Okay, I was a little intimidated by the whole idea of cooking spaghetti squash, but I love all of the other squashes and figured I needed to get on this spaghetti squash train too!

This was a total experiment - no recipe, no measuring. It turned out great. The squash is so subtly sweet.

Squash Casserole

Alright - first cut your spaghetti squash on half lengthwise. Next place open side up on a baking sheet. Salt and pepper and bake 50 minutes or so at 375 degrees (should do the trick). Remove when inside is tender. Let cool for 10 minutes.

While the squash was cooking….

I made a sun dried tomato, spinach mixture:

• steam big bunch of fresh spinach
• roast a handful pine nuts
• sauté garlic (1 clove) and shallots (1 shallot) in olive oil
• add in toasted pine nuts
• toss into saute pan - handful softened sun dried tomatoes (soak in water for 30 minutes if dry)
• toss in 3 artichoke hearts (chopped)
• Mix this all together and remove from heat, place in bowl and set aside

Next I made a very light cream sauce (in same pan as I sauteed the mixture above):

• melt 1 tsp. smart balance butter
• add 1 T flour, mix with whisk
• whisk in 3/4 C fat free milk  and 1 T greek yogurt
• When it thickens, pour it over spinach mixture and set aside

Now that squash is cool, scrap away the flesh from the sides - it naturally pulls away in spaghetti like strands. Easy easy easy.

Finally, I put the squash in a 9×9 pan, mixed in the spinach cream sauce mixture, added some fresh ground pepper and sea salt, and 1/4 C fresh grated parmesan  and baked in the over for 30 minutes at 400….

Wow, this was sooo good. Tracey was really craving Thai tonight, so I raided the pantry and made this up . This recipe is based way loosely on her old favorite from our local Thai restaurant.

Time: 20 minutes, Servings: 2, WW Points: 5

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 2 t. olive oil
• 1 red pepper (julienned)
• 1 yellow pepper (julienned)
• 2 carrots (julienned)
• 1 zucchini (julienned)
• 1/3 sweet onion (julienned)
• 1 C.  bamboo shoots (drained)
• 1/3 - 1/2 C light coconut milk
• 1-2 T. curry paste (I used premixed variety with cumin and curry, you can also just use dried curry, but add in cumin too this really boosts the flavor)
• 1/2 t. anchovy paste, or fish oil
• juice from one lime
• 1/2 lb. chicken breast (cubed)
• salt/pepper
• sriracha sauce (to taste)

In skillet, heat olive oil and add diced garlic, quickly add in all vegetables and cook until onions start to turn translucent. At this point add in curry paste, and coconut milk. Mix well. Slide vegetables to one side of the pan and add in chicken on other side , and squeeze juice from half of the lime over chicken. Let cook for a few minutes. Lower heat to medium. Mix everything together in pan, and continue to add in coconut milk, anchovy paste, lime juice, salt and pepper (dont need much at all), siracha - add all of these to taste. I never really measure exactly so you should make sure and taste as you cook. Turn heat to low and cover pan and lets cook just a few minutes more.

We ate ours in a bowl, and I topped mine with Sriracha and loved it, but it would also be good over rice, or with snap peas, or chopped cashews or peanuts etc… we are going to be making varieties of this dish often I have a feeling!

This recipe was in last months Cooking Light. I have since made it 4 times. Of course I dont measure, but you can get the gist:

Time: 8 minutes, Servings: 2, WW Points: .5

Ingredients:

• 1 t. olive oil
• fresh corn off the cobb
• fresh grape tomatoes
• 2 shallots (finely chopped)
• 1-2 T. fresh basil
• 1 T. cider vinegar
• salt/pepper

Heat olive oil, add shallots &  corn - cook for 5 minutes on med-hi. Toss in tomatoes for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add chopped basil, cider vinegar and salt and pepper. Let cool. Eat alone as a side, or on anything!

I had mine on a meatless taco the other night! I used some sort of veggie crumble, seasons that and added all of the usual taco toppings.

This was one of my favorite dishes to eat while in France. I finally made my own the other day… the super easy, filling and healthy way.

Time: 30 minutes, Servings: 2-3, Points per serving: 4

Ingredients:

• 4-5 small red potatoes (boiled until fork tender)
• handful fresh green beans (steamed, 4-5 minutes)
• 2-3 cups romain lettuce
• 2-3 eggs (hard boiled , yolks removed)
• ripe tomatoes, I like just about any tomato as long as it is good. Use as many as you like. I think this salad is good with a lot of tomatoes
• 3-4  kalamata olives (chopped very small)
• very thinly sliced red onion (handful)
• one large package tuna fish packed in water

Prep Your Ingredients:

Boil your potatoes and steam your beans while you prep all of the other ingredients. Also wash your lettuce well. The key to this salad is keeping your ingredients dry. It can get watery with the steamed beans and boiled potatoes etc.. so make sure you dry things off  as you add them to the salad bowl.

Make the Dressing:

• juice from one lemon
• 1 T. olive oil
• squirt of dijon mustard
• salt and pepper

(I make this to taste - I like mine to be more acidic than anything else, so I use lots of lemon, less oil)

Toss everything together, and enjoy. I add a bit more salt and pepper, as I think a little extra really helps pull this dish together.

I think I need to mention that I always eat my leftovers.  Back when I was not so healthy, I didnt eat my leftovers. Now, let me clarify - I eat my leftovers from food hat I cook. If I eat at a restaurant and cant finish my food, which is almost always the case, I leave it there. It was a treat to go out to eat, and I dont need to continue to treat myself with restaurant food for more than that one meal!

I make a lot of one dish meals, eggplant lasagna, shepherds pie, fajitas, etc.. and when I do, I portion out my serving and always have leftovers. Now, not only is this cost effective and easy, but it saves me from that awful idea that I have to come up with something new and entertaining to eat for every meal. Which is so silly!

So, this being said, it is pretty cool that you can have leftovers and change them the next day - you know , make something just a little different.

Fajita Leftovers:

I made fajitas last weekend, and then the next night, made fajita quesadillas. All I did really was change the layout - instead of cocooned in a tortilla wrap, I made it flat and cooked it on the griddle. I added some refried beans and. jalepenos.

I also whipped up some Fresh Guacamole. And just in case I havent posted this recipe before:

• 1 ripe avocado
• add handful chopped sweet onion
• juice from a lime
• garlic powder
• fresh cilantro
• dash of hot sauce
• salt and pepper
• * combine and then add:
• 1/2 large fresh tomato, seeded (adding this last keeps it from getting mushy)

This recipe came from a Weight Watchers Favorites cookbook. I have never really cooked a pork roast before. It was easy, relatively quick and super yummy. We actually polished off the leftovers tonight.

Time: 40 minutes, Points: 5

Preheat oven to 450

Make a rub for the pork:

• 2 t. smoked paprika
• 1 t. thyme
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper

Coat pork with rub (1 lb of trimmed pork loin), and place in cooking spray coated high roasting pan for 30 - 40 minutes for medium.

Meanwhile, in saute pan:  for 1 minute over 1-2 t. olive oil, cook 1 chopped garlic clove and 2 diced shallots. After 1 minute (when these are slightly browned), add 3 1″ sliced plums, and 3,  1′” sliced peaches. Cook for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften.

I sliced my pork into 8 slices with an electric knife. One serving is 2 slices and  about 1 C of the fruit topping.

I also steamed fresh green beans - which I cooked in a steamer for about 5-8 minutes.  I ate mine with salt, pepper and a balsamic, olive oil, fresh chopped garlic dressing. Tracey ate hers with just fresh ground salt and pepper. Both are good, but I thought the balsamic that spread across my plate onto the fruit and pork was delicious.

We went to an Orioles game a few weeks ago and I watched my friends eating these amazing smelling, greasy sausage sandwiches - overflowing with peppers and onions and sauerkraut - ooh they smelled sooo good. So, surprise, surprise -  I made a healthy version:

before I rolled it up

Servings: 2, Time: 20 minutes, Points 4.5

Ingredients:

• 2 Low cal, low fat Chicken Sausage  (I used a version I got at Whole Foods, each sausage was 3 points)
• 1/2 red bell pepper - sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper - sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper - sliced
• 1/2 pickled sweet red pepper - sliced
• 3/4 red onion - sliced
• 1  1/4 C sauerkraut (this stuff has like 2 calories per cup)
• 2 Light  Original Flat Outs

I cooked the whole thing on my griddle, including the chicken sausage.  The trick is too cook the sausage and peppers and onions for a long time on lowish heat so the flavors really come out and blend etc. I cooked the peppers and onions for about 20 minutes. With about 5-8 minutes remaining, I threw the sauerkraut and pickled sweet red bell peppers on the griddle too. Finally I heated the flat outs for a few minutes too - so they were slightly crispy but still “rollable”.

I served with a little ketchup . I could barely finish. It was so yummy, the sandwich was exploding with peppers and onions - and missing all that greasy baseball game crap. I’ve had the three times since…

I used to make BLT’s all the time. I used really good bread coated in olive oil, I added avocado,turkey bacon and runny egg…mmm they were so good, but they are a thing I no longer eat. I though they were healthy - but they really weren’t. Anyhow, I was craving one, and was thinking about how I could make a new healthier version. I was totally successful! It was great - so I’m sharing.

Servings: 1, Time: 10 minutes, Points: 3.5

Ingredients:

• Weight Watchers English Muffin
• 1 slice Morning Star Farms Turkey bacon
• Green leaf lettuce
• 1 thick slice of ripe tomato
• 1/2 T. fat free mayo
• 1 egg

Toast English muffin. Heat 1 slice of bacon in the microwave. Slice tomato and grind sea salt and pepper over tomato - let sit to bring out flavor. Cook egg in cooking spray. I cook my egg until it is no longer runny and remove the yolk (just about all of it). Hit english muffin with mayo on both side s of sandwich. Layer with egg, tomato, lettuce, bacon  cut into halves.

Next time I’m going to throw a slice or tow of avocado in too. Sooo good.

K, so this dish is pretty simple. Great flavor, and so so so much healthier than the thing we used to order fro Outback - when we “thought” we were making healthy choices. Lets face it - the only healthy choice is when you decide to stay in and cook for yourself. That is the only way to actually KNOW what you are putting in your mouth.

Alright, I’m done ranting.

Here is the finished product:

Ingredients/Preparation:

Cook - 1 C whole wheat couscous (prepared as directed minus the oil, or butter - you dont need it)

Make glaze for chicken - I made a BBQ/mustard  glaze that I saw in the most recent cooking light:

• 2 T brown sugar (I opted for less sugar when I made mine)
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 2 t. chili powder
• 1 t. smoked paprika
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 C. ketchup
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• 1 T. dijon mustard

Grill - (with drizzle of olive oil and salt/pepper):

• sliced bell peppers - I like to use a variety, red, yellow, green etc…
• sliced sweet onion, or red onion
• sliced portobello mushrooms
• sliced fresh pineapple
• chicken breast

Toss all together and drizzle balsamic glaze , or balsamic vinegar (just a little).

So much better than Outback!!

Zucchini Fritters, with spicy Asian dipping sauce

Last night I made my summer rolls as seen is this previous blog post: Skinny CEO Summer Rolls recipe

Anyhow, I decided to make some zucchini fritters to go along with them.  I’ve made these before but did not make the sauce. This recipe is adopted from Ginas Weight Watchers blog: Zucchini pancakes

So, I followed Gina’s recipe except I only made half, and limited the egg yolk to only about half an egg yolk.

I made a spicy Asian dipping sauce that was quite good.  I didn’t want to use straight Hoisin Sauce since it is pretty sweet and full of calories, so I broke it down by adding a bunch of lime juice and a little Chili oil. It was super delicious and the Fritters went so well with the Summer Rolls!

Ingredients:

• Hoisin sauce
• juice from 1 lime
• hot chili oil