Pineapple Bliss Cupcakes
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/pineapple-bliss-cupcakes.html
I made this in a cake form for a birthday cake for my son's 4th birthday. It was so moist and so good.
We made it with the frosting - oh yum! I will probably not make it again for awhile because I ended up picking at my kids leftovers. :) But it you're looking for a good cake recipe, here's one to try. It's a really good summery cake.
Enjoy!
Nine Hungry Monsters
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
My new 2 week menu.
My hungry monsters are ready for a new menu. Most recipes did pretty good. Some of my kids liked the recipes more than others, but I came out with a couple winners. My very favorite was the coconut lime chicken and the mango chicken lettuce wraps. Oh yummy! They both made me very happy. :)
My most exciting thing right now is that I refilled the propane on my grill and I'm ready to barbecue! I find that grilling food is a great healthy way to prepare my meals. I especially love grilled veggies. Lots of yummy options for both main dishes and sides. You'll see several recipes this time that uses the grill.
Ethnic:
Hamburgers. I keep a pack of turkey burgers out for me. The 4 p+ that the small hamburger buns are are very not worth it to me. So I like my turkey burger wrapped in lettuce or on a sandwich thin. I have a low sugar ketcup that I use too to keep the points low. My turkey burger is 4 -5 p+ plain. (read the labels to get the nutrition info. Some very lean hamburgers will be the same p+) So add the extra points for your condiments and buns. I load up my burger with veggies. Yummy!
Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs (from WW)
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s)
1/2 medium pineapple
1 medium green pepper(s)
1 medium sweet red pepper(s)
1 large uncooked onion(s), spanish
1/4 cup(s) pineapple juice, or orange juice
3 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp olive oil
2 spray(s) cooking spray
2 cup(s) cooked white rice, kept hot
Instructions
Cut each chicken breast, pineapple, pepper and onion into approximately twenty-four 1-inch-thick pieces. Combine chicken, pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce and oil in a large nonmetallic bowl; marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Preheat grill. Lightly coat vegetables with cooking spray. Thread 2 pieces of pepper, pineapple, chicken and onion onto each of 8 skewers. Brush with marinade. (Note: If using wooden skewers, soak in water to prevent charring.)
Grill over medium-hot coals until chicken is completely cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning kebabs every 2 minutes so they're cooked evenly on all sides. Yields 2 kebabs and 1/2 cup rice per serving.
8 p+ per serving.
Chicken/crockpot:
I'm trying this recipe here - Grilled Orange Chicken. It does have to marinade overnight But it sounds really good.
I'm also going to do this one - Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken. We've done it before - usually in the oven. But this time I'll probably try the grill and see how it turns out.
Meatless/breakfast:
The old breakfast standby will be one of the meals. I like this recipe a lot.
Oatmeal -Buttermilk Pancakes topped with Cherries (WW)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup(s) buttermilk
1/2 cup(s) uncooked quick oats
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp canola oil
2 large egg white(s)
1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
2 cup(s) unsweetened frozen sour red cherries
4 Tbsp reduced-calorie pancake syrup
Instructions
Combine buttermilk, oats and vanilla; let stand, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in oil and egg whites.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add oat mixture to flour mixture and stir until smooth.
Spoon about 1/3 cup batter onto a hot, nonstick griddle. Flip pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges start to curl up.
Top pancakes with cherries and syrup. Yields 2 pancakes, 1/2 cup cherries and 1 tablespoon syrup per serving. (8 p+)
For our second meal, we'll either do baked potatoes or a big taco salad. (Depends on the leftovers I have at the time.)
Chicken/pork:
Skinnytaste.com has a new Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe here that looks really good. She uses a Homemade Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce in it that I love the idea of. I like that I can choose the ingredients for it and that it is so low in points. I'm not sure the difference between Kansas style and other types of BBQ sauce but hopefully we'll love it. :)
I'm planning on Country Style Boneless BBQ Ribs. It's not really worth the points to me so I probably will eat something different. I usually cook the pork with some dried onions for a couple hours on low or in my crock pot, drain the juices and then add BBQ sauce to it and finish cooking it for the remainder of the time. 3 oz is 6 p+ of the meat alone. Add at least 2 p+ for the sauce and then whatever you're serving it with. I work that night so I"ll probably just make myself a sandwich or a couple eggs instead.
Ground meat:
My two ground meat meals will be:
Beef Stroganoff - Slow Cooker (McCormick) from the WW site. It's 10 p+ which includes the egg noodles.
Ingredients
8 oz fresh mushroom(s), sliced
1/2 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), Chopped
1 serving(s) McCormick Beef Stroganoff Seasoning
1 cup(s) water
20 oz cooked trimmed beef eye round steak or roast
6 cup(s) cooked egg noodles
1 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
Instructions
Mix Seasoning packet with 1 cup of water, stir until dissolved. Pour mixture into slow cooker and mix until all ingredients are coated. cover. Let cook in slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Stir in sour cream until well blended. Cover. Cook 10 minutes longer on LOW. Serve over cooked egg noodles, if desired.
My hungry monsters are ready for a new menu. Most recipes did pretty good. Some of my kids liked the recipes more than others, but I came out with a couple winners. My very favorite was the coconut lime chicken and the mango chicken lettuce wraps. Oh yummy! They both made me very happy. :)
My most exciting thing right now is that I refilled the propane on my grill and I'm ready to barbecue! I find that grilling food is a great healthy way to prepare my meals. I especially love grilled veggies. Lots of yummy options for both main dishes and sides. You'll see several recipes this time that uses the grill.
Ethnic:
Hamburgers. I keep a pack of turkey burgers out for me. The 4 p+ that the small hamburger buns are are very not worth it to me. So I like my turkey burger wrapped in lettuce or on a sandwich thin. I have a low sugar ketcup that I use too to keep the points low. My turkey burger is 4 -5 p+ plain. (read the labels to get the nutrition info. Some very lean hamburgers will be the same p+) So add the extra points for your condiments and buns. I load up my burger with veggies. Yummy!
Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs (from WW)
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s)
1/2 medium pineapple
1 medium green pepper(s)
1 medium sweet red pepper(s)
1 large uncooked onion(s), spanish
1/4 cup(s) pineapple juice, or orange juice
3 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp olive oil
2 spray(s) cooking spray
2 cup(s) cooked white rice, kept hot
Instructions
Cut each chicken breast, pineapple, pepper and onion into approximately twenty-four 1-inch-thick pieces. Combine chicken, pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce and oil in a large nonmetallic bowl; marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Preheat grill. Lightly coat vegetables with cooking spray. Thread 2 pieces of pepper, pineapple, chicken and onion onto each of 8 skewers. Brush with marinade. (Note: If using wooden skewers, soak in water to prevent charring.)
Grill over medium-hot coals until chicken is completely cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning kebabs every 2 minutes so they're cooked evenly on all sides. Yields 2 kebabs and 1/2 cup rice per serving.
8 p+ per serving.
Chicken/crockpot:
I'm trying this recipe here - Grilled Orange Chicken. It does have to marinade overnight But it sounds really good.
I'm also going to do this one - Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken. We've done it before - usually in the oven. But this time I'll probably try the grill and see how it turns out.
Meatless/breakfast:
The old breakfast standby will be one of the meals. I like this recipe a lot.
Oatmeal -Buttermilk Pancakes topped with Cherries (WW)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup(s) buttermilk
1/2 cup(s) uncooked quick oats
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp canola oil
2 large egg white(s)
1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
2 cup(s) unsweetened frozen sour red cherries
4 Tbsp reduced-calorie pancake syrup
Instructions
Combine buttermilk, oats and vanilla; let stand, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in oil and egg whites.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add oat mixture to flour mixture and stir until smooth.
Spoon about 1/3 cup batter onto a hot, nonstick griddle. Flip pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges start to curl up.
Top pancakes with cherries and syrup. Yields 2 pancakes, 1/2 cup cherries and 1 tablespoon syrup per serving. (8 p+)
For our second meal, we'll either do baked potatoes or a big taco salad. (Depends on the leftovers I have at the time.)
Chicken/pork:
Skinnytaste.com has a new Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe here that looks really good. She uses a Homemade Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce in it that I love the idea of. I like that I can choose the ingredients for it and that it is so low in points. I'm not sure the difference between Kansas style and other types of BBQ sauce but hopefully we'll love it. :)
I'm planning on Country Style Boneless BBQ Ribs. It's not really worth the points to me so I probably will eat something different. I usually cook the pork with some dried onions for a couple hours on low or in my crock pot, drain the juices and then add BBQ sauce to it and finish cooking it for the remainder of the time. 3 oz is 6 p+ of the meat alone. Add at least 2 p+ for the sauce and then whatever you're serving it with. I work that night so I"ll probably just make myself a sandwich or a couple eggs instead.
Ground meat:
My two ground meat meals will be:
Beef Stroganoff - Slow Cooker (McCormick) from the WW site. It's 10 p+ which includes the egg noodles.
Ingredients
8 oz fresh mushroom(s), sliced
1/2 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), Chopped
1 serving(s) McCormick Beef Stroganoff Seasoning
1 cup(s) water
20 oz cooked trimmed beef eye round steak or roast
6 cup(s) cooked egg noodles
1 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
Instructions
Mix Seasoning packet with 1 cup of water, stir until dissolved. Pour mixture into slow cooker and mix until all ingredients are coated. cover. Let cook in slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Stir in sour cream until well blended. Cover. Cook 10 minutes longer on LOW. Serve over cooked egg noodles, if desired.
Stuffed Pepper Soup will be my other ground meat meal. We've had this before and it was really good. I did add a bit of brown sugar to the soup. It would increase the p+.
Homestyle:
Our homestyle meals will be our very favorite family meal - Rosemary Ranch Chicken. If you were to cook and serve it with the marinade, it would be 10 p+ per serving. But I usually don't use much of the cooked marinade. I think for me it would be more like 8 p+ per serving.
I have some pork tenderloin left over from last time we had it so I froze it in this marinade so that when we'll eat it, I'll just defrost the meat and it should be marinaded really good. The recipe is titled Marinated Pork Tenderloin from Allrecipes.com. It's a family favorite for sure! Pork tenderloin is super low in points - 3 oz for 3 p+. I would add another point for the marinade and serve it with brown rice/quinoa. If you include all the marinade - cook it while you grill the tenderloin - it is 7 p+ per serving for just the meat. Without the marinade, you're more like 5 p+ for a 4 - 5 oz piece.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Now that I've lost 50 lbs and am almost to my goal, people ask me how I cook. I am busy because well - life is just like that. Now that I've started a part time job with Weight Watchers I have to be prepared even more than usual. Here's how I do it.
Every day of the week has a theme. I meal plan around that theme. It helps give me direction to my meals or I'm just overwhelmed with the options. Many meals I choose can be used for more than 1 night. That's fine. I mix stuff up all the time. It's just a guideline to help me plan, not a rule.
Monday - Ethnic (Mexican, Italian, Chinese... etc)
Tuesday (my busiest day) - Chicken/crockpot or pork. It can be either or both.
Wednesday - Meatless or breakfast
Thursday (my other busiest day) - Chicken/crockpot or pork. Whatever I chose on Tuesday I do the other on Thursday.
Friday - Ground meat (I use turkey)
Saturday - Leftovers/fast meals
Sunday - Homestyle
I plan 2 weeks at a time. It works best with my schedule and paycheck. I try to do all the shopping the weekend before but sometimes it takes me longer to get everything I need. Here are some examples of what my menus might include. (This is my current 2 week menu).
Ethnic - Chili, tacos, spaghetti, stir fry. This week we had Colorful mango chicken salad lettuce wraps. Well, I had the lettuce wrap. My kids ate it in a tortilla. Delicious! I was going to be training for work so I wasn't home for dinner. I prepared it in advance and had it waiting for the family when they got home and were ready to eat. 5 p+ per serving. I had two servings. Mmmmm!
Next Monday we're having weight watchers points plus taco casserole. at 7 p+ it seems like a great family meal that my kids and I will like. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Chicken/crockpot - I won't be home at all after 5 pm tonight so I'm making this slow cooker lemon garlic chicken. It looks like something the kids will like and the lemon garlic sauce should only add a small amount of points if any. The p+ will depend on how big your chicken portion will be. But for 3 oz - it's 3 p+, 5 oz is 5 p+. I'll add a point for the sauce unless I have extra sauce and then I'll add more points. We'll I'll have some quinoa/brown rice or noodles for them to eat it with and veggies.
Next week I'm making lime and coconut chicken. Again, not a lot of points added for just the chicken but you should add points if you are going to eat much of the sauce. It's a quick cooking chicken (you pound it out) so I"ll either cook it in the afternoon and then keep it warm in the crockpot or have it all ready and cook it when we're done with our paper route and have a later dinner.
Meatless/breakfast - Our meatless meals will be heart shaped chocolate chip banana pancakes. We've had these before and they are so yummy! 5 p+ for 2 pancakes. I'll probably not bother making them heart shaped since it's not for a special occasion.
Our other meatless meal will probably be baked potatoes. The kids love it and it's easy to make. Baked potatoes are very Weight Watchers friendly - or can be if you make good portion and topping choices. I usually skip the butter and have steamed broccoli, salsa, low fat or fat free sour cream, salt and pepper, and sometimes chili.
Chicken/Pork - I will start working my normal shift this week which means I'll be gone again after 5 pm. I have to have a crockpot meal ready. We'll be having slow cooker cream cheese chicken chili. Oh man, when you see the picture you'll see how great it looks. It is 7 p+ if you divide the recipe into 6 servings. 5 out of 5 for sure!
We'll round out week 2 with sweet and fiery pork tenderloin with mango salsa. 6 p+ per serving.
Ground meat - NOTE: I use ground turkey (93% fat free) for all ground beef or hamburger. Points are calculated based on that. I'm excited to try this Cheesy Chili-Mac on the WW website. Here's the recipe.
Cheesy Chili-Mac (from WW website)
Cooking spray
2/3 pound uncooked lean ground beef
2 medium uncooked onions, chopped
29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, mexican style (undrained)
2 1/2 c. canned tomato juice
4 oz canned green chili peppers, diced, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 servings uncooked macaroni, elbow size
31 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Cook beef and onion until meat is browned, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off fat.
Stir in undrained tomatoes and their juice, tomato juice, chili peppers, and chili powder. Bring mixture to a boil.
Stir in macaroni and beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes. Spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 cup chili and 1 TB cheese per serving.
7 p+ per serving. Serves 8
We'll probably have Bowser's Green Chili Stew the next week. Here's the recipe.
2 lbs hamburger, drained
8 med potatoes, diced
2 cans beef broth
1/2 med onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
green chilies to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer together until potatoes are done.
8 large servings at 9p+ per serving.
Homestyle - Our favorite Sunday dinners.
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (from WW website)
1 1/2 TB cornstarch, divided
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 pound uncooked lean trimmed sirloin beef, thinly sliced against the grain
2 tsp canola oil
1 c reduced sodium chicken broth, divided
5 c. uncooked broccoli florets
1 TB ginger root, fresh, minced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. water
On a plate combine cornstarch and salt. Add beef and toss to coat.
Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add 1/2 c. broth to same pan. Stir to loosen any bits of food on bottom of pan. Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon of water if needed until broccoli is almost crisp - tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In a cup stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 c. broth, remaining 1/2 TB cornstarch and water until blended. Stir into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Return beef and accumulated juices to pan. toss to coat. Serve
1 1/4 c. per serving 5 p+
We had a family dinner at my parents last Sunday so I only have one meal. However, I cooked a couple fabulous side dishes that turned out great.
Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Beans (from WW website)
3 slices of uncooked reduced fat bacon (can use regular bacon too - will not affect p+ values)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (a little much for me. I'd go easy on the pepper flakes)
1 c. uncooked onion, diced
1 lb uncooked kale, stemmed, roughly chopped
1 c. canned chicken broth, or beef broth
15 oz canned canneliini beans, rinsed and drained (I used great northern)
1 tsp salt
1 TB balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Cook bacon in a large pot or skillet until desired crispness. Remove from pot and set aside. Leave drippings in pot.
Add garlic and red pepper flakes to bacon drippings; cook, stirring, until garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add kale; cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to wilt, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth; cover and simmer over low heat until kale is just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add beans; simmer, uncovered, until liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in salt, vinegar and sugar. Sprinkle with crumpled bacon and serve immediately. Yields about 1 1/4 c. per serving.
The other side I made was quinoa mac n cheese. Very mild and a little dry. I'll add more milk next time. I'll probably use sharp cheese too to make it more cheesy tasting. But very good 4.5 out of 5.
I have some other meal plans stored. I'll post them when I get a few minutes again. Here's a start for some of you - even if it's just to get a few ideas. Planning is key! YOU can do it!
Every day of the week has a theme. I meal plan around that theme. It helps give me direction to my meals or I'm just overwhelmed with the options. Many meals I choose can be used for more than 1 night. That's fine. I mix stuff up all the time. It's just a guideline to help me plan, not a rule.
Monday - Ethnic (Mexican, Italian, Chinese... etc)
Tuesday (my busiest day) - Chicken/crockpot or pork. It can be either or both.
Wednesday - Meatless or breakfast
Thursday (my other busiest day) - Chicken/crockpot or pork. Whatever I chose on Tuesday I do the other on Thursday.
Friday - Ground meat (I use turkey)
Saturday - Leftovers/fast meals
Sunday - Homestyle
I plan 2 weeks at a time. It works best with my schedule and paycheck. I try to do all the shopping the weekend before but sometimes it takes me longer to get everything I need. Here are some examples of what my menus might include. (This is my current 2 week menu).
Ethnic - Chili, tacos, spaghetti, stir fry. This week we had Colorful mango chicken salad lettuce wraps. Well, I had the lettuce wrap. My kids ate it in a tortilla. Delicious! I was going to be training for work so I wasn't home for dinner. I prepared it in advance and had it waiting for the family when they got home and were ready to eat. 5 p+ per serving. I had two servings. Mmmmm!
Next Monday we're having weight watchers points plus taco casserole. at 7 p+ it seems like a great family meal that my kids and I will like. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Chicken/crockpot - I won't be home at all after 5 pm tonight so I'm making this slow cooker lemon garlic chicken. It looks like something the kids will like and the lemon garlic sauce should only add a small amount of points if any. The p+ will depend on how big your chicken portion will be. But for 3 oz - it's 3 p+, 5 oz is 5 p+. I'll add a point for the sauce unless I have extra sauce and then I'll add more points. We'll I'll have some quinoa/brown rice or noodles for them to eat it with and veggies.
Next week I'm making lime and coconut chicken. Again, not a lot of points added for just the chicken but you should add points if you are going to eat much of the sauce. It's a quick cooking chicken (you pound it out) so I"ll either cook it in the afternoon and then keep it warm in the crockpot or have it all ready and cook it when we're done with our paper route and have a later dinner.
Meatless/breakfast - Our meatless meals will be heart shaped chocolate chip banana pancakes. We've had these before and they are so yummy! 5 p+ for 2 pancakes. I'll probably not bother making them heart shaped since it's not for a special occasion.
Our other meatless meal will probably be baked potatoes. The kids love it and it's easy to make. Baked potatoes are very Weight Watchers friendly - or can be if you make good portion and topping choices. I usually skip the butter and have steamed broccoli, salsa, low fat or fat free sour cream, salt and pepper, and sometimes chili.
Chicken/Pork - I will start working my normal shift this week which means I'll be gone again after 5 pm. I have to have a crockpot meal ready. We'll be having slow cooker cream cheese chicken chili. Oh man, when you see the picture you'll see how great it looks. It is 7 p+ if you divide the recipe into 6 servings. 5 out of 5 for sure!
We'll round out week 2 with sweet and fiery pork tenderloin with mango salsa. 6 p+ per serving.
Ground meat - NOTE: I use ground turkey (93% fat free) for all ground beef or hamburger. Points are calculated based on that. I'm excited to try this Cheesy Chili-Mac on the WW website. Here's the recipe.
Cheesy Chili-Mac (from WW website)
Cooking spray
2/3 pound uncooked lean ground beef
2 medium uncooked onions, chopped
29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, mexican style (undrained)
2 1/2 c. canned tomato juice
4 oz canned green chili peppers, diced, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 servings uncooked macaroni, elbow size
31 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Cook beef and onion until meat is browned, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off fat.
Stir in undrained tomatoes and their juice, tomato juice, chili peppers, and chili powder. Bring mixture to a boil.
Stir in macaroni and beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes. Spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 cup chili and 1 TB cheese per serving.
7 p+ per serving. Serves 8
We'll probably have Bowser's Green Chili Stew the next week. Here's the recipe.
2 lbs hamburger, drained
8 med potatoes, diced
2 cans beef broth
1/2 med onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
green chilies to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer together until potatoes are done.
8 large servings at 9p+ per serving.
Homestyle - Our favorite Sunday dinners.
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (from WW website)
1 1/2 TB cornstarch, divided
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 pound uncooked lean trimmed sirloin beef, thinly sliced against the grain
2 tsp canola oil
1 c reduced sodium chicken broth, divided
5 c. uncooked broccoli florets
1 TB ginger root, fresh, minced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. water
On a plate combine cornstarch and salt. Add beef and toss to coat.
Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add 1/2 c. broth to same pan. Stir to loosen any bits of food on bottom of pan. Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon of water if needed until broccoli is almost crisp - tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In a cup stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 c. broth, remaining 1/2 TB cornstarch and water until blended. Stir into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Return beef and accumulated juices to pan. toss to coat. Serve
1 1/4 c. per serving 5 p+
We had a family dinner at my parents last Sunday so I only have one meal. However, I cooked a couple fabulous side dishes that turned out great.
Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Beans (from WW website)
3 slices of uncooked reduced fat bacon (can use regular bacon too - will not affect p+ values)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (a little much for me. I'd go easy on the pepper flakes)
1 c. uncooked onion, diced
1 lb uncooked kale, stemmed, roughly chopped
1 c. canned chicken broth, or beef broth
15 oz canned canneliini beans, rinsed and drained (I used great northern)
1 tsp salt
1 TB balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Cook bacon in a large pot or skillet until desired crispness. Remove from pot and set aside. Leave drippings in pot.
Add garlic and red pepper flakes to bacon drippings; cook, stirring, until garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add kale; cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to wilt, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth; cover and simmer over low heat until kale is just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add beans; simmer, uncovered, until liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in salt, vinegar and sugar. Sprinkle with crumpled bacon and serve immediately. Yields about 1 1/4 c. per serving.
The other side I made was quinoa mac n cheese. Very mild and a little dry. I'll add more milk next time. I'll probably use sharp cheese too to make it more cheesy tasting. But very good 4.5 out of 5.
I have some other meal plans stored. I'll post them when I get a few minutes again. Here's a start for some of you - even if it's just to get a few ideas. Planning is key! YOU can do it!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Banana caramel pudding cake
Banana Caramel Pudding Cake
Mmmmmm...... This recipe is from weightwatchers.com. It makes 10 very small servings You can find the original recipe here.
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp flour
1 1/3 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 c. mashed banana (about 2 bananas)
1/2 c. low fat milk
2 TB vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. water, boiling
2 1/4 c. fat free vanilla ice cream
Preheat oven to 350. Combine brown sugar and 2 tsp flour. Set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine 1 1/3 c. flour and next seven ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir with a wire wisk. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Combine banana and next three ingredients. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Spoon batter into an 8 inch square baking pan. Spri kle with brown sugar mixture.
Pour 1 1/2 c. boiling water over batter. (Do not stir). Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until pudding is bubbly and cake springs back when touched. Serve warm. Divide into individual dishes and top with :-) 2 TB ice cream.
NUTRITION
8 points plus per serving
Quinoa tabbouleh
This is actually my bowl of this recipe. Yum! |
If you haven't read my other blog about what I think about Quinoa, you can find it here. This is a great recipe and super healthy! (Only some of my kids liked this. Too many veggies for some of them.) :) This recipe is from allrecipes.com and can be found here. As a side, this serves 8 - about 1 cup each.
2 cups water (I actually recommend chicken broth instead of water for additional flavor)
1 cup quinoa
1 pinch salt
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 bunches green onions, diced
2 carrots, grated
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
In a saucepan, bring water (chicken broth) to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a large green bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, carrots, and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.
NUTRITION:
Plain quinoa is 5 points plus per cup. This recipe is also aprox. 5 points plus per cup.
Whole wheat banana waffles
Whole Wheat Banana Waffles
I tried these the other morning. They are very good and filling. My family loved them too. I don't think they realized that there was bananas in it since it was blended up. I had to quadruple it though. :)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. fat free milk
1 TB sugar
1 TB canola oil
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
Spray a waffle iron with nonstick spray and heat. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend and scrape the sides. Blend again until smooth.
Place 1/2 c. of the batter in the heated waffle iron; Cook until brown, about 2 minutes. Makes about 4 waffles. Yields 1 waffle per serving.
NUTRITION:
6 points plus per waffle
Marinated pork tenderloin
Marinated Pork Tenderloin
One of my favorite cuts of meat. It's super lean and really tender if you don't overcook it. This recipe is slightly sweet. It's adapted from allrecipes.com. Here's the original link.
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 TB red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp cinnamon
2 TB olive oil
1 pinch of garlic powder
2 pork tenderloins, 3/4 pound each.
Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Mush together to mix. Add pork, seal and refrigerate for 6 - 12 hours.
You can grill this over high heat outside until the temp measures 160. I also grill inside with my broiler. I turn on the broiler and place on top rack of my oven and turn every few minutes. Either way, it turns out great!
The marinade you can baste your meat, toss it, or heat it up to a boil and use it as a sauce on the side.
NUTRITION:
Cooked pork tenderloin is about 1 point plus per ounce. If you cook and use all the marinade with the pork, your points per serving (based on 4 servings) is 7. One serving of meat would be about 4 ounces.
If you're tossing the marinade and just eating the meat, add 1 point per 4 ounces of meat.
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