Roni’s Weight Watchen Page(s) - Take 2 (the rebuild)

Posted on January 31st, 2007 9:16 pm

• Success Southwest Chipotle Rice prepared without oild
  or any brown rice (but I would add a bit more spice then)
• 8 oz lean ground turkey
• dried onion flakes
• minced onion
• chili powder
• cumin
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• 3 peppers (I used one each of green, red and yellow)
• Salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the rice according to package without the oil. While the Rice is cooking, cut the tops off and clean the peppers, brown the ground turkey with spices.  When the rice is finished, add the ground turkey to the rice and mix.  Fill the peppers with the turkey and rice mixture top with salsa.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until peppers are of desired doneness, I enjoy mine still crunchy.

That’s it! I made them in literally 20 minutes.  Now, I made 3 peppers but 2 of them were quite large.  You could probably get smaller peppers and easily spread the filling a bit further.  For three I am getting about 5 points a serving.  If anyone wants to through it in the recipe builder for me that would be great!

Oh! And I couldn’t decide what picture wo post so you got them both. ;)

Update - June 12, 2007

I just made these again, this time I had 5 small to medium green peppers and I added a cup of chopped spinach. I just had enough to fill them perfectly! I also ran the ingredients through the nutritional data program. I’m getting about 190 calories, 5g of fat and 4g of fiber for each of the 5 peppers! That’s just a little more then 3 points a peice!

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Originally Posted on January 16th, 2007

Trader Joes Dark ChocolateI save a bar of 73% dark chocolate (from Trader Joe’s) in the fridge for days like this. I just wanted some chocolate.  Thankfully, I had some points left over after dinner.  Problem was after I ate it I was still hungry.  I just had that empty stomach feeling.  I knew I could not snack on ‘normal’ snack foods, like crackers, or chips, I would go overboard, so instead I hit some leftovers.  Sometimes I think that eating more meal like “snacks” keeps me more satisfied. Let’s see, 2 points of leftover “lasagna” or 2 chips?  Okay, I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea.

I have a meeting all day tomorrow at work and they are providing lunch.  Blah! I’m going to bring some carrots and an apple just in case.  Oh and no workouts today, just too busy and not in the mood.

Labels: journal

Originally Posted on January 15th, 2007

Has anyone checked out the nutritional information for Sbarro’s pizza?  I can’t believe how high in points they are.  I had a slice of veggie pizza for lunch thinking it was a good choice and BLAM 15 points gone! I also got a side of mixed veggies and bread stick to split with the baby and they were 4 a piece.  Remind me again why I eat out?  I could have easily had the same meal at home—veggie pizza with a side of veggies and a breadstick—for about 7-8 points not 23!!

Speaking of making things at home, I experimented with spaghetti squash again and came up with Zucchini and Spaghetti Squash “Lasagna".  I have to admit I splurged on my own creation.  I needed some comfort food today and this hit the spot perfectly.

Labels: journal

Originally Posted ion January 15th, 2007 8:18 pm

• Spaghetti sauce
• Thinly sliced zucchini
• spaghetti squash
• ½ cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (I used an Italian blend)
• Ground black pepper
• Dried parsley

Pierce the skin of the Spaghetti squash and microwave 10-12 minute (about 6 minutes a pound). Once finished (the skin will be tender to the touch) let it sit to cool.  Once cool, cut it in half long ways. Scoop out the seeds then scrap out the squash with a fork.

In a casserole dish smear a little of the sauce in the bottom to prevent sticking then begin layering zucchini, top with a bit of squash, ¼ of ricotta (I crumpled the best I can to cover the area), sprinkle with 1 oz shredded cheese, and some sauce repeat until you are out of ingredients. I had two complete layers and then topped with a bit more sauce, the last oz of cheese, parsley and back pepper.  Go easy on the saude there is no pasta to soak up the extra water.

Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for at least 45 minutes until zucchini is tender.  There will be a lot of water, again no pasta to soak it up. A few times through the baking process, I removed excess water with a turkey baster.

The only significant points in the dish are the cheese and sauce.  You can easily get 6 servings at about 2 points apiece.

5 Original Responses to “Zucchini and Spaghetti squash “Lasagna””

1. on 17 Jan 2007 at 6:30 pm1 Kim

   I just made this for dinner - the lasanga. I LOVED it and so did my 21 month old! Thank you!

2. on 18 Jan 2007 at 1:44 pm2 Melissa

   Oh wow, this looks great! As a vegetarian, I’m always on the lookout for WW-friendly vegetarian recipes. :)

3. on 22 Jan 2007 at 10:32 pm3 Sandy

   I made this today, it was so good!! My daughter thought it was better than Lasagna with noodles!! Thank’s for another great recipe!! I visit your site everyday!!! Thank’s for all your hard work, it’s made my weight watcher experience so much more enjoyable!!!

4. on 23 Jan 2007 at 8:22 pm4 wendy

   I’ve never cooked or really liked any kind of squash or zucchini so this was a leap of faith for me - I added mushrooms & onions (because I had them on hand) to the recipe - it was DELICIOUS and very filling. My husband loved it too. Thanks for your site Roni - it’s my favorite WW resource.

5. on 18 Mar 2007 at 12:25 pm5 Deb

   I literally just tried this & OMG !! It is amazing !!I even used FF cheese & 1/4 part skim ricotta & 1/4 fat free ricotta. For anyone who is thinking of trying this, you just have to. I thought there was no way I was going to like it. Thank you so much for all your recipes. I can’t wait to try other stuff !!

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Labels: journal

Originally Posted on January 13th, 2007

Lipton SidesI have been using these for a while and realized I never officially posted about them. Lipton makes whole grain varieties of their sides.  Two of them, Chicken Broccoli Rice Sides and Chicken Pasta Sides are good for a quick addition to a meal.  If you prepare them without the added fat (I do this all the time and nobody notices) they are both only 4 points a serving.  That doesn’t seem to impressive right? Well the servings are HUGE! They claim 2 per bag but if you use these for a meal with some steamed veggies and a lean protein they can easily serve 3-4 making the points even lower. 

Labels: FoodFinds

Did you know that a 200-calorie snack could range from 3-6 points depending on the fiber and fat content? I recently stumbled upon wisegeek.com where they have posted pictures of what 200 calories looks like. It’s fascinating to see the difference in volume. They start with “heaviest” 200 calories (1425 grams of celery) to the “lightest” (23 grams of oil) I’ve always said I liked to eat so I’m looking for foods that give me the biggest bang for the buck, if you know what I mean. The more fiber and less fat the better for shear amount and this site gives you an interesting look at that.

As for today, I did much better then yesterday. I still ate out for lunch but at least I got my workout in. I’m proud of myself. I did not really want to do it but I forced myself to get started. Then afterwards I felt great and still do

Here’s my tracker today. I’m not hungry but I may have a snack later. I have soy crisps in the cupboard that are calling my name.

Labels: journal

I ate out way too much today. I just got lazy after about 4pm and didn’t want to do ANYTHING. We decided to take the little guy out for dinner and this was after a lunch out with co-workers. What sucks about eating out is you always consume more points then if you prepared the meal yourself. For example, today I made good selections, a veggie quesadilla and eggplant parmesan. Both of which I can make for super low points but I can only estimate them at the restaurant for at least double. Most restaurants cook everything in fat, they add way more cheese then you need and the portions are at least double. But did that stop me from eating everything on my plate? Nooooo In both situations, lunch and dinner, I become full before I stopped eating. Why do we do that to ourselves? Because all that fat and cheese makes everything taste so darn good! What sucks is meals at home, healthier lower point meals can taste just as good.

As for the point estimates, they are just that, estimates. I really have no idea and I did the “crazy Roni math” in my head to figure them out. I’ve been wrong in the past and to be honest I think I’m off this time around too. I ate the eggplant parmesan around 6pm and as of now (9:30) I still fill overstuffed, not a good sign.

On top of eating out for lunch and dinner, I didn’t workout. Like I said, I just got lazy after 4pm. I really just don’t feel like doing anything except relaxing so that’s what I’m going to do. Sorry, I know I’m not that motivating today. :(

Labels: journal

Originally posted on January 7th, 2007 8:46 pm

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/8 tsp cream of tarter
• ¼ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of splenda
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use ¼ cup of dark and ¼ regular)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)
• Non-stick cooking spray

Beat egg whites and cream of tarter on medium until frothy and soft peaks form. Add in ¼ cup of sugar VERY slowly and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Sift ¼ cup splenda, cocoa powder and salt together and fold into egg whites with extract.

Drop teaspoons of mixture on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake for about 20 minutes in a 300 degree preheated oven. Cookies will come out soft and chewy, if you would like create Crispy Chocolate Cookie Bites bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Here is the good news! They are about 1 point for 3-4 cookies! They are only about 20 calories a piece with NO fat! The recipe makes about 25.

Labels: DessertIdeas

Originally Posted on January 4th, 2007 9:49 pm

This was an impromptu recipe. I was in a chili mood. Have fun and customize it, use your favorite beans, add some yellow squash, throw in some leftover meat, there are a ton of things you can do with it.

• 1 whole spaghetti squash
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 small sweet onion diced
• 1 medium zucchini diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 small can of tomato paste

Pierce the skin of the spaghetti squash and microwave 10-12 minute (about 6 minutes a pound). Once finished (the skin will be tender to the touch) let it sit while you prepare the chili.

Spray a medium saucepan with olive oil and sauté the onion, peppers, zucchini, and garlic over medium heat until tender. After about 5 minutes sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Add all the canned goods without draining. Stir, bring to a boil and then simmer until you are ready to eat.

Now return to the spaghetti squash. Cut it in half long ways. Scoop out the seeds then scrap out the squash long ways with a fork.

Add spaghetti squash to a bowl and top with chili, that’s it!

Now for the points, this one is stumping me a bit because of the beans and the fiber cap. If there are any point gurus out there I would love your input. I’m estimating 3-4 points a serving for 5 servings.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Posted on January 3rd, 2007 8:33 pm

Inspired by Qdoba Mexican Grill’s Tortilla Soup.

• Non-stick olive oil spray or a tsp of olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion (I use a think slice of a big one) diced
• 1-2 bell peppers (I used about ½ each of a green, orange and red) diced
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
• Tabasco
• Can of chicken broth
• Can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

Spray a medium saucepan with olive oil and sauté the onion, peppers and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Towards the end, add the chili powder, cumin cilantro, splash of lime juice and Tabasco to taste.Stir and let the flavors mix for a minute or two. Add the chicken broth and can of tomatoes with chilies.

What you get it a nice chunky soup. Now to thicken, and this is optional, I take a scoop at a time and puree in the blender then add it back to the soup. I usually do not puree it all just about 2-3 scoops to thicken the broth.

The points are tough on this one. It is really are 0 point stuff except the little bit of oil which it split amongst, about 4 servings. I would probably count 1 point for 2 bowls.

Other ideas:  Add leftover chicken, top with cheese, pour over rice, you can really do anything with it. It’s pretty versatile.

Labels: DinnerIdeas, SnackIdeas

I was on a hunt for whole hheat hamburger buns that the whole family would enjoy (by now you should know the husband is a bit picky) and came across these! They are only 1 point, delicious and the perfect size for a burger. You can use them for sandwiches or even a roll with dinner. I love 1-point bread products, especially ones with 4 grams of fiber!

You can see the nutritional information on their website.

Labels: FoodFinds