Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Cajun Chicken Wraps

Feeling Spicy tonight!!! Cajun Chicken Wraps! Super easy and delicious! It made a great dinner but would also make a quick and easy lunch. You could make them up in advance to grab on the go.

I added a slice of Kraft Singles 2 % milk American Cheese (0 points) and used "Chef Lenny's Cajun Style Seasoning" which is Mildly spicy, which offered a nice smokey flavor with a kick! I also sauteed the onions in the cooking spray before adding the chicken. This recipe including the wrap was only 5 Points for my weight watchers followers!! Enjoy!

Cajun Chicken Wrap

2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp paprika

3/4 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), cut into strips

1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

1 spray(s) cooking spray

4 tsp fat-free mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice, for dressing

4 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)

1/2 small uncooked red onion(s), thinly sliced

2 cup(s) fresh mixed baby greens

8 leaf/leaves basil, leaves

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp fresh lemon juice, for sprinkling on wrap

Instructions

In a small, shallow bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, flour, and paprika. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper; dredge in seasoning mixture and turn to coat.

Coat a large, nonstick pan with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sauté until cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side; remove from pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning; spread 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise mixture over each tortilla. Layer each with 1/4 of onion, greens, basil and chicken; sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, roll up and serve. Yields 1 wrap per serving.


© 2012 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2012 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
WEIGHT WATCHERS and PointsPlus® are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Click here to Print: http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/prt/RecipePage.aspx?Type=1&RecipeID=50461





Sunday, January 15, 2012

Rigatoni with Creamy Sausage Sauce

The blog entry I was working on as I so graciously broke the screen on my laptop... again!!! I think I'm allergic to LCD screens, I'm batting 3 strikes with 2 computer screens and 1 TV screen down! Not good!! Anyways after a trip to Best Buy and finding out that laptops have dropped signifigantly in price with the whole tablet crazy of Ipads and Galaxy tabs I scored another HP at half the price of what I paid for my old one 2 years ago~ Winning!

So, on to discover a taste of Italy the weight watchers way! I used whole grain Fusili noodles and also chopped up a habanero pepper for some added heat! Boy was it spicy! One serving = 2 Cups = 11 Points. Now, I found that I was full on 1 Cup and ended up with a 6 point dinner! Pour me another 4 point glass of red wine please! Give this one a try the next time you need to cure that pasta craving!

Rigatoni with Creamy Sausage Sauce

8 oz uncooked rigatoni

1/8 tsp table salt

8 oz uncooked turkey sausage(s), Italian-style, removed from casings

8 oz cremini mushroom(s), or Baby Bella mushrooms, trimmed, quartered

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk

1 cup(s) frozen green peas, petite-variety

1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 cup(s) roasted red peppers (packed in water), water-packed, sliced

1/2 cup(s) uncooked scallion(s), sliced

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage stirring and breaking into chunks with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 3 minutes; remove to a bowl. Add mushrooms to skillet and sauté until browned and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

In a measuring cup, whisk together flour and milk until smooth; stir into skillet along with peas, salt and black pepper. Bring sauce to a boil; simmer until thickened and peas are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in sausage, roasted peppers and scallions; remove from heat.

Drain pasta; return to pot. Add sausage sauce and cheese; toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl. Yields about 2 cups per serving.

© 2012 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2012 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved.


Click Here to Print: http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/prt/RecipePage.aspx?Type=1&RecipeID=138321

Crab Cakes with Dill Mayo Dip

Day 2 of the Long weekend and my first attempt at Homemade Crab Cakes = A complete Success!!! Rob called them "Restaurant Quality". They were so easy to make and for my Weight watchers followers, Crab Cakes = 3 POINTS EACH!!!

I recommend using the Lump crab meat you can buy canned in the seafood section (if they are on sale make sure you stock up, they have a shelf life of up to a year!). The only thing I added was a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce for added flavor. I also made a yummy Dill Mayo Dip = 0 POINTS to go on the side! I'll include the recipe below! this recipe is so versatile and can work with any kind of fresh fish, shrimp, or scallops. Just grind the fish in your food processor so it's pliable.







Crab Cakes

3 Sprays cooking Spray

4 tsp salted butter divided

2/3 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

1 pound Lump Crabmeat

2 Eggs

1 Tbsp Sherry (dry or sweet)

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 ½ Tbsp Low fat Mayonnaise

¼ cup Parsley – fresh minced

¼ cup Dill – fresh minced

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in skillet. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion turns translucent and start to caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in panko; cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place crabmeat in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, eggs, sherry, salt and mustard; mix well. Add mayonnaise and parsley; mix well again.

Working with wet hands, form eight 3-inch crab cakes, about 3/4-inch thick; place on a metal baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to help crab cakes stick together while cooking.

Coat a very large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. When skillet is heated, melt 2/3 teaspoon butter. Place a batch of crab cakes in skillet in a single layer and cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side; remove to a serving plate and cover to keep warm (or place in a 200°F oven to keep warm). Repeat with remaining ingredients. Yields 1 crab cake per serving.

Dill Mayo Dip

¼ Cup low fat Mayonnaise

¼ Cup Dill Pickle relish

2 tbsp Dill – fresh minced

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Mix thoroughly, garnish with extra dill. Serve chilled.

© 2012 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2012 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved.


Click Here to print: http://www.scribd.com/doc/78358577/Crab-Cakes-with-Dill-Mayo-Dip

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Broccoli and Sausage Casserole

This holiday weekend my sister from another mother, Heather is up visiting from our hometown of Camp Hill, Pa. Because we are both in this Weight Watchers thing together; we've scoured the recipe section of the WW website for ideas to help make it through the 3 day weekend without going off track!

One of our Household staples that I make for a quick & easy dinner at least once a month is the "Stovetop Easy Cheesey Chicken Bake" (It's the one on the back of the box, I'll post the Link below). We found a Weight watchers recipe that is a comprable substitute. Guess what??! It's HALF the Points! The Stove top version = 12 points per serving, Weight Watchers version = 6 Points!! WINNING! The taste test Verdict= Weight watchers version wins hands down!! Roasting the veggies first gives it a nice smokey flavor and not using the cream of chicken soup Stovetops version calls for, kept it from getting soggy and sloppy. Again even Rob said he liked the healthy version best!

I only switched up a couple of things: used Chicken Sausage, because they were out of Turkey sausage at the store. I also bought a loaf of Cheese bread from the bakery section instead of plain, as I figured it would add a little extra cheesey goodness to the overall taste of the recipe. Yea it's probably an extra point but hey, upping the flavor was worth it!

Broccoli and Sausage Casserole

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF.

  • Slice bread in half length-wise; rub insides with garlic clove. Place bread, open-face, on one side of a baking sheet; spread onion on other side. Place broccoli on another baking sheet. Coat vegetables and bread with cooking spray. Bake until broccoli is tender, flipping bread over and stirring vegetables halfway through, about 15 to 20 minutes total. Remove pans from oven and cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes; reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.

  • Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casing; cook sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in broccoli and onion, bread cubes, broth, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. (Make sure to scrape up any browned bits of food on sides of skillet and stir into mixture.)

  • Coat a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon 3 cups broccoli mixture into prepared dish; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with remaining broccoli mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving
© 2012 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2012 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
WEIGHT WATCHERS and PointsPlus® are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Citrus Beef Stir-Fry with Carrots

So after savoring one last batch of Grandma's sinfully delicious baked Macaroni and cheese; I started the new year with Weight Watchers! My best friend Heather and I joined the online program together and In One week we each lost 5 lbs! In addition to changing my diet I've added in 30 minute workouts 3 times a week.

For those of you who also are also on WW, stay tuned as I will be posting a lot of Healthy recipes in upcoming blog posts. Just because its healthy doesn't mean it won't taste just as good! Case in point...tonight's recipe, the flavor combination was mouthwatering! Rob said this was way better than any Orange Beef he's ever had from the Chinese take out! He could not believe this was one of my "healthy meals". I contemplated licking my bowl! LOL!

The best part it was only 7 points!!!! I served it over 1/2 cup of Jasmine Rice = 2 points. Total= 9 point dinner!


Citrus Beef Stir-Fry with Carrots

Ingredients

Instructions

Place beef in a shallow dish; pour 2 tablespoons soy sauce over beef. Turn to coat completely. Let marinate 15 minutes in refrigerator.

Combine orange juice, sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, orange rind and red pepper in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add beef and cook 6 minutes. Remove from heat and place on a serving platter; keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium-high; add carrot and onion. Cook 7 minutes or until carrot is lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to high; add beef and its juices and orange juice mixture. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup).


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Kung Pao Chicken

This recipe goes out to my BFF Heather! She said she needed more healthy chicken recipes to try, and loves spicy food! So tonight I made Kung Pao Chicken served over Jasmine Rice. Originally called Gong Bao Chicken, it originated in Sichuan Province of central-western China. During the Cultural Revolution, it was deemed politically incorrect and renamed Kung Pao.

I personally omitted the 4 oz of peanuts it calls for, as I am not really a big fan of putting peanuts in my food. I doubled the sauce recipe as we like ours a little sloppy, so the rice can soak up the flavors. Additionally I added a bit more of the chili & garlic sauce than it called for since we like ours VERY Spicy!!

For those of my followers doing Weight Watchers: 12 Points for 1 serving of the entree and 2 points for 1/2 cup Jasmine Rice.

Kung Pao Chicken

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1 ounce hot chile paste

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

4 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts

4 ounces chopped peanuts

Jasmine Rice

Directions

To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.

Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

Prepare Jasmine rice while sauce is simmering and serve chicken & sauce mixed overtop of the rice.

Recipe Courtesy: www.Allrecipes.com

Click here to Print Recipe:

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Smoked Polynesian Pot Roast

Some people think grilling is something you only do in the summer...wrong! Rain, Snow, or Shine: In our family we grill year round! For Christmas this year Rob got a new Gas powered Smoker from his Dad. So we are putting it to the test tonight to see how it compares to our traditional charcoal smoker. We now have (3) Grills and (2) Smokers on our deck! That's more grilling items than rooms in this house!

I added in some dried lemongrass to the marinade. Smoked it to med-rare 150 degrees. Served over Jasmine Rice and drizzled with the reserve marinade sauce. Looking back I would have taken it out closer to 145, as it would have tasted good if was a bit more rare for our tastes.

It is essential that you use a meat thermometer when grilling meat. Use this helpful Cooking Chart Temperature Guide: http://www.brinkmann.net/recipes/cooking_charts/charcoal_smokers.aspx

If you do not have a smoker you can also prepare this recipe on your grill using the In-direct method:http://www.weber.com/weber/grilling-tips/direct-indirect-cooking

Smoked Polynesian Pot Roast

3-1/2 to 4-1/2 pound pot roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sherry
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Fill water pan 3/4 full with liquid. Put meat in heavy duty plastic bag or glass baking dish. Combine all ingredients and pour over roast. Tightly close bag and turn to coat meat with marinade, or turn roast in dish and cover.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight, turning meat in marinade once or twice. To cook, lift pot roast from marinade and place on grill. Reserve marinade.

Smoke cook about 4 or 5 hours or until tender.

Meat will not fall from bone as braised pot roast would, but can easily be cut with sharp knife. Heat reserved marinade to boiling and serve as sauce with pot roast.

Serves 6 to 8

Recipe Courtesy of: The Brinkmann Corporation - All Rights Reserved

Click Here to Print Recipe: http://www.brinkmann.net/recipes/beef/smoke_polynesian_pot_roast.aspx

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad

Well it's that time of year again....Office Holiday Party time! At my office we do a pot-luck lunch then exchange gifts for our Secret Santa! After reading the list of what people were signing up to bring I noticed that 5 people are making desserts! Therefore, I decided to make something on the other end of the spectrum with a bit more substance that was healthy too so they don't feel bad about eating all those desserts!

I found this tasty recipe by Guy Fieri, "Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad". It's made with Soba Noodles, Japaneese buckwheat noodles that are best served cold. Now if you live in the middle of nowhere like me and your "ethnic aisle" is little to none, its very likely you will not find these noodles in stock. Instead you can substitute Whole Wheat Spaghetti. The instructions only called for "1 package Soba" and I was not really certain how much product that translated too. Since I was making this for a large group I used 1 whole box of spaghetti. In addition I mixed up another batch of the sauce, and added half of the extra batch to taste. I threw in a bit more veggies so it was not all noodle. I also omitted the Peanuts at the end as I have a friend at the office with a Peanut allergy and I really do not think they are necessary for this recipe. In hindsight I wish I thought to grab soy beans and would have rather substituted those.

Overall I am very pleased with how this turned out! Its healthy, chock full of veggies, and easy to make! Since its served cold, no messing with reheating before the party. I think this dish would appeal to even the pickiest eaters, similar to a vegetarian Lo Mein.

Enjoy = お楽しみ

Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri, 2007

Ingredients

  • 1 package soba noodles
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced or julienned
  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced or julienned
  • 5 green onions, bottom 4 inches, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or julienned
  • 1/2 cup julienned bok choy
  • 1 cup bean sprouts, optional
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, for garnish

Directions

In a medium stock pot, boil water, add salt and cook noodles. When finished, place noodles in an ice water bath to cool. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, hot chili oil, hoisin and extra-virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly and then combine prepared vegetables and noodles.

Garnish with sesame seeds and peanuts.

Copyright 2011 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Ranch Pretzels

We've all had those days where one frustration leads to another, and all you want to do is come home and SMASH something! Today was one of those days, so I elected to smash up a batch of Ranch Pretzels!!

Back in college when I lived at the sorority house, my roommate Kylie introduced me to this snack, and since then I've been hooked! Not only is it a fun way to get out your aggression; it's also a crowd favorite for parties or to have on hand for snacking. Time to give your boring old plain pretzels a makeover! Enjoy! Sigma Love to my 202 Main Street Girls!!

Ranch Pretzels

(2) 16 oz Bags of Sourdough Hard Pretzels

(2) Envelopes Ranch Dressing Mix

1 ½ Cups Oil (Olive or Vegetable)

3 Tsp. Dill Weed

3 Tsp. Garlic Powder

Pre-Heat Oven to 200 degrees. Smash Pretzels while still in bag, to break up into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add pretzels and coat thoroughly. Pour into ungreased baking pan. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Recipe courtesy www.recipegoldmine.com

Click here to print recipe:

Monday, December 12, 2011

Artichokes

As I make my weekly shopping run, and proceed through the check-out line; It NEVER fails that as soon as the cashier comes upon this particular item they will inevitably hold up the produce bag, wrinkle their nose, raise an eyebrow and stammer "Whaaaat's this??!!" Many smart remarks run through my head as potential responses...tell them its a green pepper they are on sale 10 for 10! Yet I know I had better behave, and perhaps I can educate them on this alien form of produce that apparently nobody else ever purchases. "Why it's an Artichoke!!" I reply cheerily. Some look at me in disgust as though the inconvenience of looking up the produce number has clearly ruined their evening; while others inquire how does one cook an artichoke?! A question many of my friends have asked me and this technique is one I am always happy to share.

While there are many methods to making artichokes, I prefer the basic boiled or steamed Whole Artichoke. Growing up this was one of my favorite things to eat for dinner, it was always a special treat and what kid doesn't love picking apart their food and dousing it in butter?!

Anyone who has eaten a whole artichoke before tends to tell me they have a favorite "dip" for the leaves. Some dip it in mayo, vinaigrette, lemon juice, or my favorite: melted butter! For your first time I recommend either setting out an assortment of dipping options or sticking with just butter.

Next time you pass through the produce section of your local grocery, grab a couple artichokes and give this technique a try! Don't forget to have fun with the check out clerk ;)

Basic Steamed Artichoke

2-4 Large, Whole Artichokes (1 per person)

Salt to taste

Butter or Dipping Sauce

  • Make sure when purchasing, they are plump & firm when squeezed. Leaves should be crisp.
  • Set a large pot of water to boil, tossing in a pinch of salt to taste.
  • Break off the outer leaves that are small and rough looking. With scissors, trim any of the sharp points off of the outer leaves if desired (usually when serving children). Snip off about a 1/2 inch to 1 inch off the bottom of the stem. Discard clippings.
  • Place whole artichoke in boiling water or steamer, bottoms up, cover and cook for about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size. You can taste test one of the middle leaves to test for doneness. It should pull away very easily and the meat will taste very tender. If it tastes too starchy let it go a bit longer.
  • Remove with tongs and hold with tip down to allow the water to drain out into the pot. Give a little squeeze with the tongs to get any excess out of the middle.
  • Serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauce. Typically served with hot melted butter. Or you can serve with vinaigrette, mayonnaise, or lemon juice.

How to Eat Leaves:

Peel off the leaves starting from the outside. The first few outer leaves will be a bit tough, feel free to discard if not to your liking. Dip into your butter or sauce then scrape the “meat” off with your teeth. You should be holding the pointed end in your fingertips, and putting the bottom part in first. The inside of the leaf where it’s meaty should be facing up if you are a top teeth scraper and vice versa. Discard the leaf in a trash bowl. Continue until you reach the Choke, needle like center that you Do Not want to eat.

The Heart <3

Holding it by its stem, take a butter knife and carefully slide it in between the needle part and the heart. It should lift up; scrape off to reveal the coveted “Heart” below. Discard all of the choke into your trash bowl. Once the heart is revealed dip it into your sauce & enjoy. You can eat the stem too if you desire, or discard.

From the Kitchen of: Rachel Travers