Vegetable and Chicken Skillet

The flavor of this dish was amazing for the little amount of ingredients it required! Definitely a repeat at my house.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home

Serves: 2- 8 points plus

Ingredients:
8 oz chicken breast- cut into cubes
1 med. yellow squash- chopped
1 med. onion- chopped
1 med. carrot- chopped
2 tsp butter
3 cups fresh baby spinach- roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
water for rice

Cook rice according to directions.

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, squash, onion and carrot in butter for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. If there is an abundance of liquid after cooking the chicken, drain off. Add the spinach, garlic, dash of salt, thyme and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer.

Stir in cooked rice and serve warm!

*The picture doesn't do this meal justice...but if you're looking for a way to get in your veggies this is the meal for you!

Grilled Lettuce

Yep...that's correct! Grilled lettuce. I heard about this at a Weight Watchers meeting so when I had a few girls over for a small supper club I decided to give it a try. I'm happy to report...at the end of the night, there was no leftover lettuce left on any plates!

Simply take a head of romaine lettuce and cut it down the middle. Give it a quick rinse and a splash of almond or grape seed oil (these hold up to the heat of the grill much better than olive oil). Once grill is warmed....place the lettuce cut side down and grill for just a few minutes. Five or so.

Slice it up, hit it with a little cracked black pepper and some sea salt and bam! A nice and tasty salad with none of that creamy salad dressing to hide the flavor. I also mixed in some feta crumbles and some fresh heirloom tomatoes. Delicious and I'll definitely be having this one again.

Enjoy!

Peach Salsa with turkey burgers

Sometimes I amaze myself with creations and this time I definitely was pleased. The sweetness of the peach and the strong flavor of the cilantro did a wonderful job adding texture and taste to the turkey burgers.

I challange everyone to spice up their normal grilled burger with a little fresh fruit this summer! You won't be disappointed.

Source: Adapted from Weight Watchers weekly reader
Serves: 2

Salsa:
2 large peaches, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients and set aside.
Cook burgers and top with salsa! Recipe was orginally written for salmon burgers...so feel free to make adjustments to what you're having for dinner.

Enjoy

Grilled Peaches with Almonds and Honey

What a beautiful, easy and healthy dessert that can be thrown together in no time.

Source: Weight Watchers weekly reader
Serves: 4- 2 points plus

Ingredients:
4 firm but ripe large peaches, cut in half, pits removed
2 Tbls sliced almonds, chopped
2 tsp honey

Coat a grill or a grill pan with cooking spray. Preheat to medium heat. Spray cut side of peaches with a little bit of cooking spray.

Place peach halves on grill, skin sides down, and cook until skin starts to split, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip peaches and cook, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes more.

Remove peaches from grill and place on a serving plate; top each peach with 3/4 tsp of almonds and drizzle each with 1/4 tsp of honey.

*I just sprinkled a palm full of almonds and drizzled honey over the peaches instead of trying to measure...just be careful and don't over compensate! Enjoy

Salmon Pasta with Poppy and Dill

Adapted from Rachel Ray
Serves: 2 large servings

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked pasta
7 oz salmon
1 Tbl olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Tbl poppy seeds
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dill, chopped

While you're cooking the pasta, season the salmon with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over med-high heat. Add the salmon and cook until just done, about 6 minutes. Let cool. If salmon has skin, remove skin. Flake salmon into small pieces.

In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbl olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the poppy seeds for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and cook until slightly reduced, 1 minute. Stir in the cream, lower the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Toss the pasta with the salmon, sauce and dill. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

4th of July revamped

Before you pack the cooler and head off to the lake or the family picnic….really think about how you can have a wonderful holiday weekend with delicious healthy foods and not the normal fat and calorie ridden repeats.

Here are some ideas to get those brain juices flowing!

*Fresh fruit bowl- cut up a bunch of your favorite fruits and put them in a bowl all together. I know I am much more likely to enjoy fruit if it’s already cut up and ready to go. My favorites to put together are: grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries and pineapple. If you want to put a dip out try this greek yogurt fruit dip.

*We all like something salty and crunchy, so instead of a bag of potato chips, try veggie straws. A serving size is 38 straws!! For a total of 3 points plus. A pretty good alternative if you ask me.

*Black bean salsa: this is very easy to put together and you can feel comfortable knowing it doesn’t have any dairy that will spoil if left in the heat. To save on even more calories, don’t serve it with chips! It’s just as good right off the fork.

*Start up the grill!! Rather than sauce laden barbeque brisket or a bucket of fried chicken try turkey bratwursts, 97% fat free Hebrew National hot dogs, or even some grilled turkey burgers! Lots of alternatives to make this holiday different than a week night meal.

*Crystal light lemonade- Instead of the regular Country Time Lemonade that is full of sugar, make a big batch of Crystal Light. Very refreshing in this heat and very low in calories.

Most importantly: have a wonderful holiday weekend, enjoy the people that you’re with and stay safe!