Spaghetti Squash Cakes

These are the creation of a seasoned Weight Watchers blogger, Roni. Click here for her site and original recipe of these cakes. I had never used spaghetti squash and if you haven't either, watch Roni's instructional video on the same web site. It's really easy and pretty cool the first time! Here's my version, which made 14 cakes. My husband and I decided it's a good idea for a side dish or light lunch but not really a main course at dinner. That being said, we did enjoy them and you can pretty much add anything you want!

6 egg whites
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 large ~ 3 lb. spaghetti squash (about 4.5 cups)
1/2 bunch scallions (green onions), diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper to taste

Cook the spaghetti squash. I put fork holes all around it and microwaved it for 20 minutes. When it was done, I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds and soft insides, then shredded it with a fork into a bowl (watch her video, you'll see how easy it is!). While it was cooking, I diced the onions and pepper and whisked together the egg and flour to form the mixture. Then, grate the garlic into the flour mixture and add in the rest of the ingredients. Combine together so that the mixture coats everything. Heat a pan, coated with cooking spray, and spoon the cakes into it, cooking each about 3-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Enjoy with your favorite condiment (we used ketchup and BBQ sauce) or alone.

Rice Pudding

I have always loved rice pudding, ever since my grandmother would make it for us when I was a kid. I got this recipe out of Cooking Light and am so excited to have found a lower fat version of a favorite dessert.

2 cups Arborio rice
3-1/2 cups fat free milk (I used half milk, half Silk Light Vanilla soy milk)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk (I skipped this and it made no difference)
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs beaten (I used eggbeaters)
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Bring the milk, sugar and rice to a boil. Cook rice until soft and creamy, about 35-40 minutes. Continue to add more milk as necessary to prevent the rice from drying out or burning.

When the rice is done, gradually add half of it to the eggs in a separate bowl, stirring constantly with a wisk. Return egg and rice mixture to the rest of the rice in the pot and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add in the raisins and vanilla. Makes 8 servings.

Vegetable soup

I thought I would try to make a vegetable soup and began working off of a recipe my mother had given me but then it took on a life of it's own. I needed to use up the veggies in my fridge so I pretty much threw in everything I had.

olive oil, 1 turn of the pot
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated and sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 portobello mushroom cap, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1 cup rotini pasta
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Cook the onion in the oil approximately 5 minutes or until translucent. Mix in all the veggies, seasonings, and the potatoes. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Add the pasta in at the 20 minute mark. Enjoy!

Turkey Tettrazini

This is a recipe I made based on Trisha's (One Tiny Pink Kitchen). I have to say, I love it. I added a little more cheese which will probably increase the points a little but it really is a nice hearty meal that is somewhat guiltless. Plus, you can make it ahead and bake it when you're ready to eat.

1/2 lb ground turkey
1 (8oz) whole wheat penne or any other whole wheat pasta
1/4 cup of light margarine (I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Light)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup fat free half and half
2 tbsp. water (Trisha recommended to use the water from the noodles which I did and is better because it is starchy and thickens up the sauce more)
1/4 cup part skim mozzarella
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp breadcrumbs or panko
1 tsp light margarine

Heat Oven to 350. Cook the pasta to al dente. Brown turkey. Set aside in strainer or additional bowl. Melt butter in same pan as browned turkey over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, & pepper and garlic powder. Cook, stirring until flour is coated. Then, Stir in broth & half and half. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly with a whisk to break up flour and thicken the sauce. This will take 5-7 minutes of constant stirring so as not to burn the sauce. Add in 1/3 cup of parm cheese and 1/4 cup of mozz cheese when the sauce was thick and stir until melted. Mix the noodles, water, & turkey into sauce. Pour noodle mixture into ungreased casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Drop little bits of the 1 tsp of margarine over breadcrumbs to help brown. Bake 30 mins. or until bubbly in center.

Yields 6 servings about 1-1/2 cup each

POINTS per Serving: 8

Mini Meat Loaf

Weight watchers friendly! I borrowed this from a fellow blogger One Tiny Pink Kitchen. She has a great selection of WW friendly foods if you're interested! Two of these make a serving and a serving is 5 points each. I think they make a great lunch or light dinner combined with a salad.

1 lb. lean beef
1/4 cup eggbeaters
1 small onion diced
1/2 red pepper finely diced
2/3 C. Bread Crumbs
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. BBQ Sauce

Thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Spray muffin tins (12) with cooking spray and scoop the meat loaf mixture into the tins. Cook on 350 for 30 minutes.

Chicken Marsala

I made this today for a family Christmas party and was a little nervous never having made it but I think it came out great and people seemed to like it.

6 chicken breasts, halved
olive oil, small amount to cook the chicken
3 eggs
water (to mix with eggs for dipping)
1.5 to 2 cups italian style bread crumbs
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 10 oz. packages baby bella mushrooms sliced
1.5 cups marsala wine
1.5 cups chicken broth
6 TBSP flour

Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the eggs and water in a large bowl and place the bread crumbs in a separate plate for dipping. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan and heat. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then into the bread crumbs. Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Place the chicken on a separate plate.

When the chicken is done, using the same pan, cook the onions for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook another 5-7 minutes. Pour in the marsala wine and chicken broth. Mix in the flour and boil approx. 5 minutes until thickened. Place the chicken in a baking dish (I used 3 for this many) and cover with the marsala sauce. Bake for 20 mins at 375.

To cook for less people, just decrease the amounts (4 chix, 1/2 cup marsala wine, 1 cup broth, 3 TBSP flour, 1/2 cup onion, 1-2 cloves garlic)

Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese Quiche

I've never made a quiche before and I decided on this concoction for a quick weeknight dinner. It was awesome! I combined ingredients from a few different recipes so I could make a light version. No picture, as we ate it too fast, LOL!

1 premade pie crust (I used the Pillsbury refrigerated kind)
3 egg whites
3 eggs
1 Cup fat free half & half
1 bunch (about 1.5 cups) broccoli
1 Cup jarlsberg lite cheese, shredded
1 Cup, colby jack cheese, shredded
3 pieces of bacon, cooked and broken up

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the bacon first and set aside. Place the pie crust into a pie plate, then put in the dry ingredients: broccoli, bacon, and half the cheese. Whisk together the eggs and half & half and pour over the dry ingredients. Top with the rest of the cheese. Bake 40 minutes at 350. Before eating make sure to ensure it's fully cooked by putting a toothpick in the center and making sure it's dry when you pull it out.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Great make ahead for a meal during the week. I used a recipe out of Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery (great crockpot cookbook, I highly recommend it.) I didn't use the crockpot though and instead am just cooking it on low on the stove. Smells yummy!















2 lbs of beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 bay leaf
1 TBSP of worcestershire sauce
4 cups of beef broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4-5 carrots peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8ths
15 white pearl onions, peeled
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 package of frozen peas (10 oz), thawed

Combine the beef, bay leaf, worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of the broth, pepper, salt, sugar, carrots, celery, potatoes, and pearl onions, in that order. Pour the remaining 3 cups of broth over the mixture. Cook 8 to 10 hours on low in the crockpot (or cook on low 4-5 hours on the stove). When finished, dissolve the cornstarch in water, and add it to the stew to thicken it. Remove the bay leaf, add the peas. Cook another 10 to 15 mins and serve.