Happy Go Leeky Soup!! Easy as ABC 1-2-3! Very nice!

I tell you....those Podleski Sisters Know their stuff..lol! Once again they have created a tasty dish that takes little time and is low cal!

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup with Fresh Dill!

Permission has been given by Greta Podleski to print some of thier recipes on my blog! This one comes from Crazy Plates!

Yield: 6 servings! (1 3/4 cups each)
NI: 134 calories, 2.6g fat, 2.8g fiber!

1 tbsp butter
2c sliced leeks (white parts, plus 1 inch of green parts)
1c chopped celery
4c low fat chicken or vegetable broth
3c peeled, diced potatoes
1c chopped carrots
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1c buttermilk (I used 1% and added 1 tbsp lemon juice to make my own buttermilk) Saves wasting 2/3 of a carton..lol) let sit 10 minutes!
1 tbsp minced, fresh dill

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and celery. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.

Add broth, potatoes, carrots, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to pot. Stir in buttermilk and dill. Serve hot!

SPICY SHRIMP AND FETTUCINE!!

I had dinner all planned out and then saw this recipe in one of my books. My mouth started to water so I thought it was best I pulled a swithceroo..lol! I am glad I did! Fast, Easy, Tasty and on the Healthier side!!! Try it!

SPICY SHRIMP AND FETTUCCINE!

Yield: 4 servings

NI: 414 calories, 8.7g fat, 3.3g fiber

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked fettuccine
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2c chopped plum tomato (about 5)
2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add red pepper and garlic to pan; saute 1 minute. Add shrimp; saute 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients (through salt) bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Place 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture on each of 4 plates; Top each serving with 1 tbsp cheese. Serve immediately.

I served a small spinach salad with this to complete the meal without the extra weight watcher points to worry about!!

Honey-Lemon Brussels sprouts and Carrots!

Picture not available at the moment! Forgot...lol!

OK...I am the first to admit...I have always detested Brussel Sprouts! In fact..I could have cared less if I ever had them again! UNTIL NOW!!! I decided to serve these babies for Thanks Giving. Friends of ours love sprouts and they were coming for dinner. So I dug up this recipe! A keeper!

Honey-Lemon Brussels Sprouts and Carrots!

Yield: 8 servings (1/2c each)

NI: 80 calories, 3g fat, 3g fiber!

Ingredients:

3c (16-20) Brussels sprouts (12 oz)
2 1/2c baby-cut carrots (12 oz)
1c water
2 tbsp butter or margarine (I used becel)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Trim Brussels sprouts. Cut small "X" in stem end, about 1/4 inch deep. If Brussels sprouts are very large, cut in half. In 2 quart saucepan, place Brussels sprouts and carrots; add water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Cover and boil 6-8 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to saucepan.

2. Add remaining ingredients to vegetables, toss to coat. Spoon into serving bowl.

Quick and Hearty Minestrone!

Quick and Easy Minestrone!

Delish!

Yield: 4 servings

NI:281 calories, 3.7g fat, 4g fiber!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground round
6c water
1 (14.5-ounce)can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped.
1 (4.4 0z) package minestrone soup mix
(such as Lipton's Kettle Creations)
1/2c uncooked ditalini (very short tubular macaroni)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sat
1 (10 oz0 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry.

Directions:

Cook meat in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return meat to pan. Stir in water, tomatoes, and soup mix; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in ditalini, pepper, salt, and spinach; simmer 7 minutes or until pasta is done. Serve soup immediately or store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

DUMP CHICKEN!!! My oh my...SPICEY! EASY! DELISH!

This is one of the MOST simplistic recipes I have ever made! Can you say CROCK POT!!! Throw it in and forget about it for hmmmmm at least 5 hours! Then....dinner is served!

DUMP CHICKEN

It's really good!! And easy to make.

Crock pot Sweet and Spicy "Dump" Chicken - 5pts

Ingredients:

1 package taco seasoning mix
8 ounces apricot jam
12 ounces salsa
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces

Directions:

Mix it all together. Dump on top of the chicken. Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours

Serve over a bed of white or wholegrain rice! Delish!

Cream of Cauliflower Soup! Light and Tasty!

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting this soup to be as thin as it was! That being said it made up for the lack of thickness by having a lovely flavour. The sherry really added an elegance to the soup!

Cream of Cauliflower Soup!

Yield:6 servings

NI: One serving (1c) equals 190 calories, 10g fat and 1g fiber

1/3c green onions(tops only) found that odd..but oh well...lol!
2 tbsp butter or stick margarine
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2c chicken broth
1 package (10oz) frozen cauliflower thawed and chopped(I used fresh but will try the frozen next time around)
2c 1% milk
1 1/2c(6oz) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
2 tbsp dry sherry, optional (I used cooking sherry)
1 tbsp minced chives


Directions:

In a saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cauliflower; simmer for 2 minutes. Add the milk and cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted.Stir in sherry if desired. Garnish with chives.

CHILI MAC CASSEROLE!

One of my favourite hobbies happens to be perusing cookbooks! I love trying new things at LEAST ONCE! I came across this casserole and decided to give it a try! David loved it! I thought it was a nice change. I have to be honest though....I don't consider it exceptional..lol! On a scale of 1-10, I can easily give it a 7!

CHILI MAC CASSEROLE!!

Yield: 10 (1c) servings

NI: One serving equals 343 calories, 13g fat, 45mg cholesterol, 812mg sodium and 6g fiber.

Ingredients:

1c uncooked elbow macaroni
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
2c (8 oz) shredded reduced fat Mexican-blend or cheddar cheese

Directions: Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chilies and seasonings. Drain macaroni; add to beef mixture.

Transfer to a 13-in. x9-in x2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Voila!

JUMBO SHRIMP, TOSS SALAD and DILL VINAIGRETTE

Do you LOOOOOOOVE Shrimp? If so....this is a very easy and quick way to prepare these babies!! Enjoy making your own salad dressings? This Dill Vinaigrette was GREAT!!

Oven BAKED JUMBO SHRIMP!

(purchased in the Freezer section at Costco!)

Servings:2

NI: 140 calories, 1g fat, 0 fiber (per 4 shrimp)

Ingredients:

8 Jumbo Shrimp (fresh water raw deep, shell on)5-9 per pound
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
(we brushed them with a little Spicy Southwestern Chipotle sauce)

Directions:

Bake/Broil: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, or set to broil. Place on a baking tray, shell down, and brush shrimp with olive oil or melted butter. Bake for 11-15 minutes or broil 4-6 minutes. To serve, season to taste and serve with fresh lemon wedges. YUM!

DILL VINAIGRETTE

Yield: 2/3c

NI: One serving (2 tbsp dressing)equals 48 calories, 3g fat, 0 cholesterol, 74mg sodium, trace of fiber.

Ingredients:

1/4c cider vinegar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp olive oil/canola
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp celery seed
Salad greens and vegetables of your choice

Directions:

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the first 10 ingredients; shake well. Serve with salad. Refrigerate leftovers; shake well before serving. Excellent!