bean salad.

i spent a good part of the day baking for a bake sale & it felt like i was just breathing in loads of fat. so i needed to make something super healthy to make up for it!

this salad can be served warm or cold, which is great to fit the salad to the season!

2 cans kennelli beans, rinsed & drained
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
2 hard boiled egg whites, chopped
1/2 tomato, seeded & chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1/2 red onion (or one full onion if smaller), chopped
1 Tbsp, red wine or sherry vinegar
freshly ground pepper & salt
1/4 cup parsley

optional ingredients: 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (i sprayed some EVOO) or lemon juice. 12 large green pimento stuffed olives (i'm not a huge fan).

Place beans in a large pot & cover with water. Bring to a boil. Add carrot, onion & celery. Reduce heat & simmer until beans & veggies are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain & let cool. **

Add egg whites, tomato, peppers, red onion, vinegar (or oil) & spices. Toss gently.

**If serving warm, drain beans & veggies then immediately mix with all of the ingredients. Serve warm.

POINTS value: 2 per 1 cup. 3 if using regular oil.

barbeque sweet potatoes.

this was a great side to burgers last night. there's two ways to make these - one on the grill & one in the oven. i don't have a grill yet so i used the oven and they turned out just fine, maybe just a little less crispy than they woudl be on a grill. but still oh so yummy! sorry for not having a photo, we were so hungry & ready to eat these that i forgot!

1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into strips
3 Tbsp ketchup (i like reduced sugar, regualr is packed with sugar)
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

If grilling - spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Heat grill to medium high fire.
Mix together ketchup, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard & pepper in a small bowl.
Brush the potato slices on all sides with sauce. Grill potatoes 5 inches from heat, turning frequently, until browned on the outside & tender when peirced with a fork (about 8 minutes)

If baking - spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Set oven to 375 degrees. (If you are like me, you can pre-cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes to soften & lessen the time in the oven) Mix sauce ingredients. Brush sauce on all sides of sweet potatoes & place onto baking sheet. Bake potatoes for about 15 minutes if pre-cooked, 45 minutes if not pre cooked. You should be able to pierce the potatoes easily with a fork.

I made extra sauce for dipping as well.

POINTS value: 1 point per 1/2 cup.

on-the-spot pasta salad.

after being invited to a spur of the moment cookout at a friend's house, the hubs & i decided that we needed to bring something. that meant either stopping at the store to buy something or whipping up something easy with things we had around the house. of course the house being my house, we have mostly healthy foods. we came up with (ok, it was the hubs idea..but i'll take the claim for the purpose of this post) our on-the-spot pasta salad!

another good thing about it is that it can be halved or doubled for how much you need. AND bringing it to a party can keep you on track! i had some of this with a grilled chicken breast & fruit knowing that it was a healthier option.

1/2 box of rotini/spiral/shell whole wheat pasta (i used smart taste brand)
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 purple onion, diced
1/4 cup fat free parmesean cheese (i use wegman's brand)
3 weight watchers mozzerella string cheese, cut into small peices
1/4 bottle of fat free italian dressing (we had fat free italian/ceasar..still very good)
parsley, salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta & rinse with cold water until cool. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve chilled.

POINTS value: 1 heaping cup = 4 points

matzo ball soup.

before i begin, i'd like to warn you that i am not jewish & therefore do not follow hebrew practices in the consumption & preparation of matzo. i'm merely a fan of matzo. just ask my college best friend, hope. i used to eat her matzo bread & loved when we would celebrate hebrew holidays in our college apartment. and because passover is approaching, it seemed like the perfect time to eat some matzo ball soup!

so it goes without saying (to some people at least) that matzo ball soup is one of my favorite soups. why? 1. it's simple. 2. there's no extra stuff in it that i dont like (i'm used to be a very, VERY picky eater) & 3. its fun to watch the balls grow to be three times their original size (it's the little things in life, i guess)

this recipe is from a weight watcher's recipe & i couldn't resist when i saw it, especially when you can make this meal as low or high in points as you like.

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 tsp salt (i probably used less..i'm weird with salt)
3/4 cup matzo meal (it equalled to about one packet with the brand i bought. in the international food aisle.)
3 tablespoons seltzer (it exploded on me, so be careful)
4 (14.5 ounce) cans reduced soduim vegetable broth
1 tsp. dried parsley*


Whisk the eggs, oil & salt together in a bowl. Stir in the mazto meal and seltzer just until smooth. Cover & refrigerate 30 minutes. Wet hands as needed & form into sixteen 1-inch balls.

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Gently drop the balls into the water. Cover & reduce heat to a simmer. Cook about 30-45 minutes, until the balls are soft throughout. Drain matzo balls & set aside.

**If you're like me & like to prepare things ahead of time, you can stop here & refrigerate the balls on a lined cookie sheet so that they aren't on top of each other, up to a day ahead of time.**

Add broth to the soup pot and bring to a simmer. Heat the cooked matzo balls until they are warm (about 5 minutes). Stir in parsley at the end of cooking.

POINTS value: vegetable broth - 0 points; 1 matzo ball - 1 point


*You can add fresh parsely & dill if you wish. I didn't have any handy.

a note on hungry girl.

i love hungry girl! if you're not familiar with Lisa Lillien & her books, you should be. especially if you are trying to loose weight or eating healthy.


i love her 200 recipes under 200 calories book as well as her original hungry girl book. they are packed full of weight watchers freindly recipes (as well as being the only cookbook endorsed by weight watchers so far). she gives you ideas of things to keep around like fiber one cereal & vitatops (a great, filling organic "muffin" top that tastes wonderful with some frozen fat free cool whip ala ice cream sandwhich).


Lisa also has a website http://www.hungry-girl.com/ & daily emails with tips, tricks & recipes.





some of my favorite recipes so far:
cheesy cauliflower casserole
white pizza
veggie burger wrap
a vast array of her dips (too many to name)

i highly recommend either signing up for the emails and/or getting her books. they are a great investment!

potatoes o'brien & cabbage

happy st. patricks day!
tonight i decided to make potatoes o'brien & cabbage to satisfy the irish in me & my growling stomach. it was very tasty & will be served along side the corned beef i made the hubs (i'm not a fan of corned beef or the points that i'm sure are in there somewhere). but if you're like me & can live without meat at dinnertime, it's certainly filling enough!

3 large potatoes
1 green pepper, seeded & diced
1 red pepper, seeded & diced
1 large onion, diced
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

You can boil the potatoes the traditional way, or you can nuke them in the microwave like I do for 8-9 minutes until a fork can easily slide into them. Let cool & cut into 1 inch bites.
In a large skillet spray olive oil and add onion, peppers & potatoes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook over medium high heat until potatoes brown and onions are translucent.
In a separate skillet, spray olive oil & add cabbage. Cook until cabbage is "sweet" (I also like it browned a bit). Mix in with potatoes at end of cooking.

*I cook the cabbage separately becuase otherwise the skillet is too crowded & not everything cooks evenly.

POINTS value: 4 for 1 cup. I try to fill the cup up with mostly potatoes since that's where all of your points are, then add the veggies & cabbage afterwards since they are "free."

spicy garlic lemon chicken

i think this is one of the best chicken dishes i've made in a while.


3 - 3 ounce chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic gloves minced
spray olive oil
spray butter
3 Tsbp lemon juice

Mix spices in a small bowl. Generously sprinkle both sides of chicken breast.
Spray olive oil & butter in a non-stick skillet. Add garlic & chicken and set to medium-high heat. Add lemon juice half way through cooking. Brown chicken until no pink is left inside. Add extra spray olive oil & butter if needed as cooking.

POINTS value: 3 points for 3 oz. chicken.


I served this over 1 cup of cous cous (3 points) & 1 cup of red beets (0 points). I also squirted a small amount of lemon juice over everythign for an extra punch.
The lemon can also be replaced with lime juice, if you prefer.

colorful chickpea salad.

i love making things in advance so i can spend more time relaxing with the hubs when he gets home. i plan on serving this very colorful salad with some BLTs (mine with turkey bacon & fat free mayo on a sandwhich thin) for dinner.


2 cups, broccoli florets (i used frozen because it's easier & cheaper)
1 jar red & yellow roasted peppers, drained & patted dry (especially if in olive oil)
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp seasame or canola oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook until tender-crisp (about 3 minutes). Be careful not to overcook. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pat dry.

Meanwhile, mash garlic, lemon zest & salt with the side of a large knife until it forms a paste. Transfer to a serving bowl. Slice peppers into long strips.

Whisk oil, pepper & lemon juice into paste. Stir in peppers broccoli & chick peas. Serve cold.

POINTS value: 2 points per generous 1 cup serving.

*I would reccommend that if you are pre-making this salad earlier in the day or week to half the oil/lemon juice mixture and add the other half at serving. Or add a little bit more lemon juice & splash of oil prior to serving. Without this the salad could dry out a little bit loosing some of the flavor in the chickpeas.

strawberries.

i love this time of year when it comes to produce.

strawberries are finally getting less expensive. they are one of my favorite weight watchers friendly fruits. 1.5 cups for 1 (yes, ONE!) point.

i like having a half serving in the morning with my fiber one cereal & then have the other half at night for a dessert or snack with some fat free cool whip. or you can add some to that greek yogurt with some splenda (or other 0 calorie sweetner). delish!

lifetime!

proof that weight watchers & these recipes work..

i made lifetime this morning!! it's a long time coming.

lost 40 pounds since january 2009 & 25 since joining WW in may 2009.

before & after pics to come soon..

balsalmic chicken with rosemary.

i'm a huge fan of my crockpot. found this in a light crock pot cookbook so that's proof that you dont need a WWs cookbook to make all of your meals.

4 - 4 oz chicken breasts
1/2 cup dry white wine (i recommend pinot grio or chardonnay)
2 tsp balsalmic vinegar
1 tbsp lemon rind
salt & pepper
1/2 chopped tomato
1 tbsp dried rosemary

place chicken in crockpot.
mix wine, vinegar, lemon rind, salt & pepper ina small bowl. pour over chicken. Set to low for 6 hours or high for 3.
at around 45-30 minutes before end of cooking put tomatoes and rosemary over chicken.

POINTS value: 4 for 1 chicken breast with tomatoes

i served this over 1 cup of cous cous (3 points)

chicken tortilla soup.

this is an older recipe from WWs that i got in a $5 sale cookbook at my meeting. even tho i trust WWs POINTS values, i still try to figure it all out on my own especially when i re-work the recipes to my taste.
it was a tad on the spicy side but you can mess with the spices (or omit them completely) to suit your taste.

spray olive oil
onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder
1/2 - 1 tsp cajun seasoning
1.5 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (i prepared this earlier in the day with some parsley)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
14 baked tortilla scoops (best part!)

Spray a large non-stick skillet with spray olive oil. Heat the onion, pepper, & garlic over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until softened & lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes, corn, & spices and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add chicken and lemon. Reduce heat & simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips.

POINTS value:
3 for 1 1/5 cups of soup
2 for 14 tortilla chips

* you can save prep time by using frozen onion & peppers

spring/summer faves

here's some of my new WW foods especially for spring/summer!

fiber one yogurt: 0 points --amazing & filling! i thought they were going to be horrible, but they weren't & there's not even that weird fat free food after-taste.

fat free plain greek yogurt: 2 points -- i love greek yogurt. if you get plain (2 points) then you can make your own flavors for 0 points like adding in the fiber one yogurt. some flavored greek yogurts are 3 points already. or you can take the plain & add it to chicken salads instead of mayo or make it into a great fruit dip. add honey, fresh fruit or similar flavors, yogurts for 3 points. love the thickness.

green giant WW endorsed sides: 0 points -- yummy & cheesy! so good, the hubs loves them too!

jell-O: 0 points -- the old WW go-to! pair up with some frozen fat free cool whip for just an extra .5-1 point! (btw, frozen fat free cool whip is an awesome alternative to ice cream)

clementines (2 small): 1 point -- one of my favorite fruits in the spring/summer. i stick a couple in my purse for an on-the-go snack or you can snack on them throughout the day when hunger (or boredom) starts to sneak up & you won't feel bad!

Laura's Lean 96/4% lean ground beef: 1 point per ounce - love the idea of red meat! great for burgers on the grill without cutting into the points.

sandwhich thins (nature's own, arnolds, etc): 1 point per bun --great for those burgers & grilled cheese!

easy-peasy stir fry

this is my go-to stirfry for quick easy lunch or a pre-weigh in dinner.

frozen onions
frozen pepper mix
frozen green beans
frozen broccoli florets
2/3 cup of barley or cous cous, precooked (see below)
low sodium soy sauce
spray olive oil
your favorite seasoning mixes (i like pepper, minced onion, ginger, table blend seasoning)


spray a skillet with olive oil. place all frozen veggies in skillet. cook on medium high until veggies are cooked through (be careful not to overcook) add about 5 splashes of soy sauce to mix. add in balery or cous cous and let cook through, about 2 minutes.

POINTS value: 2 points




To cook pearled barley: bring about 2.5 cups of water to a boil. add in 1 cup of barley and let it cook for up to 45 minutes until tender.
To cook cous cous: bring 2 cups of water toa boil. Add 1 cup cous cous and take off of heat. Let stand for about 2-3 minutes as it plumps.

I like to make these two things ahead of time and add them to stir fry, as side dishes, to chicken broth, etc. By the way, barley is a great way to get some extra fiber in your diet!

granola

watching good morning america today made me and hubs crave some granola..i plan on taking some to my meeting this weekend with the recipe.

3 cups uncooked quick cook oats
2 cups ready-to-eat puffed cereal
6 Tbsp honey
1 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup apple juice (i used light Motts)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tspground ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup dred cranberries
1/4 cup rasins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine oats and cereal. Mix & spread onto a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring once.
Meanwhile, combine oil, juice, honey & spices in a small bowl.
Pour oat/cereal into a mixing bowl. Add almonds & oil/juice mixture. Stir and spread onto same baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring occationally.
Pour mixture back into bowl and add fruit. Let cool before serving.

make's 10-11 servings.

POINTS value: 3 per 1/2 cup