Black Bean Tortilla Pie

I found this vegetarian dinner idea on Pinterest - the original recipe can be found here.  I made a few modifcations by cutting back on the oil and cheese used and saving pp.  This made for a quick and easy dinner AND provided leftovers so we didn't have to cook the next night, my favorite part!  You could serve this with a side of salsa to add some tomato flavor to the black bean and corn pie.

Servings:  6

Size:  1/6 of tortilla pie

Points Plus: 9pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredient List:

4 8-inch flour tortillas

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 white onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced with seeds removed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. cumin

Salt & pepper to taste

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

12 oz. light beer

10 oz. frozen corn

4 scallions, chopped + more for garnish

6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, reduced-fat

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute the onion, jalapeno and garlic.  Stir in the cumin and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the veggies and spices for 5-7 mintues.  Add the beans and beer and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the beer has almost evaporation, about 10 minutes.  Add the corrn and scallions and stir until well combined.  Adjust for additional salt or pepper.  Place one tortilla at the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.  Layer the black bean pie with 1/4 of the bean mixture and sprinkle 1 1/2 oz. of cheddar cheese on top.  Add the next tortilla and repeat the layering process until you've used all tortillas, bean mixture and cheese.   Bake for 20-25 minutes, making sure the cheese on top is melted.  Slice the pie into 6 wedges and serve with additional scallions for garnish.

Tip:

The original recipe suggests that you make this dish in a springform pan.  I don't have one of those, so I used a deep dish pie plate instead and it worked great!

XOXO Megan

Sour Cream & Onion Chicken Salad

Howdy!

Spring is in the air! (jk - it is -30 windchill in MN today - yikes) Well, to help us all get into the spring spirit, give this picnic-y chicken salad a whirl?!  Here is a healthy and unique twist on the traditional picnic food. This recipe was originally found on the super cool food blog 100 Days of Real Food.

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 cup of chicken salad
Points Plus: 7pp
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
2 cups diced cooked chicken (you could use leftovers or a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 T dried onion (I use Penzeys)
1/2 t. onion powered
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup chopped celery
Romaine lettuce - optional


Instructions
This recipe is SUPER easy! Just put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix!  Serve on top of a bed of lettuce!

Tip
You could mix this chicken salad with a verity of other veggies. Also - sour cream and onion chips are my vice - so perhaps try this to help with the sour cream and onion craving :)

XOXO - Katie

Vegetable Soup

Do you need a recipe for a good, hearty vegetable soup?  Look no further!  This receipe was excellent and incorporated so many different veggie flavors.  My aunt found this recipe in the St. Paul newspaper and we made it together this past weekend. 

Servings:  6

Size:  1 ½ cups

Points Plus: 3pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups carrots, diced

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup leek, chopped (white part only)

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

6 ripe tomatoes (plum variety) seeded & diced

Salt & pepper to taste

6 cups vegetable broth

2 large sprigs fresh thyme

4 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 cup green beans, chopped

1 cup zucchini, chopped

½ cup torn basil leaves

Directions:

Place oil in a large stock pot over low heat.  Wilt the carrot, onion and leek; stirring for 15 minutes.  Add garlic during the last 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt & pepper; cook for 3 minutes.  Add broth, thyme and 2 Tbsp. parsley; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 20 minutes.  Add green beans, zucchini and basil; simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in remaining parsley.  Serve with soup crackers or a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese.

Tip:

This soup would be very good with fresh vegetables near the end of summer or early fall; however you can make it in the middle of winter as well!  Just substitute in frozen green beans and diced tomatoes (you will want a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes).  You can also opt for dried herbs instead of buying fresh versions of thyme, parsley and basil if you want.

XOXO Megan

Peanut Soba Noodles

I am a huge fan of Thai food, and anything with peanut sauce is a fav or mine. While browsing some food blogs I ran into Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for cold peanut noodles and liked the ingredients she used in her peanut sauce.  So, I used them as an inspiration to create this warm soba noodle dish.  I have never used soba noodles, and think they might be my new go-to pasta!  I used whole wheat and liked the texture a lot more than regular whole wheat pasta. Enjoy!

Servings: 2

Serving Size: About 1 ½ cups

Points Plus: 8pp

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients 

4oz uncooked soba noodles

2 T low fat creamy peanut butter

1/8 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 T honey

2 t. sesame oil

1 T rice vinegar

1 t. fresh ginger, mined with micro grater

2 cups assorted bell peppers, chopped

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

Red pepper flakes or Sriracha to taste

Cooking spray

Salt + pepper to taste

Green onions (optional)

Instructions

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. While they are boiling, whisk together your peanut sauce!  Simply add peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar and ginger to a bowl and whisk away!

Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and add onions and bell pepper. Sauté until cooked, I would say about 6 minutes. Add your cooked noodles to the skillet and then slowly poor the peanut sauce over everything.  Use tongs to carefully combine, keeping the skillet on low.  Heat through until the peanut butter has melted and created a wonderful creamy sauce. Serve topped with green onions if desired!

Tip

If your sauce is too thick for your liking try adding a few tablespoons of water!

XOXO - Katie

Turkey & Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf

This is such a good meatloaf recipe AND it’s lighter than the traditional recipe since it uses turkey instead of ground beef.  My husband absolutely LOVES this recipe!  This definitely fits into the hearty 'meat & potatoes' type meal that many men really enjoy for dinner. I love the additions like roasted red peppers and fresh parsley – it really makes the flavors pop.  Serve this with a simple side salad or a fresh veggie like green beans or asparagus!

Servings:  5

Size:  1/5 of meatloaf

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 ½ lbs. ground turkey

1 small yellow onion, chopped

½ cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, cut into ½ inch pieces

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well (this works best by mixing with your hands).  Shape the meat into a loaf shape and place in a glass baking dish.  Bake until no trace of pink remains, about 45 minutes.  Let the meatloaf rest for about 15 mintues before slicing and serving.

Tip:

You would think a loaf pan would be the best for a meatloaf recipe… right??  Well, last time I made this recipe I flattened it out a bit and baked it in an 8x8 baking dish instead.  It turned out great!  I’m not sure I will go back to the loaf pan and instead save it for breads and baked goods.  It seemed to be much easier to get out of the pan in a flatter dish and easier to serve (the pieces didn’t fall apart as easily).  Try it out!

XOXO Megan

Mushroom & Mozzarella Tart

Its FRIDAY ya’all! So let’s splurge a little shall we?  Also – I will teach you a little lesson.  Read on…

I saw this recipe on ‘I am a food blog’ a few weeks ago and knew instantly that I had to try.  I tried to calculate the pp from my phone and was delighted to see that a whole puff pastry sheet was only 7pp.  How could it be?  Puff pastry is pretty much like eating a doughnut!  Instantly I began concocting recipes that included my newest low point find! Of course homemade doughnuts, but croissants and pizzas as well!  I bought all of the ingredients for this tasty recipe (subbed a few), came home, cooked it up and popped it in the oven.  I decided to recalculate the pp from my home computer, just to be on the safe side.  And you know what I found?!?! I was totally wrong about the pp, and the sheet of puff pastry was actually closer to 37pp.  Yikes! I quickly reconfigured my dinner but cutting down my portion of this tart and adding a salad. Needless to say this tart is the bomb, but what isn't when puff pastry is involved?  So splurge a little, make this tasty, flaky, mushroomy, tart…and call it a day.

Servings: 6

Serving Size:  1/6 of Pizza

Points Plus: 8pp

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

Cooking spray

White onion, thinly sliced with a mandolin or sharp knife

1 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced

Salt + pepper to taste

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425.

Spray a large nonstick skillet and add your sliced onions. Cook until soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally, or about 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are cooked and deep brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lay your thawed puff pastry on a SPRAYED (VERY IMPORTANT) cookie sheet. Top the puff pastry with the mushroom onion mixture and sprinkle on the cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and pastry is puffy and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Enjoy with a sprinkling of flat leaf parsley.

Tip

I truly truly truly believe that you can sauté veggies and even caramelize onions without oil or butter.  The key is using a low heat.  Be patient and give it a whirl! 

XOXO - Katie

Pepperoni & Green Olive Pizza

Okay I can’t resist sharing ONE more Valentine’s day recipe with you!!!  This is a fun little tradition my husband and I started on our first Valentine’s day together.  We’ve continued it for the past three years and I just think it’s so fun!  Instead of going out for an expensive dinner when it’s impossible to get a reservation unless you thought ahead and booked something a month in advance, why not just stay home and make dinner?  Better yet, make a HEART-shaped pizza! :)

I also know that I’ve posted a few variations already of our homemade pizza, but this combo was so delicious that I had to share with all of you.  Both Paul and I love green olives, but if you are more of a fan of the black olive variety feel free to sub those in instead.

Servings:  6

Size:  1/6 of the pizza

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 can of Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, classic style crust

1 can pizza sauce (4 oz)

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

18 slices of turkey pepperoni

8 large green olive, sliced

1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella, park-skim

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cooking spray

Directions:

Lightly grease a pizza pan.  Open the can of pizza dough and shape into a heart shaped pizza, gently working the dough outward.  Cook the crust according to the directions on the package, which suggests you pre-bake the crust for 5-7 minutes first before you add sauce and toppings.  After the crust is pre-baked, take the pizza out and evenly spread the can of pizza sauce on top of the crust.  Sprinkle oregano over the pizza sauce.  Next, add the cheese and place the pepperoni slices and green olives on top.  Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown.

Tip:

Katie recently introduced me to the wheat Pillsbury crust and I have to say… I might like it even better than the regular white flour kind!  Try it out and see what you prefer. 

XOXO Megan

Three Pepper Chicken Chimichanga

Deep fried Chimichangas are the bomb, but not exactly the healthiest food on the block.  Try this baked version for the same crunch and more nutrients! These make a filling dinner and are delish leftovers.

Servings: 3

Serving Size: 2 Chimichangas

Points Plus: 9pp

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

6 low carb taco tortillas

8 oz chicken breast, cut into strips

1 cups assorted peppers; I used red, yellow and orange

½ cup onion, cut into strips

½ cup salsa

½ cup black beans

6 T reduced fat sour cream

6 T reduced fat cheddar

6 T Ortega taco sauce, mild

1 cup chopped lettuce

1 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

Salt + pepper to taste

Cooking Spray

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and add your onion.  Sauté for about 5 minutes until soft.  Add chicken and peppers and cook until chicken is done, about 4 more minutes, sprinkle the mixture with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add salsa and black beans, cook until warm.

Turn your heat off, and one at a time, roll your Chimichangas using about ½ cup of filling.  Basically, you put the filling towards the bottom of the tortillas; fold in the side and then roll. I didn’t quite get the hang of this, so…see below!  Place each cute little rolled Chimichanga onto a baking sheet and spritz the top with cooking spray.  Bake for about 20 minutes until the tortilla is crisp.  Remove from the oven and top each with 1 T Ortega, 1 T sour cream, a bit of lettuce and 1 T cheese.  Enjoy!

Tip

Watch this video for a Chimichanga rolling tutorial! 

Herb Crusted Salmon

Salmon is such a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids that will leave you satisfied and full.  I found this recipe from Martha Stewart for a quick herb crusted variety.  I decided to pair this with the simple spinach salad found in the original recipe and a side of roasted Brussels sprouts for a healthy Sunday night dinner!

One note, if you don’t own a food processor, you can use a blender instead to make the crumb herb topping.  However, I do have to say that my food processor made this recipe so quick and easy!!  It really came together in minutes and would be a perfect weeknight dinner when you don’t have a ton of time!

Servings:  4

Size:  1 salmon fillet, about 6 oz.

Points Plus: 9pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  12-15 minutes

Ingredient List:

3 slices of bread

1 cup fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 skinless salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°.  Use aluminum foil to line a baking sheet.  Combine the bread, parsley, 1 Tbsp. olive oil and salt & pepper to taste in a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Place the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Spread ½ Tbsp. of Dijon mustard on top of each fillet.  Use your hands to press the herb crumb mixture on top of the mustard making sure to get the breading to stick to the top of the fish.  Bake in the oven until the salmon is flaky about 12-15 minutes. 

Tip:

I learned this tip from the seafood/butcher counter at my local grocer.  Apparently, the tail of salmon has way less bones than the middle section.  So if you are looking to avoid the pin bones typically found in salmon, ask for a tail cut instead!

XOXO Megan

Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Sauerkraut

Remember that Brady Bunch episode where they have pork chops and applesauce?? Well, here is a new take on that classic recipe! Instead of the mashed apple sauce, this recipe uses chopped sautéed apples, a touch of cinnamon and the salty addition of sauerkraut to balance things out.  I am a quantity eater, so I love the fact that you get a huge helping of sauerkraut and tasty apples to accompany the meat in this dish.  This recipe is a slight adaptation of this Weight Watchers recipe. Enjoy!

Servings: 2

Serving Size: 1, cooked, 3 oz pork chop and 1 1/4 cup of apple sauerkraut mixture

Points Plus: 5pp

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes (or less)

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2, 3 oz pork chops, raw

1 1/2 cups sauerkraut

1 apple, peeled and chopped

1/8 t. cinnamon

Cooking spray

Salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

Spray a non-stick skillet and heat to medium.  Add pork chops and cook through, about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove pork from your pan and place it somewhere to keep it warm (I put mine in the microwave).

Spray your same pan again and add apples, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Sauté until apples are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add your sauerkraut and sauté until everything is warm, about 4 more minutes.

Tip

You can adjust the cinnamon depending on how sweet you like things.  I reduced the cinnamon by half, in comparison to the original recipe, and it was perfect!

XOXO Katie

Cake Batter Valentine's Blondies

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!!

These little treats are SO GOOD!  I made these to serve at a birthday party I recently hosted and they were definitely a hit.  I choice to serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but believe me they are delicious on their own too!  I found these on Sally's Baking Addiction blog. Try them out next time you need a fun dessert!

Servings: 18 
Size:  1 cake batter blondie 

Points Plus: 5pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time:  25-30 minutes

Ingredient List:

1 box yellow cake mix
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 egg

½ cup milk

½ sprinkles (I chose to use Valentine's sprinkles)

½ white chocolate chips

Vanilla ice cream (optional, not included in pp value)

  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil and egg with a whisk.  Slowly add in the milk, whisking until well combined.  Fold in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips.  The batter will be very thick and dense.  Don't be surprised by this - they are called cake batter blondies for a reason!  Spread the batter into a lightly greased 9x13 pan and add some additional sprinkles to the top of the blondies before baking.  You can defintiely use a smaller pan, but it will make for thicker blondie bars.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Allow the bars to cool for awhile before you cut into squares.  Serve alone or with ice cream! 

Tip:

The original recipe is made with with funfetti, multi-colored sprinkles which would be perfect for a kid's birthday.  You can also substitue in Christmas, Easter, or St. Patrick's day sprinkles instead to make these for any holiday you want!

XOXO Megan

Seed-uction Bread

I would like to start this post by saying that I am now addicted to baking bread, so if you have any favorite recipes send ‘em my way! 

Seed-uction!  Get it? Seduction? Valentine’s Day? Romance? Lolol!  My aunt sent me this recipe for a hearty and healthy bread (hi Aunt Nancy!) (it is also a Whole Foods Copy).  It was really easy (seriously) and didn’t use a lot of dishes (which I always love).  The process takes about three hours total but that is pretty normal with bread.  I especially loved this bread because I was able to use ingredients that I don’t use very often.   It is full of seeds which gives it a great texture.  Finally, it is so pretty, that I had to post TWO pictures!

Servings: 24

Servings Size: 1 piece

Points Plus: 2pp (I cut my bread in half and then each half into 12 pieces.  The entire loaf is 57 pp so adjust accordingly.  I figured the per serving pp by using Weight Watchers recipe builder.)

Prep Time: 20 minutes + about 1.5 hours of letting the bread rise

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons honey

1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

3 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 tablespoons millet seed

3 tablespoons malted barley flour

1 tablespoon wheat gluten

1 egg white, beaten

1 teaspoon millet seed

Instructions

Gently stir together the warm water, molasses, honey, and yeast in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Pour oil into the yeast mixture.

In a separate bowl mix together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, 2 tablespoons of millet, barley flour, and vital wheat gluten. Stir the flour and seed mixture to the yeast mixture until it pulls together. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 7 to 8 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Grease a 9x13 baking sheet.

Punch down the risen dough and turn out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a round or oval loaf shape and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover the dough and allow to rise until doubled in size again, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) toward the end of this second rise. Slash the top of the loaf diagonally with a sharp razor blade or serrated knife, carefully brush with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle remaining millet seeds over the top.

Bake in preheated oven until the bread sounds hollow when thumped on the side, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool about 10 minutes before cutting the bread, allowing the bread to firm up.

Tip

There are a lot of items in this recipe that I didn't have on hand. I was able to find most of the flours and seeds at my regular grocery store in the bulk foods aisle. This really cut down on costs (as opposed to buying a full size of each item).  I estimated quantities and some of the items were only $.25!  I had to visit my local co-op to find the malted barley flour and wheat gluten, both of which were in the refrigerated section, which I thought was cool.  My verdict, I need to expand my pantry to accommodate all of my new findings!

Tip #2: Make sure that you cover the entire top of the loaf with egg white, this is what gives the bread a dark brown crust!

XOXO - Katie

Heart Shaped Buttermilk Pancakes

This recipe is super fun and versatile.  These are obviously for Valentine's Day, but really you could make them with any cookie cutter/holiday/color. Serve them with yesterday's fruit salad and you have a delicious and nutritious V-day breakfast! These would be especially fun to make with kiddos - the possibilities are endless!

Servings:  Recipe will make 12-15 pancakes depending on the size, 6+ servings

Size:  2 pancakes

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time:  15 minutes

Ingredient List:

2 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 ¼ cups buttermilk

1/8 cup vegetable oil

Red food coloring

Heart shaped cookie cutter

Directions:

Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt).  In a small bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs.  Stir in the buttermilk and oil.  Add the eggs/buttermilk/oil mixture to your dry ingredients and stir until well combined.  On a pancake griddle, cook pancakes in a little bit of oil.  Once you have made 1/2 the batter, add some drops of red food coloring to make the pink cakes!  Once you have finished cooking, use the cookie cutter to cut hearts out of the middle of each pancake.  Switch and red hearts to match with regular outsides and vice versa for a festive plate of Valentine's cakes!

Tip:

While you are finishing cooking the other pancakes, place the finished cakes on a plate in a warm oven (about 250 degrees) to keep your breakfast warm and ready to serve guests!

XOXO Megan