Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

I got this recipe from "I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening" by Devin Alexander, a chef on "The Biggest Loser". It was so delicious and my new fave way to prepare asparagus.

1 lb asparagus, trimmed (about 10-12 oz. after trimming)
1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar, divided
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss the spears in the oil and 1 tsp of the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Let the seasoned asparagus sit for 10 minutes.
Lay the spears in a single layer on a medium, nonstick baking sheet. Bake them for 4 minutes, flip them, and continue baking until the spears are crisp-tender, 3-6 minutes depending on the thickness. Drizzle the remaining vinegar over the spears and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 2 servings
1 WW PointsPlus value for (1 or) 2 servings

Biggest Loser Crouton Breaded Chicken/Chicken Parmesan

These recipes came from a cookbook "I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening" by Devin Alexander, a chef on "The Biggest Loser". These are easy and so yummy...healthy too!

Crouton Breaded Chicken:

2 (4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 in thickness
1/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk
olive oil spray
1 oz (about 24) fat-free herb-seasoned croutons

Place the chicken breasts in a medium resealable plastic bag. Pour the buttermilk over them and seal the bag. Let them soak 6 hrs or overnight, turning once or twice.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet. Add the croutons to a resealable bag. Pound them with the flat side of a meat mallet into very fine crumbs. Pour into a medium shallow bowl.
Remove one breast from the bag and let any excess buttermilk drip off. Dip it into crumbs, rotating to cover the breast completely. Place both chicken breasts on baking sheet not touching.Bake 5 min. and then carefully flip them over. Bake for another 3 to 5 min. or until the coating is crisp and chicken is no longer pink inside.

Makes 2 servings
4 WW PointsPlus points per chicken breast

To make her "Unbelievably Easy Chicken Parmesan":

1 recipe Crouton Breaded Chicken (above)
1/4 cup lowfat marinara sauce (I used Prego Chunky Garden Vegetable)
1/2 oz (2 1/2 Tbsp.) finely shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese (I used Frigo Lite Mozzarella)
1 tsp. grated reduced fat parmesan cheese

Follow the directions for the Crouton Breaded Chicken. During the last 2 min of baking, top each chicken breast with half of the mozzarella, and half of the parmesan. Bake until the sauce is warm, the cheese is melted, and the chicken is cooked through.

Makes 2 servings
5 WW PointPlus Points per serving (with the brands that I used)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Dayna's Easy Peasy Cheesecake

This is another fabulous Dayna recipe! Sooooo fast and delicious!!
*1 can sweetened condensed milk
*1/3 c lemon juice
*1 package cream cheese
-blend together really well and put in a graham cracker pie crust....yummmmmm!

Dayna's Oreo Truffles

This is a delicious treat that my friend Dayna Kent (who is like another sister to me) made when we visited her last! They are to DIE for!! Thanks D!
*1 package oreos
*1 package cream cheese
-blend really good in blender
-form into balls and refrigerate
-dip in white chocolate or milk chocolate
-put in fridge to set

Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Barbecue Chili

This recipe came from the Weight Watchers website and is super yummy! It's a sweeter, barbecue chili. Enjoy!

1 pound(s) uncooked extra lean ground chicken breast (I used ground turkey, or you could use ground beef)
1 large onion(s), chopped
1 medium green pepper(s), seeded and chopped
3 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), chopped
31 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 1/2 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes
12 oz chili sauce
4 1/2 oz Ortega Diced Green Chiles, or other brand
1/4 cup(s) chili powder
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp Durkee Ground Cumin Seed, or other brand

Instructions

* Place the chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a slow cooker; stir with a fork to blend. Add the kidney and pinto beans, tomatoes, chili sauce, green chiles, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, and cumin; mix well. Cover and cook until the flavors are blended and the chili thickens slightly, 4–5 hours on high or 8–10 hours on low. Yields 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Notes

* Dark-colored seasonings, such as molasses, brown sugar, and chili powder, compensate for the lack of browning of the meat before simmering. Cornbread makes a great accompaniment to this zesty chili.

You can mix all the ingredients for this chili in the insert of the slow cooker the night before and pop it in the refrigerator. The next morning, simply place the insert into the slow cooker and set it on low before going to work.

***7 WW PointsPlus points per serving (1 1/4 cup) using the ground chicken as indicated.