Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

1 can black beans

1 can yellow corn, or yellow and white corn

1 can of rotel

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

about 3 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro

a dash of lime juice(or squeeze one lime)

Directions:

 

Open can of black beans, place in strainer and rince off excess “juice”. dump in bowl.
open can of corn, place in strainer to drain off excess water, then dump in bowl with beans.
Open can of rotel and add to beans and corn.
Add onions and cilantro and stir. Add lime juice to your taste.

I bring this to every potluck, and everyone LOVES it. It can be eaten as a “salad” like cole slaw, or with corn chips.

Number of Servings: 15

 

Miso Soup- EASY!

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup that is very delicious and ultra-low in calories.  With simple ingredients and barely any preparation, you can this meal out together in to time!

Ingredients: Serves 1

1 Cup Boiling Water

1 Tablespoon Miso

1/4 Cup Slicd Dulse Seawood

2 Tablespoons Minced Scallions

1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger

2 Tablespoons Diced Ginger

2 Tablespoons Tofu

 Directions:

Add miso, ginger, and dulse to 1 cup of boiling water.

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Nuts about Nuts

Mac & Cheese Muffins

 

If you love Mac & Cheese but have trouble controlling your portions… this is the solution for  you! Making mac & cheese in a muffin pan will limit you to eating less while still enjoying this favorite comfort dish. Read more for the recipe!

Mac & Cheese Muffins

Source: adapted from Slender Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 c cooked whole wheat or high fiber macaroni
1 T butter
1 T flour
1 c skim milk
1 garlic clove, minced
3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 egg white
1 (10 oz) package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained and patted dry (or you could use 1 cup cooked fresh spinach)
Salt & pepper to taste

 

Directions:
1.    Pre-heat the oven to 400. Lightly mist a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2.    In a small sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, mixing it into the butter until thick. Stir in the milk and garlic and raise the temp to bring the mixture to just under a boil. Add the cheese and whisk mixture together until thoroughly combined into a cheese sauce.
3.    Remove the cheese sauce from heat and then mix in the egg and egg white (binding agents) until combined.
4.    In a large bowl, combine the pasta, spinach, cheese sauce, salt and pepper and mix together. Spoon the mixture evenly into the cups of your prepared muffin tin.
5.    Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops slightly brown. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

Yields 12 muffins. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 4 per muffin (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 149 calories, 15 g carbs, 6 g fat, 9 g protein, 2 g fiber

 

Cucs with a Zing

 

This super simple snack is so delicious, all you have to do is chop- and pop em in!

Chop a baby cucumber, add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, a little chile powder and your golden!

It’s as easy as that… enjoy!

Power Up on the Right Meals and When

Berrylicious Microwave Muffin

Here is a good idea for breakfast or snack!

1/4 cup quick oats
1 egg (sub. 1/4 egg beaters for less calories)
small handful of blueberries
little bit of brown sugar/stevia (optional)
tbsp soymilk or regular milk(for added moistness!)

Mix it all up into a coffee mug!
Put it in the microwave for 1 minute, make sure it doesn’t overflow! Add an extra 30 sec if it needs to firm up.

Chocolate Banana Wontons

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

2 servings butter-flavor cooking spray

1 large banana, diced

6 tbsp mini chocolate chips

24 wonton wrappers (half of 12 oz package)

1 tbsp powdered sugar

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

 

In a medium bowl, combine banana and chocolate chips, and mix gently.

 

Place wonton wrappers on flat surface. Drop teaspoonfuls of banana mixture onto center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of each wrapper with wet fingers, and fold over one corner to make a triangle and press sides together to seal. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet.

 

Bake 10-12 minutes, until wontons are golden brown. Sift powdered sugar over wontons before serving. Yields 4 wontons per serving.

 

Weight Watchers PointsPlus™ Value:  5

© 2011 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2011 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Skinny Mozzarella Sticks

Comfort foods are named that for a reason! Chef George Duran is as avid a comfort food fan as anyone, but knows they’re not the healthiest choice. This recipe for mozzarella sticks is one of many that he’s adapted to make healthy – all without losing the comforting taste. Try these lightened up mozzarella sticks next time you get a fried food craving!

Ingredients

Makes 4-6 Servings

12 sticks part-skim mozzarella string cheese

3 tbsp flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tbsp water
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp chili powder
Non-stick cooking spray

1 cup marinara sauce, warmed

Directions

Remove string cheese from individual packaging and freeze for one hour.

Set oven rack to lower third and preheat broiler on high.

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat egg whites and water and place in a shallow bowl. Mix panko with the rest of the dry ingredients and place into a third shallow bowl. Remove string cheese from freezer and coat with flour, then dip in egg whites, and finally coat with the panko crumb mixture. Carefully place them on a dish or cutting board and spray with the non-stick spray. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes until browned. Using tongs to flip each mozzarella stick carefully and broil for 1-2 minutes until browned. Remove from oven onto a plate and allow the pan to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving with warm marinara sauce.

 

From Doctor Oz

Chicken Salad Stuffed Peppers

Per serving (1/2 stuffed pepper): 92 calories, 1g fat, 8g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 1g sugar, 13g protein

If you need something to hold you over until dinner (or still need to whip up lunch), these chicken salad stuffed peppers should do the trick. Stuffed with protein-packed (but light) chicken salad, this snack will curb your hunger without weighing you down.

Ingredients:
12 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
¼ cup scallions
¼ cup diced celery
½ cup Smart Beat® Mayonnaise (or your favorite light mayo)
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
3 large bell peppers, any color, cut in half lengthwise with seeds and membranes removed
cayenne pepper (to taste)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, scallions, and celery. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chives, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix until ingredients are well-combined. Add to chicken mixture and toss to coat well. Season with cayenne pepper, if desired. Stuff each pepper half with the chicken salad mixture and garnish with extra chives, if desired.

Makes 6 servings