Simple Tomato Sauce

So a few weeks ago I started using the more expensive San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes from the grocery store to make my tomato sauces. I can't get over how fresh and "straight from the garden" these sauces taste and I wanted to share this easy recipe with you. I made this in my crock pot throughout the day but there is no reason you can't make it on the stove top over low heat as well!



Simple Tomato Sauce: Serves 8-12

(2) 28oz Cans Whole Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes
1 Bell Pepper - Chopped
1 Onion - Small, Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1 Bay Leaf
2TB Fresh Basil (or 2tsp dried)
2tsp Fresh Oregano (or 1tsp dried)
1TB Sugar
Salt & Pepper

Place all of the ingredients in a slow cooker over low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 4 hours. After 1-2 hours use a fork or a potato masher and break up the tomatoes. Stir occasionally. If you like your sauces a little thicker you can remove the lid and let it boil away to reduce or you can add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to the sauce. Discard the bay leaf once you have finished cooking the sauce.

Serve over your favorite pastas and enjoy!

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WW: 0 Points Plus / serving (I don't count points for 0 point veggies in my recipes)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding "Ice Cream" Sandwiches

When I have a craving for something sweet or chocolaty I will often make one of Jello's Sugar Free/Fat Free pudding mixes. While they are processed I like that I use milk to make them and they are relatively low point snacks. Well I got the bright idea while I was making the Chocolate Cook & Serve version to melt in some Peanut Butter. Oh. My. Goodness. Never ever will I have "just" chocolate pudding again. This was amazing!!! Of course I couldn't leave it at that. I then got to thinking how great this would be as an ice cream sandwich.



Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Sandwiches: Makes 32 Sandwiches

32 Graham Cracker Sheets (I mean the full 3"x6" cracker - I used the Low Fat Honey ones)
1 box Jello Sugar Free / Fat Free Cook and Serve Chocolate Pudding
2C Fat Free Milk
3TB Peanut Butter (I use Skippy's Natural - Creamy)
2C Cool Whip (I use Fat Free)

Place the powdered mix and milk into a sauce pot and stir together to incorporate, turn the heat on medium and after a minute or two add the peanut butter and whisk constantly while the pudding heats up and the peanut butter melts. Once the pudding comes to a boil stir for another 30 seconds and pour into a large bowl and cover with saran wrap and make sure to fully touch the saran wrap to the pudding, it will stop it from forming a "skin" on top of the pudding. Refrigerate until good and cold the whole way through the pudding.

Stir the Cool Whip into the pudding once the pudding is cold and set to the side. On a sheet pan break each Graham Cracker Sheet in Half and place 32 halves on the sheet. Top with a heaping tablespoon full of the pudding mix and with the remaining 32 halves of graham crackers place them on top and gently push them down on top of the pudding mix and freeze in a single layer for a few hours.

Remove, serve and enjoy! If you aren't serving them all at once then place them in a Ziplock bag and push as much air as possible out of the bag and freeze immediately.

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WW: 2 Points Plus / 1 sandwich
5 Points Plus / 2 sandwiches

Vegetable Pasta with Marinara

Do you ever get to the end of the day and think "wow I really had a heavy food day, I'm still hungry but I don't want anything that is super high in fat or calories and veggies would really help me feel better?" Okay I admit I might be the only person who ever thinks that. But I will say while I made this because I wanted the health factor I really got the good end of the deal because it was delicious as well! I'm actually shocked I've never made this before, as much as I love pasta and veggies it is only a natural assumption that I would of had it before, but you can bet I will be having it again real soon, I might even add chicken or shrimp to it but it was quite wonderful as is!



Vegetable Pasta with Marinara: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
1lbs Bag Frozen Cauliflower, Broccoli & Carrot Mix
3C Tomato Sauce
1tsp Sugar
1tsp Dried Basil
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
1/4tsp Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper
1/4C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, set to the side. While the pasta is cooking place the veggies (you are welcome to use fresh but I love these frozen bags because they are extremely convenient and the chopping is already done!) into a steamer pot/basket. If you don't have a steamer basket just place them in a tall sauce pot with about 1/2" of water and a pinch of salt and steam the vegetables until they are just cooked through and still crispy when pierced with a fork.

While the pasta and vegetables are cooking place the tomato sauce into a sauce pot with the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and continue to stir while it bubbles away. As soon as the vegetables are done steaming add them to the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Once the pasta is finished drain it and add it to sauce/veggie mix, stir and let it sit for a minute, then serve, top with 1TB of Parmesan and enjoy!

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving

Sausage & Rice Skillet

Yet again it was getting late in the evening, heading on 9:00 and I needed to make something for dinner. Obviously something that could be made pretty quickly, was tasty and that was Jillian's Kitchen worthy! I think I had success, in fact I know I did because I'm already excited for lunch tomorrow (and whose kidding, dinner too!). This is definitely going on my list of things to make again and make often.



Sausage & Rice Skillet: Serves 4

1C Rice
2C Water
1TB Olive Oil
2 Hot Italian Turkey Sausages (approx 3-4oz Each) - cubed
1C Black Beans (Canned/Drained)
1/2C Corn
1C Cooked Spinach
Salt & Pepper
Cayenne Pepper - Optional

In a sauce pot bring the water and 1.5tsp of olive oil to a boil with a pinch of salt, add the rice, reduce to a simmer, cover and let it cook until the water is completely absorbed (this takes my stove approximately 20 minutes).

In a large skillet place the remaining oil over medium heat and add the sausage, cook for 4-5 minutes until cooked through, drain the fat from the pan and add the corn, black beans and spinach with a pinch of salt and pepper and continue cooking to warm the beans and corn through. Once the rice is done add it to the skillet and stir to incorporate all the ingredients, I let it cook together for another 2 minutes then served. If you like things hot add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the top!

Enjoy!

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving

Roasted Asparagus with a Dijon Balsamic Glaze

I opened my crisper today (the day before I go grocery shopping) hoping to find a vegetable in there that would be quick to cook up to go with some left overs. To my delight I had a pound of asparagus that needed to be cooked in the next day or two, I took that as the sign that it was going to be my side dish for the evening. I opted to roast the asparagus and as it came out of the oven I realized I wanted to try something new, first I tried dipping a spear in some dijon, then in some balsamic vinegar, then it dawned on me that the mixture of the two was going to be the winner! This is a very tangy glaze and a little goes a long way, but it really brightens up the asparagus and takes it to a new level.



Roasted Asparagus with a Dijon Balsamic Glaze: Serves 2-3

1lbs Asparagus
1tsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2tsp Dijon Mustard

Rinse your asparagus off, take 1 spear out of the bunch and holding both ends in opposite hands snap the spear and where it naturally breaks is approximately where you should cut the remaining spears. Throw away the cut ends, sprinkle the olive oil over the spears with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and toss all around to evenly coat the asparagus. Place in a 400° oven for 10-15 minutes until the asparagus is cooked through but still has a crunch to it (the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your asparagus).

While the asparagus is cooking mix the balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard together. Once the asparagus are removed from the oven either dip your asparagus into the glaze or pour it over the asparagus and enjoy!

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WW: 1 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
0 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

For Cinco de Mayo I showed you the Chicken Taco Muffins and now I am exploring some different savory muffins and they are pretty delicious. I can see so many different options for these delicious little pies! This is the best of a chicken pot pie in individual serving sizes.



Mini Chicken Pot Pies: Makes 14 Muffins

2/3C Bisquick
2 Eggs
3/4C Milk
1lbs Chicken Breast - boneless / skinless - Chopped
3/4C Carrots - Finely Chopped
1/4C Onions - Finely Chopped
1/2C Celery - Finely Chopped
1/2C Peas
2TB Flour
1C Chicken Stock
1tsp Olive Oil
Rosemary
Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Mix the chicken with approximately 1/4tsp rosemary and 1/4tsp thyme with some salt and pepper. Place 1tsp of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add the chicken in a single layer and cook for approximately 6-8 minutes until fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan, add the remaining olive oil with the onions, celery and carrots and another 1/4tsp each of rosemary and thyme and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are tender, remove from the pan and place with the chicken.

Mix together the chicken stock and 1/4C of milk with the flour until the flour is fully incorporated, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the sauce to the saute pan over medium heat and stir constantly while it thickens, add back the chicken and veggies and stir to coat in the gravy.

Mix together the Bisquick, eggs and remaining 1/2C of milk and pour half of the batter evenly into 14 greased muffin tins, then split the chicken mixture into the muffin tins and carefully top with the remaining batter. Place in a 375° oven for 25-35 minutes until the bisquick has set and begun to brown.

Remove from the oven and let them sit for a minute then serve and enjoy! Now be aware these aren't going to come out of the pan absolutely beautifully but really when we're talking wonderful chicken pot pie deliciousness does it matter? I found waiting 3-4 minutes after taking them out of the oven helped them come out in 1 piece when I ran a knife around the edge and used a large spoon to scoop under each one.

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WW: 2 Points Plus / muffin

Spicy Shrimp & Scallop Vegetable Pasta

I love when I go to the grocery store and seafood is on sale! Both shrimp and scallops were in the specials and I just could not resist. They even had a half pound container of scallops so I took that as a sign that I was meant to mix it with shrimp and come up with something special. Last year I tried out Shrimp Fra Diavolo and used red pepper flakes to make it spicy but this time around I went with sriracha which gives an even better more sophisticated heat that I absolutely love. To balance it all out and make it a little sinful I added some cream cheese which melts beautifully into it and really enriches the flavors.

This would be a wonderful date night meal for anyone looking to impress someone else!



Spicy Shrimp & Scallop Vegetable Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
1/2lbs Shrimp - Peeled & Deveined
1/2lbs Sea Scallops
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes - Halved
1 Onion - Chopped
1 Zucchini - Chopped (2C worth)
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
8oz Tomato Sauce
1TB Sriracha
1TB Olive Oil
2TB Fresh Basil (2tsp dried)
1TB Fresh Oregano (1tsp dried)
2TB Cream Cheese (I use 1/3 less fat)

Place the shrimp and scallops in a bowl and add 1tsp of olive oil and 1.5tsp of sriracha with some salt and pepper, toss to coat and set to the side. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Once you add the pasta to the water put a large saute pan over medium heat with a teaspoon of olive oil and the garlic, let it cook for 45-60 seconds then add the onions, zucchini and tomatoes to the pan with the remaining sriracha and some salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat and cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through. Put the drained pasta and vegetables together in the empty pasta pot and add the tomato sauce, basil and oregano and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes allowing the sauce to cook into the noodles.

While the noodles and vegetables are soaking into one another add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the saute pan over medium heat and add the shrimp and scallops to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until both are completely cooked through. Add the seafood to the pasta with the cream cheese and stir to melt it in, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving

Creamy Polenta

We all know I love Grits, I'm always trying new ways to make shrimp and grits but one thing I don't make as often is polenta. I'm not really sure why, maybe because I keep the corn meal in a container that isn't right in my face when I open the cupboard. I was reaching for the grits the other day to have as a side dish to some of my mom's pork bbq and I said to myself "why don't you do the polenta, the yellow color will look pretty on your plate" - yes I really did decide to make polenta just because I liked the thought of the color! Well I decided to make it like I've been making my grits, with milk, and well I've already made it twice since then because it was so good I needed to have it again.



Creamy Polenta: Serves 2-3

1/2C Water
1-1/2C Milk
1/2C Cornmeal
2tsp Butter
Salt & Pepper

Place the water and milk in a sauce pot and over medium heat bring up to a boil, reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cornmeal making sure to keep stirring so no clumps form, add salt and pepper. Bring the heat back up slightly until lightly simmering. Stir every other minute or so as it thickens, taste occasionally and add more salt and pepper as needed. In about 10-15 minutes it will have thickened to a beautiful super thick consistency. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings

Salmon Spinach Goat Cheese Pasta

Boy am I glad I found the frozen salmon fillets in the grocery store! Many thanks to my friend Shannon who told me to keep an eye out for them. It was so nice to come home, throw the individually shrink wrapped fillets into a bowl of water to thaw for 30 minutes then to make dinner. While I will always love the fresh fillets I don't love having to use them immediately so the frozen fillets are great for me. This pasta dish is pretty tasty, the salmon is nicely roasted in the oven and the spinach is fresh wilted and tender such a good mix of ingredients. If you aren't a spinach fan I know this would also be great with asparagus.



Salmon Spinach Goat Cheese Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
8oz Salmon Fillet
12oz Fresh Spinach
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/4C Onion - Chopped
4oz Goat Cheese
1/3C Milk
1/4C Chicken Stock
1TB Flour
1/2tsp Old Bay
1/2tsp Basil - Dried
1tsp Olive Oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, drain and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking preheat your oven to 350°, rub your salmon fillets with the garlic cloves and 1/4tsp Old Bay & 1/4tsp Basil. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Once fully cooked remove from the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes then flake and mix with the cooked and drained pasta.

Okay, pasta & salmon cooking...now it is time for the spinach! In a large saute pan heat the olive oil and onions over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add the spinach with some salt and pepper and about 1/4C of water from the pasta and cover with a lid and let the spinach wilt down. Give it a toss after a minute or two and recover and let it finish wilting. Once the spinach is done place it in a colander and push out as much liquid as you can with a spoon. Add the spinach to the pasta and salmon.

Alright, almost done. Now mix the milk, chicken stock, flour and remaining 1/4tsp Old Bay & 1/4tsp of bail together and add to the pasta, spinach and salmon. Turn the heat on medium and stir until the mixture thickens, remove from the heat, crumble in the goat cheese, stir to melt it then serve and enjoy.

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WW: 11 Points Plus / serving

Dijon Maple Roasted Chicken

I love when chicken is on sale at the grocery store! This past week the special was $0.99/pound for chicken quarters (the leg and thigh together on the bone). I bought a big pack of four and decided to roast these up in my dutch oven. I was trying to figure out what I was going to put on them, my teriyaki mixture? rosemary? thyme? cajun seasoning? and I really wanted to try something new. I had just bought a new container of Dijon Mustard and I decided to focus on that! I love how this turned out and just know it will be delicious as leftovers (even cold on a sandwich!) Feel free to try this on chicken quarters, chicken thighs or legs!



Dijon Maple Roasted Chicken: Serves 4

4 Chicken Quarters (or 8-12 Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks)
1/4C Maple Syrup
1/4C Dijon Mustard
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper

First Step...and my least favorite...remove the skin from the chicken, leaving the bone in. Discard the skin and place the chicken in a single layer in a large greased casserole dish or dutch oven (preferably with a lid, don't worry if you don't have a lid for your container you can always use aluminum foil). Once all the skin is removed give a healthy shake of salt, pepper, onion powder & garlic powder on all sides. Rub in the seasoning, cover with the lid and place in a 425 oven for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 20-25 minutes.

Mix the maple syrup & dijon mustard together and set to the side. Next carefully, and I mean carefully, drain the chicken drippings from the pan. Now brush the glaze on all sides of the chicken and pour any extra all over the top. Leave the lid off and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cover for 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy.

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WW: ~ 6 Points Plus / serving - this will vary depending how the size of the chicken used.

Chicken Taco Muffins

I saw a great idea on Pinterest to use a bisquick base to make any mini muffin of your choice: Taco, Pot Pie, Chicken and Broccoli, the options are endless. The idea comes from Betty Crocker and I used their base for the bisquick, however I chose what to put in my taco muffins and you can add what you want in yours! I love when I get to make a dish that has built in servings and can also easily be adapted to make only 2-3 servings or 20-30 (that's right think how great something like this would be at a BBQ this summer!)

And I have to say I am proud of myself for remembering tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo and to post this recipe so you would have it for the Holiday!



Chicken Taco Muffins: Makes 16 Muffins

1/2C Bisquick
1/2C Milk
2 Eggs
1lbs Chicken Breast
1C Onion - Chopped
1 Can Summer Crisp Corn
2C Salsa
2oz Cheddar - Shredded
2tsp Olive Oil
Taco Seasoning

Mix together the Bisquick, milk and eggs and set to the side, it is okay that this is completely runny (I added about 1/4tsp of taco seasoning to the mix too for an extra punch)!

Place the chicken in a sauce pot and cover with chicken stock, bring to a boil and cook until completely cooked through. Once cooked take two forks and shred the chicken, or place in a stand mixer and turn on medium until it breaks up into even shredded pieces. Put the onions and olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook through until browned. Mix the chicken with the salsa, cheese, onions and corn and approximately 2-3 TB of taco seasoning.

Now for the fun part. Grease a muffin tin, pour approximately 1TB of the Bisquick mixture into each muffin tin, then separate the chicken mixture into each tin and place in a 375° oven for approximately 25-35 minutes until the Bisquick has set and browned in the pans, as all of the other ingredients are cooked you are just waiting for the Bisquick to set.

Remove from the pans, serve with your favorite taco toppings: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, etc. and enjoy!!

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WW: 2 Points Plus / muffin (does not include PP for toppings: guac, sour cream, etc)
5 Points Plus / 2 muffins (does not include PP for toppings: salsa, guac, sour cream, etc)
7 Points Plus / 3 muffins (does not include PP for toppings: salsa, guac, sour cream, etc)
9 Points Plus / 4 muffins (does not include PP for toppings: salsa, guac, sour cream, etc)

Chicken Cordon Blue Pasta

After making the French Onion Soup I had left over Swiss Cheese and needed to use it up and one of the first recipes that popped into my head was Chicken Cordon Blue! Now I could of just stuffed my chicken with ham and the cheese and been done with it but I also had asparagus in the fridge and decided I would make a pasta dish out of it instead. I love any chance to have melty cheese on pasta and this was no exception.



Chicken Cordon Blue Pasta: Serves 4

1/2lbs Chicken Breast - Chopped
2oz Swiss Cheese - Shredded
5 Slices Canadian Bacon - Chopped
1lbs Asparagus
8oz Pasta
1/2C Milk
1/4C Chicken Stock
1TB Flour
1TB Dijon Mustard
1tsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1/4tsp Garlic Powder


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking toss the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and the dijon mustard and set to the side. Place the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat then add the Canadian bacon and asparagus with some salt and pepper, give it a stir then cook until the asparagus is cooked through but still has a bit of a crunch to it. Remove the asparagus and bacon to a bowl and set to the side. Add the chicken to the pan and let it cook for 4 minutes on one side, flip and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through on the other side. Remove to a bowl and set to the side. Mix the milk, chicken stock, garlic powder and flour together and get ready to make this dish come together!

Add the milk mixture to the cooked and drained pasta and place over medium heat and stir stir stir because it should start to thicken pretty quickly, once it does thicken toss in the chicken, bacon and asparagus and stir to break it all up. Add the shredded swiss to the pasta, give it another toss and let it melt through. Remove from the heat, cover and let it sit for a minute then serve and enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving