Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I found a recipe for Cheddar Cauliflower Soup in one of my cook books and I lightened it up a bit by using milk instead of cream. I also used less butter and cheddar and added cream cheese to give it a rich flavor. It turned out great and it's only about 3 WW points for 1 cup!

1 T. butter
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
2 cans low sodium and 99% fat free chicken broth
1 head of cauliflower, separated into small florets
1 potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 1/3 C. skim milk
3 T. low fat cream cheese, cubed(I use Weight Watchers)
1/3 - 1/2 C. grated cheddar cheese (I don't use low fat because it doesn't melt well)
Chopped chives, for garnish

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until translucent. Add chicken broth, cauliflower, potato, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower and potato are very tender, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. In batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, or you can just use and immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream cheese. When the cream cheese is melted, add the milk. Heat over medium-low heat until hot (do not boil), then gradually stir in the cheese until melted and smooth. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped chives.

Quinoa Salad

I just kind of made this one up. I eat it plain, but it's good with tortilla chips as well. If by chance you are on the weight watchers program, it's about 3 points for 1 cup.

1/2 C. dry quinoa
1/2 C. low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 C. black beans (1 can)
1 1/2 C. canned corn (1 can)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 avocado coarsly chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 t. coarse salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
3 T. chopped cilantro

Bring quinoa and broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook quinoa for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Chill in refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds with Black Bean Cream

This is supposed to be a side dish, but I think it's a great little snack. My little girl loves eat this for lunch!

2 lg. sweet potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 C. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C. fat free sour cream
1 t. ground cumin
1 T. chopped cilantro

Heat oven to 425 F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil; lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Place potato slices in single layer; brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes, flipping potatoes over after 10. The potatoes should be slightly crisp. In a bowl, mash beans with a fork leaving some beans whole and others mashed. Mix in cumin, sour cream and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Evenly divide bean cream on potato slices; garnish with cilantro. If you don't care for cilantro, the original recipe actually called for scallions instead of cilantro. I'm not a fan of raw onion, so I went with cilantro.

Tortilla Soup

This is one of my favorite soups! It's only about 2 weight watchers points for one cup. If you add a couple tablespoons of low fat cheeses, and three crushed tortilla chips, it's only about 4 points!

2 T. olive oil
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded (Rotisserie chicken is best)
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10-oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chiles
1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 (15-oz.) can black beans drained and rinsed
32 oz. chicken broth
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 bay leaf
Fresh Cilantro
Monterey Jack cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla chips
Avocado

In a large pot cook onions and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent and tender. Add tomatoes, green chiles, corn, enchilada sauce, broth and spices and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chicken and black beans and continue to cook for 20 or 30 more minutes. Garnish soup with cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, tortilla chips and fresh cilantro.

*Another option is to toss all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

I love these pancakes! They are pretty healthy, but you would never know it! You could use all whole wheat flour if you want and they would still be great.

1 C. unbleached all purpose flour
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 T. baking powder
2 eggs
1 C. canned pumpkin
2 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. plain fat free yogurt
2 T. butter, melted (optional)
4 T. sugar
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
3/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

In a small bowl, combine the white flour, whole wheat flour and baking powder. Set aside. in a medium bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, yogurt, butter, sugar and spices. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Heat a nonstick griddle over low heat with a bit of vegetable spray. Spoon heaping tablespoons of batter onto the griddle and cook. Serve with Cinnamon Vanilla syrup or dusted with powdered sugar.

Smoky Corn Salsa

I was surprised at how good this salsa was! It has so much flavor! I love it!

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, quartered, seeded
2 ears of fresh corn, husked
1/4 to 1/2 (depending on how much you like) red onion cut into chunks
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. cumin
1 t. fresh lime juice
2 t. bottled chipotle hot sauce
1/3 C. chopped fresh cilantro

Prepare barbecue (high heat). Brush bell peppers, corn, and onions with some olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill vegetables until well charred in spots, turning occasionally with tongs and removing pieces as they brown, about 10 to 15 minutes for bell peppers and corn and maybe a little less for the onion. Cool slightly. Cut bell peppers and onions into 1/3 inch pieces. Cut corn off cob.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin; sauté until garlic begins to sizzle but does not brown, about 30 seconds. Pour into large bowl; mix in lime juice and hot sauce. Mix in vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely and then mix in cilantro.

Stuffed Red Peppers

I have been participating?(I don't know if that's how you would put it)in a food co-op called Bountiful Baskets for a few months. It's great because you get a whole laundry basket full of fruits and vegetables for only $15. Supposedly the value of the produce is around $35. Last week I got five beautiful red peppers in my basket. Red peppers are usually about $2 a piece so I was really excited to get them. I decided the best thing to do with these peppers was to make stuffed red peppers, but I couldn't find a recipe that appealed to me, so I just made one up. I was pretty happy with the results.

4 large red peppers (or any other color)
2 T. olive oil
3 scallions sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno with ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. chili powder
2 medium sized tomatoes chopped, about 2 cups
1/2 C. chopped zucchini
1 carrot grated
3/4 C. corn (I grilled mine, but you could certainly use canned or frozen).
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
2 C. Mexican blend cheese
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Set oven to 350 degrees. Wash red peppers, cut off the top and remove ribs and seeds. If the peppers don't sit up straight, slice just a tiny bit off the bottom without making a hole in the bottom. You just want to cut off just enough to help it sit up straight. Save the tops of the peppers. Place the peppers in a buttered glass 8x8 baking pan and set aside. In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, and cumin. Cook on medium heat for 3 to five minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add tomatoes, zucchini, carrot, and corn. Cook until the vegetables are softened. About 5 minutes. Add the black beans, salt and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Fill each pepper with the vegetable mixture. Top with cheese, about 1/2 C. cheese for each pepper. Place the top of the pepper over the cheese to prevent the cheese from browning too quickly. Bake for about 40 minutes. You can remove the top of the pepper after about 30 minutes if you like the cheese to crisp on top. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and serve.

Mediterranean Salad

I love this salad. It has all of the textures I love! It's crisp, crunchy, creamy, and juicy. I really think the polenta croutons make the salad, so don't leave them out!
1 package (18 oz) fat-free, plain precooked polenta
Olive oil cooking spray
2 pints grape tomatoes. I actually used a yellow tomato from my garden and some cherry tomatoes.
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 C. canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 head romaine, torn (about 6 cups)
20 basil leaves or less if basil is too strong
4 oz fresh part-skim mozzarella, cut into small cubes. I use mozzarella pearls. It's cheaper and easier!

Heat oven to 400°. Halve polenta lengthwise, then halve each piece lengthwise. Slice crosswise 7 times (to yield 32 triangles). Coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray; evenly arrange triangles; coat tops with cooking spray. Place tomatoes on a small rimmed baking sheet; spray with oil and toss. Place both sheets in oven for 10 minutes; remove tomatoes from oven and stir. Return to oven and cook until croutons are toasted on 1 side and tomatoes are wrinkled and brown in spots, about 20 minutes more. Remove tomatoes. Flip croutons; return to oven for 20 minutes more. Pour vinegar over tomatoes; transfer to a bowl. Mix in beans, salt, pepper and pepper flakes; set aside. Divide romaine and basil among 4 plates. Pour tomato mixture over greens; top with croutons and cheese.
Note: I find that it's hard to find polenta at the grocery store, so I just make my own.

Polenta:
3 C. water
1 t. salt
3/4 C. plus 2 T. cornmeal
Boil water and salt in medium pot. Add cornmeal in a slow steady stream, whisking vigorously. Once all of the cornmeal is added, reduce heat to medium low and cook until the mixture is creamy and no longer has a cornmeal taste to it, about 30 minutes. Whisk the mixture often while cooking. Pour onto a buttered cookie sheet and spread to the edges. It will be a thin layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until the polenta is firm. I like to cut mine into triangles and then follow the crouton directions in the recipe.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

I found this recipe in a Bon Appetit magazine and it is so simple, yummy and healthy! I have been trying to cook at least one vegetarian meal a week for the past few years and this is a great one! It's not that I don't like meat, I actually love a good steak. I have just found that meat can be pretty expensive. I like to stay within my $55/week food budget, so going vegetarian once or even twice a week saves me some money!

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 t. ground cumin
5 t. olive oil, divided
1 T. fresh lime juice
2 C. coleslaw mix (I just shred my own cabbage and add some grated carrots)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 C. chopped fresh cilantro
4 white or yellow corn tortillas
1/3 C. crumbled feta cheese (I guess you could use monterrey jack cheese if you don't like feta, but I LOVE feta cheese!)
Bottled hot sauce

Mix beans and cumin in a small bowl and slightly mash the beans. In a separate bowl mix 2 teaspoons of olive oil and lime juice. Add the coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss together. Season the slaw with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the tortillas in a single layer and put some of the bean mixture (1/4 of the mixture) on one side of each tortilla. I like to add my feta cheese at this point because I like it a little soft and gooey. Cook for one minute and then fold the tacos in half. Continue to cook until golden brown. Remove from the heat and fill the tacos with the slaw and top with a little hot sauce.