Taco Salad Bowls

4 whole wheat tortillas
cooking spray
taco seasoning
1 large onion (diced)
8 oz. lean ground turkey
1 cup beans (kidney, black, pinto, etc)
2-1/2 tsp Chili powder
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp Salsa, divided
2 Tbsp light miracle whip
4 cups torn salad greens
1 large tomato
shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Crumple 4 large sheets of foil to make four 3-inch balls; place on baking sheet. Place 1 tortilla on top of each ball; spray tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with taco seasoning. Bake 6-8 minutes or until tortillas are golden brown. (tortillas will drape over the balls as they bake.)

Meanwhile, saute the onion in a large nonstick skillet. Then add meat, beans, and chili powder and cook until meat is done (stirring occasionally). Add 1/2 salsa; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Mix miracle whip and remaining 2 Tbsp. salsa in a large bowl. Add salad greens and tomatoes; toss to coat. Spoon salad mixture into tortilla bowls; top with meat mixture, cheese (optional) and cilantro (optional) (point value doesn't include cheese).

This one is kind of tricky to give you a points value for. You can really mix it up to get a lower point value depending on how many points you want it to be. BUT it's about 6 points per bowl.

The meat mixture is about 14 points. I didn't measure it this time but I'm guessing it makes about 10 - 1/2 cup servings (5 cups). So if you fill your taco bowl with lots of lettuce and top
it will 1/2 cup of meat it could be less than 6 points. I also use the Don Pancho High Fiber Low Carb Low Fat wraps and they are only 1 point per wrap. So that can bring the points down too. I generally don't put cheese on mine because it adds more points than I want. This is all sounding really complicated but it's not. Let me know if you have any questions and I will try and help out.

I've had fun with this recipe and am still trying to master making the perfect taco bowl. I put my tin-foil balls into a bag and store them so when I make the recipe time and time again, I'm
not needing to make the balls each time. Also, you can get creative with the spices that you use to season your tortillas. I've enjoyed the taco seasoning but you could use chili powder, season salt, etc. We enjoy this dinner! I make this for "Taco Night" a couple times a month and it doesn't ever disappoint.

Frozen Grapes 1 cup seedless grapes 1 ziplock baggy 1 freezer Measure the 1 cup grapes into a ziplock baggy and put in the freezer. Once they are frozen, eat and enjoy! 1 cup grapes = 0 PointsPlus

OK, so this is a snack that I've herd people mention a lot and I've never tried it because it just didn't sound that great. But yesterday I was reading a success story on weight watchers and the lady mentioned frozen grapes. I remembered that I had grapes in the fridge so I thought I would give it a try. I measured the grapes into a serving size just so I would know exactly how many points were in it. I had enough grapes to make three-one cup baggies. I put them in the freezer and anxiously waited for them to freeze. Later in the afternoon they were nice and frozen so I took out a baggy and enjoyed a one point snack...They were so yummy. They are like little round popsicles!

Zucchini Fries

cooking spray
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1-1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 medium zucchini, about 7 inches each, cut into 4 chunks, then each chunk halved
2 large egg whites, whipped until frothy (almost soft peaks)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour, and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.

Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray.

Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. Yields about 8 fries per serving

2 points per serving (about 8 fries)

NOTES:
Use this technique with any summer squash or eggplant. It also works great with thick-cut onion rings or even green tomatoes.

For extra crispy fries, increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees and knock 2 minutes off the cooking time.

(recipe came from a Weight Watchers email newsletter)

We really enjoyed this yummy side dish; they bake up nice and crisp. I would like to try different seasonings to make different flavors to mix it up. I used a little ketchup for dipping but then I started eating them plain and I liked it better that way...I could really taste the zucchini!

Oat-Baked Onion Rings

cooking spray
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 large onions, yellow, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and separated into rings
5 packets, uncooked instant oatmeal, 1 oz. each (about 2 cups total)
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 2 large baking sheets (I used cookie sheets) with cooking spray.

In a large shallow bowl or dish, whisk together egg whites and sour cream. Add onion rings and turn to coat. Transfer onion rings to a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Sprinkle mixture over onions and toss to coat. Spread onion out on prepared baking sheets and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Bake until tender and golden, about 40-45 minutes. Yields 1/4 of onion rings per serving.

points value: 3 per serving

We enjoyed these for dinner tonight. It is a recipe that can be played with and changed up to get different flavors. Kris liked them and said he would like to have them again. One change that I did make to this recipe is that I used regular rolled oat instead of the instant (it's just what I had on hand). I rolled over the oats with a rolling pin to break them up a little so they would spread farther over the onions. They are yummy and NOT full of grease! We dipped these in ketchup. I'm sure
any dipping sauce would be good (keep in mind some dipping sauces will add points). I have a recipe for zucchini fries that I want to try too. I'll post that recipe when I get around to making them. I got this recipe from WeightWatchers.com. They have free recipes that you can get off their site as well as in their free newsletters. I always like trying their recipes.

Bean Burrito

1 spray cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1-1/8 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I used the corn, green bean, carrot, Lima bean mix)
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried cilantro)
1 cup fat free canned refried beans
4 large burrito-size wheat flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
1/2 cup salsa

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat; add oil and heat until it sizzles.

Saute onions for about 3 minutes and then add mixed vegetables and cilantro to skillet; saute until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes more. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Spread about 1/4 cup of beans down the middle of a tortilla and sprinkle with cheese; top with a heaping 1/4 cup of vegetables.

Fold ends of burrito in and then fold one side of tortilla to center; fold in other side (like and envelope). Repeat with remaining burritos.

Rinse out skillet, and lay burritos in it on medium heat to toast each side. Top with 2 Tbsp of salsa ans serve.

Yields 1 burrito per serving (5 points each)

I really like this burrito. When I first read the ingredients I wasn't sure about it but I tried anyways and we really like it. I've changed it up from time to time...using garlic, omitting salsa and using taco sauce instead, sometimes I use fat-free sour cream, oh and I use mozzarella cheese instead of the Mexican mix because that is what I have on hand...there are a variety of ways to mix it up. I always double the recipe because then there is enough for my husband to make a few burritos for his lunch the following day. Also, there are Don Pancho Wraps that are 1 POINT per wrap and sometimes I use those to keep the POINTS lower.

Strawberry Yogurt Cake

1 white cake mix (dry)
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 egg whites
2 weight watchers strawberry yogurt (6 oz. each) or light yogurt (it's 1 point for 6 oz).
1 tub fat free whipped topping (8 oz.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan. Beat cake mix, water, applesauce, egg whites and one container (6 oz.) yogurt. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely. Fold remaining container (6 oz.) of yogurt into the whipped topping and spread over cake.

Serves 12-18 12 - 4 points each 18 - 3 points each

This is a yummy treat! It was moist and very delicious. FYI - I'm not sure what the reason was but the top of my cake started to burn after being in the over for a little while. I had it on the middle rack where I always put my cakes but it was going black. So I moved the rack down to the second to last rack. I was thinking this would be yummy with fresh strawberries on top or even mixed in with the cake mix. Also, if you wanted to try a different flavor of yogurt (blueberry, raspberry, etc) that could be yummy too. This is definitely a cake I will make again!!! I cut mine into 12 pieces for 4 points because I wanted a bigger piece. Oh, and I froze the left overs and ate a frozen piece the next day and it was kind of yummy frozen. (this recipe was given to me by a friend)

Spinach-Pasta Toss

1 can(14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 cup water
1 pkg. (9 0z.) baby spinach leaves (more or less for your liking)
1 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese

Bring tomatoes, pasta and water to boil in large saucepan; stir. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat 10 minutes. Uncover; simmer 1 min, or just until pasta is tender.

Add half the spinach; simmer, covered 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir. Repeat with remaining spinach.

Serve topped with cheese.

2.5 POINTS per 1 cup serving.

This recipe is really easy and yummy. I always use less than the 9 oz. of spinach called for. Also, I've used different varieties of canned tomatoes (lime with cilantro) and that can really change the flavor of the dish. This is a good meatless recipe and my family loves it! You could easily add meat if you want to 'beef' it up...of course that would change the POINTS value.

Santa Fe Chicken

1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
spray of Pam
1-1/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Spray a large skillet with Pam and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add broth and salsa; bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Place chicken over rice; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn chicken; cook 10-15 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear and rice is tender. Remove from the heat.

Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro if desired (point value does not include cheese).

Yields: 4 servings - 5 points each

This is a recipe that I found a while ago in a Taste of Home recipe book. It was submitted by a lady from Texas. It is very easy to make and it only takes one pan to make it...I'm all for less mess and less dishes! The cilantro adds a nice flavor. Last night when we ate it, Kris sprinkled the top with lime juice as well as the cilantro and cheese and he said it was really good. I eat mine without the cheese because it's lower points that way. If you want to measure out a small serving of cheese and add the extra points you can easily do that.

Three Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake

1-1/2 cups multigrain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (9 oz) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (16 oz raw/11 oz cooked)
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 jar (14-1/2 oz or 2 cups) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz Neufchatel cheese, cubed
1 cup (3 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (low-moisture part skim)
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta, adding spinach to boiling water for last 1 min.
Cook and stir chicken basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. Add sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel cheese.

Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2 qt. baking dish.

Cover and bake 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheese (1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 Tbsp parmesan) and bake uncovered for about 3 more minutes.

Makes 6 servings (1 c. each) = 5 points per serving.

I made this for dinner last night and it was YUMMY!!! For something different I may add broccoli in with the spinach next time. This recipe came from a Kraft magazine...I did change a few things to make it healthier (less points). Kraft has an assortment of healthy recipes. Visit Kraft Foods and look around...you may find some other yummy recipes. ENJOY!!!