Speecy Spicy Edamame (3 PP+)

Speecy Spicy Edamame
Recipe adapted from Food Network

Makes 3 servings

CB’s changes in red = 3 PP+ per serving

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used 1/2 tsp for MORE spicy!)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (16 0z) bag frozen edamame, in the pod, aka green soy beans (I used Trader Joe’s frozen edamame)

In a small skillet, heat the salt, chili powder, and pepper flakes over medium heat, stirring until hot and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and crumble the oregano into the chili powder-salt mixture.

Boil the edamame pods in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and pat dry. (Mine were Trader Joe’s precooked so I just nuked them in the microwave per bag instructions.)

Toss the edamame pods with the chili-salt and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Husband rating: N/A

Wifey rating: A+
I L.O.V.E edamame. I’m definitely a salty snacker so adding some spice to edamame was gonna be a hit with me. And this recipe did not disappoint. Just make sure you have some water nearby! You’ll want it. lol

[FOOT NOTE: Can I just tell you guys the day I learned that edamame wasn't a 0 point vegetable, I was SO disappointed, I literally cried. Nooooooo!! Whew. Ok just had to get that off my chest...]

The BEST Low Point Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!

I am on a HUGE cookie baking obsession right now. I blame Santa Claus. I’m doing trial runs so that when the BIG GUY comes, he’ll get the best cookies I can bake and maybe he’ll feel EXTRA generous when he comes to visit and fills my stocking.

I’m told Santa is a sucker for chocolate chip cookies. My fireplace mantel gnome told me. I think he’s really Santa’s elf in disguise. And if you’re craving chocolate chip cookies, look no further. I’ve found them. Soft and chewy chocolate chip deliciousness without any guilt. Just the way I like them. You’re welcome.

Hmmm… Now that I think about it. I better make sure an iPad 2 can fit in my stocking. I might have to hang my pillowcase instead. *wink wink*

Next up! Snickerdoodles. Oh baby…

The BEST Low Point Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!
Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

Original recipe = 24 cookies | 5 WW+ per 2 cookies
CB’s changes in red = 16 cookies | 3 WW+ per 1 cookie

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted (I used unsalted butter)
1 egg white
2 tbsp apple sauce (I used unsweetened applesauce)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt (I used kosher salt)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

* I bought my Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour from my grocery store, but I’ve also seen it at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Bristol Farms.

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line two cookie sheets with Silpat or foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, sift flours, baking soda and salt.
4. In a stand mixer, fitted with a flat beater or in a separate bowl with hand mixer, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, applesauce and vanilla together until light and fluffy.
5. Slowly dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended.
6. Fold in chocolate chips.
7. Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. (I used a leveled tablespoon which is probably why my cookies were bigger than the original recipe.)
8. Bake 8 – 10 minutes. (I baked for 10 minutes.) Remove from the oven, and let them stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.

Enjoy!

Husband rating: A+
He said these are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I didn’t even tell him these were low fat and he’ll never find out. It will be our little secret ;)

Wifey rating: A+++++
I can not give these cookies enough (+). These were so FRIGGIN’ delicious. Soft, warm and chewy. The way a cookie should be. Yummy! Just make sure that you have someone to share them with so you don’t eat them all yourself! HA! Next time I might substitute with Splenda brown sugar to see if it changes the taste to lower the points.

Other rating: A+
Husband brought them to department meeting and everyone raved about them. They had no idea it was a low fat cookie either. He said his colleagues were even taking some home for their kids. Needless to say, there were none left by the end of the meeting!

Crock Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken (6 WW+)

Yay for Crock Pot night!

I love coming home after a long day of work and the house smells like dinner. I knew this recipe was going to be a good one b/c when I walked into the kitchen my dog, Andorra, was sitting in there transfixed on the crock pot! HA HA!

Now all I have to do to make Wednesday nights perfect is train my husband not to leave his keys in the door and his socks on the floor and it would be easy peasy lemon squeezy. lol

Crock Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken (Tacos)
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Makes 6 servings

Original recipe = 6 WW+ points/serving
CB’s changes in red = 3 WW+ points/serving

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (I used Pace Picante mild)
1 (1.25 ounce) dry taco seasoning mix (I used McCormicks)
1 lime, juiced (I also added the lime zest for more flavor)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used A LOT more!)
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 3 chicken breasts instead)

Toppings (not included in points)
6 taco shells
shredded cheese
lettuce
salsa
sour cream (I used Fage 0% Greek yogurt instead)
guacamole (I used Trader Joe’s Guacamole Hummus instead)

1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray or line with crock pot liner. Add the chicken breasts. (I put chicken breasts in frozen.)
2. In a bowl, combine salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice (and zest) and cilantro. Mix well. Pour over chicken breasts to coat.
3. Cover and cook on high until the chicken is very tender about 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. (I cooked on low for 8 hours.)
3. Shred chicken with 2 forks before serving.

Enjoy!

Husband rating: 5/5
He ate 4 tacos before I finished one! And yes he still left his socks on the floor.

Wifey rating: 5/5
This recipe was so easy and really delicious. Even though I only used 3 chicken breasts vs 3 lbs (about 6 chicken breasts) I’m glad I didn’t reduce the other ingredients. The lime and cilantro were so good together. I can’t wait to use the leftovers tomorrow for some nachos!

Egg Muffins (WW+ 3 points)

Has it really been 1.5 weeks since I last posted?

Wow. I feel like I’m playing catch up these days. Last week was Husband’s Spring Break so I filled my days with spending time with him, doing chores we kept saying “We’ll do it on Spring Break!” and eating out. Don’t worry! We didn’t eat out everyday. I do have a few new recipes to share: Crockpot Bloody Mary Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken from Rocco DiSpirito and Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice. Hopefully I’ll get those up this weekend.

Just a few updates.

* I’ve lost 3.4 lb since I last wrote. Yay me! That brings my total to -17.4 lbs in 9 weeks. My mini goal was 20lbs by May 12th. (I’m going to the Bahamas for my little brother’s wedding.) Man! I was SO close! But I’m proud of what I’ve done so far.
* I’m down another jean size from an 18 to a 12 now. Granted the 12 is a tad tight but give me another week and I think I will officially be able to say I wear a 12. woot!
* I’m still going strong with C25K. I just completed Week 4 Day 2 this morning. It’s kind of amazing. If you would have told me 9 weeks ago that I’d be running, I would have given you the you’re-cuckoo-complete-with-the-twirling-finger look. I’m also happy to report that Nikki has graduated from the C25K program. And she’s started training for the Boston Marathon 2012. (She’s nucking futs!!) Wow. I wanna be like her when I grow up.
* I finished my 6 week 1x/week Zumba session last night. I’m signing up for another 6 weeks and decided to crank it up to 2x/week. I kind of have a girl crush on my Zumba instructor. She just turned 50 (today!) and has an abso-FRIGGING-lutely amazing body. I swear I thought she was only a little older than me! And I’m 31.

So there’s a few things in a nutshell. Before I go… Check out what I had for breakfast this morning. Tasty and portable!

Happy Cinco De Mayo! I’m thinking a Skinny Margarita is in my future. Ole!

Egg Muffins
Recipe adapted from Kayln’s Kitchen

Makes 12 servings
CB’s changes in red = 3 points/serving

12 eggs (I used 3 cups egg beaters)
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (I omitted)
1-2 cups grated low fat cheese (I used 3 cups reduced shredded cheddar cheese)
3 green onions, diced
2 cups steamed broccoli, chopped
Canadian bacon, diced*
salsa, garnish

* My canadian bacon is sliced very thin so 4 slices=2points Make sure you use the nutritional information on your package to calculate the WW+ points.

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly spray a cupcake or muffin pan with PAM or line with cupcake liner.

2. In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, vegetables, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be about 2/3 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients.

(I added 1/4 cup egg beaters and 1 tbsp of cheddar cheese to each cup, then evenly distributed the broccoli, canadian bacon and green onion to each cup.)

3. Break eggs into large measuring bowl with pour spout, add Spike, and beat well.

4. Stir slightly each cup with a fork. Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.

Enjoy!

Husband rating: N/A

Wifey rating: 5/5
I’m a sucker for mini edibles that don’t require utensils so I was smitten with these as soon as they came out of the oven. Next time I might add some garlic powder for more flavor and use cupcake liners to make it easier to release from the pan. I ate 2 egg muffins and the rest I put in a ziplock bag to freeze for future breakfasts or… dinner? Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?! Brinner rules!

Black Bean Brownies (WW+ 3 points)

I miss baking.

I use to bake every week if not every other day. Cupcakes, brownies, cookies etc. My family always knew *I* was responsible for desserts when it came to holidays and get-togethers. It was my “thing”. Heck I even belonged to an online baking group! <– Unfortunately I quit due to inactivity.

But being on WW doesn’t make baking very point friendly. So I haven’t baked much in the last 6 weeks. (Although I cook more so my husband loves it!) I know I can’t completely cut baking out of my life. I love it too much. And WW encourages you to think of the diet as a lifestyle change. So I googled some point friendly desserts and Big Goo came up with some doozies. But as soon as I saw black bean+brownies, my first thought was “Eeeww gross!” but my curiosity was piqued and I just HAD TO try it.

Black Bean Brownies
Recipe from Cheap Healthy Food

Makes 20 brownies
3 WW+ points/serving*

* Points/serving may vary depending on the brownie mix you use. Always calculate points based on the Nutritional Ingredients for the actual brand you use.

1 box brownie mix (I used Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge family size)
1-15 ounce can black beans

1. Drain and rinse beans through a strainer. Pour beans back into the can. Add water to can until can is filled to the top. Pour contents of can into a blender. Puree the life out of it! (I used the liquify button on mine b/c I did not want to see bean chunks in my brownies!)
2. Combine bean mixture with brownie mix in a large bowl or stand mixer. Follow the baking instructions on the back of the brownie box. (I baked my brownies for 28 minutes in a 9×13 pan)

Enjoy!

Husband rating: 5/5
He couldn’t believe it after I told him there were black beans in there. Needless to say he loved them.

Wifey rating: 5/5
I was VERY skeptical b/c the can of beans smelled awful and the brownies didn’t rise much. Maybe 1/4″ thick if that. But I was in chocolate brownie heaven when I ate 1 piece. Maybe it’s a good thing I know there are beans it them. Keeps me from wanting to eat too many. *toot toot*

Crock Pot Chicken Burritos (WW+ 3 points)

Sorry I’m posting this a little later than usual.

I’m pretty good about posting right after dinner b/c it helps me 1) remember exactly how I made the recipe and 2) it gives me a little time to digest my dinner and not eat b/c I “think” I’m hungry.

But I started taking a Zumba class Wednesday nights! And by the time I finished eating dinner it was time to go get my cha cha on! Then when I got home, I was so pooped that I took a shower b/c I was sweating like a pig. (According to my HRM I burned 665 calories! Huzzah.) And then hit the bed.

That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!

(Ok that’s not entirely true. I did go to my Zumba class and took a shower but after the shower I ended up chatting with Nikki and watching Top Chef Masters. So if you need someone to blame for my tardiness, blame Nikki. I do.)

Crock Pot Chicken Burritos
Recipe adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

Makes 8 servings
Original recipe = 3 WW+ points/serving
CB’s changes in red = 9 WW+ points/serving

Frozen boneless, skinless chicken pieces (I used 2 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast)
1-14.5oz can of diced tomatoes and green chiles w juice
1/3 cup of water
1 cup frozen corn
1-14.5oz can of beans, drained (I used pinto beans)

Fixings:
8 whole wheat tortillas
6oz Chobani greek yogurt, vanilla –> great substitute for sour cream!
2 medium avocados, peeled and diced
butter lettuce, chopped
salsa
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

1. Put chicken into the crockpot.
2. Cover chicken with the tomatoes, water, and corn.
3. Cook on low for 7-10 hours, or on high for 5-6. (I put my chicken in frozen so I cooked on low for 10 hours.)
4. Shred meat with forks and eat with your favorite fixings.

Enjoy!

Husband rating: 5/5
He loved it and asked if he could have more than one burrito! I said “Of course!”

Wifey rating: 5/5
This was so easy and so delicious! Next time I might omit the water b/c I don’t think I really needed it. I ended up draining the shredded meat pretty good b/c it was dripping in liquid before putting it in my tortilla.

Rosemary & Orange Pork Tenderloin (WW+ 3 points)

Another Tuesday. WI #5…

The verdict is in: -1.6 lbs! Total -11.4 lbs!

I swear it’s like Christmas morning every Tuesday when I get on the scale and see a loss. Especially today b/c I had a very emotional Monday, raided my BIL’s pantry and ate a whole bag of his favorite kettle chips. (I’m an emotional salty eater.)

Luckily for me 1) the bag was already half empty and 2) Nikki told ordered me to drink a shitton of water. I think I drank like 80 oz (a personal best for me!) and had to pee every 10 minutes. I have no idea if the water actually helped in losing weight BUT I imagine that it helped flush out the sodium from the chips more than if I hadn’t drank more water.

So moral of the story is… if you eat a bag of chips, all you have to do is drink a lot of water and you’ll lose weight. Kidding! Kidding! Please don’t eat a whole bag of chips, gain weight and come back to yell at me. If it sounds too good to be true… it usually is. It’s all about moderation or in my case just KEEP AWAY from the kettle chips b/c I’ve proven over and over again I can’t eat just 1 serving.

But seriously?!! Who could eat just 5 chips and stop?

Rosemary & Orange Pork Tenderloin
Recipe adapted from Just 5 Weight Watchers Cookbook

Makes 4 servings
Original recipe = 3 WW+ points/serving
CB’s changes in red = 11 WW+ points/serving

2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 4 cloves*, divided)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (I used 2 tbsp rosemary, divided)
1 tsp olive oil (I used 3 tsp olive oil, divided)
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1- 1 lb pork tenderloin, fat trimmed (I used 1-1/2 lb pork tenderloin)
salt and pepper, to taste
4 medium red potatoes, cut into cubes
1 lb asparagus, cut into smaller pieces

* I love garlic but if you aren’t a fan and there’s no vampire attacks in your future, you can reduce the amount of garlic to your taste.

1. In a large Ziplock bag, combine 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp rosemary, 1 tsp olive oil, orange zest and juice. Add pork tenderloin. Seal bag and turn the pork to coat with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Put red potatoes into a microwave safe bowl. Heat for about 6-8 minutes. Remove from microwave and toss with 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp rosemary and 2 cloves of garlic. Spread on a baking sheet and bake in 400F oven for 20 minutes. Toss potatoes with asparagus and bake for another 10 minutes until potatoes are golden and asparagus are soft but not mushy.
3. On a grill pan, over medium heat, spray with PAM. Remove pork tenderloin from ziplock bag. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill pan, turning occasionally until instant read thermometer inserted in center registers 160F, about 25-30 minutes.
4. Transfer pork to cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then cut into 12 slices.

Enjoy!

Husband rating: 5/5
He’s a meat and potatoes man so he loved this one!

Wifey rating: 5/5
I’m a pasta girl but I’m slowly appreciating the meat+potatoes meal. I could eat way too many of those rosemary and garlic potatoes!