March 1- March 7

Tuesday, March 1-  Since my older daughter has a haircut scheduled right near dinner, I am opting for a simple meal.  I plan on taking chicken breasts season with basil, oregano and rosemary.  Place in my Pampered Chef Covered Baker and pour Italian dressing over the breasts.  Microwave for about 6-8 minutes or until done (3 oz. WW Pts: 3).  I will serve them over rice (WW Pts: 4) and carrots ( 1cup WW: 1).  The whole meal is 8 WW pts. per serving.

Wednesday, March 2- Tonight's meal I found on Cooking Light's website, Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi which is 8 WW Points.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup orzo mixture and about 7 shrimp) WW Pts: 8

* 1 cup uncooked orzo
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
* 7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
* 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
* 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.
Nutritional Information

Calories: 403 Fat: 10.4g (sat 4.8g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.4g) Protein: 40.1g Carbohydrate: 1.7g 34.7g Fiber: Cholesterol: 276mg Iron: 4.3mg Sodium: 549mg Calcium: 97mg

David Bonom, Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Thursday, March 3- Also found in my recent issue of BHG was a reader's winning recipe of Mexican Mac and Cheese.  I will be tweaking the recipe to include chopped jalapeno into the casserole.  I will also be halving the recipe for my family.  WW Pts: 9

Mexican Mac N Cheese (from BHG)

• 12  oz.  dried mostaccioli or rigatoni pasta (3 cups)
• 1  lb.  bulk pork sausage
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  16-oz. jar  green medium-hot salsa
• 2  8-oz. pkg.  shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 cups)
• Tomato wedges, sliced jalapeño peppers, and chopped fresh cilantro
•  Salsa (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet cook sausage and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain fat, Return sausage and onion to skillet. Stir in green salsa (and I am adding chopped jalapeno).
3. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Top with tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro. If desired, serve with additional salsa. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories378,Total Fat (g)22, Saturated Fat (g)11, Monounsaturated Fat (g)8, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, Cholesterol (mg)61, Sodium (mg)474, Carbohydrate (g)25, Total Sugar (g)4, Fiber (g)1, Protein (g)19, Vitamin C (DV%)6, Calcium (DV%)30, Iron (DV%)11, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Friday, March 4- Date night!!  No cooking for me other than throwing together something for the kids.

Saturday, March 5- Grilled Steak (WW Pts: 2.5 for 2 oz lean) with Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey (WW Pts: 3) and a mixed green salad with a vinaigrette dressing.   The whole meal is 5.5 WW per serving.  I found the initial recipe on allrecipes.com but added a few of my modifications as follows and I will halve the recipe.

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey WW Pts: 3

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil (regular or light olive oil can be substituted)
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, honey, ginger, walnut oil, spices, and pepper. Transfer to a large cast iron frying pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Stir the potatoes to expose the pieces from the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized on the outside.  Yields 12 servings

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 162 | Total Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Nutritional Information

Calories: 162 Total Fat: 2.3g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 63mg Total Carbs: 34.9g Dietary Fiber: 3.5g Protein: 1.9g

Sunday, March 6-  I just received my latest edition of BHG magazine and came across tonight's recipe of Pasta, Red Bean and Parsley Toss. I may add some meat to this meal, not sure yet. WW Pts: 8

Pasta, Red Bean Parsley Toss WW Pts: 8

* 8 oz. dried medium shell pasta or desired pasta
* 3 cups broccoli florets
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* 1-1/2 cups chopped onion
* 1 15-oz. can red beans, drained, reserving 1/4 cup of liquid
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
* 1/2 cup finely shredded pecorino or Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup snipped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, adding broccoli the last 3 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook about 5 minutes more or until onion is tender.

3. Increase heat to high; add pasta, broccoli, beans, chicken broth, reserved bean liquid, and chili powder to pan. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and parsley. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

4. Serve pasta with grated hard cooked egg. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 422,Total Fat (g)8, Saturated Fat (g)3,Monounsaturated Fat (g)4,Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1,Cholesterol (mg)11, Sodium (mg)796,Carbohydrate (g)70,Total Sugar (g)7,Fiber (g)11, Protein (g)19,Vitamin C (DV%)1.2, Calcium (DV%)20, Iron (DV%)24, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Monday, March 7-  I found an interesting chicken dish on allrecipes.com, Raspberry Glazed Rosemary Chicken, WW Points: 5 for each breast.  I will serve the chicken along with a side salad and roasted garlic red potatoes (WW Pts: 3).  Whole meal per serving is 8 WW Points.

Raspberry Glazed Rosemary Chicken WW Pts: 5

• 1 tablespoon crushed rosemary
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
• 1 cup raspberry preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon honey mustard
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together crushed rosemary, sage, and oregano.
3. Rub one side of each chicken breast with herb mixture. Place chicken herb-side up in a baking dish, and pour broth over the chicken.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. Place raspberry preserves in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 20 to 30 seconds to soften. Stir in honey mustard and rosemary.
6. Spread about 1 tablespoon of preserve mixture over each breast. Bake 10 minutes more.

Calories: 240 Total Fat: 1.6g Cholesterol: 68mg Sodium: 92mg Total Carbs: 28.1g Dietary Fiber: 0.2g Protein: 27.5g