VTV: Asparagus

This week's Vindicate the Vegetable is Asparagus! This happens to already be one of our favorites. I don't remember always liking asparagus or maybe I'd never had the opportunity to try it until a couple years ago. It grows wild on my grandma's farm. She steamed it for dinner one night and with some cheese on top, I was hooked. I still love to eat it that way.

Recently, I saw on one of the many blogs I read that someone had roasted asparagus in the oven. This is my new favorite way to eat it. We spray the pan with cooking spray, salt and pepper the asparagus and cook until fork tender.

So, I was excited for this week to find something new to do with asparagus. I found a weight watchers pasta recipe and adapted it. This came out amazing and will most certainly be seen again in my kitchen.

I doubled the sauce part of the recipe and thought it came out great. I also just roasted the asparagus and added it into the pasta with the cream sauce. If you stick to the original weight watchers recipe this recipe makes 6 servings and each serving is only 6 points. Obviously, doubling the cream part and adding asparagus changes that. But, I still felt like it was a healthy meal.


Pasta and Asparagus with Creamy Spinach Sauce
Source: Weight Watchers Recipes (my changes in blue)
Photo: my kitchen


Ingredients

1 lb pasta (penne or ziti) I used a long curly spaghetti like pasta
1 lb fresh spinach, stemmed
1 cup low fat cottage cheese 2 cups
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup
1/4 cup low fat milk 1/2 cup
1 pinch ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon
1-2 garlic cloves (optional) 2 cloves
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 lb roasted asparagus

Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon salt; cook for about 1 minute.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the spinach (reserve the water for the pasta) and transfer it to a bowl of cold water.
4. Drain and squeeze dry the spinach.
5. Chop it coarsely.
6. Bring the spinach water back to a boil. Meanwhile, in food processor fitted with steel blade, mince the garlic (if using).
7. Add the cottage cheese and blend until fairly smooth.
8. Add the cooked spinach and milk, and blend until smooth.
9. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl.
10. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stirring to prevent sticking.
11. Cook the pasta until just tender (about 10 minutes or according to the instructions); drain well.
12. Add the pasta to the bowl with the spinach sauce and asparagus, and toss to coat.
13. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss again.
14. Serve hot.

VTV: Yellow Summer Squash

While my in laws were visiting for Easter, we had a conversation about the vegetables that Jake has learned to like, while the list is very short; his mom was very impressed. I believe she said, "Wow, he never used to eat any vegetables as a kid!"

So, I was really excited when my friend, Nina started a new blog, Vindicate the Vegetable. While I enjoy eating many different vegetables, my husband does not. We have been working very hard at introducing new vegetables into our diet. I was glad the first week was a vegetable that we both already like, yellow summer squash. This recipe is one of our favorites ways to eat squash. In the past, we've also used eggplant in this. Today, I decided to top them with some lime zest. It was amazing! (Thanks Mom#2 for the microplane!)

(don't worry, I took the picture mid-cooking, the chicken was fully cooked before we ate it!)

Fajitas
(Source and Photos: my kitchen)

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 small yellow summer squash
4 small red potatoes
1 lime
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
non-fat sour cream
reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
tortilla shells



Directions

Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Grill until almost fully cooked then slice and add to the vegetables to finish cooking together.

While the chicken is grilling, I microwaved the potatoes in order to cook them faster. I chopped the squash, added it to the wok and seasoned it. Once the potatoes were cooking, I chopped them, added them to the wok and season them as well. (Note: if you don't precook the potatoes, don't add the squash till the end. It will cook very quickly and turn to mush.)

Let everything finish cooking together. Warm the tortilla shells for 30 seconds in the microwave or toast them in the oven. Layer the chicken and vegetables on the bottom. Add a little non-fat sour cream, shredded cheese and the zest of a lime. Yum!

Husband Rating: A+ He ate all this vegetables tonight and thought the lime zest was a great addition.

Wife: A+ A favorite that we haven't had in a while and it was so refreshing and guilt free, no oil or butter!

Italian Stuffed Chicken

These were super easy to prepare and have great flavor! I found this recipe at One Tiny Pink Kitchen. As far as spices go, I don't really measure, I just eye it. It is my attempt to becoming more creative in the kitchen. Enjoy!


Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts
(source: Kara @ WW)

4 – 4 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/8 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Dried Basil – divided
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper (I know I used less than that)
1/4 cup Minced Green Bell Pepper (I didn't use)
4 (3/4 oz) Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
2 Tbsp. Fat-Free Italian Dressing
1/8 tsp. Paprika (I didn't have any)
1/4 cup Dry Breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
Cooking Spray

Pound chicken to 1/4” thickness; sprinkle with salt, 1/4 tsp basil and crushed red pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle each breast with 1 Tbsp. minced bell pepper. Place 1 cheese stick lengthwise down the center; roll up jelly roll fashion. Brush rolls evenly with Italian dressing. Combine paprika and breadcrumbs, and dredge chicken breasts rolls in mixture, turn to coat. Place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray – seam side down. Lightly coat with non-stick spray; sprinkle with remaining basil. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until done (mine took about 22 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Raspberry Tarts (Guilt Free!)

I was in great need of something to satisfy my sweet tooth. The problem was that all sweets were banned from our home for the month of January in an attempt to get rid of unwanted holiday pounds.
Then, I came across my friend Nina's blog. I immediately added the ingredients to my grocery list for the week.

Ingredients
1 Reduced Fat Graham Cracker Crust (I bought the individual sized tarts)
1 Box of Sugar Free Gelatin - I used raspberry
1/4 cup of boiling water
2 6 oz. containers of light yogurt - I used raspberry
1 tub of fat free cool whip

Directions
Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Stir in yogurt with wire whisk. Fold in cool whip. Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours - overnight preferably.
You can also make this with cherry Jello and cherry yogurt or lime Jello and key lime yogurt- any combination like that will work.


Recipe from Weight Watchers and Love-Sweet-Love
Photo: my kitchen

Husband Rating: A+, He could have eaten all the tarts in one sitting.
Wife Rating: A+, I love them as well and didn't feel guilty for having something sweet!