Island Rum Cake

Today is my birthday!!!  As I celebrate and indulge a bit (it is my birthday after all), here is a fun summer dessert for you to check out and maybe try out at the next time you have company?  This is a Pampered Chef recipe found here.  I made a few slight modifications, but it is basically the same recipe.  Enjoy!

Servings:  16

Size:  1/16 of cake

Points Plus: 10pp
Level of Difficulty:  Medium

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time:  15-18 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:
Cake:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1 can crushed pineapple, in juice, undrained
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut

Filling & Fruit Topping:

1 package vanilla instant mudding mix, sugar-free

1 cup milk

2 cups thawed, frozen whipped topping

2 Tbsp. dark rum

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

1 large mango, peeled and sliced

¼ cup toasted coconut

Syrup:

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. dark rum

2 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Use two torte pans (I used Pampered Chef’s version which are 10 ½ inches round) to make the cake in.  Spray each pan with cooking spray and place an 8 inch circle of parchment paper over the center of each pan.  In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, water, egg and pineapple until well mixed.  Fold in the coconut flakes.  Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let the cakes cool before you try and remove them from the pans; let cool on a wire cooling rack.  In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, dark rum, water and cinnamon to a boil over medium-high heat to make the syrup.  Whisk the mixture until the sugar is fully dissolved.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until the syrup is reduced to about ¼ cup; remove from heat.  Whisk the pudding mix and milk together to make the filling and add in 1 cup of whipped topping and the 2 Tbsp. rum.  Prep the kiwi and mango and cut into slices for the top of the cake.

Assemble the cake by starting with one torte cake on a round platter.  Brush the syrup topping over the top of the cake.  Using a cake decorating tool, pipe the filling mixture around the edge of the cake and spread evenly across the top of the cake.  Layer on the next cake layer and arrange the slices of mango and kiwi in the middle of the cake. Brush the remaining syrup on top of the fruit slices. Pipe around the edge of the top cake layer with the remaining filling and sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the filling.

Tip:

A good cake decorating tool can help you to make impressive looking desserts!  I am partial to this version from Pampered Chef.

XOXO Megan

Fresh Green Beans with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Fact: I hate balsamic vinegar and roasted tomatoes.  Fact: This recipe made me love both!  And I don't mean like, I mean L.O.V.E.  Who knew!?  Who knew that when you roasted baby tomatoes in olive oil and balsamic vinegar that it created a delicous thick sauce?  Who knew that the combo of roasted tomatoes and green beans is the bomb?  Who knew that goat cheese is great on anything? (I knew that!) Goat cheese is actually a really low fat cheese that I am going to start using more this summer.  Anyways, enjoy this as a side or main dish with your fresh veggies.  Also as a side, it is almost tomato time! (I am so excited)

Servings: 4

Size: About 1 1/2 cups

Points Plus: 3pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:

4 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cleaned

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 T. olive oil

2 T. good balsamic vinegar

2 oz. goat cheese

Directions: 

Bring a pan with water to a boil and cook beans about four minutes.  Remove from heat and strain. Heat olive oil in pan and sautee tomatoes until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add balsamic and sautee 1 minute more.  Add beans and sautee about 3 more minutes.  Portion you dish and add equal parts of goat cheese to both plates.  Enjoy!

Tip:
You could add the goat cheese to the sautee pan while still on the heat to made a more creamy sauce.  Also, I am sure this dish would be great with garlic and onions but I just wasn't in the mood (which is weird because as you know I love onions)

XOXO - Katie

Mini Bacon and Cheese Quiches

I love mini foods and these mini quiches are so cute!  They are also easy to make and low in pp value (and a WW recipe!).  There are a lot of different varieties you could make with this recipe to serve it at a dinner party as an appetizer.  As bacon and egg quiches, I served this at a brunch party.

Servings:  18

Size:  2 mini quiches

Points Plus: 2pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

36 wonton wrappers (3 ½ inch squares)

1 small onion

1 cup fat free egg substitute

1 ½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup shredded cheddar, reduced-fat

4 slices turkey bacon, chopped

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 36 mini muffin pans with cooking spray.  Press wonton wrappers into each mini muffin cup and spray the edges of the wonton wrappers, this will ensure they brown while baking.  In a small skillet, sauté the onion until tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Whisk together the egg, milk, cheese in a glass bowl; stir in the bacon and onion.  Fill the mini muffin cups with approximately 1 Tbsp. of egg filling.  Bake for 20 min.

Tip:

Wonton wrappers can be used for so many different recipes!  They are perfect for making homemade ravioli – Katie is a pro at wonton raviolis. :)

XOXO Megan

Sausage Spaghetti Squash

This was my first attempt at cooking a paleo recipe (at least knowingly), and it was so good! First, have you ever cooked spaghetti squash?  Once you roast this unique squash you remove the insides with a fork, and they really do resemble spaghetti.  Anyone who tells you that it TASTES like spaghetti is lying, but it is a fun and healthy alternative to the noodle.  The squash, based off this recipe,  is jazzed up with some spicy Italian sausage and kale, and has a slight Thai twist with the addition of coconut milk.

Servings: 4
Size: 1 1/2 cup
Points Plus: 4pp
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:
1 Italian sausage (I used 7pp of sausage)
1 Medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
1 Bundle of kale, roughly chopped
1/2 Red onion
1/3 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. canned coconut milk, light
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 T. garlic powder
1 t. tarragon
1 t. salt (more to taste)
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. ground sage
1 Green onion, white and green part

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roast squash, cut side down for 40 minutes. When cooked remove, flip to cut side up, and let cool so you can handle it.

While squash cooks, cook sausage, breaking up into small pieces.  When cooked remove from pan and set aside.  Add garlic, kale, onion and chicken broth to pot and stir. Add coconut milk and spices, cover and let simmer about 7 minutes.

When you can handle squash pull it apart with a fork (de-thread).  Add squash and sausage back to pot and mix well.  Top with onions and serve!

Tip:
I packed this in my lunch today, this is a really big deal!  I never pack my lunch, ever!!  I divided up the leftovers into individually portioned glass pyrex so it was easy to grab this morning.  If anyone has any tips for packing a lunch please PLEASE let me know! I feel like when I pack my lunch it doesn't make me full, but when I go out to my normal, WW friendly lunch spots it does!  I think it is all in my head...

XOXO - Katie

Summer Vegetable & Garbanzo Bean Salad

This is a perfect light, refreshing summer salad to serve at a BBQ with friends and family.  It comes together quickly and is full of delicious veggies so it is relatively low in pp!  Leftovers would make for a perfect light lunch pair with a piece of fruit.

Servings: 8

Size: 1/8 of the salad

Points Plus: 5pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time:  n/a

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 English cucumber, diced

3 green onions, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

¼ cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber, onions and bell pepper in a large bowl.  In a small Pyrex measuring cup; whisk together the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper until mixed well.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.  Just before serving, stir in the crumbled feta and fresh basil.

Tip:

Chopping up fresh herbs can be kind of a pain.  My favorite way to make sure the herbs are finely chopped is to use a good pair of kitchen scissors!  Crate & Barrel even makes a pair of scissors specically for use with herbs if you are interested - check them out here!

XOXO Megan

Portuguese Kale Soup

What better to do when it is 100 degrees outside than make soup!  I am not sure what I was thinking besides that I needed to try my hand at duplicating Au Bon Pain's Portuguese Kale Soup ASAP.  So I did! I love this soup (at any time of year apparently).  We got kale in our CSA last week and this afternoon the wheels in my brain got turning.  I realized I had all the ingredients for this (very) hearty soup on hand, so completely made up this recipe which turned out to taste really similar to my chain favorite.

Servings: 4

Size: 1 cup

Points Plus: 5pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:

1 medium size rustic potato, chopped small

3 cups raw kale, de-stemmed and rinsed

1/2 cup red onion, chopped small

1 cup navy beans, rinsed

2 links Trader Joes garlic turkey sausage, cut into small pieces

1 T. olive oil

32 oz. chicken stock

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

1 T. fresh garlic, chopped

Dash of red pepper flakes, to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large stock pot.  Add potatoes and onion and sautee about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sausage, stir. Add kale and cover for 2 minutes, allowing kale to slightly wilt.  Add stock, navy beans, bay leaf, red pepper, salt and pepper to taste.  I added an additional bouillon cube because I like salt and I don't love the taste of canned or boxed stock.  Bring to a slow boil, set a lid on so that the pot is covered but not sealed.  Cook about 45 minutes, until kale is cooked through. Put in your favorite soup bowl and enjoy!

Tip:

I LOVE this soup cup! (as seen above)

XOXO - Katie

Green Pepper, Onion & Mushroom Omeletes

Similar to Katie's post yesterday... it is important when you have company to plan out some healthy meals (it will benefit your guests just as much as it does you!).  Last week my family was in town for the 4th of July and I planned a meal of veggie omelets for us to start our day with a healthy, protein-packed breakfast.

Servings:  4

Size:  1 omelet

Points Plus:  5pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

Ingredient List:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package sliced mushrooms

8 eggs

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and chop the green pepper and onion.  In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil and add all the veggies.  Sauté the veggies until they are tender, about 5-10 minutes.  Whisk eggs in a small bowl – 2 eggs at a time. In a small sauté pan, pour in your eggs to begin cooking the omelet over medium heat.  Cook the eggs until almost set, and then add your veggie filling.  You will be adding about 1/3 cup of filling.  Once the omelet is filled, fold over in half with a spatula.  Cook for another 30 seconds or so and then remove from the pan and serve immediately with fresh ground pepper and salt.  Repeat this process for your other omelets.

Tip:

Add a little splash of milk to your eggs when whisking – this will make for fluffier omelets!  Also, feel free to sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of your finished omelet for extra garnish and flavor.

XOXO Megan