RECIPE: Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (9 Points+)

9 Points for the whole crust! Recipe yields 2 crusts.

Are you ready to make some Whole Wheat pizza dough? In the past, I have been known to shun wheat. I loved this crust! My wife did it up good, and I'm sure anyone that tries this recipe will not be disappointed. So...on with the show.

In a mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm (110 degree) water add brown sugar and let sit for 10 minutes.

 

Stir in the flour, oil and salt.  Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth.

  
Let rise until double, between 30-60 minutes depending on yeast. If baking on a pizza stone, preheat oven to 425 degrees with pizza stone in oven.  When dough is ready, divide in half and return half to bowl. Cover while you roll out the first crust.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to desired thickness. Sprinkle corn meal or semolina on a pizza paddle and pizza stone, and place dough on paddle.

 

Add desired toppings.

Add cheese.

Place on pizza stone and bake for 10-12 minutes.

 

Wait for it to crisp up, cut yourself a slice and enjoy!

 

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon active yeast
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour (or All-Purpose)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:
In a mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm (110 degree) water add brown sugar and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the flour, oil and salt. Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Let rise until double, between 30-60 minutes depending on yeast. If baking on a pizza stone, preheat oven to 425 degrees with pizza stone in oven.

When dough is ready, divide in half and return half to bowl. Cover while you roll out the first crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to desired thickness.

Sprinkle corn meal or semolina on a pizza paddle and pizza stone, and place dough on paddle. Add desired topping and cheese.

Place on pizza stone and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy. Yields 2 crusts.

RECIPE: Vegetable Pad Thai (10 points+)

Vegetable Pad Thai for 1...or 2. This recipe is easily adaptable. Double it for two, triple it for three...you get the idea. Suggestions: Add chicken, beef or shrimp to pump up the protein.

Last year, we found a Vegetable Pad Thai recipe on Pinterest, and never went out for Pad Thai again!  My wife was able to make it Weight Watcher's friendly and still taste amazing!  The sauce is made with just brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce and sriracha and it tastes soooo good! It's easier than you would think. The whole plate is only 10 points!

Instructions:

In a small bowl: combined juice of 1 1/2 limes (save other half for garnish), brown sugar, soy sauce and hot sauce (optional). Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add noodles, cook approximately 10 minutes. While noodles are cooking, continue with next step.

In a medium, nonstick pan: sauté garlic and white parts of the scallion in 1/2 tsp olive oil.

Add egg and cook just until set.

Place egg mixture in a plate and set aside.

Drain noodles and add them to the pan you cooked the egg mixture in.

Add carrots and tops of green onions. Pour lime juice mixture over noodles.

Stir to combined the noodles, carrots, onions and sauce.

Cook until sauce thickens, about  3-5 minutes.

Add egg mixture and mix with noodles.

Cook until heated through.

Plate, top with chopped peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

Ingredients you will need:

2 limes
2 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
2-3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
½ tbsp chopped peanuts
½ tsp olive oil
1 serving(s) thin rice noodles or pad thai noodles
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp sriracha (optional)
2 servings egg beaters


Instructions:

In a small bowl: combined juice of 1 1/2 limes (save other half for garnish), brown sugar, soy sauce and hot sauce (optional). Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add noodles,  cook approximately 10 minutes. While noodles are cooking, continue with next step.

In a medium, nonstick pan: sauté garlic and white parts of the scallion in 1/2 tsp olive oil. Add egg and cook just until set. Place egg mixture in a plate and set aside.

Drain noodles and add them to the pan you cooked the egg mixture in.  Add carrots and tops of green onions.

Pour lime juice mixture over noodles. Stir to combined the noodles and sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, about  3-5 minutes.

Add egg mixture and mix with noodles. Cook until heated through. Plate, top with chopped peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy! Have a great weigh!

Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com

RECIPE: Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce (8 points+)

The other day, my wife made some real tasty Tzatziki Sauce. We sampled it by dipping pita chips into a serving.  It was delicious. I'm not much of a pita chip guy. I like crackers. But fear not, I recently had the pleasure of enjoying Tzatziki Sauce in the ultimately pleasurable way....lovingly placed over chicken, onions and tomatoes inside a pita. This is her recipe. Let me show you how to get some YUM.

Ingredients

Everything you will need.

 · 4 Servings Cooked, Boneless, Skinless Chicken, shredded or sliced. (3 points a serving)
 · 2 Plum Tomatoes, sliced
 · 1 Medium White Onion, sliced
 · 4 Low Carb Pitas.
     (We love Kontos SmartCarb Pita. They are hand-stretched, soft with a great texture.)
     (Pita is 4 points a serving)
 · 1 Serving Tzatziki Sauce (1 point)

Prep Directions

Step 1. Heat pitas in a non-stick pan for 1-2 minutes per side.

And it begins...

Step 2. Place pita on plate, place 1 serving (3 ounces) of chicken down the middle.

Step 3. Add 2-3 tomato slices and some onions.

Step 4. Cover with 1 servings of Tzatziki Sauce. (See recipe from March 10th)

Step 5. Fold and enjoy!

Serving suggestion: Enjoy with Handsome Fries!

This is how the chicken was prepared.

My wife oven “roasted” the chicken in:
½ cup No Salt Added Vegetable Stock
1 tablespoon Oregano
Juice of 1 Lemon
2-3 teaspoons of crushed garlic
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
½ teaspoon of paprika

Points = 8 per Gyro (not including fries)

RECIPE: Spanish Rice (7 points) with Chicken (10 points+)

Spanish Rice done "Our Weigh"

Ingredients

·        1-16 ounce Jar Pace Picante, Mild or Medium. (We like a little spice)

·        1 cup sliced carrots

·        1 cup diced sweet pepper.  (We use red peppers, since green peppers do not agree with us.)

·        ½ cup Black Beans, low sodium.

·        2 servings Long Grain Rice

***Add one serving of shredded chicken for an additional 3 points.

Instructions:

Step 1.      In pot, add rice, carrots, pepper, beans and the entire jar of salsa, along with the same jar filled with water. 
Step 2.      Cook rice according to box.  It may take 10 – 15 minutes longer.  I check on it at the 20 minute mark and add the shredded chicken.  Adding the chicken will affect the points value.

I have also made this in a slow cooker with raw chicken breast,  I add the chicken breasts, fresh or frozen.  Top with carrots, pepper and beans.  Add salsa and water.  Depending on your slow cooker, it can take anywhere from 3 – 5 hours.  Once the chicken easily shreds, I add the rice and continue cooking until the rice absorbs the liquid.

It really doesn't get any easier than that. Have a great weigh!

Check out our recipe on Weight Watchers here.

RECIPE: Turkey Shepherd's Pie - (8 Points+)

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

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"Shepherd's pie", a.k.a "cottage pie" is a type of savory pie made popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is a dish of minced meat with mashed potato on top.

Fun fact: The name "shepherd's pie" was first used in the 1870's, because the dish was ordinarily made with lamb. A shepherd looks after sheep. And now you know.

In our version, we replace the mashed potatoes with steamed cauliflower, saving us points, while still making sure our taste buds are happy with us. Ok, let's do this.

Step 1:    Brown 1 package (20 oz.) of Jennie-O Lean Turkey, 93% Fat Free.

Step 2:    Add carrots and green beans and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Add carrots and green beans.

Step 3:    Mix 2 cups beef broth with 2 packets of McCormick Turkey Gravy mix.

Step 4:    Add mixture to turkey and vegetable and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Step 5:   While mixture is simmering, steam 1 head of cauliflower.  You can also use a 16 ounce of frozen cauliflower.

Step 6.    Divide mixture evenly into 4 ramekins or into an 8x8 dish.

Our adorable ramekins.

Step 7:    Once cauliflower is cooked, mash with 2 servings of Land O Lakes Light Butter and ¼ cup Skim Milk.

Step 8:   Spread cauliflower mash over each ramekin and sprinkle with Smoked Paprika. (Maybe use a little salt and pepper to taste. Totally up to you)

Step 9:      Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

And there you have it. Serve it up hot and fresh. A dish everyone is sure to enjoy. 

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Check out this recipe information on the Weight Watcher's website