Western Omelet Wrap

Breakfast- For me, it’s a necessity. Not an option. A must. I am a morning person so I always have something for breakfast before I rush out the door. This is not to say I don’t hit the snooze button like the rest of the world, but I always have enough time to grab some grub before starting the work day.

So on weekend mornings I like to take a little more time in the kitchen and prepare something I normally wouldn’t do on a weekday. Recently, I have been on a “clean out the kitchen and refrigerator and only buy necessities” kick….so as I glanced in the fridge I saw: some black beans left over from homemade nachos this past week, one tortilla, a bell pepper I was going to use for dinner this week, half an onion, and egg beaters. And of course the staples of the fridge….salsa, jalapenos, sour cream and shredded cheese.

So here goes the “Western Omelet Wrap”

Feel free to alter the amounts dependant on the number of people that will be eating with you but this recipe does not require exacts. It’s a preference thing…so I’m not even going to bother.

Enjoy your concoction of your leftover fridge items!

Olive and Tomato Dip

Looking for something to take to a picnic or perhaps a food day at work? Well, look no further because this olive tomato dip comes together in a matter of minutes and is delicious with the summer ripe tomatoes. Enjoy!!

Source: Weight Watchers

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped tomato
6 large green olives, chopped
2 Tbl onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve with veggies or light crackers.

So simple!

Summer Slaw

Looking for a light summer salad to serve along-side something that has enough flavor to hold it’s own? Then this salad is the perfect pairing.

Source: Weight Watchers weekly reader
Serves: 6- 1 points plus

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 ½ cups peeled and shredded jicama
1 cup shredded radishes
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt

Toss the cabbage, jicama and radishes in a salad bowl.

Add other ingredients and toss to coat.

*To slice the jicama and radishes, pass them through the large holes of a box grater. If making this in advance, store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days omitting the salt; add just before serving.

I thought the cumin was a bit strong so next time I’ll probably only use ¼ tsp.

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!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

I was recently faced with the task of bringing an appetizer to a friend's home. One would think...."What's so hard about that?!" Well, I normally wouldn't either but when that hostess happens to be vegetarian, lactose intolerant and gluten free.....I started to panic just a little.

Normally I would whip up something with cream cheese, sour cream or sausage, but I obviously couldn't do that in this situation. So my wheels started turning and I came up with this great alternative that happens to be very health friendly, vegetarian, gluten free, lactose intolerant AND delicious!

Ingredients:
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can white corn (drained)
1 can yellow corn (drained)
1 red bell pepper, sliced and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 tsp garlic salt
juice of 1 lime

Mix all and serve with corn chips (for gluten free) or tortilla chips if no preference!

Enjoy

Steamed Artichoke

This evening, at my weight watchers meeting, it was all about trying new vegetables or preparing your favorites in a different way. My all time favorite vegetable has to be the Artichoke. I've been eating them since I was a little girl and still indulge in this sometime overwhelming food.

Artichokes are rich in fiber, iron, vitamin B6, vitamin C and a whole host of other great "stuff". Not to forget extremely low in calories and virtually fat free.

My favorite way to prepare them is simply steaming them. I like to cut the top off and steam in salted water for about 20 minutes. When you can pull the leaves apart, the artichoke is ready! Some people like to dip the leaves in some garlic butter but it is also very tasty plain.

Watch this you tube video for pointers on how to eat them and avoid the "choke".

Couscous Salad

Need a different side item to go with your normal chicken breast dinner? Tired of a mixed green salad? Try this fancied up couscous salad. It is better when it’s fresh…so don’t wait too long before you dig in!

Source: Weight Watchers- weekly reader Ingredients: serves 4, 5 points plus

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 cup quick cooking whole-wheat couscous

15 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 med. Scallions, trimmed and chopped

1 cup cooked, chopped broccoli

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

¼ tsp cumin seeds

1/3 cup canned tomato juice

1 Tbs white wine vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

Combine ¾ cup water and ¼ tsp salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set couscous aside, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover pan, fluff couscous with fork and spoon into a serving bowl. Let cool to room temp.

When cool: add beans, scallions and broccoli; toss gently but well.

In a small bowl, combine red pepper, cumin, remaining ¼ tsp salt and tomato juice; stir well. Stir in vinegar and oil and pour over salad; toss gently but well.

Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Notes: I didn’t have cumin seeds so I just used ground cumin; I thought it was just as good. I also added some shredded carrots and shredded cabbage. Yummy

Asparagus and Mushrooms

Anytime I find something with a few simple no cal ingredients I jump on the chance to make it. Asparagus and mushrooms…with a little ethnic flare….delicious!

Source: Taste of Home, Diet Comfort Food Cookbook
Ingredients: Serves 4

1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbl canola oil
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, sauté asparagus and ginger in oil for 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add the mushrooms, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes longer or until mushrooms are tender.

*I used: fresh ginger, a “bunch” of asparagus that you buy in the store, one container of sliced mushrooms and only 2 tsp canola oil.
*Next time: I might try sesame oil to bump the ethnic flavor.

Great!!!

Orzo and Broccoli Risotto

Ingredients: Serves 2
1 can reduced sodium vegetable broth (or chicken)
1 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup coarsely shredded carrot
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup orzo
½ (10 oz) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and patted dry
2 Tbl fat free half and half
3 Tbl freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring the broth and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and keep at a simmer.

2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until the carrot is bright orange and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the orzo and cook, stirring until it is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add ½ cup of the broth mixture and stir until absorbed. Continue to add the broth mixture, ½ cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the pasta is just slightly firm, adding the broccoli when you add the last addition of broth.

4. Stir in the half-and-half; heat 1 minute. Stir in the cheese. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve at once.

*The first time I made this, the last of the liquid, I thought was never going to absorb so I didn’t use it all. It kind of turned out hard. So the second time I made it, I didn’t rush it and added all of the liquid to the orzo and it turned out much better. Enjoy!

Leek and Potato Soup

This versatile soup is good as a side dish, a warm creamy appetizer at a party or even as a main course.

Serves: 2-3 for main dish
Ingredients:
10 oz potato, peeled and chopped, about 2 cups
2 cups sliced leeks, about 2 leeks if using the green parts
3 cups water
¾ tsp salt
Pepper to taste
3 Tbl heavy whipping cream

Bring leeks, potatoes, water and salt to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender. To finish the soup, puree the soup through a food processor or blender and add cream. You can serve right from the blender or put back in the soup pot.

I tried to just use a potato masher but the blender is the way to go to get a thick creamy stick to your ribs soup.

*Note: If you don’t mind a green tint to your soup, feel free to use the stalks of the leeks. I also used a can of chicken broth in place of 14 oz of the water.

TUESDAY TIPS: Bean Facts

Edamame: Has nearly twice the protein of other beans and their soy protein will keep you feeling full for hours. Buy them at Sam's in individual microwave safe bags for a quick snack during the day or on the weekends.

Pinto Beans: Eating ½ cup a day is another great way to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Breakfast idea: mix a helping of beans in with your scrambled egg whites and salsa.

Black Beans: I’ve heard it but never tried it….Next time you’re whipping up a batch of brownies, substitute a 16oz can of pureed black beans for the eggs and oil. They also contain the cancer fighting antioxidant anthocyanin (as much as grapes or cranberries).

Navy Beans: High in calcium. One cup has almost 12% of the calcium needed each day; almost double any other type of bean.

Butter Beans and Lima Beans: Full of blood pressure lowering potassium

Red Beans and Kidney Beans: Have almost as much antioxidants as wild blueberries. Half a cup of these red beauties have almost the same amount of protein as 1 oz of red meat- without any of the fat or cholesterol.

Canned vs. dried:
*If you soak the dried beans it will loosen the skins which will reduce the amount of gas they cause.
*The US Dept of Agriculture considers dried beans a vegetable serving while canned beans are not
*A cup of dried beans has less than 10mg of sodium while a canned beans can have more than 700mg. If you use canned, reduce the sodium by rinsing the beans in a strainer for at least a minute.
*Dried beans cost less

Baked Potato with Chili

Ok, I know this looks like a big pile of chili but I promise there is a potato under there! This is a great go to for weekend lunches, sack lunch at work or even a quick mid-week dinner.

I used a 3 oz potato just to save on points but feel free to use a larger one; just remember to adjust your points accordingly.

Ingredients:
1 cup Hormel Vegetarian Chili with beans 99% fat free
1 baked potato
Green onions to taste
Scoop of sour cream

I don’t normally use canned chili but this is a great alternative if you are in a pinch and need something in a hurry. Hormel has lots of different varieties but last time I checked, this vegetarian bean chili was pretty conservative in the points department. An entire cup has only 4 points plus, making the entire meal 5 points plus! Pretty good for a warm and filling lunch.

*Note: Hormel has listed the serving size as one cup and it states there are two servings in the can….I didn’t get quite two cups, so next time I’ll probably cut it down to ¾ cup.