Classic Roasted Vegetables

Colleen's take: "I love this recipe, when the seasons change to fall and all the bell peppers & asparagus go on sale, I go b-a-n-a-n-a-s! I can't get enough of this produce but most of the year I can't afford it, so I have to take advantage while I can. This recipe is a great one, the smell of the basil & balsamic dressing cooking up in the oven is delightful, the caramelization on the veggies towards the end of the baking process makes an almost sweetness occur on your tastebuds. I make a lot of this veggie recipe and use the left overs on pita bread with hummus, I have to slide some chicken in there for the hubby but I am just fine with vegetarian! Enjoy!"

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 4 panels (I just use what's on hand, today it was yellow & orange, green's  aren't sweet enough)
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices
1 medium yellow squash, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, root end left intact and cut into 8 wedges
1 pound thick asparagus, trimmed
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place one oven rack in the upper third of the oven and one in the lower third. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray; set aside.

- Cut each bell pepper panel on a diagonal into 2 triangles. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and add the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, asparagus, garlic, oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coast with seasonings.

1 cup; 107 cal, 5g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg chol, 448 mg sodium, 15g carb, 5g fiber, 4g prot, 54mg calc. Points value: 2

Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice

Colleen: "My husband just thinks the world of this recipe. I think it's the slight sweetness from the marmalade & spiciness from the Dijon mustard. But either way it's always being requested in our home."

Ingridents:

1 cup wild rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2 carrots
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the wild rice according to the package directions. 
2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and carrots and saute, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the rosemary; cook until chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes longer. 
3. Stir in the marmalade, mustard, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the rice; toss to combine. 

Creole Poached Chicken Breasts

Colleen: "I have been making this recipe for years, we love the Weight Watchers cookbook and after I feel fat I always whip it open to locate some of my favorites. This recipe is so hearty with vegetables you don't need pasta or rice, plus it's got a good kick ya in the pants spice." 

Ingridents:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1/2 carrot, chopped (I usually use the whole thing if not two)
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (I always use dried)
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
4 (4oz) skinless boneless chicken breasts

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; saute the onions, bell pepper, celery, and carrot until tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, parsley, thyme, salt, and cayenn; add the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and poach, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. 
2. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a platter, Simmer the sauce, uncovered, until reduced by half, 4-5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. 

Recipe courtesy of Weight Watcher New Complete Cookbook

Tamale Casserole

Colleen's Take: "I usually make this dish once a month or so, it's a favorite in our household and with the new workout schedule I ended up making it a few hours before dinner and put it in the fridge with instructions for the husband to put it in the oven when he got home from work, it was marvelous! I think one of the main reasons that we love this dish is the healthy aspect of it & the lack of carbohydrates that both of us need! I do think I will add a little more chili powder next time to bump up the spice." 

4 teaspoons canola oil (I use olive oil) 
1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped 
2 red onions, chopped (I used one) 
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded deveined and minced (wear gloves to prevent irritation) 
1 garlic clove, minced (I used 5, I love garlic!) 
1/2 pound ground skinless turkey breast (I used a pound)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon hot Mexican chili powder 
2 cups of water
2/3 stone ground yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup shredded fat free Monterrey Jack cheese 

1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, eat the oil. Saute the bell pepper, onions, jalapeno pepper, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, corn, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the chili power; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring once or twice, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Transfer to an 8-inch- square baking dish.
2. Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of the water and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal into the remaining 1 cup of water. Slowly pour the moist cornmeal into the boiling water in a thin steady stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes back to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to form large bubbles, about 5 minutes. Spread over the turkey so that it is completely covered. Bake 2 minutes, then sprinkle with the cheese and bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

1/4 the casserole: 300 calories

Original source Weight Watchers Cookbook

Risotto Milanese

Colleen's Take: "Personally I think risotto is an annoying thing to make, but the end result is worth all of the work. I found this recipe in my Weight Watchers cookbook & saw that it had saffron in it. I have never used saffron before so I took the plunge, bought the $12 bottle of spice & added it to this dish. This dish was fantastic! Even though it took 30 minutes to cook it was a great delicate addition to our meal."

Makes 4 servings

3 1/2 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth (I ended up using 5 cups)

Pinch of saffron threads

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese

2 teaspoons butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer.

2.  In a small bowl, dissolve the saffron in 1 cup of the broth

3.  In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Saute the onion until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add the rice, stirring to coat, continuing to sauté until the rice is lightly toasted.

4.  Add the wine and 1/2 cup of the broth; cook, stirring until the liquid is absorbed.  Continue adding the broth, alternating between plain broth and saffron broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the broth is absorbed before adding more.  Cook until the rice is just tender.  The total cooking time should be between 25-30 minutes.  Stir in the cheese, butter, lemon zest and pepper; serve at once.

Per Serving:

294 Calories

9 g Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat

4 mg Cholesterol

216 mg Sodium

43 g Total Carbohydrate, 1 g Fiber

9 g Protein

SOUTHWESTERN SALMON

Colleen's Take: "We try to eat fish once a week in my house and we love salmon but I only have one recipe that we really vibe with so I was trying something different. This Southwestern Salmon was good but not great. I liked the low calorie aspect of it, but I don't think I will use it again, it didn't have much of a pop of flavor."

SOURCE: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 1/2 C fresh cilantro leaves 

1 TBS fresh Lime juice 

1/2 tsp ground cumin 

1/4 tsp salt 

Dash hot red pepper sauce 

1/2 - 1/4 lb salmon steak 

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded/sliced 

1 red bell pepper, seeded/sliced 

DIRECTIONS: 

In food processor, combine cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper sauce & 1/4 C cold 

water - pureè - transfer to gallon-sized sealable plastic bag - add salmon. Seal bag, 

squeezing out any air - turn to coat salmon. Refrigerate 1 hour, turning bag 

occasionally. 

Preheat oven to 400° F - spray 9": square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

Arrange peppers in single layer in pan. Bake 20 minutes, turning once. 

Drain salmon - discard marinade. Place salmon atop peppers - bake till fish is just 

opaque in center (5-6 minutes per side). 

Makes 2 servings