30 minute Paella

This is from my new Favorite Brand Name Made Simple: Chicken book.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 (10 oz) pkg chicken flavored rice/vermicelli mix
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) pkg refrigerated fulled cooked diced chicken breast
1 (8 oz) pkg medium raw shrimp, peeled
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add rice mix and red pepper. cook and stir 2 minutes or until vermicelli is golden.

Add water, peas, roasted pepper and vermicelli seasoning packet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 10 minutes or until rice is tender.

Add chicken and shrimp about 5 minutes before serving. (Don't let the chicken and shrimp sit in the mix with the lid on too long or it will overcook.)

Serves 6


Simple and just as pretty as the picture in the magazine!

Outrageous Mexican Chicken Salad

This one is from a new book I picked up this weekend:
Favorite Brand Name Made Simple: Chicken

6 cups shredded lettuce
1 bag (9 oz) tortilla chips, crushed
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
(I substituded 1 lb lean ground beef w/ a packet of taco seasoning)
1 can (15 1/2 oz) kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups ranch salad dressing (I used 1 cup of the fat free stuff)
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Tomatoes & olives.

Immediately before serving, combine lettuce, chips, chicken,beans, dressing and cheese in a large bowl. Garnish with tomatoes & olives.

Serves 4-6

Pasta Pizza

From a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

5 oz dried corkscrew pasta (2 cups)
1 beaten egg
1/4 milk
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
8 oz lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz) can Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 cup green and or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 (4 1/2 oz) jar sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella

*Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again.
*For pasta crust, combine egg, milk and parmesan in a large bowl. Stir in cooked pasta. Spread pasta mixture evenly on a greased 12 inch pizza pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

*While pasta bakes, cook meat, onion and garlic until cooked through. Stir in undrained tomatoes, peppers and seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10-12 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in mushrooms and crushed pepper.

*Spoon mixture onto pasta crush. Top evenly with cheese. Bake for an additional 10-12 mintues or until heated through and cheese is melted. Cut into wedges.

Serves 6
259 calories
9 g fat
27 carbs


***I made a cheese pasta pizza too!
For that, I topped the pasta crust with 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce. Then topped that with cheese. I thought this one was the better of the two. The next time I try the recipe, I will put the pasta sauce on the other pizza. I think it wants more than just the stewed tomatoes. The grown ups loved this one! - Except John who secretly told my sister "A pasta pizza just goes against my religion..."

Greek Chicken

A Weight Watchers recipe

4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
1 tbsp bottled minced garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup (1 oz) crumbed feta cheese

Directions:
Place a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan and chicken with cooking spray; place chicken in pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is browned.

Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes, olives, garlice and pepper.Cover and cook 11 minutes or until chciken is done. Remove from heat and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Serves 4
6 pts per serving.

Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia Sandwiches

A Weight Watcher's recipe

Coleslaw
3 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tsp minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
(I opt out of the chipotle business)
3 cups packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw

Fish
3 tbsp yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 (3 oz) tilapia fillets
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
4 (1.8 oz) white-wheat hamburger buns

Directions:
(I generally skip the coleslaw)
Combine mayonnaise and chile in a large bowl; add cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw, and toss to coat. Set aside.

Combine cornmeal and black pepper in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fish with 1/8 tsp salt; dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Heat oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Divide fish evenly between buns. Top with coleslaw mixture.

Serves 4
5 pts per serving

Velvety Vegetable Cheese Soup

From a Kraf food & Family magazine

1 pkg (16 oz) frozen california mix.
2 cans (14 oz each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 lb (12 oz) 2% Velveeta, cut up

Place vegetables and broth in large saucepan; cover. Bring to a boil on medium high heat.

Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Mash vegetables to desired consistency with a potato masher.

Remove from heat and stir in velveeta. Stir until velveeta is melted.


Serves 6 (1 cup each)
5 pts per serving.

Southwestern Egg Salad

Another Weight Watcher's recipe

6 whole hard-boiled eggs
2 medium scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp. cilantro, fresh, minced
1/2 small sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp salsa
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Peel eggs, mash with a fork in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix throughly to coat.

Serve egg salad in a colored bell pepper, or on its own in a bowl. (Or as a sandwich!)

Serves 4
4 pts per serving

The Rat(atouille) Pack

This is a Hungry Girl recipe

1 cup cubed eggplant
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced and halved zucchini
1/2 cup canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/4 cup cannted tomato paste
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. salt, or more to taste
dash red pepper flakes, or more to taste
dash black pepper, or more to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bolw, combine all ingredients, and stir until veggies are evenly coated in tomato paste. Set aside

Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil in front of you. Scoop veggie mixture into the center of hte foil Fold and seal thetop and bottom edges of the foil, and then the side edges, to create a well-sealed packet.

Place packet on a baking sheet, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Allow packet to cool for a few minutes, and then cut to release steam before opening it entirely. (Careflu -- steam will be hot.) If you like, season to taste with additional salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.


MAKES 1 SERVING.
3 pts per serving

Taco sloppy joes

This one we just made up one night.

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 packet taco seasoning
1 16 oz jar of salsa
Shredded lettuce
Low fat shredded cheese
Low calorie/high fiber hamburger buns

Brown the ground turkey.
Add the taco seasoning.
Add salsa to you reach the sloppy joe consistency that you prefer.

Serve on buns with lettuce, cheese etc.
YUM!

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

This came from a Kraft Food Magazine.

1 lb lean ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 C water
¼ C Zesty Italian Dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
Broken into quarters
1 C shredded low-moisture part-skim
Mozzarella cheese

*Brown meat in a large saucepan and drain juices.
*Stir in peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil.
*Add noodles; stir and cover.
*Cook on Medium-low heat 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.
*Sprinkle with cheese; cover.
*Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves 4 (2 Cups each)

Jessica's favorite spaghetti

This is a recipe from the Real Simple magazine.

12 oz spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 lb lean ground beef or turkey
Kosher salt and pepper
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup grated parmesan

*Cook pasta according to directions.
*Heat oil over medium.
*Sautee onion, carrot and garlic, stirring occasionally, until soft, 8-10 minutes.
*Increase heat to medium-high. Add meat, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
*Add tomatoes and simmer, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

(I generally toss in some seasoned salt, Italian seasoning and if I don't have fresh garlic on hand - I throw in dried garlic.)

The kids LOVE this!

Melanie's Taco soup

All I know is my sister made this for us once and we demanded she give us the recipe. Thank the Lord for Melanie's Taco Soup!!!

1 large box of beef broth
1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can corn (strained)
1 can black beans (strained)
1 can diced tomatoes

*Brown the meat.
*In a large pot all ingredients.
*Heat through and serve.
(Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream if desired.)

When doubling the recipe, double all ingredients except the taco seasoning.

Nothing Pie

I don't know who to credit this recipe to. It came to me in an e-mail and I only have the subject heading and the recipe.

• 2 ready-made reduced fat graham cracker pie crusts
• 1 large carton fat-free sour cream (16 oz)
• 2 tubs fat-free Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 small packages sugar free vanilla pudding mix
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, packed in pineapple juice.

Pour dry pudding mix into a medium size mixing bowl. Add contents of can of pineapple, juice and all, mixing well. Fold in sour cream, both tubs of Cool Whip and mix well. Divide mixture between pie crusts. Chill before serving.

The kids call it "ice cream pie".

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

A Weight Watchers recipe

6 oz pie crust, 9-inch, refrigerated
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup red oinion(s), chopped
1 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 large egg(s)
2 large egg white(s)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well-drained
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375.

To make filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until sof, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bolw and add ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, egg whites, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well and fold in broccoli. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and level surface with a wooden spoon; sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake until a knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Yield 1 piece per serving.

I discovered that if you double the recipe, you also just about double the cook time. Is that a silly thing not to have thought about in advance?

The kids TORE THIS UP. They especially liked it with ketchup!

Serves 8
5 pts per serving