Cheesy Cauliflower Puree

My new recent online obsession is Pinterest. I use it to find DIY ideas, things for my classroom, fitness inspiration, and MUCH, MUCH more! It's also a wonderful place to find recipes of all kinds. This is the second recipe I've tried from Pinterest.

Recipe From: found on Pinterest, here's the original page

Ingredients & Directions: Please see webpage (link above) for ingredients and directions.

Rating: Delizioso! I had to stop myself from eating the whole bowl. Creamy like mashed potatoes, but also light.
Warming Up: warms up perfectly
Notes:

• I used skim milk and reduced fat cheddar cheese, but did not skimp on the butter. I also only used the floret part, barely any stems. (next time, I will use more stem so I would have more puree) 
• I added some garlic powder during the food processing stage. 

WW PointsPlus*: 3 servings, 4 PointsPlus each

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Recipe From: found on Pintrest, here's the original page

Ingredients & Directions: please click link above

Rating: pretty tasty
Warming Up:
Notes:

• I didn't use the poblanos, and used a green pepper instead.
• I'll probably use less cumin next time.
• I baked in a 11"x7" baking dish and got 6 servings.

WW PointsPlus*: as I prepared, 10.

Squash Burgers

Recipe From: I modified/combined recipes from Cooking Light and a blog. (mostly from the blog)

Ingredients:
3 cups squash (I've used cubed butternut and a mixture of mashed butternut and acorn)
garbanzo beans (about 1/2 a can)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 c oatmeal
1/2 of a 1/3 c pecans

1/4 c crumbled goat cheese



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Coat butternut squash and garbanzo beans with oil and maple syrup. Bake until browned, tossing occasionally.
2. While baking, combine oatmeal and pecans in food processor and grind.
3. After squash and beans are done, cool, then blend in food processor until nearly smooth.
4. Mix in oatmeal mixture and goat cheese.
5. Preheat skillet.  Form patties. (makes about 6 large patties)
6. Cook on each side until browned.

Rating: I've tried this a couple times and each time it was a little drier than I would like, so I'll keep tweaking.
Warming Up: warms up fine.
Notes:

• Because I make this in hopes of finding one similar to the one I had at Bluephies, I serve it with pesto and a tomato.

WW PointsPlus*: without the goat cheese, 4.

Eggplant Parmesan

Recipe From: My cousin Cari

Ingredients:
Eggplant
Eggs
Flour
Milk
Parmesan cheese
Oil
Optional ingredients: pasta sauce and shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Put your oil in a shallow pan and start to heat.
2. Mix eggs, milk, flour, and shredded parmesan cheese until it is a paste like consistency.
For one eggplant I typically use 2 eggs, maybe about 1/2c of milk and 1/4c cheese. Then I add enough flour to get to paste.
3. Remove peel from eggplant and slice eggplant in to disks.
4. Set disks on a piece of paper towel, flipping to the other side after a few seconds.
5. Dredge eggplant disks in the paste-like mixture and fry in hot oil.
It is important to make sure the oil is hot before frying.
6. Flip once so both sides are golden brown.

Optional steps:
7. Cover the bottom of a pan with pasta sauce.
8. As eggplants are cooked, layer them in the pan, like lasagna noodles - alternate eggplant, shredded cheese, sauce.
I normally make an 11x7 pan out of one eggplant, with about 4 layers.
9. Bake pan until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Rating: SO good!
Warming Up: Warms relatively well, eggplant gets slightly soggy, but still delish!
Notes:
You can leave the skin on before slicing, it's a matter of taste.
The disks can also be enjoyed on their own, out of the pan, over pasta or just with a side of sauce.

Brown Sugar Chicken

Recipe From: "A Year of Slow Cooking" Blog

Ingredients & Directions: Click the link above.

Rating: So yummy and sweet!
Warming Up: Warms up well.
Notes:
I made a half batch and used chicken tenders, diet soda, and lite soy sauce.
I added baby carrots for the last hour (needs to be longer next time).
My serving suggestion is to eat it over acorn squash...a small laddle of the sweet liquid over the whole thing meant I didn't need brown sugar on my squash. :)
I also suggest reading all the comments on her blog, there are a lot of great ideas and modifications.

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

I made this recipe in late spring/early summer, and am just now getting it posted. Enjoy!

Recipe From: Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients & Directions: Click link above.

Rating: Yummy!
Warming Up: The patties warm up fine.
Notes:
I don't care for the taste of arugula, so I used different toppings.
Use any leftover pitas to make Pita Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber, and Herbs.

Pita Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber, and Herbs

I made this recipe in late spring/early summer, and am just now getting it posted. Enjoy!

Recipe From: Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients & Directions: Click link above.

Rating: Tasty
Warming Up: It's a salad - no warming up necessary, but store the pita pieces separate if you have leftovers so they don't get soggy.
Notes:
I used wheat pitas.

Squash Mac 'n Cheese

My grandfather was a chef (his pictures joins mine in the header of this blog) and made the best homemade mac 'n cheese I've ever had. But, like many chefs, he didn't write down many recipes and I have been trying for years to match the recipe I had on sleepovers to my grandparents' house (his mac was SO good I'd pick at it and eat it cold all night). While the following recipe doesn't even come close to matching his, I truly believe that my appreciation of a good bowl of mac 'n cheese started with my grandpa, whose laughter and cooking I continue to miss.

(On a side note, my house smells like his would while his mac was baking - more than any other version I've made.)

Recipe Adapted From: Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

Ingredients:
1 pound wheat elbow macaroni
2 10 oz packages frozen, pureed winter squash

 

Bubbly and delicious!

2 cups skim milk
4 oz shredded, reduced fat cheddar cheese
2 oz shredded, reduced fat marble jack cheese
4 oz fat free cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp powdered mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c wheat bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish.
2. In a pan, bring water to a boil, add salt, and cook the macaroni according to directions.
3. In another saucepan, over medium heat, combine squash and milk. Stir and break up the squash, eventually bringing it to a simmer.
4. Remove sauce from heat and add cheeses, mustard, and pepper.
5. When the pasta is done, drain, and add to the sauce.
6. Transfer everything to the baking dish.
7. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Top the pasta with this mixture.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes, until the top is browned.

Rating: one of my favorites!
Warming Up: warms up as well as any other pasta dish
Notes:

• I don't tend to buy the frozen squash for this recipe, and instead use leftover acorn squash I bake for a different meal.
• I have never found wheat bread crumbs, so I make my own with wheat bread in my food processor. This time I also put chunks of Parmesan in the food processor with the wheat bread instead of using shredded or ground Parmesan.
• For pasta I use rigatoni because I think it does a great job of sucking up the cheese.

Upside-Down Pizza Remix

This weekend I decided to revisit the Upside-Down Deep Dish Pizza recipe. I really liked the original way of making it, but thought I'd switch it up a little this time.

The changes I made:

• added green onions to the meat and cooked them a little before adding the sauce
• mixed low-fat ricotta cheese with the broccoli instead of using mozzarella on top
• used refrigerated crescent sheet instead of pizza crust
• added sliced tomatoes and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese to the top before baking

This version did need to bake longer - I'm not sure if it was the crescent rolls topping or the tomatoes on top, but I think I ended up baking at 375 for 35-40 minutes, just check on it while it's baking.

This time the dish was equally as delicious and I used the extra crescent sheet to experiment with appetizer options. Maybe I'll have to do a post about that sometime soon. :)

Lettuce Tacos

A few weeks ago I went to PF Chang's with my brother and his wife. When we were there we had some delicious lettuce wraps. On the way home I thought, "I could make tacos the same way." Tonight was the night I did.

Ingredients:
ground turkey
taco seasoning
green onions
reduced fat cheddar cheese
lettuce (I used green leaf)
---------------
salsa
avocado

Directions:

1. Brown ground meat. Add sliced green onions. Cook until onions are semi-soft.
2. Follow directions on taco seasoning.
3. Wash lettuce leaf and pat dry.
4. Top with meat mixture, cheese, and any other taco toppings you like.
5. Wrap lettuce around inside ingredients before eating.

Rating: pretty good, just have to get your brain around the fact that there's no shell
Warming Up: just warm up the meat like you would a normal taco...should warm up fine.
Notes:

• I feel that this recipe has a lot going for it:
• It's healthier than the normal alternative, and if you don't like it the first night you still have everything you need for a nice taco salad.
• The lettuce leaves seem to fit less meat and filling than a taco shell (well, I suppose that depends on the lettuce you use), so there's more calories saved.
• Lettuce tacos are a little messier than normal ones, so maybe you'll eat less because you won't want to get too messy.
• Also, since you're saving some fat, calories, carbs, etc., there's room for dessert. :)
• Next time I'll probably pair it with Apple Straws - one of my new favorite snacks. (I feel a future blog entry coming on...)

WW PointsPlus*: the only points here are the cheese and meat mixture so it depends on how you make it and what additional toppings you use.

Banana Slush Punch

I originally had this recipe at a school dinner. My students made it for the annual parent dinner, it's delicious, but needs to be made ahead of time - you can't just throw this one together.

Recipe From: There are lots of variations out there, but this one seems to be the one I know. 

Rating: tasty, hard to stop drinking it

Notes:

• As the recipe says, this can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Could probably be easily tweaked to include the "adult" portion of a slush drink.

My Turkey Chili

Today was the perfect day to make chili - a big football game on tv and frigid temperatures outside. My recipe for chili changes almost every time I make it, but does have some common ingredients. Below is today's version. (amounts are in italics because that's what changes each time) Also, I tend to "eyeball" the measurements. I don't like a lot of beans in my chili, so today's version had a total of about one can between the two types.


Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
5 green onions, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (with onion and garlic)
1/2 can low sodium black beans
1/2 can chili beans (medium sauce)
12 oz low sodium V8 juice
Emeril's Southwest Seasoning
other spices to taste


Directions:

I am a big fan of "less dishes to do, the better," so I make this in one pan.

1. Brown ground turkey, adding spices as desired. (I've found that the ground turkey in a tube falls apart more easily, making it perfect for this recipe. I add garlic at this point - because I add garlic to basically everything.) Drain meat, if needed.
2. Add green onions, tomatoes, and beans. Stir, cooking for a little bit, letting everything get incorporated.
3. Add juice and Emeril's Seasoning (to taste), stir. 
4. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally. (Today I let it cook until the game was over - about an hour and a half.)
5. Serve with condiments you like. (for me: light sour cream and cheddar cheese, today: beer bread on the side.)

Rating: I tweak the recipe every time, but it's always tasty!
Warming Up: always warms up nicely.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

Recipe From: Kraft Food & Family Magazine

Please click on the above link for ingredients and directions.

Rating: Yummy!
Warming Up: warms up well, may want to cut the bundle in half first though
Notes:
(Ok, I didn't actually make this one, but I picked the recipe. My mom and her husband made the bundles and they were delicious!)

• We used fresh broccoli instead of spinach. This recipe lends itself to a lot of variations.
• You could make it healthier with using more veggies, less cheese mixture. Or, as they point out on the recipe, use reduced fat cheeses and crackers.

Beer Cheese Soup

Recipe From: my friend Penny, who got it from a friend

Ingredients:
4 cubes chicken bouillon OR 32 oz of chicken broth
1 can light beer
4 cups water (if using bouillon)
1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
1cup each of celery, carrots, and onions - chopped
20 oz package frozen cauliflower and broccoli (or use fresh)
2 cans condensed Healthy Request Cream of Chicken soup
8 oz Velveeta light, chunked


Directions:

1. In a large pot, over medium-high heat, dissolve bouillon in beer and water.
2. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion. Mix well and cook 15-20 minutes.
3. Stir in cauliflower and broccoli mix, heat 10 more minutes.
4. Finally, add the condensed soup and the cheese. Reduce heat to low and allow cheese to melt. Stir often.

• For a smooth soup, process in a food processor or blender, otherwise leave vegetable in chunks.

Rating: ok. I need to try it again in and may like it better processed.

Notes:

• I only made a half batch.
• I did use the broth option. I also used shoestring cut carrots (to save a little time) and the fresh cauliflower and broccoli.
• I found that I needed to add more cheese to get more of a cheesy flavor.

WW Points*: 2 points per cup (per recipe)

Chicken and Herb Dumpling Stew

Recipe From: Weight Watchers Slow Cook It Cookbook

Ingredients:
3/4 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs - cut into 3/4 inch chunks
3 large carrots - sliced
1/2 lb red potatoes - scrubbed and diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can seasoned chicken broth with vegetables and herbs (14.5 oz)
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 c frozen pearl onions - thawed
1 cup frozen peas - thawed
1 c low-fat buttermilk baking mix
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
5 Tbsp fat-free milk

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, carrots, potatoes, salt and pepper in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Pour in broth. Press chicken mixture down into broth. Cover and cook until chicken and vegetables are fork-tender - 3-4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.
2. About 50 minutes before cooking time is up, whisk water and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture, onions, and peas into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until mixture simmers and thickens, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine baking mix and dill in medium bowl. Stir in milk just until soft dough forms.
4. Drop dough by rounded 2 tablespoonfuls onto simmering stew, making 4 dumplings. Cover and cook until toothpick inserted into center of dumpling comes out clean, about 30 minutes. 
• Recipe makes 4 servings.

Rating: good stuff! 
Warming Up: just as good as the first night
Notes:

• I originally made this recipe after Thanksgiving - it was a great way to use leftover turkey (white meat).
• I used carrots and onions I had frozen.
• I omitted the peas because I don't care for them.
• Instead of dill, I used diced garlic in the dumplings.
  

WW Points*: 7

Chicken with Apples and Cider

Recipe From: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1 Tbsp packed, dark brown sugar
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (4 oz each)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/2 c apple cider
1/4 c cider vinegar
2 c hot cooked wide noodles

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, melt half of the margarine. Saute the apple until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 3-5 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
2. On a sheet of wax paper, sprinkle the chicken with the cinnamon, salt, and pepper. In the skillet, melt the remaining margarine. Saute the chicken until browned, 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to another plate.
3. In the skillet, cook the onion, covered until tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the cider and vinegar. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet. Simmer, spooning the sauce over the chicken, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is reduced by half, 4-5 minutes.
4. Return the apples to the skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Arrange the noodles on a platter. Top with the chicken mixture, pouring any remaining juices over the chicken.

Rating: tasty!
Warming Up: warms up well, but tastier the first meal
Notes: I made the recipe without the noodles and enjoyed it. I just put some apple and onion slices over the piece of chicken.
WW Points: 6 (according to recipe)

Cheesy Potatoes

Recipe From: Weight Watchers Magazine

Ingredients:
1 container fat-free sour cream (16 oz)
1 can low-fat cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz)
1 package low-fat shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 package frozen hash browns (32 oz)
1/4 c light stick butter
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Mix sour cream, soup, cheese, butter, and spices in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the hash browns, stirring until well blended.
3. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Bake until hot and bubbling, 55 minutes - 1 hour.

Rating: good - but aren't all cheesy potatoes? The thyme adds a little something different than cheesy potatoes I'm used to.
Warming Up: warms up pretty decently
Notes: I made half a batch in an 8 x 8 baking dish and it was just fine.
WW Points: 4 (for scant 3/4 c, according to recipe)

Caramelized Onions and Carrots

Recipe From: Weight Watchers Magazine

Ingredients:
1 Tsbp olive oil
1 bag frozen pearl onions (16 oz)
1 1/4 c water
1 bag baby carrots (16 oz)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, just until softened, about 2 minutes. Add 3/4 c of the water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates, 5-6 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, sugar, and thyme. Reduce the heat and cook until the onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 c of water, the salt, and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Rating: ok
Notes:

• This recipe can be made and frozen for up to a month. The directions say, "If making ahead, let cool. Freeze in an airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Cook in a skillet with 1/3 c water until hot and water evaporates."
• I think I will like to recipe better if I cook the carrots longer. I guess I don't like "crisp-tender," I would have preferred them tender.

WW Points: 1 (per 1 1/3 c serving, according to recipe)

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Recipe From: Everyday Food - MarthaStewart.com

Click on above link for ingredients and directions. 

Rating: Good stuff!
Warming Up: Warms up as good as any other cream & cheese based pasta dish, maybe a little better. Doesn't lose it's flavor, almost as good as day one.
Notes: I used wheat pasta (as always), pre-cooked chicken breast, a combination of fat free half-and-half and skim milk, and did not include the mushrooms. However, this time I did use regular cheese since I couldn't find the types I needed in reduced fat.
While this says you can make two and freeze one, I just cut the recipe in half and made one dish. It fit in an 8x8 glass dish.

Upside-Down Deep Dish Pizza

Recipe From: Ragu advertisement

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 jar Ragu Pasta Sauce
1 package (10 oz) frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (11 oz) refrigerated pizza dough

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef in skillet, drain. Season. Stir in pasta sauce, bring to a boil. Put into a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Top with broccoli, then cheese. Press dough over dish, sealing edges.
3. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

Rating: Delizoso! 
Warming Up: Warms up really well, tastes just as good (if not better).
Notes:

• I used ground turkey and reduced fat cheese to make this a little healthier and lower in fat.  And, of course did use broccoli.
• I did not use Ragu sauce, I would suggest using any jar of pasta sauce you like, since this was from a Ragu ad that's why the recipe calls for Ragu.
• I couldn't find a 11 oz pizza crust (only a bigger size), so just discard what you don't need to cover your baking dish.