Peanut Butter & Honey Popcorn

I was perusing Pinterest a few weeks ago and popcorn was the rage that day. Many different recipes using different toppings to coat popcorn. So after an hour or so of losing myself on the site I decided I had to have popcorn. I got out my air popper and I opened my cupboard...peanut butter and honey stared me in the face and I just knew I had to try it. I sure was glad I did it, it is tasty, yes it is messy but it is totally worth it.



Peanut Butter & Honey Popcorn: Serves 1-2

1.5oz Popcorn Kernels
1TB Peanut Butter
2tsp Honey
Pinch Salt

Pop the kernels in an air popper. While they are popping away place the peanut butter and honey in a small dish and microwave for 30 seconds, stir and pour over the popped popcorn and with a spoon (or your hands) toss it all around covering the popcorn in the mixture. Add the salt if you would like and serve and enjoy!

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WW: 4 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
7 Points Plus / serving @ 1 servings

Creamy Kielbasa & Zucchini Pasta

Oh I love Kielbasa. It is just so good and tasty and wonderful and the day I found out that it was available in turkey I was thrilled. Healthy and tasty?! Yes Please. I decided to make a pasta dish out of it and had some zucchini that needed to be used so all the sudden a new recipe was born!



Creamy Kielbasa & Zucchini Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
7oz Turkey Kielbasa - Sliced
2C Zucchini - Chopped
1tsp Olive Oil
1/4C Chicken Stock
2/3C Milk
2TB Flour
1/2C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan for 30-40 seconds, add the kielbasa & zucchini with some pepper (note I do NOT add salt because the kielbasa is salty in itself!), stir fry for 6-7 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the kielbasa is starting to crisp up. Mix the milk, stock & flour together and pour into the saute pan and stir stir stir allowing it to thicken. Remove from the heat, add the pasta and stir to coat, add the Parmesan and stir once more then cover with a lid and let it all come together for a few minutes, then serve & enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Chicken Stew with Dumplings

I grew up having my Mom's Chicken & Dumplings, traditionally made with chicken, celery & onions in a thick creamy broth over delicate fluffy dumplings cooked in the soup. I'll admit as a little kid I demanded to have my chicken without the gravy and would only eat the inside of the dumplings because I didn't like the parts that touched the soup! Weird I know, luckily I grew out of that! A few years ago I started adding carrots to my moms recipe and then it occurred to me this time...Hey Jill...Why don't you use Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup as the base and modify it...more veggies, more color, more YUM. I was right. I love when that happens! This does take a good 2-3 hours so make sure to not try this when you are pressed for time.



Chicken Stew with Dumplings: Serves 8-12

5 Chicken Thighs or 2 Large Chicken Breasts (skin removed, bone it)
1 Large Onion – Chopped
3-4 Celery Stalks – Chopped
3-4 Large Carrots – Thickly Sliced
11oz Can Del Monte Summer Crisp Corn
1C Frozen Peas
Salt & Pepper
Chicken Bouillon
Water
1-1/2C Milk (Split 1C & 1/2C)
3C Bisquick
1/4C Corn Starch

Pull the skin off of the chicken and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and place in a large soup pot. Pour in water to 3-4″ above the chicken. Add the celery and onion to the pot and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 45-60 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Reduce the heat to a simmer and remove the chicken from the soup. Take the chicken off of the bone and cut into small bite size pieces and return to the pot with the carrots and summer crisp corn. Add chicken bouillon 1 heaping tsp at a time until the broth has reached your desired level of chicken broth flavor. Bring back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.

While the soup is coming back to a boil mix 1C of milk with the Bisquick then grab a spoon, dip it into the soup then cut into the dough to grab a spoonful, and drop it into the soup (reduce heat so the soup is just simmering but not a raging boil), repeat this process until the dumplings are all in the pot (note if you are not using a wide soup pot you may need to do this in 2 stages...the dumplings need room to grow). Once all dumplings are in the pot let it cook uncovered for 10 minutes, then covered for 10 minutes (DO NOT PEEK AT THEM!). Once the time is up the dumplings should be nice and cooked through. With a slotted spoon carefully remove to a large bowl.

Almost done I promise. Bring the soup back to a boil. Mix the remaining 1/2C milk with the corn starch and pour into the soup with the peas. Keep stirring while it boils and thickens. I let mine get to a stew consistency - thicker than soup, but thinner than gravy. Remove from the heat, let it cool for a few minutes then serve up with your dumplings!

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WW: ~8 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings, and ~7 Points Plus / serving @ 10 servings, ~6 Points Plus / serving @ 12 servings (will change with the size and type of your chicken, I weighed mine – chicken thighs – after cooking and removing from the bone)

Lemon Parmesan Shrimp Pasta

Someday's I come home and I really don't want to spend time cooking, thinking new recipes up, trying new recipes, and I just bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta, some quick tomato sauce and call it a night. Well today that was totally my intention but at the last minute I decided to add some shrimp, I had a lemon that needed to be used and I always have Parmesan cheese on hand (or Farmer John as I said it as a kid and still say to myself every time I see it!). Next thing I knew I was grabbing my camera and taking a picture of my meal...what happened to my no new recipe night? Oh well, good news is dinner was a total success and now you get a new recipe!



Lemon Parmesan Shrimp Pasta: Serves 4

1lbs Shrimp - Peeled & De-Veined
8oz Pasta
2TB Lemon Juice - Fresh
2tsp Olive Oil
2-3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/2tsp Basil - Dried
1/2C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. About 4-5 minutes before the pasta is done place the olive oil in a large saute pan with the garlic and cook for 30-40 seconds, add the lemon juice, basil and shrimp to the pan. Give it a toss and cook the shrimp a few minutes until fully cooked through, flipping once. Remove from the heat, add in the pasta and parmesan, give it a stir, cover and let it sit for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Salmon Patties

I love Salmon yet only ever had it roasted or grilled! For years I have heard about Salmon Patties but have always stopped from making them because I didn't like the idea of canned salmon (it just weirds me out!). Well my friend enlightened me that you can get fresh Salmon fillets in the freezer section (I know I know I should of known this...) so I bought a whole bag of individually frozen 4oz fillets and decided to experiment! I was quite happy with the results and will be making this again and experimenting with the ingredients for different flavor profiles.



Salmon Patties: Serves 2

8oz Salmon Fillet (skinless)
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/2tsp Old Bay
1/2tsp Dried Basil
2tsp Butter
1/4C Oats
2tsp Dijon Mustard
1tsp Mayonnaise

Preheat your oven to 350°. While the oven is heating up rub the garlic, Old Bay & basil all over the salmon and place on a greased cookie sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and flaky to the touch. Place the oats in a food processor and blend until the oats are nice and chopped up, add the salmon, mustard and mayo and pulse your processor two or three times then carefully remove the mix from the processor. Split in half and form into two patties. Place the butter in a large saute pan and heat over medium heat and melt, Place the patties down and let them cook for 4-5 minutes so it has time to make a nice crisp edge on the patty, then flip and cook another few minutes. Remove to a plate and enjoy!

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving

Couscous Shrimp Stir Fry

A few months ago I tried the Israeli Pearled Couscous and fell in love. I love the size, I love the quickness, I love the versatility. Like rice, but pasta, I love it. I made Spicy Stir Fry the other week and was in the mood for the stir fried veggies and Asian sauces and this recipe really delivered.



Couscous Stir Fry: Serves 4

1lbs Shrimp - Peeled & Deveined
1-1/2C Israeli / Pearled Couscous
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1C Broccoli - Chopped
1C Zucchini Chopped
1/2C Carrots - Chopped
1/2C Onions - Chopped
1 Bell Pepper - Chopped
2-1/4C Chicken Stock
2TB La Choy Teriyaki Sauce
2tsp Olive Oil
1tsp Soy Sauce
1tsp Siracha
2tsp Corn Starch

Place 1-3/4C chicken stock and the soy sauce in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir and reduce the heat down to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the couscous, stirring occasionally. In a large saute pan heat 1tsp of olive oil with the garlic for 30-40 seconds then add the vegetables with some salt and pepper and stir fry until tender crisp, then remove to a pan. Place the remaining tsp of oil in the pan and cook the shrimp in a single layer with some salt and pepper until cooked through, flipping once. Remove from the pan. Add the vegetables back to pan and mix the remaining 1/2C of chicken stock with the teriyaki, corn starch and siracha and add to the vegetables and bring up to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes allow the sauce to thicken and then add the cooked couscous to the pan with the shrimp, allow the sauce to cook into the couscous for another minute or two. Remove from the heat, serve & enjoy!

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving

Spaghetti Pizza Bread

Yeap, pasta and pizza, oh and cheese. One of my favorite foods is a spaghetti sandwich, a piece of soft white bread, slathered with butter and filled with sauced spaghetti noodles then folded in half. I love the texture I love the taste and I love the combo of the carb overload. On pinterest I saw someone doing a pasta and crescent roll combo and I decided to make up my own recipe using my new favorite pizza dough recipe! This recipe did not disappoint. You can make into individual calzones or into one long log of pasta pizza bliss!



Spaghetti Pizza Bread: Serves 6

1 Pizza Dough Recipe
8oz Spaghetti or Linguine
15oz Can Tomato Sauce
2TB Tomato Paste
1/2tsp Dried Oregano
1/2tsp Dried Basil
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
1/2C Onion - Finely Chopped
1/2C Bell Pepper - Finely Chopped
2tsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1/2C Ricotta - Part Skim
1/2C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded

Make the pizza dough recipe and let it rise! Once it is almost doubled in size you can begin making the spaghetti component. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking place 1tsp olive oil, onion and bell pepper in a sauce pot and cook until the vegetables are nice and softened. Add the tomato sauce, paste, oregano, basil & garlic powder to the pot and bring up to a low simmer. Let it continue to simmer softly while the pasta finishes cooking. Once the pasta is done mix the pasta with the tomato sauce & cheeses.

Now to assemble. Take your doubled in size pizza dough and stretch it out to fill a large greased pizza pan. Place the spaghetti in the center of it in a long log approximately 6" wide. Pull the sides and ends of the dough up and over the spaghetti. Brush the remaining tsp of olive oil over the top of the pizza and sprinkle with some additional garlic powder and oregano. Place in a 425° oven for approximately 15-20 minutes until the dough is nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven, slice and serve.

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

French Onion Soup

I love French Onion Soup, caramelized onions, super melty cheese. Really anything with super melty cheese is going to have my heart but I have to think this is healthy just because it has lots of onions, oh yea and I made it healthy! I think you will love this recipe, it does take a lot of baby sitting at the stove while the onions caramelize but it is worth it. This also gave me a great reason to use my dutch oven from Christmas.



French Onion Soup: 6 servings

5-6 Vidalia Onions (Softball Sized) - Thinly Sliced
2TB Butter
2tsp Ground Thyme
6C Beef Stock
6oz Grueyre or Swiss Cheese - Sliced
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp Sugar

In a large dutch oven over medium heat add the butter and let it melt, add the onions and stir to coat. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes, remove the lid, add the sugar, salt and thyme and toss it all together. Continue to cook stirring every 5 minutes for another 20 minutes, now you will need to start stirring every 2-3 minutes as the liquid evaporates out and the onions caramelize. It will take up to an hour to get a deep golden brown but it is worth it! Once the onions are nicely caramelized and significantly reduced in size add the beef stock to the pot and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the stove, scoop into a small individual oven safe bowl, top with 1oz of cheese per bowl and place in a 400° oven for 10-15 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Traditionally French Onion Soup has a piece of bread floated on top of the soup for the cheese to rest on, personally I don't like the soggy bread so I do not include it!

Carefully remove the soup from the oven, let it cool slightly, then serve and enjoy.

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WW: 4 Points Plus / serving

Three Cheese Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

Yes this is a special way of saying Mac-n-Cheese! It just sounds more adult so we'll go with it. I've decided making a cheese sauce is just too strenuous, okay it isn't but I wanted to use my new blender and I had all the ingredients on hand and figured with three cheeses there was no way I was going to make something that wasn't tasty! The best part was that not only was the recipe delicious it was super easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal!



Three Cheese Chicken & Broccoli Pasta: Serves 2

4oz Pasta
1/4C Ricotta Cheese - Part Skim
2TB Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
3/4oz Cheddar Cheese - Shredded
2TB Milk
1/2lbs Chicken Breast - Cubed
2C Broccoli - Chopped (Frozen or Fresh)
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta, a minute or two after you put the pasta in add the broccoli to the pot and cook until it is al dente, drain and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking place the 3 cheeses in a blender with the milk and blend until nice and smooth. Okay last step - in a saute pan place the olive oil over medium heat, toss the chicken pieces with the garlic powder, salt and pepper and add to the saute pan. Cook the chicken for 3 minutes on one side, flip and cook through on the other side. Now that all the parts are cooked mix the pasta, cheese, broccoli and chicken together - setting over low heat if the pasta has cooled off, and let the cheeses melt. Remove from the heat, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 12 Points Plus / serving

Baked Chicken Fajitas

So I have been accused in the past of using every pot in the kitchen to make a meal so I was quite proud by this one pot meal! I found the recipe through Pinterest on Eatin' on the Cheap and I just knew I had to try it. I have tried the fajita mixes and never found one that I really liked and this recipe really hit the spot for me. While there is chilis and spicy ingredients I did not find this dish to be really hot, rather a background heat that just added to the flavor, not overwhelming the flavor.



Baked Chicken Fajitas: Serves 4-6

1lbs Chicken Breast - Sliced
2 Bell Peppers - Sliced
1 Large Onion - Sliced
15oz Can Diced Tomatoes - Drained
4oz Can Green Chilis
2tsp Chili Powder
2tsp Cumin
1/2tsp Garlic Powder
1/2tsp Dried Oregano
1/4tsp Salt
1TB Olive Oil

In a greased 13x9 or a Dutch Oven place all of the ingredients and toss to cover the ingredients. Now place it in a 400° oven uncovered for 25-30 minutes until your chicken is fully cooked and your veggies have started to soften. Check a piece of chicken to make sure it is fully cooked through, if it isn't place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until it is cooked through. Cooking times will vary on the size of your chicken pieces.

Remove from the oven and let the mix sit for 4-5 minutes, give it a stir and eat on its own, in a tortilla or over rice. This recipe won't disappoint no matter how you have it!

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WW: 3 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings