Category Archives: 2 points +

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

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I’m trying to watch the Next Food Network Star right now, but my dog keeps on whining. His friend is at the vet getting stitched up because he doesn’t like getting a hair cut from Ben. Guess, we’ll just have to go and get him a hair cut at one of the pet places from now on.  Anyways, I love Food Network Star. I’m really liking team Alton. He has a lot of unique people on his team. The one with the interesting hair cut I like so far, sorry I don’t really know his name. I don’t think I’d ever qualify for that show, because I’m not good with coming up with my own recipes. There’s thousands of recipes out there, and who needs 10 different versions of chicken pot pie? That’s why I like to search for most of my recipes.

These tomatoes are slow roasted in the oven, giving them a sweet taste. No oil needed to roast these either so they’re very low in points. You can season them with whatever spices you like too. They almost taste like candy. I’ve roasted other vegetables in the oven before, like carrots, onions, and potatoes. Onions are my favorite because they come out tasting very sweet, kind of like these.

Points Plus: For 2 cups of cherry tomatoes it’s 2 points. That’s not bad for all those tomatoes.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Directions:

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a casserole dish or on a sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and
sugar. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

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Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

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Not really sure what to say about these cookies, except for they’re very coconut-y. I’ve made macarons before but not macaroons. Macaroons are way easier to make than macarons. I always thought they were somehow made the same. Macarons take a lot of mixing and folding and with macaroons all you do is dump all the ingredients into a bowl and stir. The good thing about these cookies is, I can eat them all by myself. Why? Because my husband doesn’t like coconut at all. He’ll eat stuff with coconut water in it, but not the shredded stuff. :)

This is another recipe from Weight Watcher’s website. I plan on trying another recipe for pancakes later on this week from that site also.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Servings: 32
Points Plus: 2

Ingredients:

3 large egg white(s)
2/3 cup(s) sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup(s) dried shredded and sweetened coconut meat, unsweetened
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one or two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites with sugar. Add vanilla and coconut; stir to combine.

Scoop up a level tablespoon of batter and form into a ball with your hands; repeat with remaining batter. Place each ball about 1-inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake until tops just start to turn light tan, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove cookies to a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

Place chocolate in a double boiler or heavy pot; melt over low heat, stirring occasionally (do not allow to burn). Keep chocolate warm and pliable as you dip tops of cookies into chocolate. Place dipped cookies on a metal tray evenly spread apart so they’re not touching; freeze until chocolate sets, about 20 to 30 minutes. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

 

 

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No-Bake Energy Balls

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These little balls of energy have peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and coconut in them. There is no baking required. All it takes is a little effort to role the balls out and place them on a sheet pan. I had to use some water to help me roll the balls and a really small cookie scoop. I didn’t have any coconut so I used some rice crispies instead and they turned out pretty good. I also subbed some agave nectar for the honey. Be careful though, they’re very addicting. I think they’d be a great little snack to have after a work out.

Recipe from Gimme some Oven
Servings: 25
Calories 81 | Fat 4.43g | Carbohydrate 9.41g | Fiber 1.6g | Protein 2.21g
Points Plus: 2

Ingredients:

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

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Fish Taco Cups

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You know it wasn’t going to be long before you saw someone make a fish taco cupcake. I don’t like the term cupcake because it really isn’t a cupcake. The taco isn’t baked with anything like flour, eggs or salt, so I prefer to call them cups. This is a really fun appetizer and if you’re still on the prowl to find something to make for the Super Bowl this weekend, you should give it a try. You can basically use your favorite fish taco recipe and just sub the shells with wonton wrappers. I prefer tropical fruits with fish tacos like mangoes, pineapple, or avocado but since the only fruit we had in the house were blood oranges, I decided to use those. Wonton wrappers are so versatile you can do anything with them pretty much. Still want to try making baked egg rolls.

I’m leaving for Jamaica on Friday, but don’t worry. I’ll be updating my blog with pictures during the week of what we eat there, drinks we have and whatever other picture I feel like posting. I’m so pumped, I can’t wait!

Fish Taco Cups inspired by Giada De Larentis

Servings 10 (one cup)
Calories 66 | Fat 1.36g | Carbohydrate 7.72g | Fiber 0.8g | Protein 5.78g

Ingredients
Jenna’s Weight Watcher Recipes

2 3 oz tilapia filets
old bay seasoning
10 wonton wrappers
2 cups of cabbage mix
2 tablespoons of green onion
1 blood orange, diced
2 teaspoons of chipotle en adobe sauce
lemon juice
1 tablespoon light mayonaise
2 tablespoons of light sour cream
salt & pepper

1. Place wonton wrappers into 12 cupcake tins. Bake at 375 for 10 – 15 minutes or until
crispy. Spray with cooking spray to get crispy if needed.

2. Heat a non stick skillet. Sprinkle fish with old bay seasoning or whatever your favorite fish seasoning is. Cook fish until they’re white in the middle.

3. In a bowl combine cabbage, blood orange, and green onion.

4. In another bowl combine chipotle sauce, mayonaise, sour cream, a dash of lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper, just a dash of each.

5. Layer taco cups with cabbage mix, fish, and then sauce. Enjoy!

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Kale Chips

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I’ve been trying a lot of new things lately. My latest culinary adventures have been blood oranges and kale. Blood oranges are beautiful on the inside. I tried making my own marinade with blood oranges and after I cooked the chicken it wasn’t very flavorful when it was done. I think the chicken needed to marinade more, than just 1/2 an hour.

Kale chips are like a healthier alternative to potato chips and I was surprised at how good they taste. They smelled kind of funny baking away in the oven but in the end they were nice and crispy. Ben said it was like eating a dried out leaf. I guess that’s a good way to describe it. Eating Kale chips is a good way to eat your greens! You can get Kale greens at the Wal-Mart supermarket.

Kale is high in beta carotene, Vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, and Zeaxanthin.

Servings: 2 about half of the bowl
Points Plus: 2
Weight Watcher Recipes

Ingredients from Anne Burrell

1 large bunch Tuscan kale
Extra-virgin olive oil (I used two teaspoons
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Remove the tough lower stems of the kale. Toss the kale generously with olive oil, salt and crushed red pepper.

Lay the dressed leaves in a single layer on a sheet tray (use more than one if you need to!) and place in the oven. Roast the kale or until the leaves are crispy, 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve as a snack or side dish.

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White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

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Another pinner on pinterest said that these were best Christmas cookies that they ever had. White chocolate and marischino cherries are my favorite so this cookie had me at first site. These cookies don’t really even need to be dipped int he white chocolate they’re just as good as is without the fancy decorations.

The only problem I had trying to work with these cookies was that the dough was very hard to work with. A shortbread is just flour, sugar and butter and usually, when I’ve made short bread I’ve just had to pat the dough in the bottom of the pan. It really helps to get your hands with the form the balls.  Don’t be frightened by the graininess of the dough either. It will eventually form the ball after you’ve worked with it for awhile.

Servings: 60

Points Plus: 2

Calories: 87, Protein 1 g, Carbohydrates 9, 5 g fat, Fiber 0

Ingredients from Better Homes and Garden

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 teaspoons shortening
White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.

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Parmesan Baked Tomatoes

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My dogs have started digging holes in the backyard now. They must know that the beginning of the end of the world is near.  I have decided that they’re going to help me build a bunker for the end of the World. Before the end of the World comes, I would like to wake up next to this man in the morning please.

Just kidding. I bet you think i was telling you the truth. ;)

I’m trying to figure out the best time of the day, during the summer to take photos. The sun either seems to be too bright or not right. I’ve figured it out for Cloudy days, but not on a bright day like we are having today. I know you’re not supposed to take photos when the sun is at it’s highest and that’s it. You see this picture? It’s so bright and I don’t like that, but they still look good don’t they? I think one of these would be tasty on a BLT sandwich. We had these with the Spicy Garlic Shrimp.

Ingredients from Eating Well

  • 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
  2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Serves 4:

91 calories | 6 grams of Fat | 6 gm of carbs| 2 grams of fiber | 3 grams of protein

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Rainbow Fruit Kabobs

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Two things I’ve been noticing a lot on the internet lately. Rainbow this and Funfetti that. I’ve seen rainbow layered cakes, rainbow jello, rainbow cupcakes, and popsicles. I really like the look of them and have been noticing gradient colored cakes too.  If you ate a rainbow cake for dessert would your urine be  ty-dyed in the morning??? ;)

If you’re interested, check out my rainbow cupcakes and how to make your own food coloring.

These fruit kabobs are so fun and would make a great summer treat. Just make sure you have a different colored piece of fruit for every part of the rainbow. I used strawberry, cantelope, banana, kiwi, and bluberries for mine. I would have used pineapple for the yellow color, but none of the pineapples at the store were very fresh that day. Plus, if you’re doing Weight Watchers all fruit is 0 points!

Rainbow colored pancakes at Tablespoon (where I saw the kabobs)

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