Thai Anyone?

So I was craving Pad Thai  but most of all I was craving the peanut sauce but going out to dinner anywhere with my family is not exactly healthy or easy on the pocket book so I found this recipe and decided to try it.  Peanut noodles have never tasted so good and boy did it hit the spot.












Peanut Noodles

3/4 lb spaghetti or linguine (I used TJ's High Fiber Spaghetti)
2 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen)
2 cups fresh sugar snap peas
1/2 cup reduced fat creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water + 1 Tablespoon
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1 green onion, diced
3/4 inch fresh ginger (I actually have a jar of this in my fridge)
2 tbsp brown sugar, lightly packed
1/8 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts

Directions:
Cook pasta in until al dente, add in broccoli & peas until done (I actually removed my veggies when done so not to over cook). Drain and set aside.

Toast peanuts until fragrant, around 3 minutes. Set aside.

Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, scallion, ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a blender. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Adjust accordingly.

In a large serving bowl, mix pasta with 3/4 cup peanut sauce, stirring thoroughly to combine. Top with veggies and pour remaining sauce over everything. Serve with roasted peanuts on top.


Serves 6 (1 cup pasta & veggies)
Weight Watchers Momentum Points: 9

VERDICT: Yep this hit the spot...You can add anything you want to this.  Grilled chicken would be wonderful and I think I will cut back on the peanuts next time to save some points and I don't think the brown sugar did much for it (forgot to add it 1st)

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Green Smoothy Anyone?

So I get a wonderful weekly delivery of fresh organic produce from Abundant Harvest and lately there has been crinkle spinach in it  (I didn't know there was more than just regular spinach out there) and I haven't known what to do with it (it's quite a bit thicker and bigger than normal spinach and my family doesn't like sauteed spinach either.  So after asking around what to do with it a few people said make a green smoothie.  I was skeptical but I am usually the kind of person who will try anything at least once. So what did I do this am...I made a green smoothie and it is DELISH!!!






So here is what I put in my 1st green smoothie

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup Trader Joe's 0% Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened frozen fruit
2 cups fresh spinach leaves (I removed the stems)
a little bit of vanilla liquid stevia



Let me tell you...you can't taste spinach and in this wonderfully filling breakfast and has 3 of your 5 daily servings of fruits & veggies.  Even my kids liked it (I had them taste it before I told them what was in it).  From what I have read on line it's really good for your body and skin also...

So this almost 2 cup smoothie is only 3 Weight Watcher's Momentum Points.  Next time I think I will add in some ground flax seed.  I am excited to try different combos.

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What's been going on in my life and family

So it's 2012 and we have started a new adventure in our lives.  We have gotten our son's diet under control and have taken out all that nasty "food coloring" & "artificial" stuff from the dinners.

I have also decided to focus on cooking healthy again and I am following Weight Watchers.  So from now on I will be posting my journal, meals & adventures as a woman, wife & mother.

Hope you enjoy my journey and hopefully I can help you also along the way, if not you will get a few laughs LOL

A sorry to my readers...

I am sorry I have not been able to keep my blog up to date, I have found it hard going back to school, work and family to keep it up but I am going to do my best to stay up to date with yummy recipes for everyone to enjoy...forgive me!

Chicken with Fruit Chutney on a bed of Spaghetti Squash

So this pretty meal is absolutely refreshing and yummy.  Tonight we had a nice chicken breast with a fruit chutney served on a bed of spaghetti squash...The combo of apples, pears, cherries and nuts was a nice change for this family.






Chicken w/Fruit & Nut Chutney
Serves 4


4 chicken breast
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 apples, cored and sliced
1 pear, cored and sliced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
4 tsp of brown sugar
1 cup water
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1) Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

2) In a large skillet, heat oil and cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through about 12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a serving platter; cover, keep warm.

3) Add fruit and nuts to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. For sauce, in a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, water, vinegar, and ginger. Add to the fruit in the skillet; cook and stir 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Serve chicken with sauce on top.

VERDICT: Yum...it may not be 100% clean but it's yummy and different.  Next time I will add a little corn starch to thicken up the sauce a little bit.  The kids loved the fruit.

Simple & Yummy...PW's Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Well with Zumba today along with grocery shopping, lots of rain and a daughter who has strep throat AGAIN I made this yummy dinner with some roasted asparagus.  With the right product choices this is ST2 Feingold  and it may not be 100% clean but it was YUMMY, thanks Pioneer Woman for your lovely meal (check out her site...she's amazing)

PW's Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Serves 6-8
9 WW points (for 8 servings) or 12 WW points (for 6 points)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  lb ground beef (I use 5%)
• 15-ounces Hunt's tomato sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz whole wheat egg noodles
• ½ cups light sour cream
• 1-¼ cup small curd cottage cheese
• ½ cups sliced green onions
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I like Tillmook brand)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add all the noodles to the prepared dish and top with the ground beef mixture and top with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted. 

VERDICT: OMG this was such an easy dish to make and we made them into 6 servings and they were HUGE!  My kids gobbled it up and it was comfort food at it's best.  Thank you Pioneer Woman for another great meal.

A family favorite: Four Cheese Spinach Pizza

So here's a family favorite I have made for years.  I use Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza crust instead of the said boboli and I use 2 bricks of frozen spinach (note: take an old rag and put the spinach in it and squeeze out all the water).  If you are doing Feingold omit the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and used approved products and make your own pizza crust.

Four Cheese Spinach Pizza
Serves 6
6 WW points per slice

Ingredients

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) fresh spinach
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 prebaked 12-inch thin pizza crust
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute spinach for 2-3 minutes or until wilted; remove from the skillet. Cool slightly; chop.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir in the spinach, salt and pepper. Spread over crust to within 1/2 in. of edge.
• In a large bowl, combine the tomato, onions, olives, basil, oil, vinegar and garlic; sprinkle over spinach mixture.
• Top with the feta cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes or until cheese softens and is lightly browned. Yield: 6 servings.