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.

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.

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.

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