Classic Lasagna

 

This lasagna recipe is from the book below. 

I've been craving lasagna but didn't want to make the recipe I normally use. 

This recipe is six large servings and is made in the crock pot. 

 

 

 

The photo above is the second layer of noodles and below is the second layer of the ricotta/mozzarella layer. 

 

 

Final layer of beef mixture.

I slow cooked this for four hours on low. 

 

The photo above is the final layer of mozzarella/Parmesan cheese. The crock pot was then turned off and I waited around 10 minutes to let the cheese melt. 

 

After it had "firmed up" a little I divided it into 6 servings. They are quite large.

This recipe comes in at 10 SmartPoints for 1/6th of the recipe. 

I'd make it again, I thought it was pretty good. 

Philadelphia "1st and 10" Cheesesteak Pizza

I found this recipe in a pamphlet attached to the Boboli pizza crust I bought last week when I made the Pizza Margahretta. I knew my husband would like it, so I decided to give it a try.

I figured the Weight Watcher PointsPlus at 8 per slice. I used the 100% Whole Wheat crust.

Philadelphia "1st and 10" Cheesesteak Pizza

1-12" Boboli Original Pizza Crust
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 1lb. sirloin steak, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450°F. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to preheated skillet (high heat). When oil is hot, add onions and bell peppers and saute until lightly browned. Remove onions and bell peppers and reserve. Add remaining oil to hot skillet. Add steak and quickly saute until seared. Fill pizza crust with beef, onions and bell peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes on a baking sheet in the lower third of the oven. Serve immediately.

We loved it! Next time I may try using chicken and mozzarella cheese to lighten it up even more.

Shake-in-the-Bag Chicken

Tonight's menu included this Weight Watcher recipe for chicken. It smelled delicious baking and it had an excellent taste!

I had it sliced so perfectly to set atop my couscous. It fell apart as I attempted to move it into place, so I just tossed it on top!

I used Mrs. Dash Onion & Garlic & Herb in place of the garlic and onion powder. To cut back the salt, I used a 1/4 teaspoon of Morton Lite Salt which is half the amount of sodium as regular table salt.

Shake-in-the-Bag Chicken *
Makes 4 Servings

2/3 cup cornflake crumbs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned (about 2 pounds)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baling sheet with nonstick spray.

Combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and cumin in a large zip-close plastic bag. Spray the chicken pieces lightly with nonstick spay, then place one piece in the bag. Shake the bag to evenly coat the chicken, then transfer chicken to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces; discard any remaining coating mix.

Bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each breast registers 160°F, 40-45 minutes.

Per serving (1 breast half): 244 Cal, 5g Fat, 1g Sat Fat, 89mg Chol, 597mg Sod, 11g Carb, 1g Fib, 36g Prot, 28mg Calc. Points: 5 (recalculated to PointsPlus: 6).

* Recipe from Weight Watchers Greatest Hits 250 Classic Recipes from the Sixties to Today

Turkey Sloppy Joes

I thought I'd try a new recipe for Turkey Sloppy Joes. Although it was good, I think I'll stick with my old recipe.  

If you like Barbecue sauce, you'll love them. I don't care for the tangy taste of it. The Weight Watchers Points include a roll. I used a lower calorie wheat hamburger bun which is 2 Points.

Turkey Sloppy Joes *
Makes 4 Servings

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pound ground skinless turkey breast
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
4 multigrain hamburger rolls

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion, pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, oregano and mustard; let cool 1 minute.

Add the turkey and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until no longer pink, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the barbecue sauce and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve on the hamburger rolls.

Per serving (1 roll with 3/4 cup meat) 356 Cal, 10g Fat, 2g Sat Fat, 67mg Chol, 813mg Sod, 33g Carb, 4g Fib, 32g Prot, 86mg Calc. Points:7 (recalculated PointsPlus: 9).

* Recipe from Weight Watchers Greatest Hits 250 Classic Recipes from the Sixties to Today

Pizza Margherita

I was flipping through a Weight Watchers cookbook called Greatest Hits 250 Classic Recipes from the Sixties to Today and I came across this recipe for Pizza Margherita. It was delicious!

Here it is ready for the oven.....

.....and ready to enjoy!

I used fresh herbs rather than dried. I had planned to make my own pizza dough, but ran out of time. Instead I used a Boboli Whole Wheat Thin Pizza Crust.

The Weight Watcher Points for one serving were 5 points. Under the new plan each serving is 7 points.

Pizza Margherita

Dough for 1 pizza or 1 prebaked thin pizza crust
3/4 cup prepared fat-free tomato sauce (I used no-salt)
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tablespoon chopped oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 tablespoon chopped basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat the oven according to the directions for the crust you are using.

Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the crust; sprinkle with the cheese. Drizzle with the oil, then sprinkle with the parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bake until the cheese is bubbling, 10-15 minutes. Serve at once.

Per serving (1/4 pizza); 256 Cal, 6g Fat, 1g Sat. Fat, 4mg Chol, 681 mg Sod, 41g Carb, 2g Fib, 8g Prot, 76 mg Calc: Points: 7 (recalculated from 5).

Pumpkin Mousse

This year's Thanksgiving meal was pretty low key, which was fine with me. I didn't make one thing except for this Pumpkin Mousse. We just ordered the whole thing from one of our local grocery stores. Since I don't eat pumpkin pie, this was my dessert.

This recipe can be found on alot of sites if you do a search. I used the one I found on the Weight Watchers group that I belong to on Facebook.

Pumpkin Mousse

1 - 15oz. can pure pumpkin
1 small  pkg sugar free, fat free vanilla or butterscotch instant pudding, dry
1/2 c. skim milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups fat free Cool Whip    

Mix the first four ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Fold in the Cool Whip. Chill.
1/2 cup equals 1 Weight Watcher point

Now I've got to get serious about getting my Christmas cards done. I've been stalling and have been in a creative slump lately. I just haven't been able to do anything! I'm hoping that now that we're done with all the Christmas decorating that will get me in the spirit.

Chicken Lasagna

I don't know if you've ever made Chicken Lasagna before, but if not you're in for a treat! It's absolutely delicious and low in calories too. I've made this a few times and we love it! Nutritional info is below the recipe. If you're doing Weight Watchers this comes in at 5 points per serving.

This recipe comes from a 2006 issue of 'Taste of Home Best Light Recipes Magazine'. Every time I look through all my cooking magazines that were packed up for almost two years it's like Christmas!

Chicken Lasagna

10 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon dried basil
1-3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups 2% small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, broil chicken 6 in. from the heat until juices run clear; let stand for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken with two forks. Drain noodles; set aside.

In large nonstick skillet, combine the shredded chicken, tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper and remaining salt.

In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, place half of the noodles, overlapping them. Layer with half of the cheese mixture, chicken mixture and mozzarella. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One piece equals 240 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 43 mg cholesterol, 1,038 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 28 g protein.

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 fat.

I always use lower sodium products, so the mg of sodium in my recipe is lower than what this recipe states. To me, over 1000 mg of sodium in anything is crazy!!

Now I'm off for some fun this morning. Then, it's back home to do laundry and finish three scrapbook layouts I'm currently working on.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Cinnamon Goodness

It's no secret that I like to be in the kitchen making things. The only problem is that I can't always make everything I want because it will all go to waste. The hubby doesn't always like the same thing, so sometimes we have different things for meals.

This morning I woke up and really wanted to make a french toast bake. The kind that you are supposed to make the night before and refrigerate to bake in the morning. I have always wanted to make one, but know that I can't possibly eat it for a week. I also don't want to eat it for three meals a day.

Well, I decided to make a small one. Maybe enough for two servings.

Isn't it cute!

It has a wonderful cinnamony taste. I love cinnamon!

Next time I'll combine it all and leave it set overnight to bake the next morning. Here's what I did:

I took 3 slices of low calorie wheat bread (1 Weight Watcher point each) and tore them into small pieces and put into a small casserole dish. Then I beat two eggs, added some cinnamon, vanilla, sugar substitute and Silk Almond milk. I poured that over the bread and refrigerated for about an hour. Bake at 400 for approximately 25 minutes. You could use eggs beaters or something equivalent to lower the calories even more.

Now I have leftovers for tomorrow. Yay!

Cherry Scones

All day I've been thinking about baking. I just couldn't get it out of my mind, but I had other things to do. I really wanted something sinfully rich, but settled for these Weight Watcher three point scones.

I've been meaning to make them for some time and have had my ingredients on hand ready and waiting. Of course, my timing isn't always the best as I had just started making them when the hubby came in from work. Since I hadn't yet added the wet ingredients to the dry, I was able to set them aside so that we could take the dog out for a quick walk. I finished them when I returned and they are scrumptious. They're not real sweet, but the dried cherries give them a little boost.

Now, in all reality, my mind is still thinking that I want something sinfully rich, dripping with chocolate goodness (and maybe a little peanut butter mixed in). I told the hubby that I'm feeling the need to bake some type of cupcake and that they will have to be sent to work with him. If not, I will want to eat all of them. That would not be good!

Cherry Scones

• 1 spray cooking spray
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced dried cherries

Preheat oven to 400. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar; mix well and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined; fold in cherries.

Drop 12 equal two-inch mounds of batter on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until tops just start to turn golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Yields 1 scone per serving. 3 WW points per serving. Serves 12.

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

Chocolate has been on my mind lately...which is nothing new. Knowing of course, that if I went out and bought something, it would probably be very high calorie. Then it dawned on me this morning that I still have all the ingredients to make fudge - Weight Watchers Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge is only 2 points! I bought everything at Christmas but ran out of time. This is my lucky day and I don't have to wreck my diet to enjoy it!

After having a piece, I'll give it a thumbs up. It's not bad at all.......

.......now if I can just eat one piece instead of the whole pan...........!

Weight Watchers Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge
2 Points Per Piece
36 Servings

1 spray of cooking spray
1-2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine or light butter
12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
14 large marshmallows

Coat an 8-x 8-inch pan with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, evaporated milk and margarine (or butter); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
Stir in chocolate and marshmallows; remove pan from heat and stir until smooth.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into thirty-six 1-1/3-inch squares and serve.

Store fudge in refrigerator, or freeze for a firmer consistency.

Garlicky Baked Shrimp

I made this last night for dinner and ohhh was it ever delicious! I found this recipe in a Weight Watchers Recipe Magazine Easy Weeknight Favorites. For those of you doing points the value is 5 per serving.

The best part is that there are leftovers for either lunch or another dinner!

Garlicky Baked Shrimp

Cooking Spray

1-1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons olive oil

- Preheat oven to 400.
- Coat 4 individual gratin dishes with cooking spray. Divide shrimp among dishes; set aside. (I didn't have individual dishes, so I just used one to hold all the shrimp).
- Combine breadcrumbs and next 4 ingredients; stir in juice and oil. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over shrimp. Place dishes on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 13 minutes or until the shrimp are done and breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Yield: 4 servings.

Points value 5: Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 3 V-L Meat, 1 Fat Per serving: Cal 220 (30% from fat); PRO 24.7g; FAT 7.3g (sat 1.1g); CARB 12.5g; FIB 0.7g; CHOL 170 mg, IRON 3.8mg; SOD 431mg; CALC 99mg

Seafood Done Right!

Oh my gosh! I've graduated from making rubbery shrimp and overcooked cod to making perfect scallops. Cooking seafood has always scared me so I usually shy away from it. It seems the only time I would have it is when I'm in a restaurant. Well, I've finally mastered getting shrimp just right and I'm getting better with tuna steaks. Last night I made Scallops with Basil and Tomato from Weight Watchers Annual Recipes for Success 2003 and we loved them! This will for sure become a repeat for dinner.

Scallops with Basil and Tomato

1 cup chopped seeded tomato (about 1 large)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon light butter
1 pound sea scallops
Lemon wedges (optional)


Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops, and cook 2 minutes on each side.

Add tomato mixture to pan, and cook 1 minute, stirring gently, until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup scallop mixture).

Points: 3; Exchanges: 3 Very Lean Meat, 1 Fat; Per Serving: Cal 154 (35% from fat); Pro 19.8g; Fat 5.9g (sat 1.6g); Carb 5.3g; Fib 0.7g; Chol 42mg; Iron 0.7mg: Sod 496mg; Calc 37mg

Last Night's Dinner

Ground Beef Stroganoff was on the menu for dinner last night. While at our house in Minnesota last weekend, I picked out seven cookbooks to bring back to Wisconsin. I probably didn't need more cookbooks here, but I like to drive my husband crazy. As he constantly reminds me, I confuse "need" with "want".

As I going through the Weight Watchers 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook (ISBN 0-8487-2525-5), I came across the Ground Beef Stroganoff recipe and thought it sounded good. I've made this before but not with ground beef. We thought this was very tasty and I will definitely be making this again. The only thing that I will change is that I always use whole wheat noodles and for some reason I wasn't thinking and picked up regular ones.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

8 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked
1 pound ground round (I used extra-lean)
3 green onions, sliced, or 1 cup chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 (12-ounce) jar fat-free beef gravy
1 (8-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt (I used Mrs. Dash garlic/herb)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional)

Prepare noodles according to package directions, omitting fat and salt.

While noodles cook, cook meat, green onions, and mushrooms in a large nonstick skillet until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles; drain. Return meat mixture to skillet; add gravy and next 3 ingredients, stirring well. Cook medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in sherry, if desired. Serve over drained noodles. Yield: 5 servings.

Points: 7
Exchanges: 3 Starch, 3 Lean Meat
Per serving:
Calories 367
Carbohydrate 42.9g
Fat 7.6g (saturated 2.4g)
Fiber 3.9g
Protein 31.1g
Cholesterol 98mg
Sodium 611mg
Calcium 93mg
Iron 4.3mg