Recipe Central

Yum, Yum! A chocolate cake you make in your crock-pot!

Hot Fudgie Cake

3 cups skim milk

1 box (5 oz) chocolate cook and serve pudding mix - dry (do not make as directed on box)

1 box (18.25 oz) super moist chocolate fudge cake mix - dry

1-1/3 cups water

1/2 cup applesauce

6 egg whites

• Spray a 3-1/2 qt crock-pot with non-fat cooking spray.
• Mix skim milk with dry chocolate pudding mix in crockpot with whisk until completely dissolved.
• In a medium bowl, mix dry cake mix, water, applesauce and egg whites uising a whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended.
• Very gently pour cake batter into uncooked pudding mixture in crockpot. DO NOT STIR!
• Cover and cook on high for 2-1/2 hours.
• Serve hot with a dab of Cool Whip Free.
• If desired, after 2-1/2 hours of cooking, just unplug crock-pot. It'll stay warm and delicious for hours. It travels well to potlucks or social gatherings.

Yield: 15 servings; Calories: 204 (percent fat calories: 14%; Total Fat: 3 grams; Carbohydrate: 39 grams; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Protein: 4 grams; Dietary Fiber: 1 gram; Sodium: 302 mg; WW: 4 points per serving.

Recipe Central

These are so yummy and give a good flavor to veggies. All of the taste of fried without any of the guilt!

Unfried Veggies

1 cup instant potato flakes

1/3 cup non-fat grated parmesan cheese

3/4 tsp garlic salt

4 egg whites

4-5 cups bite-sized fresh vegetables (mushrooms, onions, zucchini, broccoli, etc)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray cookie sheet with non-fat cooking spray. If desired, line cookie sheet with foil for faster clean up.
• Mix potato flakes, grated topping and garlic salt together in a small bowl.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a fork for one minute.
• Dip vegetables, one at a time, into beaten egg whites. Then dip into dry mixture, coating well.
• Place on prepared cookie sheet, making sure vegetables do not touch each other. Spray vegetables lightly with non-fat cooking spray.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake an additional 5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
• Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Serve hot.

Yield: 8 servings; Calories: 46 (percent fat calories: 0%); Total Fat: 0 grams; Carbohydrate: 9 grams; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 3 grams; Dietary Fiber: 1 gram; Sodium: 189 mg; WW: 1 point per serving.

Recipe Central

This dish is just delicious and can be used for an entree or a side dish. Hope you enjoy it!

Black Beans & Rice

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp liquid smoke

4 oz extra lean cooked ham (lunch meat is ok)

1/2 cup chopped onion (fresh or frozen)

1 can (15 oz) black beans - do not drain

1 cup instant long grain white rice

• Bring all ingredients except rice to a full boil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.
• Stir in rice. Cover.
• Remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes.
• Serve hot.

Entree yields 4 servings; Calories: 225 (Percent fat calories: 14%); Total Fat: 4 grams; Carbohydrate: 34 grams; Protein: 13 grams; Cholesterol: 13 mg; Dietary Fiber: 6 grams; Sodium: 736 mg; WW: 4 points per serving.

Side dish yields 8 servings; Calories: 112 (Percent fat calories: 14%); Total Fat: 2 grams; Carbohydrate: 17 grams; Protein: 7 grams; Cholesterol: 7 mg; Dietary Fiber: 3 grams; Sodium: 368 mg; WW: 2 points per serving.

Recipe Central

I love this dish, hope you will too!

Tarragon Chicken and Potatoes

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup Butter Bud Sprinkles - dry - divided
• 5 large red skin potatoes
• salt & pepper to taste

Sprinkle chicken with dried tarragon, garlic and 2 tbsp Butter Bud Sprinkles.

Spray a crockpot with non-fat cooking spray.

Place chicken in crockpot.

Place potatoes on top of chicken. Sprinkle potatoes with remaining 2 tbsp Butter Bud Sprinkles. Cover.

Cook on low for 6-1/2 to 8-1/2 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Serve.

Servings: 5, Calories: 303, Carbohydrate: 26 grams, Protein: 44 grams, Total Fat: 2 grams, Cholesterol: 105 mg, Dietary Fiber: 2 grams, Sodium: 413 mg, WW: 6 points per serving.

Recipe Central

Here's for all of you rice lovers out there...

Italian Rice

• 1 lb lean ground beef (or substitute ground turkey breast)
• 1 28 oz jar fat-free pasta sauce, any flavor
• 1 8 oz can sliced mushrooms
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups instant rice
• 1/2 cup fat-free grated parmesan cheese topping

In a large, 3-quart nonstick pan, bring ground beef, pasta sauce, mushrooms and water to a full boil, stirring occasionally.

Stir in rice and cover. Remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes.

Evenly sprinkle all servings with fat-free grated parmesan cheese.

Serve hot.

Servings: 6, Calories: 353 (ground turkey: 337), Carbohydrate: 54 grams, Protien: 24 grams (ground turkey: 26 grams), Total Fat: 3 grams (ground turkey: 1 gram), Cholesterol: 41 mg (ground turkey: 51 mg), Dietary Fiber: 3 grams, Sodium: 746 mg (ground turkey: 739 mg), WW: 7 points per serving (ground turkey: 6 points).

Recipe Central

Here's the third installment of Recipe Central, I hope to start sending these each Tuesday, so keep looking for more great entries to your personal recipe box.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

• 1/2 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie dough
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 10-3/4 oz can condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undilluted
• 1/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tspn black pepper
• cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Unroll dough onto a lightly floured work surface (or parchment paper) and roll into a 12" circle. Invert 4 10 oz serving dishes over dough & trace along rim of dishes with a knife, cutting 4 circles out of dough. Discard any scraps. Cut 4 small slits in each pastry round & set aside.

Combine chicken & next 5 ingredients in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave at high for 2 minutes, or until warm, stirring half-way through.

Spoon mixture into 4 10 oz serving dishes coated with cooking spray.

Top each with a pastry round, pressing dough firmly against sides of dish. Lightly coat tops of dough with cooking spray.

Bake at 45o degrees for 15-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Serves: 4, WW: 8 points each

Recipe Central

Here is the recipe for this week, I hope you enjoy!

Baked Jambalaya

• 3 tbsp real bacon bits
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  
• 2 tbsp green onions, chopped
• 1/2 lb cooked kielbasa, sliced
• 1/2 lb diced, cooked ham (lunchmeat is ok)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning (optional)
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz can beef broth
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice

Mix together in a large mixing bowl all ingredients*.

Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hr or until rice is done.

Uncover and stir before serving.

*If you are making this dish to freeze & store for later use, do not add rice until ready to cook. All ingredients except rice would be put into a freezer bag, labeled Baked Jambalaya. Rice can be added in a separate smaller bag and both bags put into another freezer bag. Thaw before cooking.

Serves 8-10, WW: 6 points per serving.

Unfortunately, I did not have any additional nutrition information for this dish, but any WW member can tell you, 6 points for a dinner is very good.

Recipe Central

Ok, here's my first entry for recipies, I hope you can find something to add to your recipe box!

I'll try to include nutrition information any time I have it, and will include Weight Watchers point values when possible.

This week's entry will be a favorite pork dish of mine, using it this Sunday actually. I think I obtained this recipe from one of Dawn Hall's cookbooks and have used it many times with great success. It is a "crockpot creation."

Tropical Pork Dinner

2 lbs pork tenderloin
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 large yams - washed (or 4 large sweet potatoes)

• Spray a crockpot with non-fat cooking spray.
• Place pork tenderloin in crockpot.
• Mix crushed pineapple, honey, vinegar and brown sugar together until well mixed. Spoon mixture over pork.
• Place yams on top of meat mixture. Cover. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
• Cut yams in half before serving. If desire, spoon a little sauce over cut yams and meat.

Yield: 8 servings (3 ounces cooked meat, 1/2 of a yam and 3 ounces of pineapple mixture)

Calories: 351 (Percent fat calories: 11%); Total Fat: 4 grams; Carbohydrate: 53 grams; Protein: 26 grams; Cholesterol: 74 mg; Dietary Fiber: 5 grams; Sodium: 72 mg; WW: 7 points per serving

**You can substitute 8 four ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the pork tenderloin. Calories: 340 (Percent fat calories: 4%); Total Fat: 2 grams; Carbohydrate: 53 grams; Protein: 28 grams; Cholesterol: 66 mg; Dietary Fiber: 5 grams; Sodium: 89 mg; WW: 6 points per serving

Food & Nutrition

Well, I don't know if you can use leftover meatloaf and nutrition in the same sentence, however, being a lifetime Weight Watchers member, I know "everything in moderation." I made a meatloaf a couple of days ago and have been looking for a few leftover recipies to give new life to the meatloaf. Who wants meatloaf twice in one week? Here are a few that I've found that sound good enough to save!

• Grate leftover meatloaf on 4 sided box grater. Place in lightly oiled casserole and add enough chicken or beef broth to lightly moisten. Stir in leftover vegetables or add frozen peas. Season with basil and freshly ground pepper. Cover with generous amount of mashed potatoes and bake in 350 degree oven until potatoes start to color. This is our favorite version of Shepherd's Pie.
• My great grandmother was from Italy, and grew up poor, but her family always ate well. She kept a large Tupperware container in her freezer ALWAYS....as do my Mother and Sister and I now......ANY piece of meat that is leftover....meatloaf, chicken, hamburger, steak, roast, pork chops....etc. We put it in our "mystery meat" container. When the container is full....we make spaghetti sauce. Since we cook this all day either on the stove or in the crock pot, the meat will fall apart and you can't decipher what it is until you bite into it.....but boy is it delicious! I love your newsletter!
• Add it to a 25-cent Mac-and-cheese dinner with a can of tomato sauce or some marinara, and PRESTO! Meat Loaf Helper!!
• I'd try cutting it up into small cubes to add to macaroni, rice, or potatoes for a casserole starter.
• Saute onions and peppers and add chunks of the meatloaf and potatoes
• "Philly Cheesesteak" style, sauteed until hot through, with mushrooms, peppers, onions & whiz on a good hoagie roll

Enjoy!