Salad for One! (chicken, veggies, cottage cheese and evoo)

Sometimes salads sound so blaaaaaa.  Sometimes all you need though, is a new mix of salad ingredients to reinvigorate your salad love.  Example - one day my weight watchers leader said 'I love to mix cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, feta, evoo and salt'! I went home, made that salad, and then ate it practically every day for weeks!  Here is an easy salad that I made in an effort to use up some CSA veggies. Also, I am a quantity eater, and I love that this salad is huge, filled my WHOLE plate and made me full. It is packed with protein and made for a great dinner for one!

Servings: 1

Size: 1 salad!

Points Plus: 9 pp (keep in mind this salad is HUGE and could be split in 1/2)

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredient List: 

1 handful of mixed greens

4 oz. rotisserie chicken

1/2 cup sliced cucumber

1/2 tomato

2 T. fat free feta

1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese

4 basil leaves, chopped

1 t. olive oil

Kosher salt

Directions:

Mix first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Add olive oil and salt, then toss.  Put on a plate and enjoy!

Tip:

1. I love using cottage cheese as salad dressing, try it! 2. There is something about tossing your salad together at home that makes it feel fancier, try it!

Mint, Cucumber and Bubbly Vodkas

This is a light, summery drink that is oh so good!  My friend Jessica made this as our signature cocktail for my bachelorette party last weekend.  I love any cocktail that involves a simple syrup and I especially love ones with champagne.  I LOVE champagne!! 

*This recipe came from the MN Monthly magazine.

Servings: 1

Size: 6 oz.

Points Plus: 5pp

Level of Difficulty: Medium (just because of the simple syrup) 

Prep Time: Syrup - 25 minutes; Cocktail - 2 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredients:

Ingredients for 1 drink:

1 1/2 oz. Prairie Vodka

3 oz. honey-mint-cucumber simple syrup

2 oz. champagne

Simple Syrup:

1 cup honey

2 cup water

Handful of mint leaves

1 6-inch cucmber, grated
Pinch of sea salt

Directions:
Prepare the simply syrup by simmering the honey with water and mint leaves until reduced by half or about 20 minutes.  In a small bowl, grate the cucumber and add the pinch of sea salt; let stand.  When the syrup is reduced, pour over the grated cucumber.  Cool to room temperature, then strain into a jar and chill.
Note: The simple syrup will last you through multiple cocktails. The pp value above is for just one drink. 

To prepare one cocktail, add the drink ingredients into a chilled glass.  We chose to use stemless wine glasses.

Tip:
The lemon zester I mentioned in this post would work GREAT for grating the cucumber for the simple syrup - test it out when you make this summer drink!

XOXO Megan

Caprese Salad

Everyone loves a caprese salad, especially during the summer months when fresh tomatoes are EVERYWHERE!  A caprese salad can be an appetizer, side dish or even sometimes a full meal.  I served this as the first course to a multiple course Italian feast, and it was the perfect size to get things rolling.

Servings: 4
Size: 1 caprese stack
Points Plus: 3pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:
1 Heirloom tomato
4 t. olive oil
5 basil leaves
4 oz. fresh mozzarella
Kosher salt and pepper

Directions: 
Slice your tomato into four thick pieces horizontally, saving the top and bottom piece for personal consumption (0pp)! Slice your mozzarella ball into 4 1 oz slices horizontally.  Clean your basil leaves.  Layer on each serving plate 1 tomato slice, 1 basil leaf and 1 mozzarella slice. Drizzle each serving with 1 t. olive oil and then salt and pepper to taste.

Tip:
This is hands down the BEST cheese knife ever.  It works best for soft cheese, and makes cutting nice and clean.  The knife is a little pricey but for sure worth the investment!

XOXO - Katie

Jerk Chicken Salad with Grilled Pineapple

This is an old Pampered Chef recipe for a good summery salad.  If you haven’t tried grilling pineapple before, it’s really fun!  You need a good grill pan to help get the caramelization of sugars from the pineapple.

Servings:  6

Size:  Main course salad

Points Plus:

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time:  10 minutes

Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredient List:

Salad:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Jamaican Jerk seasoning
1 pound chicken breast, cut into strips
1 medium pineapple, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 green onions
1 large head of chopped romaine
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
6 slices of turkey bacon

Dressing:
2 limes
1/3 cup mayo, reduced-fat
2 Tbsp. pineapple preserves

Directions:

Wash and chop up head of lettuce.  In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and Jamaican Jerk seasoning.  Add the chicken pieces and mix well so the seasoning evenly coats the chicken similar to a marinade.  Cut the pineapple up into ¼ inch slices or wedges.  Using a grill pan over medium heat, grill the chicken strips cooking each side about 3-5 minutes.  Cut the chicken into smaller, bite-sized pieces for the salad.  After you are done cooking the chicken, add the pineapple to the pan.  Cook for 1 minute per side, flipping the pineapple wedges over once.  Wash and prep the bell pepper and green onions.  Drain and rinse the black beans.  Cook the turkey bacon according to the directions on the package.  Make the dressing in a small glass measuring cup.  Use the zest of one lime and the juice from both limes along with the mayo and pineapple preserves – whisk together to make the dressing.  Assemble the salad by layering the beans, bell pepper, chicken, pineapple, bacon and green onions and drizzle the dressing over the salad before serving.

Tip:

One of the first things I learned at WW when I joined 7+ years for the first time was a handy little tip to control how much salad dressing you use.  Instead of drizzling dressing over your salad, keep the dressing on the side and just dip you fork into the dressing before you take a bite.  This will really cut down on how much dressing you use and keep the pp value low for the dressing so you can spend more pp on other foods!

XOXO Megan

White Wine Spritzer

What could be better than double the drink for half the points plus?!  Introducing my favorite summer beverage...white wine spritzer! I first was introduced to this gem on a hot summer day about a year ago.  It is so easy and low in pp, it also takes a while to drink! So grab a bottle of white wine and drink up!

Servings: 1
Size: 10oz.
Points Plus: 4pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 1 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Rating: 5 stars - Excellent

Photo from foodnetwork.com

Ingredient List: 
4 oz. white wine (I like dry)
6 oz. club soda
Ice

Directions: 
Fill glass with ice, add wine and soda, stir!

Tip:
You could also make this with red wine.  I LOVE adding ice and serving this drink in a wine glass to feel more fancy!

XOXO - Katie

Veggie Stuffed Tortillas

My mom told me about this recipe that she found in this summer’s Penzey’s spice recipe book.  It was a good light, vegetarian dinner recipe I made on Monday night.  I had a weekend full of eating, so this dinner was a good way to get back on track – the beans help to make for a satisfying meal that will keep you full and its relatively low in points!
 

Servings:  8

Size:  2 stuffed tortillas

Points Plus: 6pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time:  5-10 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very Good

 

Ingredient List:

2 Tbsp. EVOO

½ tsp. minced garlic

1 large onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini or squash, sliced and quartered

½ cup chicken broth

1 15 oz. can corn, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 ½ tsp. Arizona Dreaming (this is a specific spice blend from Penzey’s)

3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese, reduced-fat

Salsa

16 corn tortillas

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat up 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, pepper, zucchini and ¼ cup of chicken broth to the pan.  Sauté the veggies until they are tender.  Add the drained and rinsed corn and beans to the pan and the remaining ¼ cup chicken broth (the liquid will cook down).  Next add in the spices – cumin, Arizona Dreaming and salt and pepper.  Make sure to stir well so the spices are mixed throughout the veggies.  Stir in fresh cilantro.  Total cooking time for the tortilla stuffing is about 10-12 minutes.  In a small skillet, heat up the remaining olive oil.  Place one tortilla in the pan and cook until the bottom is lightly browned.  Sprinkle some shredded cheese on one ½ of the tortilla and then scoop about ¼ cup of the vegetable filling onto the tortilla.  Fold the tortilla in half and press down with a spatula so it resembles the look of a quesadilla.  Heat the tortilla for about a minute before moving on to the next stuffed tortilla.  Serve with salsa and additional cheese on top if you prefer!

Tip:

The first one or two tortillas might be difficult to get perefectly browned or to fold in half easily - keep at it and you should be able to get it right.  Try adjusting the heat either up or down too to achieve lightly browned tortillas.

XOXO Megan

Cous Cous with Peas & Summer Squash

Here is a delish one pot meal (or side dish) for you! This recipe is a slight mortification of this one, using what I had on hand. The last thing I want to do when it is hot is clean, and clean the kitchen especially.  So I loved that this recipe only required a pot (with a lid), cutting board and knife. Simple!  It also came together really fast, from start to finish probably 10 minutes!

Servings: 4
Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup uncooked cous cous
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup onion, raw
1/2 cup peas, raw
1 cup summer squash, raw
2 oz. soft goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
Heat 1 T. olive oil in a dutch oven.  Add onion and garlic and sautee for about 2 minutes.  Add squash and cook for an additional 3 minutes.  Add peas and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add cous cous and cover for five minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle each serving with 1/2 oz. soft goat cheese.

Tip:
This might sound totally nasty, but I have the tried and true way to prevent tears when cutting onions.  Simply place a piece of raw bread in your mouth while cutting.  It gets a bit soggy but this REALLY works!

Grilled Salmon with Dill & Lemon

I really like to grill fish – it makes for a quick dinner.  Here’s an easy recipe for grilled salmon filet.  Adding in dill and lemon flavors will help to complement the taste of the salmon.  Serve this with a grilled vegetable – asparagus or Brussels sprouts and a side salad!

Servings:  4

Size:  ¼ of grilled salmon filet

Points Plus: 8pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time:  8-12 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

1 ½ lb. salmon fillet

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt

Pepper

2 Tbsp. dried dill

2 lemons

Directions:

Use heavy-duty aluminum foil and make a foil packet to grill your fish in.  To prepare your fish for grilling, start by brushing the olive oil over the salmon filet.  Next, sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper followed by dill.  Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half over the top of the seasoned salmon filet.  This will help to cut down on any sort of fishy taste once your salmon is fully cooked.  Spray the bottom of the aluminum foil packet with cooking spray (PAM even makes a specific grilling variety).  Place the seasoned side down first in the foil packet, and skin side up.  This ensures you that you have a nicely grilled top of the fillet.  Cook on the grill for about 4-6 minutes before flipping the filet over to cook the other side for an additional 4-6 minutes.  While your fish is on the grill, slice up the remaining lemon into wedges to serve with your meal.

Tip:

Make sure you ask for a salmon fillet vs. steaks.  A filet is a long piece while salmon steaks are smaller cross-section pieces.  A filet allows you to serve larger or smaller pieces based on your guest’s preference.  The pp value above assumes you serve equal sized portions of the filet. 

XOXO Megan

Sunday Night Pizza Party!

It has been quite a weekend ya'all! Laying by the pool, celebrating a very special bachelorette, dinner at a few of my FAV restaurants of all time and wine...lots and lots of wine.  I decided, the best way to get back into the swing of things and prep for the full work week ahead was to have a pizza party tonight (just me and my husband mind you)! I had two mini Bobloi crusts in my pantry (so cute!) so created two contrasting pizzas.

Servings: 4
Size: 2 pieces (1/2 mini Boboli crust)
Point Plus: 10pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

White Pizza
1 Boboli 8 inch crust
1/4 cup alfredo sauce, light
Red pepper flakes, to taste
3 oz. chicken breast
3 fresh garlic cloves, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, part skim

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
1 Boboli 8 inch crust
1/4 pizza sauce
3 oz. chicken breast
1/4 cup Franks buffalo sauce
1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles
2 scallions, white and green, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut chicken (6 oz. total) into small pieces and saute in a non-stick skillet until cooked through, about five minutes. Remove 3 oz. of chicken from pan and set aside.  Add Franks to the remaining chicken in your pan and cook until warmed.

To assemble - put crusts on a cookie sheet and add respected sauce to each.  Layer toppings in the order listed above. Bake for 10 minutes, until tops of pizza are browned!

Tip:
Using a small pizza crust is perfect for creating more variety!

XOXO Katie

Island Rum Cake

Today is my birthday!!!  As I celebrate and indulge a bit (it is my birthday after all), here is a fun summer dessert for you to check out and maybe try out at the next time you have company?  This is a Pampered Chef recipe found here.  I made a few slight modifications, but it is basically the same recipe.  Enjoy!

Servings:  16

Size:  1/16 of cake

Points Plus: 10pp
Level of Difficulty:  Medium

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time:  15-18 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

Cake:

1 box of yellow cake mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

1 egg

1 can crushed pineapple, in juice, undrained

½ cup sweetened flaked coconut

Filling & Fruit Topping:

1 package vanilla instant mudding mix, sugar-free

1 cup milk

2 cups thawed, frozen whipped topping

2 Tbsp. dark rum

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

1 large mango, peeled and sliced

¼ cup toasted coconut

Syrup:

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. dark rum

2 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Use two torte pans (I used Pampered Chef’s version which are 10 ½ inches round) to make the cake in.  Spray each pan with cooking spray and place an 8 inch circle of parchment paper over the center of each pan.  In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, water, egg and pineapple until well mixed.  Fold in the coconut flakes.  Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let the cakes cool before you try and remove them from the pans; let cool on a wire cooling rack.  In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, dark rum, water and cinnamon to a boil over medium-high heat to make the syrup.  Whisk the mixture until the sugar is fully dissolved.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until the syrup is reduced to about ¼ cup; remove from heat.  Whisk the pudding mix and milk together to make the filling and add in 1 cup of whipped topping and the 2 Tbsp. rum.  Prep the kiwi and mango and cut into slices for the top of the cake.

Assemble the cake by starting with one torte cake on a round platter.  Brush the syrup topping over the top of the cake.  Using a cake decorating tool, pipe the filling mixture around the edge of the cake and spread evenly across the top of the cake.  Layer on the next cake layer and arrange the slices of mango and kiwi in the middle of the cake. Brush the remaining syrup on top of the fruit slices. Pipe around the edge of the top cake layer with the remaining filling and sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the filling.

Tip:

A good cake decorating tool can help you to make impressive looking desserts!  I am partial to this version from Pampered Chef.

XOXO Megan

Fresh Green Beans with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Fact: I hate balsamic vinegar and roasted tomatoes.  Fact: This recipe made me love both!  And I don't mean like, I mean L.O.V.E.  Who knew!?  Who knew that when you roasted baby tomatoes in olive oil and balsamic vinegar that it created a delicous thick sauce?  Who knew that the combo of roasted tomatoes and green beans is the bomb?  Who knew that goat cheese is great on anything? (I knew that!) Goat cheese is actually a really low fat cheese that I am going to start using more this summer.  Anyways, enjoy this as a side or main dish with your fresh veggies.  Also as a side, it is almost tomato time! (I am so excited)

Servings: 4

Size: About 1 1/2 cups

Points Plus: 3pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:

4 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cleaned

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 T. olive oil

2 T. good balsamic vinegar

2 oz. goat cheese

Directions: 

Bring a pan with water to a boil and cook beans about four minutes.  Remove from heat and strain. Heat olive oil in pan and sautee tomatoes until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add balsamic and sautee 1 minute more.  Add beans and sautee about 3 more minutes.  Portion you dish and add equal parts of goat cheese to both plates.  Enjoy!

Tip:
You could add the goat cheese to the sautee pan while still on the heat to made a more creamy sauce.  Also, I am sure this dish would be great with garlic and onions but I just wasn't in the mood (which is weird because as you know I love onions)

XOXO - Katie

Mini Bacon and Cheese Quiches

I love mini foods and these mini quiches are so cute!  They are also easy to make and low in pp value (and a WW recipe!).  There are a lot of different varieties you could make with this recipe to serve it at a dinner party as an appetizer.  As bacon and egg quiches, I served this at a brunch party.

Servings:  18

Size:  2 mini quiches

Points Plus: 2pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

36 wonton wrappers (3 ½ inch squares)

1 small onion

1 cup fat free egg substitute

1 ½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup shredded cheddar, reduced-fat

4 slices turkey bacon, chopped

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 36 mini muffin pans with cooking spray.  Press wonton wrappers into each mini muffin cup and spray the edges of the wonton wrappers, this will ensure they brown while baking.  In a small skillet, sauté the onion until tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Whisk together the egg, milk, cheese in a glass bowl; stir in the bacon and onion.  Fill the mini muffin cups with approximately 1 Tbsp. of egg filling.  Bake for 20 min.

Tip:

Wonton wrappers can be used for so many different recipes!  They are perfect for making homemade ravioli – Katie is a pro at wonton raviolis. J

XOXO Megan

Sausage Spaghetti Squash

This was my first attempt at cooking a paleo recipe (at least knowingly), and it was so good! First, have you ever cooked spaghetti squash?  Once you roast this unique squash you remove the insides with a fork, and they really do resemble spaghetti.  Anyone who tells you that it TASTES like spaghetti is lying, but it is a fun and healthy alternative to the noodle.  The squash, based off this recipe,  is jazzed up with some spicy Italian sausage and kale, and has a slight Thai twist with the addition of coconut milk.

Servings: 4
Size: 1 1/2 cup
Points Plus: 4pp
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:
1 Italian sausage (I used 7pp of sausage)
1 Medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
1 Bundle of kale, roughly chopped
1/2 Red onion
1/3 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. canned coconut milk, light
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 T. garlic powder
1 t. tarragon
1 t. salt (more to taste)
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. ground sage
1 Green onion, white and green part

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roast squash, cut side down for 40 minutes. When cooked remove, flip to cut side up, and let cool so you can handle it.

While squash cooks, cook sausage, breaking up into small pieces.  When cooked remove from pan and set aside.  Add garlic, kale, onion and chicken broth to pot and stir. Add coconut milk and spices, cover and let simmer about 7 minutes.

When you can handle squash pull it apart with a fork (de-thread).  Add squash and sausage back to pot and mix well.  Top with onions and serve!

Tip:
I packed this in my lunch today, this is a really big deal!  I never pack my lunch, ever!!  I divided up the leftovers into individually portioned glass pyrex so it was easy to grab this morning.  If anyone has any tips for packing a lunch please PLEASE let me know! I feel like when I pack my lunch it doesn't make me full, but when I go out to my normal, WW friendly lunch spots it does!  I think it is all in my head...

XOXO - Katie

Summer Vegetable & Garbanzo Bean Salad

This is a perfect light, refreshing summer salad to serve at a BBQ with friends and family.  It comes together quickly and is full of delicious veggies so it is relatively low in pp!  Leftovers would make for a perfect light lunch pair with a piece of fruit.

Servings: 8

Size: 1/8 of the salad

Points Plus: 5pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time:  n/a

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 English cucumber, diced

3 green onions, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

¼ cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber, onions and bell pepper in a large bowl.  In a small Pyrex measuring cup; whisk together the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper until mixed well.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.  Just before serving, stir in the crumbled feta and fresh basil.

Tip:

Chopping up fresh herbs can be kind of a pain.  My favorite way to make sure the herbs are finely chopped is to use a good pair of kitchen scissors!  Crate & Barrel even makes a pair of scissors specically for use with herbs if you are interested - check them out here!

XOXO Megan

Portuguese Kale Soup

What better to do when it is 100 degrees outside than make soup!  I am not sure what I was thinking besides that I needed to try my hand at duplicating Au Bon Pain's Portuguese Kale Soup ASAP.  So I did! I love this soup (at any time of year apparently).  We got kale in our CSA last week and this afternoon the wheels in my brain got turning.  I realized I had all the ingredients for this (very) hearty soup on hand, so completely made up this recipe which turned out to taste really similar to my chain favorite.

Servings: 4
Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 5pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:
1 medium size rustic potato, chopped small
3 cups raw kale, de-stemmed and rinsed
1/2 cup red onion, chopped small
1 cup navy beans, rinsed
2 links Trader Joes garlic turkey sausage, cut into small pieces
1 T. olive oil
32 oz. chicken stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1 T. fresh garlic, chopped
Dash of red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large stock pot.  Add potatoes and onion and sautee about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sausage, stir. Add kale and cover for 2 minutes, allowing kale to slightly wilt.  Add stock, navy beans, bay leaf, red pepper, salt and pepper to taste.  I added an additional bouillon cube because I like salt and I don't love the taste of canned or boxed stock.  Bring to a slow boil, set a lid on so that the pot is covered but not sealed.  Cook about 45 minutes, until kale is cooked through. Put in your favorite soup bowl and enjoy!

Tip:
I LOVE this soup cup! (as seen above)

XOXO - Katie

Green Pepper, Onion & Mushroom Omeletes

Similar to Katie's post yesterday... it is important when you have company to plan out some healthy meals (it will benefit your guests just as much as it does you!).  Last week my family was in town for the 4th of July and I planned a meal of veggie omelets for us to start our day with a healthy, protein-packed breakfast.

Servings:  4

Size:  1 omelet

Points Plus:  5pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

Ingredient List:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package sliced mushrooms

8 eggs

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and chop the green pepper and onion.  In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil and add all the veggies.  Sauté the veggies until they are tender, about 5-10 minutes.  Whisk eggs in a small bowl – 2 eggs at a time. In a small sauté pan, pour in your eggs to begin cooking the omelet over medium heat.  Cook the eggs until almost set, and then add your veggie filling.  You will be adding about 1/3 cup of filling.  Once the omelet is filled, fold over in half with a spatula.  Cook for another 30 seconds or so and then remove from the pan and serve immediately with fresh ground pepper and salt.  Repeat this process for your other omelets.

Tip:

Add a little splash of milk to your eggs when whisking – this will make for fluffier omelets!  Also, feel free to sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of your finished omelet for extra garnish and flavor.

XOXO Megan

Campfire Eggs

Eating healthy while on vacation is more often than not a challenge.  But, what do you do when you are CAMPING and you don't have a kitchen at your disposal??  Planning ahead is the best thing to do, and this easy and healthy breakfast will make it easy to stay on track!

Servings: 1
Size: 2 eggs
Points Plus: 4pp
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 Minutes
Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredient List:
Tin foil
Beer (or pop) can
2 eggs
Cooking spray
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Build a fire (this is why the recipe is medium in difficulty, I needed a helper for this step). Tear off a square of tin foil and mold it around the bottom of a beer can so that it makes a little cup. Spray the cup with a spritz of cooking spray (or use olive oil in your Misto) and sprinkle in some salt and pepper.  Break your egg into the tin foil cup and place on your fire over medium heat.  Your cook time will depend on the temperature of your fire, so watch the egg closely.  When the egg is white and set it is done (between 5-10 minutes).  Remove from fire and unwrap from tin foil cup and you are done!

Tip:
Toss a piece of bread on your fire and pair with an apple for a healthy camping breakfast!

XOXO - Katie

Mexican Caviar

This is a family favorite recipe and a fun new take on the traditional chips and salsa.  You can find some healthier baked chip options to serve with this to make sure you don’t spend too many pp values when snacking.  I made this for a 4^th of July barbeque I hosted last week.  I chose to serve it with blue corn chips which was a tasty choice!

Servings:  12

Size:  1/12 of the recipe

Points Plus: 4pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  n/a

Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

Ingredient List:

1 can shoepeg corn

1 can black eyed peas

1 can black beans

1 tomato, diced

1 avocado, diced

¼ cup red onion, chopped

½ red pepper, chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro

Dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Drain and rinse the peas, beans and corn; add to a large bowl.  Add in chopped tomato, onion, red pepper and cilantro.  Mix the dressing together with a whisk in a small glass measuring cup.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.  Refrigerate if you aren’t serving immediately.  Add in the diced avocado just before you plan on serving to avoid browning. 

Tip:

It might be difficult to find a can of black-eyed peas.  I looked at a few different stores and was unsuccessful.  A good substitute is pinto beans! 

XOXO Megan