Snap Pea Salad

My favorite way to eat vegetables right now is to roast them with a little olive oil. But sometimes I just want a new way of eating them. I LOVE snap peas (especially roasted!), so when I came across this recipe in my family circle magazine, I ripped it out and saved it...for today!


Warning: Do not eat this while watching tv and sitting on your couch! The juice from the snap peas squirt all over!! :) This was yummy. The combo of mustard and vinegar is quite refreshing.

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (I was out of balsamic so I used rice wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (I used dried)
1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas, strings removed
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
8 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella nuggets), drained (I omitted)
1 cup slivered baby carrots
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (I omitted)
1/3 cup cup slivered red onion (I sauteed mine first)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. Stir in oregano. Cover and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add snap peas and simmer 4 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Place snap peas in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, bocconcini, carrots, olives and red onion. Toss with 1/3 cup of the dressing.

Sauteed Artichokes and Peppers

I found this recipe in one of my Real Simple Magazines, and although I had no interest in the flank steak, this side dish really caught my attenion. I made this simpler than the original recipe, so the top is the original way to make it...and the 2nd recipe is my simplified version!


Kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups torn bread (1-inch pieces)
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and halved
1/2 cup sweet red cherry peppers (such as Peppadews), sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Here is the real recipe:
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread and cook, tossing, until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a second skillet. Add the artichokes and cook, cut-side down, until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bread and toss to combine. Serve with the steak.

MY MUCH EASIER VERSION:
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the artichokes, and peppers (I used orange and yellow bell peppers) and cook about 5 minutes, or until the peppers start to soften to desired texture. Add a handful of croutons (no toasting of bread for me!), garlic, thyme (I used dried), salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Edamame Succotash

Ironically I found this recipe in Southern Living Magazine while I was working out on the eliptical machine at the gym one day.  It looked easy and a great way to get a lot of different vegetables in one meal; and since I love edamame I couldn't resist trying it. 

I thought this was really yummy!  I ate it with string cheese as my lunch today and am eating it along side the cornflake chicken I made for dinner tonight.  It will probably also be in my lunch a couple of days this week!!  I omitted the mint because I didn't have any on hand.  Also, I was going to omit the butter to make it healthier, but you can totally taste it in the recipe so I would suggest keeping it in!

 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium-size orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium-size yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (16-oz.) package frozen edamame, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers and corn, and cook 5 more minutes or until tender.

2. Stir in chicken broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Stir in edamame; cook 3 minutes. Stir in butter until melted. Remove from heat, and stir in mint and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

It looks odd right??? Yet a little intriguing?? That's what I thought too, so when I came across this recipe I knew I just had to try it. I found this in my Family Fun magazine (http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/try-a-surprising-salad-907310/) and immediately ripped it out.

It's weird. But it's surprisingly very good. I had it for breakfast and lunch, and I'll probably have it again for dinner! I'd give this a low 4 stars. I didn't have any fresh basil or mint so I just used a pinch of dried basil. I think the fresh basil would definitely make it a lot better...and prettier!!

Ingredients:
8 cups cubed watermelon
2 to 4 ounces cubed or crumbled feta
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil or mint

Instructions
Mix the watermelon and feta. Toss with a dressing made from the lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with slivered fresh basil or mint. Serves 8.

Mmm....Lightly breaded eggplant

Except for that one piece in the middle, doesn't that look delicious?!?!  Mmmm, I'm getting hungry just looking at that.  I have been roasting every vegetable possible.  And I've learned that roasted eggplant is NOT good.  It is mushy and can burn easily if not watched.  HOWEVER...if you add some panko bread crumbs it "crisps" up wonderfully.  And the hardest part of this recipe, is cutting the eggplant into thin slices.  And I'm proud to say I came up with this one on my own.  I know, how hard can it be w/three ingredients, but still!

1 medium eggplant

1 c panko bread crumbs

2-3 egg whites, whisked lightly

Slice eggplant into slices about 1/4 inch thick (personally try not to slice it bigger than your pinkie).  Dip eggplant into eggwhites, then into the panko bread crumbs. Lay eggplant in a single layer on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  Cook 375 degree oven for approx. 20 minutes, turning half way though.  Serve with spaghetti sauce.

Rosted Veggies

There are 3 reasons I haven't been posting much:
1. We are trying to save money and use up things we have in our freezer (recipes already posted)
2.  With school ending soon I just don't have the time to take pictures and post new recipes.
3.  I started South Beach this past weekend and not all recipes are WW friendly. 

However, I did roast some veggies the last few night and I am LOVING it, so I thought I'd share.  Sorry no picture this time!  Maybe I'll take one tonight.

In a ziplock bag toss in any cut up veggies (see below for suggestions).  Add a splash of olive oil.  Shake the bag to combine.  Spray a cookie sheet w/non stick spray and spread out the veggies so it forms a single layer.  Bake for 25 min at 400 degrees.  (turn veggies once during cooking, or just shake the pan a few times like I do!)  Add a little salt and/or pepper for seasoning and you're done.  I'm getting hungry just thinking of this for dinner tonight.

Here are some of the veggies I've tried roasting so far:
broccoli
cauliflower
baby zucchini
yellow squash
asparagus
canned artichoke hearts
grape or cherry tomatoes
jicima
peppers

Green Beans and Potatoes in Chunky Tomato Sauce by Christine

Whew! It has been a long time, but here I am. I have a delicious and healthy side dish for you all. This was great with Easter ham, but I also ate it tonight with chicken, and I imagine it to be just as tasty with anything from the grill. I found the recipe on myrecipes.com, but it is originally from Cooking Light.

Ingredients:

*1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

*1 clove of garlic, minced

*1 1/2 cups diced red potato

*1/2 cup chopped celery

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1 1/4 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

*1/4 cup water

*1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*3/4 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (I was lazy and left the peels on)

*1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

*1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (didn't have so didn't use)

Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. Add potatoes, celery, green beans and salt. Saute for about 1 mnute. Add the water and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until beans are crisp tender. Add cilantro and tomatoes. Reduce heat and cover, cooking for about 4 more minutes, or until tomatoes begin to soften. Stir occasionally. Add ground pepper.

I LOVED this veggie dish. 5 stars from me. Bryan gave it 4 stars. Sean ate the beans and potatoes so I say he gave it 4 stars too. Brad, well, he's 4 years old so he wouldn't eat it. Very good reheated too. AND, for those of you counting WW Points, 3/4 cup is only 1 point and its quite filling. Plus, you get your oil!

Taco Soup

Look at that!  That is one big bowl of soup; three ladel fulls in fact.  And that entire bowl was only 5 points.  No shock here, but it would be even better with sour cream, a little cheese, fresh diced tomatoes, and crushed chips on top.  : )

Taco Soup:
1 lb ground beef (I only used 1/2 lb of ground turkey to lower the points though)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cans beans, undrained (I only used 2 to cut down points, but 3 would be great!)
16 oz corn, undrained
15 oz tomato sauce (I totally forgot to add this!)
15 oz diced tomato
1 1/2 c water
1 package taco seasoning mix (I only used 3/4 since I cut down on the meat)
1 package ranch-style dressing mix (Again, I only used 3/4 since I cut down on the meat)

In a large pot, brown beef with onions.  Drain.  Stir in rest of the ingredients.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  (I let mine simmer for about 30)

With the added toppings that I suggested at the top, I would give this 5 stars.  I got 5 servings out of this pot of soup, each serving had 3 large ladel fulls of soup.  Yum!

Chicken and Pasta Soup

sWell ladies, Christine is back. I know it has been a while since my last post, but I will tell you it was worth it! I got a winner here. I found the original recipe on About.com, but of course I changed it a bit to fit what I had in my fridge. You will need:

*3 cans chicken broth (10.5 oz each) I added a 4th can.

*1 cup water

*2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I put 3 frozen chicken breasts right in my crock pot)

*1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz)

*1 cup chopped onion

*1/2 cup dice celery (no celery in my fridge, so none in my soup)

*1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used a full teaspoon)

*1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

*dash of garlic powder

*1/2 cup ditali pasta (I could not find it at the store, so I used wheels. Plus, I added a full cup.)

*1 cup frozen peas/carrots (I used a whole bag of mixed veggies).

Add chicken, broth, water, tomatoes, onions, celery, basil, parsley, and garlic powder to your Crock Pot. I also added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Oh, and some cracked black pepper too. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours. It was already 1:30 in the afternoon, so I cooked it on high for 4 hours. It was perfect timing. Then, cook the pasta as directed on the package. Add the cooked pasta and frozen veggies to the soup and cook in the Crock Pot for another 30 minutes or so. Bryan gave the soup 4 out of 5 stars. He said it needed a bit more flavor. I liked the soup as is and gave it 5 stars. Brad said 5 stars too, but he didn't really eat it. Sean LOVED it! My version of the soup serves 6 people. Each serving is about 2 cups. So, thats about 7 WW points. You could probably save a point or 2 by using whole wheat pasta, but Bryan does not like it so I didn't use it. Enjoy!

Guest Post: Stuffed Pepper Soup

Mimi (my mom) came to visit yesterday and brought me some stuffed pepper soup.  I had it for lunch today and it was really good!  I'd definitely give it 4 stars.


1 packet (8.8 oz) rice (the microwaveable kind)
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 c chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 jar (26 oz chunky tomato pasta sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) beef broth


Prepare rice according to package.  Meanwhile, microwave peppers for a few minutes until tender.  In a pot saute onions and add ground beef to brown.  Drain grease and add peppers.  Stir in pasta sauce, tomatoes, broth and rice.  Heat.


This recipe serves 6 (2 pts for every 1/2 cup)


Personally, the next time I make this I would add more peppers (colored peppers too), another can of diced tomatoes to beef up the veggies, and a bit more broth.  The serving I had was not very "soupy" or liquidy.  I will definitely make this again.  Thanks mom!

Butternut Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe I found on someone else's blog. http://www.escapefromobesity.blogspot.com/ I have had it bookmarked to make since this summer but our little effort on our own blog finally got me to make it. It was actually pretty easy but you'll need two hours for this one because of baking the squash. Mostly her words, not mine.

1 real big butternut squash, cut in half. Rub the cut sides with a bit of olive oil and roast at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet for 60-75 minutes, until very soft when poked with a fork. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Scoop out all the flesh from one half and put it in a BIG bowl. Break it up into smallish, bite sized chunks. It's fine if some of it ends up mashed. Save the other half for a different recipe.

8 oz macaroni. Cook this according to package directions in salted water. While it is cooking, make the sauce. Drain the pasta and put it in the bowl with the squash. Fold it together with a spatula, gently, until well combined.

Sauce:

1.5 T. butter

1 small onion, chopped small

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. white pepper (black is fine, white is prettier)

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1.5 T. flour

1 c. skim milk

12 oz. cheddar cheese

Melt the butter on medium heat in a saucepan. Add the onion and saute til soft. Add nutmeg and white pepper. Add the flour, stir it up good, and then add the milk S-L-O-W-L-Y. I mean, add a little splash and stir it in, then a bit more, stirring each time, until it is all incorporated. Heat almost to the boiling point, stirring often. I used a whisk to keep it smooth. It will thicken a bit. Don't let it boil, or it might not stay smooth, but it will still taste fine. Take it off the heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until melted. Taste and add some salt if you like. (I personally do think this recipe needs a bit of salt, but you decide).Now, pour the sauce over the macaroni and squash. Stir it in gently with a spatula so it is well combined.

Put this mixture into a 9 by 13 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.

My words: So I skipped the onion; it seemed weird to me that it would be in macaroni and cheese. I also didn't have dry mustard; so I skipped that and I used black pepper. The cheese I used is the reduced fat mild cheddar shredded cheese. Afterwards, I thought of the reduced fat velveeta out there. The points for this for a sixth which is one cup equaled 8.5 points. This also was with 14 oz of noodles not 8 like the recipe said so yours would be lower in points for sure.

I loved this and would give it a 5, it reminded me of traditional mac and cheese.

Curt gave it 3.5 stars and he didn't know about the squash because he would have never tried it! I did tell him after he gave me his rating and he would have never known!

Josie loved, loved, loved, loved this!

More Veggies Please! (2 recipes included)

So I totally struggle with getting enough vegetables every day; I can eat four fruits in a day but am challenged to get just one vegetable. And now that Josie is eating table food exclusively, I need to make sure to get the vegetables made. So tonight was all about the veggies.

Vegetables Con Queso (from http://www.365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com/)

Serves 8

2 lbs frozen mixed veggies (corn, beans, peas, carrots)

2 tbsp butter, cubed

1 medium red pepper, diced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 oz cream cheese, cubed (I used a fat free version)

1 cup (4 oz) shredded mild Cheddar cheese

(I used reduced fat because I don't care for the fat free)

Add all ingredients besides cream cheese and cheddar to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Add cheeses; stir to blend. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more or until cheese melts.

I was short on time so I nuked the veggies in the microwave, put them in the slow cooker for an hour still on high and added the cheeses as directed. Curt was 3 1/2 stars, my dad 1 star, and me 2 stars. I think I would have prefered my veggies plain.

Mashed Potatoes Cauliflower

8 cups of cauliflower (fresh or frozen)

2 wedges of Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb, one inch cubes

skim milk for desired consistency

Steam the cauliflowers or in my case by the Steamfresh brand and throw them in the microwave. Then i mixed in the laughing cow pieces and a bit of milk as I tried mixing it.

I did not get a mashed potatoe consistency...they weren't whipped enough.

I really enjoyed these those espescially considering I can't stand raw cauliflower!

I would give them a 4 and my dad a 3. Curt refused to try them. Josie liked them.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hi! Christine here. I love Mexican food, but I am trying to watch my calories. This is a great recipe because you get to eat a lot of soup without feeling guilty, and well, I am a quantity eater! I am the only one who ate this soup in my family. Bryan was at grad school, Brad won't eat chicken unless it's a nugget from M's, and it was too spicy for little Sean. (It will probably be too spicy for Jaime too. She's got a weak tongue.) I give it 4 out of 5 stars. For some reason, it came out a bit too salty. Completely edible though. So I cut the salt in half in the recipe below.

In your crock pot add:

*a 15 oz. can of corn

*4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

*1 medium onion, chopped

*a 15 oz. can of Mexican style diced tomatoes

*a 15 oz. can of black beans, drained

*6-8 slices of jalepenos (you know, from a jar)

*2-3 cloves of crushed garlic

*6 cups of chicken broth

*2 teaspoons cumin

*2 teaspoons chili powder

*2 teaspoons black pepper

*1 teaspoon salt

*2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Cook on low for 8 hours. Pull out the chicken, shred with forks, and plop it back in the pot before serving. It shreds easliy. Each serving consists of 2 generous cups of soup, so it will serve 4 people. For those of you keeping track of WW points, eat up! The two cups are only 4 points. Now if you're like me, you will need a little garnish to jazz up your soup. I added fresh tomatoes, fat-free sour cream, some crumbled baked tortilla chips, and just a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. Oh, and a wedge of lime. If you use all the bells and whistles, your 2 bowls of soup will be worth 7 WW points. Eat this with a large salad, and you have a delish low-cal, healthy meal. I ate 4 hours ago and I don't need a snack right now!