Thin Crust Veggie Pizza

Speaking of Power foods, here is a little gem that makes a perfectly filling meal and satisfies the pizza craving. The veggies fill you up twice as fast as opposed to filling up on doughy empty calories. Enjoy!

 Thin Crust Veggie Pizza

 
* 6 PP per serving (6 Servings)


1 Vidalia Onion

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 ½ Cup Sliced Mushrooms

1 cup(s) canned artichoke hearts, without oil

1 Large Tomato

½ Cup of Tomato Paste

½ Cup Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese

1/4 cup(s) (shredded) part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 Package of Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough

Fresh Garlic

Italian Seasoning

Basil

Oregano

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare your sauce by adding a little water to the tomato paste and seasoning with garlic, basil, Italian seasoning mix and any other herbs/spices you like. Spread the dough out over a baking sheet and pre-bake for 5 minutes. Then add sauce and ricotta cheese and layer your veggies. Bake for 10 minutes and add the shredded cheese after you take out of the oven. Let rest for several minutes and dig in!

WW Asparagus Risotto

Keeping with my comfort food theme… I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers site and decided to give it a try last night. It is absolutely DELICIOUS and makes a great side item or small meal for lunch. You can also add in chicken or shrimp to make it a more complete meal for dinner.

Asparagus Risotto


*5 PP per serving

½ tsp table salt

1 lb. asparagus (cut into short bite-size pieces)

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 small shallots

I cup Arborio rice uncooked (regular rice works too)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 cups of canned chicken broth

1/3 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

Salt & Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add asparagus to pot; blanch for 2 minutes. Immediately remove asparagus from pot and place them into ice water (to stop them from cooking and help retain their bright green color); set aside.

Coat a medium pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat; melt butter. Add shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat; cook for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice; cook, until all lemon juice has been absorbed, stirring continuously so rice does not stick to sides of pot, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer; keep warm.

Add 1/2 cup of hot broth to pot at a time; stir until absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 20 minutes.

When rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy), remove pot from heat; add cheese and stir well. Stir in asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Yields 1 scant cup per serving.

Enjoy!

A Comfort Food Time of Year

Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year. I love everything from the fall colors, tall boots, football, tailgating, leaves changing, sweaters, and COMFORT FOOD. This past weekend I finally got a chance to satisfy my fall cravings when Charleston’s temps actually dropped below 70 with an added bonus of no humidity! I found this to be the perfect opportunity to make my favorite chili! It’s a super simple and lightened up version that packs a lot of flavor and lasts forever. So if you’re a fall foodie like me, you may want to give it a try!

Weight Watchers Friendly Chili
*About 5 PPs per serving
Amounts can be easily adjusted according to how much you want to make.

1.5lb. lean ground beef (93% lean or ground turkey)

2 Cans of Kidney Beans

1 Can of Garbanzo beans

1 Large can of petite diced tomatoes

1-2 Packets of Dry Chili Seasoning

1-2 Tbsp Cumin

½ tsp chili powder

1 large can tomato puree

1 Large Vidalia Onion

2Tbsp Garlic

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms


1. In a skillet, brown and drain your meat. Add onion, mushrooms, salt/pepper and stir frequently until onions and mushrooms are slightly cooked down.

2. In a large pot, combine the diced tomatoes and puree and mix. Then add your meat mixture to the pot. Depending on your preference of consistently, you can add water at this step if you think it’s too thick.

3. Add all of your garlic and seasoning and stir entire pot until well blended. Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour before eating.

*This goes great on top of whole wheat pasta or with a dollop of fat-free/part-skim ricotta cheese. Enjoy!