Weight Watchers Spinach Dip

Weight Watchers Light Spinach Dip

1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 cup non-fat sour cream

1 (8-oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 packet Knorr vegetable soup mix

Drain the spinach and squeeze dry. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Add spinach and mix well. Refrigerate 3 hours before serving.

24 servings

Easy Pesto Pasta

Pasta (Rotini or Penne)
Store bought Pesto
Roasted Veggies (I usually use red and yellow peppers and zucchinni or squash)
Chicken, cooked (or can be made without)

Super fast, super easy, super yummy

Caramelized onions

Ingredients

1 or 2 large onions (any type)
butter, margerine or olive oil (your choice)
sugar to taste (can also use brown sugar or molasses)
minced garlic to taste

Directions

Cut onions in half, then slice lengthwise
Melt about 2 TBSP butter or margerine in saute pan or use about same amount of EVOO
Add tsp or so of minced garlic
Saute onions till limp and clear
Sprinkle with about 1 TBSP sugar
Continue to saute until onions start to brown
Be sure to stir constantly
Adjust above ingredients to taste
Enjoy!

PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons oil
* 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 1 cup water chestnut
* 2/3 cup mushroom
* 3 tablespoons chopped onions
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon hot mustard
* 2 teaspoons water
* 1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions

1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16. Top with"Special Sauce".

Vegetarian Stuffed Poblanos

Ingredients

* 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree
* 1 jalapeno chile, minced (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat) (optional)
* 2 small onions, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves (2 whole, 1 minced)
* salt and pepper
* 1 (19 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
* 1 cup shredded monterey jack pepper cheese
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, seeded
* crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425. In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeno, half the onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves; puree. Season with salt. Pour sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, cumin, and 3/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper.
3.Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with bean mixture; place on top of sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
4.Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes.
5.Plate the stuffed poblanos, sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips and top with sauce.

The BEST chocolate chip cookies

**WARNING** DO NOT MAKE WHEN YOU ARE ON A DIET!!

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t soda
1/2 c margarine
2 eggs
12 oz chocolate chips

stir flour, soda and salt in a small bowl. in a large bowl, beat margarine and shortening. Add sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 7 minutes at 375 degrees or until the edges just start to turn brown.

Easy Pizza Dough

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup warm water & 2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t olive oil
2 1/2-3 1/2 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over warm water to which sugar has been added. Let stand 5 minutes. Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix in for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cups at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead for 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to cover top. Cover; let rise in warm place for 1 hour. Punch down. Shape and top. Bake 450 for 15-20 minutes.

**I use 1 cup wheat flour and 1 cup white flour and then add more white flour until dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

Besides the normal toppings (like red peppers and green olives....mmmm!!) I like to top with pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil

Fresh Tomato and Basil Soup

6 servings

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 carrot, grated

5 medium-large tomatoes (or equivalent), peeled and quartered

½ C. fresh basil, chopped fine.

1 t. salt

¾ t. pepper

¾ t. sugar

2 C. low sodium chicken broth

Spray saucepan with cooking spray. Add onion, celery and grated carrot. Saute until onion is limp.

Add tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Place mixture in blender or food processor and blend until smooth (or you can use an immersion blender). Heat chicken broth and add to tomato mixture and mix well. Heat until soup is hot.

(1-2 c room temperature cream can be added to make this soup creamy)

Grilled Cheese Croutons

(from Family Fun magazine)

Croutons:

• 4 slices thin-sliced bread
• 2 tablespoons butter , melted
• 2 slices (1/4-inch) Cheddar cheese

On the stove, heat a grill pan (or frying pan) over medium-high heat. Brush one side of each bread slice with butter. Place two slices in the pan, buttered side down. Top with one slice of cheese each, then top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side up. Grill 2 to 3 minutes, until toasted; turn and grill other side. Cut into 1-inch squares. Serve soup hot, topped with a few croutons per serving.

Homemade Flour Tortillas....and Chips

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil or non-hydrogenated lard
3/4 cup lukewarm milk

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add vegetable oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour mixture, and using clean hands, work into a sticky dough.

Turn dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes or until the dough is no longer sticky.

Return dough to bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 10 -20 minutes so that it will be easier to roll out.

Divide dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 20 minutes. Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together.

Dust a clean pastry board or working surface with flour.

One at a time, remove each piece of dough. Press it out into a 5-inch circle. Using a flour dusted rolling pin, roll out the tortilla from the center out until the tortilla measures a little less than 1/4 inch thick and is a 7 or 8 inch circle.

Transfer the tortilla to a dry preheated skillet or griddle. when the tortilla begins to blister, allow it to cook for 30 seconds, flip it, and cook the other side the same way.

Remove tortilla, place it in on a clean paper towel and cover loosely with foil. Repeat for remaining tortillas.

Tortillas freeze well. Wrap tightly in plastic, removing any air pockets. Keeps frozen for several weeks.

To serve tortillas which have been frozen, thaw at room temperature, wrap in foil and heat in a warm oven.




HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

1 pkg. flour/corn tortillas (12 package)
Nonstick cooking spray
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. chili powder

Spray each tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with spices. Stack tortillas and cut in half, in quarters, in eighths. Single layer on cookie sheet. Bake or broil 5 minutes at 350 degrees. A tasty, low fat, low salt alternative.

**the homemade tortillas took about 10 minutes to become chips