Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 if large, 4 if medium)
1 Tsp. Paprika
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Black pepper
1 Egg, beaten
1 T Butter (I use salted)
1 C All-Purpose flour
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 Finely grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Trim any fat off chicken breasts and cut into 3-4 strips each. Place wax paper under and over the chicken and pound to tenderize. Be careful not to go overboard or the meat will tear.

In a pie pan combine paprika, salt, pepper, flour, and parmesan. Place the egg in a shallow bowl. Dip a chicken strip in the egg and coat on both sides. Let the egg run off a little until it stops dripping. Place the chicken into the flour mixture and coat thoroughly. Gently shake off excess coating and set aside. Do this to each chicken strip.

In a medium frying pan melt butter. Once butter is melted add the olive oil. Heat to medium or medium-high and once the oil is hot carefully place as many chicken strips as you can comfortably fit in the pan without touching. Keep an eye on the heat. You want it to fry hot and fast but not so hot it will burn. Turn chicken over when it's a nice golden brown on the first side.

When those are done you could place the first batch in a baking dish in the oven at 175 or 200 degrees to keep warm while you finish the others. Repeat with all the chicken strips.

If you're concerned that the chicken might not be done, cut into the biggest piece at its thickest point and make sure the juices are coming out clear. Enjoy!

In the recipe builder, a half of a breast (so two strips if you had cut it into four) come out as 7 points but it's really going to be a little less than that since much of the flour and olive oil are not actually consumed.

Serves 4-5 depending on serving size and breast size.

Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce

This is a time-consuming but great way to use all those tomatoes from the garden!

First, you're going to need quite a few tomatoes. It takes A LOT of tomatoes to turn into very much sauce. I would estimate that you need about 5-7 tomatoes (depending on their size) per person you're going to serve.

Ingredients:

25 Fresh tomatoes
2 Fresh garlic cloves
Your favorite italian seasoning, to taste (I like Sam's Club's Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning)

Directions:

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Fill a second large pot with ice cubes and water. Wash tomatoes and then place as many as will fit into the boiling water. Wait for 45-60 seconds and then transfer them to the ice water. After about 20-30 seconds in the ice water remove the tomatoes and peel the skins off. The skins should come off VERY easily. Repeat until all tomatoes have been skinned.

Next, cut the tomatoes into quarters. Remove seeds, rough parts, and any bruises. Squeeze the excess water out of the tomatoes and place into a colander to drain. Once drained then dice all of the tomatoes.

Place diced tomatoes into a pot, cover, and start cooking them low and slow. They will break down and turn into a sauce after a few hours. Once it's looking more like a sauce add the garlic and seasoning. Keep cooking until at desired consistency! If the sauce is too watery then take the lid off and let some of the water evaporate.

Serves 4

WHEAT CAKES

Well, I had to share my recipe that I did this morning because according to my 3 year old, it is "oh nummy.....dewishess mommy".......and that was plain....with absolutely nothing on it!  They are filling too.....didn't notice it while I was eating it, but now that I have been done I realized how full I am!  :)

Wheat Cakes (Pancakes or Waffles)

• 1 1/3 C. Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 t. Baking Powder
• 3 T. Sugar
• 3/4 t. Salt
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/4 C. Milk
• 3 T. Unsalted Butter, Melted

Stir together dry ingredients.  Combine eggs and milk, then stir into dry ingredients along with melted butter, mixing only until blended.

For lighter cakes, eggs may be separated and stiffly beaten egg whites folded into batter just before baking.

Bake on lightly greased griddle until golden brown, then turn. 

Eat plain, as is or put fresh fruit and a touch of powdered sugar or however you want!


Makes 12 - 4 in pancakes at 3 PP a piece
-or-
Makes 5 (use the 3/4 measuring cup) - Waffles (I have a commercial waffle maker) at 7 PP a piece.

BIG BREAKFAST COOKIES

So......it is Saturday night again and we have early morning church and with our 3 little ones, sometimes it is really rushed to get breakfast in.  Well, I found a solution that works for all of us!  They got good reviews from my taste testers, so I wanted to share.  They are SO quick and easy to make, filling, big, and best of all......they taste good!!  We call them.....

Big Breakfast Cookies
Makes 13 Cookies at 7 PP each.

• 1 1/3 C. Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 6oz Yo-plait Original 99% Fat Free Yogurt (I used Blueberry)
•  1 1/2 t. Vanilla
• 1/2 C. Water
• 2 T. Cornstarch
• 3/4 t. Baking Soda
• 1/2 t. Salt
• 1/2 t. Cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 t. Cloves, ground
• 3/4 C. Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 C. Rolled Oats
• 1 C. Raisins
• 1 C. Grape Nuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Blend the brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and water.

Fold in the remaining ingredients.  Your dough should be thick.

Use your 1/3 cup measuring cup (you will need to use a spoon to put the cookie dough in the measuring cup) and put the dough on the cookie sheet and flatten a little or alot....either way works.

Bake the cookies until they are browned and set when you touch them.....about 15 minutes.

Cool them on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before you take them off.

BANANA BREAD

Banana Bread
PP value depends on how you cut it and how many servings you have.  We sometimes make it a loaf and sometimes make it little cake pieces. 

• 1/2 C. Light Butter
• 1 C. Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2-3 Banana's
• 1/4 Milk
• 1 t. Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
• 1/2 t. Baking Soda
• 1/4 t. Salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat.  Add bananas, milk and lemon juice.

Sift dry ingredients.  Blend the two mixtures. 

Bake in a well greased loaf pan or square pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  
 

Fresh TOMATO PIE

We were SO happy when this came out of the oven and tasted as good as it looked!!  You do want to eat it right away though......it will keep in the fridge, but we thought it tasted better fresh!

Fresh Tomato Pie

We cut it into 8 pie slices.

PP value depends on what ingredients you use.  (I figured it up at "full strength" for 10 PP a piece and "lightened up" at 5 PP a piece.)

• 2 C. Bisquick
• 2/3 C. Milk 
• 4 Tomatoes 
• Salt (to taste) 
• Pepper (to taste) 
• Chives 
• 1 C. Mayonnaise 
• 1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Combine biscuit mix with milk to form dough; pat into a greased pie plate.

Layer tomato slices; sprinkle on salt, pepper and chives.

Mix mayonnaise and cheese together in a separate mixing bowl; spread over the tomato slices.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until cheese crust is golden.

OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL COOKIES

I think cookies are one of my kiddos favorites because they get to clean up (lick) what's left!  We love making all different kinds of cookies, but today they wanted one they love.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies
2 PP per cookie; if you have 2 cookies it is 3 PP, 3 cookies it is 5 pp etc.
Makes 6 Dozen Cookies (I used my small Pampered Chef Scoop)

• 1 C. Raisins
• 1 C. Water
• 3/4 C. Light Butter
• 1 1/2 C. Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 t. Vanilla
• 2 1/2 C. Flour
• 1 t. Soda
• 1 t. Salt
• 1 t. Cinnamon
• 1/2 t. Powder
• 1 t. Cloves
• 2 C. Oats

Simmer Raisins and water over medium heat until raisins are plump, about 15 minutes.  Drain raisins, reserving the liquid.  Add enough water to the reserved liquid to measure 1/2 cup.

Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the reserved liquid.  Blend in the remaining ingredients.

Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until light brown.  They are the most moist cookies I think.

POPOVER PANCAKE

So.....my kiddos are just as much into baking as I am, so we decided to try this recipe.  So quick and easy and we thought it was yummy!

Popover Pancake 

5 PP per Serving (we cut it into 8 pieces) 

1/2 C. White Flour

1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 C. Skim Milk

2 Eggs

1/2 C. Light Butter

3 T. Lemon Juice

4 t. - 4 T. Powdered Sugar (depends on your taste preference and the PP value remains the same.)

In a mixing bowl, beat together flour, milk and eggs until slightly lumpy. 

Then melt the butter in a 9x13 pan and pour the batter over the top. 

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until puffy.

Sprinkle the powdered sugar and the lemon juice over the pancake and return to the oven for 4 minutes.

Enjoy as is or with fresh fruit on top!  You could even put a little syrup if you want or dip in yogurt.

~R~ EGG SANDWICH

~R~ Egg Sandwich:
Makes 1 Sandwich for 6 PP

• 2 Slices of Sara Lee Delightful Bread
• 1 Egg, fried in Spray
• 1 Wedge of French Onion Laughing Cow
• 2 T Low Fat Mayonnaise (or to taste)
• 2 T Homemade Pico De Gallo (or to taste)

Just toast the bread and spread the mayo and LC cheese on it.  Cook your egg and put on your bread.  Top off with Pico and enjoy!

PEANUT BUTTER SPICE PIE

Peanut Butter Spice Pie!!
I did 12 servings and PP value depends on the ingredients you use.

• 2/3 C. Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky)
• 1/2 C. Cream Cheese
• 1 pkg. Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding Mix (you can also just use Vanilla or Cheescake pudding if you just want a good Peanut Butter Pie)
• 1 C. Fat Free Milk
• 1/3 C. Brown Sugar
• 6 sheets (24 crackers) Graham Crackers
• 2 T. Light Butter
• 2 1/4 Servings (36 chips) Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Bittersweet Chips (bigger than normal chips) 

A take on a yummy Amish country treat!

Blend peanut butter and cream cheese in a large bowl.  Beat pudding mix into peanut butter mixture with an electric mixer on low speed, gradually adding milk.  Add brown sugar and mix well.

Take 6 sheets of graham crackers (24 crackers) and crumble and mash them up.  Then add 2 T. of light butter and mix together until you get a crumble texture.

Then spread into pie pan and pour peanut butter mixture over the top. 

Freeze until firm.  Then put the chocolate chips on top.  (I put them down the middle of each peace so I could see where to cut and make sure to have even slices.)

If pie has been frozen for more than 2 hours, thaw for 30 to 45 minutes before serving or if you like it really cold you can just eat.

TILAPIA & VEGGIES

This was a last minute.....throw it together quick, dinner and we really enjoyed it!

Tilapia & Veggies:

2 Servings at 4 PP each

• 6 oz. Tilapia
• 1/2 C. Sugar Snap Peas, cut
• 1 Large Mushroom, sliced
• 1 C. Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 C. Sweet Red Pepper, chopped
• about 10 Baby Carrots
• 1 Onion, diced
• 2 t. Garlic Salt
• 2 t. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 2 t. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 2 t. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• Tomatoes
• Parsley and Cilantro, chopped

In a skillet, start steaming your tilapia with the garlic salt.  In another skillet put all your veggies in to cook them, but don't cook until mushy, just soft.  Add the thyme, basil, and rosemary into the veggies while cooking.  When finished, put the veggies on the plate with the fish on top.  Top with fresh tomatoes, parsley and cilantro.

TURKEY TACO'S

These were so yummy to our family.....my kiddos had seconds!

 Turkey Taco Filling
1/3 C. Serving Size at 3 PP each 

• 25 oz. Canned Turkey
• Onion, chopped
• 7 oz. Canned Green Chilies
• 2 t. Cumin
• 2 t. Garlic Salt
• 4 Wedges - Laughing Cow - Queso, Fresco, and Chipotle

Saute the Onions and Green Chilies with the Seasonings.  Then add the Turkey and the LC wedges.


Then fill your favorite Tortilla Shell.  We added cheese on ours along with homemade Pico de Gallo.  Made for a yummy dinner!

 

T.S. CUPCAKES

What does the T.S. stand for...........Tomato Soup.  I know....it sounds weird, but it tastes good!!

T.S. Cupcakes

• 1 pgk. of Carrot Cake or Spice Cake
• 1 10 3/4 oz can of Tomato Soup
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 C. Water 

Mix all ingredients together and then bake according to the package.  Makes 24 cupcakes if you use an ice-cream scoop.



Cream Cheese Icing

• 3-6 oz Cream Cheese (depends on how runny you want it)
• 1/2 t. Vanilla
• 2 C. Powdered Sugar

Mix all ingredients together until well blended and then frost cupcakes when cool.

CHIPS & BEAN DIP

I made homemade Chips and Bean Dip that we thought was really yummy!

Bean Dip: 

1/3 C. Serving Size at 3 PP each.

• 1 Small Onion
• 7 oz. Canned Green Chilies
•  32 oz. Refried Beans
• 2 Wedges - Laughing Cow - Queso, Fresco, & Chipotle
• 1 C. Frozen Corn
• 1 1/2 C. Salsa
• 1 T. Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
• 1 T. Fresh Cilantro, cut
• 1 T. Fresh Parsley, cut
• 2 t. Garlic Salt

Just combine all ingredients except for the corn and heat through.  Add corn towards the end.  Also, save some cilantro and parsley for the top.  


Homemade Chips:


Points depend on what ingredients you use.

• 2 Corn Tortilla's
• 1-2 t. Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Cut your tortilla's into 8 pieces each and cook in olive oil in pan until done.  Then put sea salt on before serving.

Mexican Seasoning

I like to make burritos, tacos, and fajitas and I've always just bought the little seasoning packets at the store each time I needed one but last time I bought one I couldn't believe how expensive they've gotten! I just can't handle the idea of paying so much for something I could do for probably much cheaper myself.

I found this recipe which works for burritos, tacos, or fajitas and tried it today and it was good. Thought I'd share in case anyone else wants to make their own and doesn't already have a recipe!

Mexican Seasoning

Recipe for single batch (good for 1- 1 1/2 lbs. of meat or vegetables):

1 T Chili powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Onion powder
1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. Oregano flakes
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black pepper

Mix with 3/4 cup water for 1- 1 1/2 lb. of meat or vegetables.

Recipe for large batch (to keep some ready for next time):

1/2 C Chili powder
2 tsp. Garlic powder
2 tsp. Onion powder
2 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. Oregano flakes
4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 C Cumin
8 tsp. Salt
4 tsp. Black Pepper

Use 3 T of mix with 3/4 C water for 1- 1 1/2 lb. of meat or vegetables. Store in an airtight container.

Tip: When I have used the store-bought seasoning packets they have dissolved very easily and quickly in the water with the meat. This mix didn't dissolve as well so I think it might work better to take the meat out, add the water and seasoning and let them heat up and combine well, and then put the meat back in and keep cooking to desired thickness.

4 Point OMELET

 

So....what do you do when you have only 4 points left for dinner?  You ask on the boards what a good 4 point dinner would be and get ideas!  Well, my sweetheart thought that out of the ideas, the omelet sounded good, so guess what we ended up having.....a VERY yummy omelet!! (Thanks Courtney :)

I labeled it as my...

4 Point Omelet!

4 Egg Whites
Onions
Green Onions
Mushrooms
Sugar Snap Peas
Red Bell Pepper
2 pieces Turkey Bacon
1 Laughing Cow Tomato Basil Wedge
Tomatoes
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Parsley
Cooking Spray

Cut up the veggies and saute them in a skillet along with the turkey bacon. Do not put the tomatoes in here. No seasonings are needed.

Then put 4 egg whites in another skillet to make your omelet.

When cooked, put the LC cheese on the egg, then the filling, then fold over.

Put on your plate and top with tomatoes and the fresh parsley and cilantro and enjoy!

(The only seasoning we put on our omelet was the fresh parsley and cilantro, absolutely nothing else!)

TURKEY MELT

Turkey Melt

1 Serving

PointsPlus Value depends on exactly how much you put on your sandwich, which bread you use, what cheese you use, etc.  My sandwich was 8 PP.

 
2 pieces of bread (we used Sara Lee Delightful)
Jennie O Turkey lunchmeat slices (3 for serving)
1 slice of White American cheese
Mayonnaise (to taste)
Mustard (to taste)
Horseradish (to taste)
Onion, Mushroom, Tomato mixture

Saute diced onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes with Mrs. Dash or whatever seasoning's you like.

Then just put the mayo, mustard, and horseradish on the bread and layer your meat, cheese, and the yummy mixture.

We sprayed our bread before we put it in the skillet to cook it. We thought it was yummy!

CHOCOLATE CHICKPEA COOKIES

These cookies went like hot cakes at our house.....everyone loved them.  All our friends who tried them asked what nut we had put in them.  Once the cookie is cooled, it really does taste like there are nuts in the cookies.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

 

Chocolate Chickpea Cookies

 Made 54 Cookies

3 PP each or 2 cookies for 5 PP

• 1 C. Brown Sugar, packed
• 3/4 C. Light Butter
• 2 Egg Whites
• 2 t. Vanilla Extract
• 15.5 oz. Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
• 11.5 oz bag of Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 C. All Purpose Flour
• 1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 C. Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 t. Baking Soda
• 1/4 t. Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Make sure to spray the cookie sheets.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Then beat in the egg whites, vanilla, and then the chickpeas and the chocolate chips.  Add the whole wheat flour, white flour, old fashioned oats, baking soda, and the salt.  Mix until you get a thicker dough.


Use the small Pampered Chef cookie scoop, or equivalent to put on the cookie sheets.  Then press and flatten a little with a fork.  Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set.  About 13 minutes.....and do not overbake!


Transfer to a rack to cool and enjoy!

SALMON "STEAKS"

These Salmon "Steaks" are very moist, and the longer you let them set after they are cooked, the firmer they get.  We thought it turned out great!  And thought they were a little fancier than regular salmon patties we used to make, so we called them Salmon Steaks.  Anyway.....

Salmon "Steaks"
10 Servings, 4 PP each

35 oz. Canned Salmon
5 Wedges Laughing Cow Tomato Basil Cheese
3 T. Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
2 Eggs
1/2 Slice of Sara Lee Delightful Bread
3 t. Garlic Salt
1 T. Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil
1T. Mrs. Dash Table Blend
Honey Mustard

1st, toast the bread, let sit for a minute, then crumble into a bowl.  Then add all the other ingredients except the Honey Mustard, into the bowl.  Mush everything together until mixed well.  Cook "steaks"/patties in a skillet until done.  Let set for a little bit or serve right away.  Drizzle the honey mustard over the top when served.    


We served them with our Tomato Avocado Flower and some Aztec Sweet Peppers....made for a yummy dinner!!

GREEN EGGS and HAM

Well, because of the kiddos (shh....don't tell anyone that we thought it was fun too) we thought it would be great to do Green Eggs and Ham for St. Patrick's Day. 

We put all kinds of green veggies that we could think of in the eggs, plus pinto beans and some cheese.  It was a HUGE hit and we all had fun!    Of course we have green food coloring on our fingers, but at least we now don't have to wear green clothes  :)  We finished it off with a glass of Green Chocolate Milk!

Just wanted to Share........Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

 

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

* 10 ounce bag fresh Spinach
* 6 ounces (28 g) 1/3 Less-Fat Cream Cheese, softened
* 6 ounces (28 g) Fat-Free Cream Cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup Fat-Free Sour Cream
* 1 1/2 cups Part-Skim Mozzarella, shredded
* 1 (14-ounce) can Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
* 3 Garlic Cloves, crushed (not minced)
* 6 tablespoons Shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Tear spinach into bite-size pieces, removing any thick stems. Rinse in a colander, leaving a little water on the leaves. In a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven, sauté the spinach over medium heat until wilted. Drain in the colander, pushing a little of the extra water out.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheeses with a potato masher and cream completely. Add sour cream and mash more. Add spinach, mozzarella, artichokes, pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Stir everything until thoroughly combined.

Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan on top. Bake 30 minutes, or until Parmesan is melted dip is all bubbly. Remove from oven and give it a minute or two to cool down. 

About 10 Servings, 1/2 C. each.....3 PointsPlus 

Recipe from Serious Eats.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Need a quick, healthy meal? Try this yummy soup. It takes all of about 15 minutes to prepare. Everyone (even the baby!) in my family loved this soup & I think next time I make it I will double the recipe so we have some leftovers!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

14.5 oz chicken broth (I used low sodium)
4 c frozen broccoli, thawed (I pureed 3 cups to make the soup a little thicker)
1 carrot, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used reduced sodium)
1 can white beans, pureed
garlic powder, to taste
pepper, to taste
cheddar cheese*

In a large pot (I used a dutch oven), bring chicken broth to a simmer. Add broccoli & carrot and allow soup to simmer for a few minutes, until vegetables are cooked & soft. Add pureed beans cream of chicken soup and desired spices, stir to incorporate and allow to simmer for a few more minutes until warm. Add desired amount of cheddar cheese and stir soup until melted.

Makes 6 1-cup servings

As described above, this soup worked out to 4 pp+ per serving (per the recipe builder). Adding the LC cheese wedge brought the total points per serving to 5.

*I only had 1 oz of cheese defrosted, so that's all I added. My family felt that it was not cheesy enough, so we actually ended up adding a Laughing Cow cheese wedge to each bowl. It was perfect!

No picture today..I was rushing off to work & didn't have time :)

Chicken Parmesan

I made this up a few days ago and it turned out really good.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (8 oz each)
Italian bread crumbs
4 half ounce slices of fresh parmesan cheese
1 T Olive oil
Pasta sauce (I used Prego mushroom flavor spaghetti sauce)
1 Can diced tomatoes (drained)
Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning (I buy this at Sam's Club but your own seasoning would work fine)
Wheat pasta noodles

Directions:

Chicken:

Cut each chicken breast in half so that you have two thinner pieces of chicken. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the first piece of chicken and use a mallet to pound the chicken into a larger, flatter piece. Repeat for all pieces.

Pour italian bread crumbs onto a plate and place piece of chicken in them. It might help if the chicken is a little moist so the bread crumbs stick. Cover one side of the chicken with the crumbs.

Slice thin pieces of parmesan cheese and cover one half of the top side of the piece of chicken with cheese. Fold the other half over trapping the cheese inside. Repeat for all pieces of chicken.

In a large frying pan heat some olive oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot place the chicken in the pan and quickly fry both sides. Once all chicken has been fried, reduce heat and cover the pan so that the inside of the chicken can cook.

Sauce:

Pour pasta sauce into a pot. Add canned diced tomatoes and seasoning. Heat up and then simmer.

After the chicken is fully cooked (you can cut into one and check if you're not sure), serve wheat pasta, cover with sauce, and place chicken on top.

Enjoy!

This makes 4 servings.

For 1 piece of chicken, 1 C of sauce, and 1 C of pasta one serving is 17 points. You can tweak some things or have a smaller serving size if you'd like to lower the points. :-)

TOMATO BASIL CHICKEN

I came home late one night to a wonderful dinner my sweetheart had waiting for me!

Tomato Basil Chicken

4 Servings, 5 P+ per serving.

1 1/2 t. Olive Oil

1 t. Garlic Salt

1-2 Tomatoes, diced

2 C. Fresh Mushrooms

4 Wedges of Laughing Cow Tomato Basil

4 Pieces of Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 t. Italian Seasoning

2 Small Onions, chopped

Mrs. Dash Table Blend (to taste)

Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb (to taste)

First, saute the Onions, Mushrooms in the Olive Oil, Garlic Salt and Mrs. Dash's Seasonings.  Then set aside in a separate bowl and mix with fresh diced tomatoes and let stand.  Next, cook the chicken in a pan with the Italian Seasoning.  Put a little water in the bottom of the skillet and cover with a lid.  Turn over as necessary.  When the chicken is fully cooked, add the Tomatoes, Onions and Mushrooms mixture and pour over your chicken.  Cover with a lid and let steam for a couple minutes with your burner off.  When ready to serve, put 1 wedge of the Tomato Basil LC over the top of your chicken.....enjoy!     

RICOTTA DROP COOKIES

Ricotta Drop Cookies

1 C. Light Butter, softened
2 C. Granulated Sugar
1 (15 ounce) container of  Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
3 t. Vanilla Extract
1 t. Salt
1 t. Baking Soda
4 C. All-Purpose Flour

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Mix all the ingredients well until the dough is very sticky and kinda forms a ball. Drop by teaspoonful's (I used a small pampered chef cookie scoop) on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms turn golden brown. Let cool for 1 minute and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

You could do several things, eat them the way they are, dip them in a little aerosol whipped cream, add cinnamon or spices, or (add points accordingly) add a bag of some sort of chips (we used Andes peppermint baking chips) or ice them.....whatever you want, they are really versatile!  An orange marmalade glaze is yummy over them too!!

Made as is, they are:
1 cookie for 2 P+
2 cookies for 3 P+
3 cookies for 5 P+

Made with a bag of chips they are:
1 cookie for 2 P+
2 cookies for 4 P+
3 cookies for 6 P+

These are so quick and easy to throw in real quick and they are soft, almost cake-like.  And we think they are good points value wise.  Anyway, just wanted to share....my kiddos thought they were a great creation!  I am sure some of you have probably made them, but our family had never heard of anything like it.

MEXICAN SOUP

So last night.....after a day of my little sweethearts driving me absolutely INSANE...

I stood there in the kitchen trying to think of what to make for dinner!  Well, I opened my pantry and this is what I came up with:

Mexican Soup (That's what we called it)

• 15.25 oz Can of Black Beans
• 15 oz Can of Great Northern Beans
• (2) 15.5 oz Can of Pinto Beans
• 7 oz Can of Diced Green Chilies
• 28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 29 oz Can of Corn
• 1 t. Taco Seasoning
• 1 t. Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle
• 1 T. Garlic Salt

Just simply put all of the above ingredients in a pan and heat.  Then enjoy!

We did frozen corn instead of canned corn, we like the flavor better.  We just filled up the diced tomatoes can with corn.  You can put Sour Cream and Cheese on top, just add points accordingly.

Anyway, just wanted to share....we loved it and thought you might too  :)

Pumpkin Chili

Need an easy, hearty crockpot meal? Here's a great one to try. The pumpkin added a rich, creamy texture (not to mention nutrients!), but you can't taste it at all. This is probably the best chili that I have ever made and eaten. It was perfect.

Pumpkin Chili

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tbsp.garlic powder (or 3 cloves pressed garlic)
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper
2 - 4 oz. cans green chile peppers
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Brown ground beef with onions and peppers. Add spices and cook for a few minutes. Put mixture in crock pot. Add beans, pumpkin, diced tomatoes, and green chiles to crock pot. I added about 1/2 c of water to this mixture & it made a nice, thick chili. Cook on low for 7 - 9 hours or high for 4 - 6 hours.

This recipe (as posted) makes 11 1 cup servings. According to the the recipe builder, 1 cup is 4 PP+ and 2 cups was 7 PP+.

VEGGIE FAJITA'S

Well....I was in the mood for lots of veggies and my sweetheart said.....I have just the thing!  He hit it right on the spot for me!  The flavoring was perfect, in my opinion!

Veggie Fajita's 

1 1/4 Bell Peppers (we used all the different colors)

3 C. Broccoli

3 C. Sugar Snap Peas

1 Large Carrot, shredded

2-3 Tomatoes
1 Purple Onion
1 C. Fresh Mushrooms

1 1/2 T. Garlic Salt

2 T. Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime 

2 T. Olive Oil

All you do is cut up the peppers, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes.  Then put your olive oil in the pan and saute all of the above ingredients, we added the tomatoes and broccoli towards the end.  

You can serve it on a whole wheat tortilla shell or on corn tortilla's.  We topped it off with a little bit of sour cream and cheese. 

Hope you enjoy....I really thought the Fiesta Lime flavoring was perfect on the veggies......really brought out all the flavors!

Nacho Pie

Photo From Mommy's Kitchen

I have made this yummy dinner several times now - it is so good! I originally found the recipe here, but have changed it quite a bit to make it healthier and less pointy. I usually serve this over a bed of chopped romaine lettuce, with a serving of tortilla chips on the side. I have also added salsa & guacamole, depending on the points I had to work with. No matter how you serve it, this savory pie is quick to make and totally delicious!

Nacho Pie

6 oz Lean Ground Beef, browned
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 - 8oz Can Tomato Sauce
¾ Cup Water
1 - Packet Taco Seasoning Mix
1 - Tube refridgerated Crescent Roll Dough (we used reduced fat)
3 Tbsp Sour Cream
3/4 Cup cheese (shredded or thinly sliced)
additional sour cream for garnish, diced tomatoes and sliced black olives.

Preheat oven to 350. In large skillet, brown beef and onion over medium heat. Add black beans, tomato sauce, water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. Spray pie pan with PAM and separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Place dough in pan- face points of dough towards the middle. Press onto bottom and up sides of plate to form crust. Seal perforations - pan needs to be completely covered with the dough. Top with meat/bean mixture. Dab sour cream over meat. Sprinkle on(or lay, if using slices) the cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes (until cheese melts & the crust is golden brown). Cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Serves 6.

I ran this through the recipe builder and it came out to 7 PP+ per serving. FYI: it's 8 PP+ if you use a half pound of lean ground beef instead of 6 oz. I just happened to only have 6 oz last night!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I didn't make up this recipe but it makes an easy and delicious whole wheat pizza crust!

Ingredients:

1 or 2 c. white flour (enough to make a stiff dough)
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 pkg. or 1 tbsp. active dry yeast
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F before baking. Pour flour into a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and salt. Mix well. Add water, oil and honey; mix well.

Knead dough for 6 minutes on a lightly floured surface, adding sufficient flour to make a stiff dough. Dough may be slightly sticky. Oil your hands with olive oil to keep from sticking while kneading.

Cover with a moist cloth and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes to rise. Punch down and press into a greased 14 inch pizza pan or a 10 inch pan for a thicker crust.

Spread sauce and other ingredients on pizza crust. Bake in a preheated 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Notes:When I put this recipe in the Recipe Builder I got 5 points for 1/8 of the crust and that is a very nice size piece of pizza.