Barbequed Chicken Pizza Braid

I seen this posted of foodgawker the other day. Of course, as I was making it up, I forget to add the cheese so I sprinkled it on top. Definitely should have been inside, and because we have a hard time controlling the temperature of our old BBQ, the pizza dough was burnt on the bottom and not cooked on top. Maybe I should have waited for our new BBQ to show up! Definitely was super yummy though!

Barbequed Chicken Pizza Braid
Serves 2

1 can pizza dough
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 whole yellow pepper
1 cup bbq sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the bbq to 400 degrees.

Roll the dough into about an 11X17-inch rectangle.

Using a knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread half of the barbecue sauce down the center strip. Top with the chicken, peppers and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Transfer to a grill safe baking sheet and let rest for 15 minutes.

Bake the braid for 15-20 minutes , until golden brown and bread is baked through.

Let the braidsrest for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut braid into sections and serve warm.

Chocolate Mug Cake

I had a super bad chocolate cake craving today at lunch. This was super yummy, not like real cake, but still super good!



Chocolate Mug Cake
Serves 2

5 tbsp flour
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
Salt- a pinch
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 egg
4 tbsp milk
4 tbsp oil
Pure vanilla extract- a dash
2 microwave-safe coffee mugs

Mix all the dry ingredients in a coffee mug to make the cake.
Beat the eggs slightly in a small mixing bowl and add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well with a fork. Add in the dry mixture and mix well. Pour out half of the batter into each coffee mug. Microwave the coffee mugs,one at a time, half- filled with the batter, on high, for a minute. If it does not get done in a minute, keep for another 20-30 seconds. Do not overcook, you might end up with a dry cake. (I kept it for 1 minute and 20seconds)
Let it cool and dig in.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

I was looking for something yummy and filling that my Fiance and I have been missing since I started my weight loss journey. We've been eating super healthy lately and this just seemed perfect!

I remember when I used to go visit Dan when he lived 2 hours away from me. He would cook me something similar. We would be standing in his tiny kitchen (usually a huuuge mess) and he would brown some hamburger, add lots of cheese whiz, and top it with macaroni. I would put together a ceasar salad in a pot (I know right! He had no salad bowls) and shake it to spread the dressing. We would lounge on the couch, watch a movie and eat this. Of course, me being polite never commented once on it, and ate as much as I could. It was very bland... this on the other hand, has way more flavour! So good! The chilis make it so much better!

Cheeseburger Macaroni
Serves 4 / 11 Points+

1 lb lean hamburger meat
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can tomatoes and green chilies (or petite diced tomatoes)
2 cups water
1 cup elbow macaroni

Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 mins until macaroni is tender.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce….

2 Tablespoons butter
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until fragrant and light brown in color. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture. Stir gently to combine.

The Green Monster!

My brother and sister bought me a blender for my birthday. I had to try something new in it and this is what I came up with. It's a wonderful, filling breakfast! And a great way to get fruits and veggies plus dairy in!

Green Monster
1 serving / 9 p+

Handful of Ice
1 tbsp flax
1/2 cup berries
1 banana
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups spinach

Blend well on high. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Lemon Potatoes

Lemon Potatoes
8 Servings (1/2 cup each) / 3p+

My favorite lemon potatoes!

Ingredients
1/4 cup lemon juice, canned or bottled
1 cup water
2 tbsp Chicken OXO
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cup uncooked potatoes, cut into bit sized pieces

Instructions
Place the potatoes in a casserole dish.
In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the potatoes.
Cover and place in a preheated 375F oven and bake for one hour.

Green Smoothie

I was looking for a way to get in some veggies this morning.. this is perfect!

Green Smoothie
1 serving / 4 Points+

1 cup ice cubes
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup fat free milk

1 cup berries, mango, apples, grapes.. whichever you prefer
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt

Crush ice cubes in blender, add in the remaining ingredients and blend on liquefy setting. Pour into glass and serve.

My smoothie didn't turn out very green, but it sure was tasty!

Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup
Makes 8 Servings - 5pts+

1 lb lean beef, trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
2-3 cups slice mushrooms
10 cups beef stock (low salt)
1/2 cup barley
1 bay leaf

Heat half of the vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan or soup pot. I used a dutch oven.

Season the beef with salt, pepper and thyme. Brown well on all sides. This is critical for really great flavour in the soup. Put meat aside on a plate. 

Add the remaining half of the oil to the pan. Add in diced onion and stir to start softening the brown bits in the pan, about 2 minutes. Add in carrots and celery and saute another 2 minutes or so.  

Add in mushrooms and continue cooking until they start to release their liquid to deglaze the pan (I used a tray of sliced mushrooms which ended up closer to 3 cups). 

Cut the beef into approximately 1/2" cubes (larger if you like your soup chunky). Add the meat and any juices from the plate back into the pot. 

Add in all other ingredients. Scrape the bottom to make sure all brown bits are in the soup. Bring to a boil then reduce, cover and simmer for up to 2 hours to fully develop the rich beefy flavour, and to tenderize the meat.  

Add in the barley and continue to simmer for one more hour. You may need to add more water if the soup gets too thick.

Remove bay leaf and serve. Enjoy!

Faux Fried Chicken

Faux Fried Chicken

Serves 8 - 6pts+ each

1 cup corn flake crumbs
1 ounce parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
8 chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks)
cooking spray

In a shallow bowl or pie plate, mix corn flake crumbs with Parmesan, paprika, marjoram, thyme, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

Pour buttermilk into a second shallow bowl or pie plate and flour into a third shallow bowl or pie plate.

Generously spray a rimmed baking sheet with safflower oil or cooking spray (see tip below). Rinse chicken and pat dry using paper towels. Working one at a time, dip chicken pieces in buttermilk and moisten on all sides. Shake off excess buttermilk. Place chicken in bowl with flour mixture and turn to coat. Dip in buttermilk again, then coat with seasoned corn flake mixture. This process can get a little messy, but hang in there! Double dipping is what makes the chicken extra yummy. Place chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet. Leave some space between chicken pieces (they should not be touching). Spray some cooking spray over the pieces of chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 400ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear. Enjoy!

Open Denver Sandwiches (4 pts)

Good morning blogger land! I hope everyone is having a beautiful day so far! Here, the sun is shining, its stopped snowing, someone thought of me and plowed my driveway :) Things are looking good.. well excpet me cause I just rolled out of bed, haven't even put make-up on yet.. hehe

Dan had to work at an event in town this morning so I made us breakfast. His order was poached eggs on toast, which isn't too exciting for me.. I made these!

Open Denver Sandwiches (4pts)

1 egg
1 tbsp 1% milk
1 slice bacon crumbled
1 big tbsp onion, chopped up small
1 big tbsp green pepper, chopped up small
1 big tbsp mushrooms, chopped up small
1 tbsp fresh parsley
sprinkle of garlic, salt and pepper

Mix the egg and milk together in a small bowl. In a frying pan, fry the rest of the ingredients (except cheese) over a low heat. Add in the eggs and shape into two small patties.
Meanwhile toast up an english muffin. Place each pattie on a piece of english muffin and sprinkle with cheese and a couple dashes of hotsauce. Yum

Spinach Omelette - 4pts

Spinach Omelette - 4 points

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

1 tbsp skim milk

1 cup spinach

1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp feta cheese

In a small frying pan sprayed with pam, add the bell pepper, onion and mushrooms. Add a tiny bit of water and cook until softened. Add the spinach and fry until wilted, set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Pour into a pre-heated frying pan and cook without stirring for a couple minutes until almost cooked through. Sprinkle cheese on half and add vegetables. Fold over the egg and cook for another minute or until the cheese is melted. Serve with salsa.

Lighter Banana Muffins - 3pts

Banana Nut Muffins (makes 12-14 muffins)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

2 egg whites

2 large mashed bananas

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs vegetable oil

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F and line 12 muffin wells with papers.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until slightly foamy. Stir in bananas, sugar, oil, and lemon zest. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. With a wooden spoon fold in walnuts.

Pour batter into muffin wells, about 2/3 of the way full. Discard any extra papers before baking.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until tops are puffed and lightly brown.

Black Bean Brownies

Just wanted to share this recipe. I made it last night and I have three 18 year old boys staying with me and the pan is almost gone! They are about half the points of a normal brownie!

Black Bean Brownies
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish.
2.Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
3.Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Honestly you can't tell the difference! I didn't put in the coffee either.

Pumpkin Spice Latte (NEW)

Pumpkin Spice Latte

1 cup 1% Milk
1 tbsp pure pumpkin
1 tsp instant espresso
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger * maybe change to cloves next time??? I found the ginger overpowering..
2 tsp sugar

Heat saucepan over medium high heat. Add ingredients. Whisk. Once its steamed, almost to a boil, pour into blender and mix for a minute or two so it gets frothy.Pour into a glass and cover with Whipped Cream.

Quick Apple Pies

Quick Apple Pies

Makes 4 Servings (1 point each)

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Dough (low fat)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 apple

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the dough into 4 rectangle pieces. Pinch the seams together. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and slice the apple into pieces. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice. Spread on the baked crescent dough, and bake for another 5-8 minutes.

Pumpkin Overnight Oatmeal

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal
(5 points)

1/2 cup Oatmeal

1/2 cup ff milk

1 heaping tsp pumpkin
a dash of nutmeg/cloves/cinnamon

Put ingredients into a jar and shake. Let sit overnight in fridge. In the morning microwave for a minute. Add a splash of milk, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, and some raisins.

Enjoy!

This was sooo good this morning. I love pumpkin, and fall is the perfect time for it!

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

-makes 3 servings, 4 points each-

1 chicken breast, uncooked, boneless, skinless

1/4 cup(s) fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream

1/2 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp taco seasoning

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

1/2 canned yellow corn, rinsed and drained
1/2 canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 leaves of lettuce

Cut the chicken into small pieces. In a small skillet, sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray, fry the chicken over high heat. Add the cajun seasoning. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and taco seasoning in a medium bowl.

Stir in chicken, peppers and corn; mix well. Gently fold in beans. Cover and chill at least two hours. To serve rip up a lettuce leaf, and place the salad ontop of it.

*Really good with Tostitos Baked! Chips

Lemon Scones

Lemon Scones

- 3 points, 8 servings -

Ingredients

2 cups white flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom or 1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 egg whites

1/2 cup fat-free lemon yogurt

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cardamom or coriander, salt, and the sugar. Drizzle with oil and mix with fork until evenly distributed.

Reserve 1 tablespoon egg whites. Stir yogurt, and remaining egg whites into flour mixture. Stir gently with fork until mixture holds together.

Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 8 strokes to mix dough thoroughly. Pat out dough to form 8-inch circle. With sharp knife, cut evenly into 8 wedges. Arrange wedges, about 1 inch apart, on prepared baking sheet. Brush with reserved egg whites.

Bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown.