Spaghetti A La Carbonara

This is a Weight Watchers recipe, but is very rich and tastes like it shouldn't be "diet food." I have to admit, though, I gave in and added a couple of slices of center cut bacon to the Canadian bacon called for here. It added 1/2 point per serving, but tasted delicious. I also made it with whole wheat pasta and light butter, though, so that probably took it back down again. Anyway, it was very simple to make, but I don't have a lot of leftovers. Too good for my family to leave much on the plate. Here's the original recipe:

• 6 oz spaghetti
• 4 tsp butter
• 4 oz Canadian bacon, trimmed and cut into small matchstick sized pieces
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 TB minced garlic
• 2/3 c egg beaters
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
• 1 TB finely chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon, shallot, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon and shallot are browned and the garlic is golden, about 5 min.

Add spaghetti to the skillet, make heat medium-low. Add the egg substitute and the cheese. Toss to coat, then cook, stirring, until the egg substitute has cooked. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper, and serve at once.

Yield: 4 servings, 6 points each (288 cal, 8g fat, 2g fiber)

Potato Ham & Dill Soup

As the weather gets cooler, I love to make more soup dishes. This is one I got from an Eastside Cafe recipe book and lightened up on my own. Points come from the WW Recipe Builder. Despite being "light," this soup is thick and more like a stew than a brothy soup. Very yummy / hearty, and it makes a TON of food by the time you're done. Lots of leftovers. Only downside - it requires a fair amount of chopping.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups shredded carrots (I bought a pack of matchstick carrots from the store)
• 3 tsp garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups uncooked white potato, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 large head green cabbage, coursely chopped
• 6 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound Ham steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2" chunks
• 1 tbsp Land O Lakes Stick Light Butter
• 1 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

In a very large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add onions, and cook until translucent.

Add carrots and garlic, cook for several minutes longer, until carrots are soft.

Add ham, dill, potatoes, broth, cabbage, spices. Cover and simmer for 30 min or until potatoes are soft.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, add flour to milk and mix until lumps are gone. Add milk mixture and butter to soup pot. Continue to heat and stir until soup thickens.

Yield: 6 servings, 5 points each

Black-Eyed Pea Cakes with Adobo Cream

Got this one from Cooking Light as well, from their 20-min recipes section. And, it is nice and quick, very low calorie, and delicious. It tastes a little bit like falafel, if you've ever eaten that, but without all the frying. And, has become important to us all lately, this one's pretty inexpensive to make.

• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 (15.8-ounce) can no-salt-added black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup (about 1 ounce) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used fat free mozarella, which may be even lower point, but kept it core for me)

Combine sour cream and adobo sauce in a small bowl.

Place beans in a medium bowl; partially mash beans with a fork. Stir in breadcrumbs and next 7 ingredients (through egg white). With floured hands, divide pea mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden and thoroughly heated. Remove from pan; top each cake with 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve with sour cream mixture.

Yield: 4 servings, 1 patty and 1 TB sauce each

3 points (173 cal, 6.3 g fat, 3.6 g fiber)

Peanut Chicken Curry

This is another fabulous new find from Cooking Light. It's pretty simple to make, and uses fairly inexpensive ingredients. It is a little on the spicy side and the heat builds in your mouth the more you eat it. But, it was the first dish in a while that my husband called amazing and specifically requested that I make again. I really liked it, too. It makes tons of leftovers, which is fabulous for lunches, etc.

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (I used olive oil)
• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 3 cups chopped plum tomato (about 6 tomatoes)
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 8 cups hot cooked brown rice
• 3/4 cup 0% Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in peanut butter and next 5 ingredients (through tomato paste); cook 1 minute. Add tomato and broth to pan; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve chicken mixture over rice; top each serving with yogurt.

Yield: 12 servings, 2/3 c rice, 3/4c chicken mixture, and 1 TB yogurt each

7 points

Calories: 340
Fat: 7.6g (sat 1.6g,mono 3.1g,poly 2.2g)
Protein: 30g
Carbohydrate: 38g
Fiber: 4.6g
Cholesterol: 56mg
Iron: 2.1mg
Sodium: 523mg
Calcium: 59mg

Springfield Chilli

I just got this recipe from Cooking Light magazine, and it is DEEE-licious. I opened this up in a meeting and had at least a dozen heads craning my way just from the smell. Chili's a great healthy food, and this one is no exception. It's got a nice zip to it, too.

• 1 bacon slice, finely chopped
• 2.5 cups finely chopped onions (2 medium)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 1/2 lb ground lean beef
• 1x 12-oz can light beer
• 3 TB chili powder
• 1 tsp worstershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2x 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1x 15 oz can tomato sauce, no salt added
• 2x 15-oz cans pinto beans
• 1/2 c shredded fat free cheddar

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, 5 min, or until browned. Add onions and cook until tender. Stir in garlic. Cook for one min.

Increase heat to med-hi. Add turkey and beef to pan, cook 5 min or until browned. Add beer, cook until liquid is significantly reduced, about 7 min.

Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through tomato sauce). Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or until thickened. Stir in beans, cook for 10 more min. Serve with 4 tsp shredded cheese on top.

Yield: 6 servings, 5 points each

Korean Steak Kebabs

I've made this recipe a few times, and it is SUPER easy, and great on the grill, although the recipe calls for the broiler. Warning: it's so good you'll rarely have leftovers, though. Yum.

• 1/4c reduced sodium soy sauce
• 3 TB balsamic vinegar
• 1 TB minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1lb top round steak, trimmed and sliced for stir fry
• 8 skewers (soaked in water if wood)

Spray a broiler rack with cooking spray and preheat.

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.

Thread the steak onto the skewers. Brush with the garlic mixture on both sides. Broil 3 min on one side. Turn over, brush with garlic mixture again, and broil until the meat is cooked through, about 3 min more.

Yield: 4 servings, 3 points each (2 skewers) (158 cal, 4g fat, 0g fiber)

Salmon Packets with Olives and Capers

Just tried this one for the first time. It's a bit expensive, but it was pretty easy to make and Sooooo good. I really enjoyed this, it's got such a nice sharp, clean taste to it.

• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 tsp capers
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 6x 4oz skinless salmon filets
• Parchment paper

Bring 2c of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the fennel and cook until translucent.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix tomato, olives, capers, lemon zest, and oil. Once fennel is cooked and drain, add as well.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Tear off 6 sheets of parchment paper. Spray each with cooking spray, and add a filet to each sheet. Top each filet with about 1/3c of the fennel mixture. Fold paper in half over the top of the fish, and crimp edges to seal. Place packets on a baking sheet, and cook until filets are opaque in the center, 12-15 min.

Yield" 6 servings, 4 points each (200 cal, 9g fat, 2g fiber)