Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs Course: main meals PointsPlus™ Value: 4 Servings: 8 Preparation Time: 12 min Cooking Time: 32 min Level of Difficulty: Easy Serve these bite-size morsels as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre, or combine with pasta or rice for a main course. Also great stirred into soup. Ingredients 1 1/2 tsp regular butter 1 1/2 tsp olive oil 1 large onion(s), minced 1 pound(s) raw lean ground beef 1 large egg(s), beaten 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 3/4 tsp table salt 1 Tbsp parsley, fresh, finely minced (or 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning) 1/4 cup(s) canned beef broth, or chicken broth 1/4 cup(s) white wine Instructions In a large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to caramelize, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove onions to a large mixing bowl and add beef, egg, red pepper flakes, salt and parsley (or Italian seasoning); mix well to combine. With damp hands, roll forty-eight 1/2-inch meatballs. Place same skillet over medium-low heat. Add meatballs, broth and wine; simmer until cooked through, gently turning meatballs once during cooking, about 20 minutes. Yields about 6 meatballs per serving.

Cranberry-Maple Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Cranberry-Maple Slow Cooker Oatmeal Course: breakfast PointsPlus™ Value: 6 Servings: 9 Preparation Time: 8 min Cooking Time: 6 min Level of Difficulty: Easy Simply stir the ingredients together before bed time and wake up to a comforting bowl of creamy, filling oats. Ingredients 8 cup(s) water 2 cup(s) Hodgson Mill Steel cut oats, or other brand 2/3 cup(s) dried cranberries, chopped 1/2 cup(s) maple syrup 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp table salt 3 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted Instructions Combine all ingredients, except almonds, in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on low power for 4 to 6 hours, depending on desired creaminess. Stir well to combine and then sprinkle with almonds. Yields about 3/4 cup oatmeal and 1 teaspoon almonds per serving. Notes Be sure to use steel-cut oats for this recipe as regular oatmeal will not hold up to this length of cooking. If you like your oatmeal very creamy, you can cook it up to 8 hours.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Sounds like a yummy dish to make on a cold winters night! :)

Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Sweet Potatoes Course: main meals PointsPlus™ Value: 6 Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 40 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate Shepherd's Pie is a comfort food favorite that's easy to make more healthful. We used mashed sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes for a Vitamin A boost. Ingredients 1 large sweet potato(es), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 1/3 cup(s) buttermilk 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste 1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste 2 tsp olive oil 1/2 cup(s) red onion(s), chopped 2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium) 6 medium baby carrots, chopped 20 oz raw turkey sausage, sweet Italian-variety, casings removed 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground 10 3/4 fl oz canned tomato soup, made with low-fat milk Instructions Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; boil until fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes; return potatoes to pan. Mash potatoes with buttermilk and garlic powder until smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add carrots; sauté 1 minute. Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside. Add sausage to skillet; sauté until browned, breaking up sausage as it cooks with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet; stir to combine. Add oregano, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper; cook 1 minute. Add soup; simmer until liquid is absorbed and mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and spoon mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Spoon mashed potatoes over turkey mixture and spread into an even layer using the back of a wooden spoon. Bake until filling is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving. Notes The mashed sweet potatoes are an excellent substitute for traditional mashed spuds in this recipe but you can certainly use regular potatoes if you prefer.

© 2011 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2011 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and PointsPlus™ are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Ginas Skinny Recipes

Ginas Skinny Recipes

Great site for healthy recipes for all diets and WW tips.

Turkey Enchilada Pie

Turkey Enchilada Pie Course: main meals PointsPlus™ Value: 5 Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 15 min Cooking Time: 30 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate Happy Cinco de Mayo! This Mexican specialty will easily become a family favorite. We used lean turkey but you can use lean ground beef instead.* Ingredients 1 spray(s) cooking spray 3/4 pound(s) uncooked ground turkey breast 1 medium onion(s), chopped 1 tsp chili powder 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 cup(s) fat-free skim milk 4 oz canned jalapeٌo peppers, drained and chopped 1/2 tsp Durkee Ground Cumin Seed, or other brand 3 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s) 3 cup(s) tomato(es), chopped 10 Tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Place turkey, onion and chili powder in skillet and cook until turkey is browned, stirring occasionally to break up meat, about 8 minutes. Remove turkey mixture from skillet and set aside. Place skillet over medium-high heat and add flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium; simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in turkey mixture, jalapenos and cumin. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on HIGH until softened, about 15 seconds. Place 1 tortilla in bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Spread 1/3 of turkey mixture over tortilla. Spoon 1 cup of tomato on top and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients ending up with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Cover pie plate with aluminum foil and cook until cheese melts and filling is warmed through, about 15 minutes. Let stand, covered, 2 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges. Notes *Could affect PointsPlus values.

© 2011 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2011 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and PointsPlus™ are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti Course: main meals PointsPlus™ Value: 7 Servings: 12 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 40 min Level of Difficulty: Easy Here’s a tasty, healthy version of the Italian classic. For more robust flavor, add crushed fennel seeds. For a meaty version, add lean ground beef to the sauce.* Ingredients 3 spray(s) cooking spray 1 pound(s) uncooked pasta, rigatoni or penne 3/4 pound(s) part-skim ricotta cheese 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste 1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, divided 4 cup(s) marinara sauce, store-bought, divided** 1/2 pound(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses 1/4 cup(s) basil, cut into ribbons, for garnish*** Instructions Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat bottom and sides of a lasagna pan with cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cool water and drain. While pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup marinara sauce. To assemble ziti, spoon 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of prepared pan; top with half of pasta in an even layer. Evenly spread pasta with ricotta mixture; cover with half of remaining sauce. Top with remaining pasta and spoon remaining sauce over top; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining tablespoon Parmesan. Bake until cheese melts and is browned, about 20 to 30 minutes. Allow ziti to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving. Notes *Could affect PointsPlus value. **If you don’t have a store-bought sauce on hand, you can use fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead (could affect PointsPlus value). *** To watch a video of this technique, click here.

© 2011 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2011 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and PointsPlus™ are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Sautéed Cauliflower and Tomatoes

Weigh Watchers Recipe

Sautéed Cauliflower and Tomatoes Course: side dishes PointsPlus™ Value: 2 Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 12 min Level of Difficulty: Easy If your kids turn their noses up at steamed cauliflower, try it this way. The sweet grape tomatoes balance the strong flavor of this heart-healthy vegetable. Ingredients 4 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin, divided 8 cup(s) cauliflower, fresh, florets 1/4 cup(s) water 2 cup(s) grape tomatoes, halved 1 Tbsp minced garlic 3/4 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground Instructions In a large, deep, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower; cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed, until cauliflower is golden in spots and almost tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until tomatoes soften and cauliflower is tender, about 3 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving. Notes If you prefer your vegetables really browned, consider roasting this recipe instead.