Italian Lentil Soup

The challenge at WW this week is to eat ONE meatless meal. I joked about it at my table and tried to forget about it as I walked through the door on the way out with an over the shoulder comment like, "I'm definitely a carnivore." Then I stumbled across this recipe in my Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking magazine. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I figured why not? Turns out that it is a hearty meal and filling for a low points value. We've got some cooler nights coming with the onset of fall in the Northland, so this soup just might be a welcome addition to your autumn repertoire.

Italian Lentil Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. olive oil

3 1/4 c. water

1 can (14 oz.) vegetable broth

1 c. dried lentils, picked over and rinsed

3 medium carrots, sliced thin

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1 T. lemon juice

2 c. prepared brown rice, optional

In a dutch oven, saute onion and garlic until tender. Add water, broth, lentils, carrot, green pepper, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer, or until lentils are tender. To serve, place 1/3 c. rice in the bottom of bowl and ladle soup over top.

Yield: 6 (1 1/3 c.) servings (4 P+ without rice; 6 P+ with rice)

Taco Junk

It's in the crock pot as I write this. I got this recipe from my Weight Watchers leader; she even gave me a take-home sample. It's yummy, and oh, so easy.

Taco Junk

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can corn, drained (I rinse too, to lower sodium.)

1 can Northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 envelopes dry Ranch dressing mix

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa

Brown and drain the beef. Add beef and remaining ingredients to the crock pot. Heat on low until heated through. Serve on tortillas, taco shells, with lettuce or chips... you decide!

Yield: 10 (1/2 c.) servings (3P+)

Banana Bread

This is a good thing, and not a good thing. I love banana bread. No really, I LOVE it. If it's around, I'll eat it. It is my drug; once I start, I can't stop. My saving grace all these years has been that I just can't make banana bread, so I can only have it when someone I know makes it and offers it to me. Every endeavor has failed... until now. My sister-in-law urged me to try this recipe, and I obliged grudgingly. The bad news is that it turned out, perfectly. Great. Now I'll find myself allowing the bananas to over-ripen just so that I can make another batch.

Banana Bread

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (3 medium)

1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk

1 t. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Arrange the oven racks so that the top of the loaf pans will be in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms only of two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2" loaf pans; set them aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy. Mix in the bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla (gently at first) until incorporated. Mix in the flour, soda, and salt just until moist. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you're using a dark loaf pan, I would suggest checking it at 45-50 minutes.) Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove and transfer to a rack until completely cool.

Yield: 2 loaves; each loaf yields 14 1/2" slices (4P+ per slice)

Oatmeal Cake

This recipe is my Grandma Shirley's. I believe a part of her lives on in my sheer enjoyment for and delight in cooking and baking. This cake brings back so many memories of her. I hope you enjoy it. =)

Cake:

1 1/2 c. boiling water

1 c. quick oats

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

Topping:

6 T. butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

1/4 c. evaporated milk

Pour boiling water over oats and butter. Let stand until butter is melted. Mix in both sugars and eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Pour into greased 9x13” cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Last five minutes of baking, prepare topping. Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Pour over hot cake. Broil cake and topping until it’s bubbly and crunchy (2-3 minutes; watch closely!).

Quesadilla Casserole

I definitely have a sequential personality. I like organization; a place for everything and everything in it's place. I'm Monica. So when I happened across McCormick's new "Recipe Inspirations," the clouds parted and a ray of sunshine brightened the supermarket aisle. Not only are all the spices needed for the dish pre-portioned in teeny-tiny, cute little plastic containers, but there is also a full color, detachable recipe card on the back -- complete with a picture! These little things rock my world. I purchased three of them. This recipe is the first to grace our plates. The caloric value of the recipe as it is written is quite high, so if you're wanting to make this more healthful, you could substitute extra lean ground beef, whole wheat tortillas, and low-fat or non-fat cheese. It's even a good idea to rinse canned corn to remove some of the sodium. You could replace its juice with plain water in the recipe, as well. I served this casserole with corn muffins, tortilla chips, and a dollop of sour cream. =)

Quesadilla Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 (10 oz.) can whole kernel corn, undrained

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, undrained

2 t. chili powder

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. minced garlic

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn, and green chilies; mix well. Stir in all of the spices except red pepper flakes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Add red pepper. Spread 1/2 c. of the beef mixture on bottom of 9x13x2" baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef mixture, and cheese. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings (10 P+ as written)

Freezer Apple Cake

This recipe turns out every time; it's tried and true... reliable. And, as the name suggests, you can freeze it. Now... both my mother-in-law and I choose to bake the cake first and then freeze it. We know others who freeze the batter and bake it from frozen state. You may have to research that method for thawing and time/temperature options. More times than not, however, I end up using both cakes right away. It's pretty stinkin' yummy.

Freezer Apple Cake

1/2 c. Crisco (I use butter at room temperature.)

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 c. sour cream (I use light.)

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. chopped apples

Topping:

2 T. soft butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped pecans

Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream; mix well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Fold in the apples. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans; spread batter evenly to the edges. In a medium mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the tops of the cakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 2 cakes; 8 servings each (7P+)

Swiss Chicken Casserole

This recipe is comfort food heaven! Plus, it's ingredients are easy to come by, and it basically prepares itself. Now, before you eyeball the nutritional equivalents at the bottom and write this one off, take a deep breath. Yes, I understand 12 P+ is a lot, but if you round out the rest of your plate with zero P+ fruits and vegetables, you'll truly reap the benefits of both worlds.

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe a week or so ago when I was picking up the kids -- and she doesn't even remember giving it to me! =) The chicken gets SOOOO tender in the crock pot, and the stuffing gets crunchy on top and soft underneath. I served it with steamed broccoli and a pickle tray. There were barely any leftovers at my house. I predict the same for yours.

Swiss Chicken Casserole

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

6 slices Weight Watchers Swiss cheese

1 (10 oz.) can Campbell's Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup

1/4 c. milk

2 c. herb stuffing mix

1/2 c. butter, melted

Spray the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange the chicken breasts on the bottom. Top with cheese slices, layering if necessary. In a small bowl, thin the soup with the milk; spoon it evenly over the top of cheese slices. Sprinkle the stuffing mix over top of the soup mixture and drizzle with the melted butter. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or hight for 4-6 hours.

Yield: 6 servings (12P+)

Note: You can decrease the P+ to 9 per serving by using 1 1/2 c. stuffing mix and 1/4 c. butter, but I don't know if it will turn out the same.