Quick and Healthy Marinara Sauce {1 Point +}

Recently, I discovered how crazy simple it is to make your own marinara sauce, and now I will never go back to the stuff in the bottle again.  I was inspired by this easy recipe from Skinny Taste, my favorite go-to blog for Weight Watchers recipes.

You start with a can of crushed tomatoes, add garlic and seasoning and BAM- marinara sauce without all of the extra salt and weirdness in bottled sauce.  You can customize it however you want; we made it into a version that worked for us- with dried spices and a sprinkle of splenda. 

I've used this for dipping veggies and breadsticks or ladled over spaghetti squash and chicken parmesan.  The best part is that it's only 1 Point +. 

Recipe
Adapted from: Skinny Taste
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely diced or grated
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp splenda
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Saute garlic in olive oil for about a minute.  Stir in remaining ingredients. 
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. 

Serves 6 (about 1/2 cup each) Calories: 51

Weight Watchers Points: 1 Point +

Easy Baked Smore Bars

I love smores,  but I prefer a/c, comfy beds and bug free environments to camping outdoors and blazing fires in the middle of the summer.  I'm pretty certain I would not have survived life before a/c.  The hubs can confirm this.  ;)

Luckily, I discovered baked smores thanks to Lovin' from the Oven- a super sweet dessert blog.  Now I can enjoy all of that chocolately marshmallow yumminess without breaking a sweat.

I've made these several times now and the main thing that I've learned is that salted butter works better than unsalted butter or margarine.  The batter is much stickier with margarine, puffs up more and is a little drier once baked.  It still tastes good though so don't skip out on the recipe just because you don't have butter on hand.

I know this isn't a healthy recipe, but when you eat nutritiously most of the time, it's OK to indulge now and then.  The trick is to not indulge yourself in the ENTIRE pan.  Take some to a potluck, the office, a neighbor or a sick friend.  You'll friends will love you for it.


Recipe
Adapted from: Lovin' from the Oven
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hersey Bars
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (I used a small jar of generic fluff)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 pan and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla, beating until combined.  In another bowl combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.  Add the dry ingredients little at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.  
3. Spread half of batter into pan.  Lay Hershey bars on top and lightly press into dough.  Spread marshmallow fluff over chocolate bars.  Take small pieces of remaining dough, flatten into discs and place on top.  If you used margarine instead of butter, you can just spread it on top.  
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.  I like to cut it before it cools completely.  It's easier to get through the marshmallow and chocolate bar if it's still kind of melty. 

Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup

I just joined Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round UP.  If you get a chance, please vote for my Banana Pudding and Man Pleasing Chicken Marinade. :)

Guiltless Bourbon Street Chicken {4 Points +}

One of my guilty pleasures in life is the sweet and salty fare at the mall food court.  Somehow I'm able to rationalize eating the shiny, greasy but oh so good Bourbon Street Chicken by getting a serving of greasy veggies on the side.  The trick is to pretend like you don't notice how shiny it all is.  ;)

Anyhoo, this recipe has been all over Pinterest so I had to give it a try.  I love that it has no added fat!  The sauce is perfectly sweetened and ample enough to flavor your rice as well. 

This could be easily adapted for the crock pot as well so you can enjoy this delightful dish without heating up your kitchen. 

Recipe
Adapted from: BigOven
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger root, minced or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c unsweetened apple juice
2 Tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend or 1/4 c brown sugar
2 Tbps ketchup
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c water
sesame seeds or green onions (optional)
2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
3 c prepared brown rice

1.  Heat a large skillet.  Spray with olive oil cooking spray.  Brown chicken.
2.  Stir in garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, apple juice, splenda, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and water.  Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
3.  Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water.  Stir into chicken mixture.  Let simmer, stir occasionally for a couple of minutes.  If it's not thick enough, repeat with the remaining cornstarch and water.
4.  Serve over rice.    Top with sesame seeds or green onions if desired.

Serves: 6

Nutritional info: Calories: 345  Total fat: 2.2g  Sat. Fat: 0  Total Carbs: 42.2g  Fiber: 1.1g  Protein: 34.6  Weight Watchers Points + 8 (4 Points+ without rice)

Sloppy Joes with Veggies {8 Points +}

Growing up we ate A LOT of sloppy joes.  They were quick, inexpensive, filling and fit for even the pickiest kid- the perfect combination.  Plus, the leftovers were fantastic on hotdogs.  Now that I'm feeding my own family, I've developed my own version. 

I've found through trial and lots of error that saucy foods are a great camouflage for veggies.  If you can shred or puree it, you can hide it in a sauce of some kind.  Sloppy Joes work well with zucchini, yellow squash and carrots to name a few.  I hope to try it with cauliflower in the near future.

I added an entire cup of zucchini that I grated with a microplane grater so it was super fine.  It blended in so well that the hubs had NO clue that it was in there- that was the true test.  That dude can sniff out a vegetable a mile away... {sigh}

Another bonus to adding veggies is that you get an extra a serving or two of sloppy joe without adding extra meat, saving calories and money. 

Please leave a comment and let me know how you like to hide veggies from your family or ways you've taught them to like veggies.  I'd love try some new ways.

Recipe
Adapted from: AllRecipes
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped or 1/2 tsp onion powder
2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 c ketchup
1/4 c water
1 Tbsp brown sugar 
3 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
6 whole wheat buns (around 120 calories each)

In a medium pan brown ground beef, onions and garlic.  Drain fat.  Add remaining ingredients except buns.  Bring to a simmer; cover and cook 20 - 30 minutes over medium low heat. 

Serves: 6

Nutritional Mumbo Jumbo:  Calories: 383  Fat: 5.2  Sat. Fat: 1.2  Carbs: 43.8  Fiber: 3.6  Protein: 19  Weight Watchers:  8 Points +