Skinny Urban Chef

Skinny Carrot and Avocado Salad

2012-08-25T21:58:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day of my vegan experiment, and I have to say, it was entirely enjoyable. I had a green monster smoothie (I'll post that recipe later in the week), an iced coffee with coconut milk, veggies and hummus, and a lovely carrot and avocado salad. I feel satisfied, and stayed well within my points for the day. The carrot salad was fantastic. It is possibly the easiest dish I have ever made, and absolutely delicious. You must make this as soon as possible. Do it.

Skinny Carrot and Avocado Salad
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
WW PointsPlus Value: 4

6 large carrots, washed and scrubbed
1 avocado, sliced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut carrots into chunks, then toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin. Bake on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, or until nice and dark.
Place on a plate and top with avocado slices and drizzle a bit of lemon juice on top.
That's it! It's almost too easy. This would make a great first course for a dinner party. Since it requires so little prep time, you could spend more time and effort on the main dish.

Skinny Post-Vacation Vegan Cleanse

2012-08-24T19:57:00.000-04:00

Summer is fading away. The Back-to-School section of Target is set up, which is how you know the end is near. I took the summer off blogging, and weight watchers, and the time has come to get back into both. While I haven't put on an extrodianry amount of weight (thank you portion control), I do need to get back into a healthier diet. I just got back from vacation in France and Spain where the food is often too delicious to pass up seconds (not one, not two, but three dishes of Patatas Bravas at La Dolça Herminia in Barcelona), so I think a cleanse is in order. Now when I say "cleanse," I am by no means talking about an insane lemonade fast, or chalky shakes, or even this weird cookie thing. I'm talking about a clean, healthy, vegan diet loaded with fresh fruit, veggies, beans, nuts, and rice. I am going to post recipes later in the week as I make them, but above is a pic of my menu board for the week. The menu chalkboard is a great way to visualize your meals for the week. I list all the dishes I plan on making in a week, then cross them off as I make them. This way, I can keep track of everything and don't end up wasting fresh produce hidden in the crisper drawer because I forgot I was going to make zucchini fritters...or beet cake...or jalapeno poppers...you get the idea.

Skinny Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2012-05-24T21:45:00.003-04:00

If you're like me, when you see the word "vegan" in a recipe, you think "yuck", ignore it, and go back to perusing other eggy/meaty/milky/cheesy recipes. However, in the baking world, vegan recipes tend to cut lots of fat and guilt out of cookies and cakes and other yummy treats. I finally got over my vegan-phobia and tried a chocolate cupcake recipe and you know what? They were pretty good! These little cupcakes are so moist and fluffy, you don't even notice their veganness. Plus they're so light, you can splurge on a rich frosting. I opted for a cream cheese frosting from my favorite blogger's cookbook, Joy the Baker. What better way to prepare for bathing suit season than eating yourself skinny with cupcakes? Okay, so there's some yoga involved, but mostly cupcakes :)

Skinny Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1/2 cup buttermilk, lowfat
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup apple sauce, unsweet
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 6-muffin tin with cupcake liners. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and distribute evenly into liners. It will be a little runny, but don't worry, they'll come out nice and fluffy.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, then frost and devour!

Skinny Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook
Serving Size: 1 teaspoon
WW PointsPlus Value: 1

2 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons light butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat all ingredients until creamy. Apply to cupcakes and refrigerate any leftovers. Sneak to the fridge at midnight and eat the leftover frosting.

Skinny Cinco De Mayo: Taco Salad and Margaritas

2012-05-02T12:06:00.000-04:00

Cinco de Mayo is this weekend, and what better excuse to eat lots of guacamole and drink margaritas? Since the chips, dip, and drinks are non-negotiables, I decided to make a taco salad to lighten the meal up. There are so many different ways to make a taco salad ranging from healthy to not-so-healthy to heart attack. I decided to make a healthier version of one that falls somewhere in the middle category. When I was a kid, one of the school lunch options was a "taco salad." This "taco salad" was a DIY situation that came in a styrofoam box and contained the following items: iceberg lettuce, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, beef chili, and one bag of nacho cheese flavored Doritos. I would carefully empty all contents in the styrofoam box, making sure the chips were crumbled into bite-sized pieces, then close the box, and shake it all up together. When opened, it looked like what you'd expect to find in a broken garbage disposal, but once that first plastic sporkful hit my tastebuds, it was nothing short of heavenly. I wanted to recreate something similar that would both satisfy my gustatory nostalgia (a la Swann's Way), while still appealing to my more sophisticated adult tastebuds. I finally decided on a salad using iceberg lettuce, lean ground beef, black olives, shredded cheese, pepper jack flavored tortilla chips, and a zesty homemade French dressing. It was perfect. Serve with chips and guacamole and a skinny margarita (recipe below).

Skinny Taco Salad
Serving Size: 1 salad (entire recipe)
WW PointsPlus Value: 5

2 oz cooked lean ground beef (seasoned with taco seasonings)
2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 Tablespoon sliced black olives
1 Tablespoon lowfat shredded cheese, Mexican style
5 cherry tomatoes
3 flavored tortilla chips, crushed
2 Tablespoons French or Catalina style dressing

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and serve on a large plate (or in a styrofoam box). Enjoy with a skinny margarita (or two).

Skinny Margarita
Serving Size: 1 drink
WW PointsPlus Value: 6

2 oz tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz agave nectar
1 oz sparkling water
salt (optional, for rim)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and serve over ice with a lime slice for garnish.

Skinny Takeout-Style Asian Dinner

2012-04-09T22:09:00.008-04:00

I love takeout food. I blame all of my weight problems on cheap, delicious Thai food that can be at my doorstep with just the snap of a finger anytime I want. While you can defintely still enjoy eating out while watching your weight (I sure do), it's not something you want to make a habit of. Plus, you can easily make this dinner in less time than it would take to order in from a restaurant.

Skinny Ginger Salad Dressing

Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon

WW Points Plus Value: 1

1 cup carrot, roughly chopped

1 Tablespoon ginger, chopped

3 Tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend well and chill. Serve over romaine lettuce and fresh avocado slices.

Skinny Broccoli and Shrimp in Garlic Sauce

Serving Size: 1 cup

WW Points Plus Value: 3

1 bunch broccoli florets

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 lb shrimp, raw

1/2 cup fat free beef broth

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place broccoli on a baking sheet, spray with a light mist of cooking spray and salt well. Bake until tops are browned and crispy, about 30 minutes.
Combine garlic, broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and oil in a large frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until thick, then add broccoli and stir well. Turn heat to low and place shrimp under a broiler and cook for 3 minutes per side. Add to broccoli when done and gently stir in. Serve over rice, with an egg roll, or any way your little heart desires.

Exercise + 2 Skinny Spring Recipes

2012-04-08T12:58:00.010-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted (sorry), but I thought I'd make up for it with some of my thoughts on exercise and a couple of delicious asparagus recipes.

I've already written a post about my complicated history with exercise, but I wanted to elaborate on my recent weight loss, and the exercise that played a part in it. I'll call this my Guide To Exercise For People Who Hate To Exercise:

1. Walk...everywhere. Anywhere within 2 miles should be walked to, if possible. Walking is free and easy. I try to walk as often as possible. I don't have a car, so walking is my main form of transportation. If you live in a city where you need a car, I'm sure there are times when you drive a short distance you could easily walk instead. Try to walk more, you'll be surprised how good it feels.

2. Dance! Dancing is great cardio, and it's fun so you don't realize how much work you're doing. You don't even have to go out to dance, just put on some music when you're at home doing chores and bust a move (nobody has to know).

3. Yoga. Yoga is my new favorite form of exercise. It's a calm, relaxing activity that leaves you feeling happy and serene. Plus it's a great total body workout where you can't believe how sore you are the next day.

4. When you do some exercise, reward yourself (not with food). Go out to a movie, or buy a new outfit. Give yourself incentive to do a little bit of work during the week. If everytime you took a walk, there was something fun at the end of it, you'd walk a lot more.

Now that you've got some exercise tips, I'll reward you (get it?) with a couple of spring asparagus recipes. I'm so excited for spring vegetables (and warmer weather) this year! The first warm day of the year, I went out and bought a big bunch of asparagus which starred in a delicious dinner and lunch the next day. My new favorite method of preparing asparagus is ribboning it. You just take a vegetable peeler and peel the asparagus into thin little ribbons which can be eaten raw. I tried them on a pizza and then in a delicious salad. Here are the recipes:

Skinny Asparagus Sausage Pizza

Serving Size: 2 slices

WW Points Plus Value: 5

1 pre-made whole wheat thin pizza crust

1/2 cup part skim mozzerella

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 lb spicy Italian style ground turkey sausage, cooked

1 bunch asparagus, ribboned

1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the asparagus in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Salt and pepper well, toss, and let sit for about 5 minutes.
Top the pizza crust with cheeses, turkey sausage, and asparagus. Cook directly on rack in oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with a white wine, or Peroni.

Skinny Strawberry and Asparagus Salad

Serving Size: 1/3 recipe

WW Points Plus Value: 2

1 bunch asparagus, ribboned

2 cups strawberries, very thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons pine nuts

2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk together oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Would be great as a side, or on its own for a light lunch.

Skinny Irish Soda Bread Scones

2012-03-13T18:40:00.010-04:00

Traditional Irish soda bread is a very simple bread served with dinner. It usually consists of just four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. However, if you go to an American grocery store around St. Patty's Day, you'll find Irish soda breads which are sweet, and filled with raisins and caraway seeds. I decided to make a more American interpretation. They're less of a dinner roll and more of a scone/muffin hybrid, but aren't as sweet. I had them with a bit of light butter and they were delicious.

Skinny Irish Soda Bread Scones

Serving Size: 1 scone (1/6th recipe)

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon light butter
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 egg white
1/4 cup raisins

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a muffin tin with butter flavored cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, then cut in butter until the texture resembles wet sand. Mix in remaining ingredients and pour into muffin tin.
Bake for about 20 minutes and serve immediately. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Skinny White Chocolate Pudding

2012-03-09T22:23:00.005-05:00

I've recently become obsessed with homemade stovetop pudding. It's quick, easy, and can be made in oh-so-many different ways. My favorite flavor I've tried so far is white chocolate with berries on top. It tastes so decadent, but is really low in points. You can easily vary this recipe by adding milk or dark chocolate chips, cocoa powder, or just leaving it plain vanilla.

Skinny White Chocolate Pudding

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

2 2/3 cups skim milk

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar

2 Tablespoons white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

Fresh berries, for topping

Directions:

Whisk together milk, cornstarch, salt, and honey together in a saucepan. Cook over high heat for a minute then add chocolate chips and vanilla. Whisk until pudding thickens, then pour into ramekins, top with fruit, and serve hot. Or chill and serve cold, it tastes great both ways!

Skinny Cottage (or Shepherd's) Pie

2012-03-09T01:09:00.008-05:00

With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, I've been experimenting with lightening up some traditional (and not-so-traditional) Irish recipes. One of my favorite easy dinner recipes is cottage pie. It's got your meat, veggies, and potatoes all in one dish, and it is delicious (note how much was eaten from the platter before I got the chance to take a picture of it)! I like to make this with lean ground beef, but you could easily swap it out for ground turkey or make it a shepherd's pie with ground lamb. I also swapped the traditional mashed potato crust for my own skinny version of mashed "potatoes" with a secret, healthy ingredient: cauliflower. It really does taste like potatoes, and is a great way to trick picky eaters into eating their vegetables. The first time I made it them, I served them loaded with garlic, with chives on top, and watched my veggie-hating boyfriend eat a huge serving of them. I asked him if he liked the "potatoes," and he said they were delicious! Muah ha ha ha ha (that's my maniacal laugh).

Skinny Cottage Pie

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 4

1 lb lean ground beef

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 onion, diced

1 head cauliflower

1 small potato

3 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoon light butter

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, for topping

1 can tomato paste

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Red wine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil cauliflower and potato in a large pot until very tender. Drain, add butter, milk, salt, and whip using an immersion blender until the consistancy of mashed potatoes. Set aside.
Cook the mirepoix in the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Then add garlic and ground beef. Cook until meat is brown, then add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and a glug of red wine. Simmer a few minutes, then transfer to an oven-safe baking dish. Top with mashed "potatoes" and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until top is lightly browned.

Skinny Kale Chips

2012-02-23T20:36:00.005-05:00

When I first heard about kale chips, I was pretty skeptical. I mean, a leafy green as a substitute for potato chips? Come on. But I kept hearing about how great they were, and who doesn't want a healthy potato chip alternative? So I finally broke down and made them, and I have to say, they are fantastic! They get seriously crunchy, and when well salted, they really are a satisfying chip replacement. Plus, you can easily flavor them any way you like. They would be a great way to get they picky eaters in your house from your kids to your husbands/boyfriends (who are really just big kids) to eat their vegetables. So far, I've made them salted, and dusted with chipotle chili powder. Both ways tasted great. I used curly kale, but you can also use dinosaur kale which will come out flatter and more chip-shaped. If anyone tries with dinosaur kale, let me know how they come out!

Skinny Kale Chips

Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 0

1 bunch fresh kale

Olive oil flavored cooking spray

Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Wash kale and dry very well. Cut or tear kale away from the stem and into bite-size pieces and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray with a light mist of cooking spray, salt well, and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. Flavor any way your little heart desires and enjoy!

Skinny Mardis Gras: Oven Baked Beignets

2012-02-21T03:44:00.007-05:00

Diet friendly doughnuts. I won't bother commenting on them, as I assume you'll want to get straight to this recipe.

Skinny Oven Baked Beignets

Serving Size: 3 doughnuts (à la Cafe Du Monde)

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1/4 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoon light butter , cold and cut into pieces

3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, for topping

Directions:

Put warm water in a small bowl and add yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is the consistency of wet sand. With a fork, stir buttermilk and egg into yeast mixture until blended, then make a well in the flour mixture and pour wet mix in. Stir until combined.
On a floured surface, knead dough until it's smooth. Spray the large bowl with cooking spray and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
Spray a couple cookie sheets with cooking spray (or line with a silicone baking mat), then on your floured surface, roll dough out until it's a 9x9 square. With a pizza cutter, slice dough into 36 squares. Place on cookie sheets and cover. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and there he dough rise for 20 minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm with cafe au lait. Happy Mardis Gras!

Skinny Mardis Gras: Oyster Po' Boy

2012-02-18T23:30:00.010-05:00

This Tuesday is Mardis Gras, and I figured that was as good an excuse as any to cook up some delicious Cajun food. I used to celebrate Fat Tuesday by eating the worst food I could imagine (think bacon cheeseburgers with doughnuts for buns). Now, I realize that I can just eat lighter versions of the foods I love, and not have to spend 40 days fasting to make up for that one Fat Tuesday. This year, I'm calling it Mardis Maigre!

Skinny Oyster Po' Boy

Serving Size: 1 sandwich

WW PointsPlus Value: 7

Whole wheat baguette, cut into 4" sections

16 ounces oysters, shucked

1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour

1 cup lettuce, shredded

1 Tablespoon mayo

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine mayo, Greek yogurt, and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Mix the flour and breadcrumbs together and season mixture well with salt and pepper. Dunk the oysters in the buttermilk, then coat well with breadcrumbs. Spray with a light coating of cooking spray, then bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
While oysters are cooking, assemble your sandwich. Pull out the insides of the baguette and either discard or store for another recipe. This gives the bread more storage room to hold the sandwich innards while lowering the carb count, as well. Spread 1 Tablespoon of mayo mixture on the bread, and pile with lettuce. When the oysters are done, add them to your sandwich, and et voila! You have a delicious, skinny po' boy.

Skinny French Fries with Chipotle Ketchup

2012-02-16T20:52:00.005-05:00

I love french fries. I like potato fries, sweet potato fries, butternut squash fries, and pretty much any other vegetable that can julienned, fried, salted, and dunked in ketchup. When I first started Weight Watchers, I completely gave up fries. Then, after a few miserable, fryless months, I decided to find a healthier alternative. Butternut squash fries were the big winner. They're reminiscent of sweet potato fries, but much healthier. They're tricky to get crispy, but I found that drying them well and baking them on a rack produced some pretty tasty results. But, they still weren't the french fries that I grew up with and aren't what I'm looking for when I'm really craving fries. So I came up with a happy medium: healthy, baked, potato french fries.

Skinny French Fries with Chipotle Ketchup

Serving Size: 1/2 recipe + 1 Tablespoon ketchup

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1 medium potato

Kosher salt

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/4 cup ketchup

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potato into sticks of your own desired thickness. Spread out on a few paper towels, and sprinkle well with the Kosher salt. This will draw the moisture out of the potatoes (so they will get nice and crispy in the oven). Let the salted potatoes sit for a few minutes, then squeeze the moisture out with paper towels. When they're nice and dry, coat them in oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
While fries are baking, combine chipotle chile and ketchup in a blender until smooth. I like spicier food so this is how I make mine, but you can remove seeds from chile and add more ketchup if you want a milder sauce.
When fries are finished baking, you can pat off any excess oil with a paper towel. Serve immediately with chipotle ketchup.

Skinny Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

2012-02-16T00:08:00.005-05:00

I've been on kind of a baking kick lately. It probably has something to do with the fact that the boyfriend and I are doing the yearly 3 month booze fast, and baking is something to do during the cold winter nights. Since I already made cupcakes and cookies last week, I decided to make a cake. After all the chocolate flavored treats from Valentine's Day, I wanted something fruity and light. This cake was perfect. I had it as an after-dinner snack with a cup of tea, but I suspect it might taste even better with a cup of coffee tomorrow morning (if it has fruit in it, you're allowed to have it for breakfast...true story).

Skinny Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Adapted from Gourmet

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of recipe)

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 egg
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly flour a 9 inch round cake pan. Whisk dry ingredients together. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat for a few minutes. Then gently mix in buttermilk then flour until just combined.
Pour batter into cake pan, then scatter raspberries on top. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick insterted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve sprinkled with a bit of sugar, or drizzled with honey.

Skinny Valentine's Day Breakfast: Chocolate Crepes with Nutella and Banana

2012-02-13T22:54:00.008-05:00

I thought I'd post one last Valentine-related recipe before tomorrow, and since I already covered dinner and dessert (and more dessert), I thought I'd do a sweet little breakfast. I had leftover Nutella from the cookies I made, and I thought chocolate crepes would make a great Valentine's Day breakfast. I love fruit and Nutella filled crepes, and these would be great with strawberries, bananas, or even both!

Skinny Chocolate Crepes with Nutella and Banana

Serving Size: 2 crepes

WW PointsPlus Value: 4

1 cup skim milk

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 egg

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nutella (about 1 teaspoon per crepe)

banana slices (or strawberries)

Directions:

Whisk together milk, flour, egg, egg white, cocoa, water and vanilla extract. Lightly mist a frying pan with butter flavored cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and tilt in a circular motion until there's just a thin layer of batter. Cook for a minute or so per side, until done.
Spread about 1 teaspoon of Nutella on each crepe, fill with fruit slices, then roll like a burrito. Cut each crepe in half and arrange in a heart shape on your plate (but only if you're feeling super cheesy...otherwise just eat in the normal shape). Sprinkle with sugar, and serve to your loved ones. Happy Valentine's Day!

Skinny Valentine's Day Dessert: Salted Nutella Cookies

2012-02-12T19:11:00.008-05:00

I just bought a new silicone baking mat this week, and was dying to try it out, so I decided to make some Valentine's Day cookies. I wanted to make a unique cookie recipe, something that you wouldn't find at the grocery store. I was craving salt, so I already knew I would make a salted cookie. Then, while shopping for baking ingredients at the store, a jar of Nutella caught my eye. I don't know anyone who doesn't love that chocolatey-hazelnut spread, and it seemed just sexy enough for a Valentine's Day cookie. These were a total experiment, and I was surprised at just how well they turned out. They might be the best cookies I've ever made, and surprisingly low in points, too. This recipe will make about 32 cookies, so they would be perfect to bring to a Valentine's Day party!

Skinny Salted Nutella Cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

½ cup light butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup Nutella
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt (for sprinkling)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugars, then add egg, vanilla, and Nutella. Add dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.
On a parchment paper (or silicone mat!) lined baking sheet, drop tablespoons of dough, evenly spaced. Then using a fork, or just your fingers, gently press the cookies flat. Sprinkle each cookie with a bit of the Kosher salt. Bake about 10-12 minutes (shorter baking time for chewier, and longer for crispier cookies). Serve with a hot cup of tea or coffee. These make a fantastic cold weather treat!

Skinny Valentine's Day Dessert: Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes

2012-02-11T23:29:00.007-05:00

I already posted a Valentine's Day dinner recipe, but I thought I'd also do some chocolate baked goods. Valentine's Day is an excellent excuse for chocolate. At first, I was going to make some red velvet cupcakes (the sexiest of all the cakes), but since I usually like to have those on my birthday in March, I decided to try something a little different. Instead of red food coloring, why not go even sexier, and use red wine? These cupcakes are easy, fantastic, and have such a strong flavor that they don't even need frosting.

Skinny Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

WW PointsPlus Value: 4

5 Tablespoons light butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup red wine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Then add egg, red wine, and vanilla and beat for a few minutes. Then stir in dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Pour batter into cupcake tin, filling cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and hey, since you already opened that bottle of red wine...

Skinny Valentine's Day Dinner: Scallops on Mini Potato Pancakes with Caviar Sauce, Frisée Salad, and Champagne Marinated Grapes

2012-02-09T20:50:00.008-05:00

Valentine's Day is less than a week away, so I thought I'd post a few recipes for the occasion. If you're anything like me, a restaurant is the last place you want to be on Valentine's Day. I'm not a fan of the overpriced prix-fixe menus, and chances are every restaurant will be packed and noisy. Not quite my idea of a romantic evening. I would much rather have a quiet dinner at home where I get to pick my meal, and take as long as I want to eat it. I like to use the occasion to make something much more decadent than I would on any other night.

If you're in a couple, this recipe will be sure to impress your Valentine. If you're single, invite friends over to indulge with you!

Skinny Scallops on Mini Potato Pancakes with Caviar Sauce

Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe with 1 Tablespoon sauce

WW PointsPlus Value: 6

6 oz sea scallops

2 Tablespoons light butter

1 cup Champagne

1/4 cup fat free half and half

1 oz caviar

2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

1 small potato (1/2 lb), peeled

2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 egg white

1 small onion

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Make the potato pancakes first, you can keep them in a warm oven until you're ready to plate your dinner. Grate your potato and onion, then place into a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can (this will help make them crispy). Combine with egg white, flour, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Take a tablespoon of the mixture, and form into mini pancakes with moist hands. Spray a light mist of cooking spray onto a skillet and heat over medium-high. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Keep warm.
In a saucepan, bring Champagne to a boil with shallot slices and the bay leaf. Simmer for 15 minutes until reduced to a tablespoon. Then, lower heat, and stir in butter and half and half. When butter is melted, remove from heat and add caviar and chives.
Reheat your skillet to high heat and give it another coating of cooking spray. Sear the scallops a few minutes on each side until they're cooked through. Place 1 scallop on each potato pancake and drizzle a tablespoon of sauce over them. Serve with a frisée salad. I topped mine with blood oranges and bleu cheese, and a white wine vinaigrette. For dessert, have Champagne Marinated Grapes (recipe follows).

Champagne Marinated Grapes

Serving Size: 1/2 recipe

WW Points Plus Value: 2

1 bunch red seedless grapes

1 cup champagne

2 teaspoons sugar, plus another teaspoon for topping

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

Combine grapes, Champagne, 2 teaspoons sugar, and lemon zest in a ziplock bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, drain grapes and place into a wine glass and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar for a skinny, sexy Valentine's Day dessert.

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Buffalo Wings with Bleu Cheese Dipping Sauce

2012-02-02T17:04:00.006-05:00

If I had to choose only one snack to eat for the Super Bowl (or any other football game, for that matter), it would be Buffalo wings. I want them to be crispy and smothered in a sauce on the hotter side of the Scoville scale. I want to cool them off by dunking them into a pool of Bleu cheese dip. I want an endless mountain of fresh cut carrots and celery to snack on while my mouth is cooling off in between wings. Luckily, these taste just as good baked as they do fried, and are quick and easy to make.

Skinny Buffalo Wings

Serving Size: 2 wings

WW PointsPlus Value: 5

2-3 lbs chicken wings and drumettes

1/2 cup Buffalo style hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Season wings with salt and pepper, then broil for 10 minutes per side, until outsides are crispy and juices run clear. Toss in hot sauce, and serve while still hot with dipping sauce (recipe follows).

Skinny Bleu Cheese Dipping Sauce

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup Blue cheese, crumbled

1 Tablespoon mayo

Salt to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with Buffalo wings and lots of fresh carrots and celery to dip.

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Guacamole

2012-02-01T23:03:00.005-05:00

I make a great guacamole. Way before I got really into cooking...and way, way before I got into "skinny" cooking, I decided to come up with my own perfect guacamole recipe. It is my all-time favorite dip for my all-time favorite kind of chip (tortilla), so there was really no choice in the matter. There are two secrets to making the perfect guacamole: Simplicity, and fresh ingredients. There is no need to throw all sorts of crazy stuff into your guac...avocado is the star of this dip, and you want to compliment it, not cover it up. Because it's such a simple dish, you want each and every ingredient to be as fresh as possible. This dip is always a crowd pleaser, perfect for Super Bowl Sunday. It's another recipe which can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.

Skinny Guacamole

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1 large Hass avocado, seeded and peeled

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

1 small tomato, diced (optional)

Directions:

Ideally, you'd want to smash the avocado with a mortar and pestle. What's that? You don't have a mortar and pestle? Me neither. I use a potato masher, fork, or just pop it in the magic bullet when I'm feeling extra lazy.
Once the avocado is smashed, add all other ingredients and stir well. Serve with salty tortilla chips (for the record, those new Tostitos that claim to be "even crispier" absolutely are. I'd highly recommend them for game day).

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Onion Rings

2012-01-31T23:33:00.007-05:00

Here is another great Super Bowl snack. These onion rings are so quick and easy to make, and the recipe is easy to double or even triple to serve larger groups.

Skinny Onion Rings

Serving Size: 1/2 recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1 large onion

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon milk

1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

salt to taste

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice onion into rings. Mix egg white and milk in a small bowl, and breadcrumbs in another.
In small batches, coat onion rings with egg mixture, then dip in breadcrumbs. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spray with a light mist of cooking spray. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. These would taste great with my Skinny Buttermilk Ranch Dressing!

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Spinach Artichoke Dip

2012-01-30T22:47:00.005-05:00

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, I thought I'd post some healthy makeovers of classic football snacks. Most food served at Super Bowl parties is far from "skinny," so if you're having a party of your own, make sure to keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand. If you plan on attending a party, make one or two healthy snacks to bring, and make sure to eat a meal before heading over. You'll be more likely to overeat if you're hungry...especially after a couple beers.

This is a great dip which I like to make when I have people over. It's packed with healthy spinach and artichoke, but it's creamy and cheesy. Every time I make this, it disappears. I would serve this with multigrain tortilla chips or pita chips and fresh cut veggies.

Skinny Spinach Artichoke Dip

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1/2 lb fresh spinach

2 cans quartered artichoke hearts in water (not oil), drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 1/4 cup for topping

1/2 cup lowfat sour cream

4 oz lowfat cream cheese

salt, pepper, and red crushed pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook garlic and spinach over medium-high heat in a saucepan until spinach wilts. Remove from heat, and add remaining ingredients, except for 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Spoon spinach artichoke mixture into an oven-safe baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
Cook 25 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Remove and let cool 5 minutes before serving

Skinny Cuban Dinner: Picadillo with Tostones and Rice

2012-01-27T00:28:00.007-05:00

Whenever someone finds out that I moved up north from Florida, the first question is usually "are you crazy???" followed by, "I bet you really miss the weather, huh?". To answer those questions, no, and...not really. I have more good hair days without the humid Miami air, and I get to wear fun winter scarves and hats. Not to mention the boots (ohhh...boots). But the one thing I really truly miss is the Cuban food. In my time in Miami, I had some unbelievable Cuban meals. But as delicious as the food was, it was not healthy in the slightest. So now, I just cook Cuban food at home, using all my skinny tricks to make it as tasty as I remember, while still being low in points.

Picadillo is a very simple Latin dish, and you can combine it with any number of sides to make an amazing meal. I've made it with rice, black beans, tostones, yuca...it goes with anything! You can also use leftovers to make empanadas, papa rellenas, or even a Cuban style sloppy joe. I'm also posting a really simple mojo sauce which I love to use as a dipping sauce for tostones or yuca.

Skinny Picadillo

Adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 4

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tomato, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef

4 oz tomato sauce

1 teaspoon cumin

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup alcaparrado (I like to throw in a few extra capers, too)

Directions:

Season meat with salt and pepper, and brown in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
While meat is cooking, chop onion, garlic, pepper, and tomato.
Add chopped vegetables to the meat and cook on low heat. Add alcaparrado along with about a tablespoon of the brine, cumin, and bay leaf. Add tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of water and stir. Reduce heat to low, and simmer covered about 15-20 minutes.
While meat is simmering, prepare rice to serve wtih the picadillo.

Skinny Tostones

Adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Serving Size: 1/2 recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1 green plantain

2 teaspoons canola oil

Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice plantain into 1" thick slices. Toss with oil and salt, place on a baking sheet, and cook for about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven. For this next step, you'd ideally want a tostonera to press the plantain slices flat...but if you don't have one (I don't), you can just press them with a heavy can under a couple sheets of parchment paper.

Put pressed plantains back on the baking sheet with the browned side down. Spray with a bit of cooking spray if you like, then bake for another 20 minutes or until crispy. Serve with mojo sauce (recipe follows).

Skinny Mojo Sauce

Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon

WW PointsPlus Value: 1

1/4 cup bitter/sour orange juice (or a 2:1 mixture of orange to lime juices)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, chopped

Salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano to taste

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together and serve on the table with tostones. I know it's delicious, but try not to drink it. Not while anyone's looking, at least.

Skinny Mac and Cheese with Apple Chicken Sausage and Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

2012-01-25T23:31:00.011-05:00

When I was in college, I gained my freshman fifteen...and then some. Around my senior year, I couldn't stand it anymore and went into a crazy weight loss frenzy. I would have black coffee for breakfast, a spinach salad with no dressing for lunch, and a cup of brown rice with vegetables for dinner. I also spent hours every day at the gym, weight training, running, and boxing. The extreme lack of caloric intake combined with so much exercise caused me to shed tons of weight right away. I was the weight I thought I wanted to be, but the lack of food (and the blandness of the food I was eating) made me miserable. The exercise felt like a ball and chain that I would have to drag around with me for the rest of my life. I thought I would have to keep that lifestyle up forever to stay thin, and it was too overwhelming. So I stopped. I immediately gained 10 lbs, because I started actually eating again, but I ate in moderation, and maintained that weight for a bit. Until...I moved in with my boyfriend. It's fairly common knowledge that with domestic bliss comes weight gain. My clothes stopped fitting, so I bought bigger pants. It's okay, I thought, I'll just start losing weight next week (but I didn't). Then those pants got small, and so did all my cute little dresses. But I still thought, I'll just start running again (but I didn't). Other lies I told myself: I already know how to lose weight (yeah, it was an eating disorder, and made me miserable)...I don't need the help of Weight Watchers (yes I did)...besides, Weight Watchers is just for people who are really fat (no it isn't) and I'm not that fat (yes I was). Thankfully, last Spring, I recieved a much needed gift from my mom: a Weight Watchers membership. I'm so grateful for this gift, because it was honestly just what I needed. Now, 8 months later, I'm nearly 40 lbs lighter. I'm 4 dress sizes smaller. When I stepped on the scale this morning, the first two numbers were a 1 followed by a 2. The last time I was in the 120's was probably in middle school. I'm smaller now than I was when I was working out all the time in college.

So how did I do it?

Do I spend hours a day at the gym? Nope. I just walk the mile to and from work everyday.

Do I only eat a really super healthy/vegan/low carb/raw diet? Nope. I eat delicious food from all of the food groups, and haven't cut a single thing out of my diet.

Okay...really...how did I do it? I learned to cook meals I love with wholesome, healthy ingredients, and I eat them in the proper portions. It's really that simple.

The best part?

...I haven't been hungry for a second.

So here's a great comfort food recipe to try if you're like I was...struggling to start a weight loss program, and dreading health food. If someone had told me I could eat sausage-laced mac and cheese with a salad smothered in ranch dressing, I would have been thin a long time ago!

Skinny Mac and Cheese with Apple Chicken Sausage

Adapted from Al Fresco Recipes

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 9

16 oz package Al Fresco sweet apple chicken sausage

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon light butter, melted

12 oz whole wheat or high fiber pasta (I used orecchiette)

2 cups low fat shredded Cheddar cheese

1 egg white

12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package.
Slice chicken sausage. Heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan, and cook sausage until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine breadcrumbs with butter, and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees until crispy and brown.
When pasta is done, drain and return to pot over low heat. Stir in cheese, egg, and milk.
Cook until cheese melts and sauce thickens. Add sausage and top with breadcrumbs.
Serve with a salad of butter lettuce drizzled with skinny buttermilk ranch (recipe follows)

Skinny Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Serving Size: 1/3rd of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 1

1 Tablespoon ranch salad dressing seasoning mix (the powdered kind)

1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon mayo

1 Tablespoon lowfat buttermilk

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Drizzle over lettuce. Take a bite. You're welcome.

Skinny Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2012-01-24T00:23:00.007-05:00

I've heard a lot of people say that when they go on a diet and start to lose weight, they find themselves craving sweets more frequently. This was absolutely the case with me. I've always been all about the savory. If I'm going to eat a 500 calorie dessert, why not make it a cheeseburger? But when the pounds started dropping off, I wanted dessert all the freakin' time. I'm not sure what the medical reason is for this (if they don't talk about it on Grey's Anatomy or House then I'm in the dark), but I'm sure there's a long Greek word to describe it. Anyway, I thought I'd share a few tips with how to deal with these cravings:

1. Keep your fridge stocked with fresh fruits that you love. Nine times out of ten, my sweet craving can be satisfied with fruit. Fruit tends to have a high water content and loads of fiber, so it fills you up quickly. Not to mention it has a Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value of zero!

2. You already know how much I love nonfat Greek yogurt, seeing as how it makes an appearance in many of my recipes...but it's also a great dessert! I like to add whatever fruit I have on hand (see tip #1) to a 1/2 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt and drizzle it with honey. You can even add a bit of oatmeal or granola for a nice crunch.

3. If you're more of a baked goods fan, fill your pantry with healthy baking supplies, so when the urge comes to bake, you're ready. Stock up on whole wheat flour, oats, dark chocolate, and light butter.

4. Rice cakes. Quaker makes them in tons of sweet flavors, my favorites are apple cinnamon and caramel corn. These are a nice crunchy sweet, and you can eat them completely guilt-free.

5. After dinner, have a cup of tea. Luckily, living with an Englishman means there's rarely a shortage of delicious tea in our apartment, and I found that drinking a cup of tea after dinner is a good solution to the sweets cravings.

So here's a delicious cookie recipe that's healthy and will satisfy your sweet tooth. Since they're banana and oats, I would even say you could eat a couple of these bad boys for breakfast.

Skinny Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Serving Size: 1 cookie

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp light butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar

1 egg

1 very ripe banana, mashed

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups quick oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar. Then add egg, banana, and vanilla.
Stir in dry ingredients and oats until just mixed.
Drop rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and...hey, I said let them cool! Those were just in the oven, you're going to burn your -- oh well, don't say I didn't warn you.
Enjoy with that cup of tea we talked about earlier. It will give you warm cookie tummy. You can thank me later.