Lemon Chicken & Broccoli with Penne (WW 6 Points+)

I made a double-batch of this, so that I could have enough and leftovers and Paul wouldn't starve.  This recipe, though, serves 4. I made it serve 8, which really served 3 actual servings and then Paul could eat the rest.  And he did, happily, because this lemon chicken is light and DELISH.  I also added in 1/4 c. cooked whole grain penne per serving because the sauce and everything sort of DEMANDED a delicious carb.  I highly recommend it.  That's what makes each serving 6 points instead of 4.  Just FYI.  :)

 

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into THIN slices
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 c. chicken broth, fat-free and reduced sodium
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 1/2 c. uncooked broccoli florets (FRESH)
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper on a plate and toss chicken pieces in it 'til coated well.
2. Heat oil in large skillet or pot/wok, add chicken and cook 'til lightly browned.  Remove chicken to a plate.
3. Put 1 c. broth and garlic into pan, and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits off the bottom.
4. Once boiling, add broccoli and cook about 1 minute.
5. In small cup, stir together remaining 1/2 c. broth, 1/2 tbsp. flour and 1/4 tsp. salt; add to skillet and bring to simmer over low heat.
6. Cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Stir in chicken and lemon zest, heat through.
7. Remove from heat.  Stir in parsley and lemon juice. 

Serves 4.  1 c. per serving = 4 Points.  Add in 1/4 c. cooked penne for an additional 2 points/serving. 

Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin (WW 3 Points+)

I had people asking me to make this again.  So I think it was a hit!  It's so simple, easy, and hardly any real work for ME, so I think I can oblige them!  The pork turns out SO moist, and the herbs give it a fresh feel.  Serve it up with some salad for an easy plants + protein meal!

 

INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 pounds LEAN pork tenderloin, raw

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400.  Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine herbs/powders/salt/pepper in a small bowl.  Rub oil all over pork, then sprinkle with herb mix.  Place in prepared pan.
3. Roast about 35 minutes, or 'til cooked through.
4. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing thinly. 

Serves 8.
1 Serving = 3 Points+

Grilled Cuban Chicken with Black Bean & Mango Salsa (WW 7+ Points)

Oh, man.  I could eat this chicken ALL DAY LONG.  Or at least the salsa.  Seriously, Paul and I are hoping to make a huge bowl of it sometime and just eat it all up with some chips.  I have no idea how many points that would be, but whatever it is, it'd be WORTH IT!  That's how delicious, soft, sweet-and-tangy this dish is! 

 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c. orange juice (can have mix-ins...ours actually had mango fruit juice, too)
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 4 5-ounce pieces.  (Basically I took the two smallest breasts in the frozen bag I buy and then one medium piece and cut it in half...)
1 c. cubed mango (about 1 actual mango)
1 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. red onion, chopped finely

DIRECTIONS:
1. In small bowl, mix OJ, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Remove 1/2 cup and place in baggie or bowl, and add chicken (turning to coat).  Seal and marinate in fridge for at least one hour.
2. Meanwhile, to make salsa, add beans, mango, and onion to the remaining OJ mixture.  Toss well (I added a little more cilantro here), and refrigerate up to 12 hours (I just did the one, too).
3. Grill chicken until cooked through (took about 8 minutes on my indoor grill). 

1 piece of chicken and 1/2 c. salsa = 1 serving = 7 Points+.  Serves 4.

Raspberry-Dijon Glazed Ham (WW 5 Points+)

This was SO GOOD.  SO good.  And easy, which made for a great Sunday night dinner!  Also, it makes 8 servings so it's great for those of us whose spouses AREN'T on any diets and/or if you need leftovers!  Hope you like it as much as we did!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 c. dijon mustard, the grainiest you can find (with seeds)
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
a 2-pound cooked, smoked lean ham (I actually found one at Walmart...score!)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325. Coat a small baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Make glaze by stirring first four ingredients together well.  Save about half to serve with the ham.
3. Prepare ham for glaze by scoring 1/8"-deep criss cross marks all over the top and sides of ham.  Brush with half the glaze.
4. Bake for 1 hour, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes.  Thinly slice ham and serve with reserved glaze.

Serves 8, with about 1 Tbsp. extra glaze included per serving.  :)  Each serving = 5 Points+

YUM!  We served this with a veggie/salad mix.  And, of course, fruit salad from the weekend.  :)

Easy Egg White Omelette (WW 2 Points+)

I have found a lovely way to get in THREE OR FOUR FOOD GROUPS in the mornings without hardly even thinking about it, AND it's only 2 Points...not a bad start to the day!  Here are my easy egg white omelettes!

INGREDIENTS:

3 Egg Whites
3/4 c. frozen or fresh finely chopped veggies (for EASE in the mornings I buy the seasoning mix, which includes frozen onion, celery, and peppers, as well as a package of chopped frozen spinach...it's all pretty cheap and I hardly have to work at all for it!)
1 Tbsp. shredded cheese

1. In a small bowl, beat egg whites just until they start to change color--hardly at all, but nice and scrambly for sure.  Add in the veggies.
2. Spray a medium-sized frying pan with 1 spray of olive oil or vegetable oil.  Pour in the egg/veggie mix and, if necessary, flatten/spread out with a spatula (my frozen veggies need this sometimes, but I don't think they would if they were fresh).
3. Cook until the top loses its shine.  Sprinkle cheese on top, fold in half, and slide onto a plate.

Serve with a side of fresh fruit and enjoy!  Protein and TWO fruits/veggies servings in one meal.  (P.S. If you want carbs and to make it an even more complete breakfast, you could serve it alongside a whole grain English muffin--only 3+ Points more!)

Digiscrapping Blog Trains Galore!

There are some FANTASTIC freebies out in the digiscrapping world EVERY start of a new month, but I found this month's to be extra fun and wanted to remind you all about them!  Remember, digiscrapping is the most fun when it's FREE!  :)

First up, how cute are these lil' monsters?  With a fun, bright palette, this MEGA kit by dozens of designers is perfect for tickle monsters, silly faces, or any other fun pics of your own little monsters.  I am actually thinking about having this exact color palette and monster theme in my classroom someday (after I get tired of the LEGO one, of course!) and can't wait to use this kit as part of the decor!  Check out "Monsters, Monsters Everywhere!" at Stuff to Scrap!

Next up, take a ride to the Orient with Digi Scrap Forum's "The Chinese Orient."  If you eat Chinese/Japanese/Thai takeout as much as we do, or if you have fun celebrating the Chinese New Year, this kit is perfect for you!  And even if you don't, the orangey pinky red colors are beautiful and well-worth investing in just for the normal papers and generic embellishments!  Check it out HERE!

And, last but not least, who is ready for SPRING?!  I know I sure am!  This superkit from the Digi Shop Talk blog train, "Bright Days Ahead," is perfect for the dreamy and sweet springtime pages soon to come!  It's amazing to me how the same color palettes look so different from designer to designer--not that the colors don't blend, but how one can be dark and rich, while another can be light and fresh!  Anywho, without further ado, check out "Bright Days Ahead" HERE!

 

As always, happy scrapping!

Tuna Salad in Cucumber Cups (WW 6 Points)

Light and fruity, served in cute lil' cucumber cups, these tuna salad fingerfoods are great dinner fare or appetizers at your next party.  They saved for several days, so I was able to take them into work for a while, and everyone oooohed and aaaaahed at my mad culinary skillz.  Too bad it was a Pinterest idea, a WW recipe, and SO EASY I really didn't feel impressive at all.  But I was happily satisfied, for sure!  These are delicious.

TUNA SALAD IN CUCUMBER CUPS

INGREDIENTS:
3 cans tuna in water, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. light Miracle Whip
1 c. dried cranberries
2 small fresh apples, diced (I think I only used one)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp dried dill weed
6 small cucumbers, sliced into 1 1/2" "cups", using a melon baller to scoop out the cup part. (Almost all the way to the bottom and around the edges)
1 c. raw celery, chopped finely

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine tuna, mayo, apples, cranberries, celery, lemon juice, and dill in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Spoon tuna salad into cucumber cups, heaping over the top of the cucumber.

About 1 cup of tuna salad per serving, yields six servings (at 6 WW+ Points/piece)

I ended up with 30 cups, so 1 cup tuna salad per 5 cups (1 cucumber's length).  The amount of cucumber you use doesn't actually affect the point total at all, so just make sure you're splitting the salad itself into about 6 servings if you're watching the points.  :)

Hot Dog Dogs (WW 7 Points)

I saw this on Facebook and decided to make a slightly healthier version for my puppy-loving hubby.  :)  Lean hotdogs are actually not too terrible for you, comparatively at least.  I couldn't find a low-fat version of the flaky biscuits, but if I had it would've been even lesser points!  This was a cute, fast meal for a busy weeknight--pair it with some pepper slices or other snackable veggies, and enjoy!

HOT DOG DOGS

INGREDIENTS:
Pillsbury Flaky Layers Biscuit (refrigerator mix), 1 can (enough for 8 biscuits)
8 lean beef hot dogs
a handful of black beans, for eyes and nose

DIRECTIONS:
Using a sharp knife (I found serrated was best here), cut slits in the top sides of each biscuit (to make ear) and pull the parts slightly away from each other.  Cut a slit for the "mouth", and lay on baking sheet.  Insert hot dogs, then place one black bean for each eye and nose (24 in all).  Bake according to package directions or until golden brown.  Serve with ketchup and a side of veggies!

Breakfast Fruit Pizza with Nutella (WW 8 Points)

I may have mentioned this before, but fresh fruits and veggies are 0 points under the 360 program.  I love that, because even though I KNOW they have calories, I don't feel guilty about piling them in.  And if I'm running low on points for the day, I'll bite into a peach or an apple instead of a 2-point brownie.  Sneaky, sneaky, Weight Watchers People!  :)

Anyway, the joy of this breakfast fruit pizza is that you have the natural sweetness of fresh fruit, the chocolatey-hazelnutty goodness of Nutella, and the wholesome whole grains of a whole wheat English muffin.  There isn't much to post as far as a "recipe"--cut the muffin in half and toast (3 points), spread on a Tbsp of nutella on each side (for 5 points total), and top with fresh berries, bananas, or other fruit of choice (which adds 0 points, yay!).  Delicious way to start your morning without feeling even the teensiest bit deprived.  I love it.  :)

Boyack De-LIGHT! (WW 3 points)

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that, while dieting, all I've wanted is CHOCOLATE.  ICE CREAM.  BROWNIES.  PUDDING!  :)  Lucky for me, a few tweaks to our family's favorite dessert literally cut the calories in half.  This sweet treat is a frozen pudding-pop like dessert, made all the better with the buttery saltiness of the Ritz crackers.  Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 gallon low fat vanilla ice cream
1 large box fat-free, sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix
One sleeve Ritz Reduced Fat Crackers, coursely crushed

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Melt ice cream in a large mixing bowl just until soft enough to mix (with hand mixer is fine, but I like to do it by wooden spoon...it really seems to change the texture).
2. Mix in pudding mix.
3. Sprinkle half the cracker crumbs on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Spread ice cream mixture in pan and smooth with a spatula (it should be kinda tough but not impossible to do).  Sprinkle remaining crackers on top.
4. Freeze at least 2 hours, or until solid enough to cut into slices and serve.  Cut into 4x5 grid, to make 20 bars total.

1 bar = 1 serving = 3 WW+ Points