Blueberry-Peach Cobbler Muffins

Blueberry-Peach Cobbler Muffins are little individual servings of a blueberry-peach cobbler that are so easy to put together!  Any fruit will work in this recipe too, but this Blueberry Peach combo is hard to beat! 

Peanut Butter Toast with Berries and Honey

Yesterday I posted the recipe for a delicious savory Mediterranean Veggie Hummus Toast, but today I thought I'd share an equally delicious but sweet toast idea...Peanut Butter Toast with Berries and Honey! Oh my word you guys, this one is a keeper! 

Mediterranean Veggie Hummus Toast

Mediterranean Veggie Hummus Toast is my homage to one of my favorite sandwiches I enjoy at a local cafe. It starts with the goodness of whole grains from Pepperidge Farm® Harvest Blends bread then it's topped with a wonderful veggie combination for a nutritious vegetarian snack or light lunch anyone can enjoy! 

Orange Carrot Smoothie

Orange Carrot Smoothie will make you feel like a rock star! Packed with vitamins A and C from all the "orange" ingredients. Orange juice, carrot juice, and peaches come together for a flavor trifecta in this delicious and healthy smoothie!

Strawberry, Avocado and Spinach Salad with Lime Poppy Seed Dressing

Strawberry, Avocado and Spinach Salad with Lime Poppy Seed Dressing is a delicious and nutritious combination of flavors and textures.  Great on it's own as a light meal or on the side with some grilled chicken or fish.  

8 Terrific Ways to Spice Up Everyday Foods with Hot Sauce

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone. #SauceOn #CollectiveBias

Baked Eggs in Spicy Habanero Sauce

An easy and delicious baked egg recipe!   Make it for one or for a crowd. Spice it up as much as you can handle it!  Keep the yolks runny, or bake them up solid.  It's all in how you like it! 

Peanut Butter and Strawberry Snack

We haven't quite hit strawberry season  around here yet, but the California berries showing up in my grocery store have been really quite nice.  Big and juicy with lots of strawberry flavor.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy these luscious berries is to make an open-faced PB and strawberry sandwich.  It's really not as much of a recipe as it is a pairing.  It's super simple to assemble and so so good I wanted to share.

Here's what you do:

Take your favorite reduced-calorie bread.  You can go with a whole wheat or mulitgrain variety.  Pop the bread in the toaster and give it a light toasting.  When it's done, spread 1 TBS. of your favorite brand of natural peanut butter on top.  The peanut butter will start to melt a little. (who doesn't love THAT?)  Top with some sliced strawberries and then give it a little sprinkle of powdered sugar.

So easy, yet so delicious.  Calories and WW Points+ values will varying depending on your brand of bread. (Mine came in at 5 Points+) You can omit the powdered sugar, but I love how it "melts" into the berries giving them a sort of glaze.

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Good berries are something I miss during the winter months.  Some of the berries imported from foreign countries are ok...but you just can't beat the ones from Florida or California this time of year.  I've dabbled with strawberry plants in my own yard, without much success.  I know they can be grown successfully in this climate, but only if Mother nature cooperates with lots of sunshine.  Getting lots of sunshine around here in late spring/early summer can be challenging thanks to the proximity to Lake Erie and northerly winds. And then there's the birds...lol

Like I said, this little snack (or lunch, I've done this for my lunch) is almost so easy I was thinking it wasn't blog worthy...but to be honest, sometimes finding quick, easy, healthy and satisfying snacks can be hard.  So, I decided to share.

 What super simple snacks have you come up with that have a WOW factor? 

More BERRY GOOD recipes you might enjoy...

Fruity Summer Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

Inspiration comes from many places.  Sometimes I feel so uninspired in the kitchen.  I hate when I go through those phases.

My son and I ate lunch at a local restaurant the other day, and I ordered a version of the above salad.  It was absolutely DELICIOUS and it inspired me to recreate it in my own kitchen.  My recreation was just as wonderful as the original.  With careful measurements, it ended up coming in at 6p+ *for the whole yummy thing!  Not bad at all. * (6p+ when you count all the fruit and spinach as 0 point plus foods)

Fruity Summer Spinach Salad....Tender baby spinach surrounded by a medley of fresh summer fruits....strawberries, kiwi, and blueberries, and finished with sliced almonds and goat cheese, then topped with your favorite bottled poppyseed dressing.  YUM!  

The poppyseed dressing I used was Kraft.  To easily measure out the perfect portion, put your salad filled plate on your kitchen scale and zero it out, then pour the dressing to the amount indicated for one serving.

Fruity Summer Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

inspired by Houlihan's Spinach Salad

Printable Recipe

Servings - 1   Serving size - one salad   Points Plus per serving - * SEE BELOW

(Salad NO DRESSING) Calories - 312.5,   Total Fat - 10.8g,   Carb. - 48.6g,   Protein - 11.3g,   Fiber - 12.6g

*Please note, you can either count the fruit and spinach as 0 pp, and use the pp values for the almonds and goat cheese, which would give the salad a pp value of 3p+ OR you can calculate the nutrition information to give the salad an 8p+ value, WITHOUT the dressing. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups of organic baby spinach leaves

1 cup of fresh strawberries, halved

1 cup or fresh blueberries

1 large kiwi, peeled and sliced

1 TBS sliced almonds

1 oz. soft goat cheese, broken up into pieces 

Directions: 

Assemble salad on plate with spinach as base topped by the rest of the ingredients.  Finish with your favorite dressing ( I used poppyseed)  Remember to add the calories/point plus values for the dressing. 

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FINALLY!  My life seems to be coming to a more manageable speed.  Both of my older kids are off to college and all settled in.  I have to admit.  Sending away my middle son proved to be a heart wrenching experience for me.  But I will be fine!  lol  

My youngest is back in high school and the craziness that was the summer of 2012 is behind me...I hope!  I am hoping to be back to regular blogging soon!  It seems in my hiatus, I have stumbled into a cooking slump!  Bad timing.  I'm sure it's nothing that an afternoon of pinterest browsing and food blog reading won't cure though!  :)  

Make this salad while the last bit of summer is still with us!  It will make you HAPPY!  I know it made me very happy!  

Frozen Banana Bites and Blogger Secret Ingredient!

When I saw this super simple sweet treat idea on Pinterest a while back, I knew I just had to try it. More of an idea than a recipe with such little work and few ingredients.  Such delicious end results. 

and they're healthy treats too!

Frozen Banana Bites

adapted from (Neverhome)Maker

Printable Recipe

Servings - 10   Serving size - 2 banana bites   Points Plus per Serving - 3 Points+

Calories - 105,   Total Fat - 4.1g,   Carb. - 18.4g,   Protein - 0.5g,   Fiber - 1.2g

(* Weight Watchers - the information on calories and points plus above includes the nutrition information for the banana.  If you choose to count the banana as 0 points+, then the points will be 2+ for one serving.)

4 medium sized ( 7"-8"), not too ripe, bananas

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. coconut oil

1 TBS. shredded coconut, for topping

1.  Peel and slice banana each into 5 pieces, so you have 20 bites.  Cover sheet pan with waxed paper for nonstick foil and place bites on pan.  Set aside. 

2.  In microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil gently or melt them over a double boiler on the stove.  

3. Dip the banana pieces into the melted chocolate with a fork, letting excess drip off.  Just put a thin coating of chocolate on each bite so you have enough chocolate for all the bites. ( I did end up using ALL the chocolate, so if you find you need more coating, you could increase the chips by 1/4 cup for an additional point+ per serving)  If chocolate starts to harden, reheat in microwave for a few seconds.  As you dip the banana bites, place them on prepared sheet pan.  

4.  Sprinkle coated banana bites with coconut and place in freezer until firm.  Mine took about 30 minutes.  Once the bites are firm, remove them from the pan and place in a freezer safe container or zipper plastic bag for storage.  Keep stored in freezer.  Enjoy!  

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Biz, from MyBizzyKitchen, has resurrected BSI ( blogger secret ingredient)  and I have offered to host this week, as her daughter's birthday is this week....Happy Birthday to Hannah!  

Tried as I did yesterday, I just never got a chance to post this weeks BSI!  so without further adieu this week's secret ingredient is...

Parmesan Cheese!!!  

So put your thinking caps on and get to work finding and making recipes that highlight this special ingredient and post about it. You can find all the information you need to submit an entry to BSI HERE.  Remember you do not need to have a blog or a recipe picture to enter.   You can also enter any recipe you have in your archives as well. One recipe or post link per person please. Leave a link in the comments to this post to enter or send me an email with a link or recipe.  The deadline for submitting entries is Sunday, March 11.  A winner will be chosen by me and a prize will be mailed out to you! The winner and lineup will be announced on Tuesday, March 13. 

Remember, you must leave a link to this post on the post you are submitting.   

This is a totally informal and fun blogger event and if you have never done anything like this, I encourage you to give it a try!! 

This post is being shared with:
A Little Nosh

Green Tea Protein Smoothie

I have never been one to drink my calories...nor been one to be swooned by the lure of fruit smoothies...but I will admit, there are days when whipping up a really quick drink I can take on the fly that keeps me full all morning, is priceless.  Insert Green Tea Protein Smoothie. 

Matcha Green Tea powder is essential in this drink.  It's pricey, but a little goes a long way.  It's really green....deep dark green! You get all the benefits of a glass of green tea in this drink.   If you are a fan of the green tea frappuccino at Starbucks...you will like this smoothie.  The green tea flavor really shines in this drink.

I am not that knowledgeable about whey protein powder.  I know I like the store brand ( Archer Farms) vanilla flavor that Target sells for the flavor, as well as the price.  So that is the whey protein powder I buy. One scoop is 140 calories, 2.5g total fat, 3g carbohydrates, 25g protein, and 0g fiber. To save on points, I use half a scoop. It still thickens the smoothie even when you use only half.

For the liquid part, you can use skim milk or unsweetened almond milk.  I like to use the unsweetened almond milk because it is only 1p+ per serving vs. 2p+ per serving for skim milk.

You can opt to not use any sweetener at all, use artificial sweetener ( I often use a few drops of Nunaturals liquid stevia), use a bit of honey or agave to add more sweetness.

My favorite way to blend up this drink is in my Magic Bullet.  It is fast and easy to use. Clean up is also a breeze and you can drink out of the container used to blend in. 

The last ingredient in this smoothie is one medium sized banana.  Now...there brews ongoing controversy over whether the banana should be included in the overall point+ count on this drink or any smoothie type drinks with fruit in it since fruit is a free ingredient by WW pp standards.  It is up to you if you decide to count it or not.  I have decided to include it in the overall nutritional information provided and calculated the pp according to those numbers. 

The nutrition information given is for the smoothie made the way it is written in the recipe.  If you choose to use optional ingredients, the information will change, and so might the pp value.  

Green Tea Protein Smoothie

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 1   Serving size - 1 recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 6 Points+

Calories - 218.5,   Total Fat - 4.9g,   Carb. - 31.2g,   Protein - 14.7g,   Fiber - 3.8g

8 oz. unsweetened almond milk ( I used Silk brand)

1/2 scoop Archer Farms Vanilla flavored Whey protein powder

1 medium banana, cut into chunks

a few drops Nunaturals liquid stevia

1 tsp. matcha green tea powder

ice

Place all ingredients in blender or magic bullet.  Blend until ice is gone and smoothie is fluffy and thick.  Enjoy immediately. 

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Like I said, I have never been a drink my points kind of girl.  I pretty much like to chew stuff..but there are definitely times when it is hard to find the time to get a decent filling breakfast in in a hurry.  I am really amazed at how long this smoothie keeps me full.  Paired with an apple or other fruit you can take with you ...it is honestly, a great breakfast! 

I really love the taste of green tea.  You can really taste it in this smoothie.  How about you?  Do you like the taste of green tea?  

If you have visited this blog in the past, you probably noticed I have changed up the look a bit.  Still going with what blogger has to offer, but I increased the text size ( easier to read) and changed the template so I could increase the size of the pictures.  Let me know what you think!  I am still messing with some minor adjustments and any feedback is appreciated!

HG's Egg Benechick

I seem to be feeling nostalgic lately, as I keep making all the oldies but goodies.  This Eggs Benedict recipe is no exception.  I think it might be the very first HG recipe I ever made.  I was VERY skeptical when I first read exactly what went in together to make the fake out "hollandaise" sauce....but was very pleasantly surprised at the end result.  So much so, that I actually crave this combo now and then. 

Of course, I added my own spin on it by adding baby spinach on the bottom...why not?  more stuff to wipe up the saucy goodness with!   I also replaced the traditional english muffin half with two slices of Nickels Light 35 Mulitgrain bread and used a 3" cookie cutter to get two round shapes and then stacked them on top of one another.  You can toast it...but I don't...I like it soft. 

To determine just how much bread I used doing this method, I weighed out one whole slice and got 17g.  Then I cut two discs and weighed them...I got 18g.  So I just used the nutritional information for 1 slice to arrive at the total point value for two bread discs. In order for the point plus values to be accurate, be sure to use bread that is 1p+ per slice. 

I also used 1 oz. Hillshire Farm Deli Select Smoked Ham ( for 2 oz. cal= 60, fat = 1.5g, carb = 1g, protein = 9g, fiber = 0g which calculates to 1p+)  in this recipe and that is the ham I based my calculations off of.  I could have used 2 oz....but it seemed like too much ham...but if you like, you can increase the amount of ham to 2 oz. and it will still be 1p+.

I  did not use fat free mayo ( ew!) as the original HG recipe called for.  I used Hellmanns' light Mayo.  I love REAL mayo, but in this case, using the full fat stuff...increased the point+ value of the sauce by one...so I opted for the reduced fat stuff.  Don't even ever consider buying the fat free stuff...it's just gross and you need so very little of it for this recipe...what on earth would you do with the rest of the jar if you bought it?

I have used both the lemon flavored yogurt and the plain yogurt with the addition of lemon juice.  I like it both ways...so just use what's convenient for you.  Again, once you open the flavored yogurt and take out 1 tsp...you are kind of committed to eating it.  For this reason, I most often use the plain fat free yogurt ( I buy a big container with a removable lid ) with a squirt or squeeze of lemon juice. 

Since this recipe is assembled, rather than combined, I choose to count each item separate, only calculating out the nutritional information for the sauce....which IS combined.  :) 

HG's Eggs Benechick

Printable Version

Servings - 1   Serving size - whole recipe  Points Plus per serving - 6 points+  ( poached egg = 2+, 1 oz. ham = 1+, spinach = 0, bread = 1+, sauce = 2+ )

Nutritional Information for entire recipe of fake out hollandaise sauce:  Calories - 63.5,   Total Fat - 6.3g,   Carb. - 2.3g,   Protein - 0.2g,   Fiber - 0g

2 slices of Nickels Light 35 Mulitgrain Bread ( or other bread that is 1+ per slice), cut into discs with a 3 " cookie cutter....(give the crust scraps to the dog!)

1 large egg, poached

1 oz. lean ham ( I used Hillshire Farm Deli Select Smoked Ham ), or other ham that 1 oz. = 1p+

handful of fresh organic baby spinach

Fresh ground pepper

For sauce:

1 TBS. reduced fat mayo ( such as Hellmann's light)

1 tsp. Hellmann's Dijonnaise 

1 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread such as Brummel and Brown, softened

1 tsp. nonfat lemon yogurt or plain nonfat yogurt with a squirt of lemon juice

1.  Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small microwavable container or bowl. Set aside.

2.  Assemble the egg dish by placing the spinach on the dish, topped with the bread discs, the ham, and the poached egg.   

3.  Heat in microwave on HIGH for about 20 seconds.  Remove and stir.  Add water if you like it looser.  ( I usually do)  Pour over egg and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.  Enjoy!

I had this with two lovely Cutie Mandarin oranges from California this morning for a yummy and filling 6 point+  breakfast.  I am so happy these little clementine type oranges are now available this time of year.  So easy to peel and so sweet!  Have you tried the Mandarin oranges from California?  If you haven't pick some up the next time you are at the store!  

Portabella Mushroom "Pizzas"

Mmmmm...pizza that isn't really pizza....but still tastes like one.  You get three of these babies for 5 points+ !  Simple and easy....

Take three medium sized portabella mushrooms, scrape out the gills, cut down the stem if you need to and treat the shell just like a pizza crust.

I choose to go the traditional route...with mozzarella cheese,  pizza sauce ( I used Ragu pizza quick) , pepperoni, a sprinkle of oregano and some fresh basil once the "pizzas" were done cooking.  If you swap the pepperoni for a zero point foods such as onion and pepper, you can eat three of these for 4 point+! 

Portabella Mushroom "Pizzas"

Printable Version

Servings - 1   Serving size -3 portabella "pizzas"   Points Plus per svg - 5 points+

Calories - 189.6   Total Fat - 10.7g,   Carb. - 12.3g,   Protein - 12.4g,   Fiber - 2.7g

3 medium sized portabella mushrooms ( 5 -6 oz total weight)

1/4 cup Ragu Pizza Quick Sauce, traditional flavor

1 oz. part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

5 -6 pepperoni slices ( about 10g), quartered

salt and pepper

oregano

fresh basil leaf, torn

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.

2.  Wipe mushroom with a damp paper towel.  With a spoon, scoop out gills of the mushroom and cut the stems down as small as possible.  Set the mushrooms, cap side down on the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.  Divide the 1/4 cup of pizza sauce evenly among the three mushroom caps.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly among the three mushrooms.  Arrange the pepperoni quarters evenly among the mushrooms.  Sprinkle with oregano.

4.  Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mushroom is soft.  Divide the basil leaf among the three "pizzas" and enjoy!

This is yet another recipe I made frequently during my early days with WW.  I find it to be a very suitable substitution for pizza...but if you don't like mushrooms, you would probably not agree with me. Me...I LOVE mushrooms.  One thing it does, is save a ton of points because it uses no "flour" crust and because of it, you can eat more than one tiny slice!  If the weather EVER gets nice, you can also grill these outside.  It gives them a whole different flavor...in a good way!  How about you, are you a mushroom lover or a mushroom hater? 

Buffalo Chicken Salad ( in a hurry!)

Some days I just don't know what to have for lunch.  I try to plan out my dinners, and often make a bit more at night so I can have leftovers for lunch the next day...but on the days I don't have something waiting for me...I can be stumped.  I want to have something quick...but I don't really like to rely on frozen processed food either.  So today, the Buffalo Chicken Salad was born, with a little lot of help from Frank's Redhot Wings sauce...buffalo flavor.  Without this sauce, it wouldn't be a Buffalo Chicken Salad.  The nutrition stats on this stuff are pretty impressive...per 1 TBS. = 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 carb, 0 protein, and 0 fiber.  That's a lot of zeros for so much flavor!

This salad is quick and easy, and packs all the flavor punch of any buffalo chicken salad.  I used 98% fat free deli roasted chicken breast meat, making the chicken part of this salad as easy as can be.  Just weighed out two ounces on my scale and then chopped it up.  You could use any combination of zero point+ vegetables you like...I used sweet red pepper, red onion, tomato, and carrot.  I also used full fat blue cheese crumbles...and although I haven't seen it at the store yet ( but I am looking!) , I hear there is a low fat blue cheese that is out now...and you could certainly sub that for the full fat stuff.

I am not going to supply the nutritional stats for this recipe, as most of it is comprised of zero point vegetables, and as far as I am concerned...even in a salad, they stay ZERO!  so the only two items that add point value to this salad is the chicken and the cheese...which comes to 5 point+.  ( 2 point+  for the chicken and 3 point+ for the cheese.) 

 

Buffalo Chicken Salad ( in a hurry!)  

Servings - 1  serving size - whole salad   PP per svg - 5 points+

Ingredients:

2 cups organic baby spring mix

1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet red pepper

1/2 of a ripe tomato, diced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 oz. deli 98% fat free roasted chicken breast meat, chopped

1 oz. crumbled blue cheese

2 TBS. Frank's Redhot wings sauce, buffalo style ( or more if you like)

Directions:

1. Place the baby spring mix on a plate.  Top with the veggies and the chicken breast meat.  Drizzle with Frank's Redhot Wings Sauce, buffalo flavor.  Top with blue cheese crumbles.

Make sure to have a large glass of water ready to put the fire out in your mouth!  haha  Enjoy! 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

 This salad made me happy.  I felt like I was being bad....because my mouth was so happy with flavor...but it turned out I was being really good!  

Have you recently had something that you ate that felt like you were being bad, but were really being good?

Banana "Ice Cream" ( Zero P+)

Variations of this recipe have been popping up all over the internet lately, probably because now that fruit is considered a zero point food on point plus, Banana "ice cream" is now a zero point treat.  I first saw this recipe a few month ago on Danica's Daily.  Since then I have seen variations posted on several blogs and recipe sites. Everybody knows bananas are good for you.  They contain moderate amounts of vitamin B₆, vitamin C, manganese and potassium.

I was skeptical at first, but soon found out banana "ice cream" is super easy to make and really does whip into a mixture with a similar texture to ice cream.  You WILL need a food processor to make this, either a full sized one or a mini one.  ( I use my mini one for one banana...which is one serving)  It's very versatile...you can use any liquid of choice...ff creamer, skim milk, almond milk, soy milk....and you can add any flavor enhancer to it you like...vanilla extract, cinnamon, coconut extract...the possibilities are almost endless.    You will want to start with a very ripe banana.  Peel it, slice it up, and freeze it.  ( perfect for those bananas that get a little over ripe) You must slice the banana before it goes into the food processor, or your food processor motor will not be happy. I have been slicing up my over ripe bananas, and then putting the slices from one banana into freezer bags and popping them into the freezer for when I want a treat. 

*Please note, this is one of those recipes that fall into the "gray area" of point plus calculations.  For all intents and purposes, this is a zero point food...however, when the nutrition information is used to calculate points plus, you will get 4 pp per serving..this is also true of the recipe builder tool on WW.  With a recipe that falls into this category, I have been told by WW, that you can consider this a zero point food, if you are happy with your weight loss...if you are not seeing results, then you should consider counting it as 4 points+ per serving. 

Banana "Ice Cream" ( Zero P+) adapted from Danica's Daily

Servings - one   Serving size - one banana   Points Plus per svg - zero or 4 points+ * ( see explanation above)

Calories - 135.8,  Total Fat - 0.8g,   Carb. - 33.4g,   Protein - 2.4g,  Fiber - 3.2g

1 med to large very ripe banana, sliced and frozen

2 - 3 TBS skim milk

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1.  Put frozen sliced banana into the food processor.  Start with 1 TBS milk and pulse...scrap down sides and add more milk and process until you get a "soft serve" ice cream consistency.  

2. Add the extract and pulse for a second more. 

I topped mine with a few mini chocolate chips ( may affect point plus value).  A really delicious, satisfying treat anytime!  

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Egg Sandwich with Dijonnaise

I recently discovered a new use for a terrific product...Hellmann's Dijonnaise.  ( or Best Foods for those of you on the west coast ).  This is a product I keep regularly in my fridge.  I am not a hug fan of mustard...give me a ton of mayo to slather on things, and I am a happy girl....but mayo is very costly WW speaking...so ever since I read about Dijonnaise on Hungry Girl, I decided it was worth trying. One TBS. of dijonnaise is ZERO points+.   This week, I decided to use it, instead of a butter spread or spray on my egg sandwich.  OMG...I was instantly in heaven!  The tang of the dijonnaise with the gooey egg middle is remarkable.  When I use Nickels light 35 mulitgrain bread,( one point+ per slice)  this sandwich comes in at 4 points+.  Today I added a banana on the side for a very satisfying breakfast.  I encourage you to give your taste buds a treat and try this combo.   I like the egg to ooze out and get messy, so I cook my egg over-easy, but if runny yolks aren't your thing, you could cook the egg until the middle is hard!   This would also make a terrific lunch as well! 

Egg Sandwich with Dijonnaise

Servings - one sandwich    Serving size - entire sandwich   Points+ per svg - 4 points+

Calories - 147,  Total Fat - 5.5g,   Carb. - 16.4g,    Protein - 9.3g   Fiber - 3g

I large egg

2 slices of Nickels light 35 mulitgrain bread

1 TBS. Hellmann's Dijonnaise Creamy dijon spread

1.  Cook egg in nonstick fry pan coated with cooking spray to your desired doneness. 

2.  Toast two slices of the bread and spread the dijonnaise on each slice.  

3.  Assemble egg sandwich.  Enjoy!

Mine is almost empty!   I need to pick up MORE!

The Great Pasta Question and Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

I hope everyone had a good New Year celebration...mine was very low key...an evening spent at home watching movies on Netflix...lol  The tree and the holiday decorations are now all down, and I am ready to get back into a routine, one which includes a more healthy diet!! 

Everyone that does WW knows what the point values for dry pasta are, right?  Of course we do...regular pasta, 2 oz. dry is 5 points+ and whole wheat pasta, 2 oz. dry is 4 points+. But really, who only cooks 2 dry oz. of pasta at one time?  I know I don't.  I will cook a pound of pasta for my family, and then weigh out my portion once the whole pound is cooked...I don't cook 2 oz. separate.  So what does 2 oz. of dry pasta weigh once it's cooked??  I have searched and searched for an answer to this question...and finally today, I decided to do a little experimentation.  First, I weighed out EXACTLY 2 oz. of dry pasta.  (Twice, because I used regular penne type pasta and whole wheat spaghetti type pasta )

dry penne weighed out ( minus the bowl )

2 oz. uncooked whole wheat spaghetti

I cooked both pastas al dente according to package directions separately and then reweighed each.  Here is what I got:

Cooked penne ( minus the bowl )

cooked whole wheat spaghetti ( minus the bowl ) 

As you can see, the cooked pasta weighs a little more than two times the dry.  I believe it would be safe to say, if you measure out 4 oz. of cooked pasta, it would have the same amount of points as 2 oz. dry.  It didn't seem to make a difference in the shape or the composition of the pasta as to the final weight.  Mystery solved!  :) 

And now what to do with this perfectly cooked pasta?  How about a nice, light lemony chicken and vegetable pasta dish? I made this dish for lunch, and it serves one..but you could easily adjust the measurements to make a dish to serve four to six or make this into a two serving recipe for half the points!  You could also leave the chicken out for a few less points or use whatever zero point vegetables you like.

Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

Servings - 1  huge serving  Serving size - whole recipe   Points plus per serving - 10 points+ 

Calories - 395.2,  Total Fat - 8.7g,  Carb. - 56.7g,  Protein - 25.8g,  7.6g

2 oz. dry penne pasta ( cooked according to package directions)

2 oz. cooked chicken breast, diced (warm)

1 cup fresh broccoli florets

1/2 cup baby carrots

1/2 cup red pepper, sliced

1 TBS. brummel and brown spread

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBS. lemon zest

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

1 TBS. Parmesan cheese, shredded

1.  Cook the broccoli, baby carrots, and red pepper until crisp tender.  ( I used the microwave )  

2. In a small saucepan, melt the brummel and brown spread.  Add the garlic and the lemon zest.  Cook until the garlic gets fragrant.  Take off heat, and add the lemon juice.  

3.  In a small bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chicken, and cooked vegetables. Pour the garlic lemon mixture over and coat evenly.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle on cheese.  Enjoy!  

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Turkey, Roasted Pepper, and Ricotta Panini

As you all know, I started the new PointsPlus program this week.  I purchased the deluxe members pack at my Weight Watchers meeting on Tuesday, and in it, was a nice little cookbook, Ready, Set, Go!  One of the lunch recipes was the Turkey, Roasted Red Pepper, and Ricotta Panini.  Since I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to break in the new cookbook and give this recipe a go.  WOW!  Wonderful is all I have to say.  I enjoyed every bite of this sandwich....and you will too! You can use a panini press, like I did, or you can simply grill it in a nonstick pan if you don't have one...but once you make this sandwich, you will be asking Santa for a press, because you will want to make it again and again!

I use my panini press more than I had ever thought I would when I got it.  I like it because you can quickly make a simple and lovely grilled cheese or make a more elaborate concoction, and you can either spray the bread lightly with cooking spray, or leave it plain, and it still toasts beautifully.  And the best part?  no flipping.  I own a cuisinart panini and sandwich press I received as a gift a few years back. It has a nice nonstick surface and is very easy to wipe clean after using it.  It is also easy for the kids to use...which is a great bonus!

Turkey, Roasted Pepper, and Ricotta Panini  from Ready, Set Go! cookbook 

Servings - 1   Serving size - 1 sandwich  Pointsplus per serving - 6 points+

Calories - 267,  Total Fat - 4g,  Carb. - 33g,  Protein - 24g,  Fiber - 4g*

1/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese, drained

2 slices whole grain bread

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh baby spinach ( I use organic!  you should too! )

 a little less than a 1/4c roasted red peppers, ( not packed in oil ) thickly sliced

2 large fresh basil leaves

2 ounces of no salt added, fat free, skinless turkey breast ( I used some from my deli, 2 slices weighed to 2 ounces) 

 1.  Spread ricotta cheese on bottom of a slice of bread.  Layer spinach, roasted red peppers, basil, and turkey over the cheese.  Cover with remaining slice of bread.

2.  Heat the panini press up.  When it is ready, lightly spray the bottoms of the bread with spray ( or not if you don't want to...I used my misto) and put sandwich into press and close cover.  Grill until top slice of bread is golden.  Remove from press and slice in half.  OR  if you don't have a press, lightly spray bottom of nonstick skillet and grill both sides of sandwich until golden.  About 3 minutes each side. 

*please note, the bread you use may alter the points since brands of bread nutritional values vary.  I used Nickles 35 Multigrain reduced calorie bread, and for two slices, it is only 2 points+, which altered the final nutritional stats of this recipe for my sandwich.  Although your pocket guide may tell you two slices is worth 3 points+, taking the nutritional information off the bread sleeve gave me 2 points+, and per WW instruction, THIS is the correct value.  But I have published it here, as it is written in the cookbook, not for the sandwich I made with the Nickles bread.   

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