato Bisque...but sadly, I had none in my pantry.  Then I remembered a tomato soup recipe developed by a fellow blog buddy Biz from My Bizzy Kitchen.  Biz is what I believe to be a mastermind at soups...really.  Check out her blog, it's full of great  healthy recipes, but I most admire her for her wonderful soups!

Low Fat Key West Lime Bars

Low Fat Key West Lime Bars will fit right into your healthy eating plan!

Lightened Up Classic Quiche Lorraine

Lightened Up Classic Quiche Lorraine. All the flavor without all the fat and calories.

Weight Watchers Ginger Cookies

I just can't help it....no matter how I try to rid myself of it, I have a sweet tooth....so I need to find ways to satisfy it without doing too much damage.  These Weight Watchers Ginger Cookies are the PERFECT way to satisfy and since they are 1 PP per cookie, that sweet tooth can be satisfied without even having to break into the weekly extra point allowance! 

Pesto and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Forgive me for not posting too many recipes this week...I have been busy.  Giving my home a bit of a face lift with some new paint and getting rid of some wallpaper. I am not doing the painting myself, we hired someone...but the prep work to ready the rooms, along with wallpaper removal has been keeping me busy.

I remembered, I had pictures of a delicious chicken dish I made last week in my camera, so I decided today would be a great day to post the recipe.  It comes from the WW PointsPlus JUST 5 cookbook, available exclusively at WW meetings.  I have made several dishes from this book since I bought it last week, and so far, haven't been disappointed with anything I have made.  I have to admit to adding a few personal touches to many of the recipes...as sticking to 5 ingredients ONLY is a bit of a challenge for me...lol

This recipe originally called for feta cheese and basil pesto, but I switched the cheese with crumbled goat and used a sun dried tomato pesto instead of the basil pesto, because that is what I had.  I also added a bit of paprika on top of the chicken breasts for color. I didn't have any fresh bail on hand, so I subbed dried, but I think fresh basil would make this dish even more special!   The goat cheese and the sun dried tomato pesto really complimented the chicken nicely.  I will definitely be making this easy dinner again soon!

portion out the filling into 1 TBS bundles and freeze so cheese doesn't leak out while cooking if you have any left over, use it in an omelet the next day...very yummy!

Hanging out in the nonstick pan getting brown

Pesto and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts adapted from WW Just 5 cookbook

Servings - 6   Serving size - 1 stuffed chicken breast   PP per serving - 6 points+

Calories - 236,   Total Fat - 10g,  Carb. - 1g,   Protein - 33g,  Fiber - 1g

6 (5 oz. each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

2 TBS. store bought pesto ( I used sundried tomato pesto) 

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

paprika

basil ( fresh or dried)

1.  To make stuffing, combine goat cheese, pesto, garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Portion out  into six flat mounds, 1 TBS. of mixture per mound,  onto wax paper and on a baking sheet.  Put in freezer for at least 20 minutes. 

2.  Make a pocket inside of each chicken breast by inserting a small paring knife into thickest part and making a small pocket, but do not cut all the way through the breast.  Insert the frozen cheese mixture mounds, one into each pocket and secure with a tooth pick on the open side.  Season breasts with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with paprika.

3. In nonstick pan sprayed with cooking spray or with olive oil from misto, brown the breasts on each side, about 6 - 7 minutes per side or until internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F.  Remove  toothpicks and sprinkle with basil. 

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Chocolate Drizzled Strawberry Krispie Squares

Happy Valentines Day everyone!  If you forgot to make a special treat for your sweetheart ( or sweethearts if you are a mom! )  this recipe will please young and old alike, and won't ruin your ON PLAN day either. 

Flavored strawberry with Crystal Light drink mix ( the single serving ones you put into water bottles), tinted pink with some food coloring, and topped with a drizzle of chocolate, this couldn't be an easier way to be festive today.  Each square, when cut into 20 pieces, comes in at 3pp each.  Although I didn't have any to add, you could add some chopped up dried strawberries (could effect points plus values) to the squares too...I think that would make them extra special.

Chocolate Drizzled Strawberry Krispie Squares

Servings - 20   Serving size - 1 square ( 1/20th of recipe)   PP per serving - 3 points+

Calories - 112.1,   Total Fat - 2.8g,   Carb. - 20.8g,   Protein - 0.6g,   Fiber - 0.1g

1/4 cup unsalted butter

pinch of salt

10 oz. marshmallows (reg or mini)

1 -2 single packets of Strawberry flavored crystal light drink mix ( I used 2 for more flavor)

1-2 drops of red food coloring

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

6 cups of a crispy rice cereal

2 TBSP semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1.  In large pot, melt the butter.  Add in pinch of salt and marshmallows.  Cook, stirring frequently until marshmallows are melted.  Add in the drink mix and food coloring, stir well.  Take off heat and add the vanilla extract and stir, then stir in the crispy rice cereal.  

2.  Pour into a 9 x 13" glass baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.  Press down into pan.  Allow to cool to room temp, about an hour.  Drizzle with melted chocolate.  Allow chocolate to set and cut into 20 pieces ( 4 pieces on the 9" side and 5 pieces on the 13" side)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

I had a wonderful meal at a local restaurant yesterday, Zocalo: Mexican Grill & Tequileria, with my family to celebrate Valentine's Day.  I enjoyed a beef tenderloin filet topped with roasted red peppers and goat cheese with grilled veggies and a really wonderful combination of sweet potato flavored with chipotle peppers ( spicy, smokey, sweet) and for dessert, we shared a tres leches cake with meringue frosting. 

How about you?  Have you celebrated yet, or are you planning something special today?

Vanilla Bean Yogurt Cake

Vanilla Bean Yogurt Cake:  A moist and flavorful loaf cake everyone will love...esp those that prefer vanilla over chocolate!

Italian Style Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs...always a "go to" quick weekday meal when I am pressed for time or don't know what to make...or simply haven't defrosted anything!  These meatballs can be made ahead, baked, frozen,  and defrosted in the sauce or the microwave. Of course, they can also be served fresh from the oven.  They are infused with little bits of spinach.   I like to take the opportunity to squeeze in extra vegetables whenever possible...so I've added chopped baby spinach to these meatballs.  If you don't care for spinach, you certainly could leave it out, but I really like the way the spinach looks inside the meatballs.

If you are making the meatballs ahead, bake as directed and then place them in a single layer on a sheet pan in the freezer until they start to freeze, then transfer to a zippered freezer bag for storage.

With this recipe you get 5 2-inch meatballs for 4 p+.  I served them with Basic Tomato Sauce Two Ways ( the chunky style, 1pp for 1/2 cup)  that I had in the freezer and spaghetti (5pp for one cup or approx. 4 oz cooked), then garnished with a bit of grated, Parmesan cheese for a very comforting and quick weeknight meal! 

Italian Style Turkey Meatballs

Servings - 6  ( approx. 30 2-inch meatballs)  Serving size - 5 (2" meatballs)   PP per svg - 4 points+

Nut info for 5 meatballs:  Calories - 177.9,   Total Fat - 7.2g,   Carb. - 8.6g,   Protein - 19.4g,   Fiber - 0.9g

1.2 pounds ground turkey (93/7)

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped organic baby spinach

1/2 cup Italian style seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup egg beaters

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.   In small nonstick skillet on medium heat, sprayed with cooking spray and cook  onion and garlic until tender, about 3 -5 minutes.  Take off heat and add spinach.  Set aside to cool slightly.  

2. In large bowl, combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, egg beaters, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and slightly cooled onion/garlic/spinach mixture.  Mix well with hands.  

3.  Using a cookie dough scoop ( or spoon ), form into meatballs, carefully roll into 2" balls.  Don't compress them.  Place evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment or sprayed with cooking spray.  ( I used nonstick foil )

4.  Bake meatballs for 25 - 35 minutes, or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.  Serve warm or allow to cool and freeze for another day. 

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I made it to my WW meeting last night, and my leader talked me into buying the new PP Just 5 cookbook, and I can't wait to try some new recipes and post them! :)

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes & Cauliflower

I think I have a love affair with buttermilk.  No, I can't say I would ever enjoy drinking it straight up, but I do love what it does to baked goods and I like the tang it brings to cooking...not to mention, it's diet friendly!  When I saw this recipe in Cuisine Lite, I wanted to try it.  I know cauliflower is a good substitute for mashed potatoes on it's own, but I had never seen a recipe that incorporated both potatoes AND cauliflower.

I really liked this combination.  The potatoes are flavorful and seem rich, without adding much butter, and the cauliflower taste stays fairly well hidden. Of course, the buttermilk adds it's unmistakable tang to the dish and I like that you get a bit extra in the veggie department, without really realizing it! You can also use frozen cauliflower if you wish, just cook it separate in the microwave and then add it to the potatoes and garlic when it's time to mash.  If you are not a big fan of garlic, you can reduce the amount used or just leave it out entirely. 

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes & Cauliflower from Cuisine Lite

Servings - 6   Serving size - 1/6th of recipe   Points plus per serving - 4 points+

Calories - 135,   Total Fat - 6g,   Carb. - 19g,   Protein - 3g,   Fiber - 2g

1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into even sized chunks

1/2 lb. cauliflower florets

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/3 cup buttermilk, lowfat, warmed

3 TBS. unsalted butter

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh chives or paprika, for garnish

1.  In large pot, boil potatoes, cauliflower, and garlic cloves until tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.  Drain well.

2.  Transfer back into pot, and add butter and buttermilk and mash with a hand mixer on low speed until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon into serving bowl. Garnish as desired. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

I love finding ways to use buttermilk in my baking and cooking.  How about you?  Do you have a love affair with buttermilk?

Lightened Up Chicken Cordon Bleu

I have loved chicken cordon bleu for as long as I can remember.  The gooey melty cheese nestled inside a moist chicken breast complimented by salty ham....yummy.  Unfortunately, some recipes for this dish can be very diet unfriendly.  Once I found an oven baked chicken coating recipe I liked (see cornflake chicken tenders), I knew I wanted to try it on chicken cordon bleu.  If you aren't a fan of mustard, don't worry, you can't taste it.  It just gives the breading a bit of flavor when used in the egg wash mix.  The sauce served with this version is really the star of the show though...with a bit of tang from buttermilk.  It puts this dish over the top. 

You can choose to secure your chicken breasts with a toothpick once you are done rolling them, but I find that if you very carefully coat the rolled breasts and then place them with seam side down on the baking sheet, they hold together just fine once they are baked.  Freezing the precut cheese for about 20 minutes before assembling the chicken, will help prevent the cheese from oozing out while baking.

From the oven

Ready to roll

Lightened Up Chicken Cordon Bleu adapted from Taste of Home

Servings - 8   Serving size - 1 chicken breast with about 2 TBS sauce  Points plus per serving - 7 points+

Calories - 230.8,   Total Fat - 7.4g,   Carb. - 17.1g,   Protein - 32.2g,   Fiber - 0.4g

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( 4 oz. each)

salt and pepper

8-1 oz. slices of extra lean ( 5% fat) deli ham

4- 1 oz. slices of center cut Swiss cheese, cut in half

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup egg beaters

2 TBSP. dijon mustard

1 cup Kellogg's cornflake crumbs

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
cooking spray or misto

For Sauce:

1 can 98% fat free condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup buttermilk, lowfat

1 tsp. lemon juice

1.  Pound chicken breasts between sheet of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

2.  Place a cheese slice half ( freeze first until just slightly firm, but still pliable) and one piece of ham on non-shiny side of chicken breast, keeping the ham and cheese in the very middle of the breast.  ( see picture above)  Fold up jelly roll style, from short end.  Secure with toothpick if desired.  Place aside, with seam side down and repeat with remaining breasts.  

3.  Set up breading stations.  Put flour into shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, combine egg beaters and dijon mustard.  In a third bigger bowl, combine the cornflake crumbs with the paprika, garlic powder, salt and fresh ground pepper.  Mix to combine.  

4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray.  

5.  Dip the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.  Next dredge in the eggbeaters/dijon mustard mixture and finally, gently roll in cornflake mixture.  Place on baking sheet seam side down.  Spray with cooking spray or misto.

6.  Bake for 25 -30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. 

7.  While the chicken is in the oven, combine the soup and buttermilk in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat until warm.  Add the lemon juice.  Serve over the baked chicken. 

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I must confess...I made up a batch of those oreo truffles that I have read and heard so much about lately.  First, let me say...absolutely NOTHING healthy about these things...lol  even though I did use low fat cream cheese.  But they certainly are good....kids really are enjoying them...thank goodness!  They will not be making my blog for obvious reasons...but there are about a gazillion recipes out there if you google oreo truffles...in case you are curious!  :)

Have you ever made oreo truffles? If you have, what flavor combinations did you make?

Make Over BLT Dip

To finish off my week here with recipes to serve up or take with for the BIG GAME on Sunday...I made over a popular dip...the BLT Dip.  Reminiscent of a BLT sandwich, but without the lettuce, this lighter version has plenty of flavor.

I swapped out the pound of bacon most recipes called for with extra lean turkey bacon ( Jennie O makes a pretty good tasting version, although word has it Trader Joe's has a fantastic one!  ) , cut back on the amount of mayonnaise, added some 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese for body, and traded the full fat sour cream in for nonfat Greek yogurt.  For a boost of flavor I added a bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper, and green onion.  I used fresh tomatoes, because I had some "on the vine" ones that were fairly tasty, but finding good tasting tomatoes this time of year can be a bit of a challenge.  You could swap out the fresh tomatoes for a cup of canned petite diced ones, WELL DRAINED, if you like.  Be sure to use full fat mayonnaise.  The full fat mayonnaise gives a better flavor punch than the reduced fat versions.

Allow this dip to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  We enjoyed this dip with crackers.  I am fond of the Special K multi-grain crackers at the moment, where you can get 17 little crunchy crackers for 2 points+...ok...yes, the crackers are incredibly small...but they do taste good! 

Make Over BLT Dip

Servings - 8   Serving size - about 1/4 cup   Points plus per serving - 2 points+

Calories - 84.3,   Total Fat - 6.1g,   Carb. - 3.1g,   Protein - 4.4g,   Fiber - 0.3g

2 slices of extra lean turkey bacon, cooked and finely chopped ( food processor works great for this)

1 cup plain, fat free Greek-style yogurt

3 oz. Reduced Fat Cream cheese, softened 

1/4 cup mayonnaise ( full fat)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup diced tomatoes ( with seeds and pulp removed )

1 -2 green onion, white and green parts, diced

1.  In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, fat free greek-style yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, salt, and pepper..  Mix well.  

2.  Mix in the bacon, tomatoes, and green onions reserving a little of each for garnish before serving.  ( I forgot to save a little bacon for the top when I made it)

3.  Refrigerate dip for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  Stir before serving.  Garnish with reserved bacon, tomatoes, and green onions.  Serve with crackers or dipper of your choice. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

"Less Guilt" Brownies

What's a party without something sweet?  "Less Guilt" Brownies would be perfect to serve for the BIG GAME this weekend!  For a "lite" version, this brownie is packed with big chocolate flavor and is nice and moist. They have a delicate texture, sort of cake like, but denser.   The original recipe called for all butter, but I experimented a bit and  liked the texture better with a mixture of both butter and oil ( a saturated and an unsaturated fat) .  If you like nuts, you can add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter...increasing the point+ value by one. Consider using a good chocolate....like Lindt in this recipe...it really does make a difference in taste.   I will be making this brownie recipe often, as it is easy, doesn't require any special ingredients, and my family loved it.   

"Less Guilt" Brownies adapted from Cuisine Lite

Servings - 16   Serving size - 1 brownie   Points plus per serving - 3 points+

Calories - 111.5,   Total Fat - 5.6g,   Carb. - 15.7g,   Protein - 1.8g,   Fiber - 0.9g

4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped ( I used Lindt 70% dark)

1 TBS. unsalted butter

3 TBS canola oil

2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. instant coffee granules ( I used Starbucks Via)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs whites

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Powdered sugar for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line the inside of an 8-inch baking pan with foil ( allowing two edges to hang over the pan to act as "handles" later).  Coat with cooking spray. 

2.  Microwave chocolate, butter, oil, cocoa powder, and instant coffee granules in a microwave safe bowl ( I used my 4 cup glass measuring cup) on High for 45 seconds.  Take out and stir.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, return to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each time,  until it is.  ( It took me only one extra time in my microwave)  Set aside to cool slightly.  

3.  In large mixing bowl, combine the applesauce and the egg whites with a whisk.  Add the flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking powder.  Whisk to combine.  Add in chocolate mixture...whisk until all ingredients are combined.  

4.  Pour into prepared baking pan.  Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, or about 25 - 30 minutes.  Cool brownies in pan.  Lift brownies out of pan by lifting foil.  Peel foil off back and cut into 16 equal squares by making a cut in half and then in half again on one side of brownies and then repeating with the other side.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Enjoy!  

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Spicy "Buffalo Chicken" Meatballs with Creamy Blue Cheese Dip

*Winning recipe of BSI (Blogger Secret Ingredient) Hot Sauce/Wing Sauce contest, February 2011*

I saw this recipe on Friends for Weight Loss about a month ago...it had been posted by Danica.  I thought it looked like a way to enjoy buffalo style hot wings, without all the fat and guilt associated with them.  I was right.  I tweaked the recipe just a bit and served it up with some simple lightened up blue cheese dip.  It left my mouth burning just a bit...which was just what I wanted!

There is no chicken in this version, I opted to use readily available ground turkey breast.  Be sure to use the ground turkey breast in this recipe, and not the plain ground turkey ( which includes dark meat and has a higher fat content ).  I  used Frank's Redhot Wings Sauce to top them with, but if you can't find the wings sauce, you could use Frank's Original RedHot Sauce instead.  To portion out the meatballs perfectly, I used my handy cookie dough scoop, which made approximately 24 -2 "meatballs. 

Spicy "Buffalo Chicken" Meatballs with Creamy Blue Cheese Dip adapted from Friends for Weight Loss

Servings - 8   Servings size - 3 meatballs ( approx 2" each)  and  2 TBS  blue cheese dip   Points plus per svg - 2 points+ for the meatballs and 1point+ for the dip  ( total of 3 points+ for both) 

Nut info for meatballs ( 3 ) :  Calories - 96.6,   Total Fat - 1.1g,   Carb. - 6.2g,   Protein - 15g,  Fiber - 0.6 

Nut info for dip (2 TBS):  Calories - 26.5,   Total Fat - 1g,   Carb. - 1.2g,   Protein - 3.3g,  Fiber - 0g

For Meatballs:

1.25 pounds of Ground Turkey Breast

1 small onion, finely diced

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 medium stalk celery, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs, plain

1/4 cup eggbeaters

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper. ground

1/2 cup ( or more to taste) Frank's Redhot Wings sauce

For Creamy Blue Cheese Dip:

1 cup plain, nonfat Greek-style yogurt

1 oz. crumbled blue cheese

1 TBSP skim milk

several dashes of Worcestershire sauce

pinch of salt

1.  To make dip:  Combine all ingredients.  Set in refrigerator to allow flavors to blend while preparing meatballs.  

2.  To make meatballs:  In med nonstick  skillet, over med heat, spray skillet with cooking spray and saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.  ( To finely dice the vegetables, it's easiest to put them all in a food processor and chop)  Take off heat and allow to cool slightly.  

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In large bowl, combine the ground turkey breast, bread crumbs, eggbeaters, salt, pepper, cayenne and the softened vegetables.   Mix well.  Form into 24-2" meatballs.  

4. In same skillet you softened the vegetables in, spray with cooking spray again, and brown meatballs on all sides. ( they do not have to be cooked all the way through)  Place  browned meatballs onto a cookie sheet.   Pour Frank's Redhot Wings Sauce onto the meatballs, and put into oven to finish cooking.  Bake for approx 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reads 165 degrees.  

5.  Serve with blue cheese dip and celery sticks. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE