Recipes

Here are some of my favorite recipes. Most are adjusted to be WW friendlier. If you're not into WW, know that if I use something like Splenda you can use regular sugar, or regular "fat" stuff can be used in place of fat free (FF) stuff I use.

Fruit Salsa
POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 8 (approx 1/2 c each)

2 large kiwifruit
1 cups strawberries
2 Tbsp apple jelly
2 medium Granny Smith apple(s)
2 Tbsp McNeil Nutritionals Splenda brown sugar blend
1/2 cup Tropicana Light 'N Healthy Orange juice beverage with pulp

Peel/core apples, then dice.
Peel, then dice kiwi.
Slice strawberries to make 1 cup, can dice afterwards if desired.
Put all fruit in bowl
Add OJ, brown sugar and apple jelly to bowl and mix.
Refrigerate til cool.

NOT INCLUDED IN POINT VALUE:Serve with cinnamon/sugar tortilla chips (wet top side of a tortilla and sprinkle w/ cinn/sugar---slice like a pizza then back til crispy @ 350). Or serve over waffles/pancakes instead of syrup.

Banana chocolate chip (bundt cake or bread)
POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 16

4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup Egg Beaters
1 package yellow cake dry mix (18.25 oz box, plain, no pudding type)
3/4 cup semisweet choc. chips
1/3 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce

Preheat oven to 350.
Mash bananas.
Combine all ingredients in large bowl then beat--30 seconds on low and then 2 minutes on med speed.
If making bread, pour into 2 greased/floured loaf pans. Bake for 30-35 min.
If making Bundt cake, pour into greased/floured cake pan and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Gnocchi w/ Sausage and Spinach
Adjusted to be WW friendly from a Real Simple recipe
4 svgs/10 points each (per Recipe Builder)

4 serving gnocchi (any should do frozen, dried, etc.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound lean sweet Italian turkey sausage (casings removed)
5-6 oz baby spinach
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup reduced-fat parmesan
1 tsp minced garlic

Cook gnocchi according to package directions, reserve 1/4 c cooking liquid. In large pot, heat oil in skillet, add onion saute til soft (5 min). Remove casings from turkey. Crumble sausage and cook til browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, spinach, salt and pepper and cook tossing frequently until spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Add drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid and the Parmesan. Mix everything together, divide among 4 bowls.

Mom's Wimpies (sloppy joes)
8 svgs; 4 points each (not counting bun)
(I think it makes more than 8 svgs---I usually eat on small roll, so I get more servings. If you use Kaiser/hard roll I think the 8 svgs would be more accurate.)

2 pounds raw 93% lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz chili sauce (get plain, not zesty or anything)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Splenda
1 tsp yellow mustard

Brown meat. Combine all other ingredients then mix w/ meat. Heat til warm. Serve on roll. (Roll not counted in points value).

Baked Apples
1-2 points depending on size of apple

1 apple (I use Granny Smith)
Spray butter (ICBINB)
1 or 2 packets Splenda (or sugar, about 1/2 - 1 tea)
1tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

Peel and core the apple. Put in small bowl then spray top and inside of apple with a few sprays of butter spray. Sprinkle with Splenda/sugar and cinnamon. Microwave for 3 minutes

To make it taste like Apple pie, top with some FF vanilla frozen yogurt. Add the points, though.

Sausage "McMuffin"
4 points, 1 svg
Really fast/easy and the protein/fiber keeps me full.

1 multi grain Light English muffin (or any 1 point English muffin)
2 patties (1 svg) Jimmy Dean turkey breakfast sausage

Toast the muffin and microwave the 2 patties for 35 seconds. Spray some butter spray on muffin, add the sausage and enjoy. (I add a little ketchup too.)

Chicken Marsala (from WW.com)
POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 18 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup mushroom(s), fresh, sliced
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz pieces
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup wine, Marsala variety
1 1/4 cup canned beef broth, reduced-sodium, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and releasing liquid, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place chicken on a plate and season both sides with thyme, salt and pepper. Move mushrooms to outer edge of skillet once cooked. Place chicken in center of skillet and sauté until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add wine to skillet; simmer 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of broth and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth in a small bowl; add to skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly and incorporating mushrooms into the liquid, about 1 minute. Serve chicken with mushroom sauce spooned over top. Yields about 3 ounces of chicken and 1/3 cup of sauce per serving.

Need your help!

I have a mini-problem. I'm bored with food. I love to cook, but I get scared to try new things. I'm the same way at a restaurant. Once I find something I like, I very rarely order anything else.

So here's my problem: to stay "good" on WW, I have to cook. I feel like I cook the same 6 things, although I'm sure I don't. I want to try something new, but I'm scared to try new things because I don't know if I'm going to like them. If I try something new and hate it, it greatly increases the chance I'll binge and be bad. So, do me a favor. Send me some recipes. I guess whoever reads my blog will benefit as well. It doesn't necessarily have to be a WW friendly recipe either. I can adjust stuff to make it a little better points wise or if it sounds really good, I may just have to schedule in a "bad" day every once in a while. But the deal is, it has to be a recipe you really love. I'll think about one or two of my favorite recipes and post them once I figure out what it is.

While we're at it, lets expand this to eating out. WW people, let me know you're favorite meals out. I do flex, not core, so something with points would be easier for me. But like I said, I eat the same things at the same restaurants every time. Ex: Quiznos is the old Sierra Smoked turkey, Subway is turkey, basically any other restaurant I get mildly stressed about ordering. So maybe seeing some of your favorite stuff will give me ideas and broaden my horizon! :) I'm starting to feel like Oprah with her "favorite things!"

Speaking of Oprah, Laura and I were talking about pizza (she has a mild addiction as well) and she told me Oprah did a show where she sent Gayle out to find the best pizza. For all you pizza addicts out there,this may be worth checking out. Who knows, maybe you'll be like me and you'll plan a vacation around good pizza! :)
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200611/tows_past_20061101_b.jhtml
Laura, Brian and I had Ledo's last night. It made the list!!