Grilled Chicken with Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

Sweet pear, tart cherries and goat cheese, and perfectly grilled chicken. What combination could possibly go better for a summer salad?

Ingredients:
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Pear (Anjou), quartered and thinly sliced
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
2 Tbs. chopped walnuts
3 oz. spinach (i prefer stems trimmed)
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbs. dried cherries, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Spread out the sliced onion on the prepared sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the balsamic, 1 Tbs. olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set a grill pan on medium heat. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil (about 1 tsp. each) and place on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on each side and let rest while gathering the salad ingredients.

In a small skillet, toast the walnuts on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Place the spinach in a bowl and add 1 Tbs. of the balsamic mix; toss together. Divide the spinach onto two serving plates. Top with the sliced pear, chopped walnuts and cherries, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with more fo the balsamic dressing. Slice the chicken into strips and place next to the salad. (Serve with a small bowl of the dressing instead of drizzling if you are worried about the spinach wilting.)

Turkey Spinach Spaghetti Pie

This savory spaghetti pie delivers in flavor while still remaining on the healthier side. Even being Weight Watchers friendly, the fact that there is only 4 ounces of pasta in this whole pasta pie is amazing, and it is SO cheesy!

Ingredients:

4 oz. Barilla Veggie Spaghetti, broken in thirds, cooked and drained
8 oz. cream cheese, 1/3 less fat
3/4 c. liquid egg whites
1/2 c. light sour cream
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
10 oz. chopped cooked turkey (I used Oscar Mayer Carving Board)
10 oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. shredded Marble Jack cheese
1 chopped roasted red sweet pepper, from bottle

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the egg whites and sour cream and mix until combined. Stir in the basil, garlic powder, turkey, spinach, shredded cheese and roasted pepper.

Add in the pasta, stir and pour into the prepared dish. Spread out in an even layer. Bake uncovered for 50-55 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

(Makes 8 servings, 8 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving)

Spinach Feta Bulgur with Shaved Carrots and an Over Easy Egg

Ingredients:

3/4 c. bulgur wheat
2 scallions, greens thinly sliced
1 red chili pepper, seeds removed
2 oz. spinach
1 Tbs. parsley, chopped
1 lime
1/2 c. feta cheese
1 carrot
2 eggs, over easy

Fill a medium pot with water and 1 tsp. sea salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the bulgur wheat and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 25 minutes, drain, and place the bulgur back into the pan. Cover and set aside.

Chop the spinach and chili pepper and add to a medium mixing bowl. Add the chopped scallion and parsley, reserving a small amount of parsley for later. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl with the vegetables. Add 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients in the bowl together. Add in the cooked bulgur wheat and the feta cheese and again, mix everything.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outside of the carrot. Divide the bulgur mixture into two serving dishes. Shred the carrot into ribbons. Divide the carrot into two equal parts and place on top of the bulgur. Top each with an over easy egg. Sprinkle the egg with the reserved parsley.

Skinny Spinach Mac and Cheese

This recipe makes 6 large servings, at 9 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving. It is a great comforting version of mac and cheese, only packed with spinach!

Ingredients:

2 c. whole grain Penne pasta
10 oz. Buitoni Alfredo Sauce, light
9 oz. pkg. Frozen chopped spinach (cooked according to microwave package directions), drained
2 c. cottage cheese, fat free
1/4 c. milk, 1%
1 Tbs. margarine, melted
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 c. shredded reduced fat Mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside. Cook the pasta according to the directions (around 6-8 minutes) until they are still slightly chewy and not overcooked. Drain the pasta and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, spinach, cottage cheese, milk, melted margarine, garlic, basil and seasonings.

Add in the noodles to the cheese spinach mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Pour into the prepared dish and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with the Mozzarella cheese and place into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes until the Mozzarella on top is melted and a golden brown.

Spinach and Mushroom Polenta

If you want an Italian type side dish to make for multiple people but don't want to make a pasta dish or salad, try out this recipe for spinach and mushroom polenta. The polenta is soft and filled with spices, and the mushrooms and spinach are combined with crunchy pine nuts and topped with some shaved Parmesan!

Ingredients:

3 c. water
1 c. polenta (I use Bob's Red Mill)
2 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic salt

Heat 3 c. water in a small saucepan to high heat. When the water is boiling, add in the polenta and stir together. Reduce the heat to between medium and medium high and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place a cover on top and remove from the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes (you can make the next component during your wait). After the polenta has been sitting, add in the butter, Italian seasoning and garlic salt and stir everything together. Place the cover back on top to keep warm until you are ready to serve.

3 c. chopped button mushrooms, chopped
6 c. spinach, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. chives (I use freeze dried)
3 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

In a large non stick pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add in the mushrooms, spinach, chives, and seasonings and stir occasionally for about 3-4 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the mushrooms are cooked down.  Pour the polenta into a serving dish and top with the mushroom mixture. Drizzle everything with some extra virgin olive oil and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Egg White, Avocado and Spinach Sandwich (Panara Bread inspired)

Warning, this breakfast sandwich is CRAZY messy with the mashed avocado, but it is a very delicious mess! This recipe makes two sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 bagel thins (Shown in the picture are Thomas' everything bagel thins)
1/2 c. 100% liquid egg whites
2 slices of tomato
Spinach leaves, small handfull
1/2 avocado, mashed
2 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese
Yellow Mustard
Butter spray

Heat a small saucepan to medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the egg whites in and let cook for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes (without touching! These are not scrambled!). Flip the egg whites over to cook the other side for less than a minute. Remove from the heat, set aside and cut into 4 equal pieces. Meanwhile, spray the bottom slices of the bagel thins with the butter spray. On top of the butter, add around 8 spinach leaves to both. Top the spinach with 1 slice of the Swiss, two "slices" of the egg whites, and 1 slice of tomato. Drizzle the tomato with the mustard. Finish with spreading half of the avocado mash on the inside of both top bagel thin slices and place on top. Heat a grill pan to medium heat. Place both sandwiches on the grill pan and add a weight on top to press them down. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip the sandwiches over. Let cook for another 2 minutes or so and remove from the heat. Let them cool slightly before serving.

 (Each sandwich is 7 Weight Watchers Smart Points.)

Spinach Fontina Cauliflower Pizza

This recipe (along with the cauliflower pizza crust recipe) is another guest blog post. My mom and I love creating weird and new recipes and like to mix things up for the taste buds. The combination of ingredients for this one is all on her. The only thing I did was rip up the spinach and toast the pine nuts to help out. This recipe is melt-in-your-mouth good!

Ingredients:

1 Cauliflower Pizza Crust
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach
2 Tbs. pine nuts, toasted
1 c. Fontina cheese, grated

Set the oven to broil (550 if you have a oven that gives you that option). Rip the spinach into smaller pieces and sprinkle over the pizza crust. Add the grated Fontina cheese evenly, and sprinkle with pine nuts. Set under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is a golden brown on the edges. Let cool slightly before slicing up and serving.

Spinach and Fontina Hasselback Chicken

Ingredients:

6 chicken breast halves (butterflied whole chicken breasts)
Fresh spinach leaves, stems removed
Thinly sliced Fontina cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray and set aside. Cut about 4-6 slices on the top of the chicken breast, going 2/3 of the way down making sure not to cut through. Place 1 slice of Fontina in the middle of 2 or 3 spinach leaves and fold over. Stick the spinach and Fontina in the slices of the chicken. Place the chicken on the baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and bake for 30 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.  Let cool slightly before serving.

 (Approximately 5 WW points plus per chicken breast, depending on the amount of cheese used.)

Spinach Mozzarella Egg Sandwich

This recipe uses four alike ingredients, and just by changing the bread between the two styles, they taste like completely different recipes. This recipe is also very budget friendly.

 Ingredients:

1/2 c. Egg Beater's Four Cheese liquid egg (approximately)
Fresh Spinach
1/2 c. reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 Low fat Pita Pockets
2 English Muffins, whole wheat

Heat a small pan to medium low heat. Spray the pan with non stick cooking spray, pour about two tablespoons of egg into the pan and turn the pan to completely coat the bottom. Add a handful of fresh spinach (stems removed) and about two tablespoons of shredded Mozzarella on top, and cover with a lid. After about 30 seconds, the top of the egg should be cooked. 

  

Use a spatula to fold the eggs in one of two ways. For the pita sandwiches, fold one side over and tightly roll into a burrito shape. Then cut in half after they have had time to cool slightly, spray the inside of the pita pocket with spray butter, and stuff with the omelet. For the English muffins, cut both of them in half and toast in the toaster. Spray the insides with spray butter. Repeat the egg process above, but fold each side over towards the middle, forming a square. Place on top of the English muffin and add the top. 

(The pita pocket sandwiches are 4 points per pocket, the English muffin sandwiches are 5 points each.)

Salsa Spinach Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. salsa, fat free mild
1/2 c. fresh spinach
1 container reduced fat Crescent rolls
8 beef cocktail links (mini weinies)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unroll the crescent roll into 8 individual triangles. Place 3 or 4 spinach leaves towards the wider end of the dough leaving a small space of dough around the edges. Spoon a small amount of salsa and place towards the bottom of the spinach; add a cocktail link. Bring both ends up over the hot dog towards the middle, and roll the crescent roll to the top. Smooth out any edges or exposed filling. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Had to share a picture of my dog "helping" me out in the kitchen.Always has to be the center of attention.

(This recipe makes 8 pigs in a blanket, 1 is equal to 3 WW points.)

Spinach Fontina Quesadilla with Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

2 c. spinach chopped
1 c. Fontina cheese, shredded
2 flour tortillas (I used La Banderita, Fat Free)
2 Tbs. Cucina & Amore Pesto, Alla Genovese, Basil ( from William Sonoma)

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Lay both tortilla's out on a flat surface. Spread 1 Tbs. of pesto on each tortilla. In a microwavable container with the shopped spinach, flick a few drops of water onto the inside of the lid. Microwave for 35-45 seconds until the spinach is wilted. Sprinkle the spinach on top of the pesto, and then top each with the shredded Fontina. Fold over to make 2 half circles. Place in the preheated pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until each side is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted in the center. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing so that the cheese doesn't ooze out.

(This makes 2 servings, 11 WW points per serving.)

Salsa Spinach Egg Cups

 

Ingredients:

9 eggs
1 1/2 c. spinach, fresh
3 Tbs. salsa, mild (give or take, I use ChiChi's)
1 slice Colby cheese, cut into 4 strips lengthwise, and then finely cubed
*Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a  muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Lay 6-8 spinach leaves on the bottom, and crack and egg over top. Dab the tops randomly with the salsa, and sprinkle with a few mini cheese cubes. Bake in the oven for 17-19 minutes until the yolk is set and the whites are no longer runny. I added a few dashes of hot sauce!

( This recipe makes 9 servings, 2 WW points per egg, 4 WW points per two eggs.)

Spinach and Caramelized Onion Egg Cups

Ingredients:

10 eggs
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. Fontina cheese, shredded (or use sharp white cheddar)
1/4 c. onion, caramlized
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Place 3 or 4 spinach leaves at the bottom of each cup. Crack an egg on top of the spinach.  Top the uncooked egg with about 1 teaspoon of both the Fontina cheese and onion. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the yolk is fully cooked through and the cheese is golden brown on top. (If you want a runny yolk, cook for about 10 minutes or just until the whites are cooked).

Use a spoon to gently remove from the pan. I like to sit them on a paper towel for a few minutes to drain any grease from the cheese that is at the bottom. These are also amazing with a few dashes of hot sauce!

* These egg cups are only 2 weight watchers points per egg, and the recipe makes 10 servings.