Classic Macaroni Salad - 4 points per serving

Another one from WW website. 




Salads
Points per serving: 4
Yield: 8 servings
Difficulty: easy
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
8 oz uncooked macaroni, elbow-variety 
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste (for cooking pasta) 
1/2 cup(s) reduced-calorie mayonnaise 
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard 
1/2 tsp garlic powder  
1 cup(s) celery, chopped
1/3 cup(s) red onion(s), finely chopped   
2 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped  
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste   
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Instructions

• Cook macaroni in salted water according to package directions; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
  
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and garlic powder; stir mixture into cooked macaroni. Fold in celery, onion and parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

NOTES: This is made with regular pasta - I would swap out for whole wheat pasta, though I'm not sure how it would effect the points values.  Comments on the WW said it's a good recipe to build on, add tomatoes, shrimp, etc. if you wanted to. 

Spinnach Artichoke Dip - 2 points plus per serving

This one comes to us from WW.  I have NOT tried it yet.




Snacks
Yield: 12 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients
 2 spray(s) cooking spray
 1/2 pound(s) spinach, baby leaves, washed and dried*
1 1/2 cup(s) canned artichoke hearts, without oil, drained
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 tsp table salt   
1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream 4 oz low fat cream cheese, at room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 7 1/2-inch deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate (or oval oven-proof dish) with cooking spray.
• In a food processor, combine spinach, artichokes hearts, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, Parmesan cheese, sour cream and cream cheese; puree until smooth. Using a spatula, scrape dip into prepared dish; smooth top into an even layer. Bake until golden on top, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on desired doneness. Serve warm. Yields about 1/4 cup serving.

NOTES: I saw in one of the comments where someone said they were going to use this to fill a portabello mushroom cap - what a brilliant idea for the fourth of july!

Curried Egg Salad Sandwich: 3 or 4 points per serving (without bread)

This one is from Weight Watchers, I haven't tried it myself yet, but I will review it as soon as I do!  It looks simply WONDERFUL!


 Servings: 2
Points per serving (see below)

Curry powder adds great flavor to egg salad. The yellow color also fools the eye into thinking there are more than only 2 egg yolks in the recipe.

Ingredients

4 Egg Whites (large, boiled)
2 Egg Yolks (large, boiled)
2 1/2 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise (using Reduced Cal = 4 points per serving, 9 points for total recipe not including any bread)
OR . . . 2 1/2 Tbsp Fat Free mayonnaise (using Fat Free Mayo = 3 points per serving, 6 for total recipe not including any bread)
1 Tbsp raisins, chopped   
1 Tbsp red onion(s), finely chopped   
3/4 tsp curry powder   
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste   
2 leaf/leaves Boston lettuce   

Bread not included in the point total for this recipe so that you can figure out what YOUR favorite bread would add to the points total.  Consider making a lettuce wrap instead, if you're short on points! 

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine egg whites and yolks, mayonnaise, raisins, onion, curry powder and salt.
  
• Place 1/2 cup egg salad on each of two slices of toast; top each with a lettuce leaf, torn or folded to fit bread. Top each sandwich with a second slice of toast. Yields 1 sandwich per serving.

Notes

• Instead of the red onion, you could use either sliced scallions or snipped chives.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip (YUMMY!!!) - 2 points

This one is from the new WW cookbook - it's fantastic with Carrots!  It makes 4 servings, 2 points each.  It's great for taking to a game, or munching on when guests are coming over - they'll never know it's Weight Watchers!

2 large red bell peppers

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp tomato paste

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1.       Line rack of broiler pan with foil and preheat broiler

2.       Cut bell peppers in half, remove seeds.  Arrange peppers, cut sides down, on prepared pan.  Broil 5 inches from heat until skin is blackened, about 10 minutes.  Transfer peppers to large zip-loc bag.  Seal and let steam for 10 minutes more.

3.       When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers and cut into large pieces.  Put in a food processor.  Add all the remaining ingredients and puree, add a little water if it’s too thick.  Serve at once, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms - 3 points

I made these the other night.  They were FANTASTIC!!!!

Ingredients
2 ounces of feta
2 ounces of light cheese
1 Tbsp Newmans Own Balsalmic Vinigarette Dressing
1 package of frozen chopped spinach (you could probably use fresh, too, if you prefer)
leek
3 portabello mushrooms
garlic and herb marinade
salt
1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions
Wash the mushrooms, remove and coarsly chop the stems.  Place mushrooms in a large plastic baggie with about 1/4 cup of garlic and herb marinade.  They don't need to sit too long - even 30 minutes is long enough.

Cut up some leek as well.  spray a pan and sautee the leeks and mushroom stems.  Add a dash of salt.  Remove from heat.

Thaw and drain the spinach.  Squeeze dry, removing as much of the liquid as possible. 

In a bowl, mix spinach, cheeses (except parm) leek and mushroom mixture, 1 Tbsp balsalmic vinagrette dressing, salt and pepper. 

remove your mushrooms from the marinade and pat if there's too much staying on the mushroom - just for good measure, to avoid too many points. (so, if it's pooling inside the cap, you might want to get some of that out).  Stuff the mushrooms with the spinach mixture. 

Mix panko and parm.  and sprinkle on the top.  Hit each cap with a bit of olive-oil or cooking spray.
I cooked mine on the grill, medium-low heat, for about 20 minutes.  You could do them in the oven as well, I suppose.  But keep in mind with mushrooms - LOW HEAT, longer time.  You need the mushroom to release it's water into the cap, to moisten the filling, you also want the filling to heat through, and be cheesey and good - so be patient!  It's worth it!

Mashed "Potatoes" - 2 points per serving

This is from Weight Watchers - it's 2 points per decent sized serving, the recipe makes 4 servings.
The best part is, you really don't need ANY extra butter on these babies!  maybe a little extra salt, but that's it!

Ingredients
8 oz cauliflower, fr3esh, or frozen, raw, florets
3 small yukon gold potatoes, uncooked, peeled, cut into small pieces for boiling
2 cloves garlic - fresh, peeled
1 tsp salt, table, divided (I use more than this!)
1/4 cup milk (lowfat or light)
2 tspButter, regular, with salt
pepper to taste
chives to taste

Directions
Place cauliflower, potatoes, garlic and 1/2 tsp of salt in medium saucepan and add enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil and cook until vegetables are tender (about 10-15 minutes).  Drain and return to pan.

Stir in milk, butter, a bit more salt, pepper, and mash with potato masher until smooth.  Stir in chives and serve. 

This says it yields about a half cup per serving, and maybe I used more cauliflower than called for, because I get close to a full cup per serving.

Vegetarian Fajitas - 5 points (chicken variation - 6 points)

Here's another great meal idea . . .

You can get low carb, high fiber tortillas that actually taste good at Costco (they're by La Tortilla Factory), 2 points each
Stir Fry up some veggies - lots of em - zuccini, yellow squash, onion, peppers, mushrooms, maybe even asparagus, and add in fresh cilantro and a packet of fajita seasoning mix (0 points if you use a spray instead of oil)
1/2 cup fat-free refried beans - 2 points

You can add a Dollop of Sour Cream (1 point) and some salsa (0 points) and you've got yourself a fajita! 

If you prefer, you can also cook up some boneless, skinless chicken breast, shred it and add more fajita seasoning, and use that instead of the refried beans.  1 full breast is 3 points.  I doubt you'd even USE that much. . .but if you did, you'd be looking at a whopping 6 points per fajita, and I bet you can't eat more than 2 of 'em!

Best part is - you'll have lots of left over veggies cooked up for snacking, and they'll have great flavor.  Put them with some brown rice the next day, for lunch!

Yummy Crock Pot Chicken - approx. 4 points

This comes to us from Jen Bertino - I figured the points just for the chicken.  If you go this route, it's approximately 5 points per chicken breast, if you only have half a breast, you're looking at 2 points.  obviously if you add a low-carb tortilla, add points for that, and for the sour cream and/or cheese, but I'm guessing even with ALL of those things, you could still have a meal with 1/2 a breast, for 7 or 8 points!!

 

Soooo easy! 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (they can be frozon), 1 can tomato sauce, one jar LaVictoria Thick and Chunky Salsa verde in a crock pot for about 6 hours. It's amazing!

 

It's good on low carb whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas with lowfat sour cream, avacado, and a touch of low fat cheese (we use Sargento). I've eaten it with just sour cream and it's still amazing. I put it on in the morning before I leave for work and through them together than night. The leftovers are also fabulous. WW peeps will have to figure the points, but it's low fat and low cal.

Lasagna with Homemade Sauce - 7 points

Lasagna with Homemade Tomato Sauce

PointsPlus Value: 7

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 195 minutes (this can be cut down, see how, below!)

Level of difficulty: Moderate

** I'm going to give you how WW says to make this - then at the bottom, I'll put "notes" about how I made it differently, with much less time!

A real crowd-pleaser that can be prepared a day ahead and then popped in the oven when you’re ready to eat.

Ingredients

5 spray(s) cooking spray , divided

1 Tbsp olive oil

6 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (or to taste)

2 large onion(s), Spanish-variety, cut in half and thinly sliced 70 oz plum tomatoes, whole, canned, mashed into pieces

6 oz canned tomato paste

6 leaf/leaves basil, fresh

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp table salt

3/4 pound(s) whole milk ricotta cheese, fresh recommended

2 large egg(s), beaten

1/4 cup(s) parsley, fresh, chopped

1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, high-quality recommended, divided

12 item(s) dry lasagna noodles

1/2 pound(s) whole milk mozzarella cheese, fresh recommended, shredded, divided

Instructions

1. To make sauce, coat a large heavy pot with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Add oil; when it starts to shimmer, add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to soften and become fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt; stir to combine. Bring sauce to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring every 20 minutes, scrapping bottom and sides of the pot, until sauce reduces slightly and thickens, about 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large lasagna pan with cooking spray.

3. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, parsley and 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; stir in about 1/3 cup tomato sauce so ricotta mixture turns pink.

4. Spoon about 1/2 cup of sauce on bottom of prepared pan. Cover sauce with 4 lasagna noodles, breaking up some noodles to form a single layer, if necessary. Cover noodles with 1/2 of ricotta mixture and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese; spoon 1/3 of remaining sauce over top.

5. Add another layer of noodles and remainder of ricotta mixture; sprinkle with 1/3 of mozzarella cheese and another 1/3 of sauce.

6. Add the final layer of noodles and cover with remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and remaining tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

7. Bake until noodles are cooked through, cheese melts and sauce begins to bubble in bottom of dish, about 35 or 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let lasagna sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into 12 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

NOTES

This sauce can be made ahead and kept for up to two days in the fridge.

I used canned, diced tomatoes and did not crush them.  I wanted a chunkier sauce.  I also used MORE red pepper flakes, which gave the sauce a lot of heat.  I'm a vegetarian, but it made me almost think of sausage. 

I also did NOT cook this for 2 hours.  Instead, I let it boil while I was prepping everything else.  I was short on time.  I made the lasagna with no boil noodles, and the sauce which was extra thin, and it turned out beautifully.  The sauce thickened significantly in the oven, when it was cooking, and it was truly fantastic. 

I'm a fan of really cheesey lasagna - probably why I look the way I do - I need to give that up, and this is a GREAT substitute.  You could easilly add any veggies you want in this - I'd suggest maybe some red bell peppers (oooo - if you've got 'em, fire roast them first!!!), mushrooms, maybe spinnach.  I would avoid high starch/high sugar veggies like carrots, mostly because it just doen't need them!

ENJOY!!

Turkey, Vegetable, and Bean Chili - 5 points

PointsPlus value: 5 points

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Level of Difficulty: easy

This chili is packed with turkey, vegetables and two different types of beans. It’s got great flavor with a pleasant – not overwhelming – amount of heat.

Ingredients

 2 sprays cooking spray

1 pound turkey, ground, 93% lean 7% fat, raw

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium yellow pepper, chopped

1 bell pepper, orange, chopped

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with mild green chilies

15 1/2 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

29 oz fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth

15 oz fat-free canned refried beans

Instructions

Coat a 12-inch saute pan with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat.  Brown turkey, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Coat a large pot with cooking spray; set over medium heat.  Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cook, stirring 1 minute.  Add carrots, celery and peppers; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne; stir for 1 minutes.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, both types of beans, and turkey; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring every 5 minutes, about 35 minutes total.  Yields about 1 1/2 cups chili per serving.

Notes

If you like your chili spicy, make sure to add the cayenne pepper.  If you prefer it on the milder side, leave out the pepper and use plain diced tomatoes instead of the ones with green chilies.

Egg and Veggie cups - 3 points each

Egg Cups! - 3 points each (if you make 11 from 12 eggs)
Scramble 12 eggs
toss in all the veggies you can think of: mushrooms, cooked spinach, zuccini, onion, etc.
Add about 1/2 cup of shredded, low-fat cheddar cheese (you don't REALLY need to add this, but I chose to for a little flavor)
add salt and pepper to taste
Pour into 11 or 12 sprayed (with cooking spray) muffin tins - IF you're using liners, use foil liners and still spray them!
Bake at 350 until set.

You can freeze them, or just toss them in the fridge and enjoy one per day for breakfast.

The Chili I love! - 2 points per cup

  I make this vegetarian style, in the crock pot.  I get everything cut up the night before, throw it all in the crock pot the next morning, and it's ready when I get home.  By the way, I stole this picture, it's not at all what the chili actually looks like!!  Meat lovers love this as well! I can't keep my kids or my boyfriend out of it when I make it at home!

You can make this with lean turkey, but you would have to figure out the points on it.  My points are based on it the way you see it here!

2 zuccini - chopped up
1 yellow crook-neck squash - chopped up
1 full stalk of celery - chopped up (not just one stick, the whole thing!)
2 bell peppers (any color) - chopped up
1 large yellow or white onion - chopped up
1 28oz can chopped tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 package morning star crumbles (fake meat) - I believe you can use lean turkey, but you should calculate the points if you do, to make sure you're still on 2 points per cup.
1 package of chili seasoning
@ 2cups of broth (whatever kind you want)

Spray a pan, and sautee your onions and "brown" your crumbles or cook your meat with the onions.  Throw everything into a crock pot, and set to cook for the day - I go high for 4 hours, then on heat, but you could also put it on low for 8 hours, I suppose.

2 points per cup, so you can afford to add some cheese/sour cream if you want.  This is FANTASTIC and it's always nice to come home to dinner already done!

Creamy Lemon Pie - 4 points per serving - maybe for Easter?

PointsPlus Value: 4

Servings: 10

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Rich and creamy, you'll never guess that this pie is light.  Make two!

Serve one and freeze the other for up to two weeks.

Ingredients

6 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers

2 Tbsp Butter

11 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350

Grind graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.  Or place crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.  Place crumbs in a small bowl.

Melt butter on stovetop or in microwave and pour over graham cracker crumbs, mixing with a fork until completely moistened.  Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of a 9-inch pie pan; place crust in refrigerator while preparing lemon filling.

In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk and eggs; mix until smooth.  Add lemon juice and zest; stir until incorporated and pour into prepared crust.

Bake pie for 15 minutes.  Cool completely and for best flavor, serve chillded.  Yields 1 peice per serving.

Notes

This pie can be baked and frozen for up to two weeks.  Defrost and serve chilled.

Fresh Vegetable Soup - 1 point per cup

Fresh Vegetable Soup - Source, WeightWatchers Online



Some say this soup is the secret to their weight-loss success.  It's a great midday snack or dinner appetizer.

PointsPlus Value - 1
Servings - 12
Prep Time - 35 minutes
Cooking Time - 13 minutes
Level of Difficulty - Easy

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 cups swiss chard, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, small florets
2 cups broccoli, small florets
2 tsp thyme, fresh, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp parsley or chives, fresh, chopped
1/2 tsp table salt or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, optional

Instructions
Put garlic, vegetables, thyme, and broth into a large soup pot.  cover and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, about 10 minutes.

Stir in parsley or chives; season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Notes
If you like thick soups, consider pureeing this recipe in the pot with an immersion blender.

There are so many variations on this recipe.  Add or leave out veggies to suit your taste.

Save time by using frozen vegetables instead of fresh ones (though the texture of the soup might change ab it).  you can also buy small amounts of pre-cut veggies from your supermarket's salad bar.