Christmas Desserts and Treat Tins

I volunteered to make desserts for Christmas Eve. I decided to make a bunch of mini desserts for more vareity and figures I could use the leftovers for dessert on Christmas day. I was originally going to make a bunch of half batches of the desserts, but then I thought it would be a good idea to make treat tins for people we would be visiting Christmas day. I was off work (or maybe I was sick ::cough, cough::) the Wednesday before the holiday so I spent the majority of the day baking the following goodies. They were all delicious and a big hit with everyone.

Red Velvet Cupcakes: These were originally supposed to be cookies, but I used applesauce and egg substitute instead of the oil and eggs and the result was more of a cake batter vs. a cookie dough.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Mini Cheesecakes: I used used Nilla Wafers and fresh strawberries for half, oreo cookies and chocolate chips for the other half.

White Chocolate Oreo Truffles

Chocolate Oreo Truffles

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Chocolate Fudge
I made a few more, but did not have a chance to photograph them before they were gone!
Mini Pecan Pies
Jam Thumbprints
Sugar Cookie Bites

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My husband and I on Christmas Eve

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Bryan and I certainly had a busy, family filled day, but it was definitely a good time. I haven't been cooking too much because of the holidays and eating out with family and friends. I won't be posting a menu this week as Bryan and I are both off work and making our dinner plans day to day. I will be back to cooking and menu planning after the new year!

Garlic Baked Shrimp

This dish was so-so. I think I let the breadcrumb mixture sit too long before using it so it became a clumpy mess. Some shrimp were bland with no topping and others were overwhelming with a huge chunk of breadcrumbs. If I make this again, I will probably sprinkle the bread crumb mixture onto the shrimp and then drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2.5 T finely chopped fresh Parsley
3/4 t grated lemon rind
Salt
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1.5 heaping T lemon juice
1 T olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Coat 2 qt baking dish with cooking spray. Add shrimp and set aside.

3. Combine breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon rind, salt and garlic in a bowl. Stir in lemon juice and oil. Sprinkle over shrimp.

4. Bake for 13 minutes or until shrimp are done and breadcrumbs are lightly browned.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 141.0
Total Fat 4.0 g
Fiber 0.7 g
WW Points 3

Christmas Cookies

I have seen and bookmarked so many wonderful cookie recipes recently, however there is no way I can make a whole batch and keep it in my kitchen. I will, without fail, eat each and every one of them. That doesn’t quite fit into my losing weight plan. So instead, I decided to spend a day baking cookies for my husband and I to share with our co-workers. I used leftover wedding favor bags, dressed it up with some festive ribbon and added a Happy Holidays note. The cookies were delicious and everyone loved them! I was able to eat a few (well maybe a little more than that….) and then gave the rest away!

I made peanut butter cookies:


Iced sugar cookies with peppermint sugar on top:

Snickerdoodles:

and Dorie Greenspan’s world peace cookies:

Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu

On Saturday after a morning of errands (Costco!) and then lunch, I was about to head over to my mother in laws house to make pierogi for her Polish Christmas Eve party. Before I go, I ask Bryan what our plans are for dinner. He says he’s in the mood for ‘deconstructed chicken cordon bleu’ similar to a seasonal favorite at a local restaurant. I semi-laugh, tell him to find a recipe and head out the door (with my KA stand mixer under my arm.)

Pierogi making was quite an adventure, let me tell you. Four hours, four batches of dough, two different fillings and 120+ pierogi later, we were exhausted! Next time I think we’re going to add some wine to the mix ;). At this point, Bryan (at home) has found a recipe and texted me the grocery list. I hit up Publix on the way home. Lucky for me, Bryan took the reins on this dish. He started off a little rocky, but the finished product was quite delicious! You can check out the full recipe on Food Network.

This was definitely a great dish that I’m sure we’ll make again, however of worthy note was the dressing from this recipe. On Bryan’s original list was fig jam OR raspberry jam. I went straight for the raspberry, because honestly, fig didn’t sound so great to me. When I went to write this blog entry, I pulled up the original recipe and noticed it had no mention of the raspberry jam. I asked Bryan about it and he said he knew I would immediately question the fig jam and came up with an alternative that sounded good. I think the raspberry jam really made this dish and the excellent dressing. This would be delicious on pretty much any kind of grilled meat. Check it out below.


Raspberry Jam Dressing
1.5 T raspberry jam
Kosher salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning
Rosemary, dried
Shallot, minced
2 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t Dijon mustard
1 T olive oil

Directions
In a small bowl whisk together jam, shallot, vinegar and mustard. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and rosemary to taste. Enjoy over any meat.

Menu Plans 12-21-09

Monday - Garlic Baked Shrimp, Pasta, Brussels Sprouts
Tuesday - Jack Daniel's Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Salad
Wednesday - Out or something easy from freezer
Thursday - Polish Christmas Eve Party! Potato and Cabbage Pierogi's
Friday - Christmas! Honey Baked Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Broccoli Casserole

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

A low fat version and great complement to our oven fried chicken.

Adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients
Cooking Spray
6 oz Wheat Pasta
5 oz broccoli, small florets
1/2 t butter
2 T + 2 t bread crumbs
1.5 T parmesan cheese
1.25 cup fat free skim milk
2 T + 2 t AP flour
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup low fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 t Dijon mustard
salt
pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven toe 375 degrees F. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli to water 3 minutes before pasta will be done. Drain pasta and broccoli, return to pot.

3. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until light golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to small bowl. Stir in 1 T of parmesan cheese and set aside.

4. In same saucepan, whist together milk and flour until blended; add onion. Bring to boil over medium – high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about two minutes.

5. Remove from heat and whisk in cheddar cheese, mustard, parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Pour over pasta and broccoli, toss to mix and coat.

7. Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle top evenly with bread crumbs. Bake until bubbly at edges, about 20-25 minutes.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 269.3
Total Fat 5.5 g
Fiber 6.3 g
WW Points 5

Oven Fried Paprika Chicken

This was a healthy twist on a well known (and liked) classic! I had an open box of Special K cereal so I used that for the coating instead of the saltines called out in the original recipe. It worked out well. We ate this with some baked macaroni and cheese. Check out the next post for that recipe!

Adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 T paprika
1 cup Special K, crushed
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz think pieces
1 T fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat broiler and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place yogurt and 1 teaspoon of paprika in a small shallow bowl, mix to combine.

3. Combine cereal crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons of paprika on a large shallow pie plate, stir to combine.

4. Place each chicken in yogurt mixture and turn to coat. Then, place in crumb mixture, turning to coat both sides and pressing lightly to make crumbs stick..

5. Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Broil 3 – 4 inches from heat source until golden brown and cooked through. Flip once, approx. 4 – 5 minutes per side.

6. Sprinkle chicken with fresh parsley and serve.

The Facts
4 servings
Calories 155.2
Total Fat 1.4 g
Fiber 1.3 g
WW Points 3

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts, take two. This recipe is similar to the one we used to grill this weekend. I liked these a little more and they were super easy. I halved the recipe from the original as there were only three of us eating tonight. It seems about a 1/4 lb is an adequate portion per person. For the salt and pepper, I just gave my grinders a few turns till they looked good. Next time I'd like to reduce the oil slightly to save some calories. I'm hoping this won't affect the roasting too much.
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients
3/4 lb Brussels sprouts
1.5 T olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more salt before serving.

The Facts
3 Servings
Calories 114.9
Total Fat 7.0 g
Fiber 3.9 g
WW Points 2

Crockpot Pulled Pork

The Crockpot is a great way to have a nice home cooked meal ready when you get home from work without all the effort in the kitchen. This was very easy and quite delicious. I made this with the intent of freezing half for a future meal. We had my mom over for dinner and half my 5.5 lb roast was easily enough to feed the three of us with leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I used a leaner cut of meat than the original recipe called for so I reserved some of the cooking juices instead of discarding them all. This kept the meat moist without the fat. We enjoyed this on a wheat bun with coleslaw, roasted brussels sprouts and baked fries.

Adapted from The Way The Cookie Crumbles

Ingredients
5-6 lb center cut bone in pork loin
1 cup BBQ sauce
Rub:
1 T pepper
1.5 t cayenne
2 T chili powder
2 T cumin
2 T brown sugar
1 T dried oregano
4 T paprika
2 T salt
1 T sugar
1 T white pepper

Directions
1. Mix all dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight if possible.

3. Unwrap meat and place in the Crockpot. Add 1/4 cup water. Turn to low and cook 7-8 hours, until meat is fork tender.

4. Remove roast to cutting board and shred with two forks. Reserve approx. 1/2 – 1 cup of liquid from the Crockpot. Discard remainder.

5. Place shredded meat back in Crockpot with reserved liquid. Add 1 cup BBQ sauce and heat on low for additional 30 – 60 minutes. Serve when heated through.

The Facts
25 servings (approx 3 oz.)
Calories 234.5
Total Fat 11.4 g
Fiber 0.7 g
WW Points 6

Artichoke Chicken Pasta

I planted an herb garden this weekend so I was quite excited that this recipe called for some FRESH basil. I planted a combo of pre potted plants and seeds. I am looking forward to having easy access to fresh cilantro, basil, parsley, rosemary and chives. Hopefully the seeds will grow quickly!

This recipe was good, although I think the use of marinated artichokes messed with the flavor some. The entire dish tasted like the artichoke marinade, which wasn’t necessarily bad, it just took away from the fresh basil and wine sauce. Next time I think I’ll try the canned artichokes. I made a half recipe and it was plenty for the two of us and a leftover lunch.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
6 oz. wheat pasta
2 large skinless chicken breasts (mine were 14 oz.)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup white wine
Salt & pepper
15 oz can artichoke hearts (I used 9.5 oz of marinated artichokes from Costco)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

2. Heat oil (I used drained oil from the oil based artichoke marinade) over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sauté 2 minutes or until browned.

3. Add garlic and sauté additional minute.

4. Add wine, artichokes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is done.

5. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and fresh basil. Add pasta, stir to combine. Serve with additional basil garnish if desired.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 332.8
Total Fat 8.8 g
Fiber 4.5 g
WW Points 7

Menu Plans 12-14-09

Saturday - (Last Night) Cilantro Turkey Burgers, Grilled Brussels Sprouts, Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sunday - Ribs at Bryan's dad and Pam's house
Monday - Artichoke Chicken Wheat Pasta, Salad
Tuesday - Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Wednesday - Garlic Lemon Shrimp over Rice with Broccoli
Thursday - Oven Fried Chicken, Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Friday - Dinner Out

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

My typical go to vegetable side is broccoli. I pick up a big back at Costco and steam some with dinner throughout the week. Well, this week next to the broccoli was a big bag of brussels sprouts. I figured hey, why not try something different so I grabbed one. Next was, how do I cook these? In my search for a good recipe, this one stuck out since we were already using the grill for burgers. I cut the recipe in half since I was slightly skeptical about the vegetable. I will say that I liked them enough to try them again.

Adapted from Cara’s Cravings

Ingredients
1 lb brussels sprouts
1 T olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
dijon mustard, paprika, salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Wash the sprouts, trim the stems, and remove any outer leaves that are falling off.

2. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, with water still clinging to them, and microwave on high power for 3 minutes. Immediately toss with the olive oil, garlic, mustard and seasonings. Let cool.

3. Heat grill to medium. When the sprouts are cool enough to handle, skewer them, with the stems all facing in the same direction, leaving a little space between each one.

4. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, then turn over and cook 5 minutes more.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 90.1
Total Fat 3.5 g
Fiber 3.9 g
WW Points 1

Cilantro Turkey Burgers

With the slightly cooler weather this past weekend and no big Saturday plans, Bryan wanted to grill something for dinner. I had bookmarked a few turkey burger recipes to try so I took a look at them. This one looked perfect since it called for some cilantro and I happened to have some that needed to be used. I added a clove of garlic and half an onion to the patties for some extra flavor. I all increased the meat and portioned the servings slightly larger than the originals.

I made the patties and Bryan took care of the grilling. They came out perfectly cooked and were quite tender. We ate them on whole wheat buns with veggies on top. I made some grilled brussels sprouts and baked sweet potato fries to complete the delicious meal!


Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
1/2 onion
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1.5 lbs ground turkey (93% lean)

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.

2. Divide turkey mixture into 5 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/3-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat up the grill. Add turkey patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

The Facts
5 Servings
Calories 235.3
Total Fat 11.1 g
Fiber 0.7 g
WW Points 5

Mongolian Beef

I had some frozen flank steak in the freezer from quite a long time ago that needed to be used so I went on the search for a new recipe. I came across various Mongolian Beef recipes that all sounded good. After reading through a few I decided to use this one as my base. I had 2 pounds of beef so I tweaked the recipe by adding additional soy sauce and water to make sure there was enough sauce. I decided to hold the original amount of sugar and add more to taste if necessary. In the end, there was plenty of sauce. I thought the flavor and consistency of the sauce was really good. It was nice to have beef in a dish different than our typical steak. We completed our meal with some brown rice and broccoli which made for a much healthier alternative to the popular Chinese takeout. The recipe below is halved from what I cooked since 2 lbs of beef is just way too much for two people.

Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients
1 lb. flank steak, sliced across the grain
1.5 T corn starch
1.5 t vegetable oil, divided
1/4 t ground ginger
1-2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 green onions, sliced

Directions
1. Pat steak slices dry and add to a bowl with corn starch. Toss to ensure all pieces are just coated. Shake off any excess.

2. Heat 1.5 t oil in large wok or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, stir until fragrant.

3. Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4. Turn heat to high and add remaining oil to pan. Add the steak and cook until browned on all sides. Pour sauce over the beef and cook until meat is cooked through and sauce reaches desired consistency. Add the green onions (saving some for garnish), stir and remove from heat. Serve over rice topped with remaining green onions.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 234.7
Total Fat 10.3 g
Fiber 0.0 g
WW Points 6

Crockpot Chicken Lime Tacos

I haven’t used my CrockPot in a while. Well honestly, I haven’t touched it since the orange chicken failure, but we won’t talk about that. I heard about the whole put a smaller dish inside your large CrockPot to cook smaller portions rule, but failed to follow through with actually putting the lid on the dish inside, thus making it rather pointless. Oops. When I found this recipe, it seemed easy enough so I figured I could give the CrockPot (with a smaller dish inside) another try. I’m happy to say, it came out perfectly! The nice think about using a slow cooker is dinner is virtually ready when you get home with little work on your part, and, a bonus of using a small dish inside is that it’s MUCH easier to clean than that bulky CrockPot stoneware. I left the corn out since I’m not a big of it. I think I overcooked these a little, so next time I’ll set it for 5 hours instead of 6. My husband and I enjoyed these with some lettuce, cilantro, black olives, onion, cucumber, fat free sour cream and reduced fat shredded cheese on top. Makes for some yummy leftovers to take to work.

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 T lime juice
4 T water
1 T chili powder
1 cup salsa
Whole wheat tortillas
Toppings of your preference

Directions
1. Place chicken in a 3 qt slow cooker.

2. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.

3. Shred meat with two forks and stir in salsa.

4. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with toppings of your choice.

The Facts
6 Servings (Chicken Only)
Calories 120.2
Total Fat 1.3 g
Fiber 0.5 g
WW Points 2

Pumpkin Dog Cookies

Happy 2nd Birthday Brady! I can’t believe my puppy is two. I don’t care how old, or how BIG he gets, he’ll always be my puppy. When we first brought Brady home, he was 8 weeks and and 10.5 pounds. He’s grown into such an amazing dog since then. Not to say it was easy, we’ve had our fair share or chewed shoes, couch pillows, door mats, etc. But he’s a good dog now. Those ‘terrible two’s’ are behind us…I hope!

I came across this recipe and figured it would be perfect since I had some leftover pumpkin in the freezer and Brady’s birthday was right around the corner. I made this last night as an early treat for today. Of course Brady had to share some with his little sister Kaylee, but he was ok with that.


Adapted from Delish

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.

3. Scoop a teaspoon (or tablespoon if you have big dogs like Brady!) of dough and roll into a ball. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with a little flour. Place balls on baking sheet and press flat with fork, criss-crossing horizontally and vertically until cookies are uniform in thickness.

4. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Let cool completely before giving to your dog.

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus

Well, this was not a good weekend to be a football fan in our household. It started Saturday with the Florida Gators playing Alabama for the SEC Championship where the winner was pretty much guaranteed a bid to the National Championship game. The Gators did not play like themselves, and the defense couldn’t do a thing to stop Alabama. It was heart breaking to watch Tim Tebow do post-game interviews with tears in his eyes. We’ve been so spoiled the past few seasons that we’ve forgot what it feels like to lose. The pain continued into Sunday as the New England Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins.

Saturday, we had our neighbors over to watch the Gator Game. I served some light appetizers for us to munch during the game. Along with leftover tzaztiki and cucumbers from earlier in the week, I made a roasted red pepper hummus and this cilantro jalapeno hummus that I paired with multi grain chips and toasted pita wedges. I had actually made the roasted red pepper hummus earlier in the week and was not very impressed with it. I like the base of the jalapeno much better and will be using that for any future hummus recipes. I reduced the tahini and olive oil from the original recipe, but the hummus still had a great consistency. I only used one jalapeno pepper for fear of it TOO hot, however it could have definitely used some more kick. Next time I will add another pepper to spice it up.

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1-2 jalapeno peppers, ribbed and seeded (depending on desired flavor)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 T lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 T tahini
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions
1. Combine the cilantro, jalapenos, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients have been finely minced.

2. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and water. In another bowl, whisk together the tahini and olive oil. Set aside.

3. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl and add the chickpeas, salt, cumin and cayenne. Process until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.

4. With the machine running add the lemon juice-water mixture in a steady stream through the feed tube. Scrape down the bowl and continue to process for one minute.

5. With the machine running, add the oil-tahini mixture in a steady stream through the feed tube, and continue to process until smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.

6. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the flavors meld, at least 30 minutes.

The Facts
8 Servings
Calories 69.3
Total Fat 1.4 g
Fiber 4.4 g
WW Points 1

Menu Plans 12-07-09

Monday - Crockpot Chicken Lime Tacos, Salad
Tuesday - Mongolian Beef, Brown Rice, Broccoli
Wednesday - Pierogi's (or something from the freezer), Salad
Thursday - Work Christmas Party
Friday - Dinner Out or TBD

Chicken Gyros

Check out that gyro, picture courtesy of my husband. He’s been very supportive with my new expanded interest in cooking and creating this blog. He reminds me to take pictures and even takes some for me (because, you know, he’s better with the whole fancy camera thing than I am!). Anyhow, just wanted to thank him for supporting and encouraging me.

Back to the gyro. Delicious. It brought us back to our honeymoon where we spent a relaxing day on the beach in Corfu and enjoyed an authentic Greek gyro for lunch. This would be fantastic with the addition of some baked fries in it. Maybe next time. :)

Afterthought: Although this did not TASTE too garlic-y at the time, we definitely had a strong aftertaste of garlic for the evening. I'm not sure if it's from the chicken marinade or tzaztiki though. Take that into account and adjust to your liking.

Adapted from elly says opa!

Ingredients
1 lb chicken (I used 99% fat free breasts, but think it would marinate better with thighs)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 T lemon juice
2 t red wine vinegar
2 t extra virgin olive oil
3 T plain yogurt, fat free
1 T dried oregano
salt and pepper
Tzatziki
Tomatoes, cucumbers and/or onions for toppings
Whole Wheat Pitas

Directions
1. Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

2. Preheat the grill (or kindly ask your husband to!). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then grill until cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

3. Meanwhile, heat your pitas. I sprayed them with Pam and stuck them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes and onions. Roll up and eat!

The Facts
4 Servings (Chicken Only)
Calories 137.0
Total Fat 3.5 g
Fiber 0.8 g
WW Points 3
*Nutrition Data includes complete marinade

Tzaztiki

Mmmmm. Went great with our chicken gyros and as an appetizer with sliced cucumbers. This would be a great dip for a holiday party. Recipe below was altered from the original to make a half batch of Tzaztiki. I skipped the straining step by starting with the Greek yorgurt base, and made it light by choosing Fage 0% fat free yogurt.

Adapted from elly says opa!

Ingredients
1 17.5 oz container of Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 t white wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
salt and a little pepper

Directions
1. Peel and seed the cucumber. Shred the cucumbers and then squeeze them to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible. I use a towel to do this.

2. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. It’s best to refrigerate for 30 minutes or more before serving, so flavors can meld.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 74.4
Total Fat 0.0 g
Fiber 0.3 g
WW Points 1

Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo

I love pasta, especially pasta in a creamy sauce. Seriously, I LOVE it. And I miss it. With my new lifestyle change, it hasn’t been worth it (to me) to order the cheese tortellini with the cream sauce and extra parmesan on top at our local Italian restaurant. When I saw this recipe on Skinny Food by Amy, I was interested. When I saw the nutrition info, it was a done deal. I made this during the week for my husband and mother-in-law (Hi Joanne!). We all enjoyed the dish and it completely satisfied my craving for creamy pasta. I used Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Linguini for the pasta and one less Laughing Cow wedge than the original recipe called out. Please excuse the horrible picture. We were ALMOST done with dinner when Bryan questioned if I had taken the picture yet. Of course I hadn’t, but I managed to pull together what little hadn’t been eaten yet.

Adapted from Skinny Food by Amy

Ingredients
16 oz shrimp (Costco frozen 21-24 count)
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 small yellow onion
1 clove garlic
6 wedges of Light Laughing Cow cheese (Garlic and Herb)
1 cup fat free milk
1 T margarine (Smart Balance)
1 T reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 t garlic powder
Pam spray
8 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta (Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Linguini)
Pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a small pot, place LC cheese, milk, margarine, parmesan cheese and powder together. Keep on low until it melts, mixing ever so often. You may want to start the sauce first because it takes the longest.

2. In a larger pot, cook pasta per the box instructions.

3. Dice green and yellow onions, along with the garlic clove. Place in a Pam sprayed skillet and cook for a minute. Add shrimp and cook for a couple minutes, until the shrimp is done.

4. After the pasta and sauce are done, add to the shrimp and combine together. Add pepper to taste and enjoy!

The Facts
6 Servings
Calories 246.7
Total Fat 4.3 g
Fiber 4.3 g
WW points 4

Pumpkin Pie

I made this pie last week for Thanksgiving. I must say, for my first pie, it was pretty darn good! So good, that my husband refused to let me to take ANY leftovers to work and insisted he would eat it all week. The pie is also super easy to make. I took a short cut and used a pre-made crust instead of making my own. I also didn’t have any pumpkin pie spice so I just measured out the spices individually. You would never even know this is low fat / low calories. It’s a great dessert alternative for the holidays.

Adapted from Hungry Girl

Ingredients
1 15 oz can pure pumpkin
1 12 oz can evaporated fat-free milk
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
3/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup sugar free pancake syrup
1/2 T + 1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 T ginger
1/8 T ground all spice
1/8 T nutmeg
1/8 t salt
1 reduced fat graham cracker crust

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie crust. The filling may be taller than the crust -- this is okay!

3. Bake pie in the oven for 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool slightly. Refrigerate for several hours (overnight is best). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

The Facts
10 servings
Calories 143.1
Total Fat 3.0 g
Fiber 2.5 g
WW Points 3