Green Beans with Mushrooms and Crisp Onion Crumbs

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Crisp Onion Crumbs
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Weight Watchers Recipe

3PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min

Serves: 8
A fresh-tasting, flavorful replacement for fattening green bean casserole. Our version's just as tasty and of course, healthier, too.
Recipe
Read All Reviews (323)
Ingredients
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided  
3/4 cup(s) panko breadcrumbs  
2 Tbsp dehydrated onion flakes, minced variety  
3/4 tsp table salt, divided  
2 spray(s) cooking spray  
      1 1/2 pound(s) uncooked string beans, fresh, trimmed, cut in half  
      1 pound(s) button mushrooms, thinly sliced  
Instructions
To make crumb topping, in a large, deep nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat; add panko, onion flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until crumbs are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside; carefully wipe skillet clean.

Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat. Add string beans and mushrooms; sauté until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, about 6 minutes.

Add remaining tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet; toss over low heat until butter is melted and mixture is heated through. Transfer vegetables to a serving platter; sprinkle with crumb mixture. Yields about 1 cup vegetables and 2 tablespoons crumbs per serving.

Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash and Onions

Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash and Onions


Weight Watchers Recipe
4.5 Stars

2PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Other time: 0 min
Serves: 6
The aroma of roasted, spice-coated squash is the essence of fall. A wonderful addition to any autumn menu.
Recipe
Read All Reviews (576)
Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray  
      2 1/4 pound(s) uncooked butternut squash, fresh, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks  
      1 medium uncooked red onion(s), halved and thinly sliced  
1 Tbsp olive oil  
1 tsp garam masala  
1/2 tsp kosher salt  
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste  
3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped  
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place squash and onion on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with garam masala, salt and pepper; toss to coat.

Roast, tossing about halfway through cooking, until squash and onions are tender and slightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Transfer vegetables to a serving platter or bowl and sprinkle with cilantro; toss to coat. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
Notes
Buy already peeled, precut squash at your super market to cut prep time.

Chocolate and Vanilla Meringue Cookies

Weight Watchers Recipe

Ratings (334)

1PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 8 min

Cook time: 180 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 22

Meringues are egg white-sugar cookies that are baked for a long time at a low temperature. Make yours swirled by combining the two batters.

Ingredients

	4 large egg white(s)
	1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar, or cider vinegar
	1 cup(s) sugar
	2 tsp vanilla extract
	2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.
  
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add vinegar; beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add sugar; beat until glossy stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla.
  
• Remove half of meringue to another bowl; stir in cocoa until blended.
  
• Spoon tablespoons of both meringues onto prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart each, making about 44 cookies – half vanilla-flavored and half cocoa-flavored. Or you can make marbleized cookies by spooning 1/2 tablespoon of each type of meringue into a mound and then swirling the 2 together with your fingers.
  
• Bake until meringues feel dry and crisp all the way through, about 3 hours. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely. Peel meringues off foil and store in an airtight container. Yields about 2 cookies per serving.

Notes

• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

New Routine: Put Your Fork Down and Sip Water Between Bites
Meeting Topic:  Friends (and Family) Without Food

spotted at Target

 Found these at Target today. They are both 0 points plus per serving... The rumor has it they are sold year around... not just at this time of the year.

Kale!

Market Fresh: Kale
If you haven't already tried this incredibly nutritious, versatile leafy green, you're in for a delicious surprise.
Article By: Rich Rubin

KaleMarket Fresh Series Cap
Kale is the "it" vegetable of the moment, enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the likes of George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston. This leafy green can be found on restaurant menus across the country, from the salad course to the main meal, and chances are your supermarket carries at least one variety of this newly popular produce.

A member of the large brassica family (with such diverse cousins as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy, and turnips), kale is a top source of vitamin A and is loaded with beta-carotene. This nutritional powerhouse is also a significant vitamin C provider and is rich in fiber. It also contains huge amounts of the antioxidant lutein, thought to be helpful in avoiding such optical problems as macular degeneration and cataracts.
Selecting and storing
Look for deep color in the leaves. Kale is best kept in a plastic bag pierced for aeration, and it lasts in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. While baby kale can be eaten raw, the bigger winter variety should be cooked. Rinse it well under cold water; if center stems are large, strip the leaves from the stem with a sharp knife. Steam about eight minutes and it will be nicely crunchy; steam 30 to 40 minutes to give it a soft texture similar to cooked spinach. Sliced or shredded kale will require less cooking time.

What to do with kale
Kale adds a distinctively sharp and nutty taste to salads as well as cooked dishes. Its strong, peppery flavor helps it stand up to strong meats and adds another layer of zip to salads and stir-fry. Try it on its own or in combination with other, equally robust foods.

1. Add it to soups. Coarsely chopped and sautéed, kale is a welcome ingredient in hearty winter soups such as minestrone or bean or lentil soup. Or try the rich, densely flavored caldo verde (greens soup) from Portugal: Sauté l medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, and 6 peeled, thinly sliced potatoes in olive oil; add 8 cups water or chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Mash potatoes in the pot. Stir in half a pound cooked, thinly sliced linguica sausage (or low-fat turkey sausage). Add 1 pound thinly shredded kale leaves (inner stem removed); simmer 5 more minutes.

2. Toss it in stir-fries. Add chopped kale to your favorite stir-fry about 5 minutes before it's finished cooking. For a quick side dish, simply stir-fry 2 cups of chopped kale with a clove of minced garlic for 5 minutes; top with toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil.

3. Juice it. Juicer devotees will appreciate the pick-me-up kale adds to vegetable juices; combine it with carrots and beets in your juicer and add a little fresh gingerroot for a healthy and delicious juice.

4. Bulk up baked goods. For a spicy twist, add 1/2 cup finely chopped kale and 1 minced jalapeño pepper to your favorite cornbread recipe.

5. Perk up your starches. Chopped very fine and sautéed or steamed, kale can be added to mashed potatoes (one bunch per dozen potatoes) for a boost in flavor, nutrition and color. Alternatively, toss some chopped kale into the pot when you're making rice (use 1/2 cup chopped kale per cup of rice and add at the beginning).

Sausage and Cabbage
Soup
6 servings at 5 pts each
Pear and Walnut Salad
6 servings at 3 pts each
Prep Cook Total
10m 20m 30m
14 oz smoked turkey sausage, diced into ½
inch cubes
2 cups shredded coleslaw mix with carrots
4 green onions, sliced
6 cups fat-free chicken broth
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup uncooked small macaroni
Hot sauce to taste
---------------------------------------------------------------
1 bag chopped salad mix
2 pears, peeled and sliced
¼ cup chopped walnuts
12 tablespoons Kraft®light raspberry vinaigrette
In a large sprayed stockpot, sauté sausage,
coleslaw and green onions on medium heat for
4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add broth and seasonings; bring to boil. Stir in
macaroni; cook and stir often, 7 to 8 minutes or
until macaroni is tender. Add hot sauce to taste.
Serving: 1½ cups.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Toss all salad items together and divide into 6