As much as I LOVE salads, there are a few that seem to get repeated in our house over and over again like this VEGAN, Harvest Grain Salad.  The thing that makes this “pasta salad” amazing is the texture you get from combining all of the deliciously nutty, Harvest Grains.  They have a nice crunchy, chewiness that is offset by the tangy marinated artichokes and sweet sun dried tomatoes. 

Feel free to mix and match any of your favorite things ~ I know Tracey LOVES using marinated mushrooms, roasted red peppers and sometimes olives…..the options are endless!

Just make sure you finish with WHITE balsamic (brown makes it a funky color) to balance the salad out and give it that tangy, sweet finish.

This recipe only uses 1/2 the bag, but, I often double it whenever I am going to share it with others. 

HARVEST GRAIN SALAD (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups Vegetable Broth
• 1 1/4 cups Harvest Grain Blend (Trader Joe’s or Make Your Own!)
• 7 oz marinated artichokes, roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chives, minced
• Big Dashes of TJ’s 21 Spice Salute, optional
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a medium soup pan, bring broth to a boil.  Reduce heat and add Harvest Grain Blend.  Boil for 10 minutes or until the sauce is almost absorbed.  The mixture may stick to the pan slightly and that is ok.

2.  While the Harvest Grains Boil, prepare the ingredients above.  Remove the cooked Harvest Grains from the heat and toss with the remaining ingredients (artichokes through black pepper).

3.  Serve warm or chilled.

Makes six 1/2 cup servings, 4 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

This is probably one of the easiest pasta/grain side dishes you will ever make.  I LOVE this Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend because it has a fantastic texture and is packed with so many nutritious grains.

No worries, if you do not have a Trader Joe’s near you to buy it!  At the request of all my Florida fans, last year, I re-created this mix from scratch. 

Check out this post If you would like to Make Your Own Harvest Grain Mix!

I LOVE all the different grains and such that are included ~ who knew they made Baby garbanzo beans?!

4 points+ per 1/2 cup serving, prepared!

Simply start by portioning out 1/2 the Harvest Grain bag (approximately 1 1/4 cups) and boil it for 10 minutes in the broth to cook it.

After the grains are cooked, remove them from the heat and all your favorite additions.  For this recipe, I LOVE using tangy marinated artichoke hearts, sweet sun dried tomatoes and chives for color! 

Feel free to mix and match any of your favorite things ~ I know Tracey LOVES using marinated mushrooms, roasted red peppers and sometimes olives…..the options are endless!

Just make sure you finish with WHITE balsamic (brown makes it a funky color) to balance the salad out and give it that tangy, sweet finish.

This salad can be enjoyed hot or cold ~ either way, it’s absolutely delicious.

One of my tell tale signs that healthy recipes pass the test is when The Husband LOVES them too.  He refuses to eat couscous (he says it’s just plain weird), but, he LOVES this salad and requests it all year long!

I will catch up with you all tomorrow with the recipe for my Strawberry Mini Muffins, Soup or My daily ~ it all just depends on how much time I have.  It is going to be a LONGGGGG day!

Night all!

I am a big fan of CHEESY BREAKFAST casseroles, especially quiches.  This recipe puts a healthy spin on a a classic Broccoli Quiche by using low fat cheeses, buttermilk (for a rich creamy buttery flavor) and whole wheat flour.  I LOVE having the crust mixed IN the quiche because it makes it dense, creamy, cheesy and crunchy with the FRESH broccoli.

My inspiration for this recipe comes from my Weight Watcher’s Slow Cook It cookbook.  I modified their Broccoli Frittata Bite recipe to make it into a crockpot broccoli and cheese quiche.

The key to making this recipe a success in the slow cooker is to remember ONE RULE ~ when it comes to eggs, cook them slow and low.  High heat tends to burn the outsides before the inside has a chance to cook.

Feel free to mix this up with any vegetable you love, just make sure you use fresh or if you use frozen, unthaw and pat dry to remove the water.

Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER BROCCOLI CHEESE QUICHE (print it!)

INSTRUCTIONS

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 oz FRESH broccoli, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups 1% buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp of your favorite Hot Sauce, optional
• 1 cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• Crockpot liners (recommended if your eggs tend to stick) or nonstick cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Spray a large 3-4 quart crock pot dish with nonstick spray or line with a crock pot liner and spray with nonstick spray.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and very soft, about 15 minutes.  Add broccoli and cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors are blended, about 2-3 minutes.

3.  Whisk buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl.  Whisk in flour, baking soda, sea salt, black pepper and hot sauce just until blended.  Stir in broccoli mixture and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese until combined.

4.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese over the top.  Cover and cook until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 6-8 hours on low.   Crock pots do vary on temperatures so be sure to adjust the time according to your crock pot settings.

 NOTE: Using the HIGH setting does not work with this recipe as it cooks unevenly (burned on the edges and soggy in the middle)

5.  Transfer stoneware to rack and let quiche cool slightly, about 15 minutes.  Slice a butter knife around the edges to loosen.  Cut into 10 slices.  Serve warm.

Makes 10 servings, 3 points+ each or 8 servings, 4 points+ each

Nutritional information 1/8th of the recipe calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

INGREDIENT NOTE:  As part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker program, I received a carton of Eggland’s Best Eggs to taste test.   I figured this quiche recipe would be a perfect way to “test them out”.

I am not sure that I buy into the whole adding things to your eggs, especially when your eggs are not organic.  However, if you are going to add things, why not have them be good things for you like Vitamins and Omega-3’s   I do like that they treat their chickens humanely, they are vegetarian fed with no hormones added.

I did smile when I saw that they stamped EB on each egg ~ funny, my eggs are branded.

Start off by heating your olive oil over medium heat and adding your onions to caramelize.  I LOVE caramelizing onions because it really brings out their sweetness.

After your onions are soft and caramelized, add your broccoli for a few minutes to mix the flavors.

While you veggies cook, whip up the egg part.  The Eggland’s Best eggs look like normal eggs and they taste like regular eggs too 

Add your buttermilk.

Whisk in your whole wheat flour, pepper and pink sea salt.

Plus some heat!  I LOVE pretty much every egg dish with a little hot sauce.

Stir your veggie mixture into your egg mixture.

Stir in 3/4 cup of your low-fat cheese.  I used low fat Monterey jack because it is what I had on hand.

Pour your mixture into your prepared crockpot and top with your remaining quarter cup cheese.

Cook it slow & low for 6-8 hours or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly, slice a butter knife around the edges, cut and serve.

You can get really creative with this recipe by mixing it up and using different vegetables or flavored cheeses each time.  You can put this in the crock pot before bed  and wake up to a delicious breakfast that took not time at all to prepare.    Another option is to put it on a Sunday morning and enjoy it for dinner.

This is another favorite recipe from my archives that I think I just may have to make for breakfasts this week!  I am off to spend the day with my Sis and Mom getting pedicures, having lunch and going to the movies for the grand finale of my birthday week.  If I am not back tonight, I will catch up with you all tomorrow with The Husband’s first Weight Watchers Meeting and my weekly menu!

Happy Weekend!

Happy Wednesday all!  I definitely saw a few ideas on your menus yesterday that I think I NEED to borrow ~ thanks for for sharing!  Yesterday morning I was up at 5 AM to get my workout in since I knew my day was going to be super busy. 

I spent 32 minutes doing a 2:1 walk/jog combination on the treadmill then grabbing a banana before getting to work on BREAKFAST!

Do you all remember that 1 points+ Asparagus Tortilla my leader made us in our meeting last week?  I can honestly say I have been dreaming about it ever since…..

Her version definitely looks prettier (I think she might not have sliced her asparagus first?), but, both were completely delicious.  The secret is definitely in “frying” the asparagus before hand in a little olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

I sauted my asparagus bites in 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until crisp tender.  Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. 

Reduce heat to low and let the pan cool off for about 2 minutes.

She did tell us the “secret” to this recipe she used to get whenever she went to Spain was all about the technique.  You could this similar to a frittata by slowly cooking the eggs and slightly lifting/tilting the pan and eggs to allow the excess eggs run to the bottom on the pan to cook.

Then, instead of putting the eggs in the oven to cook, you take a plate (yup, that’s my BIG plate LOL) and flip the pan and slide them back into the pan to finish your cooking.

You need to make sure your dish makes it easy to slide your eggs back into your fry pan or you will end up with scrambled eggs (still good though!)

Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy!

ASPARAGUS TORTILLA (Print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb asparagus, stems removed and sliced into 2 inch sections
• 4 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cups Egg Beaters or the equivalent eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oil in a NONSTICK pan over medium heat.  While the oil heats, prepare asparagus.  Add asparagus and saute for for 5 minutes, until crisp tender.

2.  Reduce heat to low and allow pan to “cool off” for 1-2 minutes. 

3.  Slowly pour in egg beaters and cook over low until the eggs are set, tilting your pan and carefully lifting the “egg tortilla” letting the uncooked eggs run to the bottom of the pan, about 7-8 minutes..

4.  Once the eggs are set and there is very little runny egg on top, place a plate over the frying pan and carefully flip the egg tortilla on top of the pan.  Slide the egg tortilla back into the frying pan and finish cooking about 4-5 minutes.

5.  Slice into 8 sections and enjoy!

Makes 8 servings, 2 points+ each or 16 slices for 1 points+, 100% Simply Filling

Nutritional information per serving calculated at caloriecount.com:

I actually had 2 slices stacked on top of each other, then topped with Sriracha for 4 points+

I had actually planned my day differently yesterday for lunch since The Husband made up a beautiful Tri Tip Salad.

Since I never had a chance to break for lunch, I ended up grabbing the snacks I packed instead.

A perfectly Hard Boiled Egg for 2 points+.

Trader Joe’s Lite String Cheese (1 points+)

And Pineapple!!!

All would be power foods and part of Simply Filling if you used Fat Free Cheese.

I had a “moment” while at my co-workers desk since we were working late and snacked on these Lemon Heads.

It DID sorta make me laugh that my candy said “Made with Real Fruit Juice” ~ really?! LOL…..1 points+ for the bag.

I didn’t end up getting home last night until 9 pm so we ended up grabbing Chipotle since by that point I honestly just NEEDED to eat real food.

decided to go with the 3 Crunchy Chicken Tacos because they fill them so much that you end up with a salad after you eat them.  I LOVE that! (15 points+ or 5 points+/taco)

3 crunchy corn taco shells with chicken, pico de gallo, corn salsa, cheese & lettuce

I LOVE Chipotle!

Q’s

Did anyone watch The Biggest Loser last night? What do you think of the new season so far?

Catch up with you all tonight!

Happy Sunday all!  How are you all doing??  I completely & totally unplugged this weekend turning everything off.  I cannot remember the last time I went an entire weekend without turning the computer on or checking email.  It is kind of crazy how much we got done even if I am completely and totally behind with you all now.  I will be playing catch-up all week, but, it was totally worth it.

I DID miss you all, but, I can say, I am back in action and have so many FANTASTIC things to share….like this delicious Salad Party we hosted today!

The folks at Wish Bone asked over the summer if I would like to host a Salad Savvy Party and create some tasty new recipes using their new dressings. I am a pretty big fan of Wish Bone Dressings because they are truly versatile.  I LOVE using them for quick marinades, pasta salads and of course on my BIG SALADS since they are only 1 points+ each.

We thought it would be fun to have our nephews over to our salad party and let them Build a Better Salad!  This was definitely a stretch since our 7 year old nephew pretty much only likes ranch with sunflower seeds and lettuce.  I definitely think it helped get them both excited about “cooking” in the kitchen because we let them pick out all the ingredients they thought would be fun in salad.

The goal of each of our salads was to make sure they were delicious no matter what new Wish Bone Salad Dressing you used.

A special Thanks to Wish Bone for providing us with everything we needed to host our Salad Party including the dressings, plates and gift cards to buy the ingredients.

The first salad up was our “GROUP” salad.  The first thing that came to the boys mind when we told them it didn’t have to be ALL vegetables was pasta salad.

I absolutely LOVE this pasta salad ~ it might be my favorite in the group.  The Bruschetta dressing is slightly sweet and slightly tangy, so we decided to include all of those delicious flavors in our pasta salad.  I think the thing that makes this pasta salad fun is all the little “treats” you come across as you eat it….from the mozzarella balls to the sun dried tomatoes and garlic stuffed green olives. 

BRUSCHETTA PASTA SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz ratatouille pasta
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella balls
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup snap peas, diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 10 black olives
• 5 garlic stuffed green olives
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 4 artichoke hearts, sliced in half
• 1/3 cup Wish Bone Bruschetta Vinaigrette
• Sea salt & black pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS

1.  Cook the pasta according to the packaged directions.  Rinse in cold water and place in a large bowl.

2.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.

3.  Chill for 1 hour and enjoy!

Makes 8 servings, 1 1/2 cups, 5 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Salad # 2 included all of my FAVORITE things in a salad.  Your first bite is the crisp greens and sweet beets, followed up with the smoky bacon, sweet & nutty pecans and salty feta cheese.  This salad is actually perfect “naked” without dressing, but, adding in the Mediterranean or SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrettes really make this one FANTASTIC salad.

MEDITERANNEAN BEET, BACON & PECAN SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups organic mixed greens
• 1 cup roasted, fresh beets, quartered (I used Trader Joe’s roasted & fresh beets!)
• 1 oz fat free feta
• 1/4 cup roasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 2 pieces turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup Wish Bone Mediterranean Italian Dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the mixed greens and finishing with the turkey bacon.

2.  Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Salad #3 was developed entirely by our middle nephew who is 11 years old (can you tell even by the title?!) He put everything into the bowl that he LOVES but made sure to balance out the rich mozzarella & garlic stuffed green olives with sweet and tangy pomegranate seeds & salty sunflower seeds. 

GET ME TO THE “GREEK” SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups organic mixed greens
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella balls
• 4 garlic stuffed green olives
• 4 black olives
• 2 artichoke hearts, sliced in half
• 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup Wish Bone Greek Vinaigrette

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the mixed greens and finishing with the pomegranate seeds.

2. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Who says that you can’t have salad as dessert?  The Husband had the “grand finale” salad and he really did take this Waldorf inspired fruit salad over the top.  The soft butter leaf lettuce was the perfect addiction to all the crunchy, sweet fruit and rich nuts.  The SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrette actually brings together all of the flavors in the salad with a little tang and a little sweetness.

WALDORF INSPIRED FRUIT SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cup butter leaf lettuce
• 1/2 cup English cucumber, quartered and sliced
• 1 nectarine, diced
• 1 large pluot, diced
• 1/2 cup large red grapes
• 2 Tbsp roasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 Tbsp sliced almonds
• 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup Wish Bone SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrette

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the butter leaf lettuce and finishing with the pomegranate seeds.

2. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

The BEST PART about having a Build a Better Salad Salad Party……

Having fun making the salads, getting to try them ALL and knowing they are all less than 5 points+ per serving!

Want more salad party ideas? Wish Bone has a TON of recipes and ideas on their site.

HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK

I AM cooking ~ Now that I have week 1 under my belt, it’s time to find my routine again! Recipes to post when I make them for the items not linked.

• Italian Sausage & Pepper Pasta, garlic bread, salad
• Ginger Teriyaki Shrimp Skewers, Brown Rice, Cucumber Salad
• Grilled Soy Honey Glazed Pork Chops with Jicama Hashbrowns & stuffed zucchini or green beans
• Lazy Chicken Enchiladas with salad
• BREAKFASTS ~ Summer Vegetable Frittata
• LUNCHES ~ Ginger Soy Chicken & Edamame Stir Fry with Brown Rice

Get READY TO WIN your own Wishbone Salad Savvy Kit coming up tomorrow.

Night all!

Happy Biggest Loser Day all!  It’s sort of crazy to think it’s “that” time for the show again.  I can honestly say that this is the first time since I’ve been watching The Biggest Loser that I am not sure if I really want to watch it.  I LOVED watching Jillian & I think it just worked with her/Bob.  I am not too excited for the “new” trainers, but, I am going to give them a one to two show chance.

Are any of you watching this season?  What do you think?

I started my day with a banana plus a Venti Iced Nonfat Latte with caramel drizzle (3 points+).

When I got home, I got to work on whipping up the Banana Nut Dark Chocolate Chunk Bread I have been thinking about ever since I received this Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate as part of the Foodbuzz Taste Maker Program.

The folks over at Ghirardelli challenged us to come up with some mouth watering recipes using their Intense Dark Chocolate.  My first instinct was to go for the Sea Salt Soiree, but, I resisted and decided on using the Twilight Delight 72% Cacao.

REAL ingredients that you can recognize!

2 points+ a square which isn’t too bad since a little richness goes a long way.

I decided to use my FAVORITE Brown Sugar Banana Nut Bread Recipe as my base but decided to lighten up the recipe by reducing the fat & sugar by half so I could layer in an entire bar of chocolate chunk goodness.

If you LOVE chocolate walnut covered bananas, then, you are going to LOVE this bread.  It’s slightly dense from the bananas, crunchy from the roasted walnuts and decadent from the rich dark chocolate chunks you get in every single bite.  I am pretty sure once you try it, you won’t believe it’s a Weight Watchers friendly recipe.

BANANA NUT DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK BREAD (Print Recipe Here)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 oz 0% Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 small bananas, mashed
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup dry roasted chopped walnuts
• 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts for topping
• 3.5 oz Ghirardelli Intense 72% Dark Chocolate, chopped into chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×5 pan with nonstick spray.

2.  Cream butter, Greek yogurt and brown sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla and banana.

3.  Mix in flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts & chocolate until combined.

4.  Pour in pan, top with additional 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts and bake 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Want to make Banana Nut Muffins? Follow the instructions above including sprinkle the muffin tops with chopped walnuts. Spray 14 muffin tin cups with nonstick spray and bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 14 slices, 5 points+ each

Nutritional information per slice

It really IS as good, if not better than it looks.  Ghirardelli is offering up a $1.00 coupon on their website if you want to buy some chocolate ~ go here!

I planned my lunch today around having some of this Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia I picked up at Sam’s Club yesterday (don’t mind The Husband’s nibble lol).

This bread is almost the size of a cookie sheet and you get 4 points+ for 1/7th of it!

I am pretty sure I might be the ONLY person wanting soup today since it was over 100 degrees…I totally blame my cold and the fact that I CRAVE this simple Butternut Squash Soup.

Soup + Bread = LOVE! (8 points+ for lunch)

After lunch, I spent the afternoon organizing  our closet, getting rid of old clothes and putting away the new clothes, then, organizing and cleaning out our guest room. 

Dinner involved my NEW salad addiction ~ 4 Bean Salad with Sunflower Seeds over greens with 1 Tbsp Balsamic Dressing (2 points+). 

It’s sweet, tangy, nutty, crunchy and doesn’t feel like you are eating a “diety” salad.

I picked up a bunch of heirloom tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market on Sunday.  I decided to combine them with some garden cherry tomatoes to make up a big batch of Summer Garden Pasta with “No Cook” Tomato Basil sauce. 

The verdict ~ I think it tastes better with cherry tomatoes, but, we both totally gobbled it up. 

1 1/2 cups for 5 points+.

Dessert is going to be a slice of that Banana Nut Dark Chocolate Chunk Bread!

Q’s:

What is on your FALL MUST SEE TV agenda?

I know I want to watch The Next Iron Chef and probably The Biggest Loser….I think I “need” more ideas…. Share away….

Night all!

I think out of all the Won Ton Recipes I have ever made from potstickers to tiny tacos to banana nutella won tons, that these 2 points+ Low Fat Lasagna Cups might take the cake or the cupcake that is I LOVE pasta of all shapes, sizes and styles, but, lasagna is probably my 2nd favorite pasta after mac n cheese.

As I was browsing ideas for how to use up my Won Ton Wrappers aside from ravioli’s when I came across this idea for making Lasagna Cupcakes.  I was intrigued by the name and when I clicked to the recipe, I knew I had to create my own Weight Watcher friendly 2 points+ Lasagna Cupcakes.

I LOVE the idea of having little cheesy, saucy bites of vegetable lasagna.  I LOVE how the tops of these Lasagna Cups are covered with cheesy goodness and you can break off bits of the crunchy outer shell.

You could easily take a short cut and use a jarred sauce, but, if you have the time, make your own with or without meat and with RED WINE~ it’s definitely worth it!  The cups are delicious on the first day, but, as with any good red wine pasta sauce, they are even better the next day.

Did I mention they only take minutes to make and bake?!  Serve them up with a simple green salad and I bet everyone at the table will be impressed.

LOW FAT LASAGNA CUPS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups Veggie Marinara, jarred or homemade
• 3 ounce fresh spinach, minced
• 1/2 cup carrots, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Dashes of sea salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 oz parmesan, grated
• 24 small square wonton wrappers
• Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a 12 cup standard muffin tin on a cookie sheet and spray each cup with nonstick spray.  Set it aside.

2.   In a medium bowl, combine spinach through crushed red pepper flakes.. Mix well then stir in 1/3 cup of the mozzarella.  Set aside.

3.  Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin.  Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese mix and mozzarella cheese. Then, top with a little marinara sauce. Use around 1-2 teaspoons of all the ingredients depending on your personal preference, smoothing the surfaces with the back of a spoon after each addition. Repeat layers ending with marinara sauce. Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

4.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove use a knife to loosen the edges then pop each lasagna out.

5.  Garnish with basil and serve.

Makes 12 Lasagna Won Ton Cups, 2 points+ each

Nutritional information per cup, calculated using caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

I definitely think the “secret ingredient” ingredient in this recipe are these Extra Thin New Hong Kong Won Ton Wrappers.  You get 10 for 2 points+, meaning this recipe adds ONLY 5 points+ for all 24 ~ SCORE!

You could “technically” use a cookie cutter to cut perfect won ton circles to fit the tin, but, I kind of liked the idea of having crispy cheesy noodle edges hanging over the sides.

Press each won ton into the tin.

For me lasagna is ALL ABOUT the cheese so don’t be shy. Sprinkle a little mozzarella here and a little parmesan there.

Top with you fun spinach GREEN ricotta veggie mix.

Add your sauce of choice Jarred or homemade sauce and more CHEESE, please!

Then, you just layer it up all over again……I made sure my second layer of won tons crossed the other way so I had 8 edges showing instead of 4….it probably doesn’t matter either way though.

Finishing with cheese on top!

Pop them in the oven, bake for 20 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes as you ponder how many you can have.

The BEST part about having these single serving lasagna cups is that you can have more than 1 and not kill your points+ budget.

These would be “fun” to serve as an appetizer during the holidays too because they can be red/green in December “orangy-green” in October (ok, that might be stretching it)

Anyway, you make them or serve them….try these!  If you can’t eat all 12, then, just freeze them!

To FREEZE:  wrap them in plastic wrap, place in an airtight container and freeze them for the next time you want homemade lasagna in minutes without having to cook.

Enjoy!

For my Feta-Recipe Finale, I really wanted to see if I could use that deliciously creamy Euphrates Feta Cheese in  a sweet dish. (Totally Iron Chef like right?! LOL)  I had pondered making Feta Brownies by creating a “feta cream cheese swirl” or possibly feta lemon bars.  I really wanted something “lighter” that would be a finger food.

That is when I remembered my FAVORITE Thin Won Ton Recipe of all time!

~ You get 10 of these for only 3 points+!!!!  (Tracey picked these up for me at a local Chinese Food Store).

I wasn’t really thinking that the feta would stand out against Nutella, but, knew I wanted to make it enhance our “turn overs” with salty, creamy, cheesy goodness. 

The feta really compliments the sweet crunchy cinnamon & vanilla apples in a way that makes you think are biting into a crispy apple cheesecake turnover. 

These turn overs are delicious when sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, but, feel free to get a little fancy and drizzle them with caramel or serve them with homemade vanilla been froyo!

CREAMY CINNAMON APPLE PIE WON TON TURN OVERS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 36 Thin Won Ton Wrappers
• 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 1 tsp sugar combined
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a medium size pan, melt butter, add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often until apples are tender.  place in the refrigerator to cool, about 3o minutes.  Once chilled, fold in feta cheese.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line two cooking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

3.  Place about 1 tablespoons of apple filling into the center of each won ton wrapper, wet edges of wrapper with water and fold in half creating a triangle and sealing the edges. Place each finished won ton onto the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3.  Brush each won ton with the melted butter and bake for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to serving plate and sprinkle with reserved cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Makes 9 servings, 4 Won Tons each, 3 points+ per serving

Nutritional information per 4 Won Ton Serving

HERE ARE THE OTHER EUPHRATES FETA – UP RECIPES:

* Creamy Feta, Dill Spinach Dip with Crispy Zucchini Medallions, 3 points+

* Crunchy Feta, Bacon & Pecan Salad, 4 points+

* Grilled Sausage, Pepper & Feta Pizza, 6 points+

GIVEAWAYS:

* Win a MONTH’S SUPPLY of 3 points+ PopChips!

You all are seriously the BEST!!!  The folks are Euphrates have been blown away by your response to get your hands on some of their stinky cheese!  I will be hosting a Euphrates Feta Giveaway in September where you all will have a few chances to win some FETA!!!

Night all!

Have you all ever heard of Euphrates, Makers of Fine Cheese?  SUPER COOL FUN FACT ~ They are owned by the same people that own Chobani Greek Yogurt!!

They sent a a whole lot of their delicious (yes, I said that about stinky cheese!) Feta and asked if I would help them develop a few recipes for their new website.

Recipe Development is one of my FAVORITE things to do because I LOVE putting a healthy spin on recipes in a way that NOBODY can tell it’s good for them.

As you saw on Sunday, Tracey of TJ’s Test Kitchen got Feta Upped with me in the kitchen!  We worked together to develop an entire FETA LINE up ~ appetizer plus dip, one of the BEST SALADS I’ve ever had in my life and Grilled Pizza!

Tonight…..I bring you TWO delicious recipes that are simple to make and can be served as an appetizer, snack or a main dish.

I really LOVED the Zucchini Corn Fritters I made awhile back and I wanted to find a way to include feta in them.  Tracey suggested we make Feta Cheese Balls which we learned only work when you deep fry them….oops.

So, we improvised ~ flattened our balls out and Zucchini Medallions were born!

FETA ZUCCHINI MEDALLIONS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups zucchini, grated, squeezed & drained to remove excess liquid
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
• Dashes of Sea salt, black pepper &  crushed red pepper flakes (about 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup panko (for outside coating)
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil (for frying)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.  Mix the zucchini through the crushed red pepper flakes just until combined.

2. Gradually mix in equal parts flour and breadcrumbs until you can work with the mixture to form 1 inch balls.  You may not need to use it all depending on how dry your mixture is.

3. Place the panko crumbs on a plate and roll each ball in the panko until coated.  Set aside on a cooking sheet and repeat until the mixture is used up.

4. Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add half of the balls using a spatula to flatten into medallions.  Continue cooking until each side is browned, about 4 minutes per side.  Repeat with remaining medallions.  Place on a cooking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Makes 14 Medallions, 2 points+ each (excluding dip)

Nutritional information per Feta Zucchini Medallion

STEP – BY – STEP

Mix the zucchini through the crushed red pepper flakes just until combined.

Form into 1 inch balls and roll in the panko bread crumbs.

Repeat until 14 balls are formed.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with half o the olive oil over medium heat and “fry” the medallions until each side is golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

Enjoy as is or take it one step further with this creamy, decadent Feta Dill Spinach Dip!

When we were originally thinking we were having Feta Cheese Balls, we thought a dipping sauce was a MUST.  We put our brains together and thought about all of our favorite things.

Who doesn’t LOVE Ranch, Spinach Dip and ummm, CHEESE! We combined all three flavors to make this rich dip that is completely LOW-FAT and packed with herbed veggie goodness.

CREAMY FETA DILL SPINACH DIP

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz 0% Plan Greek Yogurt
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach (I used my food processor)
• 4 green onions, minced (I used my food processor)
• 4 oz water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine the yogurt through the garlic in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.

2.  Spoon yogurt mixture into a medium bowl, and stir in the spinach, green onions, water chestnuts, minced dill, sea salt and black pepper. Cover and chill.

Makes 2 cups, 16 servings, 2 Tbsp each for 1 points+

Nutritional information per 1/4 cup serving

Serve with a big side of veggies and add a dallop to the top of the feta zucchini medallions for the perfect appetizer or snack.

I think this dip would also be FANTASTIC as a sandwich spread, on burgers or with falafel.  It can be used in place of any dip or spread.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Crunchy Feta, Bacon & Pecan Salad!

Hi all! It’s Mary from a little blog called What’s Cookin’ with Mary. I have been reading Danica’s blog for almost a year now and just love her. When she asked if I wanted to do a guest post while she was off having a blast in the Bahamas with Jay (Happy Birthday!!!), I jumped at the chance. So, today I want to talk to you about pizza. Who doesn’t love pizza ?! You know what I love more than pizza… Five ingredient recipes. After a long day, the last thing you want to do is try and locate a huge list of ingredients to make a complicated recipe for dinner. If that sounds like you, this recipe is right up your alley. Without further a due, may I present Pizza Margherita!

Pizza Margherita

Caprese salad is one of my very favorites. I love how the sweet summer tomatoes pair with the light, salty fresh mozzarella and the bright, pungent basil. Did you know that basil was originally from India (according to the wiki)?I didn’t either! That’s probably because it’s best known for being in Italian cooking. It’s a close relative to the mint plant, but had a more anise flavor (liquoricey– yep, it’s a word – I just made it up!). Can you tell I love basil? I digress. When you take those same ingredients you use to make a caprese salad and put it on a pizza, it transforms magically while in the oven into Pizza Margherita. Pretty fancy, right? Thought so. The best part about this pizza is that all you need is five simple ingredients. If you want to make your own pizza dough, feel free to, but I like to buy the premade dough from Trader Joe’s here to save time (to save even more time, you could buy a totally premade crust such as Boboli). Also, if your store doesn’t carry garlic oil, you can make your own in a snap. Just heat a quarter of a cup of olive oil to a pan over medium low heat and add two smashed cloves of garlic and cook for eight to ten minutes or until the garlic has browned a bit infusing it’s flavor into the oil. Remove the garlic cloves and allow oil to cool slightly and viola, garlic oil. If you’re feeling really, super fancy, you can make your pizza on the grill, but today I’m going to be using a pizza stone in the oven. If you don’t have a pizza stone, a baking sheet will work just fine. Enjoy with a generous squirt of sriracha and red pepper flakes.

What You Need:

• 1 – 16 oz ball of pizza dough (I used whole wheat)
• 8 oz fresh ovoline mozzarella packed in water, drained, dried & sliced into ¼” pieces
• 1 ½ large tomatoes, sliced into ¼“pieces & pressed between paper towels
• 2 – 3 Tbs basil chiffonade (thinly sliced – to taste)
• 2 Tbs garlic oil
• Salt and pepper (optional – to taste)
• cornmeal for pizza stone (if using)
• flour for dusting

What To Do:

Heat your pizza stone in a 425* oven for 15 – 20 minutes. This ensures that the crust will be nice and crisp on the outside, but doughy on the inside. For best result, take your dough ball out of the fridge while the pizza stone heats (about 20 minutes). Once your dough has come to temperature, roll it out on a well floured surface to about a 12” round.

Remove the hot pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

Gently transfer your dough onto it and pierce with a fork all over to prevent bubbles while it bakes.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until barely browned. Keep your eye on it as you don’t want it to overcook (you’ll be baking it again with toppings).

After the crust has prebaked, remove from the oven, brush with garlic oil and top with tomato and cheese slices. Season with salt and pepper if using. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and the crust is nicely browned.

Remove pizza from oven and top with fresh basil chiffonade.

Serve with red pepper flakes and hot sauce.

Makes 8 slices, 6 points+ each

Bon Appetit!

Mary

**Cook’s Note: on the tomatoes: make sure you really get as much liquid as you can out of the tomatoes. If not, the liquid in them will make your pizza soggy. On the basil: if you don’t want to chiffonade, you could simply chop it up to whatever size you desire**

Thanks Mary!!! You are definitely a girl after my own heart….tomatoes, cheese, Sriracha and crushed red pepper flakes all in one….LOVE! 

Hi Danica’s Daily Readers ~ This is Zesty of Zesty Cook!  Danica asked if I could take over for the night so she could work on some last minute preparations for The Husband’s birthday festivities coming up this weekend.  I know she is super excited to share the details with you all and I am pretty sure you all will be blown away by them like I was.

I am always glad to help out so today I am sharing with you one of my quick &easy  Vegetarian Weight Watchers points+ friendly recipes that I created based on what I had on hand.

Who doesn’t LOVE pasta with freshly sautéed mushrooms, wine, butter and CHEESE that loaded with flavor (wine!) and cooks up in minutes?!

Feel free to get creative and use any vegetables you have on hand ~ they all work well in this dish….just make sure you include a little wine and cheese

MUSHROOM, ARUGULA & TOMATO FETTUCCINI

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz Whole Wheat Fettuccine
• 12 Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 12 Grape tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup white wine
• 1 Cup Arugula
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. Olive oil
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan; salt and add pasta.  Cook according to directions and drain.

2.  In a large pan, turn on medium heat and olive oil and half the butter.  Add mushrooms and begin to cook down – 4-5 minutes

3.  Season with salt and pepper, add red pepper flakes and cumin.  Cook another 3 minutes .

4,  Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 more minutes.

5.  With heat still on medium, toss in the white wine and cook down for 1 minute.  Add remaining pat of butter and stir.

6.  Toss in the arugula and let wilt for 2 minutes.

7.  Add cooked drained pasta and toss gently.  Shred Parmesan cheese before serving.

Zesty Tip: For the sauce, if you are finding it too dry, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water before draining down the sink.  This will bring a nice starchy salty flavor to the sauce and give it a nice balance.

Makes 6 servings, 7 points+ each (or 4 servings, 10 points+ each)

Be sure to check out Jen of Cooking for 8 & Losing Weight over at Friends For Weight Loss.  She posted one tasty looking 3 points+ Sloppy Joe Meal!

Q’s

When you are making a quick pasta toss like I did, what do you put in the dish?

I LOVE pasta in any way, shape or form and think it pairs well with just about anything I have in the fridge or pantry.  It usually involves fresh veggies, wine, cheese, a little olive oil and butter!

Thanks Zesty! ~ make sure you all stop by his site Zesty Cook ~ I guarantee the pictures of his recipe creations will make you drool!

  I will catch up with everyone tomorrow ~ so much super secret fun stuff going on over here!  You all will be in the “know” on Friday…..Gahhhhh, I can’t wait!

Night all!