Avocado Ranch Coleslaw

Well HELLO! I apologize for getting a little off-track with my posts the last couple of weeks. Work was really busy and then I was thrown off by the holiday weekend. I hope everyone who had a three-day weekend enjoyed it! My parents have a house in upstate New York and every Memorial Day my dad's side of the family heads up there. There are tents and bonfires and games and music and singing and hanging out by the pool ... oh, and there's a TON of eating. And drinking. Let's just say Memorial Day weekend is NOT a Weight Watchers weekend. Oh well ... worth it.

But, the holiday is over and I need some healthy food back in my life. Enter this week's recipe: Avocado Ranch Coleslaw! 

I absolutely love coleslaw. But prepared the traditional way, with a ton of mayo, it's definitely not healthy. Another thing I absolutely love is avocado. Especially in summer. Something about fresh avocado (and homemade guacamole) just resembles summer to me. I came up with the idea to combine the two, and it worked out pretty nicely. The addition of ranch is just because I think ranch dressing makes everything better. Wings, veggies - what doesn't benefit from a little ranch?

Anyway, let's discuss this recipe. It's really easy and tasty too. And I'm already thinking of ways it can be used other than just as a side dish (hint: I think it would be REALLY yummy on shrimp tacos. There may or may not be a recipe coming soon that uses this coleslaw that way ...)

Start with a package of coleslaw in a large bowl. I usually buy Dole Classic Coleslaw when I make slaw, but any brand will do.

Then, in a small bowl, combine everything else (avocado, ranch, sour cream, mayo, and vinegar). The avocado I used was perfectly ripe, so I only needed to use a spoon to combine everything. If your avocado is still a little hard, you may need to use a hand mixer. I think that avocados taste the best when they're slightly mushy to touch but still firm overall. They're also much easier to mix when they're like this.

Add the avocado mix to the slaw and stir, stir, stir until the slaw is coated evenly. Season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir again.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It tastes best if you're able to refrigerate for at least an hour. Since this uses avocado, it may start to brown after a day or so, so I recommend making this when you know you'll be eating it or serving it within a day.

Before serving, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder again and give it a final stir to combine.

That's it! It's good on the side of a summer meal, but I personally think it would be even better when incorporated into a meal, like on a burger or sandwich, or inside some shrimp tacos ... (hint, hint)!

Enjoy! As always, feedback is appreciated!

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 1 bag coleslaw mix 
• 1 medium avocado (about 7 oz), shelled and pit discarded
• 3 tbsp fat free ranch dressing
• 1 tbsp fat free sour cream
• 1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder (to taste, but I recommend being generous with these)

Serving size: 1/4 of recipe
Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 3

Instructions

1. Empty the coleslaw mix into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the avocado, ranch, sour cream, mayo, and vinegar. Depending on how soft your avocado is, you may need a hand mixer for this.
3. Add the avocado mix to the slaw and stir until the slaw is evenly coated. Season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and stir to combine.
4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (I recommend refrigerating for at least an hour, and serving within a day).
5. Before serving, season again with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and give the slaw a final stir.

Nutritional Information

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin "Pancake" Muffins

It doesn't get much easier than this.

Throw a bunch of ingredients into a bowl, mix them up, put them in a pan, and bake. That's it.

I don't know if I could handle much more than that on a beautiful Saturday like the one we're having today.

To check if the muffins are done baking, stick a knife or a toothpick into the middle of one. If it comes out clean, they're done! (Note: If there's some melted chocolate on the knife, that's okay - as long as there's no batter).

I made these last Sunday ... I ate one immediately, then wrapped the pan in foil and put it in the fridge. I took one to work each day for breakfast. They taste especially good if you microwave them for 10-20 seconds before eating ... the chocolate gets all melty and delicious and perfect.

I plan on doing the same thing this week with the batch I just made.

That's really it. This might be the easiest recipe I've ever created.

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick pancake & baking mix
• 1/3 cup Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin
• 1/4 cup pancake syrup (I use Aunt Jemima Butter Light)
• 3 oz nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp chocolate chips (I use Nestle Toll House semi sweet)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 zero-calorie sweetener packet (I use Sweet & Low)

Serving size: 1 muffin

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 4

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 6-cup muffin pan with no-calorie nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Distribute mix evenly among the muffin cups.
3. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the muffins are golden brown on top and a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Nutritional information

Lightened-Up Carbonara Pasta

This dish right here is the definition of a happy accident. I hadn't gone food shopping this week and worked late a few nights and needed to make something quick. I boiled some pasta and was rummaging through my fridge to see what I could add to it. I had some bacon, an onion, and a pepper. I found some peas in the freezer, added a makeshift cheese "sauce," and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

It wasn't until later that I realized it resembled a carbonara. I knew I needed to add it to the blog.

It's really quite easy to make. Start by chopping and cooking your veggies.

While they're cooking, prepare the pasta. Add the cheese wedges and mix - this will serve as your "sauce."

Now, I'm not a professionally trained chef (shocking, I know). I make meals that are easy, tasty, and diet-friendly. Maybe one day I'll learn how to cook a real, professional sauce but until then, these The Laughing Cow cheese wedges work just fine.

When the veggies are done, add them to the pasta and stir to combine.

If your cheese wedges didn't melt fully before, they'll definitely melt when you add the hot, cooked veggies and stir. 

Next up, BACON. I never liked bacon as a kid, but as an adult I've developed a taste for it. I'm late to the game, I know. But the point is, I like it now and I use it in lots of recipes and it really just takes them from good to great. For this recipe, cook the bacon, then crumble it over the pasta and stir to combine.

Finally, add the grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, and BOOM. Lightened-up carbonara pasta. 

I made this tonight (Sunday) and plan on bringing it to work for lunch this week. It can be microwaved and eaten hot, or eaten cold as a pasta salad - it's great both ways.

As always, feedback is appreciated!

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 12 oz (1 box) shell pasta, cooked according to package instructions
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 5 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
• 10 slices Oscar Mayer center cut bacon (or brand of your choice)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Serving size: 1/5 of recipe

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 9

Instructions

1. Spray a large frying pan or skillet with no-calorie nonstick cooking spray. Place it on the stove on medium/high heat and add the green pepper, onion, and peas. Stirring occasionally, cook until the veggies are soft and slightly brown, about 10-12 minutes. (Note: It saves time if you cook the pasta while the veggies are cooking).
2. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then transfer to a large bowl.
3. While the pasta is still hot, add the cheese wedges to the bowl and stir immediately to melt and combine. If the cheese doesn’t melt fully, don’t worry – you’ll stir again after you add the cooked veggies.
4. When the vegetables are done cooking, add them to the pasta and stir to combine.
5. Cook the bacon according to package instructions (I always microwave mine, it’s fastest and easiest). Crumble the bacon over the pasta and then stir to combine (I usually just wait until the bacon cools off and then break it into pieces with my fingers).
6. Add the grated cheese and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, give it one final stir, and serve!

Nutritional Information

Ham and Egg Breakfast Cups

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone's having a great weekend. Here in New York, this is the first weekend that we've had really nice spring weather two days in a row, so I've really been enjoying that.

Anyway, I'm really excited to share this recipe! Last week, I was asked about breakfast recipes and I realized that I didn't have many! Breakfast is one of my favorite meals, but unfortunately it doesn't always get the attention it deserves from me. Most days I wake up, get ready for work in a sleepy daze, and take the train to the city. By the time I have my coffee in hand and I'm settled at my desk, I usually just heat up some oatmeal and call that breakfast (not knocking oatmeal - it's delicious - but it can get a little boring day after day).

That's what's so great about this recipe - it's really easy (seriously, minimal effort required), super fast, and the leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten for breakfast all week. 

One thing you will need is a muffin tin - if you don't have one, I bet those paper cupcake holders would work just fine, but I can't guarantee it because I didn't try it.

Anyway, once the oven is preheated, you start by spraying the muffin tin and lining each cup with a slice of ham. (Note: I only have a 6-muffin tin, so this recipe yields 6 servings. If you have a second tin, or don't mind baking in two shifts, it can easily be doubled to yield more).

In a small bowl, mix together your filling. The beauty of this recipe is that you can basically add whatever you want to the eggs here and customize the filling to your liking. I used green bell pepper, onion, salt, and pepper - very simple, but I love the combination of peppers and onions, especially with eggs. A tip, though: if you want to go a little crazy with the veggies (or if you want to add a meat, like bacon or sausage or something), reduce the amount of egg a bit. Too many add-ins and there will probably be too much to fit in the cups.

So anyway, once you have your filling, distribute it evenly among the ham-lined muffin cups. I found that it helps to spoon it in, rather than try to pour it in.

Top them off with some shredded cheese - because why not? - and then pop them in the oven.

The result is delicious, cheesy, veggie-filled, muffin-shaped egg cups wrapped in crispy sweet ham. They're REALLY good. I had two for breakfast (with a little ketchup, since I grew up always putting ketchup on my eggs and omelettes) with some coffee and was fully satisfied - they're pretty filling.

The leftovers are in a tupperware in my fridge, ready to come to work with me this week for a much-needed break from oatmeal.

So that's that - as always, feedback is appreciated! 

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 6 slices (about 2 1/4 oz) Oscar Mayer honey ham
• 1 cup liquid egg whites (equivalent to whites from 6 eggs)
• 1/4 small green pepper, chopped fine (about 3-4 tbsp)
• 1/4 small sweet onion, chopped fine (about 3-4 tbsp)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Serving size: 1 breakfast cup

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 1

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Line each muffin cup with a slice of ham. Set aside.
3. In small bowl, mix egg whites, green pepper, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
4. Distribute the egg mixture evenly among the ham cups (it helps to use a spoon for this), then sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tops.
5. Bake for 22-25 minutes until egg is no longer runny. Serve warm.

Nutritional information

Honey Teriyaki Chicken Wrap

If you're like me, you don't want to spend a long time in the kitchen after work preparing dinner. I've mentioned that I commute from Long Island to the city for work, so most nights I don't get home until around 7:00. But even if I got home earlier, I wouldn't want to spend too much time getting dinner ready.

That's why this wrap is perfect. It's tasty, fresh, and takes only minutes to prepare. You could cut the prep time down even more if you cook your chicken in advance.

I mentioned earlier that you can save time by cooking chicken in advance. Now, I'm not a chicken expert - I don't want to say with certainty how long cooked chicken will last in a refrigerator before it goes bad. But I've grilled a bunch of chicken breasts on a Sunday, packed them into an airtight Ziploc®, and refrigerated them, and they were fine for about a week. At the very least, you should be able to eat the chicken for up to a few days after you cook it, as long as it's refrigerated and sealed.

There are plenty of ways to cook chicken. You can use the stove, poach it (when I poach I season with salt, pepper, and garlic, but don't add anything else), cook it in the oven (I'd use no-calorie nonstick spray instead of butter or olive oil), use a crock pot, or use my method of choice - grill it on the George Foreman. I season my chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and then just throw it on the Foreman at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. 

While the chicken is cooking, add your lettuce, grated cheese, teriyaki sauce, and croutons to a bowl.

The recipe calls for 3 1/2 tbsp of marinade. It doesn't seem like a lot, but trust me, it's more than enough. I used to be guilty of using way more dressing or sauce than necessary because I never believed the small portions would be enough, but once I started measuring more carefully, I realized that a little does go a long way.

When the chicken is finished, cut it into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl.

Toss the chicken with the rest of the ingredients. Lay the wrap on a plate and place the chicken teriyaki mixture on top of it. 

I like to put my wrap on the Foreman for a few minutes because I think it's better warm - that's just my preference, though. Definitely not a requirement.

The final step is to roll it up as tightly as you can, and enjoy! Also, in doing this, I've added a new goal to my cooking goals: learn how to roll a wrap properly. I'm pretty bad at it.

Make sure you have a fork handy in case you're bad at rolling wraps like I am - it comes in handy to eat the filling that falls out.

So that's that! This is one of my favorites. I've been making this a lot lately. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Until next time!

Ingredients

• One 4.8-oz chicken breast fillet, cooked (I like Perdue® Perfect Portions® boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 1 cup chopped lettuce (or salad mix of your choice, I like to use Dole)
• 2 tbsp grated cheese
• 3 1/2 tbsp honey teriyaki marinade (I use Ken's)
• 6-9 croutons (I absolutely love the Butter & Garlic ones by Fresh Gourmet)
• 1 wrap of your choice (100 calories or less)

Serving size: Entire recipe

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 10

Instructions

1. Cook the chicken using your preferred method.
2. While the chicken is cooking, add the lettuce, grated cheese, marinade, and croutons to a small bowl.
3. When the chicken is finished, cut it into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated in marinade.
4. Spread the mixture across the wrap and roll it tightly.

Nutritional Information

Slimmed-Down Chicken Mozzarella Pasta

I wanted to post something extra delicious for my first recipe, and this is it. Chicken. Mozzarella. Pasta. With sun-dried tomatoes. And sauteed veggies. It's creamy, just the right amount of spicy, and filling.

Bear with me, my photography skills are somewhat lacking. And I was so excited to make this that I forgot to take pictures of the different steps along the way and only took a picture of the finished product. I'll try to do better next time, I promise.

I wish I could take full credit for this, but the original idea is from Julia's Album. Her Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes looked SO good that I knew I needed to make it. I plugged the recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe builder, and the stats weren't bad - 14 PointsPlus for 1/4 of the recipe. For something so thick and filling, that's not that bad. But I wanted to see if I could get that a bit lower. So, here's my slimmed-down version!

Ingredients

• No-stick cooking spray (like PAM)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 oz sun-dried tomato halves (dry - not in oil)
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 of a medium vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• 4 oz ziti pasta (about 1 1/3 cups), cooked according to package directions and drained
• 8 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• Salt (to taste), to season chicken
• Garlic powder (to taste), to season chicken
• Paprika (to taste), to season chicken
• 3/4 cup fat-free half and half
• 1/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage Total 2%)
• 1 cup fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp ground basil (or more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Servings: 4 medium servings or 3 large servings (nutritional information provided below for 1/3 of recipe)

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 7 (if you split into 4 servings) or 10 (if you split into 3 servings)

Instructions

1. Spray a large pan or skillet with no-stick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion. Stirring frequently (but not constantly), cook until garlic is fragrant and vegetables are soft. TIP: If veggies start to stick to the pan, give them a quick spray with no-stick spray and stir.
2. While the veggies are cooking, season the chicken with salt, garlic powder, and paprika.
3. Once cooked, remove the veggies from the pan and transfer to a plate (you'll add them back in later). Place the pan back on the stove. Lower the heat to medium and add the chicken. Cook for about a minute on each side, flipping frequently as to not burn. When chicken is fully cooked, remove the pan from the heat.
4. Add the cooked veggies to the pan with the chicken. Add the half and half, yogurt, and cheese. Return the pan to medium heat and stir to combine.
5. When the mixture starts to boil, lower the heat. Stir constantly until the cheese melts and a creamy sauce forms.Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. TIP: If sauce is too thick, add water, 1 tsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
6. When the sauce is of the desired consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Season with basil and red pepper flakes and enjoy!

Since I'm just getting started, I'd love comments and/or feedback! If you have any questions about the recipe, or any suggestions on how I can make my posts better/more helpful, please let me know.


Until next time!

Nutritional information