Archive | July, 2015

Garlic smashed potatoes

31 Jul

These are really yummy. I used a ziplock steamer bag in this recipe… They are an item I rely on pretty regularly in my kitchen. If you don’t have them you can use any traditional steaming method, or even boil or bake the potatoes instead.

Ingredients

  • 6 red new potatoes (about tennis ball size)
  • Low calorie Spray butter
  • Sea salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic

Directions:

1. Place all of your potatoes inside of Ziploc steamer baggy and steam according to directions on bag until potatoes are done.

2. Preheat oven to 400°

3. Spray a metal baking pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Remove potatoes from steamer bag and line them up on the pan. Use a fork or other utensil to gently smashed down the center of each potato, until the sides split, exposing the white part of the potato.

5. Spray each potato with about five or six squirts of butter, and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. 

6. Distribute minced garlic evenly between the potatoes and spread it across the top of each one using a fork.

7. Bake potatoes at 400° for 10 minutes. If you have a broiler with a low setting continue cooking potatoes for five additional minutes on low broil. (If you only have one broil setting cook them until they appear to be turning golden brown)

One serving equals one and a half potatoes. Makes four servings.

1 Serving= 180 calories

Appx 4 weight watchers points plus

   
   

Beef and Mushrooms

29 Jul

It’s funny that this recipe happened to coincidentally be posted right after a very similar chicken recipe. Regardless, I thought this was yummy, and sort of reminded me of beef stroganoff. I liked this dish over rice, and will make it again. It could easily be “beefed up” (Pun intended) to be a real stew by adding your favorite veggies (I’m thinking celery, carrots…) Anyway, enjoy.

 

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of stew meat

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 (12 oz) can of clear diet soda (sprite zero, diet 7 up, etc)

1 envelope lipton onion soup mix

1 small-medium onion, chopped

1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms

1 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes (to taste, ¼ tsp-1/2 tsp)

 

Directions:

  1. Place everything except mushrooms into a crockpot and cook on low 4-6 hours.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook an additional hour, stirring periodically.

Serve over rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, etc…

 

Makes 4 servings

350 Calories per serving

Appx 11 weight watchers points plus per serving

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

1 Jul

So, I was inspired to try a recipe like this, when a friend of mine mentioned how much her family loved a similar dish.  I took to the internet for a full fat version, and started updating it to make it more calorie friendly.  I loved the results, although this version did take a long time to cook in the oven.  I think it will work just as well if i throw it all in the crockpot, and next time i’m going to do just that.  I’ll come back and let y’all know how that works out.  Enjoy!  (ps: eat this with mashed potatoes or rice. omg, that sauce!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken (i used 4 breasts, 5 oz each)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
  • 1 jar of sliced mushrooms, drained (the larger glass jar, or 2 smaller cans)
  • Paprika to taste

Directions:

  1. Arrange chicken in a 9 x 13 pan and salt and pepper the tops of the chicken (to taste).  Spread mushrooms evenly over chicken.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together: mushroom soup, wine and sour cream.  Pour over chicken, completely covering it.
  3. Dust with paprika.
  4. Cover baking pan with aluminum foil, and Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hours.  Uncover pan and continue baking an additional 20 min.

Makes 4 servings of chicken + Sauce= 256 Calories per Serving

Appx 6.5 weight watchers points plus per serving