Spicy Sausage Blue Cheese Pasta

When I have an item like blue cheese that I buy for one specific recipe I tend to toss it into all the other recipes I make over the following week or two so I don't have to worry about it going bad (and yes blue cheese can go bad!) I had picked up some nice turkey sausages at the store and decided that they would go nicely with the blue cheese over some creamy pasta. To not hurt my arteries too bad I decided I would throw asparagus in as a side dish, I love the way it is so vibrant in or next to pasta dishes but if it isn't your favorite you can always use broccoli, spinach or any other vegetable you have on hand.



Spicy Sausage Blue Cheese Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
4 Hot Italian Turkey Sausage (I like Shadybrook brand)
1/4C Blue Cheese Crumbles
1/2C Sour Cream (I use Daisy's Light)
2TB Milk (fat free)
1tsp Olive Oil
1lbs Asparagus - Chopped into 1-2" segments (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking you can get started on everything else. In a large greased saute pan toss in the sausages and break into smaller pieces (you can remove from the casing if you would like). Cook over medium heat until cooked through then remove to a small bowl and set to the side. Add the olive oil to the pan and then the asparagus with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until the asparagus is a vibrant green but still somewhat crunchy when you pierce with a fork.

If your pasta is done you can toss it with the sausage and asparagus then add all the remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate them all together. Cover with a lid and let it sit for a few minutes then serve and enjoy :)

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WW: 11 Points Plus / serving

Shrimp Stir Fry over Rice Noodles

So I am addicted to Amazon.com, the day I became a prime member and started to get free 2 day shipping on pretty much everything I started using it for so many items. One of those happened to be Rice Noodles. As you know I have been desperately trying to find a great Pad Thai Recipe (I finally did find one I like, check it out here!), and for the life of me I could not find pad thai noodles at any of the stores near me. I went onto trusty Amazon and found a great deal...it just involved buying 8 boxes of Pad Thai noodles. Well not one to give up a deal I now have a closet full of them and decided to make a stir fry over the rice noodles instead of using rice. This was a nice change and called to my pasta lovers heart!



Shrimp Stir Fry over Rice Noodles: Serves 4

8oz Rice Noodles
1lbs Shrimp (Peeled & Deveined)
2tsp Olive Oil
1/4C Teriyaki Sauce (I use LaChoy brand which is somewhat sweet)
2TB Soy Sauce (if you aren't using LaChoy do not add the Soy Sauce!)
1/4C Fresh Lime Juice
1/2C Fat Free Chicken Stock
1/2-1tsp Sriracha (optional)
4-5C Your favorite Stir Fry Veggies (I like carrots, bell pepper, snap peas, onions, zucchini and broccoli)

Cook your rice noodles. I'm not going to tell you how to do that because each brand is different in what they recommend for soaking times and whether you use boiling hot water or just hot tap water. So read your packaging please :)

Mix together the teriyaki, soy sauce, lime juice and chicken stock and set to the side (if you like heat add the sriracha). In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium to medium high heat, add the vegetables and stir fry (no salt / pepper needed!) until the vegetables are still firm but cooked through. Remove to a bowl and add the shrimp to the skillet with half of the sauce. Cook through for approximately 3-4 minutes until the shrimp are no longer translucent and are fully cooked.

All ingredients should be cooked now so add the cooked and drained noodles, vegetables and shrimp together with the remainder of the sauce over medium heat and toss together until the noodles absorb all of the sauce. Remove from the heat, serve & enjoy.

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving

Salmon Blue Cheese Salad

Okay you are probably thinking "A Salad? On Jillian's Kitchen? Is she feeling okay?" It startled me too, I am not usually one to get out the greens to call it a meal. But when I was at the beach over the summer I had a delicious Salmon Sandwich from a restaurant called DogFish and I couldn't help but think how great it would be as a fresh salad. So I got home, found some fresh salmon and just winged it. It tasted great, was very filling and took me back to the beach from the comforts of my kitchen.



Salmon Blue Cheese Salad: Serves 2-3

4-6C Fresh Greens (your choice - I got a bag of mixed field greens but you could use iceberg, romaine, spinach, etc.)
2C Sliced Cucumbers
1C Halved Grape Tomatoes
12oz Salmon Fillet
1TB Olive Oil
1-1/2TB Balsamic Vinegar
3TB Lemon Juice
1/4C Blue Cheese Crumbles

Preheat your oven to 400°. Place the salmon on a greased baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper then squeeze approximately 1-1/2TB of lemon juice over the fish (both sides). Bake for 12-15 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily when you twist a fork gently in the fish. Remove from the oven and let cool for a moment.

While the fish is cooking prepare the salad however you would like (I put the greens down first, then cucumbers, then tomatoes then blue cheese. When the fish was done I placed it on top of the blue cheese and let it melt it slightly.

Mix together the remaining 1-1/2TB lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and whisk quickly to combine, pour over top of the salad and fish and enjoy!

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
6 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings

Cinnamon Waffles

A few weeks ago I showed you how I make my peach waffles and today I want to share with you Cinnamon Waffles. These are delicious on their own, or as I discovered, with a serving of Roasted Cinnamon Maple Apples! As fall approaches I love anyway that I can get more delicious fresh apples into my day. Enjoy!



Cinnamon Waffles: 6 Waffles

2C Flour (1/3C)
1/2tsp Baking Soda (pinch)
1tsp Baking Powder (1/6tsp)
1tsp Salt (1/6tsp)
3TB Sugar (1.5tsp)
1tsp Cinnamon (1/6tsp)
3 Eggs (1/2 egg – scramble one and pour half out)
4TB Melted Butter (2tsp)
2C Milk (1/3C)
Roasted Cinnamon Maple Apples

Prepare the Roasted Cinnamon Maple Apples and once they have been in the oven for 10-15 minutes get started on making your waffle batter (if you are only making 1 waffle wait 20 minutes to get started). Mix together all ingredients and pour into your waffle maker (mine requires a light spray of Pam, but your waffle maker may not). Cook per the instructions on your waffle maker, mine take approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pan, give it a second to cool off, then top with the finished Roasted Cinnamon Maple Apples!

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WW: 8 Points Plus / Waffle + 1 PP for 1 serving of Roasted Cinnamon Maple Apples.

Roasted Cinnamon Maple Apples

I love fall, I know we aren't quite in it yet but we have had some cooler days, the watermelon and cantaloupe of summer are now out of season and the thought of apple pie, apple dumplings and apple everything are seeping into my thoughts. I cannot make myself apple pies weekly or I would have to do a lot more yoga! I was so glad I had inspiration the other day when I wanted apple pie to just bake some apples with cinnamon and maple syrup. The apples were nice and soft, deliciously sweet and with the first bite they tasted of apple pie. This is a great way to have a sweet treat with almost no guilt.



Roasted Cinnamon Maple Apples: Serves 1

1 Apple - I prefer pink/green combos - honeycrisp, gala, pink lady, fuji
1/2tsp Cinnamon
1TB Maple Syrup

Peel the apple then slice and/or cube it into equal size pieces and mix with the cinnamon and maple syrup until they evenly coat the apple pieces. Place in a small greased baking dish and bake at 400° for approximately 20-30 mimnutes until the apples are easily pierced by a fork. Remove from the oven, give the apples a stir, let them cool down for a few minutes then serve and enjoy!

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WW: 1 Points Plus / serving

Jerk Chicken - McCormick Spice Mix Review

When you work 40+ hours a week it is sometimes hard to stay out of food ruts and try new things, when I was grabbing a chicken breast and BBQ sauce for my quick dinner my eyes fell on the Jerk Seasoning that I had bought over a year ago and I decided to give it a try. I have always liked the peppery hot chicken when I ordered it in restaurants and when I saw the McCormick spice mix I compulsively bought it. I am surprised it took me over a year to finally open it and try it but now that I have I can promise it won't be another year until I do it again.



Jerk Chicken: Serves 2

2 Chicken Breasts, approx 1lbs Boneless/Skinless
McCormick Jerk Seasoning

Cut chicken into 3-4 large chunks of equal size (this helps them to cook at the same rate), pre heat your oven to 400° and liberally sprinkle the chicken on all sides with the seasoning mix and press it into the chicken. If you aren't a huge fan of heat just lightly sprinkle the seasoning on. I probably used a tablespoon worth per chicken breast.

Place the chicken on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes flipping once after 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 3-4 minutes then serve and enjoy.

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving

Stewed Chicken & Tomatoes over Rice

I love when I make a dish that I think is going to be good and it turns out to be fantastic! In the last year I have just started to enjoy eating tomatoes, I have always tolerated them in meals but now I am starting to crave them at times. This dish is very easy to make and makes use of those zucchini that are threatening to over take your garden. Another plus for me was getting to use the remainder of the shredded chicken I pulled out of the freezer the other day!



Stewed Chicken & Tomatoes over Rice: Serves 4

1/2lbs Chicken Breast - boneless skinless
28oz Can San Marzano Tomatoes
1 Zucchini - Chopped
1/2 Onion - Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/4C Chopped Fresh Basil
1tsp Olive Oil
2tsp Butter
1C Rice
2C Water
1/2C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded

Bring a pot of water or chicken stock to a boil and add the chicken and cook until cooked through and shreddable. Remove to a bowl and shred or chop into small pieces. Set to the side.

In a large saute pan heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat for a minute then add the zucchini, onion and half the basil with some salt and pepper and saute until the zucchini and onions are cooked through - approximately 6-8 minutes, remove to a bowl once cooked and set to the side. Next add the tomatoes to the same pan with salt and pepper and the remaining basil, cover with a lid and let them simmer for 5-6 minutes then with a fork or potato masher break up the tomatoes into small pieces. (note to start the rice here! - see below for instructions) Return the zucchini and onions to the pan and let the sauce lightly simmer - it will begin to thicken and evaporate slowly. After reducing for 8-10 minutes add the cooked chicken to the pan and allow it to absorb the remaining juices. If you still have a lot of juice left then continue to simmer, if the juice has pretty much left the pan then cover with a lid and remove from the heat while the rice finishes.

When you add the tomatoes to the pan you can get started on the rice. In a sauce pot add the water, butter and a good shake of salt. Bring the pot to a boil, add the rice, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and let it cook until all the water has absorbed into the rice. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.

Now everything is finished cooking, place the rice in a dish, top with the chicken and add 2 tablespoons of shredded Parmesan to the meal, give it a stir and enjoy!

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WW: 8 Points Plus / serving

Chicken & Couscous Stuffed Peppers

The other day I thawed a few pounds of precooked shredded chicken that I had made a month or two ago, a few days ago I showed you my recipe for Chicken & Corn Chowder and today I am using some more of the chicken to make this great stuffed pepper recipe. I was in the grocery store the other day and they had insanely huge bell peppers so I picked up a few and decided they would be great for stuffing.



Chicken & Couscous Stuffed Peppers: Serves 3-6

3 Large Bell Peppers - Sliced in half
1/2lbs Chicken Breast - Boneless/Skinless
1/2C Pearled Couscous
3/4C Chicken Stock
1TB Fresh Oregano (1tsp dried)
1/4-1/2tsp Ground Coriander
1C Tomatoes - Chopped
1C Onions - Chopped
1tsp Olive Oil
3/4C Feta - Crumbled

Place chicken in a pot and cover with water or chicken stock and boil until cooked through, remove from the pan and carefully shred and place in a large bowl. While the chicken is cooking place the chicken stock and oregano in a pot and bring up to a boil, add the couscous with some salt and pepper, turn the heat down to low, cover and cook until all the liquid has absorbed into the couscous - stirring occasionally. In a small saute pan heat up the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions with some salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and starting to turn a golden brown.

Now that all the major parts are cooked we can start to assemble the stuffing. In a bowl mix together the chicken, couscous, coriander, tomatoes, onions and 1/2C of the feat. Slice the peppers in half, remove the stem, seeds and inner ribs and place cut side up in a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle the pepper halves with salt and pepper then equally distribute the stuffing mix between the peppers and top with the remaining feta cheese. Finally pour either water or chicken stock carefully around the peppers until about 1/4" deep.

Place in a 400° oven covered with tin foil and cook for 15 minutes then remove the tin foil and cook for another 25-35 minutes until the peppers are cooked through (a knife should easily be able to pierce the pepper). Remove from the oven and let sit for a minute then serve and enjoy!

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WW: 7 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings

Chicken & Corn Chowder

One of my favorite soups is from my friend Patrick. He makes a killer Corn Chowder with heavy cream and a pound of bacon, yes I said it, a pound of bacon. It is so delicious and creamy and wonderful but these days I am more mindful of how to have what I love in a healthier way and I had a soup at the beach that gave me a few ideas. I was at Dog Fish restaurant and had their wonderfully awesome Crab & Corn Chowder and while I am certain they weren't too concerned about my waist line I was happy to see that they had chunks of carrots, onions and celery around the bacon, cream and corn! I decided to lighten this up my way. This soup is delicious and creamy without using tons of heavy cream. A word of advice....make this the day before you want to have it, it is 10x better the second day when the cream has had a chance to absorb all the deliciousness.



Chicken & Corn Chowder: Serves 8-12

1 Can Creamed Corn (approx 14-15 oz)
1 Can Summer Crisp Corn
4 Slices Canadian Bacon - Diced
1lbs Red Potatoes - Diced
2 Carrots - Chopped
1 Celery Stalk - Diced
1/2 Onion - Diced
2C Chicken Stock
1lbs Chicken Breast - Boneless / Skinless
1C Heavy Cream
1C Milk (I use Fat Free)
3TB Corn Starch
Black Pepper (Fresh Ground Preferred!)

Get your crock pot ready! Now toss in the creamed corn, summer crisp corn, Canadian bacon, red potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and chicken stock with lots of black pepper. Your potatoes and carrots should be approximately 1/4" chunks so they cook at the same rate. Set over low heat for 3-4 hours until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

While the crock pot is doing its thing you can bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the chicken breast until cooked through. remove from the pot and shred with two forks or by tossing in a stand mixer and mixing on low speed. Once the potatoes have cooked through add the chicken to the crock pot. Add the cream to the pot and 1/2C of the milk. Mix the other 1/2C of milk and corn starch together until no lumps exist and mix it into the soup. Remove the lid and let the soup thicken for another 30-60 minutes. Check the taste and if necessary add some more pepper, I really feel that any type of corn chowder requires lots of pepper and this soup is no exception. Serve & Enjoy, and if you have the time make this the day before as the flavors develop even more over night!

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WW: 8 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings
5 Points Plus / serving @ 12 servings

Blueberry Lemon Baked Oatmeal

I am officially in love with Baked Oatmeal, to think I used to eat cereal every morning for breakfast! This is much more filling and I have tried many different varieties, pumpkin, apple, strawberry banana, banana bread, blackberry, mixed berry, blueberry, peach, etc. A few weeks ago a reader mentioned adding fresh lemon juice and some zest to her batch of blueberry and when I was getting ready to make my batch today I remembered that! Unfortunately I didn't have any fresh lemons but I did have some lemon extract. This is such a delicious and fresh oatmeal and someday I am going to try it with the fresh lemon.



Blueberry Lemon Baked Oatmeal: Serves 12-18

4 Eggs
3C Milk - I use FF or 1%
2-1/2C Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1/2C Brown Sugar
6C Uncooked Old Fashioned Oats
2C Frozen/Fresh Blueberries
1.5tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Salt
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1tsp Lemon Extract

Mix the eggs and milk together then add all remaining ingredients. I let it sit for 5 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the liquid. Pour into a greased 13×9 or 10x15 pan and bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes until the top of the oatmeal is evenly cooked. Remove from the oven and let it cool on the counter, then slice into 12-18 slices, and refrigerate until you are ready to eat. I personally like to eat them plain, with a tsp of butter, a TB of cream cheese, some honey or some maple syrup, I really haven't found a way that I don't like baked oatmeal!
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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving @ 12 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 18 servings