Nina's Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce & Quorn - 5 points per serving

Quorn with Peanut Sauce (This is an ovo-vegetarian meal as Quorn has egg in it)

At 4 Servings this points out to 5 points per serving. Uncertain of exact serving size.

Sauce:
Place in a measuring cup: 1C Vegetable Broth, 1T Soy Sauce, 1 1/2t minced garlic, 1T Rice Vinegar, 1T Sambal Oelek (less if you don't want it spicy), 3/4t sugar. Whisk together and set aside.

Stir Fry:
2C Quorn Tenders
1T Coconut Oil
2C Broccoli or Rainbow Slaw (you could use a cabbage based if you prefer)
2C Mushrooms, sliced
1/2C Onion, sliced (optional)
1C Baby Bok Choy, sliced lengthwise
1C Sugar Snap or Snow Peas
3T Peanut Butter, chunky
1/2t White Pepper
Any nonstick oil spray, I use coconut.

I use the Sprouted Rice and Quinoa from Costco. You could make this yourself with 2 parts Brown Rice, 1 part Wild Rice and 1 part Quinoa. Cook as you would normal rice. I start my rice first so it's ready about the same time.

Prepare all vegetables, I set them aside on my cutting board or in bowls. Once you start cooking it goes really fast so make sure everything is prepped. Measure out peanut butter, set aside, make sure the sauce is close by also.

Heat wok or skillet over medium heat, lightly spray with nonstick oil. Once heated add Quorn, onion and mushrooms. Stir frequently adding a little sauce if needed to moisten.

Once onions begin to soften add Coconut oil and all remaining vegetables. Stir well coating all ingredients with the oil.

Add remaining sauce, stirring, make a well in the center of the stir fry and add peanut butter. Mix together, stir frequently as the sauce will thicken. Remove from heat and serve over rice or alone. Enjoy!

Nina's Eggplant Pizza - 3 points per serving

Nina's Eggplant Pizza - 3 points per serving

Baked Eggplant Pizza (Or Parmesan)

Serves 3, depending on how you slice your eggplant a serving size is 1 2/3 slice from 5 slices or 2 slices from 6.

1 Eggplant, roughly a pound
3/4C Onion, minced
3/4C Mushrooms, chopped
1/2C Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Serving Bread Crumbs (Mine are rice and point out to 1/4C for 1 point)
2T Parmesan Cheese, grated (Kraft or store brand)
1t Olive Oil
1/2-1t Sea Salt
1t Italian Seasonings
3T Tomato Paste
1/4C Vegetable Broth

Preheat oven to 425
Remove top of eggplant, remove 2 rounded edges by slicing thinly and set those aside. Slice remaining eggplant lengthwise about 1/2-3/4" thick. Lay on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. I use the grill side of my griddle. Brush or Spray eggplant with 1/2t Olive Oil, I use the WW oil sprayer. Sprinkle with sea salt.

In a medium bowl combine all other ingredients except Bread Crumbs and Parmesan Cheese. Take the sliced edges of the eggplant, dice up finely and add to mixture. Divide mixture onto all eggplant slices and spread evenly.

Place Bread Crumbs and Parmesan Cheese into a small bowl and mix well. Using a teaspoon at a time gently sprinkle over eggplant slices until gone. Lightly spray the slices with the remaining 1/2t Olive Oil.

Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes until eggplant softens. Switch to broil for 1-2 minutes to crisp the tops. Remove from oven and serve warm. You could serve this with rice, quinoa or noodles. Enjoy!

Topping variation: To make these Vegan for my mother I used nutritional yeast in place of the Parmesan Cheese. You could also add a thinly sliced meat, for my mom we tried Italian Field Roast "Sausages", they were delicious!

Jen's Sweet & Sour Coleslaw - 0 points!!

Jen's Sweet and Sour Coleslaw 

** This pairs great in the bottom of a bowl of my favorite chili!

Hot and Sour Coleslaw (I tend to add a bit more red pepper flakes than this)

1 head of cabbage (about 2 lbs) quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 lb carrots (3 medium) shredded
1/3 cup finely chopped scallions
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup splenda
2 Tb finely chopped fresh ginger (I actually use the ginger in a glass jar from the produce section)
1/2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes

Toss cabbage, carrots, scallions and salt in a large bowl and let stand until cabbage is slightly wilted (about 5 minutes)

Put vinegar, splenda, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Put sauce on cabbage mixture and toss to coat. I like to let it sit (stirring occassionally) for at least an hour. It just gets better with time.

According to Nina if this makes 8 servings, then it's 0 points per serving!

Double Mushroom Soup - 4 points

Double Mushroom Soup - 4 points

Source: WW Jan/Feb 2012
Prep: 20 min.  Slow-cook: 3 hours   Serves 4

1 (.35 ounce) package dried mushrooms, preferably porcini
1/2C boiling water
3C reduced sodium beef or veggie broth
1/4 pound small white mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise, and sliced
1 celery stalk with leaves, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 small bay leaf
3/4 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2C low-fat sour cream
2 slices Canadian Bacon, cut into matchsticks

Mix dried mushrooms and water in small bowl; let stand until softened, 20 minutes.  Remove mushrooms and reserve liquid.  Rinse mushrooms; pat dry and finely shop.  Pour liquid through fine sieve set over 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.

Add dried mushrooms and next 9 ingredients to slow cooker.  Cover and cook 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.  Discard bay leaf, stir in parsley, divid soup among four bowls; top evenly with sour cream and bacon.

Per serving (1 & 1/4Cups)  145 calories, 7G total fat, 3G sat fat, 0G trans fat, 18MG chol, 581MG sodium, 10G carb, 4G sugar, 2G Fiber, 11G Protein, 79MG calcium, points 4

Fiery Shrimp with Bok Choy and Rice - 6 points

Fiery Shrimp with Bok Choy and Rice - 6 points

Source: WW Jan/Feb 2012
Prep: 15 min   Stir-Fry/Cook: 30 min  Serves: 4

3 tsp Canola Oil
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1c matchstick-cut carrots
2 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
6 scallions, cut into 1 & 1/2 inch lengths
2 Tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 Large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C jasmine rice (uncooked)
1&1/2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Heat 1&1/2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and stir fry until just opaque in center, 3 minutes.  Transfer to medium bowl.

Add remaining oil, carrots, bok choy, scallions, ginger, and garlic.  Stir-fry until fragrant, 2 minutes.  Add rice, tossting to coat.  Stir in broth, soy sauce and pepper flakes; bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20-22 minutes

Add shrimp to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, 3 minutes.

Per serving (about 1&1/2 cups): 231 Calories, 5G total fat, 1G sat fat, 0G trans fat, 168MG Chol, 613MG Sodium, 18G Carbs, 5G sugar, 3G fiber, 22G Protein, 83MG Calcium, points 6.

Pie-Style Spanikopita - 5 points

Pie-Style Spanikopita - 5 points

source: WW Jan/Feb 2012
Prep: 15 min   Cook: 30 min  Serves: 6

1 10oz pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
1 C fat-free ricotta cheese
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 C Crumbled reduced-fat feta
1/4 C snipped fresh dill
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
10 (9x14) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed


Preheat oven to 375.  Spray shallow 1&1/2 quart shallow casserole dish or 9-inch deep dish pie plate with nonstick spray.

Mix together all ingredients except phyllo in large bowl

Lay 1 sheet of phyllo ni prepared casserole dish, allowing it to extend over rim of dish; lightly spray with nonstick spray (keep remaining phyllo covered with damp paper towel and plastic wrap to keep it from drying out).  Repeat with 3 more sheets of phyllo, placing corners at different angles and lightly spraying each sheet with nonstick spray.  Fold edges of phyllo in to form 1 & 1/2 inch high rim.

Spread spinnach mixture over phyllo.  Lightly spray 1 of remaining sheets with nonstick spray; crumple loosely and place on top of filling.  Repeat with remaining 5 sheets of phyllo.  Bake until heated through an phyllo is golden, about 30 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Per serving (1/6 of pie): 176 calories, 5G total fat, 2G sat fat, 0G trans fat, 41MG Cholesterol, 455MG Sodium, 22G carb, 2G sugar, 2G fiber, 12G Protein, 231MG Calcium, points 5

Wild Mushroom-Barley Salad - 4 points

Wild Mushroom-Barley Salad

Source: WW Jan/Feb 2012
Prep: 10 minutes    Cook: 14 minutes   Serves: 6

Bring 1 & 1/2 cup water to boil in medium saucepan.  Stir in 3/4 cups quick cooking barley; cover and cook until tender, 12 minutes.  Remove pan from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 (10-oz) package sliced crimini mushrooms and 1 (3 & 1/2 ounce) package shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 minutes.  Add 1/2 diced small red onion and 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill; cook, stirring, until onion is softened, 2 minutes.  Stir in barley, 2 teaspoons champagne or white-wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Garnish with fresh dill sprigs (optional).

Per serving (2/3 cup): 149 calories, 3g Total Fat, 0G sat fat, 0G trans fat, 0MG cholesterol, 76MG sodium, 28G total carb, 2G total sugar, 6G Fiber, 5G Protein, 22MG Calcium, Points: 4.

Lemon-Ginger Cookie Stacks - 2 points

Lemon-Ginger Cookie Stacks - 2 points

Source: WW Magazine, Jan/Feb 2012

Prep: 10 minutes   Cook: none  Serves: 6

With rubber spatula, mix 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup nondairy light whipped topping, and grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon in medium bowl.  Place 6 scallop-shaped ginger thin cookies (such as Anna's Ginger thins) on each of 6 plates.  Top each cookie with 1 Tablespoon of yogurt mixture, sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup fresh raspberries.  Repeat layering with 6 scallop-shaped ginger thin cookies, remaining yogurt mixture and 1/2 c fresh raspberries.

Per serving (1 stack): 72 calories, 2G total fat, 1G sat fat, 0G trans fat, 1MG Cholesterol, 77MG Sodium, 12G Total Carb, 6G total sugar, 1G Fiber, 2G Protein, 59MG Calcium, Points 2.

Lemony Linguini with Sausage - 9 points per serving

Lemony Linguine with Sausage: 9 points per serving
Prep: 5 minutes   Cook: 15 minutes   Serves: 4

Bring 3 Quarts of water to boil in a large saucepan.  Add 1 (9 ounce) package fresh linguine and cook until al dente, 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.  Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1/2 pound sweet italian turkey sausage links, casings removed, cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, 5 minutes.  Transfer to plate.  Add 1 sliced shallot and cook, stirring, until colden, 2 minutes.  Add to asusage.  Add 1 (9oz) bag baby spinach and cook, stirring, just until wilted, 3 minutes.  Return sausage to skillet and cook stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes.  Add pasta, reserved water, and grated zest and juice of 1 lemon cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 minute.

Per serving (1 & 1/2 cups):  366 calories, 10G total fat, 2G Sat fat, 0G Trans fat, 53MG cholesterol, 431MG Sodium, 48G Total Carb, 2G Total Sugar, 4G Fiber, 23G Protein, 90MG Calcium.  Points: 9

Meyer Lemon Chicken - 5 points per serving

Meyer Lemon Chicken (5 points)

Source: WW mag, Jan/Feb 2012
Prep: 5 minutes   Cook: 15 minutes   Serves: 4

Mix 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in shallow bowl.  Add 4 (1/4 pound) chicken cutlets; toss to coat.  Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through.  3 minutes per side.  Transfer to plate.  Add 1 minced shallot to skillet and cook until softened.  2 minutes.  Add 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth; bring to a boil.  Boil until reduced to 2/3 cup.  2-3 minutes.  Meanwhile, cut 1 of 2 Meyer lemons into sections; discard seeds.  Grate 1/2 teaspoon of zest and squeeze juice from remaining lemon.  Whisk lemon zest and juice, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.  Stir juice mixture into broth mixture; return to boil and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Stir in chicken and lemon sections; cook, stirring to coat chicken with sauce, util hot, 1 minute.

Per serving: (1 chicken cutlet with about 2 Tablespoons sauce):  211 calories, 8G total fat, 1G sat fat, 0G Trans Fat, 70 MG Cholesterol, 181 MG Sodium, 7G Total Carbs, 0G Total Sugar, 0G Fiber, 28G Protein, 22 MG Calcium.

Tip: To cut a lemon into sections, remove the peel with a small knife.  Cut along both sides of each dividing membrane.  Lift out hte sections from the center and remove any seeds.

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.