Crockpot 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

One night in the recent past:
Me: John, do you see all this garlic I'm peeling? This is ALL for dinner tomorrow.
John: Seriously? All of it?
Me: Yup- all going in the crockpot.
John: Hmm... interesting... not sure about that...

The following morning, while we're both at work, through text messages:
Me: I wonder what our house smells like right now...
John: If I was a betting man, I'd say pretty pungent.

Dinner time:
::crickets chirp... silence... as we both hesitantly taste a dish made with 40 cloves of garlic::
::more silence as we both grunt that it's good and shovel it down our throats::
::don't judge us for eating like farm animals... you would too if you were eating this::

So basically I have nothing more to tell you that you can't infer from the above conversation. This was delicious! I figured that in theory it should cook down to the level of intensity that roasted garlic has, which is subtle but delicious, and it did! We both drizzled the garlic broth over our servings and really enjoyed it. We even used the leftovers in a great panini recipe that I'll be sharing Wednesday. So if you're scared of the 40 cloves of garlic thing... don't be. It's just so flavorful and delicious.

I should also add that when it was done I removed the chicken and threw in some carrots/green beans and cooked them in the broth on high for about an hour. The green beans lost some of their color but the flavor was great!

Source: Slightly adapted from Slender Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breast (I used bone in)
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1/2 chopped onion
2 tsp paprika
40 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Bay leaf

Instructions

1- Cover the bottom of the crock pot with the chopped onions. Then add in the chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir the chicken, spices, and onion together with your hands until everything is well coated.
2-Add the  garlic to the crockpot and mix so they are in and around the chicken. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaf.
3-Cover and cook on  low for 7-8 hours.
4- When serving, pour the broth over the sliced chicken. 

**4 WW Points+ for 1/6 of the recipe

Chicken Cavatelli Soup

I love chicken noodle soup but I rarely make it. I'm not sure why I don't, but I need to make it more because not only do I love it but so does Landon. Landon has entered the beginning stages of picky toddlerhood where suddenly things he once loved are denied. It's "fun" trying to figure out what he will or won't eat each day, I'll tell you that much! This soup for example was a hit one day and completely snubbed the next. What can you do...

Toddler opinions aside, John and I felt this was absolutely amazing. Cavatelli is one of my favorite pasta shapes so when this soup popped onto my radar I knew it was for me. I like how the broth was slightly thicker thanks to the flour roux and overall it was delicious. I added a packet of Swanson flavor boost because I love that stuff, but you can easily skip it if you don't have it. I love how it deepens the flavor of the soup. This was a winner here and we actually loved it so much we ate all the leftovers and none got tossed- THAT is an accomplishment around here.

Source: Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp all purpose flour
5 cups low sodium fat free chicken broth

1 Swanson flavor boost packet (optional)
2 large carrots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
salt and fresh pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts, sliced thin
8 oz frozen ricotta cavatelli

Directions:
1- In a large pot, melt butter. Add onion and cook on low about 6 minutes, until onions are soft. Add flour and stir, cooking another minute.
2- Add chicken broth, flavor boost packet, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 30 minutes.
3- Add chicken and bring to a boil, then partially cover, simmer on low 15 minutes.
4- Meanwhile, cook cavatelli in a pot of salted water according to package directions.Drain and add to soup when soup has cooked.

5- Cook another minute or two. Remove bay leaves and divide in five bowls.

**7 Points+ for 1/5 of recipe

Baked Lemon Tortellini

Lemon is such a vibrant flavor. It's light, adds no calories or fat to a dish, but delivers a ton of flavor and tang to a meal. Some people find lemon to be too tart (like these babies- have you ever seen this youtube video of babies having lemon for the first time? If not you can thank me later!) but to me it's really one of the best ingredients. Some of my favorite lemon based meals are chicken with lemon basil pasta, lemon chicken, lemon cream pasta, lemon pepper shrimp scampi, shrimp in a Chinese lemon sauce, and lastly this delicious recipe for lemon pecan cookies. Can you tell I cook with lemon a lot? I had to really try to narrow it down to share just a few of my favorite lemon meals- there were tons more!

I will certainly be adding this baked tortellini recipe to the ranks of my favorite lemon-based meals. For starters I love stuffed pastas. I've discussed that love in depth many times so we'll move on. Beyond that it's a Weight Watchers friendly meal so you can have a creamy, cheesy, pasta-y dinner without guilt. Um, that deserves a YAY for sure. Plus, if you see the bacon sprinkled on top, you know you're in for a treat. Try this. It's so delicious.

Source: Emily Bites

Ingredients:
12 oz package of dry Cheese & Spinach Tortellini (I used Barilla – find in the dry pasta aisle)
2 slices center cut bacon
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T flour
2 c skim milk
¾ t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 ½ t dried basil
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 t lemon zest
2 c fresh spinach, loose, not packed
1 ½ oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2/3 c reduced fat 2% shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cook the tortellini in a large pot according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a sauté pan or large skillet and bring over medium-high heat. Cook for 7-9 minutes until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and place on paper towels to dry. Leave one tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan (if you have less than that like I did you may want to add a little butter to make up the difference. I counted one tablespoon of bacon grease in the recipe builder. If you want to make this vegetarian then just skip the bacon altogether and use butter). Add the garlic to the bacon grease and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour to the pan and whisk into grease. Add the milk slowly and continue to whisk until combined. Add the salt, pepper, basil and red pepper flakes and stir. Bring sauce to a simmer.
4. Once sauce is simmering, add lemon juice and lemon zest to sauce. Stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
5. Drain the tortellini and place back into the pot. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Add the spinach along with most of the Parmesan and the Mozzarella (reserve some of each to sprinkle on top). Add the sauce and stir everything together to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan, Mozzarella and bacon over the top.
6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes.

**9 WW points plus for 1/6 of the recipe

Honey Marsala Glazed Chicken

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy a meal that fits the traditional dinner role of "protein-starch-vegetable". Most of my dishes are all tossed together in one pan (think skillet pastas, enchiladas, etc.) so when I make something traditional like this meal I get really excited for dinner. I am a big fan of Near East rice/cous cous sides. Ironically as a child I hated them because I didn't think they had enough flavor, but now as an adult I can appreciate that that lack of "flavor" is actually a lack of overly processed fake seasonings. Their wild mushroom cous cous is an absolute favorite of mine. I had bought a box and planned to serve it was a honey balsamic glazed chicken, but something about the balsamic chicken didn't mesh well with this cous cous in my mind. I decided to change it up to a honey marsala chicken- best decision ever! This came out so good. It was so simple and yet had a perfect amount of flavor. I was hesitant- I felt that with only two tablespoons of "sauce" this chicken would have no flavor- but I was very wrong. It perfectly coated the chicken and complimented the cous cous. Definitely a meal that will be repeated around here.

Source: Heavily adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients:
2 (4 ounce) chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp olive oil
Cooking spray
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp marsala wine
1 tbsp honey

Directions:
1- Season both sides of your chicken with salt and pepper.
2- Heat a skillet with the oil and cooking spray. Add the garlic, stir well, cooking for about 1-2 minutes.
3- Add the chicken and allow to brown well on both sides, cooking through.
4- Combine the wine and honey together in a bowl. Pour the wine mixture into the skillet, turning up the heat.
5- Keep flipping the chicken in the glaze until the chicken is well coated. Serve hot.

** 5 WW points + per chicken cutlet

Lighter Vegetable Alfredo Pasta

I am a true believer that just because you're trying to lose weight doesn't mean you need to live on salad, grilled chicken, and almonds. In fact I could never stick to a weight loss program if it didn't allow for me to have creamy pasta like this! To keep this meal lighter I used a low fat sauce, loaded it with a whole skillet of veggies, and tossed it was pasta. I mean really... can you say delicious?? John and I were both really into this meal. The best part was that since I was using a jarred sauce this really took no time at all. I think the whole meal came together in the time it took for the pasta to cook. Can't beat that can you?

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original, inspired by Laa Loosh

1 pound pasta, any shape
Cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, diced
1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
2 cups baby spinach
1 jar Classico Light Asiago Romano Alfredo sauce
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the pasta according to packaging directions.
2- Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, stirring for about one minute. Add the mushrooms, cook until soft. Add the red peppers and spinach.
3- Add the sauce, stir well, season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook together for 5-7 minutes.
4- Drain the pasta, toss the pasta with the sauce and veggie mixture.
5- Transfer to a 9x13 dish, bake 15-20 minutes. (I transfered mine to 2 8x8 dishes and froze one for later).

** 10 WW points+ for 1/6 of the recipe

Lemon Chicken and Broccoli

I miss Asian food. So much! My son still has a soy allergy so I am still soy free- blah! I always tell John that I will be holding this over Landon's head his whole life- that I gave up dairy AND soy for him! He'll be one before I know it and soy will be back in my life, but for now I need to find alternatives. This lemon chicken was a great dinner that reminded me of Asian food without the soy sauce. You can easily toss it with pasta and give it a bit more of an Italian inspiration, but served over rice with some baked egg rolls definitely gave it an Asian vibe. It was light, bright, flavorful, and delicious. John and I were both huge fans.

Source: Slightly adapted from  Weight Watchers

4 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp table salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
12 oz uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), thinly sliced
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup(s) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tsp minced garlic
2 1/2 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, small florets
2 tsp lemon zest, or more to taste
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, fresh, chopped
Juice of 1 whole lemon

Directions:

1- On a plate, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat.
2- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate.
3- Put 1 cup of broth and garlic in same skillet; bring to a boil over high heat, scrapping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Add broccoli; cover and cook 1 minute.
4- In a small cup, stir together remaining 1/2 cup of broth, 1/2 tablespoon of flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat.
5- Cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in chicken and lemon zest; heat through.
6- Remove skillet from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice; toss to coat. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

4 Weight Watchers points plus per cup
 

Shrimp & Asparagus Pasta

Landon was born almost 9 months ago and since then I've been working to lose the baby weight. When I got pregnant I was in the best shape I had been in... ever... and now I'm... not. I'm sure most moms can relate to that little dilema, right? Ever since I had him people would say, "It took 9 months to put it on, it's take 9 months to take it off!" Well... here we are... and it's not all off. Most, but not all. So I'm back to Weight Watchers, my trusty friend. Weight Watchers never lets me down when I'm trying to lose a few pounds. If you do WW be prepared to see some great WW recipes coming your way. And if you don't, fear not, I can assure you taste always comes first in my book!

This pasta dish was excellent. It was very easy to prepare, light, featured summer produce, and was delicious. John and I were both fans! Give it a shot and use up some of those last-of-summer tomatoes.

Source: Skinny Taste

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed, quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
6-8 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 oz large shrimp, peeled and deviened
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
salt and fresh pepper
1/2 tsp herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz pasta, high fiber or low carb

Directions:

1- Heat a large skillet on high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. When skillet is hot, spray with oil and add shrimp. Cook shrimp about 2 minutes in each side until almost cooked through and remove from the pan. Set aside.
2- Reduce skillet heat to medium, add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden, careful not to burn. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer about 20 minutes, until tomatoes are tender. 

3- Add broth and stir. Add asparagus, salt, pepper and herbs. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes on medium low heat.
4- While sauce is simmering, boil salted water and cook pasta until desired tenderness.Drain when done.
5- After sauce simmers 10 minutes, add shrimp to sauce to finish cooking, about 1 minutes (Do not overcook or shrimp will get tough). Add pasta to the sauce and toss well.

9 WW points plus for 1 1/2 cups

Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

Have you ever been to Chipotle? If not- go. It's fast food, yes, but it's fast food with a heart. They use locally grown produce, they actually cook and chop their own food rather than it coming in bags, and they make this rice that seriously causes me to drool.

I had never been to Chipotle and truly never had an interest. But then... one amazing day in January... my niece was born. (And yes- these two stories do relate, so don't write me off for going off topic yet.) We went to see my niece at the hospital and we were all in love immediately. She's perfect. So we went around 11, and nobody wanted to leave... but it was getting close to 3... and EVIL STEPHANIE was starting to emerge. EVIL STEPHANIE is my dark side... and she only emerges when I haven't been fed in the past few hours. But she was quickly emerging and I didn't need to introduce her to my perfect niece. There was a Chipotle right by the hospital so we went there and I was ready to eat everything that wasn't tied down. When they gave me this chicken bowl thing with this rice on the bottom I swear I had almost a religious experience... I was in heaven.

I knew I needed to make the rice at home so I quickly googled and found this from one of my favorite bloggers. And it was so good you'd never know it wasn't from Chipotle. Honestly I thought it tasted exactly the same. Best of all, anytime I eat this stuff I will always think of my beautiful, wonderful, perfect niece Gracie, and how this rice saved her from meeting my dark side.

Source: Skinny Taste

Ingredients:
1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
1/2 lime, juice of
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
4 tsp vegetable oil


Directions:
1- In a small pot add rice, water, 1 tsp. oil, and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates.
2- When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover for about 15 minutes.
3- Shut off flame, cover an additional 5 minutes.
4- In a medium bowl combine the lime juice, cilantro, and remaining oil. Stir well. Add to rice, stirring until well coated.


** 3/4 cup for 5 point plus

Light Buttermilk Biscuits

A few weeks ago I made my favorite crockpot roasted chicken along with some roasted veggies. Being the carb-o-holic that I am, I couldn't simply leave well enough alone- I had to add some carbs to the meal. In passing my father mentioned that I needed biscuits with this meal and I couldn't agree more. Buttermilk biscuits it is.

The original recipe calls for rolling the dough out and cutting it with a biscuit (circle) cutter. I just wasn't in the mood. It was Sunday night, I had done nothing relaxed all day and wasn't in the mood to end the cycle. So I just grabbed a spoon and dropped the dough on a sheet. Hey- it may be lazy, but drop biscuits are wonderful, no? And wonderful these were. I could tell they were lighter, they weren't as buttery and rich tasting as traditional biscuits, but to me that's ok. John didn't know they were a lighter recipe so I guess maybe I could only tell because I knew. These will be made again and again, I assure you of that!

Source: Slightly adapted from  Weightwatchers.com

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 450.
2- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir well.
3- Using a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs. (I also used my hands to really work the butter in.)
4- Knead the dough 4-5 times.
5- Using a large spoon, drop the biscuit dough onto cookie sheets covered with cooking spray (or a silpat). Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Yields 7 biscuits

** 3 Points Plus per biscuit, 7 biscuits total

Chicken Pot Pie

Last Sunday my husband turned 30! We spent the weekend snowboarding in Vermont and got home just in time for dinner Sunday. I was honestly a bit sick of eating out so I wanted to make dinner at home. I decided to make my husband's FAVORITE food of all time- chicken pot pie. I spent time scouring for recipes the whole way home from Vermont and ended up decided on using this recipe.

It came together easily and quickly. John was in heaven- he could live off of pot pie. While it isn't my favorite food in the world I do enjoy it and found this recipe to be quite delicious. It wasn't as heavy as a typical pot pie and was a very healthy alternative to a comforting classic. This will definitely be repeated in our house!

Source: Slightly adapted from WeightWatchers.com

Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 tsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup chopped raw carrots
1 cup frozen peas
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup reduced fat evaporated milk
4 triangular reduced fat crescent rolls, 1/2 a tube

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 9-inch round pie baking dish with cooking spray.
  
• Coat a large pot with cooking spray. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, until tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Add vegetables, broth and chicken. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
  
• In a small cup, combine flour and 1/4 cup of evaporated milk; stir into chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup of evaporated milk and cook until mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
  
• Spoon chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Unroll crescent rolls and arrange dough around inside edge of baking dish to form a border (there will be a hole in the middle). Bake until rolls are golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and serve.

** 6 PointsPlus per 1/6 of the recipe

Warm Strawberry Sauce

I love Greek yogurt for breakfast or a snack. It's filling, nutritious, protein rich, and quite tasty. However, I am not big on just plain yogurt. I like to add some excitement to it. When I saw this strawberry sauce I knew I was onto something. This was delicious. It was juicy, warm, and sweet. Perfect contrast to the cold yogurt. Best of all? One ingredient. Can't top it now can you?

Source: Loser for Life

Ingredients:
Fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions:
1- Place the strawberries in a microwave safe bowl.
2- Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes, depending on how many strawberries used.
3- The strawberries will burst and be a liquidy, juicy syrup.
4- Serve over yogurt, pancakes, etc.

** 1 point per 1.5 cups of strawberries

Baked Penne & Zucchini

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, but baked ziti is one of my all time favorite foods. I love it- particularly when it is done right. However, I have been trying to incorporate more and more veggies into my diet so I knew this recipe would be great. The fact that it is your standard baked ziti but also has two layers of zucchini makes it not only delicious but also a healthy choice. I don't know about you but I find zucchini to be very versatile and mild. It doesn't add a strong flavor to the recipe but it does add a nice boost of nutrients.

Source: Green Lite Bites

Ingredients:

8 oz whole wheat rigatoni
1 medium –large zucchini sliced thin
¾ cup part skim ricotta cheese
3oz mozzarella cheese (separated)
1.5 cups tomato sauce (separated)
Dried parsley
Black pepper
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the pasta according to package cooking 2-3 minutes less (about 6-8 minutes) as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.

While the pasta is cooking, slice the zucchini. Spray a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray and place the zucchini on the bottom created a layer. Save some zucchini for the top.

Mix the ricotta cheese, 1 oz of the mozzarella, and 3/4 cup of the sauce. Set aside.

Once the pasta is done, turn off heat, drain and return to the pot. Add the ricotta mixture and stir until all the pasta is coated.

Pour the pasta mixture unto the casserole dish and spread to create a layer over the zucchini. Top with the remaining zucchini, 3/4 cup of sauce and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of dried parsley and black pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

** 7 points for 1/4 of the recipe

Ravioli in a Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

April is National Poetry Month and my students have been learning about poetry in reading and writing. The other day I was meeting with a student to review his poems and he had written a poem about ravioli. Ravioli! I was cracking up- such a random topic- but his poem was awesome. Not only was the writing good but I was left craving some ravioli. I was craving them so badly that I had to go to Costco immediately and get some spinach and cheese ravioli- delish.

This sauce is really barely a sauce. I just thew together some odds and ends and poured it on top of the ravioli. What I loved was that it was fresh, tasty, and healthy. Can you beat that combination? I think not. John and I both enjoyed this recipe and felt that the sauce was a nice change of pace from the regular marinara sauce.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated ravioli (spinach and cheese were my choice)
1 15 oz. can Fire Roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp. tomato pasta (optional)

Directions:
1- In a small saucepan combine the garlic, and white wine. Heat over medium-high until the garlic is fragrant.
2- Add the can of tomatoes, stir.
3- Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato paste if you want a thicker sauce.
4- Allow the sauce to heat over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes.
5- Serve over the hot ravioli

** 1 point for 1/3 of the sauce recipe

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Growing up my parents would pick up bagels for breakfast every Saturday and my dad would make pancakes every Sunday. This is one of the traditions that I loved so much and I really want to do something similar with my children. I would look forward to the pancakes all week!

I now tutor two little girls on Sunday mornings and I don't get home until 11:30ish, so I haven't really been eating a real breakfast. I typically grab something and run out the door so I'm not late. I was really not in the mood for another granola bar and was craving some serious pancakes. I told John to save his appetite- I would make brunch when I got home- and I went off to tutor with a smile on my face.

These pancakes did not disappoint. They were so light and delicious. Someone, I won't name names, but it might start with a J, ate 8 (yes, EIGHT!) of these bad boys. If you are trying to introduce more whole grains into your diet and aren't loving the flavor of whole wheat, give these a shot. Even the most critical of people will love these.

Source: Chef Mommy, originally from Cooking Light

Ingredients
Makes 6 servings (12 pancakes)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

Directions:
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and egg white, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

** 7 points per serving (2 pancakes, 2 tablespoons syrup, and 1 1/2 teaspoons butter)

Barbecue Glazed Chicken

Something about the beginning of spring drives me to want to grill. Growing up we grilled almost nightly from April-November. I love the smell of burgers, chicken, steak, hot dogs, or really anything you can throw on the grill! My favorite part of running outside this time of year is smelling everyone's dinner haha! I had been craving some BBQ chicken and decided it was time to finally make it. There is just something so satisfying about those grill lines, no?

This recipe is so simple that even a 5 year old could make it (except the grilling part- I don't encourage that!) It uses common ingredients and really makes a delicious sauce. I love the combination of the sweet from the honey, the salty from the soy sauce, and the tangy from the BBQ sauce. A really nice combination if I do say so myself! Give it a shot- you won't be disappointed.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken tenders (or thin sliced breasts)
1/2 cup smoked BBQ sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1- Combine the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, honey, and a few dashes of salt and pepper in a large gallon sized zipper bag. Shake the bag well, combining all ingredients.
2- Add the chicken.
3- Allow to marinade for a couple hours.
4- Grill until thoroughly cooked.

** 4 points for 3 ounces of chicken

Very Veggie Quesadillas

I am constantly looking for ways to get more vegetables into me. I love veggies but it's hard to find ways to make veggie based dinners that are also decadent and enticing to my husband. However, when it comes to John, I can put just about anything inside a flour tortilla and make him eat it. Quesadillas are a huge hit in our household. I mean can you really go wrong when you add cheese and tortillas with some salsa and veggies? I think not.

I was channeling my inner Sandra Lee with this recipe. I went to the salad bar at my local grocery store and grabbed a bunch of salad bar ingredients to make these. It makes the whole meal take 10 minutes from start to finish. You definitely can't beat that! Also the veggies are totally up to you- whatever you have or want, just toss it in and go with the flow.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup chopped broccoli
1/4 cup assorted chopped pepper
1/8 cup chopped tomatoes
1/8 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup reduced fat Colby Jack cheese
Cooking spray
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

Directions:
1- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place the tortilla down and add the cheese.
2- Top with the veggies. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3- Allow to heat over medium until the cheese is melted. Fold the quesadilla in half, using the back of a spatula to push the two sides together.
4- Cook until both sides are crisp.

** 4 points when using a 2 point tortilla

Slow Roasted Tomato "Sauce"

I say this way too often about my own cooking, but this was AMAZING! The concept is simple enough but the taste is anything but simple. I was craving a big ol' bowl of angel hair but I wasn't in the mood for any type of sauce. I then remembered my new found love for slow roasted tomatoes and decided to give it a whirl and see how it turned out. And boy oh boy was I pleased! I will warn you though, this isn't a recipe for a weeknight. The tomatoes take 5.5 hours in the oven but don't let that discourage you! The work you have to do is minimal.

After I took the first bite I moaned. Out loud. Yup. I then ordered John to try it. He was too busy trying to find something to watch on TV and I kept begging him to stop and try it. I seriously almost ate my whole plate before he even took a bite. Have I raved enough about this?! It's that good. For John's portion I added some olive oil to the tomato mixture, so feel free to do that if you are interested. Top it with some fresh parm cheese and you are in for a real treat!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
9 plum tomatoes, cut in half and scooped hallow
1 small onion, chopped into 8 pieces
3 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
fresh basil (I used 4-5 leaves)

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 225.
2- Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3- Lay the tomatoes out flat and sprinkle with an even layer of salt and pepper. Add the onions and whole garlic cloves to the pan.
4- Bake for 5.5 hours, flipping the mixture over 1/2 way though. Season the other side of the tomatoes with salt and pepper before returning them to the oven.
5- Once time is up, remove them from the oven and place the mixture in a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes. Use a small knife to chop any big pieces.
6- Tear the basil leaves, toss in the mix, and stir.
7- Serve with pasta.

**0 points for 1/3 of the tomato mixture

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

John and I just returned from a wonderful vacation. We spent one night in Miami and then went on a cruise to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. While we were in Miami we ate at Emeril's restaurant and I had an awesome appetizer. It was barbecue shrimp and I seriously wanted to lick the plate. The sauce was so thick and rich yet it had a really nice subtle kick to it. I have been dying to make shrimp that were spicy yet saucy ever since.

Now, I tend to be a bit of a condiment queen with many open bottles of sauces in the fridge. It is a bit of an obsession! I made this sauce by just using a little bit of this and that. It came out really good! The sauce was sweet but the shrimp had some serious kick from the cajun seasoning. I was thrilled with the end results! Best of all it takes less than 10 minutes to make and is super healthy and low in calories. A total winner in our house.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
21 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 tsp. Cajun seasoning (more or less to taste)
1 tbsp. tomato ketchup
1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. A1 original sauce
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with the cajun seasoning.
2- Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat.
3- Add the shrimp, allow them to cook through on one side and then flip.
4- Once the shrimp are cooked add the ketchup, hoisin, and A1. Stir well until combined.
5- Lower the heat to low and allow the sauce to heat through, about 1 minute.
6- Serve hot.

** 1 point per 7 shrimp

Whole Wheat Corn Bread

Hey everyone! I am so so so SO sorry for my long absence. If you read my fitness blog you are probably aware that the past few weeks were insane for me! I then went on a cruise and am just now returning. Let me tell you- being a foodie makes going anywhere hard! On numerous occasions I would eat something on the cruise and think "Meh- I could make this tastier if I added xyz to this recipe!" I am dying to get back in my kitchen after this long break so get ready for some goodies!

I made this recipe a long time ago and really enjoyed it. It had a nice healthy taste and was quite satisfying. I will say that it wasn't very moist so I chose to eat it with butter or something to add some moisture to the corn bread. If you are looking for a way to have a BIG hunk of corn bread without eating a lot of calories this is a great choice.

Source: Adapted from the Quaker Corn Meal container

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. cornmeal
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt; optional
1 c. skim milk
1/4 c. applesauce
2 egg whites

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 8-9 inch baking pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, applesauce, and egg; mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

** 3 points for 1/9 of the recipe

Breakfast Cookie

Hi everyone! I am so sorry that I have been MIA- it's very unlike me! However things have been CRAZY and I have not cooked in over a week and won't be cooking at all next week. So please pardon my long absence- I will be back in full force after Easter. I may get one more post in before that but if not DON'T LEAVE ME! I will be back to normal very very shortly.

So this breakfast idea is not something new but it is very new to me. I had heard a few fitness boards/blogs/websites speak of these "breakfast cookies" but I never really paid them much thought. Until earlier this week when there was just nothing appealing to me for breakfast. Then I instantly remembered this cookie and jumped at the opportunity to make it. It's very dynamic- you can add any mix ins you want. I added 1/2 teaspoon of mini chocolate chips which was tasty but not the healthiest choice. Next time I want to add some banana or chopped dried fruit and some nuts. YUM- sounds like a winning combo.

I didn't have protein powder but I plan to buy it because I want to make this again and soon. The taste was amazing. Mine was very crumbly- like granola- and I enjoyed it. I ate it with a spoon because I couldn't lift it but it was still excellent. I will be making these and making them often. Best of all it kept me full for a solid 3 hours and I am sure that with protein powder and healthier mix ins it could last even longer!

Source: The Fitnessita

Ingredients:
1/3 cup oats
1 tbsp. nut butter
1-2 tbsp. milk (approximately)
1/2 scoop protein powder
Mix ins of your choice

Directions:
1- Put the oats and protein powder in a bowl.
2- Add the nut butter and smush it into the oats until its fine and crumbly.
3- Add the milk, stir well.
4- Add the mix ins.
5- Plop the mixture on an appetizer sized plate and smush it down with the back of your spoon.
6- Refrigerate over night.

Yields 1 cookie

** Points will vary- mine was 4 with 1 tbsp. 1% milk, 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, and 1/2 tsp. mini chocolate chips