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: Beef and Bean Chimichanga with Cheese (6 points+)

It all started because of this. It was a must purchase.

My wife and I were shopping at Trader Joe's and she spotted this. Her creativity spark began buzzing, and she just knew she had to figure out a recipe for this to be used in. Introducing the Beef and Bean Chimichanga with Cheese. Oh how I love the way her mind works. Bravo dear....bravo.

Enough of my yammering. Let's move on to what you are here for.

Ingredients:

	4 serving(s) 96% Lean Ground Beef
	10 serving(s) Pace Picante, About 1 jar
	8 serving(s) Trader Joe's Nm Hatch Valley Fire Roasted Diced Green Chile, 1 - 4oz. Can
	1 tsp ground cumin
	1 cup(s) Trader Joe's© Refrigerated - Lite shredded 3 cheese blend with mozzarella, monterey jack, & cheddar
	1 cup(s) Trader Joe's© Grocery - Low fat vegetarian refried pinto beans
	1 serving(s) Land O Lakes Butter Spread, Light, with Canola Oil
	8 tortilla La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Gourmet Tortillas, Whole Wheat, Large

Instructions:
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, drain excess fat.
Step 3. Add salsa, fire roasted chilies and cumin. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Look at that meaty sea of goodness!

Step 4. Spread a thin layer (1 heaping tablespoon, about 31 grams) of refried beans onto each of the tortillas.

I know this doesn't look appealing yet. Be patient.

Step 5. Top with a scant 1/2 cup (about 100g) of the beef mixture.

There we go. The beef mixture pretties it up.

Step 6. Top with 2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) of shredded cheese.

Say Cheese!!!!

Step 7. Roll and place them seam-side down onto a greased 13x9 baking dish. For a crispier shell, place on a baking sheet.

Because this is how we roll. Step 1.

Step 2: Rolling right along.

Roll process complete.

Step 8. Brush the tortillas with melted butter.

Light butter spread. Let's get it on.

Step 9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Suggestion: Serve with lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream. Sour cream is additional points.

And there you have it! Dig in and have a great weigh!

Check out our recipe entry at Weight Watchers!

RECIPE: Artichoke Hummus (1 point+)

This Artichoke Hummus is delicious. I'm not giving a biased opinion just because my wife made it. It really is better than any hummus we have purchased at the store. Not that we go around store to store, on a daily basis hoarding up all the hummus, but you get my point....this tastes great!

Let's get it started.

Gather up all of the ingredients

Ingredients:
1 cup canned artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
1/4 cup fat-free, low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ teaspoons crushed garlic
½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 

The gathering of the ingredients is the hardest part of this recipe. Now that you got that out of the way...let's make some tasty hummus!


Directions:
Put all ingredients except chickpeas in a blender. (My wife used her Stick Blender)

Using a potato masher or a fork, thoroughly mash the chickpeas in a bowl (again, she used her  stick blender). Transfer to the blender. Puree until smooth, stopping and stirring if blending slows.

For best flavor, cover and refrigerate hummus for several hours.

Serve with fresh veggies, pita chips or crackers.

***The artichoke could also be replaced with roasted red peppers, or olives.  Think of this as a universal recipe for hummus, replacing the artichoke with your favorite ingredient! Don't forget to recalculate the points if you use a different ingredient. I can't be responsible for giving olive eaters a cheating loophole! Calculate!

Serves 8 (about 86g per serving or 1/3 cup) = 1 PointPlus

Check out this recipe on Weight Watchers!

Recipe originally posted by Terri Sinclair.

RECIPE: Tzatziki Sauce (1 point+)

Tasty, cool, creamy and tangy cucumber dip. Great on Gyros or as a dip with veggies or pita chips.

Ingredients:

2 serving(s) Chobani Greek Yogurt - Plain Nonfat, (1 - 16oz. container) 

16 Tbsp Trader Joe's Refrigerated - Light sour cream, (1 - 16oz. container)

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp Trader Joe's Refrigerated - Crushed garlic

1 tsp kosher salt

14 oz English cucumbers, or Persian Cucumbers (preferred)

All the goodies.

Instructions

Step 1: Peel and grate cucumbers.

Peel and grate cucumber.

Step 2: Mix shredded cucumbers with yogurt, sour cream, olive oil and garlic.

Step 3: Chill at least 2 hours. Taste and add more garlic and/or salt if needed.
Step 4: Serve as a sauce for gyros or as a dip with fresh veggie and pita chips.

Dig in and enjoy! Have a great weigh!

2 Tablespoons per serving. (60grams)

PRODUCT: Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole (1 point+)

I love avocados. Avocados have much more fat than most other fruit, but most is fat that is healthy to eat (unsaturated fat). Avocados have lots of potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin E and K.

I could just about eat a sliced up avocado on anything. When I first discovered guacamole, the heavens opened up, and an angelic choir began singing "Hallelujah".  Slight exaggeration aside, my taste buds were break-dancing.

Within a week of joining Weight Watchers, my wife discovered this product for me at Trader Joe's. She was reluctant at first, because to this point I have not been a fan of Greek Yogurt. I do realize that yogurt, in general, has many health benefits, but my taste buds could care less. Yogurt is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. While all of that is wonderful...still...my mouth just does not care a bit about good nutrition. And then the unthinkable happened: Some genius mixed Greek yogurt with guacamole and struck green gold.

This stuff tastes great. I put it on my eggs, my turkey sandwich, cheese and crackers...on and on. You name it, and at 1 point for 2 tablespoons, I put it on nearly everything. If you like guacamole, and you're wanting to be healthier about it, try this stuff out. You won't even feel as if you are sacrificing. Have a great weigh!

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.

PRODUCT: "Carba-nada" Noodles (3 points+)

So you have a love/hate relationship with pasta? You love it, but hate the abundant amount of carbs it packs into one serving? Of course you do. That's why you're here.

As much as this is going to come off sounding like a commercial, I just can't help myself. These noodles are a great alternative to the full-fledged, point-heavy, calorie-packing pasta you've grown to cherish.  You may not be able to buy a pound of it for 99 cents, but it'll put less pounds on you. I know....I know...you're thinking "Where does this guy get a pound of pasta for 99 cents?". My wife shops. I just push the cart.

I've been hearing a lot of talk lately about Shirataki Noodles. Some claim they are good, as long as you rinse them for 3 1/2 hours, and stick a fabric softener up your nose. No thank you. I refuse to waste valuable time washing food, that in the end, is going to end up smelling like...for lack of a better word..."Shirataki".

With Carba-nada noodles, you cook them just like you would cook any other pasta. They come in four flavors: Basil fettuccine, Egg fettuccine, Roasted Garlic fettuccine, and Lemon Pepper fettuccine.

Carba-nada Basil Fettucine

The difference will be noticed by your waist-line. Not your mouth. It's tasty. One and a half cups of regular pasta comes out to 7 points. The same amount of Carba-nada noodles slinks in at 3 points. It's not rocket science. It even packs 3 times more fiber into a serving!

Carba-nada even has more Fiber and Protein!

Where can you find it? We buy ours at Meijer. If it's hard to find at your store, they sell it on Amazon. If you try it out, let us know what you thought about it. We love to talk food. Have a great weigh!