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Tiramisu

10 Dec

So, like so many other days of my life, I found myself in a hotel conference room having a staring contest with a piece of tiramisu last week. It’s one of my favorite desserts… a real treat… but I felt guilty not knowing how bad it was for me…so I walked away eating only half, and already formulating this recipe in my head. I came home and gave it a “test drive” just 2 nights later and I have to say I was VERY happy with the results. This is similar to standard tiramisu in that it’s delicious… it’s different than standard tiramisu in 2 significant ways. 1. It’s EASY to make… and 2. It’s LOW in calories! As I’m sure you’ll notice, this is based on a “poke cake” recipe I’ve used before… but it just seemed like the easiest way to get coffee Into your cake without having an overwhelming coffee flavor. yum.

Ingredients:

– 1 box yellow cake mix
– 3 egg whites
– 12 oz diet sprite (or diet 7 up, or 7 up 10, or any clear diet soda)
– 1 cup of strong brewed coffee
– 1 .3 oz envelope of unflavored gelatin
– 1 4 serving box of sugar free, instant cheesecake flavored pudding
– 1 cup cold 1% milk
– 1 tub of coolwhip lite
– Cocoa powder (about 1/2 cup total)

Directions:

1. Mix cake mix, egg whites and soda together and pour into a 9×13 pan which has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

2. Bake cake according to directions on package.

3. Once the cake is finished, allow it to cool about 5 minutes.

4. Mix hot coffee with gelatin, and mix until fully dissolved.

5. Use a 2 prong fork to poke holes throughout the cake, about 1 inch apart…which should leave you with a small hole appx every 1 inch. Poke hard enough to touch the bottom of the pan with the fork.

6. Pour coffee mixture evenly over the entire cake.

7. Refrigerate for about 2-3 hours (or overnight) before moving on to frosting.

8. When the cake has set, it’s ready to frost.

9. Place milk into a bowl, and whisk in pudding mix until it begins to thicken.

10. Once pudding has begun to thicken, gently fold in cool whip until blended, but don’t overdo it.

11. Spread mixture over cake. Sift Cocoa powder over top of cake. Cover and refrigerate at least a few hours before serving.

16 Servings= 152 Calories Per Serving!
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Chicken and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

6 Dec

I found a different variation of this on http://www.skinnytaste.com, however I made a few adjustments, and this was REALLY good. I’m not usually a big “casserole” fan, but I will definitely be making this again- often. My kids LOVED it. I’m thinking about trying it with a couple cans of Tuna next time for a tuna casserole.

Ingredients:
– 3/4 lb of boneless chicken breasts
– 12 oz pasta (elbow macaroni, shells or rotini)
– 1/2 an onion, chopped
– 1 tablespoon butter
– 1/4 cup flour (see my note below)
– 1 cup 1% milk
– 1 Can chicken broth
– 2 heads worth or 1 bag of fresh broccoli florets
– 2 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese
– 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
– 1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Dice Chicken, and sauté in a skillet, or boil it, or bake it… just make sure it’s seasoned with salt and pepper, however you choose to cook it.

2. Meanwhile, start boiling the water for your noodles and broccoli. Be sure to add salt to the water for flavor. Cook the noodles and broccoli together In the pot until noodles are al dente and then drain them well.

3. Melt Butter in a heavy skillet. Cook onions in butter for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Add flour, and mix well. This won’t be enough fat to create a true “roux” so once you get the flour mixed in well, you’ll need to be ready to add the chicken broth pretty soon.

4. When flour is all mixed in, begin slowly adding chicken broth, stirring until smooth along the way. I added in about 1/2 cup increments (about 4 equal portions, stirring until smooth in between each one).

5. Once Chicken broth is all incorporated, it should begin to thicken. Once all lumps are gone, add milk and continue to stir. Once the sauce has thickened, stir in parmesan cheese, then cheddar. Stir until smooth.

6. Mix Chicken, pasta and broccoli, and sauce all together. Once blended, pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly across top and cover with foil. Bake 20 min at 375.

7. Remove foil, and continue cooking 10 min. If crumbs do not brown, feel free to broil for a couple of minutes, until golden brown.

6 Servings= 330 Calories per serving

Note: On the flour, I used a seasoned flour rom the old mill in Gatlinburg. It has some unnamed spices in it to add flavor, and I think this really makes a difference. If I used plain flour, i’d probably add salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder.

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Faux Fried Ice Cream

2 Dec

I found this recipe on www.skinnytaste.com and it’s so good. I was looking for something fun to do with the kids, and here you have it. It was good enough that I bought more ice cream to make this again in the future.

Ingredients:
– 3 cups of Edy’s double churn vanilla bean ice cream
– 2 cups of corn flakes cereal
– 3 tsp cinnamon

– 6 tsp honey
– 6 tbsp. lite Hershey’s syrup

Directions:

1. Scoop out 6 1/2 cup portions of vanilla ice cream. Round them into balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Place these in the freezer for 2 hours or until they are very hard.

2. Place cinnamon and cereal in the food processer and blend until well crushed. Place in a freezer size baggie.

3. Roll each individual scoop of ice cream in cereal mixture until completely coated.

4. Drizzle each scoop with 1 tsp of honey, and 1 tbsp. of hersey’s lite syrup.

5. You can add whipped topping, nuts, cherries, whatever you like here… I’d encourage you to explore. However, this is where my fried ice cream ended, so this is what my calories will be composed of. (actually I added a few slivered almonds not accounted for here)

6 Servings= 183 Calories per serving

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Weight Watchers Mexican Chicken

27 Nov

This is so easy, I was sure it wasn’t going to be good. Seems like it would be salty and overpowering, but it was really yummy. I really liked it with Spanish rice and a southwest slaw.

Ingredients:
– 1 1/3 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
– 1 envelope taco seasoning*
– 1 cup salsa or picante sauce

Directions:

1. Place chicken chunks into a large ziplock baggie with taco seasoning. Shake until chicken is well coated.

2. Place chicken into a pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. I just used a small oval pan. I wouldn’t recommend anything larger than 9×9.

3. Bake at 375 for about 20 min. Pour Salsa over chicken and continue baking 10 more minutes.

As is: 4 servings= 247 Calories per serving

Approximately 6 weight watchers points plus per serving.

 

I think this is best If you top each serving with either 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar, or 2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream or plain greek yogurt. DELICIOUS.

Editors note:  Shave off 20 calories per serving by using our homemade taco seasoning, instead of storebought!

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Easy, Yummy 3 Ingredient Potato Soup

26 Nov

Ingredients
– 2 cans of chicken stock
– 1 bag of frozen O’Brien style potatoes (with onions and peppers)
– 1 envelope of pioneer White Gravy Mix
– 1 cup water

Directions:
1. Heat Chicken Stock in a large pan.
2. Add frozen potatoes. Cook until thawed and warm.
3. In a separate container, mix water with gravy mix packet.
4. Stir Gravy slurry into chicken stock and potatoes.
5. Cook on low for 20 min or so.

I served this with 1 tablespoon of bacon bits, 2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream, and 2 tbsp. shredded low fat cheddar, and it was YUMMY!!!

VF: Replace Chicken Stock with Veggie Stock to make this Vegetarian Friendly!

5 Servings= 196 Calories per serving

with bacon, cheese, and sour cream= 325 Calories per serving

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Banana Pudding Cake

25 Nov

Ingredients:
– 1 box of yellow cake mix
– 3 egg whites
– 12 oz clear diet soda (i used 7up 10 calorie. zero or diet would also work fine)
– 1 box (4 servings) of sugar free instant banana pudding
– 2 cups of cold 1% milk
– 1 container of coolwhip “light”
– 1 box (4 servings) of sugar free instant vanilla pudding
– 1 cup cold 1 % milk
– 2 fresh bananas, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Mix cake mix, egg whites and diet soda together. Pour into a 13X9 pan sprayed with non-stick spray and bake according to package directions.

2. Remove cake from oven. Allow it to cool about 5 minutes. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke several holes into the cake, about 1 inch apart, and press hard enough that the spoon end touches the glass.

3. Mix 2 cups of milk with banana pudding mix. Mix about 2 minutes until it begins to thicken, but is still pourable consistency. Pour pudding mixture across cake, purposefully filling all holes with pudding. Spread any remaining pudding evenly over top of cake.

4. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then proceed with step 5.

5. Place banana slices evenly across surface of cake.

6. In a separate bowl, mix vanilla pudding and remaining 1 cup of cold milk, just until blended. Gently fold in coolwhip until well mixed.

7. Top the cake with this frosting mixture, spread evenly.

8. Refrigerate at least 1 additional hour before serving. I think this cake is best the next day, but it’s delicious regardless.

12 servings= 240 Calories per serving.
16 servings= 180 Calories per serving.

Note: you could easily make this entirely sugar free by replacing regular cake mix with sugar free variety. Adjust calories accordingly.

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Beef Stew- Crockpot

19 Nov

Ingredients:
– 1 lb stew meat
– 1 onion, quartered
– 30 baby carrots (about 2/3 of a bag)
– 3 stalks of celery, chopped about 1 inch wide
– 1 large russet potato, chopped into roughly 1×1 inch chunks
– McCormick Beef Stew seasoning packet (1)
– 2 cups of water
– 1 tsp salt
– 3 bay leaves
– pepper to taste
– 1 tbsp. corn starch

Directions:

1. Place beef and all veggies into crockpot. Add salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
2. Mix water and Beef Stew seasoning together until mostly dissolved. Pour mixture into crockpot, over beef and veggies.
3. Stir ingredients together. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
4. 15-30 min before serving, remove about 3 tbsp. of juice, and mix in a separate cup with 1 tbsp. corn starch until smooth.
5. Add corn starch slurry back into stew. Mix, and cook on high with no lid until ready to serve. This will thicken the sauce.
6. Remove Bay leaves before eating.

Note: I like my beef stew with rice, as seen in the photo. I served with 3/4 cup of jasmine rice, which made my meal exactly 600 calories.

4 Servings= 447 Calories per Serving

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Tuscan White Bean Soup

17 Nov

I made this today, and it was delicious! It’s not a traditional, country bean soup. It’s really a lot like a minestrone without noodles. However, My Kentucky roots being what they are, I decided to serve this with cornbread. And, I’m glad I did 🙂

Ingredients:
– 1 can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
– 1 can of navy beans (Drained and rinsed)
– 1 Can of petite diced tomatoes
– 1 can of rotel
– 1 can of Chicken stock
– about 20 baby carrots, chopped
– 1 medium onion, chopped
– 2 bay leaves
– 3 tbsp. minced garlic
– 2 tsp dried thyme
– 1 box of frozen spinach
– salt and pepper to taste

VF: Replace Chicken Stock with Veggie Stock to make this vegetarian friendly!

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except for spinach in a crockpot. Mix well.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. 30 min before serving, add spinach, stirring periodically.

Makes 9 (1 cup) servings. 1 cup = 123 Calories

Note: I was in a hurry the first time I made this, so I tried 3 hours on high. No dice. The veggies weren’t soft. So I added about 1 1/2 cups of water and put it in my pressure cooker to finish the job. It came out WONDERFUL. I really enjoyed this soup.

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Strawberry Poke Cake

16 Nov

I found this recipe today, and I’m SO EXCITED about the possibilities! Today I made white cake with Strawberry jello. I think it would also be awesome with lemon cake and cherry jello, chocolate cake and raspberry jello… the possibilities are endless. I will say, I was VERY surprised how much I loved this. Very light. Would be great for Summer.

Ingredients:
– 1 boxed white cake mix
– 3 egg whites
– 12 oz diet or “10” 7 up. ( or diet sprite, or sprite zero, or diet ginger ale)
– 1 small box of sugar free jello
– 1 cup boiled water
– 1/2 cup cold water
– 1 tub of light cool whip

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, soda, and egg whites. Pour into a 9 x13 pan sprayed with non-stick spray.

2. Bake cake according to directions on box. Once cake is finished, cool 30 min.

3. Once cake has cooled, use a 2 prong meat fork (or a knife, or wooden skewer) to poke many holes all the way through the cake, to the bottom of the pan.

4. Boil cup of water. Once its boiled, mix with jello until dissolved. Add cold water, mix well.

5. Pour jello mixture evenly over cake. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or more.

6. Top Cake with cool whip before serving.

12 Servings= 191 Calories per slice

* Another great option is to use a small box of sugar free instant strawberry pudding. Mix with 1 cup of cold water, and then softly fold in cool whip. This Icing would be awesome on this cake. I didn’t use it this time because I was trying to get the cake under 200 Calories, and this would have pushed it just slightly over.

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Coconut Pineapple Cake

11 Nov

Note: I originally found this recipe on a site called Dashing Dish, and i looked forward to making it. I made it this weekend, and it was really yummy. The recipe is directly from this other site, so I won’t take credit for the recipe itself. However, i wanted to repost it, because my calorie count varied a great deal from the original published count. Please enjoy this cake.

Ingredients:
– 1 box of vanilla cake mix (i used betty crocker)
– 2 tbsp coconut extract (separated into 2 equal parts)
– 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (in juice, not drained)
– 1 cup cold 1% milk
– 1 box (1 oz) sugar free instant vanilla pudding mix
– 1 tub of light cool whip
– 2/3 cup of shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Mix cake mix, pineapple and 1 tbsp coconut extract in a mixing bowl. Transfer to a 9X13 baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. (Originally recipe calls for 2 round pans. I just wasn’t in a cake building kind of mood)
2. Bake cake mixture according to directions on the cake mix box.
3. In a medium bowl, mix milk and remaining 1 tbsp of coconut extract. Slowly add pudding mix while wisking vigorously unti all lumps are gone.
4. Gently stir in tub of cool whip until smooth. Regrigerate frosting.
5. Once cake has cooled completely, top with frosting, and sprinkle shredded coconut evenly across surface.

12 Servings= 250 Calories per serving

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afterthoughts: I liked this cake much better on day 2. On day 1 the extract gave it a bit of an artificial flavor, but I gave it another try on day 2 and it was really yummy.

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