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

Chicken Pot Pie

Since starting weight watchers, comfort food has been really hard to come across!  That is until I found this Chicken Pot Pie recipe. It is such a hearty and homey meal and still has all the creaminess of the real deal!  We try to eat a mix of chicken, turkey, fish, and meat each week so this really satisfied our chicken craving. 

Ingredients:

·         1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart Baking Mix

·         ½ cup skim milk

·         ¼ cup egg beaters

·         2 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

·         1 ½ cups grilled skinless chicken breasts

·         1 can Campbell’s 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

·         1 can Campbell’s 98% fat free cream of celery soup

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8x8 dish with non-fat cooking spray

2.       In a separate bowl, combine chicken, vegetables and soup.

3.       Pour the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish.

4.       In another bowl, combine the Bisquick, milk, and egg and pour this mixture over the top of the chicken mixture.

5.       Bake for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Nutritional Information (serves 6): 247 calories, 4.2g fat, 33.4g carbohydrates, 4.2g fiber, 7g sugar, 17.7g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving: 6 points plus

Ground Turkey with Potatoes and Peas

Since I’ve begun to cook every night, I like to try out new recipes.  I had some turkey in the freezer so I thought that I would try this Ground Turkey with Potatoes and Peas again since we liked it so much the first time!  It is such a hearty dish and you really feel satisfied after eating it. 

There are a few things I modified, like omitting the bay leaf and cilantro as well as using a leaner and less amount of turkey.  I would also recommend, and I didn’t do this but have had a problem both times I made the recipe, to microwave the potatoes for about 5 minutes before adding to the meat mixture.  They tend to take a REALLY long time to soften up so I think that might help and I will try that next time as well!

Ingredients:

·         1 medium tomato, quartered

·         3 cloves garlic (Spice World garlic)

·         1 lb 99% lean ground turkey

·         4 scallions, chopped

·         1 cup peas (I used frozen)

·         1 potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

·         8 oz. can tomato sauce

·         ¾ cup water

·         ½ teaspoon cumin

·         Salt, to taste

Directions:

1.       In a food processor, combine the tomatoes and garlic and pulse until a little bit juicy.

2.       In a large skillet over medium heat, brown turkey and season with salt and cumin.

3.       When meat is browned and cooked through, add scallions, chopped tomato mixture, peas, potato, tomato sauce, and water. 

4.       Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the potatoes are cooked through. 

5.       Serve over rice.

You want a little bit of juice with this one to help mix in with the rice, so I would definitely recommend adding more water if it looks dry!

Nutritional Information without rice (serves 5):  170 calories, 1.2g fat, 15.1g carbohydrates, 3.6g fiber, 4.8g sugar, 26.1g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving without rice: 4 points plus

1 cup of white minute rice: 5 points plus

**The way I calculate my calories is through Calorie Count. You enter in your ingredients (they have brand names) and it will calculate the nutrition for you.  For weight watchers points, I am an online member so I use their calculator.

Tuna Noodle Skillet

A few months ago, my brother and I were talking and we mentioned how when we were growing up the one dish we did not like was Tuna Casserole.  The textures and flavors were not very appealing to us.  So as I was looking up new recipes to try, I stumbled across this Tuna Noodle Skillet, which seemed similar to Tuna Casserole, and figured I had to try it to see if my tastes had changed!  It reminded me of The Next Food Network’s Star contestant Emily. Her concept was taking old school dishes and putting a new twist on them.  She always used the term “retro rad”.   To my surprise, I really liked this dish and will definitely be making my brother try it the next time he comes home.

I changed up the recipe a little bit from the original by reducing the serving size as well as using some different ingredients.

Ingredients:

·         5.5 oz. Ronzoni Smart Taste Spaghetti

·         2 teaspoons olive oil

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         1 cup mushrooms, sliced

·         ¼ cup flour

·         8 oz. (1 ½ cans) chunk light tuna in water, drained

·         1 cup skim milk

·         2/3 cup light cream

·         ½ cup shredded parmesan

·         3 tablespoons 2% mozzarella cheese

·         ½ cup vegetable broth

·         2/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted

·         5 basil leaves, chopped

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.       Boil pasta in a large pot until al dente. 

2.       While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.   Add onions and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. 

3.       Add mushrooms to the onions and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

4.       Add flour over the vegetables and mix.

5.       Pour the vegetable broth into the veggie mix and cook until the broth is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

6.       Add in milk, cream, peas, and tuna and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 7-10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

7.       Remove from heat and stir in spaghetti, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Nutritional Information (serves 4):  312 calories, 14.9g fat, 46g carbohydrates, 7g fiber, 6.8g sugar, 26.7g protein

Weight Watchers points per serving (about 1 and 1/3 cup):  10 points plus