Cool and Refreshing

As soon as I saw this pop into my google reader over a year ago I knew it'd be good. I just never got the chance to fix it. Well I was searching for recipes to make this week and this one popped up again so I knew I couldn't put it off any longer.

This was an awesome dinner. I haven't really been cooking new meals lately so it's been a nice change to have something refreshing and different for dinner. The cool and spicy balance to this whole meal was great. Starting with the meat. The cumin spiced things up while the paprika sweetened/cooled things down. Than we had the heat from the pita/meat/cheese melt topped with the coolness of lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro cream. And who knew such a simple mix of cilantro and sour cream could make such a yummy drizzly dressing? YUM!

Source: Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures



Mexican Steak "Pitzas" with Cilantro Cream

• 1 lb beef flank steak, finely chopped
• 1/2 large onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon southwest seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon canola oil for cooking
• 4 gyro pitas
• 1/2 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
• 1/2 finely diced tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup low fat sour cream
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet over medium high heat, add the cooking oil, onions and garlic; saute until softened. Add the beef and seasonings and cook until browned.

Meanwhile, place your gyro pitas on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes to soften the pitas. Remove the pitas from the oven and set aside.

When the beef has cooked thoroughly, carefully spoon the beef over the warmed pitas to cover completely.

Top the beef with the shredded cheese and bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted.

While the pitas are baking, prepare the cilantro cream by combining the cilantro, sour cream and water. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

When the pitas are done baking, remove from the oven and top with the cilantro cream and chopped tomatoes & lettuce; serve.

WW - 7pts per pitza (serve with roasted zucchini and carrots and you will definitely be full!)

Sweet and Spicy

I loved this meal! I started up on Weight Watchers recently and really love when I come across a meal that is very filling and is great to eat the next day (or next two days). This recipe truly fits all of the above requirements PLUS it tastes awesome!

The next time I make it I think I'll use another brand of enchilada sauce or try my hand at making it from scratch. I also think I'll add some shredded carrots and zucchini in with the meat when I cook it to add more veggies. I also will most likely top with salsa as well.

I put the left overs on top of a cup of lettuce and ate it like a salad of sorts... Delicious!

Source: Mallory



Enchilada Lasagna

• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans
• 1 30 oz can enchilada sauce
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup water
• 8 corn tortillas

In a pot over high, mix corn, beans, sauce, and chicken. While you wait for it to boil, mix corn starch in cold water. When the sauce is boiling, add corn starch mixture and reduce to simmer. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Add some of the sauce mixture on the bottom of a 2.5qt casserole dish. Place 2 corn tortillas in the dish overlapping in the middle. Add 1/4 of sauce mixture on top. Repeat ending with the sauce mixture on top. Place covered in oven for 20 minutes.

Yields 8 servings
WW- 3 points per serving

Or if you're like me you can make it 4 servings and have a 6 point dinner.

Serve with chopped lettuce, light sour cream, and a tiny sprinkle of cheese.

Fluffy Rice

I needed a side to serve as both vegetable and starch since I was in a pinch for time. I already had some spinach & dijon stuffed chicken breasts in the oven when I threw some rice into my rice cooker. So I decided instead of dirtying one more pot I'd just throw my broccoli into the rice cooker as well.

With the addition of a few herbs and some garlic I ended up with a yummy smelling meal! I decided to make it even more delicious by adding some cheese into the mix. This rice was fabulous. Even my husband enjoyed it! And my son ate it up bite after bite.



Broccoli & Cheese Rice

• 3/4 cup white rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup light shredded cheese

Place rice, chicken stock, herbs, garlic and broccoli in a rice cooker and set to cook. When the rice is done cooking stir in cheese. Serve right away.

6 servings
4 WW points per serving (less if you use brown rice)

Happiness in a Bowl of Cheese

It was a bit rainy to say the least last week in Sunny So Cal so I added some soup to the mix that would be filling and warm us up. This recipe sure did both. With the heartiness of the potatoes and the fiber filled broccoli one bowl of this soup kept me full all night. Add that with the creaminess of cheese and you have yourself a bowl full of comfort perfect for a rainy night.

I served this with some rosemary garlic focaccia bread from Trader Joes that was super tasty. I toasted it up, rubbed it with garlic and dipped it right into the soup. It's great heated up the next day too!



Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, minced
• 16 ounces frozen chopped broccoli
• 29 ounces canned chicken broth
• 4 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes, or similar product
• 1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 8 dutch potatoes (the small ones at Trader Joes), diced
• 1/2 cup light shredded cheddar

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, until soft. Add broccoli, potatoes and broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 3 minutes, until broccoli is tender.

Reduce heat to low, add cheese and stir until cheese melts; stir in milk, garlic powder, oregano and onion powder.

Whisk together water and cornstarch. Add mixture to pan and simmer 2 minutes, until thick. Serve hot and top with shredded cheddar.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving, 4 servings.
7 WW points per serving, omit potatoes and extra cheese to make the soup 4 WW points per serving