Sesame Ginger Cabbage Salad

My original printed copy of this recipe called for thinly sliced green cabbage, not cooked.  Add chicken to make a full meal

Ingredients

•  1 1/2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce   
•  1 tsp ginger root, finely grated   
•  2 tsp honey   
•  1 1/2 tsp sesame oil   
•  2 tsp apple cider vinegar   
•   1 1/2 cup(s) (shredded) cooked green cabbage, thinly sliced   
•   1 cup(s) uncooked red cabbage, thinly sliced   
•   1 cup(s) uncooked carrot(s), peeled and grated   
•  3 Tbsp raisins   
•   2 medium uncooked scallion(s), white and light-green parts chopped   

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, ginger, honey, sesame oil and vinegar for dressing. Set aside at room temperature. Combine remaining ingredients and toss until well mixed. About 15 minutes before serving, pour dressing over salad and stir to combine. Set aside and stir occasionally. Yields about 1 packed cup per serving.

Weight Watcher Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup diced onion
2 pkts instant chicken broth and seasoning mix
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1/2 cup each thinly sliced carrot and chopped seeded tomato
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp basil
1/8 tsp pepper

In 1 1/2 quart nonstick saucepan combine onion, broth mix, and garlic.  cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine; cover and cook over low heat, stirring, about 10 minutes.  add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove about 1/2 cup veggies and set aside.  In blender, puree soup; return to saucepan and add reserved vegetables.

Makes 2 servings (old weight watchers 0 points)

Lemon Ginger String Beans

Weight Watchers
Also works well with snap peas and snow peas.


2 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic gloves, minced
1 T minced fresh ginger root
3 cups string beans (fresh or frozen and thawed/0
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
Add string beans and cook until golden brown, stirring. About 2 minutes
Add lemon juice and zest; cover and steam until string beans are crips-tender, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields about 4 servings of 3/4 cup per serving.

Sesame-Crusted Tofu over Vegetables

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sesame_crusted_tofu.html

From EatingWell:  May/June 2011, EatingWell Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals (2011) Marinated, sesame-crusted tofu tops a delightful medley of stir-fried vegetables that includes bok choy, bell pepper, scallions and snow peas. The recipe packs enough vegetables that all you need to add is a little short-grain brown rice to make it a meal.
4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 3/4 hours

Ingredients

Tofu & Marinade

• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon mirin (see Notes) or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (see Notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Sauce

• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin or sherry
• 2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Vegetables

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 pounds bok choy, trimmed and very coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed

Preparation

1. To prepare tofu & marinade: Fold a clean kitchen towel and place it on a cutting board or large plate. Set tofu on the towel. Put another folded clean towel over the tofu and place a flat, heavy weight (such as a skillet) on top; drain for 30 minutes.
2. Combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin (or sherry), chile-garlic sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Cut the drained tofu into 1-inch cubes. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. To prepare sauce: Whisk water (or broth), soy sauce, mirin (or sherry), chile-garlic sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. To stir-fry tofu & vegetables: Toss the tofu with sesame seeds in a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoons peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook, turning often, until golden and crusty, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
5. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoons peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, bell pepper, scallions and snow peas; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Make a well in the vegetables; whisk the reserved sauce and add to the center of the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring, until thickened. Toss the vegetables with the sauce. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl and top with the tofu.

Nutrition

Per serving : 232 Calories; 12 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 19 g Carbohydrates; 14 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 483 mg Sodium; 1006 mg Potassium
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Notes: Mirin is a sweet, low-alcohol rice wine essential in Japanese cooking. Look for it in your supermarket with other Asian ingredients.
• A blend of ground chiles, garlic and vinegar, chile-garlic sauce is commonly used to add heat and flavor to Asian soups, sauces and stir-fries. It can be found in the Asian section of large supermarkets (sometimes labeled as chili- garlic sauce or paste) and keeps up to 1 year in the refrigerator.

Baja Lasagna

An old Richard Simons favorite  from  Deal-A-Meal!

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans Ready Cut tomatoes
3 oz. canned diced green chilies
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 2/3 cups drained, canned pinto or kidney beans
1 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
8 corn tortillas, cut in 1" wide strips
8 oz (2 cups) shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In non-stick skillet coated with non-stick stray, saute onion about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes, chilies, mushrooms, beans and chili powder and cumin. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

In 11 X 7 casserole, arrange 1/3 of the tortilla strips in single layer.

Set aside a little of the cheese for garnishing.

Pour 1/4 of the tomato mixture and 1/3 of the cheese over tortilla strips. Repeat layers, ending with sour cream and last 1/4 of tomato mixture.  Top with reserved cheese.

Bake 30 minutes.

Serves 8; 301 calories

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

 Variations: substitute pineapple with 1 can cherry pie filling.  Or as suggested on the box of Pillsbury Angel Food cake mix, make Chocolate Angel cupcakes by adding 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa before mixing cake as directed on package. Ah, chocolate cherry angel food! If made in a tube pan, a serving is 3 WW points. Cupcakes are 1 point. Some suggest serving with cool whip - personally, I think these are fine as is. Can't get any easier than this!

1 package angel food cake mix

1 can crushed pineapple in water -- 20 Ounce Can

1. Combine both ingredients in large bowl.

2. Mix on medium speed with electric mixer.

3. Bake according to instructions on cake mix box (350 degrees). Cake is about 30 - 40 minutes. Cupcakes 20 - 30.

Pumpkin Mousse

Actually a nice lite dessert any time of year!

2 small pkgs of instant sugar-free vanilla pudding
2 cups of skim milk
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
15 oz can of pumpkin
8 oz. of fat free Cool Whip

Make pudding first (pudding and milk.) Then fold in remaining ingredients

Mushroom Chicken Piccata

I have a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe for this that I much prefer, but it's thick with butter. So every so often I indulge myself and make it the real way. In the mean time, this is a nice alternative.

4 chicken cutlets (4 oz each)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tsp olive oil, divided
12 oz. crimini mushrooms, quartered
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 lemon
2 T capers, with juice

Season chicken with S & P on both sides and heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 tsp olive oil and warm briefly. Add chicken and cook until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover.
In the same pan, warm the remaining olive oil. Add a single layer of mushrooms and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes or until red-brown on one side. Flip, add garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a boil and add broth, return to heat and cook until it's bubbling nicely. Slice 4 thin slices of lemon and add to the pan along with the juice from half the lemon. Add capers and continue cooking sauce till it becomes a glace, about 2 more minutes. Add chicken to the sauce and heat through.
Per serving: 199 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber
makes 4 servings, 4 WW points/serving

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Snow Peas in Orange Sauce

1 spray(s) cooking spray
4 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
1 Tbsp orange zest, finely grated
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced; or 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
3 cup(s) snow peas
8 oz shrimp, small, peeled, deveined (about 36 to 40 per lb)
2 cup(s) bean sprouts
1/2 cup(s) orange juice, freshly squeezed recommended
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Coat a large nonstick wok or saute pan with cooking spray; heat to smoking over high heat, about 2 minutes.

Toss in scallions, ginger, orange zest and garlic. Stir and toss constantly over the heat for 30 seconds.

Add snow peas. Continue tossing until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp; continue cooking, tossing all the while, until shrimp are pink and firm, about 2 minutes.

Add sprouts, orange juice, soy sauce and honey. Toss until bubbling, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, combine cornstarch with rice vinegar in a small bowl.

Stir in cornstarch mixture; continue cooking until sauce has thickened a bit, about 30 seconds. Remove wok or pan from heat and drizzle oil over the dish. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 4

Slow Cooker Soup

0 Point Weight Watchers soup. Spicey, filling, easy, and very good!

10 oz baby spinach leaves
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 medium clove garlic, minced
4 cups broth (calls for vegetable, but I use chicken)
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 T dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Place all in crock pot; cover and cook on high for 5 hours. REMOVE bay leaves. Stir, and serve.  8 1-cup servings.

Hint: the bay leaves stay hard, but can be hard to pick out from the spinach. I would place them on the top after all other ingredients are in and remove before stirring. Also, I used a bag of baby spinach (maybe 9 oz) and at first thought it was way too much, but it cooks down and really is fine. In my fear I added 2 more cups of water and that didn't seem to bother the soup!

Pasta Primavera

Another Weight Watchers favorite.

Saute 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 cup sliced zucchini, 1/2 cup thawed frozen green beans, 1/2 cup broccoli florets, and 1 cup diced plum tomatoes in 2 tsp olive oil.  Add 1 cup cooked pasta, 3 T shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup cooked red kidney beans; cover and cook 10 minutes.

Crunchy Baked Chicken

An old Weight Watchers recipe. Still enjoy it.

Preheat oven to 400. Combine 3/4 cup crushed cornflakes, 1 tsp sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp paprika, salt and pepper; set aside. Brush 1 uncooked chicken breast, pounded thin, with 1 T skim milk; coat with cereal mixture and place in nonstick baking pan (or pan sprayed with Pam, or on parchment paper.) Dot chicken with 2 tsp reduced-calorie margarine and bake 15 minutes, or until done.

Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder

This is a great Weight Watchers recipe. Substantial soup for a winter afternoon too!

1 medium uncooked Yukon Gold potato
1 spray cooking spray
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped
4 pieces corn on the cob, or canned corn
1 cup sweet red pepper, diced
4 oz canadian stlye bacon, diced (optional)
2 cups fat free skim milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Pierce potato in several places with a fork; microwave on high power until tender, turning over once, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool; peel and mash.
Meanwhile, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, corn and red pepper; sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Stir bacon and milk into saucepan; stir in mashed potato and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; stir to combine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes (do not allow to boil). Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh vegetables like asparagus and broccoli for the red pepper. Or to save time, substitute 2 cups of frozen corn and 1 cup of frozen, diced bell pepper for the fresh corn and red pepper.

1 Point Chili

This is the recipe as written from Weight Watchers. Look to the bottom for variation. The cornbread addition is really good - came from a different "company's coming" chili recipe but I think it would be fine to add to this.

10 oz lean ground turkey
1 med onion, diced
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
2 med. zucchini, diced
2 med. yellow squash, diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 (15 0z) FF RS beef broth
4 celery stalks, diced
2 green peppers, diced
1 pkg dry chilli seasoning (1 1/4 oz)

Spray large nonstick skillet with Pam, set on med. heat, add turkey, onion, saute till browned.  Drain. Add tomatoes, zucchini, squash, beans, broth, celery, peppers, seasoning. Bring to simmer over med heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.  1 Cup = 1 WW point

Variations:

• Prepare one 8 1/2 oz package of cornbread as directed on package. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded cheese and 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce. Spoon over hot chili and spread evenly so that chili is completely covered. Sprinkle lightly with chili powder. Microwave  uncovered on high for 7 - 9 minutes or put in 400 oven and cook until cornbread is firm, about 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
  
• Add diced green chillies, 1-12 oz bottle of beer, and 1 T hot pepper sauce