Hot Dish: Shrimp with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Good morning, TGIF! Here in the US it'll be a long weekend for most of us as we'll be honoring Martin Luther King on Monday.  Beren is also off today, yippee! We have a ton of household projects to complete but I'm sure we'll also manage to squeeze in a little bit of fun.

Since we've been back "home" at the South FL house, I've been clearing out the pantry & freezer, trying to use up food that's accumulated in our absence.  (Even though Kali and Jesus live here as well, they don't have the time to cook as much as I do).  Last night I made a Shepherdless Pie which, while tasty, wasn't actually a recipe worthy of sharing here.  Tonight, though, I'm looking forward to serving this shrimp dish.  Chock full of veggies, protein, and lacking the "white stuff," it's a perfect fit for my new year's Way of Eating.

Shrimp with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Weight Watchers Recipe

4PointsPlus Value

Prep time:  8 min

Cook time:  10 min

Serves: 4

Keep a bag of large frozen shrimp on hand for this quick and easy sautéed meal. The juices from the tomatoes add a wonderful flavor to the sauce.

Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin, divided      1 medium uncooked zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices      1 pound(s) uncooked shrimp, large-size, peeled and deveined      1 cup(s) grape tomatoes, cut in half    1/2 tsp dried oregano    1/2 tsp table salt    1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste    1 1/2 tsp minced garlic    1/4 cup(s) water    Instructions Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini in a single layer; increase heat to high and cook until bottoms are golden, about 2 minutes. Flip zucchini and cook until golden on other side, about 2 minutes more. Remove zucchini to a plate with a slotted spoon. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in same skillet. Add shrimp; sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper; sauté until shrimp are almost just cooked through, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and water; sauté, stirring to loosen bits from bottom of pan, until shrimp are cooked through and tomatoes are softened, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Return zucchini to skillet; toss and serve. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving. Notes Try this with fresh basil instead of, or in addition to, the oregano (just stir it in right at the end). Grate some lemon zest over top and/or sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, if desired.

  Enjoy!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Bye, Bye, Dough Boy!

 

After an e-mail conversation with a good friend who's recently lost, and kept off, 20+ pounds, I've decided to make a couple of changes in my diet. The aforementioned friend accomplished her weight loss goal by cutting out all "white stuff," eating lean protein & veggies instead.  I know this works, because I've done it before.  This was, in fact, how I lost 20 pounds back in 2004.  Back then, though, I had gone back to eating meat and was living on protein shakes & chicken caesar salads.  My motto then: Bread is the Devil, as evidenced by the pic Kali made for me above.  I've also experimented with South Beach which is much healthier than other "low-carb" diets, in my opinion.  After doing a bunch of research yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I can eat a version of "low-carb" while still avoiding meat.  I can also still work this into my WW program if I desire to do so.  I haven't worked out the details yet but I do know that "white stuff" will be eliminated from my daily eating plan.

I started yesterday by tossing out (oh, how it kills me to throw away food!) all of the open bags of starchy food in my pantry.  (I will donate the sealed bags to the food bank) Goodbye, Pirates Booty. So long, Bagel Thins.  Adios, Guiltless Gourmet tortilla chips! I then hit the supermarket to find some worthy replacements.  An hour later my cart was loaded up with string cheese, low-carb, high fiber tortillas, Greek yogurt, Laughing Cow cheese, meat substitutes, and tons of vegetables. 

Here's what my first day sans "dry carbs" looked like:

Breakfast: 2 servings Egg Beaters, 1 veggie sausage patty, sliced tomato; 2 cups of coffee w/Half & Half

Snack: Greek yogurt w/frozen (sugar-free) mixed fruit
 










 Lunch: Veggie chik patty w/light feta cheese, olives & veggie Wrap








Snack: Apple w/Walden Farms Peanut Spread, herbal tea

 







Dinner: Spaghetti Squash baked with part-skim mozzarella & low-fat pasta sauce, salad (sorry no pic, forgot to grab my camera!)

Snack: Glass of chardonnay, 1 oz of almonds

And here's the end result, WW-wise:

Wow! I actually had 1 PointsPlus left over, I can't remember the last time that happened! I was shocked to discover that after only one day of eating this way, my cravings were gone! Seriously, I was not stuffed but satisfied.   When I served Beren his meal of baked ziti and garlic bread, I wasn't the least bit tempted to take a bite.  What the heck? Seriously, I'm stunned. I can only hope that today goes as smoothy and that the numbers on the scale start moving in the right direction.

How's everyone else doing? Are you staying strong or (like me) have succumbed to the holiday temptations? Let's support each other!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Just Say No to the Dough!

I've mentioned it before, I am much more successful in my weight loss efforts if I refrain from eating "white stuff." This means white bread, rice, pasta, sugar, etc. etc. I don't do "low-carb," per se, just avoid simple carbs whenever possible, seeking the healthier complex carbs. This means whole grain bread, and on the rare occasion I have real pasta it's the whole wheat variety.

When I'm dining at home this is really not a problem, I made sure my fridge and pantry are stocked with Sandwich Thins, multigrain English muffins, and Shirataki Noodles. Dining out, however, is a bit more of a challenge, especially when it's Italian fare!

Last night, for example, we went to a family dinner at a restaurant know for it's awesome sandwiches and pizza, Primanti Bros. *groan* Perusing the menu, I was really nervous, not wanting to give into the pizza and other higher fat choices but didn't want to feel deprived, either. Fortunately I discovered a Cajun Chicken salad which was amazing! Huge bowl of greens with spicy chicken and hot peppers, flavor-packed and very filling. I was quite satisfied and barely noticed the hot, cheesy pizza in front of me.

At the end of the evening I was able to leave the restaurant feeling proud of myself, knowing that I made a really smart choice. Yay, me!

Have a beauty-full day, Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there!

Hot Dish, Hot Day!

Finally, after weeks of rain, a beautiful day in the Sunshine State! Not wasting any time in the kitchen today, no way, no how! I'm lugging out my slow cooker and letting that baby do the work while I slip on bikini and head out for some fun in the sun!

Ok, you know that I normally avoid the "white stuff" but today I'm cheating just a bit with this recipe. You see, My Sweetie's kids are here and, well, they are really picky eaters and pasta's pretty much the only thing they'll scarf down without issue.

Please note that since I have a house full of mostly-vegetarians and am slowly going back to my veggie ways myself, I will be substituting veggie crumbles for the ground beef, surely that will take off a POINT or two?



Slow Cooker Lasagna

POINTS® Value: 8
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 360 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

No need to cook the noodles first or stay home while it bakes. Just let it sit a few minutes before serving so it can firm up a bit.

Ingredients
1 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
1 small onion(s), chopped
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
15 oz canned tomato sauce
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
6 item(s) dry lasagna noodles, no-cook
1/2 cup(s) shredded Parmesan cheese, strong-flavored like Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

* Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

* Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

* Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

* Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

* In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving.

Notes:

* To boost your vegetable intake, add a can of zucchini in tomato sauce to the meat mixture. You can also add 2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms to the beef mixture.

Hot Dish: Pizza Night!

It's Pizza Night here at the Castle and while the rest of the family's gorging on the greasy take-out pie, I'll be serving up my own lighter fare thanks to the always-awesome Hungry Girl! Yummy!

‘Meaty’ Thin Crust Pizza

(Entire pizza: Approx. 260 calories, 5g fat, 1,200mg sodium, 35g carbs, 20g fiber, 9g sugars, 25g protein = 5 Points)

Ingredients:

1 La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low-Carb/ Low-Fat Tortilla; Large Size
1/2 cup fat-free tomato sauce
1/2 cup Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Grillers or Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles™
1 1/2 oz. shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw crumbles in the microwave for 30 seconds. Bake tortilla for 5 - 6 minutes on each side, or until slightly crispy. Remove tortilla from oven and spread on tomato sauce. Next, sprinkle on crumbles and top evenly with cheese. Return pizza to the oven for approximately 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut into slices.