Archive for the 'Weight Watchers' Category

Two fantastic soups

Published November 14, 2009 Dinner , Must repeat , Recipe , Weight Watchers , Yum! 2 Comments
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These days, when I think of Weight Watchers I don’t think about the points – I’m not really counting points or following the diet, I just like to think I’m eating a little healthier. Instead I think about how yummy my dinner is going to be. Of course, there are some Weight Watchers meals that leave a lot to be desired but for the most part they are tasty and quick and easy to make. This past week, from the Turn Around Program Cookbook I’ve made two incredible, filling, delicious soups. When I was flipping through the book I first saw the Beef and Potatoes soup and I bookmarked the page right away because how could I say no to beef? And the fact that the meat is cooked in a mild spicy tomato mixture makes it even better. The next soup that caught my eye was Shrimp Bisque. I have heard of fish soup before but I’d never imagined eating pureed shrimp. I was dubious about this one but the end result was delicious and smile-inducing.

I’ve made a few modifications to the soups:

Shrimp Bisque

serves 4, 3 points per 1 cup serving

3/4 lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (reserve the shells)

1 bouillon cube dissolved in 3 cups of water (chicken or vegetable would work, I used mushroom flavour) or 3 cups of broth

2 1/2 cups water

2 tsp unsalted butter

2 shallots, chopped

1/4 cup long grain rice

1 tbsp tomato paste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

Place the shrimp shells in a large pot and cover with the broth and water. Cook and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Strain the broth and discard the shells. Set aside the broth. Melt the butter over medium heat and then add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth, the rice, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in the shrimp, salt, and cayenne pepper and cook until shrimp are ready, about 3 minutes. Scoop out 8 shrimp or so from the pot and place on a cutting board, chop and set aside. Let the soup cool about 5 minutes and then puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to heat and simmer until heated through. Serve with chopped shrimp on top and a dollop of home made salsa for an added kick.
Check out this other recipe too:
Shrimp Bisque on Foodista

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Shredded Beef and Potato Soup with Chimichurri

serves 6, 5 points per 1 cup serving

1 pound boneless bottom round steak, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Salt

3 cups beef broth or 1 beef flavoured bouillon cube dissolved in 3 cups water

14oz diced canned tomatoes

3 or 4 pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped.

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of half a lime

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cups diced potato

Heat a bit of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the beef and salt. Cook and turn the beef until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for one hour. Scoop out the beef to a cutting board and let it cool. Set aside the broth and tomato liquid. Shred the beef with two forks or do what I did and use your fingers. To make the chimichurri, combine the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, a dash of salt, and the crushed red pepper and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions, stirring until softened. Add the potatoes and the broth-tomato liquid and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add the beef and simmer for another 2 minutes. Serve with chimichurri on top.

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Haddock Burgers

Published November 12, 2009 Lunch , Recipe , Weight Watchers Leave a Comment
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I’m a huge fan of burgers. Massive burgers that leave me with a dislocated jaw. I would probably be happy eating burgers everyday. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration but you know what I mean. Even if I were to eat burgers everyday, I would eventually get bored and I’d have to find another type of meat to fill my hamburger bun. I could use chicken but why not try fish? This idea comes from that much-used Weight Watchers cookbook I’ve been working my way through. These burgers are worth 6 points each.

Haddock Burgers, makes two

2 haddock fillets (or cod or halibut)

2 kaiser buns, preferably whole-wheat

Tomato cut into thick slices

Lettuce

Red onion cut into slices

Old cheddar cheese cut into slices

For tartar sauce:

2 tbsp mayo

2 or 3 mini pickles, minced

1 tsp capers, minced

Set the oven to broil. Spray olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over fish fillets and place on a baking sheet then set aside. Mix the mayo, pickles, and capers together in a small bowl. You could also puree them to get a smoother consistency for the tartar sauce. I tried using my Magic Bullet but the amount was too small and it all ended up smeared against the sides of the container. When the oven is heated place the fillets inside and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked. I am terrible at judging when something looks cooked so I tend to cook things a little bit longer than suggested.

Assemble sandwiches with the tartar sauce, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, cheese, and of course the fish fillets.

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I will call this post “delicious”

Published November 7, 2009 Dinner , Must repeat , Vegetarian , Weight Watchers , Yum! 2 Comments
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Jay and I agree that pizza is one of those things we could never get sick of. When I think of takeout and ordering food I automatically think of pizza. In my mind, there are three constant ingredients – dough, sauce, and cheese. After that, the pizza is an empty canvas begging to be filled with colourful toppings that result in a picture of deliciousness. The pizza I made this week was inspired by a Weight Watchers recipe from the Turnaround Program Cookbook, which consisted of goat cheese, caramelize onions, tomatoes, and black olives but I added a few other toppings. The dough recipe came from Engineer Baker (recipe here).

Pizza, makes 6 servings

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion thinly sliced

Salt

2 tsp butter

8 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 3 1/2 cups) I used about 2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 pound prepared fresh or thawed frozen pizza or bread dough

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

10 black olives, pitted and chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

First start the pizza dough and follow preheating instructions. About a half hour before the dough is ready to be baked, start caramelizing the onion by heating the oil in a skillet/pan, then adding the onions and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the onion is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pan melt the butter and add the tomatoes and sugar. Stir frequently until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and simmer about a minute. When the dough is ready, spread the tomato mixture over top along with the onions and the rest of the toppings. On my pizza I added crumbled feta cheese, fire roasted red peppers, and roasted tomatoes. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the goat cheese looks slightly toasted on top.

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Honey Teriyaki Salmon and Rice

Published September 29, 2009 Dinner , Must repeat , Recipe , Weight Watchers , Yum! Leave a Comment
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This was definitely a winner! From the Weight Watchers Turn Around Program book I made this amazing salmon last night. The recipes in that book are alright but some are fantastic. Here’s the recipe:

Makes 4 servings, is worth 4 points per fillet

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp honey (I used raw unpasteurized)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed (I used 2 cloves cuz I love garlic so much)

4 (1/4 lb) skinless salmon fillets (I left the skin on the salmon and removed it during cooking)

Mix all the ingredients, minus the salmon, in a small bowl until the honey dissolves. Pour the mixture into an airtight container or ziploc bag and add the salmon. Coat the salmon well and refrigerate for 6-24hrs, turning it over occasionally. I think I might have only marinated the fish for 5hrs but it was still amazing.

Spray a ridged grill pan or nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. I just poured a bit of olive oil in a frying pan, worked just as well. Place the salmon fillets in the pan, keep the marinade, and cook about 5 mins on each side, turning the fillets and brushing them with reserved marinade. About a few mins before they were cooked I removed the skin. I think the skin added so much flavour the salmon.

While the salmon was cooking I made rice with leeks.

Earlier that day, when Jay and I went to buy groceries, Jay picked up a large bunch of leeks. “Those aren’t on the list,” I said. “I want to make soup at some point this week,” he said. We had a tiny fight at the grocery store because after I had spent an hour working on our weekly menu he decided to pick up the leeks and extra vegetables for a soup that was not on the menu. Then I noticed a tag on the leeks that had a recipe for rice and leeks. Easy to make. “Very well, Jay, we shall take the leeks.”

Recipe for rice with leeks, Makes 2 servings

1 tbsp butter (I used oil cuz I forgot to buy butter…sigh)

1 leek, rinsed and chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

Dash of oregano

Cooked rice, about 1-2 cups I’d say

In a pot, sautee the chopped leeks until soft. Add the tomato paste and oregano and combine. Add the rice and mix well. At this point, the salmon fillets were almost ready and I had extra marinade so instead of throwing it out, I poured the rest of the marinade into the rice until it was cooked and absorbed.

As I said, the salmon was amazing and the rice was perfect with a bit of grated Parmesan on top. The salmon had the right amount of salt and sweetness.

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What I did with a Tex-Mex Mushroom Ragout

Published September 29, 2009 Dinner , Leftovers , Must repeat , Recipe , Spice , Vegetarian , Weight Watchers Leave a Comment
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A few days ago I made a vegetarian dinner from the Weight Watchers Turn Around Program book. It’s called Tex-Mex Mushroom Ragout and this is how it’s made:

Makes 2 Servings:

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 lb fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 lb fresh portobello mushrooms, stems removed and diced

1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 fresh ground pepper

4 tsp fresh lime juice

In a pan, cook onion until soft, about a minute. Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 20 secs then add the mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms have released their liquid and then reabsorbed it, about 5 mins. Stir in the beans, chiles, spices, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened (I’m not sure what they mean by this because I didn’t notice any “thickening”) for about 15 mins. Serve and squeeze some of the lime juice on top. I sprinkled some shredded Havarti cheese.

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It was tasty and flavourful…but not as fantastic as I thought it could be. It’s more of a side dish than as a main meal as the book says it should be. It’s very good because it has lots of protein and fibre but if you’re eating a whole bowl of the stuff, it can be a little boring. Needless to say I didn’t eat a full serving and I put the rest away in a container.

Two days later my little sister came over and she was hungry. “You have food at your place right? I’m reeeeeaaaally hungry.” Unfortunately I hadn’t done any groceries yet and I didn’t have much in my fridge except the leftover ragout. I brought out the container and told my sister to try it but she didn’t seem too keen on it, “Hm, smells spicy…do you have anything else?” Sigh.

1/4 of a jar of Classico pasta sauce

3/4 of a can of diced tomatoes

generous splash of heavy cream

1 1/2 servings of leftover Tex-Mex Ragout

Make 2 servings of whatever pasta you like, I used angel hair. Heat the ragout in a pot along with the tomatoes and pasta sauce, stir. Once it’s heated, add the cream and stir until it’s all blended and heated through. Serve over noodles.

So very yummy! I think I’ll be making more pasta sauces like this one.

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Noodles with Spicy Turkey and Avocado Sauce

Published September 22, 2009 Dinner , Recipe , Spice , Weight Watchers , Yum! Leave a Comment
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Inspired by a Weight Watchers recipe from the Turn Around Program Book, I decided to make this simple meal for myself. The recipe in the book serves 6 but, because Jay is out of town this week, I wanted to make two servings. However, I am terrible at measuring the right amount of pasta noodles so I made way too many. I always grab about a handful because I heard or read somewhere that a handful equals a cup…I obviously need to learn to measure properly.

Anyway, the recipe says to use lean ground beef but I had left over ground turkey from turkey shepherd’s pie I made before. Here is how I made the sauce:

Recipe for approx 2-3 servings

200g Lean ground turkey

1/3 of a large white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 cup of canned tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, mashed

In a pot cook turkey meat and break it up and cook until it’s brown. Add the onions, jalapeño, and garlic, cook until soft. Next add the cumin and cinnamon, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Mix in the tomatoes and paste, bring to a boil and then lower heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. You can add salt and pepper but I didn’t add any. Remove from heat and throw in the cilantro and avocado until it’s all mixed in. Serve over cooked noodles.

The book says each serving is worth 5 points but I’m wondering if my version is worth less points because I used turkey instead of beef. But, because I used an avocado I probably brought up the points to 6 haha. No matter, it was very tasty.

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Hunter Style Chicken aka Chicken Cacciatore

Published September 15, 2009 Dessert , Dinner , Recipe , Weight Watchers , Yum! Leave a Comment
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I’ve started a distance learning program on writing. There are five classes in total and the official start date for these classes was on Friday. Because I decided to scamper off to a noisy campsite – Oastler Lake, a CN train goes by every couple hours even throughout the night – over the weekend, I didn’t get to start my schooling until yesterday. I spent the entire day catching up and going ahead of schedule and in the process causing my brain to momentarily shut down. It’s been a while since I was in school and the effort I was putting in was astounding. So it’s no surprise that I was feeling ravenous way before dinner time. After not eating a proper home cooked meal for three whole days I forced myself to draw in some energy to cook. Luckily, what I made was super easy. And dessert was easier.

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Beneath the thick tomato sauce and tender vegetables lies a juicy, meaty chicken leg served over basmati rice. It smelled like a cheese pizza. Very yummy and incredibly easy to make. This recipe comes from a Weight Watchers book I’m trying to cook my way through. The recipe in the book makes enough for 8 people but I had to alter mine to make 4 servings so that Jay and I could each have seconds. This of course defeats the purpose of Weight Watchers since it’s all about portion control but whatev, I was really hungry and this was tasty.

Recipe for Hunter Style Chicken, Serves 8

1 2.5-3lb chicken cut into 8 pieces and skinned – I used two chicken legs

1/2 tsp salt – I did not use salt and it didn’t need any

1/4 tsp ground pepper

3 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bell peppers, red and green, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped – I did not add this because I didn’t have any

1 (1 pint) container tomato pasta sauce  - I used Classico Four Cheese Blend…could be why it smelled like a cheese pizza.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken and heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large skillet (I used a large pot) over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken 3-4 minutes on each side then transfer to a plate. Add the remaining tsp of oil and add the onion and garlic, stir and cook until softened. Throw in the peppers, mushrooms and celery, cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Put chicken back in the skillet (or pot) and add the pasta sauce, stir to coat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. In my version, prior to adding the chicken and pasta sauce, I added some marjoram and savoury to the vegetables.

I was craving something sweet last night but earlier that day when we went to buy groceries, Jay and I made it a point to not buy any candy or other types of junk food. I was opening up cupboards looking for something when I saw a can of evaporated milk. You ever notice those cans have a recipe for 5 minute fudge? I’d always been curious about that and so I finally tried it. It didn’t take 5 minutes to make. It was more like 10 minutes but no matter. Then there’s also the waiting time which could be anywhere between 1 and 2 hours. Anyway, what you do is put 1 and 1/3 cup of sugar (I only used 1 cup), 2 tbsp of butter and 2/3 cups of evaporated milk into a sauce pan and heat until it boils. Stir it until it’s thick though I didn’t really notice a change in thickness when I made it. After letting it boil for about 5 minutes I removed it from the heat and I stirred in 2 cups of marshmallows and 2 cups of chocolate chips. Then I poured the mixture into a square baking pan lined with waxed paper. Next, into the fridge until firm. When it was firm, I cut it into little squares and I was surprised the marshmallows didn’t completely melt and were still somewhat whole. I really liked it. It was nice and rich and I loved biting into bits of marshmallow.

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Green Chile and Corn Frittata

Published September 2, 2009 Breakfast , Lunch , Recipe , Vegetarian , Weight Watchers , Yum! Leave a Comment
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On Sunday, I “borrowed” (see also: appropriate for an undisclosed length) a Weight Watchers cookbook from my mother. I love that it has tons of pictures and the recipes are very easy to follow. As I’ve mentioned before, diet food isn’t necessarily bland or tasteless.

I give today’s lunch of Green Chile and Corn Fritatta a score of 9 out of 10. It loses one point because after eating my single portion, I wanted another serving. It was so delicious and full of flavour but I guess my stomach isn’t quite ready to eat “healthy” portions. It will have to suffer though, because last night I ate about three strawberry muffins. Terrible. Jay said he also ate three muffins last night, “I couldn’t help myself. They were so chewy and moist and…Mmm.”

Frittata recipe, serves 4

6 large eggs

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles (I used about 6 pickled jalapeño peppers)

1/4 cup fat-free milk

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste (I did not do this, I figured the peppers were spicy enough and I was right, they were enough.)

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 scallion, cut into 1-inch pieces

Whisk together the eggs, corn, chiles, milk, parsley, thyme, ground pepper, and pepper sauce (if using) in a large bowl. Spray a skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and top with the tomatoes, cut-side up, and the scallion. Cook, covered, until the eggs are set, about 15 minutes. Cut into 4 wedges.

Per serving (1 wedge): 145 Cal, Weight Watchers points: 3

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White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published August 14, 2009 Dessert , Recipe , Weight Watchers Leave a Comment
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Maybe the dream described in my previous post had something to do with the party I’m going to tonight. I offered to make cookies for said party and I have just finished making them, 6 hours before the event is to take place. In real life, it seems, I’m on schedule!

I love making chocolate chip cookies because they are so easy to make and require very little preparation time. Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, mix wet and dry together, bake. They are also very delicious and comforting.

These cookies are no exception. Since this is a recipe I hadn’t tried before I had to sample one to make sure it was edible (haha). The cookie was nice and chewy and the contrast between the sweet white chocolate and unsweetened bitter dark chocolate made it so that it was perfectly sweet. The best part about this cookie is that it comes from a Weight Watchers dessert book and at 2 points per cookie it won’t feel like you’re eating away your points all at once. Yea, eventually I’ll get back on a diet but I have to ease my way in. Starting with cookies.

Recipe for 24 cookies

1/2 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 oz white chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, or chips

2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, or chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Process the oats in a blender until finely ground. Mix the oats, flour, salt, and, baking soda in a small bowl. Beat the sugar, butter, egg, and, vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add the flour mixture to the egg  mixture and mix until blended. At this point, you have the option to combine 1 tbsp each of the white and bittersweet chocolates in a small bowl to be placed on top of the cookies before baking. I didn’t do this and instead I mixed all the chocolate with the batter. Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto a baking sheet and bake 9-11 minutes.

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