Stephanie Cooks

Eggplant Tomato "Stuffing" Bake

2018-03-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hold the phone... stop what you're doing... and try this. I'm not going to lie, when my Weight Watchers leader Julie was raving about this recipe yesterday I was a bit skeptical. She compared it to stuffing. Now, stuffing is one of my favorite foods in the whole world... and the key to stuffing is bread. But this recipe doesn't contain any bread. It only contains vegetables. As I bought the ingredients I was doubting Julie... but as I began to prepare this I saw the potential.

Now, I will never be someone who will tell you sugar free jello mix and Greek yogurt tastes EXACTLY like cheesecake, so I'm also not going to tell you this tastes exactly like stuffing. But the texture is spot on and the taste is fabulous. It's like an Italian stuffing... the eggplant bakes down soft and almost bread-like (especially if you let it get crisp which I did)... the other vegetables and the breadcrumbs work well together, and parmesan cheese if life, so this was amazing. A must try. I'm even going to make it for Easter because I think it's that good.

Source: Adapted from my WW leader Julie, who got it from a member named Dawn

2 Weight Watchers Freestyle Points for about 1/6 of this (about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

2 Large unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, then roughly diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Roma Tomatoes chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup of bread crumbs or panko
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp dried parsley

Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 400°
2- In a large skillet , add a little bit of olive oil over medium heat; saute onion, red pepper, and garlic until onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
3- In large bowl, combine tomato, eggplant, eggs, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and seasonings (except the dried parsley). Then stir in onion & pepper mixture until fully combined.
4- Spray Pam in a casserole dish. Then add mixture and cover with foil.
5- Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant is fork tender - about 40 minutes.
6-Remove foil and bake for additional 15 minutes until crispy. Stir. Return to the oven under the broiler for about five minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

7- Top with dried parsley and serve.

Sweet Thai Shrimp Stir Fry

2018-03-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

Confession: I like my shrimp overcooked. There. I said it. Now we can move on. I always knew I didn't like my shrimp the way most people did but this stir fry sealed the deal. As we were eating it John was raving and I thought they were too "juicy" so I cooked my shrimp more, probably to what most would consider rubbery haha, and loved them!

Weeknight meals are and always will be a challenge. With prioritizing my health it is not always easy to find weeknight meals I can get on the table and actually enjoy. This stir fry was perfect. It was full of flavor and easy to make. You can substitute any protein if you don't like shrimp, but you must try this!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

2 Weight Watchers Freestyle Points for 1/2 the recipe

Ingredients:
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 bag of frozen stir fry veggies (or substitute fresh), cooked
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet Thai chili sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1/2 lemon

Directions:
1- Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the shrimp. Cook on one side and then flip to the other.
2- Meanwhile in a bowl stir together the soy sauce, chili sauce, garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper.
3- After the shrimp are fully cooked stir in the sauce and the veggies. Mix well. Squeeze the lemon over the skillet and stir.
4- Serve hot.

Turkey Breasts in an Orange Pan Sauce

2018-02-26T17:50:00.001-05:00

I think I've mentioned before how much I'm loving "The Essential WW Freestyle Cookbook" from the WW centers (it's much cheaper in centers than at the link above, but you can get it on Amazon). There's a few recipes in there using turkey breast cutlets and I can honestly say I've never used turkey cutlets before. I had bought a pack with intentions of making a recipe in the cookbook and at the last minute just wasn't in the mood for it. A quick app search and I stumbled upon this recipe. I had everything on hand and just went with it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! I don't know what I was expecting (I mean, I like turkey!) but this was very good. The sauce was tasty but tricky to work with. Mine got super thick so I had to thin it with additional broth (the recipe below reflects the amount I used). This whole dinner took 15 minutes to make so it's perfect for a busy weeknight....and it's delicious!

Source: Adapted from the Weight Watchers app

2 Weight Watchers Freestyle points for 1 /4 of the recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound of turkey breast cutlets
Salt
Peper
Garlic powder
1/2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half an orange
2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch (I'd think you can even use less)
3 Tbsp chopped green onions

Directions:
1- Season the turkey breasts well with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the turkey and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through (about 2 minutes per side for thin cutlets). Remove from the heat.
3- In a bowl combine the juice, zest, broth, and cornstarch. Wisk well. Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir often. Stir in the green onions and add the turkey back into the sauce, flipping so it coats both sides.
4- Serve hot

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2018-02-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

I have been committing to Weight Watchers for over two months now and I am down 18.8 pounds. I am happy with my progress, happy with my fitness (I was really out of shape and am getting back-slowly- to increasing my endurance), and happy with how I feel about the journey. One area I've needed to work to increase my happiness is with my food. I have made great choices but I have missed some of my old comfort foods. I decided I really needed to find ways to work my favorites in (hello cheese... pasta...bread...BACON!) and work to lower the points on these items. This chicken is a perfect example of this.

This chicken was indulgent tasting. The flavor was incredible but the points were low. With the exception of the bacon this is a recipe I always have all the ingredients for on hand so it's an easy weeknight meal.

4 Weight Watchers Freestyle Points per breast

Ingredients:

3 slices of center cut bacon

2 6oz chicken breasts (not the thin ones)

2 wedges of Garlic and Herb Laughing Cow cheese

2 tsp grapeseed oil (or any oil)

1/4 cup Cornflake crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1- In a large frying pan cook the bacon. Remove from the pan and crumble. Clean out the pan to remove the grease.

2- Preheat the oven to 375.

3- Take each chicken breast and slice it in half in the middle so you can open the breast. Do not slice it all the way through, leaving it connected on one side.

4- Spread one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese on each breast. Top with half the crumbled bacon.

5- Close the breast so the filling is covered. Dip the chicken into egg and the cornflake crumbs. Season with salt/pepper/garlic powder.

6- Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and allow it to brown. Flip and allow to brown on the other side.

7- Transfer to an oven safe dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Asian Chicken Pineapple Lettuce Wraps

2018-02-13T19:33:00.001-05:00

It's not often that I make a meal and feel I need to blog it immediately, but this... this is one of those meals. Actually, as I'm typing this John is in the background finishing off this whole recipe... I think he's on his 6th lettuce wrap. Yup... it's that good. The peanuts add a great crunch, the pineapples add a great sweetness, the sauce is flavorful and just so good. I can pretty much assure you this will be a staple in our house. I'd happily serve it with rice, as lettuce wraps, or just in about any way you can imagine this!

The original recipe calls for mango but we prefer pineapple so I did make the modification, but you can swap out the pineapple for mango.

3 Weight Watchers Freestyle points for 2 wraps (4 servings total of 2 wraps per serving, 8 wraps for the whole recipe)

Source: Adapted from "The Essentials WW Freestyle Cookbook"

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Salt
2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
8 large Bibb lettuce leaves
1/4 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

Directions:
1- Toss the chicken with flout and salt. Stir well.
2- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and begin to cook. While it's cooking stir the soy sauce and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
3- Add garlic, ginger, and scallions to the skillet. Stir. Add the sauce and continue cooking until the sauce coats the chicken and the chicken is cooked.
4- Stir in the pineapple and peanuts.
5- Remove the chicken mixture to a bowl. Divide evenly between 8 lettuce leaves.

Chicken Basil Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

2018-02-08T20:42:00.000-05:00

Lately meal planning has been a really daunting task. I can't figure out why. I'm someone who loves to eat and cook, but for some reason lately the pre-planning is making me nuts. Someone at my Weight Watchers meeting was raving about the new "The Essential WW Freestyle Cookbook" sold at meeting centers so I decided to pick it up. I figured any inspiration would be a good thing.

The first recipe I tried was this stir fry. The original recipe calls for turkey but I chose to substitute chicken. Overall I kept the recipe pretty identical except I added more noodles because my store had a limited option with the noodles and I ended up buying a pack of precooked "heat and serve" rice noodles. This recipe was very good. I think next time I'd add some sriracha to give the sauce some heat, but otherwise we all loved it.

Source: Slightly adapted from WW Freestyle Cookbook

6 SmartPoints on the WW Freestyle program (per 1 3/4 cup serving)

7 ounces thin rice noodles, cooked
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/4 tsp salt
4 teaspoons grapeseed oil (or canola)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups broccoli florets
2 small orange bell peppers, thinly cliced
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Directions:
1- Whisk together the broth, soy sauce, and corn starch. Set aside.
2- Sprinkle chicken with salt. Heat pan with 2 tsp oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the chicken and stir-fry until browned and cooked. Set aside on a plate.
3- Wipe out the skillet and add remaining oil. Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add broccoli, bell peppers, and scallions until veggies are tender-crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
4- Add the chicken, basil, and noodles to the skillet. Whisk broth mixture again and pour over skillet. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat until the sauce thickens.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cup each.

Baked Chicken and Onion Rice

2018-02-05T19:54:00.001-05:00

Well, hello out there! I've been chugging along on my Weight Watchers train but I haven't really been making anything new in the kitchen. Last week I feel into a dangerous habit- I didn't meal plan. I had stuff in the house, plenty of low point options, but I didn't plan. You know the old saying... "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Well, I was NOT looking to fail, but I definitely set myself up for a hard week. Every night was a battle to try to figure out what to make. Nothing I made last week was worth blogging, but I can finally say I committed to meal planning this week and have some good stuff coming your way.

The original title of this recipe is "Mom's Chicken and Rice" from Daily Dose of Pepper but it felt kind of... wrong... calling it that when this isn't MY mom's recipe haha. I made this a few weeks ago and it was everything I'd hoped for. It was carbs and more carbs, coated in sauce... carbs and sauce are pretty much my thing... so this was good. I also loved how easy it was to prepare. Sundays have become a bit of a meal prep marathon around here so I assembled this first and then stuck it in the fridge while I assembled everything else. So easy. This is husband approved, kid friendly... a winner.

4 Freestyle Smart Points for 1 heaping cup

Ingredients:
1 10.5 oz 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 10.5 oz can of water
1 cup white rice
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast , raw
1 packet lipton recipe secrets onion soup mix (dry)
Cooking Spray
Salt & Pepper

Instructions:
1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2-Chop up chicken breast into small, uniform bite-size pieces.
3- In a large bowl, add chicken breast, soup mix, cream of chicken soup, water, and rice. Mix well until combined.
4- In a lightly sprayed casserole dish, add the chicken and rice mixture. Cover with tin foil.
Bake into the oven for 1 hour. Be sure to leave the foil on tight the whole time to properly cook the rice.

Lighter Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake

2018-01-28T20:04:00.000-05:00

This has been a WEEK. I had an ear infection and missed a bunch of work, John has strep, and the kids are doing just fine (thank goodness) but when they're at full energy and we're both down... let's just say, it's been a week. I meant to blog this days ago but hey man, what can I tell you... we were in survival mode 'round here.

I am all about egg noodles. If I had to pick a favorite shape of pasta this might be it. I love the flat noodles, their curled edges, the smooth texture... oh man, I want some right now. Hazards of a food blogger, I suppose! Anyway, I have made a similar version to this meal countless times but I lightened it up a bit and it was perfection. I LOVE Pecorino-Romano cheese but you could lighten it up more by cutting back on that if you wanted. I suggest you don't, but you know... #choices

9 Smartpoints for 1/3 of the recipe on the Weight Watchers Freestyle program

Ingredients:
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper
1 packet Knorr pesto sauce mix, prepared with JUST water, no oil
6 ounces dry egg noodles, cooked
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts (I used rotisserie breasts)
9 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, divided

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- In an oven safe baking dish place your cup of cherry tomatoes. Spray with olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the skins start to pull back and burst. Remove from the oven and mash with a fork or potato masher.
3- Stir the cooked tomatoes into the prepared Knorr pesto sauce.
4- Transfer the cooked egg noodle and chicken breast to a baking dish. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano cheese. Fold in the sauce.
5- Bake the pasta for 15-20 minutes on 350.
6- Top each 1/3 of the recipe with one tablespoon cheese. Serve hot.

Lightened Up Spinach Dip

2018-01-22T20:08:00.002-05:00

I have been making my Knorr's spinach dip recipe for at least 10 years now. I make it for every holiday I host (which is at minimum 3 a year) and for any event I attend. No matter where it goes people love it. So when I first tasted Greek nonfat yogurt and gagged (I'm sorry to all you lovers of it... I think it's so gross haha) I knew it would be the perfect sour cream substitute. I thought of all the ways I could use it and making this dip came right to mind.

Let me just say, this is life changing people. Life changing. The whole entire recipe is 4 points. I've been eating it in 1-2 tbsp servings so I count it as 0sp, but even if you sat down and went to town on the whole entire dip it's still so low in points! I love it for dipping my pretzels, Good Thins "The Corn Ones" crackers, veggies... you name it, I'm dippin' it in this stuff. It's easy to make, it's super low in points, and it's delicious. You must make it now!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

4 Weight Watchers Freestyle Smartpoints for the whole recipe (0 sp for 1/10 of the recipe, approximately 3 tablespoons)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Greek nonfat yogurt
5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and all the water squeezed out
1 packet Knorr/Lipton vegetable soup mix (40g size)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt to taste

Directions:
1- Combine all the ingredients and stir well. Be sure to get the spinach well distributed.
2- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Personal Pizza Crust

2018-01-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

Two ingredient dough has taken the internet (errr... I guess I should say the Weight Watchers internet) by storm. I tried it over a month ago to make 2 ingredient bagels and was a big fan. The basic dough recipe is just 1/2 cup Greek nonfat yogurt and 1/2 cup self rising flour. That is the base and from there you can do whatever you want with it. I've seen people make doughnuts, calzones, strombolis, biscuits, bread sticks, and more. I have used it to make a personal pizza dough a few times now and I have to say it's really a great use! The best part is you don't need to mess with yeast, you can make it in under 5 minutes, and it crisps up beautifully if you cook it on a pizza stone.

My one cautionary tale here is I still haven't perfected how to cook it on my pizza stone because the yogurt seems to just be a little stickier than traditional crust. I'm thinking the go-to method will be parchment paper on top of the pizza stone. I hate when my dough sticks to my stone and I lose the crispy bottom! That issues aside this has been a go to recipe for me when I'm not sure what to make for dinner!

6 Points on Weight Watchers Freestyle (for just the crust- Some flours will make it only 5sp so check your brand!)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/4 tsp Italian seasonings
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 425. Stir your seasonings into your flour mixture. Mix well.
2- Add the yogurt. Slowly work the yogurt into the flour. You will need to use your hands to get it fully incorporated.
3- Transfer the dough to a work surface. Kneed and fold the dough several times until it's smooth. Roll out your dough.
4- Transfer the rolled out dough to a preheated pizza stone (or just on a baking sheet).
5- Allow the dough to bake for about 10 minutes or until it is slightly golden brown around the edges.
6- Remove your stone and top your pizza with sauce, cheese, and any toppings you may like.
7- Bake until cheese is melted.

Crockpot Marinara Sauce

2018-01-19T20:05:00.001-05:00

Once I was back on Weight Watchers one of my complaints was with the points of most tomato sauces. I use tomato sauce multiple times a week and I was sick of spending a few points each time. This week alone I used it for a pizza (recipe coming soon) and a chicken parm meal I made. My favorite jarred sauce was 3sp for 1/2 a cup and to me that was a "waste" when I knew I could get an equally good sauce for 0 points.

I've made homemade sauce a million times but never without oil and or butter. When I saw the original recipe for this I knew it would be good but I worried I'd really miss the fats I usually add. I can honestly say I did not! I modified the original recipe a bit to make it work with what I had on hand but it was still delicious. I ended up freezing the majority of it in my silicone muffin tin. Each "muffin" holds 1/3 cup of sauce so I can easily grab as many or as few as I need. I chose to use silicone because once they were frozen it was super easy to just invert the tray and pop them all out!

Source: Modified from Daily Dose of Pepper

0 sp on Weight Watchers Freestyle

Ingredients:
3 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic, minced, or 3 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup dried chopped onion (or 1 small fresh onion, diced)
3 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
1- Combine all ingredients in the crockpot. Allow to cook on low 6-8 hours.

No Recipe Needed Ranch Dip

2018-01-17T19:00:00.001-05:00

Seriously, the title says it all.... this really does NOT need a recipe. In fact, I'd venture to guess most people reading this have made this dip before if they're on Weight Watchers. My coworker was eating this the other day and let me try it- let's just say ever since then this has become a staple in my house. It tastes like the creamiest ranch dip ever. I hate nonfat Greek yogurt on it's own so I was reluctant but this is delicious. Everyone enjoys it here so to me that makes it a complete winner.

I have had this on sandwiches, as a dip for veggies, as a dip for pretzels, on buffalo chicken bites... you name it, I've probably dipped it in this. It's not fancy, it's really not even a recipe, but it's a staple!

0sp on the Weight Watchers Freestyle Program

Ingredients:
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp ranch dressing mix

Directions:
1- Combine the two ingredients. Stir well.
2- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Chicken Cacciatore Pasta Bake

2018-01-14T19:15:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that I love chicken cacciatore. It's one meal from my childhood that I still make (often) to this day. If I have an extra pepper and onion on hand you can pretty much guess that cacciatore is coming your way! This is a twist on my classic version, but a great make ahead option. I prepped the whole meal, minus the sauce, two days in advance and just added the sauce right before throwing it in the oven (if you add the sauce too far in advance it'll likely dry out).

There are many reasons I put on these pounds I'm working so hard to take off, but one of the reasons was I got lazy about cooking. It's just easier to eat a frozen pizza or some other frozen option than to cook when you come home from work and you're tired and have two little kids to care for. I've started really utilizing Sundays to get ahead for the week (like assembling this meal completely except the sauce... then when I got home and was ready to cook it I just stirred it in and baked). It's a learning curve but I'm proud to say in 5 weeks I'm down 10.6 pounds and still going! Meals like this help me to get there- they are hearty and comforting while also healthy and light.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

7 Smartpoints for 1/3 of recipe on the Freestyle Program*
*Points vary based on the brand of ingredients you use

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked pasta (I used white- you can use wheat and recalculate points)
2 cups of cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
1 bell pepper, diced into small pieces
1/3 cup diced onion
3 ounces of shredded light mozzarella cheese (I used Trader Joe's lite mozzarella which came to 3 sp)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (check the points- this can make the recipe more or less sp)
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients:
1- Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into the baking dish.
2- Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the pasta is hot.
3- Top each serving with 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

2018-01-07T19:32:00.001-05:00

Since I've recommitted to Weight Watchers my biggest struggle has been breakfast. I don't like eggs. I am not a big fan of yogurt. Truth be told when it comes to breakfast I love carbs- bagels, muffins, waffles... you get the idea. I've been having a protein shake, daily, for four weeks. It's gotten a bit monotonous (although I do really enjoy it) so I decided to try this recipe that I found on Instagram.

I had hoped these would be crispy but they were definitely soft. If you like oatmeal you will definitely enjoy these. They had a great flavor and were nice and portable for on-the-go breakfast options.

Source: Slightly modified from Instagram user "wwg4life"

5 Weight Watchers Freestyle Smartpoints for all 6 cookies

Ingredients:
1 packet of reduced sugar oatmeal (I used the maple brown sugar)
1 egg
1/2 banana
2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt
1 3/4 tablespoons self-rising flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Mash the banana.
3- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well.
4- Divide into 6 equal sized cookies.
5- Bake for 18 minutes.

Crispy Cheesy Crusted Chicken

2018-01-03T19:51:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow we are supposed to get a big snow storm (both of my kids are already off school!) and something about the threat of snow had me craving a comforting dinner. I've been back on Weight Watchers for almost four weeks now and while my body is handling the adjustments and is getting used to smaller portions, my mind is lagging. Tonight my mind wanted comfort- cheese, warmth, and all things carbs. What can I say... I am who I am!

I made this recipe using what I had on hand and my husband and I both loved it. The breading is just so darn tasty. Please note, when I specify points it's based on the ingredients I used. If you use a different brand your points may be higher!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

4 Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points per chicken breast

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
Paprika
1 ounce low fat cream cheese, softened
2 ounces low fat mozzarella cheese (I used Trader Joe's lite mozzarella which comes out to 1 point per ounce)
4 tbsp corn flake crumbs
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
Dried parsley (a few shakes)
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Put each chicken breast in the dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and some paprika.
3- In a bowl combine the cream cheese, mozzarella, corn flake crumbs, and garlic powder/seasoning salt. The mixture will be crumbly and loose.
4- Divide the topping over the two chicken breasts. It will be loose and not adhere to the chicken. Use a light coating of cooking spray over the two breasts. Sprinkle with dried parsley.
5- Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes or until your chicken is cooked through and the top is brown. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your chicken.

Everything Creamy Chicken Bubble Up

2018-01-01T20:46:00.000-05:00

Look, I'm not gonna lie... this was so good it was almost TOO good. As I've gotten back on track with my weight loss program the hardest thing for me to adjust to has been serving sizes. I may be physically satisfied from a serving but I'm not MENTALLY satisfied if that makes sense. I want more. MORE! But I'm resisting and sticking to my servings. I know it gets easier with time. Sometimes the brain can take the longest amount of time to adjust to change.

This meal was tempting though, it's just all the things I love in life. Creamy? Check. Chicken? Check. Cheese? Check. BREAD? Check. It was approved by John who was just so happy to see bacon. I mean, bacon and cheese are always a winning combo in the Stephanie Cooks kitchen.

Source: Slightly adapted from Drizzle Me Skinny

5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SmartPoints per 1/6 of the recipe

Ingredients:

7.5oz package of biscuits (This can be hard to find- I sometimes find them in a four pack or I did find an 8 oz package of light crescent rolls to use too)
4 oz softened light cream cheese
2 cups (8oz) cooked shredded chicken
⅓ cup light sour cream
¼ cup light ranch dressing
5 slices cooked and crumbled center cut bacon (low point bacon)
½ cup reduced fat shredded cheese
4 tsp Everything But The Bagel seasoning from Trader Joes

5 cherry tomatoes, diced

Directions:

1- Preheat oven to 375F, spray a 9x13 with some cooking spray.
2- Cut each biscuit into 6 pieces each and spread across bottom of your dish.
3- In a bowl mix your cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing and chicken together, add in 2 tsp of everything seasoning.
4- Stir well and spoon on to your biscuits, spreading evenly.
5- Sprinkle another 1 tsp of your seasoning on top.
6- Bake in oven for 30 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle your cheese, tomatoes, crumbled cooked bacon and final 1 tsp of seasoning on top and return to oven for 10 more minutes.
7- Serves 6, each serving is approx 6oz

Lemon Chicken Orzo with Broccoli and Tomato

2017-12-31T18:03:00.000-05:00

Ohhhhh....heyyyyyy! It's been... what? 8 months? Well, in those months life has gone on and I had basically decided I was done blogging. I "didn't have time" for this anymore and wasn't really passionate with the experience. However something changed and I'm back!

You see, I posted years ago about my experience with postpartum depression. To treat this I was placed on medication and this medicine led me to gain 30 pounds in the course of 3-4 months. I tried, desperately to lose the weight but couldn't. I then gave up and tried to accept that this was "just me" now. I tried hard to go off the medicine about a year ago but it was too soon. Two months ago I finally went off the medicine and am ready to tackle this weight that came with the medicine (and 15 pounds left over from my kids... so.... we've got a long trip ahead of us!) I rejoined Weight Watchers on December 8 and am down 8 pounds in three weeks! I've been making tons of great healthy recipes and really needed to start blogging again so I have a place to store them!

This recipe comes from Emily Bites, one of my all time favorites for WW recipes. I didn't modify her original recipe at all except to exchange asparagus for broccoli. I'm so excited to be back in the kitchen, back blogging, and back on the voyage of getting back to "me".

Source: Emily Bites

Makes 4 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)- 6 Freestyle SP

INGREDIENTS:

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon light butter (I used Land O’Lakes)
6 oz uncooked wheat orzo pasta
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups reduced sodium fat free chicken broth
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
Additional salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1- Combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a small dish and stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces in a gallon zip-top bag and add the flour mixture. Seal the bag and shake/massage it around until the chicken pieces are coated.
2- In a large saute pan, bring the oil over medium heat and then add the chicken. Stir to coat with the oil and then cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are cooked through and begin to brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a side plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Wipe out the inside of the skillet.
3- Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the orzo to the pan and stir to coat. Spread the orzo across the surface of the pan and allow it to cook for 2 minutes until a few of the orzo pieces begin to brown. Add the garlic to the pan and stir. Allow to cook for another minute.
4- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to simmer and cover the pan. Simmer covered for 4-5 minutes and then add the broccoli and tomatoes. Stir and re-cover. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Add the lemon juice, with salt to taste. Stir together and then add the reserved chicken to the pan. Stir to combine and serve.

Grilled Potato Packets

2017-04-29T18:42:00.000-04:00

The weather in NJ has finally gotten to the point where I can say, "Ohhhh it's grilling season!" Growing up it was always grilling season... my dad would be out grilling steak in the snow. I have to say I am definitely not that committed to the craft. Since I really only use my grill during the spring and summer I really look forward to it!

I had bought a few potatoes with intentions of making baked potatoes but at the last minute decided to throw them on the grill along with the steak I was making. These were to die for. I haven't had the best of luck with Pioneer Woman recipes but these were amazing. I mean... butter and cream really can't be bad. The sauce on these was incredible. I have a feeling these will be made again (and again) this spring and summer!

...you see that creamy sauce coating these? Mmmmm!

Source: Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
2 Russet potatoes, diced
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp light cream
Salt
Garlic powder
Dried parsley
Crushed black pepper

Directions:
1- Lay out two foil sheets.
2- Evenly place the foil in the center of each sheet of foil.
3- Top each pile of potatoes with 1.5 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of cream.
4- Season well with salt, garlic powder, parsley, and black pepper.
5- Roll up the foil to form a packet.
6- Cook on the hottest part of the grill for about 30 minutes.
7- Carefully open the foil. Stir well to get the sauce from the bottom to coat all of the potatoes.

Creamy Italian Chicken Rolls

2017-04-25T19:46:00.000-04:00

Let's start off with saying these should totally be called "ranch chicken rolls" but I got to the grocery store, saw I had written ranch on my list but had no idea why I wrote it, and bought creamy Italian instead. I got home and saw I planned to make these (originally with ranch) and was bummed! But, we improvised people, we did. And by "we" I mean *I* improvised, while Landon told me it looked "gross" and Emmie begged for yogurt, bananas, and anything BUT what I was making.

John loves "stuff wrapped in flaky pastry" (I think that's the scientific term for these things...) so I knew he'd love these. Tuesdays are easily my busiest day and since I'm just getting back into the groove of cooking these were a perfect meal option. I'm not gonna lie, these were super messy in the assembly process, but the end result was delicious. The dough wasn't really holding in the filling but I just pinched it together as best I could and they baked up beautifully. Best of all, this is the essential "semi-homemade" meal that I am able to make during the crazy weeknight routine.

Source: Adapted from Pillsbury

Ingredients:

1 roll of crescent rolls

Creamy Italian salad dressing (can sub ranch)

1.5 cups cooked chopped chicken (I used rotisserie)

1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 tbsp chopped green onions

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 375.

2- Roll out your crescent dough. Press the seams together to make one large sheet of dough.

3- Top with the dough with a thin, even layer of creamy Italian salad dressing.

4- In a bowl mix the chicken, cheese, and green onion. Add a tbsp of dressing and stir the mixture well.

5- Top the dough with the chicken mixture. Roll up long side in. Slice. Transfer the rolls to a cookie sheet topped with a silpat.

6- Bake about 20 minutes, until rolls are golden and cheese is melted. Serve with additional dressing.

Chicken Ramen Bowl

2017-04-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you, you guys are the absolute best. The BEST. When I posted on my blog's facebook page that I was coming back and about my struggles you were so supportive. It made my day! It also made me more accountable. Today was day 2 of me trying to cook more. As I was driving home from work (late... I have meetings on Tuesdays, got stuck at a broken train, detoured into stand-still traffic, you get the deal) I was so tempted to just throw a frozen pizza in the oven or grab takeout. Habits, particularly bad ones, are not easy to break. But... I didn't. And that my friends is a victory.

Evenings are hard for me. I get home with the kids around 4:30 (5:30 on Tuesdays) and my daughter is in bed by 6:30. That leaves me 1-2 hours to get both kids fed, bathed, etc. This time crunch has been one of the main reasons I've stopped cooking. By the time I unpack school bags, lunch boxes, art projects, and get the kids fed, I just am DONE. But I pushed through, and boy am I glad I did.

This was delicious. Better than I expected quite frankly. I didn't have many of the ingredients in the original recipe (that's what happens when you don't cook for a year!) so I made do with what I had and it was totally awesome. Best of all I got it on the table within 20 minutes. Woo hoo!

Source: Adapted from So Tasty So Yummy

Ingredients:
1/2 pound chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup broccoli
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
2 packets of ramen noodles (I used the soup and just tossed the seasoning packet)
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp garlic teriyaki sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Directions:
1- In a skillet heat the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until light brown and cooked through. Remove to a dish and cover.
2- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli for 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon (do NOT drain the water). Add the ramen to the water and boil for approximately 3 minutes.
3- Meanwhile, add the broccoli and peppers to the skillet. Sprinkle with corn starch and stir well. Add the broth, teriyaki sauce, and vinegar. Heat over medium heat.
4- Add the pasta and chicken back in to the sauce. Allow to heat and stir to coat the noodles.
5- Serve hot.

Um... So, It's been over a year, huh?

2017-04-17T17:56:00.000-04:00

Hello, old friend! I'm not sure if anyone is even out there anymore. It's been a journey since our last meeting. A little over a year ago I posted about my struggle with postpartum depression. Since then I have returned to work this past September and I can truly say that, emotionally, I have been doing well!

However... there's been a new struggle. I've gained a lot of weight. There. I said it.

If you know me in "real life" this is no surprise, but the truth is I just haven't had the energy to do anything about it. You see, one year ago I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I lost it all pretty quickly after having Emmie. I nursed her until she was 16ish months and when I stopped nursing I gained 20 pounds within 3 weeks. Yup. This happened with Landon too so I was expecting it, but that doesn't make it suck any less. My body really wants to nurse babies and doesn't like when I stop!

I am a solid 30 pounds over where I want to be and a huge part of that is that I just don't cook anymore. I am alone with the kids Monday-Friday from the time I get home from work until they're in bed so taking care of me has fallen completely to the back burner. Dinner was a necessary evil. We ate a lot of takeout, a lot of frozen pizza, and a lot of "no cook" meals (quesadillas, processed food, etc.)

I'm pulled in many directions right now. I work full time as a teacher, I am a mom to two little kids (5 and 1), and I also do a lot of work in education on a state and national level. This month alone I am presenting three times and flying to Denver for a national conference. To say "me time" is limited is an understatement.

I'll be honest, I'm not mentally "there" to diet right now. I tried a few months ago, was super diligent for a month, and only lost 2 pounds in that month. I accepted it, thinking it was because I had only recently stopped nursing so maybe my body was still adjusting, etc. I can't explain that month but it was definitely challenging on me mentally. I was TRYING to put myself first, which is darn near impossible as most mamas know, and it wasn't working. I was frustrated and gave up.

Lately it's been getting bad. I have wanted to avoid plans because I don't want people to see me. I'm embarrassed when I see pictures of myself or catch my reflection in a car or store window. So I think it's time to try to get back on track.

The track I'm getting on is cooking. I'm not even focusing on the weight for now. Instead I'm just working on cooking and eating real food again. I don't make any promises that I'll stick to this, but I'm going to try. In the ten minutes it's taken me to type this I've had to get up 7 times to help my kids ("More berries! More milk!") so I know it'll be a challenge (wait... make it 8 times... we needed MORE berries... again!), but I need to try. I make no promises of how often I'll be here, but the blog still be about food... with a bit of me chatting about the struggle that is trying to take care of yourself, your family, and everything else in the world.

Creamy Skillet Ravioli

2016-03-20T20:24:00.001-04:00

Is it just me or is your fridge full of half-used "stuff"? Half a jar of this sauce, half a bottle of that condiment, etc. It makes me nuts. Not nuts enough to be efficient and use them up, instead I often end up chucking jars that seem to have gone from good to questionable... but hey, nobody's perfect, 'm I right?

Growing up my favorite meal was ravioli with sauce. It's still pretty high up there but these days I tend to find it a bit boring. I threw this lil' number together in an effort to use up some of my half-used things (tomatoes and alfredo in this case) and mmmm was it a success. Landon, who eats approximately 1 food, said, "That smells DELICIOUS!" (He didn't taste it- but hey, we can't win them all...) Such an easy meal and it's so so yummy.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups Alfredo sauce (about 1/2 a jar)
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 package cheese ravioli
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Place tomatoes in an oven-safe skillet. Drizzle oil over the top and set in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the tomatoes skin begins to wrinkle and the juices begin to run out.
3- Meanwhile, cook your ravioli according to package directions.
4- Using a potato masher mash the tomatoes, releasing their juices into the skillet.
5- Stir in the alfredo and the garlic salt, stir well.
6- Gently fold the ravioli into the sauce.
7- Top with the shredded mozzarella. Return to the oven for approximately 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the sauce bubbles.

Ying Yang Cookies

2016-03-08T10:40:00.001-05:00

Before I even get into these cookies, thank you...from the bottom of my heart... for your support with my last post about my struggles after my daughter was born. The outpouring of love on facebook was amazing. So again, thank you. I love you guys.

Let's move on to the cookies, mmmmkay? I made these for a Superbowl party we were going to. Landon loves helping me in the kitchen so I knew I wanted to make some type of cookies but I wasn't feeling too inspired. I took my trusty cake batter cookie recipe, made two different types, smashed them together, and ta-da. These were delicious, fun to look at, and easy to make.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

White side:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 heaping cup M&Ms

Black side:
1 box chocolate cake mix
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Line cookie sheets with silpats or spray with non-stick spray.
3- In two separate bowls, combine the cake mix, baking powder, eggs, and oil. Stir well. Fold in the M&Ms to the white bowl and the chocolate chips to the black bowl.
4- Using a Tbsp measuring spoon scoop one Tbsp of each mix and press together gently, side by side. Lay on cookie sheet.
5-Place no more than 8 cookies on a sheet at a time, these are large and spread.
6- Bake for 11-13 minutes, just until the edges are slightly brown.
7- Allow to cook 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

The Honest Truth

2016-03-06T19:33:00.000-05:00

Cooking became a passion of mine shortly after I got married in 2008. I started this blog in late 2008 and found this little corner of the internet to be my safety spot. No matter how stressed, sad, happy, or busy I got, coming here and writing, editing pictures, and sharing my cooking was a stress reliever and a source of great pride.

But something changed.

I had my second child, my beautiful daughter, and suddenly... things changed.

For the first few weeks after Emerson's birth I had a strong case of the "baby blues." I had them with Landon too and after two weeks they passed. With Landon, when the "blues" passed I felt 100% like myself. I felt joy, stress, excitement, fear... all the emotions that go along with having a newborn. I remember by 6 weeks I was out and about, taking him to "mommy and me" classes, and resuming life as "normal." Better than normal... I was on cloud nine.

Six weeks after Emmie was born I still felt a little... off. Emmie was demanding in ways Landon wasn't, but all those emotions I felt with Landon- joy, stress, excitement, fear... they were different. I felt them, but I felt numb. It was like I was watching my life from the outside.

Having never dealt with any form of depression before in my life I didn't see the signs. I didn't see that my lack of desire to see my friends, my lack of interest in my hobbies (cooking, blogging, makeup, etc.) was non-existent. I assumed it was all because of adjusting to having two kids.

I chose to "fake it until you make it." I tried to ignore the voice in the back of my head saying something was wrong. I even came here... twice... and tried to start again. I figured if I just DID it, I just blogged, I just forced myself to do things I liked, I'd find the joy.

But I didn't.

I felt nothing.

I wasn't sad.

I wasn't crying.

I was numb.

(To the outside world I look like a mom

with a very new baby-about 2 weeks old- and a son, having fun at the park.

I assure you this was one of the worst days of my life, mentally,

and what was going on inside me is not even remotely showing on the outside).

But, that's not what postpartum depression is, right? It's being sad! It's wanting to hurt your baby! It's crying all day! I was just tired... right?

So I went on... and on... and on. For six months I told nobody that I was deeply struggling. Until one day when I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I hit a low point that scared me more than I can begin to explain. The numbness started to subside, but what was appearing was a feeling of nothingness. Of wanting to not be here. I didn't want to die, I wasn't suicidal, but I wanted to disappear. For a person who is generally very happy and finds the joy in all situations, this was shocking. What was happening?

I sat there on the couch, looking at a picture of Landon when he was 8 weeks old, and remembering the day I took the picture. I realized I had never been that happy, not one day, while I was caring for my daughter. And it wasn't her. Oh she is so perfect... she is such a joy and brings such light to my life... but I was so incapable of feeling joy.

Finally, I sought help. I went to my doctors and took the steps I needed to take. Now, 6 weeks later, I can say I am 100% back to being me. I've found my joy again. I've regained my hobbies, my interests, my passions in life.

And you know what? I'm not ashamed of my struggle. I'm not ashamed of how I felt because it doesn't mean I didn't love my daughter. It doesn't mean I wasn't a good mom. To the outside world you'd never know I was sick... but inside... where it matters... I was so sick.

I didn't need to write this post. Nobody comes here for life advice. But I couldn't really ignore this giant elephant in the room of my life. The truth is I mostly write this blog for myself. I'm never going to be a big time blogger, I have no interest in it, but this blog is also like a life diary for me. I look back on posts and remember why I made certain dishes, where I brought certain desserts, etc. I see posts and know that was the day I found out I was pregnant, or the day I bought a new car. Those stories aren't told here but to ME they are the story behind the posts.

And whether I wrote this post or not I'd always know why there was a six month lapse on the blog. Whether I shared this or kept it to myself the lack of posts would always signify one of the hardest struggled I've faced. So why not share this? Why not be honest? Maybe somebody reading this is struggling too, or has, or will... and all I want to say is it can get better. You can feel normal again. But you have to seek the help needed. There's no shame in medication, counseling, and admitting you need help. My only regret is not doing it sooner.

Chicken Fajita Pasta

2016-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

No lies... I made this so long ago I'm not even sure if it was pre-Emmie or post-Emmie, but it's been a long time. I do remember that whenever I made it I sat there eating it and thinking, "Why don't I cook more often? Gosh, I miss the days when I cooked regularly!" It was just so delicious. John and I both love fajitas and love pasta so I knew it had to be a winner. And, if I'm being honest, anything with campanelle pasta peeks my interest because it's easily my favorite shape. Is that weird? I mean I know it all tastes the same, but some are just more enjoyable than others. But with that said, this is flavorful, slightly creamy, and delicious. Make it soon!

Source: Slightly adapted from Kevin and Amanda

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope (3 tablespoons) taco or fajita seasoning
1 cup diced onion (about 1/2 onion)
2 cups diced bell peppers (2-3 bell peppers)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
8 oz (about 3 cups) pasta
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with half of taco seasoning. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat.

2- When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring until one side is seared and browned, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the chicken to the other side and cook until browned. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

3- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on high. When the oil is very hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly blackened.

4- Turn heat to low, add minced garlic, and stir until fragrant and well combined, about 30 seconds. Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.

5- In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

6-Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet and stir to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes.