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

This was an oldy lost in the crash and recently rediscovered by Claudia.  Thanks Claudia! 

I made it again tonight, changing it up a bit, of course.  I just can’t help myself.  I’ve posted my new photo and the original.

Just so you know, the toddler loves it.  The husband would rather “real pasta”.  Whatever that means?! ;~)

• 8 oz whole wheat pasta
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, diced
• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 1 – 10.7 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 – 15oz can of peas (not drained) OR 8 oz frozen peas and ½ cup of water
• 1 – 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼-½ tsp black pepper
• non-stick cooking spray

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta per instructions on the package.

While preparing the pasta add the onion and garlic to a non-stick frying pan with sprayed cooking spray. Cook until tender.  Add the beef and cook until brown.  
 
When the pasta is finished, drain and return to the pot. Add the tomato soup, peas (with liquid), cooked beef, and tomatoes. Stir.  Add spices to taste and cook a few minutes on medium heat while stirring.

As for nutritional information, this could serve 4-5.  I split it into 5 servings so I can bring some for my lunches, each about 340g, 315 calories, 3g of fat and 8 g of fiber.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

All right, so you are going to absolutely love or hate this soup.  I don’t know how else to describe it. You are either a butternut squash soup person or you aren’t.  I am the husband isn’t. Although he did try a taste and he wasn’t totally grossed out, which was WAY more then I expected. 

You could make this without the shrimp.  I just happen to have some in the freezer and thought they would compliment the sweetness of the soup. Plus I wanted to add some protein for my lunches.

• 5 cups Butternut Squash (700 g)
• 1 Apple cored and cut in chunks (leave the skin on)
• 1 Pear cored and cut in chunks (leave the skin on)
• 1 small sweet onion (or a thick slice) chopped (150 g)
• 2 cups fat free chicken broth or vegetable broth (more if you want a broth-ier less thick soup)
• .5 tbsp Coriander Seeds crushed or run through a small food processor
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• .5 tsp ground cinnamon
• .5 tsp ground cloves
• .5 tsp ground ginger
• 1 lb steamed shrimp, cleaned and de-tailed (I used frozen)

In a large pot, add the squash, apple, pear onion broth and spices.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Don’t worry if the broth doesn’t cover the tops of the veggies, they will cook down.

Lower the heat to medium and continue boiling for about 15 minutes.

Using a hand blender, (or transfer in small amounts to a blender) purée the squash, apple, pear and onion.  I left a few chunks but you can puree it smooth if you like.

Continue to cook over low heat for at least another 10 minutes.  Add the shrimp just before serving.

I’m calculating 5 servings about 400g each.  Even with the shrimp, the soup is only about 206 calories, 2 g of fat and 5 g of fiber per serving.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

What says comfort in the fall more then Stew! I just had a craving for it today.

I looked in my pantry and noticed an abundance of orange colored veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash.  Why not throw them together in the crock-pot. 

Now the husband is just not a “Stew Man”.  He wasn’t too happy with my choice for dinner but, to my surprise, he liked it! His exact words, “it is very very good.” Of course, he did leave the butternut in the dish.

I should say the toddler was not a fan. I just don’t think he’s ready for stew yet.  It’s a bit intimidating for a 2 year old.

• 1 lbs beef stew meat (I just bought package from the store-not sure of the cut)
• About 3 cups (420 g) of butternut squash cut into chunks
• About 1 and ½ cup of baby carrots (170 g)
• 1 (very) large sweet potato cut into chunks
• 1 small sweet onion cut into large chunks
• 1 can condensed (about 10 oz) 98% fat few cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can beef broth (about 14 oz)
• Dash of pepper
• 6 oz Whole Wheat Orzo

Add all the ingredients, except the Orzo, in a crock-pot with 1 can (the mushroom soup size) of water.  Cook on low for about 7-8 hours.

About ½ hour before you want t serve add the uncooked Orzo.  It will soak up the extra moister and flavor of the stew.  

As for the nutritional information, I’m estimating about 375 calories, 6 g of fat and 10 g of fiber for 6 nice size servings.  When I separated the stew into storage containers, each serving was just about 3 ladlefuls.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I love when I home for lunch and I get to whip something up with what I have on hand.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5-6 cloves of garlic diced
• 1 large juicy tomato cut into chunks
• About 4 cups baby spinach leaves
• About 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
• Salt & Pepper

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just turning brown. Add the tomato; sprinkle with a bit of salt. Top with the spinach leaves and cover for 3 minutes. The spinach will start cook and reduce down.

Uncover. Break up the spinach with a wooden spoon. It will start to clump together once cooked. Add the spaghetti squash a little at a time and stir in. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serve!

The whole batch is only about 300 calories, 15 g of fat and 9 g of fiber and that’s a huge serving. Only half is pictured.
Note: you can cut back the olive oil a bit and shave a little fat off the total.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I have NO idea what made me think of this but I’m glad I did! It was different, a nice fall comfort food.

The husband liked the turkey and rice but he could leave the pumpkin. What am I saying? He did leave the pumpkin! I can understand why, the texture was a little different. I may have overcooked it. Honestly, I don’t know I never cooked fresh pumpkin before! All I know is I liked it!

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Small sweet onion diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic diced
• 12 ounce turkey breast cut into cubes (chicken would work just as good)
• 3 cups cubed pumpkin (around 350 g)
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or fat free chicken broth) separated
• 1 tbsp oat flour (or other thickener)
• Nutmeg (about ½ tsp)
• Ground cloves (about ¼ tsp)
• Ground ginger (about ½ tsp)
• Sage (about ½ tsp)
• Cinnamon (about ¼ tsp)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Allow the onion to cook and the garlic to just start getting brown.

Add the turkey and cook until just browned. Stir in the pumpkin cubes.

Pour 1 and ½ cups of the broth into the skillet. Bring to a boil and cover. Lower the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes until pumpkin is soft when pierced with a fork.

Whisk the remaining broth with the oat flour and spices. Pour into the skillet and turn up the heat allowing the broth to thicken. Stir in the rice. Serve!

I’m getting 4 nice size servings each approximately 275 calories, 5 g of fat and 3 g of fiber.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I may be nuts, but all I needed was a little salt and ketchup. I ate the whole squash myself! It was delish!

• 1 Delicata Squash
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and clean out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into long steak fry chunks leaving the skin in tact.

Spray a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray. Layout the squash fries, spray with a bit more non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for about 40 minutes turning once.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I love fall and comfort food! This is the kind of meal I make different every time. Way back when I called it Black Bean and Turkey Chili. Tonight I skipped the corn and added some Flaxseed and Wheat Bran to bump up fiber and other good stuff. I’ve also learned to drain my beans to cut back on the sodium and now I use low sodium vegetable broth to get even more flavor.

All in all the formula is the same, lean ground turkey, veggies, beans, tomato paste, and spices. This is just one way to put it all together. Oh! and I would love a jalapeño in this but I ALWAYS forget to pick one up!

• Small sweet onion diced
• 4-5 gloves of garlic diced
• 20 oz extra lean ground turkey
• 3 bell peppers diced (I used 2 green and 1 yellow)
• 1 medium zucchini diced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp cilantro
• ½ tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp ground red pepper
• 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tbsp whole flax seeds ground up
• 1/3 cup wheat bran
• Small can of tomato paste

Start by browning the turkey with the onion and garlic in a large pot. Add in the diced veggies and sprinkle with dry spices. Cook for a few minutes allowing flavors to intensify.

Add the beans, broth, diced tomatoes, cocoa powder, Worcestershire Sauce, flax seeds and wheat bran. Bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste and lower to a simmer. Continue to simmer for at least an hour.

Eat it straight up or serve it over noodles, rice, spaghetti squash or baby spinach leaves!

Nutritional information will vary with your ideas for this recipe. I’m estimating this recipe at about 8 serving each approximately 350 calories, 9 g of fat and 15 g of fiber.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Give me some whole grain pasta, a ton of veggies and I’m happy. The husband didn’t like it UNTIL he added parmesan cheese. Then he said it was "good". Go figure!

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Small sweet onion dices
• 5 gloves of garlic diced
• 2-3 stalks of celery diced small
• 5-6 baby carrots diced small
• 2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock (separated)
• 6 plum tomatoes diced
• 2 small heads of broccoli cut and cleaned
• 2 tbsp oat flour (or other thickener)
• 12 oz frozen cooked shrimp (defrosted and tails removed)
• 8 oz whole-grain angel hair pasta cooked according to package

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sprinkle with Salt and Pepper and let sweet for a bit. Add the celery and carrots. Stir. The onion should start to get a little brown and the pan will start to stick a bit, that’s OK. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.

Pour about half of the broth and deglaze the plan. Add the tomatoes and broccoli. Stir and cover for about 3 minutes allowing the flavors to mix and the broccoli to cook.

Whisk the remaining broth and oat flour. Pour over cooked veggies in the skillet and turn up the heat allowing the broth to thicken. Add the shrimp. Stir and scoop over the Angel Hair pasta.

Update: OK I calculated the nutritional info using sparkPeople. 4 large Servings 375 calories, 6 g of fat and 10 g of fiber.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Every once in awhile I crave a salad and when I do I love to experiment. I whipped this up with what I had on hand and I have to admit, I was quite surprised. Normally I don't like “creamy dressings” but I was in the mood for something different.

The idea here is really the dressing, have fun experimenting!

The Dressing

• 2 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• About ½ tsp garlic powder
• About ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt & Pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and let sit while you prepare the salad.

The Salad

• About 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 tomato diced
• 2-3 oz cooked chicken breast (I used leftover Balsamic Dijon Chicken from the night before)
• 1-2 teaspoon real bacon bits
• About ¼ oz fancy shredded Mexican cheese blend

Pile everything on a plate and top with dressing!

I’m calculating about 250 calories, 8 g of fat and 3 g of fiber for the whole salad with all the dressing.

Labels: DinnerIdeas, SaladIdeas

This is a repost of a recipe I lost in the “big crash”.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Small sweet onion chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
• Salt & pepper
• Small zucchini chopped
• Can of diced tomatoes not drained
• Dried or fresh parsley and basil
• ½ pound cooked frozen shrimp (cleaned and tails removed)
• 10 oz Fettuccini cooked according to package (I used Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta)

In a large skillet sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Continue cooking until onion turns transparent and garlic begins to brown on the edges. Add the zucchini, stir and let the flavors mix for a minute or two. Add the can of diced tomatoes; be careful it will steam up a bit. Sprinkle with parley and basil. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer.

Since the shrimp are already cooked add them last just to get warmed up (if you have raw shrimp add them with the zucchini to cook)

Your nutritional will depend on the pasta you use (whole grain, light etc) Using 2 ounces of pasta per serving this make 5 servings.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

On my home from work, I was wracking my brain on what to make for dinner. It would be just the toddler and I so that always gives me a little more freedom to experiment (no picky husband). I knew I had some veggies and a can of reduced fat crescent rolls. Putting the two together, I was shocked how good it came out! Seriously, I don’t want to pat myself on the back but, d-e-lic-ious!

• 1 medium zucchini diced small
• ½ small sweet onion diced small
• 1 bell pepper diced small (I used ½ green ½ red)
• 1 cup baby spinach chopped
• 1 plum tomato dices small
• 4 cloves of garlic minced through a garlic press
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 container of reduced fat crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix all ingredients, except crescent rolls, in a medium bowl.

Unroll crescent rolls on a small cookie sheet. Press to seal perforations and to cover the bottom of the pan.

Now, I topped the raw crescent with the veggie mixture and baked for about 25 minutes. It came out delish but some of the crescent didn’t cook fully being topped with so much. stuff. I liked it that way. If you want a more crispy crust, you may want to bake the crescent for a few minutes before topping and the return to the oven. Just a thought.

I’m calculating the nutritional information to be about 255 calories, 11 g of fat, and 2 g of fiber per serving for 4 servings. Note: I ate 2! I told you I really liked this one!

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I wanted to make a Sensational Sunday meal.  One the husband would love and not even realize it was “diet”. He’s a crab cake fanatic. Well, we do live in Maryland so I guess it’s expected. :~) This is my take on Maryland Style crab cakes minus the yucky mayo and butter.  He did notice they were a bit dryer then normal but he still ate three of them so you be the judge!  ;~)

UPDATE: I made these again, modified the recipe and the moster problem has been solved! Much better!

Crab Cakes

• 5 Ak-Mak 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Crackers crushed into bread crumbs (or any whole wheat crackers equaling about ½ cup once crushed)
• 1 tbsp quick oats (helps hold the moister and you don't even notice it)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
• 1 tsp old Bay Seasoning (or other seafood seasoning)
• 1/4 cup nonfat unflavored yogurt (upped the yogurt - see comment below)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 egg whites
• 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat (minus a few nibbles)
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Crush the crackers. In a small bowl mix the crushed crackers, onion powder, parsley, mustard, quick oats and old bay.

In a large bowl whisk the yogurt, egg whites and Worcestershire sauce.  Fold in crabmeat.  Pour the cracker mixture on top and fold in.

Form into 6 – 3 oz patties and place on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spray the tops with a bit more non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 10 minutes.  Turn on broiler to brown the tops, about 5 more minutes.

Garlic Honey Asparagus

For a side I wanted to dress up some asparagus.  I like them plain but every once in awhile more flavor is fun, no?  I thought a sweet garlic honey marinade would be a nice compliment. 

Make these first to allow the asparagus time to marinate.

• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 gloves of garlic minced in a garlic press
• Salt

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Place asparagus in a ziplock bag. Pour honey garlic mixture on top.  Place in fridge for about an hour.

When ready to cook spread on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Roast about 10-15 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.

I'm calculating each crab cake to be about 120 calories, 1 g of fat and just about 1 g of fiber. For the asparugus I added a point for the honey and that's it!

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I made this realy quick a few nights ago after using whatever veggies I had on hand.  You can use any veggies you like. I just wanted to share this idea to make a quick pasta dish.

What I used….

• 8 oz whole-wheat penne pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Small sweet onion chopped
• 3 gloves of garlic minced
• 2 medium Zucchinis chopped
• 2 large bell peppers chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dry basil leaves
• ½ tsp garlic powder

Cook the pasta according to the package. The secret is to cook the pasta in a larger pot then you need so you can add all the veggies when it’s done.  

In a large skillet sauté your favorite veggies in a tablespoon of olive oil.  Start with the onion and garlic and let it sweat a bit in the olive oil.  Add the other veggies, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and cook until just tender.

Puree the can of diced tomato, basil and garlic powder in the blender.

When the pasta is finished, drain the water (keeping about ½ cup to use in the “sauce”).  Return the pasta to the pan.  Pour the pureed tomatoes and saved pasta water on top.  Stir in the sautéd veggies and continue to stir over medium heat for a few minutes until ready to serve (5 minutes)

That’s what I did.  I was surprised how good it came out considering I made it on the fly and had no plan what so ever! Even the toddler loved it.

I only counted points for the pasta and added 1 point for the olive oil per serving.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I whipped this marinade up today as an alternative to BBQ sauce.  The husband loves BBQ chicken legs, I’m not a fan.  So when I make them I usually defrost a couple of chicken tenders and experiment with different marinades to try on the grill.

• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tbsp spicy Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  I had just enough to coat 12 ounces of chicken tenders.

I only marinated for about 10 minutes and they came out perfect.  At first, I thought the chicken would be too “mustardy” for the toddler.  Boy was wrong!  He devoured 2 tenders!

I made extra so I'd have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Pretty smart, huh? ;~)

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I was literally making this up as I went along last night.  By the end of week I was left with a plethora of peppers and fresh broccoli. I haven’t figured out how to adjust my shopping now that I returned to work and I tend to over estimate the amount of veggies I need for the week. Anyway, I was going to put everything in a large skillet but I thought topping the chicken and rice would make for a prettier presentation.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion chopped
• 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite size chunks
• 1 tsp garlic powder (I didn’t have fresh)
• 1 tsp dried cilantro (I didn’t have fresh)
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of one lemon (1-2 tbsp)
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1-2 cups diced bell peppers
• 1-2 cups fresh broccoli florets

Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cooke for a few minutes stirring.  Add the chicken.  While the chicken is browning, sprinkle with garlic powder, cilantro, salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the cooking chicken.  Add the rice and cook a few more minutes until chicken is down and the flavors merge.  Turn off the heat until ready to serve.

Spray another skillet with non-stick cooking spray and warm the veggies over medium heat.  Season with a bit of salt.

Split the chicken rice mixture in 4 equal parts and top with the warm veggies. Each serving is approximately 275 calories, 7 g of fat and 3 g of fiber.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I think I told you that when the husband is away I like to play…. in the kitchen that is. :~) I had an hour, a new exotic squash and some defrosted sausage I grabbed out of the freezer last night.  The toddler, for some really odd reason absolutely LOVES spicy sausage so this dish was a hit with him  For me, I had to immediately pack up the extra 3 servings to stop from picking.  I know what’s for lunch tomorrow!

• 4 turkey sausage links (I used Hot Shady Brook Turkey Sausage)
• Small sweet onion diced
• 1 baking potato diced
• 1 sweet potato diced
• 1 Chayote Squash diced
• About 2 bell peppers diced (I used a green, red and yellow I had left over)
• ½ cup tomato juice

Spray a large skillet (make sure it’s big enough I actually had to transfer this after running out of room in my skillet!) with non stick cooking spray.   Add the onion and sausage. I removed the skin on the sausage and treated it more like ground meat.  It’s sticky but once to add it to the pan you can break it up with a spatula.  

Once the sausage is brown add the diced potatoes first.  They will take the longest to cook.  I covered the skillet for about 10 minutes stirring and scraping the bottom about every 2 minutes (they will stick a bit, we aren’t using any oil).  This cooked the potatoes just enough. 

Add the diced squash and peppers.  Stir and let flavors mix. 

Pour the tomato juice on top and use it as a means to scrape all the good onion and potato flavor off the bottom of the pan.

Serve!

With the sausage I used I’m estimating 4 servings, each about 235 calories, 7 g of fat and just under 5 g of fiber.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

“Very good!” That’s what the husband said while eating this. Normally he is stingy with the comments. I usually only get a “It’s fine” or “Not bad” so take the “Very good” as picky husband approved. ;~) The toddler also said “good” on serveral occasions during dinner! So consider it a hit!

• 1 lb lean pork loin cut into bite size pieces
• 1/8 cup (2 oz) orange-pineapple juice (either would work, I just happen to have a mix from a single serve we got the toddler)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tbsp oat flour (or other thickener)
• Large bell pepper sliced
• Large zucchini sliced

In a large frying pan cook the pork loin and juice (no oil needed!) over medium-high heat until the pork is just about done (all white outside). Stir occasionally

While the pork is cooking, mix the soy sauce, ginger, onion powder, water and oat flour in a small bowl or coffee mug.

Add the cut up veggies to the pan; pour soy sauce mixture on top. Stir to coat, Lower the heat to medium and cover, allowing the veggies to steam a bit.

Uncover when veggies are desired tenderness. Stir and allow the sauce to thicken a bit. Serve over or along side of rice.

This made 4 nice size servings and you can always add more veggies to bulk it even more. Each serving is approximately 200 calories, 7 g of fat and 2 g of fiber not including the rice.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

This is for all the non-cooks who say they don’t have time to make dinner. 10 minutes 4 ingredients and a healthy meal, how cool is that?! It was a hit with the toddler AND the husband.

I just wanted a big bowl of stuff for the cold rainy day we had. I guess you can call this the first of many fall comfort food ideas.

• 8 oz chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
• 10 oz can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• Large bag of frozen broccoli (my bag was 16oz)
• 4 oz whole wheat noodles (I used Whole Wheat Wide Noodles)
• Non-stick cooking spray

Boil the water and prepare the noodles according to the package.

Spray a medium sized pot with non-stick cooking spray and brown the chicken over medium heat. Add the can of soup and up to a can of water (if you like it a bit thicker cut back on the water a bit). Stir and bring to a bowl. Mix in the bag of frozen broccoli; cover a cook for about a few minutes until broccoli is tender.

Drain noodles. Scoop chicken broccoli mixture over the noodles and serve.

Just doing ‘Roni Crazy math’ I’m getting 8 points a serving for 2 humongous bowl. Let me know if I’m wrong. We actually got 2.5 servings splitting between the husband, the toddler and myself and we were all very satisfied.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I’m not really sure why but I’ve been craving sausage and peppers for weeks now. I finally caved and took two links out of the freezer this morning for dinner.

• 2 turkey sausage links cut in about ¼ inch slices (slice when links are still a bit frozen, it will help a great deal) (I used Hot Shady Brook Turkey Sausage)
• Small sweet onion diced
• 1 green pepper sliced
• 1 medium zucchini halved and sliced
• 1-2 patty pans cut in chunks (optional, I just happen to have them on hand)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Sprinkle of dried chives
• Salt and pepper
• Non-stick cooking spray

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat.

Cook the onion and sausage until onion become transparent and sausage is done. Add pepper, zucchini, patty pans, and can of tomatoes (with juices). Sprinkle with onion powder, chives, salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let the steam cook the veggies for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

I ate this straight up but it would be good over rice or pasta. The sausage I used is 4 points a link so that makes this whole recipe (everything in the picture) only 8 points because everything else is free. Right? Yes, yes I’m too tired right now to do nutritional info. Man I’m getting lazy!

Labels: DinnerIdeas

I’ve had a package of frozen cooked shrimp in the freezer forever, it was time to use them. Not having all the fresh ingredients I would have liked didn’t matter, this still came out delish!

• 6 oz Whole Wheat Orzo
• 1-2 cups fresh broccoli florets (used a large head)
• Red bell pepper chopped
• Pint of cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 lb large cooked shrimp shells and tails removed
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp parsley
• Salt and pepper
• About a ¼ cup of water
• About ½ cup baby spinach leaves (could use more this is all I had, makes the dressing a nice green color)

Cook the Orzo according to package.

While the pasta is cooking, clean and prepare all the veggies and place in a large bowl with the cooked shrimp.

Put honey, vinegars, oil, dry spices, salt and pepper, water and baby spinach in the blender to create the dressing.

When the orzo is finished, run the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking. Add the cooked cold pasta to the bowl with the veggies and shrimp. Pour the dressing on top and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

You could eat this as a meal or a side dish. The site I use for the nutritional info is STILL DOWN! I’ll post it when I can or if someone wants to run it through the recipe builder, I’d appreciate it. The picture shows about ¼ of the recipe so I’d say about 4 large servings for a meal or at least 8 as a side dish.

Labels: DinnerIdeas, SaladIdeas

I wanted a light pasta dish using some of the summer veggies from the garden. Now that I made it, I have a few other ideas, like adding a splash of Balsamic vinegar, or maybe even some skim milk to make a light cream sauce. It came out delish as is but you could really make it your own.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 gloves of garlic chopped
• 6 plum tomatoes diced
• 1 large zucchini diced
• Half bushel of asparagus cut in 1-2 inch chunks
• Salt
• 6 oz jar of artichoke hearts packed in water
• 1 tbsp dried minced onion
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ cup fat free ricotta cheese
• 6 oz whole wheat penne pasta cooked according to package

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Stir and cook until the zucchini just start to get tender, maybe 3-5 minutes. Add the Artichoke hearts with liquid, spices and ricotta cheese. Stir until the cheese coats all the veggies.

Add the cooked pasta to the veggie pot and mix well. Serve with some black pepper and a bit of parmesan cheese.

I would do the nutritional info but the site I use is down. I got 4 very nice size servings that I’m counting as 4 points a piece using crazy Roni Math ;~).

Labels: DinnerIdeas