Arugula & Plum Salad

Simple side salads are really underated in my opinion!  Adding a salad to any meal is a great way to pack in some extra veggies AND add a low pp option to your dinner.  This salad I made to pair with the Honey-mustard Chicken I posted earlier this week.  An added perk was that the plums we got at the store were perfectly ripe!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: Side salad
Points Plus: 2pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a

Ingredients:

Arugula

2 red plums, sliced

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Wash and portion out the arugula into 2 salad bowls.  Wash and slice the plums, removing the pitts.  Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt & pepper and lightly toss each salad with the dressing.  Serve with your favorite chicken or it would also be good with pork chops!

Tip:

Add a bit more flavor to the salad with a sprinkle of sliced almonds or pine nuts (make sure to adjust the pp value accordingly)!

XOXO Megan

Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Lemon Chive Sauce

I finally invested (actually got for a birthday gift) the Veggetti! This unique kitchen tool is the latest Weight Watchers craze, and very simple cuts your veggies into long thin strips, creating veggie noodles!  It works pretty great, and is especially fun with zucchini. I whipped up the below flavorful side dish, that actually uses crunchy raw zucchini noodles!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Points Plus: 2pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a/
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Instructions
1 large zucchini, washed but not peeled
1 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 T chives, finely chopped
Salt + pepper to taste

Directions
Wisk together all of your ingredients besides the zucchini.

Follow the instructions on your Veggetti to cut your zucchini into small strips.  The tool allows you to cut in two different sizes, so choose your fav!  I used the larger size.  When your strips are cut lay them on a cutting board and cut them in 1/2 with a knife.  If you don't do this you will essentially have one super long zucchini noodle!

When your zucchini is cooked simply mix your strips with the sauce and enjoy cold (that's right people!).

Tip
If you do not have a Veggetti simply use a veggie peeler to cut your zucchini into strips. Or, cut your zucchini into chunks and top with this bright and summery sauce!

XOXO - Katie

Recipe inspired by Laloosh.

Honey-Mustard Chicken

Grilled chicken is such an easy weeknight dinner!  This honey-mustard sauce is a new variety of grilled chicken with some sweet and salty honey-mustard flavor.  Check it out and see what you think!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
Points Plus: 6pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard and dried thyme and mix well with small whisk.  Start the grill and heat to a medium-low temperature.  Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Grill the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through (about 25 minutes).  During the last 5 minutes, brush frequently with the honey-mustard mixture. Serve immediately with a side salad or veggie!

Tip:
I would recommend adding one final coat of the honey-mustard mixture on top of the chicken after you take it off the grill - this will make sure you get good flavor!

XOXO Megan

Tortilla Margarita Pizza

Using a tortilla as a pizza crust is a quick and easy way to whip up a thin crust pizza.  Like with any pizza, the topping choices are endless, for the one below I used the simple ingredients of fresh tomatoes, olive oil and feta to create a fun margarita version.  The tortilla creates the perfect thin crispy and crunchy thin crust texture!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 pizza
Points Plus: 8pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 t extra virgin olive oil
1 tomato, cut into this pieces
10 fresh basil leaves
½ cup reduced fat feta cheese

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Place your tortilla on a pizza stone and top it with 1 t of olive oil.  Use a silicone brush to spread the oil around the pizza.  Next layer on the tomatoes, cheese and basil. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crispy.

Tip
You could easily swap out the feta for mozzarella to create a more traditional margarita pizza

XOXO - Katie

Chicken Salad w. Strawberries and Feta

It's Friday!!!  Here is a wonderful example of a food I saw, and immediately had to make. One of my absolute favorite weekend activities is watching The Pioneer Women on Saturday mornings at 9am. She whipped this up a few weeks ago and I just loved the combination of sweet corn and strawberries with the salty chicken and sauce.  And come on, I never even considered putting strawberries into a fruit salad! This is a perfect summer, weekend lunch ya'all!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 7pp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Salad
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skins removed
Kosher salt + pepper
Cooking spray
1 cup fresh corn (or frozen)
3 T fresh dill, minced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cup strawberries

Dressing
3/4 cup crumbled feta
2 T skim milk
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 t sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt + pepper

To serve
Use leaves of butter lettuce, sliced romaine, spinach (as I did), kale or whatever lettuce you like!

Directions
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat up your grill pan (or use your outdoor grill) and lightly mist it with cooking spray. Grill your chicken about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove chicken from your grill pan and let it cool.  When it is cooled, cut it into small chunks (I hate that word).

Mix together chicken and remaining ingredients under 'salad' above. In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients under 'dressing' above. Mix together salad + dressing ingredients.  Serve on top of lettuce for a light summer meal.

Tip
On the show Ree used strawberries, which I loved and though were a unique flavor.  You could also use blueberries or grapes!

XOXO - Katie

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Women

Cucumber Lime Gimlet

Gin & tonics are a classic summer cocktail!  This takes a little different twist in the form of a gimlet with cucumber and lime flavors.  These are light and refreshing summertime flavors that make a perfect cocktail.  Enjoy!
Servings: 2
Serving Size: 8 oz. cocktail
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 finely diced slices of cucumber
12 oz. Simply Limeade
4 oz. gin
2 wide slices of cucumber (for garish)

Directions:
Slice two thin slices of cucmber and then finely dice each.  Add to the bottom of a low-ball glass and muddle with a spoon to try and break up the cucumber and relase some flavors. Place ice in two low-ball glasses. Pour 2 oz. gin into each glass and then add 6 oz. limeade. Stir to mix well. Garnish the edge of each glass with a sliced cucmber.

Tip:
My husband likes to say... a good drink starts with a full glass of ice!

XOXO Megan

Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio

Carpaccio - not just for meat people! This simple tomato carpaccio is inspired by my belived True Food cookbook, and really a lovely sumer side (or meal). Tomatos are so beautiful right now, and what better way to showcase them than by slicing them thin and layering them on a pretty platter.

Servings: 2
Serving Size:1/2
Point Plus: 1pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
An assortment of Heirloom tomatoes
1 T olive oil
1 T champagne vinegar
1 Shallot
1 small bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Kosher salt + pepper to taste

Directions

Using a sharp knife (or event better, a tomato knife!) slice your tomatos very very thin, as thin as you can. Do the same with your shallots. Add both your tomatos and shallots into a small bowl, and pour the oil and vinegar over them. Mix well then add parsley, salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatos on a nice platter and serve.

Tip

I used cherry heirloom tomatoes for this dish, but you could use any type of tasty tomato that you like!

XOXO - Katie

Individual 7-Layer Salads

I think mini versions of anything is really cute and FUN!  We had a mini themed day of food about a month ago to celebrate Katie's birthday and this was one of my favorites from the day.  These cute little salads are a perfect side salad before a meal, or you could serve a tray of these at a cocktail and appetizer party!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 individual salad
Points Plus: 2pp (does not include any dressing)
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: n/a

Ingredients:
Romaine
1/4 cucumber, diced
4 Tbsp. bacon bits
Green onions, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 Tbsp. shredded cheddar, reduced-fat
Broccoli, cut into small florets

Directions:
Wash your lettuce and veggies.  Begin dicing and chopping up your veggies (this is and most time consuming part of this recipe.  The rest is a breeze!).  Assemble each 7-layer salad by starting with romaine on the bottom of small glass dishes or bowls.  Layer in order of cucumbers, bacon bits, green onions, tomatoes, shredde cheddar and finally topping with small Broccoli florets!  Serve with your favorite dressing or salt & pepper.

Tip:
Substitute in other veggies to make your own 7-layer combinations!

XOXO Megan

Hot Ham & Cheese Pita

An easy lunch when your on the run and have just a few to pull a meal together! This simple combo of whole wheat pita, ham and Swiss cheese are the perfect combo to keep you going all day long.

Servings: 1 sandwich

Serving Size: 1 pita

Points Plus: 7pp

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 whole wheat pita, sliced as to create a top and bottom of your sandwich

2 wedges laughing cow said cheese

1 oz deli ham

1 green onion, white and green parts

Your fav mustard!

Cooking spray

Directions

Take your pita and spread one wedge of cheese on the top half and one on the bottom. Lay out your ham and top with scallions. Sandwich your pita together and place on a slightly sprayed grill pan. Cook until crispy on each side, about 3 minutes on medium. When finished slice into four wedges and serve with mustard. 

Tip

You could easily make this sandwich with turkey or any other tasty meat. 

Xoxo - Katie

Lime Basil Sorbet

Happy birthday to foodlove co-creator Megan! In celebration, here is a unique summer dessert that is easy to make and the perfect ending to a summer meal.  I went to a local ice cream shop the other day and tried their lime basil ice cream.  It was IN-credible, totally amaz!  I decided to re-create it at home and although the recipe I made was more like a sorbet than an ice cream, it was still really tasty.  You don't need an ice cream maker for this and it requires only a few ingredients.  If you wanted to be really fancy you could also serve this as a palate cleanser BEFORE dessert. Enjoy!

Servings: 8
Serving Size: About 1/4 cup
Points Plus: 2pp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Freeze Time: 2 hours +
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
5-6 limes, zested
1 1/3 cups lime juice
About 20 basil leaves

Directions
Place water and sugar in a saucepan, bring it to a boil. Add lime zest and simmer for about 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes. Cut basil into really small pieces, and then using a mortal and pistol (if you have one, if you don't use the back of a spoon) pound the basil so that the juices release. After the water and sugar mixture has cooled, add the lime juice and basil puree.  Stir this mixture and let sit so that it infuses, about 30 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove all of the basil pieces, then pour it into a plastic Tupperware container with a lid.  Place it into the freezer and let it set for at least 2 hours.  While it is freezing, stir it every 30 minutes. Scoop into a pretty glass and serve with a basil leave and tiny spoon!

Tip
This recipe could easily be made with lemons instead of limes.

XOXO - Katie

Recipe adapted from here.

Refrigerator Iced Tea

I really like a tall glass of iced tea on a hot summer day!  The best part about iced tea (well, unsweeted iced tea) is that it's is ZERO points!!!  Did you know it's really quite simple to make your own iced tea at home?  You really just need a good pitcher and some loose leaf tea!

Servings: 8
Serving Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: ZERO!
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Steep Time: 8-12 hours in the fridge

Ingredients:
1 2-quart glass pitcher
2 tea bags
8 tsp. loose leaf tea
8 cups water

Directions:
Fill the pitcher with cold water.  Add 4 tsp. of loose leaf tea to each tea bag and secure each by tying into a knot.  I prefer to use black or green tea for iced tea.  Drop the prepped tea bags into the pitcher and place in the fridge.  You want to allow the tea plenty of time to steep (or soak up the delicious flavors from the loose leaf tea). 

Both black and green tea come in MANY different flavors!  You can find peach, raspberry, lemon, pomegrante, etc!  My favorite place to buy tea is a store near my mom's house called Fava Tea, but you can find it at specialty tea stores like Teavana too!

Tip:
When I am craving some fresh brewed iced tea, I typically make a pitcher right before I go to bed.  This way the tea has plenty of time to steep overnight and is ready for lunch the next day!

XOXO Megan

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Hey now!  Just because it's summer doesn't mean you can't use the crock, ok?!?!  I still am slightly terrified that if I use the crock while not home that my house will burn down.  I had a rare Monday off work recently and whipped these babies up while sitting on my couch supervising!  We have featured a chicken similar to these wraps in the form of potato skins (also tasty).  For a new dish I put the chicken in lettuce wraps, and topped with traditional buffalo wing toppings - carrots, celery, and RANCH dressing (some of you may prefer blue cheese). This crunchy fun dinner will make you fall in love with your crock pot all over again, and maybe even let it be home alone.

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1/2 cup chicken + veggies
Points Plus: 3pp
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours in the crock
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Chicken
3 chicken breasts, about 24 oz
1 celery stalk, cut in half
2 cloves of garlic, cut in half
16 oz chicken broth or stock
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot, or other hot pepper sauce

Toppings
Carrot strings
Celery, chopped into small pieces
Freshly washed and dried bib or iceberg lettuce

Optional - Extra pp
Ranch or blue cheese salad dressing

Directions
Place your chicken breasts, celery, onion, garlic, and chicken stock in a crock pot. Turn that crock on high and cook it for 4 hours. After 4 hours remove the chicken from the crock and place it on a cutting board.  Discard all broth but KEEP 1/2 cup.  Using two forks shred the chicken and return it to the crock. Pour the reserved stock and Frank's over the chicken, stir, and cook for 30 more minutes.

Tip
If you are down with getting your Kitchaid dirty, use it to shred your chicken!  toss it in there with the paddle attachment, turn it on, and watch your chicken shred quickly and perfectly!

XOXO - Katie

Adapted from this recipe.

Hummus Melts

These tasty little hummus melts remind me a bit of a tuna melt!  I am not a huge fan of tuna, but I do love hummus and saw these on Pinterest and wanted to recreate it myself.  I picked some of my favorite veggies to layer on top of the hummus and topped each open-faced sammie with some shredded mozzarella.  Easy peasy weeknight dinner!

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 English muffin - open-faced 
Points Plus: 5pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 English muffins
4 Tbsp. hummus
1 medium tomato, sliced
1/3 cucumber, sliced
Kosher salt
4 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella, reduced-fat

Directions:
Toast the English muffins in your toaster and top each 1/2 with 1 Tbsp. of hummus.  Layer on the veggies starting with a slice of tomato on each half.  Sprinkle the top of the tomato with a dash of kosher salt to really bring out the flavor.  Layer thinly sliced cucumbers on top of the tomato and finish with 1 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella.  Place all 4 English muffin halves on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Serve immediately!

Tip:
I think these would be really good with some fresh basil added to the veggie layer!  You could also add in some baby spinach too.

XOXO Megan

BLT Pasta Salad

Megan brought us a wonderful BLT salad a few weeks ago, and here is another twist on the BLT. I bring you the BLT pasta salad!  A great way to use tomatoes which will soon be in season, and a great side dish for yet another summer BBQ.

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 2 cups
Points Plus: 6pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

 Ingredients
1 cup small whole wheat pasta, uncooked
2 slices bacon, raw
2 cups small cherry tomatoes
2 T mayonnaise, light
2 cups baby spinach
Kosher salt + pepper to taste

Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions, drain, rise with cold water and set aside.

While pasta is cooking fry up your bacon.  Cook it until it is pretty crispy.  This will make it easy to break up and will also fry out a good portion of the fat (it will still be tasty, trust me)! When bacon is finished cooking use your hands or a scissors to cut/break it into small pieces.

You're almost finished! Place your spinach in a bowl and add hot pasta and bacon over it.  Stir it around so that the pasta begins to wilt a bit from the hot pasta.  Next add 2 T mayo, salt, pepper and cherry tomatoes.  Give the pasta salad a good stir and your done!

Tip
This pasta salad is served great cold. Place it in the fridge and pull it out about 10 minutes before serving for a cool and light summer dish.

XOXO - Katie

Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers

Turkey burgers are a lighter burger option that still has a ton of flavor.  And for some reason, they remind me of summer! Trader Joes makes a delicious Cilantro Lime Turkey Burger, and I decided to try and recreate them in my own kitchen. The unique cilantro and lime flavors give these burgers a tasty Southwest feel!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 burger + 1 bun
Points Plus: 7pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 t garlic, minced
½ t salt
¼ t red pepper flakes
½ cup cilantro, copped
Juice of 2 limes
4 light buns, toasted
Pinch of garlic powder
1/2 avocado, sliced
Cooking spray

Directions
Add ground turkey, green onions, bell pepper, salt, cilantro, red pepper flakes and lime juice to a bowl.  Mix with your hands until well combined.  I added all ingredients to my Kitchenaid and turned her on, letting the mixer do the mixing! When ingredients are well combined split the meat into four balls, then make each ball into a hamburger patty.

At this point you could easily toss these burgers on the grill, but I grilled my burgers inside on a grill pan. Lightly coat your grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium.  Toss on your burgers and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until done.

When burgers are done place them on a bun.  Lightly sprinkle each burger with garlic powder, and then toss with a few slices of avocado. Also feel free to add ketchup, mustard or any other zero point plus condiments!

Tip
You could easily make these burgers ahead of time and bring them to your summer BBQ to grill on the spot!

XOXO - Katie

Chicken Salad over Lettuce

Chicken salad makes for a great summer lunch!  Serve it over lettuce instead of in sandwich form to save on points.  And this recipe makes enough for 6 servings so you should end up with easy leftovers!

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 3/4 cup scoop of chicken salad
Points Plus: 5pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 cup grapes
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/3 cup craisins
1/3 cup walnuts, diced
1/3 cup mayonaise, light
Romaine lettuce

Directions:
Cook the chicken on the stove until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Shred the chicken with two forks and add to a large bowl.  Wash and chop the celery and onion.  Wash and slice the grapes in half.  Add the grapes, celery, onion, craisins, walnuts and mayo to the bowl and mix until everything is well combined.  Serve a scoop of chicken salad over washed romaine lettuce leaves.
 
Tip:
Instead of just serving the chicken salad over lettuce, you could easily turn these into chicken salad lettuce wraps!

XOXO Megan

Onion Rings

It is really easy to make easy, homemade, not FRIED onion rings!  I have been making these for years, and they are a great snack when you have that tried food craving.  Baking the rings give them a crispy crunchy texture with a lot less fat.  Enjoy!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe, about 8 rings
Points Plus: 3pp
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 large white or yellow onion
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko
A dash of garlic powder
A dash of onion powder
Salt + pepper to taste
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut onion into 1/2 inch thick rings. Separate the rings and lay them on your counter. Get two bowls and a large cookie sheet ready.  Pour the egg substitute into one bowl.  Pour the breadcrumbs, panko, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and a dash of pepper into the second bowl.  Give it a good stir. Spray your cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Working one at a time, use your left hand to dip a ring into the egg mixture.  Place the ring into the crumb mixture and use your right and to cover the ring.  Place the ring on your cookie sheet and repeat with the rest of the rings.

After you have prepared all of the rings spray them with your cooking spray.  Toss them in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until crispy and brown. Serve with ketchup or your favorite sauce!

Tip
Using this left hand/right hand method prevents your egg and crumb mixture from combining and getting clumpy. I just learned this technique for 'frying' things and boy does it work great!

XOXO - Katie

Grilled BBQ Chicken

We just bought a grill and it has been life changing!  Okay, that might be a little extreme... but it does make for some quick and easy summer weeknight dinners.  Our 2nd grilling attempt was to try our hand at barbeque chicken.  We used a store bought sauce for this meal, but I think it would be fun to try out a homemade BBQ recipe at some point.

Servings: 2
Serving Size: 1 BBQ chicken breast
Points Plus: 6pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy!
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook/Grill Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

4 Tbsp. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.  Generoulsy season each side with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Place on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes before flipping.  Cook the other side for an additional 5 minutes before adding the BBQ sauce.  Brush a generous amount of sauce on one side of the chicken breast and flip to cook and sear in the BBQ flavor.  You will probably end up losing some of the sauce on the side that is face down on the grill, but don't worry the taste will still be there.  Brush a coat of BBQ sauce to the top of the chicken breast and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cooked through.

Tip:

A good hearty pair of tongs are a MUST when grilling!  They allow for easy flipping of chicken breasts and they help to minimize losing any BBQ sauce.

XOXO Megan

Skinny Chocolate Shake

Most people eat big breakfasts on Sunday morning.  You know...eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, french toast, doughnuts... I decided to wake up yesterday and make a skinny chocolate milkshake! This tasty drink was very filling, and the perfect start to a day of outside adventure! (seriously it was really filling)

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

Ingredients
2 cups Almond vanilla milk
About 15 ice cubes
1/2 t vanilla
1-2 T unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 Banana

Directions
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend! Pour into a cup with a fancy straw.

Tip
To make a thicker shake just add more ice.  You could easily bulk up this shake with more fruit.  I think the addition of strawberries would be delish!

XOXO - Katie

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Happy Fourth of July everyone! What is more American that fruit pie.  We are just reaching the end of strawberry season, so here is a great recipe to showcase those berries.  This recipe is really easy, and you can just pop it out of the fridge and bring it to your summer BBQ party!

Servings: 8
Serving Size: 1/8 of Pie
Points Plus: 6pp
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cool Time: 4 Hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 Pillsbury Pie Crust
4 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3 T cornstarch
Cool-whip, fat free

Directions
Lay your pie crust into a pie tin and pre-bake the crust according to the package directions, about 10 minutes at 400. Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 minutes.

Put 1 cup of your sliced berries into a shallow dish.  Using a potato masher, mash those strawberries until they are good and crunched. Place them in a medium sauce pan and add your water. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat.  remove the berry mixture from your heat and press it through a mesh strainer, using the back of a wooden spoon to push as much of the berry mixture through the strainer.  Discard the pulp and seeds.

Combine the sugar and cornstarch back in your sauce pan and add the berry juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has become thick and begins to boil. Remove from the heat and cool for about 2 minutes.  Add the remaining sliced berries and stir to combine. Pour the strawberry glaze mixture into your slightly cooled pie crust.  Put in the fridge and allow to set for about four hours.

This pie is best served the same day it is prepared. Top it with a dollop of fat-free cool whip.

Tip
A super easy way to slice strawberries evenly is to use a hard boiled egg cutter.

XOXO - Katie

BLT Salad

Who doesn't like a BLT? Take out the bread (and cut back on points plus!) and turn the BLT sandwich into a simple, healthy salad! We thought the flavors of the salty bacon, crisp green onions and juicy tomatoes were so good that we didn't even use dressing, just the salt and pepper provides enough seasoning!


Servings: 2
Serving size: 1 main course salad
Points Plus: 5pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:
A large bunch of romaine
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 slices turkey bacon
2 green onions, sliced
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook the turkey bacon according to the package instructions. Wash and plate out romaine for two salads. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut each one in half. Wash and slice the green onions. Once the bacon has cooled, dice into small pieces. Add the tomatoes, green onions, 2 slices of diced bacon and 1 oz. crumbled blue cheese to each salad. Top with salt and pepper and serve immediately!


XOXO Megan

Chicken Farro Salad

In case you were wondering, farro is my new favorite food!  If you're unfamiliar, it is a nutty and interestingly textured grain, that can really be substituted for any grain you would normally use (quinoa, brown rice, barley).  This recipe is inspired by my new favorite restaurant, True Food Kitchen. I travel to SoCal frequently for work and was lucky enough to sample this restaurant last week in Santa Monica.  The restaurant's focus is healthy, seasonal, and sustainable cuisine, and they do it right down to their amazing desserts.  True Food Kitchen's creator, Dr. Andrew Weil, also wrote a cookbook - True Food.  I ordered this ASAP and have already begun planning my meals around it. Back to this amazing salad...

...it is a great combo of salty Manchago cheese and sweet fresh dates. A champagne vinaigrette is the perfect finish. This salad is incredible!!!

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1/6 of salad recipe + 1 t salad dressing
Points Plus: 7pp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
Salad
1/2 cup uncooked Farro
Mixed greens, enough for four entree sized salads
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dates, pits removed and chopped
2 oz Manchego cheese, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup jicama, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup Marcona almonds
12 oz leftover chicken breast, skin removed

Dressing
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
1 T honey
Kosher salt + pepper

Directions
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the raw Farro.  Cook according to package directions. When cooked through rinse with cold water and drain.

In a large salad bowl toss all remaining ingredients. Serve salad with dressing on the side, allowing each serving 1 t of dressing.  Stick the rest of the dressing in the fridge for later use!

Tip
The hardest thing about this recipe is locating all of the ingredients.  Most all of them can be found at Whole Foods!

XOXO - Katie

Italian Chopped Salad

Chopped salads are delicious and so versitle!  If you see ingredients below that aren't your favorite, just swap something else in.  Traditional chopped salads have tons of veggies, a small pasta, some type of meat (salami, proscuitto or pepperoni) and are tossed in some sort of vinagriette.  I served this for friends a few weeks ago when I made pasta with homemad red sauce and these delicious stuffed mozzarella meatballs!

Servings: 8
Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes (for the pasta)

Ingredients:
Salad:
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
3/4 cup tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup salami, diced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup small pasta (I used elbows)
Salt & pepper to taste

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tps. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste.

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to the pasta directions.  Drain and rinse well to cool off the pasta before adding to the rest of the salad.  Wash and prep your veggies - onion, tomatoes, cucumber etc.  Dice the salami.  In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.  Stir to make sure all ingredients are well combined.  In a small glass measuring cup, combine all dressing ingreidents and whisk throughly with a mini whisk.  Add the dressing to the salad and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Tip:
This salad is so easy to throw together ahead of time.  If you are serving this for a cookout or Italian night  - doing all the prep ahead of time for this piece of your meal will make you a less stressed party host! :)

XOXO Megan