Tuna Noodle Cups {Adventures in Toddler Food}

Oh how I've missed cooking. For some reason I either forget to take pictures of my new meals or I just make the same meals we know and love night after night. And this wonderful blog gets neglected. Well... I'm going to try and take some time to update over the the next few weeks with the fun recipes we've tried over the summer and the fun inventive ways we've turned our favorites into new dishes.

This tuna noodle casserole is something I make often. However I usually just top with a bit of cheese instead of mixing it in. And I usually make it in a casserole dish. But I received a little inspiration from a blog I've started following called Muffin Tin Mom. And figured it'd be a great way to portion control our meals if we made them in smaller containers. Plus how cool are her muffin tin meal ideas? Genius for toddlers kids!

Inspiration: Dinner with Danielle Original Reworked

Tuna Noodle Cups

• 8 ounces Wacky Mac Noodles (or egg noodles)
• 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can tuna in water, drained
• 2 tablespoons 1% milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons Smart Balance Light

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the Wacky Mac as directed on the package, drain and set aside.

While noodles are cooking open the can of tuna and soup and measure out the milk, cheese and peas. Let your child combine the soup, tuna, milk, cheese, peas and seasoning in a large bowl with a spatula.

Add cooked noodles to the mixture and let the child stir just until combined (or switch kids and let another stir in the noodles). Grab a measuring cup or cookie scoop and let your child scoop the noodle mixture into a muffin tin pan. Sprinkle each "cup" with parmesan, bread crumbs and small pieces of the Smart Balance.

Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the top of the cups are golden and a little crisp. Remove from the oven and let the noodle cups cool in the pan for 5 minutes. This will allow them to keep their shape when you remove them from the pan. Take a spatula and work around the edges of each noodle cup before removing them from the muffin tin pan.

Serve and enjoy! My son enjoyed his Tuna Noodle Cups with a yummy salad of greens and his favorite ranch dressing.

Serves 13 | 4 WW+ Points 

Do you see his little tongue sticking out? He's concentrating!

Pizza Balls {7 WW+ Dinner}

I really love pizza. And no matter what I do I can't stop thinking about it when I'm watching what I eat. So instead of being tempted to order a pizza from my favorite pizza place I try and make it at home more often than not.  So I needed to change things around. Step it up a bit. And I was taken back to a meal that my mom made for us growing up. I had some pizza dough from Trader Joe's in the fridge so I figured I'd try to wing it and hope for the best.

Well my attempt not only turned out good... it turned out better than I remembered! I was so excited to share this meal with Joseph and E and was super happy to find out that their reaction was very pleased. E even asked me to make them again the next day. And he was going to help :) This is now on our monthly rotation as either dinner or lunch and E always helps add the toppings and roll up the pizza dough into balls.

Inspiration: Family meal from my childhood (my mom)

Pizza Balls

• 1 ball of pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's whole wheat)
• 1 serving Hormel Pepperoni (14 slices/28g)
• 1/2 cup Trader Joe's Three Cheese Blend
• 1/2 cup diced crimini mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups spinach, chopped
• 1 cup marinara sauce, for dipping

Place pizza stone in oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and roll out each piece into a 4-5" circle. Place an equal amount of each topping in the middle of the dough circle and bring the edges of the circle up over the toppings. Pinch edges together to form a ball. Repeat with the other circles.

Take pizza stone out of the oven and place pizza balls on stone. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the pizza balls are golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with marinara dipping sauce.

Serves 6 | 7 WW+ Points

Chicken Parmesan Bites {7 WW+ Dinner}

I have been trying to come up with healthy, fun dinners that my toddler would be more interested in. Lately all he's wanted is chicken nuggets so I've been thinking up ways to turn typical chicken dishes into more kid-friendly meals. And I've been craving chicken parmesan for a while so why not make it into parmesan bites? Put a side of noodles and sauce on the plate and I had one meal my son was more than likely to enjoy. Right? Right! 

I put a plate of three chicken parmesan bites, 1/4 cup of noodles w/ sauce and a few broccoli florettes in front of him tonight and he went to town! And the best part? I used only one chicken breast to feed my whole family. Isn't that awesome? And budget friendly!

I also only made 5 ounces of spaghetti for the three of us and used 1/4 of a jar of sauce. We were all very full and even had room on our plate for more broccoli. Who doesn't want more broccoli? And I'm sure I could decrease the points a bit if I baked the chicken but I really liked the texture of the outside of the chicken that came with the oil. Totally worth it.

Chicken Parmesan Bites 

• 1 chicken, breast, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tablespoons 1% milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup Progresso® Italian-Style Bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Place chicken breast pieces in a bowl and cover with milk. Let soak for a few minutes while prepping the other ingredients. Place 1/4 cup of flour into a large ziploc bag. Measure out 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and place into a container with salt and pepper. Grate parmesan cheese into the same container, stir to combine and set aside. Place egg white in a small bowl.

Take chicken and place in bag with flour. Shake vigorously until the chicken is well coated. Put coated chicken in bowl with egg white and stir to coat chicken. Place bread crumb mixture in bag you just used for flour. Put chicken back in the bag and shake again coating the chicken with bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add coated chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes. When chicken is cooked thoroughly remove from pan and serve with spaghetti and marinara sauce. Add some steamed veggies or a nice salad to make this a complete meal.

3 servings* (5 bites) | 7 WW+ Points

* Does not include spaghetti & marinara sauce

Teriyaki Chicken with Green Beans {8 WW+ Dinner}

I was planning on making something else for dinner last night but really didn't have the time or energy for a more involved meal. So I went with simple and raided the fridge for the last of the food available to us. Yeah... I haven't been to the grocery store in over a week. Bad mommy/wife! Good thing we have a very large pantry filled at all times with spices and sauces.

This meal turned out even better than I expected. I really didn't know where I was going when I started grabbing things from the fridge and pantry but I think I might just add this one to our monthly rotation. It's not only super tasty but fast and easy as well.

Teriyaki Chicken with Green Beans

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 pounds haricot verts 
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup teriyaki chicken
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Cut chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Heat oil on medium high in large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Saute shallot and garlic clove. Add chicken and cook until white on the outside.

Add green beans and cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until green beans are cooked to al dente and chicken is browned lightly. Add teriyaki sauce and stir to cover chicken and beans. Top with sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 3 | 8 WW+ Points

A New Spin on Chicken & Rice {10 WW+ Dinner}

I took some chicken out of the freezer yesterday and placed it in the fridge but had no idea what I was going to do with it. I had made a simple meal that night of breaded tilapia, low fat scalloped potatoes and steamed veggies so I knew I wanted an equally simple meal for tonight. 


Around mid-day today my husband asked me to make Chicken ala King. I had no idea what this entailed so he went searching through our various cook books to see if the dish he thought he knew was truly what he was envisioning. But his search got cut short when he found this simple chicken and rice dish in our Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook. This cookbook is awesome for a variety of reasons but the most important one being that it is simple and to the point. So I had no problem trying out this recipe... with a few modifications to fit our needs and my Weight Watchers lifestyle. 


Oh, and just a note, I almost always dice up a few onions at once and put 1/2 cup portions in baggies to freeze. The onions I used in this recipe were used from the freezer. I just threw them in the pan still frozen and they thawed wonderfully. I also do this with bell peppers and get great results.

Inspiration: America's Test Kitchen

Skillet Chicken and Rice

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1/2
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• sprinkle chile powder
• sprinkle cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup water (or dry white wine)
• 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat and shake off any excess. Heat oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, browned side up, and set aside.

Off the heat, add the butter to the skillet and swirl to melt. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and return to medium-high heat until softened, 2-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice thoroughly and let toast for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water (or wine) and let the rice absorb it completely, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken in the rice, browned side up, and add any accumulated juices from the plate. Cover and cook over medium heat until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160-165 degrees, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Gently brush off and discard any rice clinging to the chicken, then tent the chicken with foil and set aside. Return the skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 8-12 minutes longer.

Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with chicken.

Serves 4 | 10 WW+ Points

Simple Suppers

I've been guilty of easy meals lately. I've been exhausted after either a full day with my toddler or a full day of work. And the last thing I want to do is make an elaborate meal. I used to love doing this but keeping it simple is the way to go if I don't want to end up with take out.

I had some chicken in the fridge and was trying to think of a good/different way to prepare it for our dinner. So I searched around and found that I was really wanting to either do a casserole or a one dish meal. I took a look in my pantry and saw that we had some cream of mushroom soup so I started to look specifically for cream of mushroom and chicken meals. This is one I found.

And I'm glad I found it. Super easy. And I can modify it as I go if I want something different. I'm thinking of adding broccoli or spinach in with the rice and maybe coating the whole thing with a sprinkle of cheese next time!

Source: Cambell's Kitchen



One Dish Chicken & Rice Bake

• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
  
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

Stir the soup, water, rice, paprika and black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season with additional paprika and black pepper. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

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!)

What to do with ground beef?

This recipe was easy to make, made my tummy happy and satisfied my husband. It's the all around perfect meal to use up that extra ground beef in your freezer! And an added bonus is that it's ready in less than 30 minutes. No, seriously, it is. You gotta try this if you like a good salisbury steak or meatloaf!

Source: Sweet Tea in Texas



Salisbury Steak

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used panko)
  
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (I just used 1 tablespoon mustard)
  

In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Shape into 6 oval patties.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties. Pour off excess fat.

In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. Pour over meat in skillet. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tacos + Pasta = YUM!

When at the grocery store this weekend I was thinking "easy" for meals for the week. It's been pretty crazy in our home and sometimes we break down and just bring something home (i.e. fast food) instead of making a meal at home. And this is really cutting into our budget.

So I have been trying to stick with cooking at least 6 dinners at home. So far so good! And each meal I've been able to set aside a part of the meal (like cooked ground beef/1/2 can of kidney beans) to use in other meals for the week.

Now this meal was super easy (under 30 minutes!) and super tasty. The spices and chiles gave it a bit of a kick which I appreciate and the creaminess of the cheese just hit the spot. I'll definitely be improving this dish to put it in our rotation (I'm thinking maybe a touch of enchilada sauce... perhaps some sliced olives?).

Source: Inspired by Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations



Taco Pasta

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp red cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles
• 1/2 can kidney beans
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups rotini pasta

Place pot of water on stove to boil. Start browning meat and add spices in. Cook meat until almost done and add tomatoes and kidney beans.

Cook pasta & drain. Add meat mixture and cheese. Mix well and serve!

Serves 6 | 6 WW Points

Fried Rice Goodness

Another great dish made with left overs!

I've always wanted to make fried rice like my mom did with the left over rice I always end up with. But I've never had the time and always just took the white rice in with my other left overs for lunch. Well I finally had the time and am glad I did this! The fried rice made a great breakfast! Anything with bacon and eggs is considered breakfast, right?



Fried Rice

• left over rice (about 2 cups)
• soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 eggs
• 3 slices of bacon, cut up into small pieces
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen carrots & peas (I didn't have this in the freezer this time)
  

Heat up pan and add bacon. Cook bacon until almost done. Leave fat in the pan with the bacon. Add and saute garlic. Add rice & vegetables and stir together.

Add eggs one at a time and stir well to get the egg to coat the rice and cook thoroughly. Add a swirl or two of soy sauce. Toss a bit to get everything mixed well. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Leftovers

Joseph's starting to get really good at dinners :) He, again, successfully made dinner last night. I had some left over chicken breast from the other night (already seasoned) and he went and found a recipe that included the left overs and the noodles he wanted to use (egg noodles). He wanted something creamy like a tuna cassarole but we didn't have Cream of Celery soup... only Cream of Mushroom so he found a Chicken and Noodle Casserole from Campbell's website that used Cream of Mushroom. It was great. Very filling and the cheesy goodness on top was perfect :)

Going back and looking at the website I am surprised that Joseph got the recipe right. Read the directions on the website... too funny! I might not have gotten cheddar on top if Joseph didn't read all the way through. Oh, and I love how Campbell's gives the nutritional information and the cost per serving. Very helpful!

Source: Campbell's Kitchen



Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole

• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup frozen vegetables
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1/4 of a 12 ounce package medium egg noodles (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stir the soup, milk, black pepper, vegetables, chicken, noodles and Parmesan cheese in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.

Top with the Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Cheese & Bacon!

When your pregnant easy meals are always the best way to go. The less ingredients the better. So on Monday after all of the cooking I did I needed something that was simple and fast. Oh, and it had to be chicken because I had two chicken breasts left and all of the other meat was used up.

So I looked in the fridge to see what I had and low and behold I had sliced swiss cheese and (don't laugh) microwavable bacon from Costco right next to each other on one of the shelves. So I I thought to myself... why not? And you know what? It was sooo good!



Bacon Swiss Chicken

• 2 slices bacon (I used precooked bacon)
• 2 slices swiss cheese
• 2 chicken breasts
• Italian seasoning
• Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle seasoning, salt and pepper on each chicken breast. Cut bacon in half. Place two pieces of bacon on each chicken breast. Cover with swiss cheese. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Let cool for a few minutes before serving with your favorite sides.

Enjoy!

Cheesy & Meaty

Joseph and I went to Albertson's on Tuesday night in search of two things... marshmallows & Rice Krispies cereal. Joseph was craving Rice Krispy Treats and had to have them that night. So being the good wife that I am, I tagged along with him on his quest for crispy, gooey goodness. (side note: we ended up using the chocolate & regular cereal mix... it was pretty good)

When we were walking to the register from the back of the store we passed the meat department. The lady behind the counter caught our attention and pointed us towards some ground beef that was on sale and just had a reduction in price. We, being the bargain hunters we are, couldn't resist and picked up two packages (2lbs of meat for $4!).

We put one in the freezer and the other in the fridge. Tonight I knew I had to make something with the one in the fridge since last night I went to Buca di Beppo with some friends and didn't make dinner for Joseph. I looked through my starred recipies in google reader and came across one that I had all of the ingredients for. Gosh I am glad I starred this one! Not only is it super tasty but it was done in 20 minutes!

Source: And a Cookie for Dessert

Please forgive me for the photo... i was super hungry and all I had on me was my camera phone :)



Mini Cheeseburger Meatloaves

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (I added)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder with parsley (I added)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I added)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons mustard and ketchup. In a medium bowl, combine beef, egg, breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup cheddar, seasonings, salt, and pepper. Form into four 2-by-4-inch loaves; place on baking sheet. Brush with mustard mixture; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.

Transfer meatloaves to upper rack of oven. Bake until loaves are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets after 10 minutes. Remove loaves from oven.

Saucy Chicken

Joseph and I have decided on a new dinner for our regular rotation. I won't be able to make it as often as I want when I go back on Weight Watchers but I'm sure I can make it WW friendly with some fat-free/reduced-fat changes. This dish leaves the chicken moist and juicy and the flavor of the sauce pairs perfectly with the egg noodles. Joseph and I both give this recipe an A+.

And if you didn't notice from the recipe... I am definitely not opposed to using cream of "fill in the blank" soups like some cooks are. I think that if it makes it easier for me when I'm crazy busy and it gives you a tasty meal than it's worth it. And Joseph couldn't live without his tuna casserole.

Source: Campbell's Cream of Chicken & Mushroom soup label



Chicken Paprika ala Campbell's

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of chicken & mushroom soup
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• ground red pepper (I used black)
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Hot cooked egg noodles

In skillet, heat butter and cook chicken for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Spoon off fat (I didn't... I know, I'm bad but who doesn't love butter?)

In skillet, combine soup, sour cream, paprika and pepper. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet and cover. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (took me about 10-15 minutes more but my chicken breasts were thick).

Serve chicken over noodles and top with extra sauce (the best part!).

Another simple one...

I love when I find a quick recipe that turns out tasty as well. This meal was definitely done in under 30 minutes and was flavorful and satisfying. Sadly Joseph couldn't find any basil at Trader Joe's when he went after work so I had to improvise. Luckily I had picked up some frozen basil cubes (they also have cilantro and garlic cubes) in the freezer from an earlier TJs run.

If you want easy... this is the recipe for you :)

Source: Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats



Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

• 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used 1 can of diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used frozen basil cubes from TJs)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I omitted)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Love

I needed something simple for dinner on Saturday because I wasn't really in the mood to make a large meal. This recipe was right up my alley. Not only did it contain minimal ingredients, we had all of the ingredients at home already!

This burger was slightly hot but tasted great. I loved the coolness of the ranch with the heat of the hot sauce. Just like a buffalo wing only better cause it doesn't have bones. I did sub cheddar for the bleu cheese because I don't care for bleu cheese and thought that the cheddar did a great job.

Source: Sweet Tea in Texas



Buffalo Chicken Burgers

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup bleu cheese (I used cheddar)
• 1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)
• Buns

Mix all ingredients together and grill/cook until done. Enjoy with or without a bun and a nice dollop of ranch or bleu cheese dressing(I used french bread)!

Crispy Chicken

I was in need for a quick and easy meal this week because Joseph was starving and I forgot to defrost the pork in time. So I grabbed some chicken breasts and flipped through my recipe idea book and found some recipes I cut out of a Good Housekeeping magazine a few months back. I've always wanted to try it with the pears and Roma beans but haven't had a chance.

This adaptation turned out wonderful. I think the sauce would even work well for pork. It thickened up nicely and the chicken stayed juicy. I will definitely be going to this recipe again.

Source: Adapted from Good Housekeeping February 2008



Balsamic Chicken

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2-4 chicken breasts

In a skillet heat oil on medium until hot. Add chicken and cook until crispy on both sides. Remove from skillet.

In cup mix broth, vinegar and cornstarch together and add to skillet. Heat to boiling on medium high and than add chicken to pan. Coat both sides with sauce and reduce heat to medium/medium low. Cover chicken with lid and let steam/cook for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Remove from pan, serve with some veggies and rice or couscous and enjoy!

Spicy and Savory

My husband rarely makes a request for me to cook something specific for dinner. He is definitely a trooper when it comes to eating what I cook (even if it doesn't turn out quite as well as I'd hoped). About a year or two ago ago he asked me to make lasagna. I was so stoked! I had never made lasagna before and couldn't wait to try.

I went to the store and purchased all of the ingredients. It was super expensive because we didn't have anything on hand. I get home and settle into cooking. I have everything in the oven by the time he comes home. He comments on how good it smells but has a funny look on his face. I shake it off and so does he. 30 minutes later (yeah... lasagna takes forever to cook!) I bring dinner to the table and he goes... "That's not what I asked for!" Um... yeah, it is. I just spent how long buying all the ingredients and making this for you??? It is not the wrong dish. He just got two dishes confused.

What did he really want? Enchiladas. Go figure.

Source: Me



Beef & Olive Enchiladas

• 5 whole wheat tortillas
• 1/2 can enchilada sauce (I used medium)
• 1 bag shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped (I used 1 whole onion and reserved 1/2 for Mexican rice)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat up 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet and add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Remove 1/2 of onion/garlic mixture and set aside. Add beef to skillet and brown. Add salt and pepper, chili and cumin. Once browned add olives.

Place some cheese on a tortilla and cover with 1/6th of the meat mixture. Add some more cheese on top of the meat mixture. Wrap up and place in oven-safe dish (I used a square 9X9 glass pan). Repeat until all tortillas are used. If there's left over meat mixture give it to your husband to polish off :)

Cover tortillas with sauce and top liberally with cheese. Place in oven and cook until cheese is melted and slightly brown (about 20 minutes).

Mexican Rice (to be prepared while enchiladas are cooking)

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• Sprinkle of salt
• diced tomatoes (optional, I didn't use this time)
• diced green chilies (optional, I didn't use this time)
  

Place all ingredients in a rice cooker and set to cook. The rice is usually finished when the enchiladas are coming out of the oven. Once done, mix, fluff and enjoy alongside the enchiladas!
1/2 cup onion/garlic mixture

I apologize but there is no WW information on this recipe because I did not skimp out on anything for the hubby's sake. Sorry :(

Spinach at it's finest!

I was home alone with nothing to eat and no meat defrosted so I went for simple. This meal was thrown together in not 1 hour, not 30 minutes, not even 15 minutes but a total of 10 minutes! This pasta dish can either be used as a side or as a main course. Meat can be added, other veggies can be added. There are unlimited options with this dish and it's oh so good!

Source: Me with help from Coconut & Lime


Spinach Spinach Pasta

• 4 ounces spinach linguine
• 1/2 cup spinach pesto
• 1/2 cup diced Roma tomatoes (seeded and juiced)
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine while preparing the pesto. Chop tomatoes and grate Parmesan. When linguine is done drain and toss with pesto. Serve with tomatoes either tossed in or on the side and top with grated Parmesan.

Serves 2, 6 WW points

Craving satisfied...

I have been having the worst craving for chili dogs ever. So I finally broke down and indulged. But I did make a few modifications. I used 97% fat-free Hebrew National hot dogs, Trader Joe's light cheese blend and 1-Point Chili. I didn't skimp out on the bun though... All in all it definitely curbed my craving and I am sooo full right now.

Next time I'll only have one but I had enough points today and really wanted two. The best part about the whole meal is that a Wienerschnitzel chili cheese dog is 8 points and this one was 6 points! So since I ate two I "saved" 4 points and was completely satisfied!

Source: Weight Watchers and me



One Point Chili

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 summer squash, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with jalepenos
• 4 stalks of celery
• 2 cans of chicken broth (I used 1 can of vegetable and 1 can of beef)
• 1 package of chili seasoning (I used one part paprika to two parts chili powder)

Spray large pot with non-stick spray and saute onions and garlic until onions are clear. Add turkey and brown. Add all other ingredients, stir and let simmer for 15-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

1 cup = 1 WW point

Breakdown of One Chili Dog in Points:
1 Hebrew National 97% fat-free hot dog - 1 point
1 Trader Joe's Honey Wheat Hot Dog Bun - 3 points
1/6 cup Trader Joe's Light Shredded Cheese Blend - 1 point
1/2 cup One Point Chili - 1 point

So really... If I wanted to lower the points even more I would just choose a lower point bun. Definitely worth it.