Turkey Italian Sausage and Barley Stew

Well, this may be the last night I cook for a while. We are moving this Saturday into our new house (Woot!) so I will be packing up the kitchen starting tomorrow.

I had this turkey Italian sausage in the freezer, and I knew I had to use it tonight or it wouldn't ever be prepared. After thinking about a few recipes I kind of just threw this one together. It isn't a soupy stew, more like saucy sausage and vegetables over barley. This was really simple and quick to make too. Oh, and keeping with the WW theme it is only 8 points per serving. Not a low point meal, but the portion was rather large (about 2 1/2 cups or so). So, if you reduce the portion, the points may be more around 6 or 7.

Tuscan Turkey Italian Sausage and Barley Stew

(makes 6 servings)

1 lb. turkey Italian sausage casings removed

2 1/2 Tbs. canola oil (divided)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms

2 Tbs. fresh chopped basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 cup frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or less if you don't like the heat)

1 can great northern beans rinsed and drained

2 1/2 Tbs. flour

3 cups fat free chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

2 1/2 cups cooked barley

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a tsp. of canola oil. Add sausage to pan and crumble and brown. Remove sausage and set aside. Add remaining oil to pan and when heated add mushrooms, onion, basil and oregano. Let cook for a few minutes and add flour. Stir frequently and cook for a couple minutes more (some of the flour may begin to stick but that is okay, when the broth is added it will lift off the pan). Deglaze the pan with the broth and scrape up any bits off the bottom of the pan. Add remaining ingredients except barley including sausage and let simmer for about 6-8 minutes. Add barley and serve in bowls.

Chicken Ricotta Meatballs over Pan Fried Polenta and Mushroom Ragu

Thanks to Cooking Light, and Elly My dinner tonight was the bomb! I subscribe to CL and I always can find something, usually a bunch of things that I want to make. I usually forget though, but I didn't tonight. Tonight I remembered a meatball recipe in this month's issue that looked to die for. I didn't have any ground turkey so I used the ground chicken I had on hand instead. I can see these going into my regular rotation, they were that good.

Not wanting to make just the meatballs by themselves I ask the advice of my Nesties. Elly had commented on making a chunky tomato sauce to go with them, and I remembered a fabulous recipe she had on her blog. It was the mushroom ragu and pan fried polenta. I had found my pairing for the meatballs. : ) I did make a few slight modifications to the CL recipe, as well as Elly's due to what I had on hand.

I have enough left over for about 4 more lunches too, which is a huge bonus while I'm on this weight loss kick.

The meatballs were 5 points per serving (4 meatballs), the ragu was one point per serving (about 1/4-1/2 cup), and the polenta was 3 points per serving (2 slices). You can make the polenta healthier without the pan frying, but I just wanted the crispiness tonight.

Chicken-Ricotta Meatballs

(Inspired by Cooking Light)

I got 23 meatballs out of this

Preheat oven to 375

1 Lb. ground chicken

1/2 cup panko

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1/4 cup eggbeaters or one egg

1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and shape into balls. Put foil on a cookie sheet and a cooling rack on top of that. Put meatballs on top of cooling rack and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Pan Fried Polenta and Mushroom Ragu

For the Polenta

1 Tbs. light butter

1 cup corn meal (I used white)

1 cup low fat milk

3 cups water

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp. oregano

2 cloves garlic

flour for dredging

2 Tbs. olive oil

Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant. Add liquids and bring to a boil. Whisk in corn meal in a steady stream and continue to whisk until incorporated. Lower heat and continue to whisk for about 5 minutes.

Pour into a 9x13 pan and cool a few hours or overnight. Cut into squares, dust with flour. Heat oil into a medium sized pan and brown on both sides.

Mushroom Ragu

1 Tbs. light butter

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms sliced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves minced

2 1/2 Tbs. tomato paste

2 Tbs. fresh basil

1 Tsp. dried oregano

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup marsala wine

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and butter in a med. sized sauce pan over medium heat. Saute onions for about 2 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, basil, oregano, and bay leaf and saute another minute. Lower heat and cook about 20 minutes until moisture from mushrooms has been released. Add tomato paste and cook about a minute. Add wine and cook about 3 minutes. Add broth and cook another couple of minutes. Serve over polenta and meatballs.

Hearty and Healthy Turkey and Vegetable Chili

I bought a couple of turkey thighs a couple weeks back and needed to use them. I decided to slow cook them in some broth and herbs today while I ran errands. When I got back they were fork tender and ready to work with. I added two types of beans to this chili and even contemplating adding another, but I left it at the black and kidney. I used a bunch of fresh oregano which gave this chili depth of flavor, and I added a bit of cayenne for some spiciness. This made a ton, which is great to freeze for days I don't have anything to bring for lunch. This recipe is only 5 WW points but tastes like it could be 10.

Hearty Turkey and Vegetable Chili
(Makes 8 Servings)

3 1/2 cups dark Turkey meat (I used 2 thighs cooked w/o the skin)
2 tsp. olive oil butter spray
1 cup each: carrots diced, celery diced, green pepper diced onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
6 cups fat free chicken broth
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. cumin dash of cayenne (more if you like it hot!) dash of hot sauce
1 Tbs. fresh oregano
1 Tbs. fresh parsley chopped
1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter spray. Add carrots, celery, green peppers, and onion. Cook until onion turns translucent. Add parsley, oregano, bay leaf and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and spices, cooking a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with a Tablespoon of cheddar cheese and a dollop of fat free sour cream.

Healthy Pizza and a Product Rave

Tonight on his way home from work Chad mentioned (complained) that he really wanted pizza. I feel bad for him. I mean, he just lost 30 lbs. and he is doing WW with me. Mainly because I'm the cook in the house, although he wants to eat healthier. Since I didn't lose any weight last week (boo hoo) I really wanted to stick to my points. Which meant no pizza.... Unless you make it healthy, which is what I did thanks to this wonderful new find:

They are only worth 1 WW point, and make a wonderful crust for a pizza. I baked mine in a 350 oven for about 7 minutes first, then topped with my favorite toppings and enjoyed it immensly.
My ingredients were:
1/3 C. pizza sauce
1/2 cup FF mozzarella cheese
fresh basil (from a wonderful coworker who says it is growing out of control. I'm happy to take it off her hands)
fresh oregano (Again, from my coworker. Love how generous she is!)
1/4 C. portabello mushrooms
1 Tbs. chopped onion
5 slices turkey pepperoni (I like to slice mine to sprinkle evenly over the crust. That make me get a little bit of pepperoni in every bite ; )


After I topped it I put it back in the oven for the cheese to melt. How awesome is it when you can have pizza for only 4 points? And the serving is just right too!
Chad likes to stick to the basics when it comes to pizza, his was topped with just the pepperoni and cheese. I'm happy he was actually able to eat what he has been craving. And I'm happy I did too.

Braised Chicken Drumsticks with Vegetables

Tonight I had the idea to braise my chicken drumsticks like I did with my short ribs a while back. I wanted to keep it healthy so I omitted some ingredients and added some. I loved this meal, and don't worry if you haven't had your share of vegetables for the day, you will double that requirement with this meal.

I added wine to give this dish some depth and it really made a difference. You can choose whatever veggies you like, or just use up what you have on hand. The thing I liked about this meal is that you don't have to wait as long as if you were braising beef. It took about 10 minutes to prep, 15 on the stove top, and about an hour in the oven. This came out to 6 WW points, but when I used Spark Recipe's calculator I plugged the info in to WW and it came out to 3. Go figure. I'll go ahead and put up the estimated nutritional info, but I don't always think the Spark calculator is accurate.

Braised Chicken Drumsticks with Vegetables

(serves 4)

8 drumsticks skin removed seasoned with salt and pepper

1 cup carrots chopped

1 cup celery chopped

1/2 cup onion diced

2 cups diced potatoes

1 1/2 cup cubed eggplant

1 cup zucchini

1 cup fresh mushrooms chopped

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic chopped

2 Tbs. fresh basil chopped

2 Tbs. fresh oregano chopped

1 Tbs. parsley chopped

1 large or 2 small bay leaves

red pepper flakes for spice

2 oz. red wine

2 tsp. olive oil

butter spray

1 cup fat free, less sodium chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350

Add 1 tsp. and butter spray to a large dutch oven or large, heavy, oven proof skillet. Heat over medium heat and add chicken. When browned on all sides remove to a plate. Add the last tsp. of oil and more butter spray. Add all veggies except garlic. Saute for about 10 minutes. Add garlic, parsley, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Saute about 3 minutes longer. Add wine and deglaze the pan, let cook a minute longer. Add the stock and tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken on top of veggies and submerge as much as possible. Cover and cook one hour. Serve 2 drumstick with about a cup and a half of veggies. 6 Total WW points.

Calories 182.2
Total Fat 3.6 g
Saturated Fat 0.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g
Cholesterol 38.0 mg
Sodium 1,246.2 mg
Potassium 779.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23.7 g

Dietary Fiber 5.5 g
Sugars 7.1 g
Protein 13.9 g

Healthy Turkey and Portabella Lasagna

I was so excited that my Publix had the whole wheat lasagna noodles I was looking for. I really didn't think they would for some reason. So to celebrate my find I decided to create a healthy lasagna. I knew I'd be using ground turkey, but I wanted some more substance. I thought about zucchini and portabellas and thought that would be a wonderful combination. Until I got home and realized I didn't get the zucchini, Ugh. I left my grocery list at home and forgot not only the zucchini, but a few other items as well. I need to remember to put that darn list in my purse immediately after completing it, this wasn't the first time I forgot it.

I ended up calculating the WW points for this meal, and I couldn't believe my eyes when it came out to only 2 points per serving!! I served this meal with a fresh salad and another one of my favorite finds Maple Grove Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I only had one serving of the lasagna, but I could have had two and not have felt an ounce of guilt. Chad did have two, but he didn't have a salad.

I used WW's recipe builder to calculate the points and Spark recipes to calculate the nutritional info. For some reason when I plug in the info from Spark recipes the point total comes to 3. I'm trusting the WW site though, I like the sound of 2 points much more than 3. ; )

Healthy Turkey and Portabella Lasagna

(serves 9)

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. light butter

1/4 cup onion diced

1/4 cup green pepper diced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 Tbs. fresh (or dried) basil chopped

1 Tbs. fresh (or dried) oregano chopped

salt and pepper to taste (for sauce and turkey)

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you want it spicier)

1 cup no salt added tomato sauce

1 cup no salt added diced tomatoes

3 Tbs. tomato paste

1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp. sugar

7 whole wheat lasagna noodles

2 small portabella caps thinly sliced

6 Tbs. part skim ricotta

1 cup fat free shredded mozzarella

2 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil until heated. Add onion and pepper and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic, basil, oregano, bay leaf, red pepper flakes salt and pepper. Let cook for about a minute more. Add tomato products and chicken broth stir to combine. Add sugar and let simmer about 20 minutes.

While sauce is simmering brown turkey and cook noodles. Only cook noodles for about 7 minutes so they are a little more "dente". You will need to fit the noodles to the pan like I did. I ended up cutting off a bit off the ends and ended up using it for my bottom layers.

Grab a small square (9x9 I believe) pan and put some sauce on the bottom. layer the cut noodles on the bottom. put a Tbs. of ricotta on top of the pasta and spread evenly. add portabellas, then mozzarella, then a bit of the Parmesan and finally some sauce. Repeat with the next layer. On the final layer add the rest of the sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan (you will have used the ricotta up by now). Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook 5-8 minutes more letting the cheese get nice and bubbly. Let sit about 5 or so minutes before cutting into 9 servings.

Calories 136.4
Total Fat 4.2 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 24.4 mg
Sodium 420.0 mg
Potassium 210.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 12.1 g
Dietary Fiber 1.8 g
Sugars 2.4 g

Protein 12.5 g

Healthy Tuscan Style Soup

I am a huge fan of soup, and I really believe that I will be even more while I'm doing this WW thing. It fills me up and I can put tons of healthy veggies in and not feel guilty for eating just a little bit more. Tonight's soup was inspired by one of my Dh's (and mine) favorite soups, Zuppa Tuscana. But this one is healthy, only 233 calories per serving and 6 g of fat. If you are doing WW like me it is only 4, points!!

This made about 6 large servings but the ingredients can be modified to make a smaller or larger batch.

Healthy Tuscan Style Soup

serves 6

1 link Oscar Meyer Smoked Sausage (3.5 servings)

1/2 onion diced small

1/2 cup celery diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup crimini mushrooms chopped

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 cup quick cooking barley

1/2 cup great northern beans

1 Tbs. Light Butter (I used Land O Lakes)

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup 1% milk

1 1/2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

3 cups kale chopped

2 tsp. ground basil

2 tsp. ground oregano

1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Heat oil and butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and mushrooms and potatoes and saute about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sausage and cook about 4 minutes more. Add broth and water and scrape up the bits from the bottom. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the milk and cheese and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil lower heat and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Remove pot from burner and whisk in milk and cheese. Enjoy!

Sinless Sloppy Joes

I think the last time I had a sloppy joe was when I was in college. I really have nothing against the sloppy joe, it's just that I feel my tastes have developed past that beefy, tomatoey, loose meat on a bun.

Until tonight. I really wanted something simple, easy and still stay in my realm of weight watchers points. Thats when I thought of sloppy joes. Since I had a few whole grain, light English muffins left I decided that would be our bun for this school lunch classic I was about to make.

I calculated the nutritional info on using the sparkpeople recipe calculator. Then I checked the point values on a chart I have been using on the web. It looks as though 1/2 cup of the meat mixture is 4 points.

I thought that 1/4 cup was 4 points so I did even better eating tonight than I thought!

WW Sloppy Joes

1 lb lean ground meat

1/2 cup onion diced small

2 cloves garlic

Pam spray

1 1/2 chili powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbs. cumin

1 tsp. cayenne (only if you want the added heat)

1/2 cup no salt added tomato sauce

1 Tbs. tomato paste

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley to garnish

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add the Pam spray. Add onions and cook until transluscent. Add extra lean ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Add herbs, spices and garlic. Continue to cook until meat is almost cooked through. Add the tomato products and water and simmer until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Serve on 1 point english muffins for a 5 point sandwich.

Zero (Or One) Point Mashed Cauliflower

** I'm new to this WW calculating so I'm doing the best I can using the web. A friend has informed me that this recipe would only be zero points if it were broken up into 7 servings. If It makes 6, then it is considered one point.** (Still worth it!)

As I was looking through a list of foods and their corresponding points on the web today I was happy to discover that cauliflower is a 0 point food. I thought immediately how I would be preparing it for our meal tonight. I decided to do a cauli-mash. I calculated the points and they still came out to 0, even after adding skim milk, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper FF cream cheese.

It was so darn tasty! I'm sure to be making this guilt free side again soon.

Mashed Cauliflower

1 bag (16oz) frozen cauliflower

2 Tbs. Fat Free cream cheese

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup skim milk

salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Put cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cook for approximately 6 minutes (or until heated through). Add remaining ingredients and put in microwave for a couple minutes more. Mash the contents with a bowl the best you can. Using an immersion blender or food processor, process cauliflower until desired consistency. Enjoy those 0 points!

WW Parmesan Chicken

I've gotta lose weight. Really. I've put on about 20 lbs. since I got married. It's ridiculous how many beautiful clothes I have in my closet that I can not wear. Ugh. I have been on a healthy kick for about a month now, but this week I've decided to try Weight Watchers. Now, I am not really a "member", but I am using the points system. I have a friend who was a member and I am hoping to take over her WW stash. Or, I'll just browse the web for numerous ww resources.

One of the resources I stumbled upon today was the Kitchen Parade. There is a lovely list of recipe ranging from 1-8 points. I found a parmesan chicken recipe and decided to use it for our meal tonight. I added sauteed zucchini and mushrooms (sauteed in 1 tsp. olive oil and pam) which are zero points to round out the meal. The chicken was so delicious. I mean how can it not be with the parmesan and dijon mixture. I added a few dried herbs to the mixture and only used one english muffin since I was only making 3 breast halves. I didn't modify the dijon or vinegar since I think they are zero pts. , but I did use only about 1/2 cup of parm. I am seriously still full from dinner. The best part was that it is only 6 points! So I have a few points left over which is fabulous since I really want a glass of wine (2 pts.) ; )

PARMESAN CHICKEN

(recipe courtesy of Kitchen Parade)
6 servings

Hands-on time: 15 minutes

Oven time: 15 – 20 minutes

Dressing:
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper Coating:
1½ English muffins
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon additional pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a low, flat dish suitable for dipping chicken breasts. Process the English muffin halves in food processor until finely ground. Add Parmesan, pepper and butter and pulse two or three times until well blended. Transfer coating mixture to a second low-flat dish. Dip each breast in the dressing, then the coating, covering completely with each. Place on a baking sheet and bake 450F for 15 – 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 300 Cal (26% from Fat); 46 g Protein; 8 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 8 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 222 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 693 mg Sodium; 114 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 6 points