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I love Greek food and I’m especially a big fan of feta cheese. I swear, I put Athenos reduced-fat feta on everything. Salads, pizza, sammiches… whatever. I came across this recipe on WW for something so simple: spinach. I like spinach, but I don’t normally eat it by itself. I’ll have some in something else or maybe a spinach salad, but not ever really just as a side-dish n’ such. This is only 2 points and it’s easy, which really, for me, what it’s all about. Oh, also? I squeezed a little fresh lemon juice in there, too. It made it taste like the Spanicopita, just without the flakey phillo pastry.
If you try it, let me know what you think!
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion(s), finely chopped
20 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until just golden, about 3 minutes.
2. Add spinach, salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes; stir in feta. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
POINTS® Value | 2
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 7 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy
One of the things I adore about summer, and I am sure you have heard me say this before, is macaroni salad. My mother makes this really easy macaroni tuna salad that I could eat a vat of in one sitting. I kid you not. However, I try not to make a habit of doing that. I found this macaroni salad recipe (for those of you following low carb .. sorry!) that has been peared down to minimal points and still looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cup cooked macaroni, kept warm
3/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
3 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), diced
1 medium green pepper(s), diced
1 medium carrot(s), diced
1/4 cup red onion(s), minced
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
1. While macaroni is still warm, place in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour cream and relish and toss to coat. Add peppers, carrot and onion; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Serve warm or chilled. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
WW: 2 POINTS
Servings | 12
Preparation Time | 25 min
Credit: Weight Watchers Online
It’s no secret that Thanksgiving brings around temptations that can’t be helped. The smells alone can make you gain 4 pounds immediately. But you don’t have to sacrifice all your hard work if you eat smart that day. Sure there will be a few slip ups here and there but if you prepare then it doesn’t have to be full blown Fat Ass Porker Fest 2003.
One of my tricks on Thanksgiving is to load my plate with the healthier stuff, and only take small portions of the good stuff like stuffing and gravy. Last year I made dinner for the family and made sure to have a few vegetable dishes along with the Thanksgiving staples. One I tried and was a big hit was this Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Dill, instead of having that heavy casserole. If you have a few lighter options to fill up on, you won’t have room for all the heavier foods.
Ingredients:
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 tbsp sugar (or splenda)
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16 oz frozen pearl onions
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16 oz frozen cut green beans, or whole green beans
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2 tbsp dill, fresh, chopped
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1/2 tsp table salt
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1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
1. Heat oil and sugar together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender and golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
2. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in dill, salt and pepper. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving. (Note: This dish will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
WW POINTS | 1
Servings | 8
Recipe from WW Online
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
My personal holiday weakness is potatoes. Mashed potatoes. The kind that take up half your plate, covered in butter or gravy. Hell yeah, mashed potatoes. *sigh*
Wait, sorry. Let’s get back to reality for a second, shall we?
I tried this recipe from Weight Watchers Online a while back and fell in love with it. It’s only 2 pts a serving (around 2/3 cup), creamy and doesn’t taste “light”. They’re also really easy to make.
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
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10 medium potato(es), red (about 2 1/2 lbs)
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1/2 cup buttermilk, warmed
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1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3 tablespoons)
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1/4 cup chives, chopped
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1 tsp table salt
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1/8 tsp black pepper, ground
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with an inch of water; bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.
POINTS | 2
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 30 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy
To really make it yummy, I’ll roast a head of garlic while the potaoes are boiling, then mash that in there with everything else. It’s orgasmic, I swear
I had a whole meal of new recipes I tried last night (Grilled Chicken with Whiskey-Ginger Marinade and Ginger-Sesame Asparagus), but these were my favorite part of it. They were also the easiest! And if a guy who loves junk food scarfs ‘em down, you know they’re good.
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1 tbsp olive oil
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2 tbsp Dijon mustard
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3/4 tsp paprika
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1/4 tsp dried thyme
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1/2 tsp table salt
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1/4 tsp black pepper
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1 1/2 pound potato(es), new, quartered
Instructions
- Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat oven to 425°F. Whisk together oil, mustard, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes and stir until they are coated.
- Transfer potatoes to the baking dish and roast 15 minutes. Stir and roast another 15 minutes.
Don’t make extra because you will eat them, I swear to you.
POINTS® | 3
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 30 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy
Recipe from Weight Watchers Online
