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Kielbasa with Pasta, Chickpeas and Spinach

Serves 4

8 ounces whole wheat penne or fusilli (I used rotini, because I'm a rebel like that)
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices (I used turkey sausage, because I couldn't find kielbasa)
4 cups baby spinach
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, spray large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, chickpeas, scallions, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Add pasta and oil and toss to combine. Divide pasta evenly among 4 serving plates; sprinkle with cheese.

Results: This was very simple to make and really delicious! I was able to keep some pasta, chickpeas and sausage separate for the boys (because god forbid they eat anything blended together.) Henry ate everything, and Steven actually ate all the chickpeas and pasta, but gave Henry his sausage. But he actually tried it, so that's a win! Leftovers were good too!

Recipe from Fresh, Fabulous, Fast by Weight Watchers.

Poppy Seed Chicken and Clementine Salad

Serves 4 (I made the dressing as is, but cut the chicken, clementines and greens in half because this was just for Chris and I. I was thinking I would use the dressing for another salad tomorrow, but half of it on two salads didn't seem like enough, so I used all of it. So I guess what I'm saying is, make your own call.)

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon water
1/2 small shallot, sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
6 cups packed mixed baby greens
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
4 clementines, peeled and separated into segments
1 cup grapes, halved

1. To make dressing, place vinegar, honey, water, shallot, mustard, oil, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper in mini food processor; process until shallot it finely chopped and dressing is well blended.

2. Combine greens, chicken, clementines, and grapes in large bowl; drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Results: This dressing was so good and really easy to make! This salad was amazing-so colorful and filling! Chris and I both loved it. I'll definitely be working this into the dinner rotation.

Recipe from Fresh, Fabulous Fast by Weight Watchers. (Are you sensing a trend lately?)

Masala Shrimp Kebabs with Yogurt Sauce

Serves 4

1 & 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (plus a little extra for garnish)
2 tablespoons minced scallions
grated zest of 1 lemon
4 pieces whole wheat flatbread
4 nectarines, pitted and halved
4 teaspoons honey (optional)

1. Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Stir together chili powder, garam masala, oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in large bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers. Place skewers on grill and cook, turning once, until just opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.

3. At the same time, place nectarines, cut side down, on grill and cook until slightly softened, also about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, to make sauce, stir together yogurt, mint, scallions, lemon zest, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Serve shrimp with flatbread and sauce. Drizzle nectarines with 1 teaspoon honey and extra mint for garnish.

Results: Stop reading this and go buy the ingredients to make this for dinner tonight! Oh my yum, it is so good. I was sad when I finished this because there was no more to eat. We buy 2 lb bags of frozen shrimp and Chris suggested that next time I make this dish, I just use up the whole bag. DELICIOUS. AMAZING. I think I'm drooling a little just thinking about it.

Oh, and this is such a pretty meal too, that it would be great to serve to dinner guests. I already said the next dinner guests we have are getting this meal.

The recipe is from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers.

Steak Salad with Spinach and Oranges

Serves 4

1 (1-pound) sirloin steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 navel oranges
1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted salted almonds

1. Spray grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat grill on high.

2. Sprinkle steak with cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Place steak on grill pan and cook 3-4 minutes on high. Reduce temperature to medium-high, flip steak and cook 3-4 minutes to desired degree of doneness. Transfer steak to cutting board and let stand 2-3 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.

3. Meanwhile, to make salad, peel oranges, removing all white pith. Cut oranges into rounds; cut rounds into quarters. Place oranges in large bowl. Add spinach, tomatoes, lemon juice, oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat.

4. Divide salad evenly among 4 serving plates and top evenly with steak. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Served with grilled red potatoes.

Results: I tell you, I wrinkled my nose up at putting any kind of rub on sirloin. It doesn't need it! But, I was wrong, because the cumin blend tasted so great on this steak. And can I give my husband some props for grilling this steak to PERFECTION. I mean, for realsies! Look at that picture!

So, in case you couldn't tell, I really liked this meal. I loved the cumin on the steak and the salad was yummy. Very filling and satisfying meal. Chris loved it too. I didn't even realize until I was typing in the recipe that I forgot the almonds. They would have been great on this salad.

The boys had this lovely creation. That's all Chris, baby!

This recipe came from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers. If you can get your hands on one of these cookbooks, I HIGHLY recommend it. Almost every recipe in this book has been amazing. Or, Fabulous, I guess!

Salmon with Coconut-Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup drained canned petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup light coconut milk
pinch cayenne pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and cayenne; bring to a simmer and cook, covered, 5 minutes.

2. Add cherry tomatoes to skillet and simmer just until tomatoes begin to soften, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle salmon with salt. Add salmon and lime juice to skillet and cook, stirring gently, until salmon is just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Served over rice.

Results: This was just one for Chris and I, although Henry did ask for pieces of salmon "as long as there are no tomatoes or green stuff on them" and really liked it. I thought this was a delicious dish...very simple preparation (one pot cooking! Yay!) and the tastes all complimented each other. A definite keeper!

This recipe came from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers

Pecan-crusted Chicken with Cilantro Slaw

Serves 4

CHICKEN
1 large egg white
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 cup panko
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

SLAW
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 cups shredded green and red cabbage (I used a pre-shredded broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, cabbage mix because when I made THIS recipe, the slaw was Buy One, Get One)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat over to 400*.

2. To make chicken, whisk together egg white, salt and cayenne in shallow dish. Mix together panko and pecans on a small plate.

3. Dip chicken in egg white mixture, then coat on all sides with panko mixture, pressing lightly so it adheres.

4. Heat oil and butter in large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until bottom is browned, 4 minutes. Turn chicken and transfer skillet to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, to make slaw, stir together lime juice, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Add cabbage and cilantro and toss to coat.

Results: This chicken was AMAZING. The pecan crust was delicious. The slaw, however, was not good at all. There was way too much lime juice. Next time (because I WILL make this chicken again), I think I'll serve this with the Lemony Fennel & Radiccho Salad.

This recipe is from the cookbook Fresh, Fabulous, Fast by Weight Watchers

Citrus Chicken with Napa Slaw

Serves 4 (but we got a lot more servings out of this...)

3 Tbsp Eden Mirin (rice cooking wine)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
5 cups cabbage, all varieties, Napa, thinly sliced (I used a 12 oz pre-shredded package of slaw)
3 cups Chicken breast without skin, roasted, shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup shredded carrots
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Crunchy chow mein noodles

1. Whisk together the mirin, lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, chicken, carrots, scallions, and cilantro; toss well to coat. Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

2. To serve, sprinkle crunchy chow mein noodles on top.

Results: If you buy the ingredients pre-shredded/pre-cooked, this was super easy to put together! I thought this was really nice and fresh tasting and the leftovers held up well for several days. This would be a great salad to bring to a picnic or party, but as a "dinner", it wasn't that filling.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Moroccan Beef Stew

Serves 8

1 lb stewing beef, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 parsnip, chopped
1 sweet potato , chopped
1/2 small butternut squash,chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 28 oz can tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup each dried apricots and pitted prunes (optional, I used apricots)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala (if you can't find this, Target sells it. I had to borrow some from my neighbor)
pinch of allspice
pinch of nutmeg
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 cups beef stock (check after a few hours, may need to add some more)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Slivered almonds (optional)

1. Toss beef with the flour in slow cooker.

2. Add all veggies, tomatoes, fruit, spices and broth. Stir well. (I had to transfer this to a huge stock pot to be able to stir it all.)

3. Cook in slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours or until meat is cooked and veggies tender.

4. Top with slivered almonds and chopped parsley. Serve over couscous, rice or mashed potatoes.

Results: OK, I admit, this is a lot of work. A LOT! But it smells amazing and was very delicious. Chris in particular LOVED this. Neither boy would touch it, which left lots of leftovers for me and Chris. Simmered with a little extra beef stock, they were just as delicious (if not more so, since they had extra time to soak in the flavors.)

This recipe came from Alice in Paris loves Art and Tea.

Overnight Slow Cooker Cherry Almond Oatmeal

Serves 4-5 (if I had not lined my slow-cooker, we could have easily gotten 5 servings out of this. As it was, the liner made it really difficult to scrape all the oatmeal out.)

3/4 cup dried cherries
1 apple, peeled and grated or or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you'll find this in the canned milk section)
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons light butter, cut into 5-6 pieces
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons ground flax seed (you'll find this in the baking section)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional garnishes: toasted sliced almonds, maple syrup, additional almond milk, butter and/or chocolate chips

1. Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired.

Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well. To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup almond milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot. Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

Results: First of all, I was so paranoid about using the slow-cooker overnight. I don't know why. I don't have any problem turning the slow-cooker on during the day and leaving the house. I guess if the slow-cooker is going to burn my house down, I would prefer we not be in the house sleeping when the fire starts. As it was, there were no problems.

I had a 5k race to run on Sunday morning, so I wanted to make something that would give me a lot of energy for the day, but also would make breakfast healthy and simple. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try.

The smell of this oatmeal was incredible to wake up to. I could smell it all the way upstairs and down the hall to our bedroom. When I walked downstairs and looked in the slow-cooker, I was so disappointed. Ewwwww...it looked so gross. But somewhere between stirring it up, scooping it into bowls and adding the toppings, this looked AMAZING. And it tasted soooo good. Every one of us (even Steven!) loved this! Steven actually woke up this morning asking for leftovers, but we didn't have any.

I put maple syrup, brown sugar and almonds on mine. The boys all went with maple syrup and chocolate chips.

We decided to call this "Race Day Oatmeal" and I'll be making it the night before every run! Another one this Sunday! Yum! As for whether it gave me extra energy for the run, I just happened to beat my best 5k time by 2 & 1/2 minutes...so go figure! (Of course, I had a lot of room for improvement.) ;-)

See that smile? That's an "I just ate some awesome oatmeal and ran really fast!" smile!


This recipe came from The Yummy Life.

Chicken Tetrazinni Casserole

Serves 6

8 oz uncooked spaghetti
1 pound cooked chicken breast, (I used a store bought rotisserie chicken)
2 10&3/4 oz cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, reduced-fat
1 cup low-fat milk
2 2/3 oz romano cheese, grated (I used cubed mozzarella)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp light butter, unsalted, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 7 x 11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

2. Combine the turkey, soup, milk, cheese, peas, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl; add the spaghetti and toss well. Transfer to the baking dish.

3. Combine the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the spaghetti mixture and bake until the top is golden, 20–25 minutes.

Served with steamed broccoli.

Results: This was certainly not pretty to look at, but it was actually really good. Even the leftovers were delicious! Both boys scowled at their plates when I set it in front of them, but hunger finally got the better of Henry and he tried it. Good thing, because he actually liked it and finished everything on his plate! Steven never succumbed.

I added peas to the list of ingredients. I forgot to add mine in, and the dish would have been much prettier with them.

This recipe was intended as a way to use leftover turkey from the holidays. I'll have to remember that!

I meant to add peas and sliced mushrooms to this casserole, and forgot. Taste-wise, the recipe didn't need anything more, but the green peas really would have improved the presentation.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Arugula-Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing

Serves 4

1 pear, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 cups arugula
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup vegetable broth, reduced-sodium
4 tsp olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine, or cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, bruised (that just means to mash it lightly with the side of a big knife)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1. Combine the pear with the lemon juice in a small bowl; toss to coat. Arrange the arugula and pear slices on a platter.

2. To prepare the dressing, combine the cheese, broth, oil, vinegar, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl; let stand at least 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, then remove the garlic.

Served with grilled chicken.

Results: Seriously. Go make this dressing. RIGHT NOW! It is amazing! This meal was so satisfying and tasty.

Recipe from Weight Watchers