So here are a few more recipes/meals that I have whipped up in recent weeks that I want to share.
First up:
Parmasean Ranch Chicken and Cheesy Quinoa (with canned peas)
Parmasean Ranch Chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts (I buy "smart chicken" because it tastes so much better and it's hormone and antibiotic free, free range chicken) They're huge so I butterfly them in half and make 4 peices out of 2.
- Fat free Ranch dressing
- Italian breadcrumbs (I use gluten free breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs (which are gluten free and you can buy already crushed up)
- parmasean cheese (the grated kind, not the powdered)
- Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
Put Chicken breasts in a corningwear dish, coat with a light layer of ranch dressing, sprinkle breadcrumbs and cheese on top and bake for 20-25 min at 350. Seriously that's it. Pretty Healthy (6ww points each)
Cheesy Quinoa:
This is equally as easy. I bought quinoa from Trader Joes. The kind I bought was in the freezer section, already cooked which was really easy because I don't know how to cook it normally. I will work on that and let ya know.
- Quinoa (I used the whole package which was 2 cups)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
The instructions on the box told me to pour the quinoa into a saucepan with 4Tbsp of water (add more if needed) and heat it throroughly until soft and all water is absorbed. That's it. Then I just added some shredded cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to it. I did have broccoli florets to add to it for some veggies but I thawed them out from my freezer and they smelled god aweful so I threw them out. But that would be tasty to add some veggies to it. (6ww points for 1/2 cup, it's only high in points because it's packed with fiber and protein, well worth it).
Teryaki Salmon with Green Bean Almondine and Wild Rice Pilaf
Teryaki Salmon:
- Salmon filets (I buy these from Trader Joes too because they are cheaper and you can get wild caught which has waaaay less mercury and bad stuff than the farm raised salmon)
- 4 heaping Tbsp of brown sugar
- 1 cup pulp free orange juice
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 Heaping Tbsp of minced garlic
- 1 cup soy sauce
- I also splashed in a little bit of soyaki sauce from Trader Joes (if you haven't tried it, get it now and use it on EVERYTHING)
Throw all of this including the salmon into a gallon size ziplock bag and let sit in the fridge to marinate for a few hours (or don't I didn't have more than an hour to let it sit and it turned out jussst fine). Put your salmon in a foil lined baking dish, pour marinade over salmon until it almost covers the tops of the filets, this will give you a nice glaze on top. Seal top of baking dish with foil and bake at 450 for 20 minutes until fish is flakey. (7 ww pts for a 5oz portion)
Green Bean Almondine:
Fresh Green Beans from the produce section (I buy these organic too).
Red pepper flake, salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Raw Almond slivers (they're cheaper at Trader Joe's)
Red pepper flake, salt and pepper
Get Olive oil into a hot skillet and put green beans in (I cut the ends off and cut them into bite size chunks usually). Season with red pepper flake, salt and pepper and cook until tender but still has a little bit of a snap (I don't like them mushy). Then add as many almonds as you wish to the skillet or just add them on top at the end if you want them extra crunchy. (2ww pts, the green beans are 0 pts, just count the almonds. 2 pts is for 2 tbsp of them)
The wild rice is just an Uncle Ben's 90 second packet that you pop in the microwave for yep, you guessed it, 90 seconds and serve. They have a million flavors but the brown and wild is my fav.
Lettuce wraps
Lettuce wrap filling:
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce
- 1lb 99% lean Ground Turkey (or chicken)
- 1 cup shelled edamame (in the freezer section)
- 1 can sliced bamboo shoots (mince them up)
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts (I use my slap chop to mince these up too)
- 1 package of fresh mushrooms chopped small
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 1/4 cup soysauce
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp red pepper flake
- 4 Tbsp hoisin or thai sweet chili sauce
- Add these sauces to your liking based on how hot you like things, sriracha, chinese hot mustard.
Cook the meat for a little bit first until it's almost done (it's poultry so it should not be pink anymore) add all your vegetables and sauces and cook until your meat is done and the all is hot.
The sauce for these is just a mixture of more vinegar, soy sauce, sriaracha, chinese hot mustard and thai sweet chili sauce. I get rice noodles for some crunch and put those on top of the mixture in peices of Iceberg lettuce and roll up. mmmm
Cheesy Chicken, roasted cauliflower, asparagus and carrots
- 1lb chicken breast tenders (again I use smart chicken)
- a few Tbsp of fat free mayo
- Shredded cheddar
- Shredded mozerella
Put tin foil over a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray, place chicken tenders down and put a thin layer of mayo on top of each one, then sprinkle each of the cheeses on top and bake 20 minutes at 350. These come out so cheesy and delish and Taylor had no idea I used mayo (after all it's only egg and oil which is what you use for chicken coating anyway). So good
Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetables:
Take whatever fresh vegetables you want, cut them up to bite size peices and throw in a bowl with a teeny tiny bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and sometimes I add garlic powder to them. To my asparagus I add a splash of lemon juice. Then roast on a foil lined cookie sheet for 20 min at 350. Delish and healthy (all vegetables except peas, potatoes, sweet potatoe and corn are 0pts) This is the same chicken just different vegetables.
Southwest Chicken Eggrolls with avacado ranch dipping sauce
I have posted this one before but it's one of our family's favs so I will post it again.
1.5lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast
2 cups pepperjack (or cheddar) cheese- shredded
8oz package of frozen chopped spinach (or fresh, doesn't matter)
15oz can of black beans
15oz can corn
2- 4oz can green chilis
lime juice
wonton wrappers
olive oil
seasoning- my old tried and true combo, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flake. All to taste.
So we start with chicken, boil a pot of water (gross I know, I don't like it either but this is way easier). Drop your chicken in and boil for 10-15 minutes or until cooked all the way through... I use my kitchen-aid mixer to shred the chicken, just put your chicken in the bowl while it's hot and use your paddle blade on low for 30 seconds. Whalla! Shredded chicken, but you can use two forks to shred it too.
Whilst that is a-brewin' take a strainer and drop your frozen spinach into it and run under cold water for 5 minutes occasionally stirring with your fingers and breaking up large chunks until spinach is all thawed. Strain water and pat dry with paper towel, you don't want soggy wontons. If you use fresh, just rinse and dry and cut up in small peices.
In a bowl, mix corn, cheese, green peppers, beans and seasoning. When chicken is done and shredded add that, add spinach when that is all thawed and dry-ish. Mix!!!
Take wontons and put lots of mix into the middle, they hold alot more than you think. Run your finger along the edges with olive oil or water and tuck ends in and roll up. Pop in the oven on a foiled lined cookie sheet. Cook 20 minutes-ish until wrappers are crispy, you will need to flip them over about half way through. Everything in them is already cooked you just want the shell crispy and the middle heated through.
Whilst those are a cookin' mix ranch and an avacado and some lime juice to taste together until smooth.... serve!!
These make TONS, freeze um and heat later or eat all week.
Easy Omelette Cups
These are fantastic for breakfast on the go, I made them for Taylor this week and they are a definite do over.
Easy Omelette Cups:
8 eggs
36 Tator tots
1/2cup shredded cheese
7 strips turkey bacon
1/2cup milk
salt and pepper
any other veggies or meats you like in your omelettes (peppers, onion, ham, sausage, mushroom etc)
Put cupcake liners in your muffin tin and put 3 tator tots in each one, cook for 10 minute at 400 degrees. Smash with a spoon or the bottom of a glass to make a "crust". Cook another 5 minutes.
While that's cookin, whip eggs with milk and any omelette "toppings" you like. I cooked my turkey bacon before hand so it would be crispy inside (cook any meats you want first bc they don't cook long enough in the cup). Pour egg/topping mixture into the cupcake liners on top of the hashbrown crush and cook at 350 for 20 minutes until eggs are done. Sprinkle with cheese at the end, it will melt while they cool. Freeze or put them in ziplocks for later in the week. (3ww pts each)
Here's a few tips that have made our life easier with cooking healthy. This has been alot of work for me to think up or find recipes that are healthy and weight watcher friendly each week, make a list of everything I need and don't forget an item, grocery shop with the nugget, organize it all and then cook it each night. I really really really hope I can continue to do this when I go back to work because it's making a huge difference in our life and health but man it's more work than I ever thought. Now I know why we just said "screw it let's go out to eat tonight" and why we both gained a ton of weight since we got married. Ugh.
#1- CITY MARKET! Again this is one I am worried we won't be able to do each week with my work schedule because it's far from our house and kind of a production. Obviously when the summer is over and things are not in season anymore I will have a melt down. The city market is fresh, you support your local farmers which I absolutely love! Nothing gives me more joy buying food than to give the money to a child who has worked hard to help their parents make a good life for their children with a good work ethic. Alot of it is organic (I don't go out of my way to eat organic yet but if it's available and a reasonable price I will buy it fo sho!) and it's freakin cheap! I can get sooooo much stuff for sooo cheap. This whole drawer was $13. It has a bag full of carrots, a zucchini, 3 cucumbers, a bag of radishes, a bag of fresh spinach, a red bell pepper, an onion and a huge bag of asparagus. Whoa!
This is a different week we went. All of this cost $11. Pineapple, strawberries, green beans, asparagus, radishes, carrots, potatoes and avacados. Amazing!
#2- Have a meal cook day. Sundays are my meal cook days. I cook things that we will need all week like breakfast bars, or breakfast for Taylor like these and the omelette cups above. This is 1 egg and 1 portion of lean sausage in each for Taylor. One for each day of the work week to take ready to go. This is what is preventing him from stopping at mcdonalds each morning for a breakfast sandwich. He eats this with a cup of coffee at work. It's helping his waist line and our bank account hugely!
#3- Get yourself some cheap ziplock or gladwear tupperwear containers. ALOT of them. At any given time we have 10-15 of these in the fridge. I portion out meals for us both out of what I cook on sundays, that way Taylor can take breakfast like this without thinking twice at 6am when he leaves the house. Then I also pack up leftovers when I put food away at night into these in appropriate portions so we can take leftovers easily for work. This will help when I go back to work too. Our containers are all saved from when Taylor's parents did success meals (they deliver 5 of these containers to your house everyday with healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and dessert in them)
Let me know if you have any questions on this stuff.
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