Branching Out in the Food Department (3 New Recipes)

Not including yesterday’s high Bud Light intake with our visitors from Maine, I’ve been working hard for the past month to slim down. I joined Weight Watchers on December 31 and took off 9 lbs. in the month of January. Unlike Tony who can eat the same things day in and day out, I get bored with food. Tony steers clear of my “healthy” recipes; however, it seems Jill inherited my adventurous eating and love of fruits and veggies. Here are some recipes I’ve tried over the last few weeks:

Creamy Mushroom Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
Two 5-oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Cook and stir mushrooms and onion until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes.
- Transfer cooked veggies to a medium bowl, and blot away excess moisture. Add onion powder, garlic powder, and cheese wedges, breaking the wedges into pieces as you add them. Stir until cheese has melted and coating the veggies.
- Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Evenly divide veggie mixture between the centers of the cutlets.
- Roll up each cutlet over the mixture. If needed, secure with toothpicks. Place in the baking pan.
- Cover pan with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS (Weight Watchers pts = 5)

Crazy-Cheesy Cauliflower Mash (3 main ingredients, can't go wrong!)
Ingredients:
4 cups frozen cauliflower florets
2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
2 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
Seasonings: black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder

Directions:
- Place cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave for 3 1/2 minutes.
- Uncover and stir. Re-cover and microwave for another 3 1/2 minutes, or until hot and soft.
- Drain excess liquid. Add cheese wedges, breaking them into pieces, and Parm-style topping. Add a dash of pepper and 1/8 tsp. each salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Thoroughly mash and mix. Enjoy!
MAKES 2 SERVINGS (Weight Watchers pts = 3)

Hungry Girl's Big Batch of Growing Oatmeal
Ingredients:
4 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
2 cups old-fashioned oats
8 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia) – I didn’t include this but instead sprinkled sweetener on top of each serving
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a large nonstick pot. Add 4 cups water, and mix well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
- Stirring often, cook until thick and creamy, about 25 minutes.
- Let cool completely, about 2.5 hours, cover and refrigerate.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS (Weight Watchers pts = 5)
*When reheating each serving, I added ½ cup skim (WW pt value 1) milk to thin the consistency a touch. I also added chopped fruit like apple slices, strawberries and blueberries. Well worth 6 points; it’s a TON of oatmeal!

All three recipes are courtesy of Hungry Girl.