Flank Steak with Black Bean salsa

I am finally back after a 2 month hiatus!  I just started a new job at the end of August and have been super busy, but with Hurricane Sandy hitting the east coast today, I figured it's the perfect day to add some new posts.  In the summer, my brother asked me to make a recipe that would be good for a grill.  That's when I found this Flank Steak and knew it would be perfect for the grill!  I live in an apartment and don't have access to a grill so I went out and bought Emeril's indoor griddle/grill.  It works perfectly! The steak turned out amazing and I will definitely be trying this again soon.  

Ingredients for the steak: 

• 1.5 lbs. flank steak 
• garlic powder
• cumin, salt, and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the salsa: 

• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tomatoes, diced and seeded
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn kernels
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Season the steak with the garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper on both sides.  Put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes so that the flavors penetrate the meat.
2. While the steak is chilling in the fridge, combine the onion, olive oil, and lime juice in a bowl and let the flavors meld together for about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, add the tomatoes, black beans, corn, salt and pepper and mix to combine.  Set aside while you cook the steak. 
3. Heat the grill on high and add steak.  

4. Grill the steak on each side for about 6 minutes each side for medium rare.  Once the steak is  finished, remove from the grill and let rest for about 5 minutes. 

5. After resting, slice the steak along the grain and serve with the salsa on top. 

Nutritional information (serves 6 -- 3 oz. flank steak, 2 tablespoons salsa): 296 calories, 10.2g fat, 62 mg cholesterol, 14.4g carbohydrates, 3.1g fiber, 35.7g protein

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 7 points plus per serving 

Macaroni and Cheese

The Laughing Cow cheese has become an instant favorite of mine!  I love the Garlic and Herb wedges and use that on my sandwiches now instead of sliced cheese.  I even got my mom hooked after I left the Queso one at her place.  She uses it in her omelets.  When I stumbled across this Hungry Girl recipe for macaroni and cheese, I knew I had to try it since it uses the Swiss Laughing Cow cheese.  This recipe is so creamy and cheesy.  And it's quick too!  Next time I will be adding some protein to this. 

Ingredients: 

• 20 oz. frozen Cauliflower and Cheese sauce (I used the Wegman's brand)
• 2 cups uncooked Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne
• 3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Swiss
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain. 
2. While the pasta is cooking, place the cauliflower and cheese in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a paper towel.  Heat in the microwave for about 10 - 12 minutes.  
3. Add the cooked pasta to the bowl with the cauliflower and cheese and stir to coat. 
4. Heat the Swiss cheese wedges in the microwave for about 30 seconds until smooth.  Add the Swiss to the bowl with the pasta and stir to coat.  
5. Season with salt and pepper. 

Nutritional Information (serves 4 -- 1 cup each): 206 calories, 4.2 g fat, 40g carbohydrates, 6.5g fiber, 3.7g sugar, 7.5g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving (1 cup): 5 points plus

Turkey Chili

I plan out our dinner menu for the week so that way I know what groceries I need to get and it's just a lot easier when it comes to cooking dinner! A few months ago my mom bought us this Hamilton Beach crock pot that I have just been itching to use.

So when planning our menu for this week, I decided it was time to break out the crock pot! I found a Turkey Chili recipe from one of my Weight Watchers cookbooks that I wanted to try.  This was one of the easiest dinners I have ever made! If you are on the go and looking for something delicious, I would definitely try this.  It's not very spicy so next time I would probably add some jalapenos.  I also served it over rice.  This is definitely a dish that will be made in our apartment again.  I also can't wait to try more crock pot recipes!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. hot turkey sausage
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, with juices
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with garlic and tomatoes, with juices
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies, with juices 
• 1 small onion, diced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Remove the casings from the turkey sausage and add it to the crock pot.  Break the sausage up with a spoon. 
2. Add the pinto beans, both cans of tomatoes (all with their juices), and the onions to the crock pot.  
3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. 
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve over rice. 

*Weight Watchers points per serving (6 servings - 1 cup each):  6 points plus

1 cup of rice - 5 Weight Watchers points plus

*If you only wanted to do 4 servings, it would be 1.5 cups and 8 Weight Watchers points plus

Crispy Tilapia with Roasted Tomatoes

This past weekend I was in Dewey Beach, DE celebrating my friend Jaime's bachelorette party, which was a blast!! I am still recovering.  My boyfriend decided to go to Atlantic City for a guy's night on Saturday, so I knew we needed something light for dinner last night to help us recover from all the fun.  I adapted  this recipe from Cooking Light.  I really love tilapia.  It's a such a light and flaky fish and doesn't have a strong fish flavor.  This type of fish really takes on the flavor of whatever it is paired with, in this case it is the tomatoes.  This recipe is just what we needed after a fun-filled weekend!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (mine were pretty big so I quartered them)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced basil
• 1 cup panko
• 1 tablespoon parsley (I used the dried shaker kind, but you can use fresh)
• 4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
• non-fat cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a foil lined baking sheet with non-fat cooking spray. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the capers, tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon olive oil with some salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 
3. While the vegetables are roasting, place the panko and parsley in a shallow dish with salt and pepper.  
4. Spray each fillet with non-fat cooking spray and dredge both sides in the panko, once fillet at a time. 
5. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoons olive oil to the pan.  Add two fillets to the pan and cook on each side for 3 minutes a side.  Repeat with the remaining olive oil and fillets. 
6. Once the vegetables are finished, remove from the oven and top with basil.  Put 1/3 cup tomato mixture over each tilapia fillet. 

Nutritional Information (serves 4): 317 calories, 13g fat, 82mg cholesterol, 13.5g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, 35g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving (1 fillet plus 1/3 cup tomato mixture): 8 points plus 

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

When it comes to chicken, I am always looking for new recipes to spice things up.  A grilled chicken breast is great for dinner, but it gets boring after a while.  The other night I decided to try this Chicken and Broccoli casserole from Cooking Light.  I love making casseroles because they are so quick and easy to make.  This recipe was delicious!  It was so creamy!  I changed the way I cooked the chicken from the recipe because I don't really like boiling chicken.  This recipe is great because it can be made ahead of time and then put in the oven when you are ready to eat it.  I will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. frozen broccoli
• 2 (6 oz.) chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 6 oz. fat free evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/2 cup 99% fat free cream of Mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 pan with non-fat cooking spray and set aside. 
2. Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender but still a little bit crisp.  Set aside in a medium bowl. 
3. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and saute the chicken breast until the chicken is no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook as it will continue to cook in the oven. 
4. While the chicken is cooking, combine the milk and flour.  Season with salt and pepper.  Once combined, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and whisk constantly.  This will create a roux. Once the mixture thickens, remove from heat and add the mayo, sour cream, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. 
5. After those ingredients are combined and the chicken has finished cooking, add the chicken and sour cream mixture to the broccoli.  Stir the ingredients so that they are they are mixed well together.  
6. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until the top is a little brown. 

Nutritional Information (serves 4): 276 calories, 7.8g fat, 66mg cholesterol, 18.9g carbohydrates, 2.1g fiber, 31.1g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving: 7 points plus 

Shrimp Scampi

As you can probably tell by now, I really enjoy pasta!  I have another pasta dish to share with you that is my boyfriend's dad's shrimp scampi recipe.  It is so delicious!  It has a little kick to it so if you like spicy, this recipe is definitely the way to go.  I've only ever had their "full fat" version, so the other night, I thought I would try to lighten it up.  This turned out just as flavorful as the original version, even my boyfriend agreed!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Ronzoni Smart Taste Spaghetti
• 1/4 cup Light I Can't Believe it's Not Butter
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 lb. shrimp (Mine came to 12 shrimp)
• 1/2 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon A-1 Steak Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot
• 1 teaspoon tarragon 
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Cook the pasta al dente. 
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat.  Add margarine to the pan and then add the onions.  Saute the onions until they are semi-soft. 

3. Next add the shrimp to the pan and season with salt and pepper.  

4. Once the shrimp start to turn pink, add chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, A-1, Frank's red hot, and tarragon.  Simmer over medium heat until the shrimp are cooked through, careful not to over cook them. 

5. By this point, the pasta should be finished.  Drain the pasta and add the pasta to shrimp mixture.  Serve immediately. 

Nutritional information (serves 4): 284 calories, 6.1g fat, 111mg cholesterol, 43.5g carbohydrates, 7.0g fiber, 1.9g sugar, 17.8g protein

Weight Watchers Points per serving: 7 points plus

Easy Appetizer

I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Fort Lauderdale.  We were visiting my boyfriend's sister and her boyfriend and it was so great to see them! The weather was perfect so we got 3 nice beach days.  Now, unfortunately, it's back to reality!

For this next post, I wanted to share an easy appetizer with you that I came up with recently.  I am a huge fan of goat cheese and when that is mixed with onions, it's the best!  For those of you that haven't tried goat cheese, it's very similar to a cream cheese.  This appetizer is quick and easy and can be ready in about 15 minutes.  Your guests will love it!

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette, cut into 34 pieces
• 1 red onion, sliced into thin pieces
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Once the baguettes are cut into pieces, brush a little bit of olive oil on each one and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. With the onions, saute them with non-fat cooking spray until they are soft.  Add the sugar and stir, allowing them to carmelize.
3. Top each slice of baguette with a thin layer of goat cheese and top with some of the onion.  Place back under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve warm.

Strawberry and Spinach Salad

I love salad.  I eat one every day at lunch and never get sick of them.  So when my Aunt Cassie sent me over her recipe for a Strawberry and Spinach salad, I knew I had to try it right away! My boyfriend was having a work dinner last night, so I was cooking for one.  I was having two pieces of sausage and feta chicken sausage and thought this salad would be the perfect compliment to that! I never used to be a huge fan of fruit in my salad but the balsamic really brings out the flavor of the strawberries in this recipe.  I really enjoyed it and will definitely be making it again in the future!

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 teaspoons sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the salad:

• 2 cups spinach, rinse and dried
• 1 cup strawberries, quartered
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions

Directions:

1. Once the spinach is cleaned and the strawberries and onions are cut, place them on a plate.
2. For the dressing, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the balsamic.  Bring the balsamic to a boil.
3. Once the balsamic is boiling, add the sugar and stir.  Cook until the consistency is that of a syrup, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add the extra virgin olive oil.
5. Once the dressing has cooled a bit (you still want it to be warm, just not hot), drizzle it over your salad.

Nutritional information (serves 2): 99 calories, 4g fat, 0g cholesterol, 15g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 11g sugar, 2g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving: 1 points plus

Breakfast Casserole

I have to be honest, I am not a huge breakfast person.  My friend Kristin and I were just having this conversation on the way home from the shore the other day and I was saying how I would much rather have lunch.  But, when we had guests over the other weekend, I knew we would need to have something ready for breakfast, so I went with a casserole!  I like casseroles because they are quick and easy!  They incorporate the main breakfast ingredients into one dish and they always end up tasting delicious, like the one I adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. turkey breakfast sausage
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1.5 cups egg beaters
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 16 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into bit size squares (I used Wonder's Smartwhite -- I love this bread!)
• 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Coat a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-fat cooking spray and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat pan with non-fat cooking spray.  Add turkey sausage to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes, until the sausage is a little browned (at this point, I broke them up into bite size pieces).  Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the milk, egg beaters, egg whites, dry mustard, salt, pepper, ground red pepper, and eggs.  Stir all the ingredients so they are combined.
4. Add sausage, cheese, and bread to the mixture and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture into the 9 x 13 baking dish, making sure it fills it evenly, and cover.  Refrigerate overnight. 
5. Remove the casserole and uncover it 30 minutes prior to when you are going to put it in the oven. 
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Bake the casserole for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Nutritional information (serves 12): 202 calories, 7.2g fat, 79mg cholesterol, 18.0g carbohydrates, 3.4g fiber, 5.2g sugar, 20g protein

Weight watchers points per serving: 5 points plus

Chicken Enchiladas

Mexican food is definitely one of my favorite types of foods.  I think it mainly has to do with the fact that I love sour cream and that's used in pretty much everything Mexican!  However, I am always looking for alternatives to reduce the fat and calories in my food and have found that the perfect substitute for sour cream is non-fat plain Greek yogurt.  I figured this out when I tried this Chicken Enchilada recipe that I absolutely love! I have probably made this 15 times in the last 3 months because that's how good it is.  I still haven't found a way to fully cut out sour cream -- I put a little on top of each serving!

Ingredients for Filling:

• 9 Mission Carb Balance Medium flour tortillas
• 12.5 oz. can 99% fat free chunk chicken breast, packed in water
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green peppers
• 1/2 cup Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup reduced fat 4 cheese Mexican Cheese

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 3/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup reduced fat 4 cheese Mexican Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-fat cooking spray

2. Spray a large pan with non-fat cooking spray and saute the chicken, peppers, and onions until the onions are softened.

3. Mix the chicken mixture with the Greek yogurt and cheese.

4. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and roll into a burrito.  (note -- the picture only shows 7 tortillas because I fill 4 of them for my boyfriend with about 1/2 cup)

5. For the sauce, mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the top of the tortillas.

6. Cover the dish with foil and back for about 15-20 minutes.

Nutritional Information (serves 9): 203 calories, 5.3g fat, 22mg cholesterol, 22.1g carbohydrates, 11.7g fiber, 2.2g sugar, 19.1g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving: 4 points plus

**I normally each two for dinner, for a total of 8 points plus and add two tablespoons of fat-free sour cream, to make it a 9 points plus dinner!

Restaurant Review: Villa di Roma

One of the things I like best about having visitors from out of town is that I get to go out and try new restaurants!  My boyfriend's mom and step-dad were craving Italian food when they were here, so what better place to take them then to the Italian Market in Philadelphia! Since I have grown up eating some of the best Italian food made by my family, I am very spoiled when it comes to finding Italian restaurants that I like.  However, Villa di Roma really hit the mark with this dinner! I felt like I was eating at home. 

I am going to apologize in advance that I don't have any pictures!  For the appetizers, we started out with the Villa Salad, which was like a caesar salad, but they had a house made dressing that tasted almost like a thousand island.  The dressing was so good I think I could have drank it!  We also tried the clams casino which comes with 4 clams that are lightly breaded.  These were delicious.

The entrees were my favorite part! My boyfriend definitely got the best one -- it was a chicken liver dish over pasta in a butter sauce with peppers and onions.  I have never had chicken livers so I was a little nervous, but oh my gosh this was fantastic! I mean you can't go wrong with a butter sauce. 

For my entree, I got the veal parmesan which was served with spaghetti.  I really liked their version because it was lightly breaded and was not doused in oil like I've had at some other places. 

My boyfriend's mom has been wanting an authentic piece of lasagna since she moved to Virgina and she was finally able to find it by coming back to Philly! This piece of lasagna was huge!  It was so thick and hearty.  She was lucky enough to have some to take home as leftovers.

My boyfriend's step-dad got the spaghetti and meatballs, which he loved.  He let me test some of the meatballs and they were so good!! Almost as good as my mom's, but no one's beat my mom's :-)  They were a very close 2nd though. 

Lastly for dessert we split some cannolis.  The cannoli shell was cooked to perfection and the cream inside was not bitter.  It was the perfect end to our meal.  I can't wait to go back to Villa di Roma and try some of their other selections!

Monkey Bread Muffins

Sorry for the delay in posts!  I was traveling for work and then had a bachelorette party this weekend for my friend Dina in Ocean City, MD, which was a great time!

I like looking for a sweet dessert that isn't always chocolate and that won't kill my points for the week.  These Monkey Bread Muffins do just that!  I made these last weekend as a breakfast addition when my boyfriend's mom and step dad were in town, but I have been eating the leftovers as a dessert snack after dinner.  They provide the perfect amount of sweetness that really hits satisfies sweet tooth craving!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans reduced fat crescent rolls
• 2/3 cup sugar free maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon light margarine (I used I Can't Believe It's not Butter)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon, divided
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 12 cup muffin pan with fat free nonstick spray.
2. Separate the crescent rolls and cut each one into 3 pieces (try and make them as equal as possible, although they won't be exact!).  Roll each piece into a little ball.  There should be 48 balls total.
3. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and stir so that they are together.  Roll each ball into the cinnamon so it's fully coated.
4. Once the balls are coated with the cinnamon sugar mixture, place four balls into each muffin cup.
5. In a separate bowl, microwave the margarine until melted.  Add in the syrup and remaining tablespoon of cinnamon and stir. 
6. Spoon the mixture evenly over each of the muffin cups, making sure the balls are coated.
7. Bake for about 15-17 minutes.
8. Once they are finished, transfer for them to a plate.  Top each of the muffins with the syrup mixture that was left in the tins.

Nutritional information (serves 12): 140 calories, 6.4g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 20.6g carbohydrates, .6g fiber, 4.8g sugar, 2.7g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving (1 muffin): 4 points plus

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin

This weekend, my boyfriend’s mom and step-dad came to visit us in our new apartment!  They moved to Virginia about a year and a half ago, so unfortunately we don’t get to see them as much as we would like, but it was great seeing them and spending time with them since we haven’t seen them since January!

In planning the itinerary and menu for the weekend, we knew that we definitely wanted to take them out to dinner at least one night and cook another.  The third night we would just play by ear!  One of the nights we knew we definitely wanted to have steak, so I had to think of a side.  My friend Lauren told me about this Martha Stewart recipe and I knew I had to try it! Zucchini and yellow squash are really in season right now so this was the perfect dish.   It ended up being delicious!  The zucchini and squash still had a crunch to them so they weren’t soggy and the shallots added a great flavor and you can never go wrong with some Parmesan cheese!  I did my own spin on the recipe by using some lighter ingredients. 

Ingredients:

·         2 tablespoons light margarine (I used I Can't Belive it's Not Butter)

·         2 medium zucchini (about 7 oz. each), sliced ¼ inch thick

·         2 medium yellow squash (about 7 oz. each), sliced ¼ inch thick

·         2 shallots, minced

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         ½ cup fat free evaporated milk

·         1 cup panko, divided

·         ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

·         Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-fat cooking spray.

2.       In a large skillet, melt the light margarine over medium heat. 

3.       Add the zucchini, yellow squash, shallots, and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini and squash are crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes.

4.       Add evaporated milk and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

5.       Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in ½ cup panko and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

6.       Transfer the mixture to the 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup panko and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.

7.       Bake until the top is golden, about 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information (serves 6): 164 calories, 5.3g fat, 8mg cholesterol, 21.1g carbohydrates, 2.3g fiber, 5.9g sugar, 8.9g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving:  4 points plus

Broccoli Orzo

I am always looking for quick and easy meals to make on weeknights, so when I came across this Broccoli and Orzo dish, I knew I had to try it.  Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables and this recipe combines it with pasta.  Who can resist pasta?! It also calls for a lot of garlic, which I love.  Next time I make this I may add some shrimp or chicken to it.  Oh and I definitely added some parmesan cheese on top!

Ingredients:

·         4.5 oz. uncooked Orzo pasta

·         2 cups fresh broccoli (no stems)

·         4 cloves garlic (Spice World garlic)

·         1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

·         4 tablespoons parmesan cheese

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.       Cut the broccoli florets into small pieces and steam them for about 8-10 minutes until soft. 

2.       While the broccoli is steaming, cook the orzo al dente.

3.       Once the broccoli is cooked, remove from the pot and chop into smaller pieces.

4.       After the pasta is finished, drain it, reserving about ½ cup of water.

5.       Heat the olive oil in the same pot that the broccoli was in.  Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.  Add broccoli and season with salt and pepper and mix well.  Add orzo and mixed until combined. 

6.       Add a little of the pasta water to the orzo so that it isn’t dry.

7.       Top each serving with a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information (serves 4, about ¾ cup): 163 calories, 5.8g fat, 28mg cholesterol, 21.6g carbohydrates, 1.2g fiber, .8g sugar, 7g protein *

Weight Watchers points per serving: 4 points plus*

*Again I use Calorie Count for the nutritional information and Weight Watchers online calculator for the points.

Vegetable Quesadilla

Earlier this week my mom went down the shore for a few nights so I stayed at her house to watch her dog, Louie.  He’s a Great Dane and he is so big!  She thought he was going to be a small Dane, but he’s about 140 pounds.  He is the most loveable dog and always wants to be around people. 

Since it was just me that I had to cook for, I wanted to think of something that was quick and easy and that didn’t require a lot of ingredients.  That’s when I came up with my vegetable quesadillas! I have wanted to try Laughing Cow cheese and this finally gave me the opportunity to do so.  I had a lot of the ingredients on hand so this was the perfect meal.  I will have to make these again but try some new things in there!

Ingredients:

·         2 medium Mission Carb Balance Flour Tortillas

·         1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco and Chipotle (you can really use any of their light cheeses but I was having Mexican so I chose this one)

·         1 medium jalapeno (my mom has a little garden out back and I was able to use one from there!)

·         ½ green pepper, cut into small slices

·         2 oz. sliced mushrooms

·         ¼ onion, sliced thin

·         2 tablespoons fat free sour cream

·         2 tablespoons salsa

Directions:

1.       Spray a pan with non-fat cooking spray and place over medium heat.

2.       Add peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes. 

3.       Then add onions, mushrooms, and jalapeno to the peppers and sauté for about 3 more minutes until softened

4.       While the vegetables are cooking spread half of the cheese wedge over one tortilla and the other half over the other and set aside.

5.       Once the vegetables are done cooking, transfer them to a plate.  Respray the same pan with non-fat spray and add one of the tortillas, cheese side up.  Top with the vegetable mixture.

6.       Once all the vegetables are on, add the other tortilla, cheese side onto the vegetables.

7.       Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Transfer to a plate, cut into 4 slices and evenly top the sour cream and salsa over each slice.

Nutritional Information (serves 1):  336 calories, 7g fat, 53.5g carbohydrates, 25.2g fiber, 8mg cholesterol, 8.3g sugar, 16.4g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving: 6 points plus

Restaurant Review: Talula's Garden

The other night I invited my mom down to go out to dinner with me.  I have wanted to try Talula’s Garden in Washington Square ever since I drove by it the first time so it was the perfect opportunity for us to go!  We would have loved to sit outside but unfortunately, it was so windy and actually a little chilly – unlike the 90+ weather we have been having over the last few weeks. 

We decided to start out by getting two appetizers to share.  I have heard great things about their cheeses but we just weren’t in the mood for cheese that night (next time we go, we will definitely get one!).  The first one we tried was Glazed Colorado Lamb Belly with pickled baby carrots and turnips, fragrant citrus, served over a garlic-olive oil hummus.  This was delicious!  I didn’t think that I would like the citrus, but they paired so perfectly with the hummus.  The Hummus was really tasty and not too over the top with the garlic.  Lamb Belly is very similar to pork belly but you could definitely taste the lamb flavor coming through.  We love lamb!

The second appetizer we tried was the Sweet Pea Ravioli in a goat butter sauce topped with grated Aged goat cheese.  These were very light and it was as if the raviolis were in won ton wrappers.  They topped the raviolis with mint, which I wasn’t a huge fan of as I think mint has the power to be the only flavor you can taste, but once I tasted them without it, I really enjoyed them! As I said, this was a really light appetizer which you can’t find a lot when ordering raviolis. 

For our entrees, we opted to share two different ones.  The first one we chose was the Halibut with new potatoes and creamed spinach in sherry bacon vinaigrette.  My mom found the spinach to be a little salty, but I didn’t think so.  We both felt the Halibut was a little under seasoned – maybe the put all the salt in the spinach!  The dish was still good but I don’t know if I would order this again. 

The second entrée was the Roasted Hangar Steak with heirloom tomatoes and roasted potatoes in burgundy beef jus.  This was amazing!  The tomatoes were so ripe and juicy.  I could have eaten a whole plate of them.  The steak was cooked perfectly and was very tender.  This is a seasonal dish so I would definitely head to Talula’s Garden sooner rather than later to try this. 

Next was dessert.  Again, we opted to share two.   The first one we tried was the Little Sweet Ricotta Doughnuts which were drizzled with chocolate-hazelnut sauce and came with a side of Peach Jam.  The donuts were so good on their own we didn’t even use the jam!  They were very moist and had the perfect amount of chocolate on them.  The other that we shared was the Chocolate Pudding Tart with caramel Pecan ice cream and candied pecans.  We mainly got this one because my mom loves caramel pecan ice cream – which did not disappoint here!  I wasn’t a huge fan of the tart because they had topped it with salt and it was just too overpowering.  (unfortunately, no pictures of dessert)

Overall it was a great meal and we definitely want to go back! We would love to go and sit outside in the Garden and enjoy the fresh air next time.  It was a great night with my mom and I can't wait to do it again soon!

Eggplant Pasta

Since it’s just my boyfriend and I, it’s sometimes hard to find recipes that have only 2-4 servings.  I always find myself doing measurement math!  My mom did buy me this measurement converter though, which really helps! 

The other day I stumbled across this Eggplant pasta recipe from Hungry Girl and it was perfect because it was already measured out for two. This recipe called for two things I really enjoy -- eggplant and feta cheese.  This would also taste good with some chicken sausage in it, which I will probably try the next time I make this!

Ingredients:

·         1 eggplant, ends removed, cut into 1-inch cubes

·         1 cup cherry tomatoes

·         1 cup uncooked Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate

·         ¼ cup chopped onion

·         1 tsp. minced garlic (Spice World garlic)

·         ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup crushed tomatoes

·         ¼ chopped fresh basil

·         ¼ cup crumbled fat free feta (this reduces the fat in the serving by 3g)

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray. (I always like to coat my sheets with aluminum foil – makes clean up easier!)

2.       Place eggplant and cherry tomatoes on baking sheet.  Spread them out evenly.  Spray with nonstick spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper

3.       Bake until eggplant is tender and tomatoes are soft, about 15 – 18 minutes.

4.       While the eggplant and tomatoes are in the oven, cook the pasta.

5.       To make the sauce, spray a medium pan with nonstick spray and place on medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes.  Continue cooking and stirring until onions are full softened. 

6.       Add pasta and vegetables to the pan with the sauce and stir gently to coat. 

7.       Top each serving with basil and feta cheese.

Nutritional information (serves 2 -- about 2 cups each serving): 238 calories, 1g fat, 50g carbohydrates, 14.1g fiber, 9.7g sugar, 13.7g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving:  6 points plus