Turkey Burgers with Feta & Pesto

So a few months ago I was having the girls over for dinner...I decided to make burgers for everyone and they were a hit...I pulled the recipe out of my binder last week and forgot how yummy they were...I didn't even get a photo in because they were gone so fast.

Turkey Burgers with Pesto & Feta
Serves 6
WW points 8

1 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
2 tbsp pesto
1/2 cup reduced fat feta
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs

Mix all the ingredients in and grill (or bake).  These burgers make about 5 oz patties and they are so flavorful and moist.

VERDICT: what can I say, they were gone in a flash and a nice change from normal burgers.  I made a pesto mayo to go with it (mix mayo and pesto) and served with burger fixings.

Enjoy

Chicken & Mushroom in a White Wine Sauce

So tonight's dinner was one that everyone loved, cleaned their plate and asked for more...that sounds like a seal of approval to me!



Chicken & Mushroom in 

a White Wine Sauce
Serves 5

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast (cut into strips)
3 tsp butter
3 tsp olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (or is you are like me just a scoop)
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp white wine
1/2 cup organic fat free chicken broth
S&P
Chopped fresh parsley (I actually use the freeze dried stuff)

Season Chicken to your own liking...heat a large pan and add in 1/2 of the butter and 1/2 of the olive oil.  Add sliced chicken breast and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add remaining butter and olive oil to pan and add garlic.  Cook a few minutes till the garlic is cooked.  Add in mushrooms & S&P and cook for about 5 minutes. Add in white wine & chicken broth and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked and broth is reduced.

Add back in chicken and heat a few more minutes...sprinkle with parsley and serve while hot.

Calories: 180
Fat: 7
Carbs: 1
Fiber: 0
Protein: 28
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 4
 
VERDICT: like I said everyone loved the chicken and even asked for 2nds...I will be doing this again.  I served this with high fiber butter noodles & steamed broccoli & cauliflower for a dinner that was worth a total of 7 points...can't beat that now can you.
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Simple & Point Friendly Pizza

So do you love pizza but hate how many points just 1 slice is.  Does everyone in your house want a different type of pizza, someone doesn't like mushrooms, someone wants plain cheese, someone wants vegetarian...well the solution in our house is Tortilla Pizzas...it's not only fast and easy it's point friendly and flexible.


Here are some of our favorite stuff to put on tortilla pizzas...

Flat Out Wraps (3 points)
Smart & Delicious Low Carb Tortillas (2 points)

Olives
Mushrooms
Boar's Head Pepperoni (1oz = 4 points)
Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce (1/4 cup = 1 point)
Artichoke Hearts (free) (these were marinated ones that were 1/3 cup = 3 points)
Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese (1/4 cup = 3 points)


So as you can see you can get what you want and stay low in points.  On my pizza I had a Smart & Delicious tortilla, 1/4 cup pizza sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, olives, mushrooms, 1/2 a servings of artichoke hearts & 1/2 oz of pepperoni all for a total of  10 points and 1 pizza filled me up.

The tortilla turns out very similar to the skinny crust pizza that is out there and you get a lot more food and not feeling guilty if you eat the whole thing and everyone is happy in the house.  So next time you want pizza but don't want all the points try a tortilla pizza and experiment with all the stuff you can put on it but just remember to count your points.
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Vegetable Soup- 5 points

So what do you do when you have a lot of veggies and the weather is turning cold...you make vegetable soup...this was a quick throw together and very filling and yummy!



Vegetable Soup
Serves 6 large servings
5 WW points plus




1/4 cup olive oil
3+ crushed garlic cloves
9oz of diced zucchini (about 3)
8oz diced carrots (about 3)
8oz diced leeks (about 1)
6oz diced celery (about 2)
6oz green beans cut in bite size pieces
4 cups organic vegetable broth
1 large can crushed tomatoes
S&P
3oz whole wheat macarroni


In a large pot add olive oil, garlic, zucchini, carrots, leeks & celery and cook for about 15 minutes.


Add in broth, tomatoes & zucchini and simmer for 30 minutes.  


Add in the pasta and the S&P to taste and let sit for 10 minutes.


This is so good and you can add what you want or what you have on hand.  It's yummy and filling.
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Asian Vegetable Pasta & Snow Peas w/ Mushrooms

So tonight you get 2 recipes...Oh yummy...for dinner was Asian Vegetable Pasta (found the recipe in the Comfort Food Diet cookbook, not sure why it's called asian but I think it's more thai to me), grilled chicken tenderloins & snow peas & mushrooms (a recipe I found a while ago on allrecipes.com).  The kids loved it and it was a large servings.  Lots of veggies and nothing like a peanut noodles...YUMMY!!!



Asian Vegetable Pasta
Serves 5

Ingredients:8 oz high fiber pasta (I love Trader Joe's high fiber pasta)
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 cup julienned carrots (I used my mandolin slicer and got my finger, be careful)
1/3 cup reduced fat peanut butter
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions:
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 4 minutes, add asparagus; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in carrots; cook for 1 minute or until pasta is tender. Drain and keep warm.

In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat.
 
Nutritional Information:Calories: 313
Fat: 9
Carbs: 47
Protein: 12
Fiber: 6
WW Points Plus: 8
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Snow Peas w/Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 TBSP sesame seeds

2 Tsp sesame oil9 oz snow peas
10 oz fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tsp teriyaki sauce

Directions:
In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the sesame seeds about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Heat oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Stir in snow peas and mushrooms, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until tender.

Transfer snow peas and mushrooms to a medium bowl. Toss with sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce, and serve warm.

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 93
Fat: 3
Carbs: 11
Protein: 5
Fiber: 3
WW Points Plus: 2

Verdict~ Okay what kid doesn't like peanut butter and pasta.  This was so good and the snow peas side dish is a recipe I found a while ago and my family just loves it and it makes ordinary veggies much more interesting.

NOTE: I have a spreadsheet I have created to calculate my nutritional informaion based on the ingredients I use and so far it has matched up points wise with my e-Tools.
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Dinner Tonight...Quick, Easy & Full of Flavor!!!

So tonight's dinner was really flavorful and super easy...broiled chicken breast, rice & corn

Super easy...

Chicken breast sprinkled with a packet of Ranch and Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning (5 points depending on size of the breast)

Rice cooked in a packet of herb seasoning (found this in my local health food store) and some butter (3 points per 1/2 cup)


Frozen Corn with Mrs. Dash (1 point)

Overall I was so surprised this was quick and easy and the chicken was so juicy.  My kids ate it all up and even asked for more!  With my rice I put it in my rice cooker before I went to the gym (didn't turn it on) and then when I got home I turned on the broiler, turned of the rice cooker and seasoned my chicken.  By the time the rice was done the chicken was juicy and ready.  The corn was frozen so I just popped it into the microwave...


VERDICT: I love super easy meals and this was one of them!!!  My entire dinner was about 9 points.

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.

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Artichokes & Herbs...

So tonight's really yummy meal was good clean eating and Feingold friendly...it was so yummy I didn't even get a photo of it because everyone chowed down before I had a change to photography it, even my unexpected guest who showed up was amazed (single guy doesn't get many home cooked complete meals).




Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Artichokes & Herbs
Serves 4

• 1 cup organic reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons whole wheat flour
• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half (I just threw them in, I didn't cut)
• 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs of choice (I use litehouse herbs)
  

1. Whisk broth, mustard, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons flour in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Stir the broth mixture and add to the pan along with snap peas &, artichoke hearts. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the snap peas are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the vegetables, and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs.
   
   VERDICT: yummy and so fresh.  I served this with homemade rice-a-roni and a green salad.  My poor bachelor friend didn't know what hit him.
   

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili...YUMMY

So tonight's dinner was yummy turkey chili that I adapted from an old recipe I had...It's yummy and clean and cooks all day in the slow cooker and ready when you get home.














Clean Turkey Chili
Serves 7


1 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
1 onion, diced
5 tomatoes, diced
1 small can of hunt's tomato sauce
1 large can of hunt's tomato sauce
1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup of water (or more if you want thinner chili)

add the oil to a pan, add garlic, onions & turkey and cook until turkey is all cooked.  Place meat mixture and remaining ingredients in the crockpot and mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

VERDICT: next time I will double this recipe...YUMMY and very nice on a cool night, it was hard saving lunch for hubby and I tomorrow oh and a bonus it's only about 250 calories per bowl.  Here's a tip try these great slow cooker liners by Reynolds...talk about cutting cleaning in half. 

Healthy New England Clam Chowder

It's comfort food at it's best.  This week has been a cold one and my middle child told me he wanted to try clam chowder so I took him up on that and made a quick & healthy Feingold friendly & Clean Eating clam chowder...Enjoy!!!












New England Clam Chowder
Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 slices bacon, chopped (make sure it's approved)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 medium red potato, diced
• 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups low-fat milk (I used 1%)
• 1/2 cup organic 1/2 & 1/2
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 6-ounce cans chopped baby clams, rinsed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add onion and thyme to the pan; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add potato, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Whisk milk, 1/2 & 1/2, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the pan and return to a simmer, stirring, over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add clams and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
3. To serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.
   
   VERDICT: This was wonderful...easy, thick and tasty with only a fraction of the fat of regular clam chowder.  My family loved it and the only complaint was where is the bread bowls LOL
   

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

So I just realized after 10 years my kids like soup...it all started with beef stew so this week we had a yummy Shrimp & Corn Chowder with a nice salad and I made drip biscuits with some Bob's Red Mill 10 grain pancake mix...it's clean and Feingold friendly


Shrimp & Corn Chowder
Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion
2 large carrots, chopped
Salt & Pepper
1 jalapeno pepper (I omitted this)
1 tsp smoked paprika (omit if doing ST1 Feingold)
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 lb potatoes, peeled & chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 cups frozen corn
1 cup low fat milk
2 lbs small shrimp (not salad shrimp)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot on medium.  Add onions & carrots; season with S&P and cook until soft.  Add jalapeno, paprika & thyme and cook 1 minute. Add 3 cups of water, increase heat and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and reduce heat to simmer until just tender, 7-8 minutes.  Add corn & milk; season with some salt and pepper and simmer for 3 more minutes.  Remove from heat.
2. Pour 3 cups of soup mixture into a blender and cover (be very careful, this is going to be hot) with lid and a towel and puree (I did this in batches).  Add back to soup and simmer.
3. Add shrimp to pot and simmer for 3 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked.  
4. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy
   
   VERDICT: very good, easy and my kids all loved it, who knew they liked soups...this will be great on a cold rainy day!
   

It's Quick, It's Easy, It's Clean and It's kid friendly...Beef Stronanoff

Okay this week has been crazy...one day I literally walked in the house, dropped everything and headed to the kitchen to make super simple beef stroganoff...I had dinner on the table in 15 minutes, how's that for fast!





Beef Stroganoff...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups wide ww egg noodles
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/3 cup low fat sour cream (I have also used greek yogurt as a sub)
1 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 lb extra lean ground beef
6 shallots, chopped
8oz container of sliced mushrooms, chopped

Directions:
Cook noodles according to the package directions.

Brown ground beef with mushrooms and shallots until all the way cooked through, drain fat and set meat mixture aside.

Spray a pan with a little EVOO (I have a sprayer that I add olive oil to). Whisk in flour and cook whisking constantly for one minute. Add broth and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream, Dijon, soy sauce, salt, pepper and dill. Cover and keep warm.

Return beef, along with any juices and sauce to skillet. Stir.

Transfer noodles to plates or platter and top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining tsp of dill and serve.

VERDICT: what do you want out of a simple meal...it was fast, cheap & easy that the kids gobbled up LOL

Chicken Stir-fry with Thai Peanut Sauce

So tonight's super yummy Feingold & Clean Eating.  Yummy chicken with a sweet peanut sauce, brown rice & roasted asparagus with dry italian dressing mix (homemade not a package). dinner was wonderful

I am only going to post the recipe for the sauce as a saute is what you want to make of it.  I did chicken tenderloins, straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots and baby carrots.


Chicken with Thai Peanut Honey Sauce
Serves 7

1/4 c. pure honey (or agave)
1/4 c. natural peanut butter
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (optional, I omited it)
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tsp crushed chili peppers (I omited this due to FG)

Directions:

Stir together the honey, peanut butters, soy sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Add to your stir fry when you are ready

VERDICT: very good...my kids loved it and I can see this as a really nice dipping sauce for chicken also.  I will be doing this again

Beef & Snow Peas...YUMMY!!!

So last night I did a repeat...I made Pioneer Woman's Beef w/Snow Peas...DELISH!!!


Most of this meal is clean...I did replace the cornstarch with arrowroot & the soy sauce with Bragg Liquid Amino and I omitted the chili peppers and the wine since this is not allowed with Feingold.


Let me tell you...this sauce is so to die for, I am in love with it.  We served it with organic wild rice & green beans!!!

You must try this recipe!