Jicama Zucchini Salad

Jicama Zucchini Salad has been my new "salad of the week". And it uses a spiralizer. You can't beat that! Everyday Food published this recipe using cucumber instead of zucchini. I chose zucchini because I find it to be a little more filling. I currently have cucumber in the house and will be tempted to try this dish as written.

The Salad:

1-2 zucchini (spiralized)
1/4 jicama (spiralized)
1 tsp honey (or to taste)
fresh lime juice (I use 1/4-1/2 lime depending on the size of my salad.)
salt and chili pepper (to taste)

Mix together and serve!

Recipe Review: Cinnamon-Ricotta Cream

Waffles with cinnamon-ricotta cream make a good light meal. I divided the recipe across two waffles and topped with a banana. I still prefer my waffles with fat-free ice cream!

Potato, Pea, and Panir Curry

The Potato, Pea, & Panir Curry from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest is the best thing that I have made in a long, long time. OMG. So Good.

Please don't let the ingredient list intimidate you. All the spices can be purchased in the bulk food section and most cost between $.07 - $.25.

The spices were fragrant. I recognized their beauty after I dumped them into the dutch oven.

I was expecting to eat a large serving and was pleasantly surprised when I only needed a cup. I made minimal changes to the recipe and it ended up making 7.5 cups. I calculated the points based off of 7 (1 cup) servings. When I track this in my food journal, I tend to add another point. I don't know. I didn't feel right about only using 3 points for this dish. WW guilt, perhaps?

I will spare you from viewing all of the recipe builder images created with varying serving sizes. I still cannot believe only 3-4 points/serving.

Here's how it was made:

1. Thinly slice 2 large potatoes. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer until tender.

2. In a dutch oven, heat 1 TBSP oil. Add 1 TBSP mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, 3 TBSP sesame seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, and a pinch of thyme heat until the seeds begin to pop.

3. Add the cooked potatoes, 1 1/4 tsp salt and 5 cloves of minced garlic. Cook over med/low heat until potatoes are well coated.

4. Add 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice and 6 ounces fat-free Greek yogurt. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cayenne as preferred.

5. Add 2 cups peas and 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese. Stir together and cook until heated.

Hom Mak (Banana Pear Smoothie)

I came across this combination when reading, "The Elements of Life". The chef's original recipe suggests homemade almond or soy milk. I am a fan of almond milk, however, I find fat-free cow's milk to be more filling. Furthermore, I love checking off a milk box under the "good health guidelines" in my food journal.

I make this smoothie using:

1 cup fat-free milk

1 banana (sliced)

1 pear (chopped)

1 tsp honey

cinnamon to garnish

I have not added spinach to this mix, but think it would work great.

I like my smoothies to be 4-5 points. The recipe builder gives this recipe 6 points, but I only count it as 5.5. (My program is working for me and if it stops, I will change it to 6. And the individual components add up to 5.5.) One day, I will use frozen banana slices and would only use 1/2 a banana. This would reduce the total by one point. I enjoy the flavor of honey in this smoothie and simply cannot omit it.

Lastly, I love using mason jars to transport my liquids. They are great for salad dressings and soups.

Salsa Chicken

They had me at brown sugar.

Normally, I find WW recipes to be average and had high hopes that this one would be better. We had all the ingredients on hand! Bonus. It turns out that I did like this dish better than average.



I hate calculating points for things like this. I doubled the chicken (2 huges breasts - weight unknown) because I didn't want a use a whole jar of salsa for a small amount of chicken. (In the future, I may use one breast and 1/2 the salsa mixture. We had a lot of leftovers.)

My serving was 1/2 breast and therefore the recipe made 4 servings.


I served the chicken with green beans (0 pts for 1 cup) and quinoa (2 pts for 1/2 cup). There may have been dessert.

Review: Mushroom Pie with Spinach Crust

I made Mollie Katzen's Mushroom Pie with Spinach Crust (from "Enchanted Broccoli Forest"). The recipe called for "thick yogurt" and I decided to use a non-fat greek yogurt. I am not sure if that was right, because the yogurt flavor was strong. Overall, the recipe was good and I think I would make it again. (I tend to try new things instead of reusing tried and true recipes - unless they are quick ones.) I did dirty quite a few dishes. The original recipe suggests four servings. However, I felt that it makes 8 filling servings.

I ran the recipe through WW recipe builder and 1/8 the pie is only 3 points! I think it would be 3 points if you followed the exact recipe too. I made slight adjustments for the "modifications" that I made: 1. I used 9 ounces of spinach instead of 12; 2. I was also slightly short on mushrooms; 3. I shredded two slices of reduced-fat swiss cheese instead of using already grated swiss cheese. I didn't melt any additional cheese on top of the pie and only mixed it in the filling; and 4. I reduced the white flour in the pie crust from 3/4 cup to 2/3 of a cup to adjust for the lack of spinach.

Not bad for a filling meal. And I think if you wanted to eat 1/4 the pie, 6 points isn't bad either. And if you are a quiche person, the spinach crust is genius!

Ice Cream

I am in love with Skinny Cow Ice Cream cones. In San Diego, they cost approximately $4.99-$5.49 for a box of four delicious (3 point) treats. I decided that I could "make" something similar for much less. It isn't wise for me to bring caramel or chocolate sauce into my home. However, a drizzle would not add many points (depending on the brand) if your willpower is greater than mine.
I came home from the store with Black Cherry Chocolate Chip Low Fat Frozen Yogurt (90 cal, .5 fat, 0 fiber @ $2.99) and plain ice cream cones (20 calories, 0 fat, 0 fiber @ $1.49). I weigh the ice cream (70 grams) using my handy kitchen scale to make sure that I am getting my points worth!

What I like about Skinny Cow is that they come in single portions. Not that I always stick to one portion, but I am more willing to bring already rationed treats into my home over a giant container of frozen yogurt. It is my hope that the ice cream cones will maintain this single portion size mentality. I calculate the cone shown to be 2 points! I realize the replication is not even close to the original Skinny Cow love that I have had. But when it came down to points I went with the flat cone. And who can resist cherry ice cream smiles?

Favorite Salad of the Moment

Did I tell you that I love my spiralizer?!?!?!

My favorite salad of the moment is one zucchini, 1/2 cucumber and a carrot all spiralized together. I also add 1/3 of a chopped red bell pepper. It looks like this before I add the spicy Thai peanut dressing.

Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing

1 TBSP creamy peanut butter

1/2 TBSP rice vinegar

1/2 TBSP honey

1 tsp water

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 TBSP sesame oil

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

more than a pinch of red pepper flakes

Whisk everything together. Add the oil last and continue whisking until smooth. 

I don't measure the ingredients too closely. I like the heat balanced with the sweetness of the honey and peanut butter.

Simple Veggie-Wonton Soup

Simmer one box of chicken or vegetable broth.

With one package of frozen vegetables (I use Trader Joe's Harvest Hodgepodge)

and one package of frozen wontons (again, I use Trader Joe's).

Simmer until the vegetables and wontons are heated through. You may want to defrost the wontons before hand, but I don't bother.

Spinach & Beans

I made Fitnessista's Bean & Spinach dish. So simple. So good. If I remember correctly, saute 1/2 onion in a little olive oil. Add garlic. Stir in lots of baby spinach (almost 1lb) until wilted. Add desired amount of beans. Season with salt, pepper & lemon juice. I used hot sauce instead of cayenne. 

Graham Crackers Topped with Ricotta

When I am craving sweets, I spread low-fat ricotta cheese onto graham crackers to make a sweet and satisfying dessert.

This idea came from Jacques Pepin's Fast Food My Way. He adds an extra layer of dried fruits and a drizzle of honey. I imagine this to be sweeter than candy. 

Cottage Cheese Enchiladas

Cottage Cheese Enchiladas are my new favorite "after the gym" meal. 

The first time I made these I filled 3 corn tortillas with a dallop of fat-free cottage cheese, a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese, and green onions. It helps to heat the tortillas first (15 seconds in the microwave) to prevent them from tearing. Fold the tortillas and place them seam-side down in a baking dish. Cover the enchiladas with salsa verde and bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melted. Heaven. 

I started omitting the cheddar cheese (and the green onions when I don't have them on hand). Simply fill the tortillas with cottage cheese, top with salsa and bake. Still delish, if you ask me.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

I finally made the famous WeightWatcher's Angel Food Cake. Well, famous on the WW boards... I would make it again. I may even mix in low-fat coconut milk to make it a Pina-Colada cake. The cake is one million times better than the infamous Diet Coke cake.

Angel Food Cake

Simply mix together a box of Angel Food cake mix with a can of crushed pineapple. Bake in a 9 X 13 baking dish as directed on the package.

Serves 12 at 3 points a serving. Or make 1-point cupcakes.

Wasabi Coleslaw

Wasabi coleslaw is my new favorite summertime salad. I have made this coleslaw using extra wasabi and I loved the heat. I have also used less wasabi and more brown sugar; creating a sweeter taste. I prefer it the "wasabi way"; whereas my partner prefers the sweeter version. Either way it tastes light and refreshing.

Wasabi Coleslaw

Mix together 2 TBSP of wasabi paste with 3 TBSP rice vinegar, 1 TBSP vegetable oil, 2 TBSP (or less) brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir in 1 package of broccoli slaw. Yum!

Makes 3 - One cup servings.

The wasabi dressing would also taste great mixed with cucumbers as an alternative to the broccoli slaw. 

Polenta Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Spinach & Gorgonzola

I have a new food love and it is polenta. One of the many polenta dishes that I have recently made include polenta pizza. 

All you need to do is make the crust and add whatever toppings you fancy. I happen to fancy caramelized onions and cheese. 

Polenta Pizza

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup coarse cornmeal

2 onions, chopped

1-2 packages sliced white mushrooms (I don't know what size)

1 bunch of washed spinach

1 cup Gorgonzola cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  

3. Cook the polenta until thick and then spread onto the cookie sheet to form the crust. 

4. You don't know how to cook the polenta? In a sauce pan, combine 1/2 cup skim milk with 2 1/2 cups water (you may want to season with salt). When it begins to boil, reduce heat (to simmer), and add 1 cup cornmeal in a steady stream. Whisk until the mixture is thick. 

5. Sprinkle "crust" (remember you spread it onto the cooking sheet?) with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least one hour).

6. Caramelize the onions and saute mushrooms & spinach until desired texture is achieved. 

7. Bake "crust" until it begins to brown (25 minutes). 

8. Take "crust" out of oven, sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese and add toppings (vegetables). 

9. Bake until cheese melts.

The spinach was very crispy and next time I will make this pizza only using onions, mushrooms, and cheese. 

Per reader request, here is the NI for the crust based on 1/4 of the pizza:

The NI with the toppings (note it was calculated using raw onion and I believe the sugars in caramelized onions would increase the calories):

Recipe was taken (slightly modified) from the New York Times and I have also seen similar polenta pizza recipes in cookbooks (I think Vegetarian Times). 

Banana Beverage

This drink is perfect for a light snack or  a pre/post work-out refresher. 

Diet Porn's Favorite Banana Beverage

Blend one banana, with 1 cup milk (I used skim), and a splash of vanilla extract. Garnish with ground cinnamon. I will occasionally throw in protein powder depending on my food intake for the day. 

I chugged half the glass before I realized that I should take a picture.

Butternut Squash Tacos

I had this recipe bookmarked from Digginfood for awhile now and wish that I have made it earlier. It is one of the best new recipes that I have tried in a long time. It takes a little time and effort. I will use pre-cut squash from Trader Joe's to cut down on time in the future (and I don't think it will increase my expense either).  

Butternut Squash Tacos with Spicy Black Beans


1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup white onion, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1 ½ teaspoons coriander

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped (or 1 15-ounce can fire roasted, diced tomatoes)

2 15-ounce cans black beans

2 jalapenos
12 small corn tortillas
½ cup crumbled cojita cheese (or feta)
Lime wedges

Cook jalapenos until the skins are charred. (Either broil or on a hot skillet.) Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss squash and onions together with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add cumin, coriander, 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, and a teaspoon salt. Toss until well coated. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges of the squash and onions begin to brown. Rotate the pan(s) and stir halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, peel, stem and seed the chilies before chopping them finely. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes and garlic to simmer for five to ten minutes, or until the tomatoes reduce. Mix in 1 Tablespoon of the chili powder, chilies, and (undrained) beans. 

Cook the beans over medium heat for 15 minutes. 

To assemble the tacos, add a few spoonfuls of strained beans onto a warm tortilla. Add a layer of the squash mixture. Top with crumbled cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. (I actually added the lime juice to the beans.)

I Love The Breakfast Cookie

The breakfast cookie is my new favorite week day breakfast. I discovered this cookie on  The Fitnessista and made it with ingredients that I had in my home. 

The Breakfast Cookie

1/3 cup oats

1 TBSP almond butter

1 mini-box of raisins 

1 TBSP or so of skim milk* (enough to moisten the oats)

1 mashed banana

Mix everything together. Spread the mixture on a plate in the shape of a cookie. Refrigerate overnight. Eat with a spoon in the morning.

This cookie tasted like a new variation of my favorite muesli recipe that I found in Vegetarian Times over ten years ago. It was delicious, filling and simply felt healthy. I look forward to other variations as well as throwing protein powder into the mix. 

The calories are shown above. WWP = 6.

*I ordered a latte with skim milk and the Barista sighed, "You must be from the midwest." 

Me: "How did you know? That is amazing!" 

Barista: "Only people out there call fat-free milk: skim."

Kielbasa, Cabbage, and Potato Stew

What's with WeightWatchers writing a recipe that only calls for a cup of wine? Pretty cruel if you ask me.

If you like Kielbasa, you will like this stew.

3/4 lb (lite) turkey kielbasa, cut into small pieces
1 lb shredded cabbage
3/4 lb new potatoes, cut into chunks
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 3/4 c fat free chicken broth
1 c dry white wine
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the kielbasa in a large pot over medium high heat until it begins to brown, about three minutes. Add onion, cook another few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, cover and cook. Stir occasionally until the potatoes & cabbage are tender, 15-18 min. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Yield: 4 servings (6 cups total)
WWP: 5

Drink up.

Recipe Review: Zucchini Pancakes

I made Hungry Girl's Zucchini Pancakes last night. The first one was pretty good. When I started eating the other two pancakes, the texture was getting to me. (They are mostly made with zucchini, those tofu faker noodles, and pancake mix.) I dipped them into ff sour cream. I think they would be better with some seasoning/herbs and maybe something crunchy in the batter. I also would cut the recipe in half.

It is a lot of food for very little points, which is a plus. A decent sized pancake is only 1 point. I made them on our electric griddle. I was really full and didn't even finish the suggested serving size of three pancakes. (Recipe makes 15).  My other tip is do not smell the Tofu Noodles before you rinse them.

From HG's website (link above):
Noodlicious Zucchini Pancakes

2 x 8 oz. pkgs. House Tofu Shirataki Noodles (Spaghetti shaped)
4 egg whites or 1/2 cup eggbeaters
1 cup pancake mix
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup green onions (scallions), chopped
4.5 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup finely sliced fresh mushrooms

Rinse noodles well and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Combine egg whites, pancake mix and salt in a bowl. Stir in noodles, green onions, mushrooms and zucchini. Place skillet over medium heat, and coat with non-stick cooking spray. When hot, scoop 1/3 cup of the mixture (per pancake) onto the skillet. Cook until underside is golden, then flip and cook the other side. Continue until all the batter is gone. Makes 15 4-inch pancakes.

PER SERVING (1 pancake): 50 Calories, <0.5g Fat, 8 Carbs, 1.2g Fiber, 4g protein - 1 pt