Big Apple Butternut Squash Soup

3 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 cups peeled and chopped Fuji apples
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
2 cups fat free chicken broth, divided
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (original Almond Breeze)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a baking sheet with foil and mist with non-stick spray.  Evenly place squash, apples, carrots, and onion on a sheet and top with garlic, salt, and pepper.  Bake in the oven until soft, 25 to 30 minutes.

Once veggies and apples have cooled slightly, transfer to a blender.  Add 1 cup broth and puree until smooth. 

Pour pureed mixture into  large non-stick pot on the stove.  Add remaaining 1 cup of chicken broth, almond milk, cinnamon and ginger.  Mix well and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, stir & let simmer for 10 minutes.

If you would like, season with additional salt and/or black pepper. 

Makes 4 Servings (1 1/2 cups each), 115 calories each serving

Enjoy!
Hungry Girl 300 under 300 page 400

Thin and Crispy Gourmet Hula Pizza

Makes 1 serving
1 (about 8") low-fat, whole wheat flour tortilla (I used "Flat Out" Multigrain wraps)
2 tablespoons traditional barbecue sauce (7 grams carbohydrates or less per 2 tablespoons) (Stubb's Original)
3/4 ounce (about 3 tablespoons) goat cheese crumbles
3 tablespoons drained canned diced pinapple in juice,
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro, or more to taste (optional)
About 1/2 cup chicken breast, cooked and diced (seasoned with salt and fresh ground pepper)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the tortilla on a medium nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 2 to 4
minutes per side, or until crisp. If air bubbles form while baking, poke
them with a fork, then use a spatula or oven mitt to carefully press the
air out.

Remove from the oven and top evenly with the sauce, then the cheese,
pineapple, and cilantro. Bake the pizza for 2 to 4 minutes longer, or
until the cheese is completely melted. Slice into 8 wedges and serve.

Source: Biggest Loser Family Cookbook pg 85

Southwest Chipotle Burgers

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Burgers:
1 1/2 lb ground chuck or ground sirloin
1 chipotle pepper canned in adobo sauce (be sure to remove the seeds)
1 T adobo sauce (from the chipotle chili can)
1/4 C grated onion (I used about 1 TBS granulated onion because Nate isn't an onion fan)
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper

Chipotle-lime Mayo:
1/2 C Mayo
2 t lime juice
1 1/2 t adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle chilis)
2T chopped fresh cilantro

4-6 good quality buns
1 tomato
1-2 avocado
lettuce
optional: jack, cotija, or queso fresco cheese


Start by making the sauce.


Place mayo, adobo sauce, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl.


Now this is the hard part. Stir it all together. Cover it and set in the fridge. You can make this part up to a day ahead of time if you want to.


Now place the beef in a bowl and gently crumble with your fingers. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Use your hands (yes, your hands!) to gently mix things together. If you go crazy and over-work ground beef it gets a yucky texture. Just mix it enough to distribute the ingredients and call it good.



Divide into 4 patties (or 6 little ones) and place on a preheated grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet.


If you want to top with cheese, do so in the last few minutes of grilling. I'd use jack (not pepperjack), cotija, or even some queso fresco. While the burgers are cooking, toast buns and spread chipotle-lime sauce generously on each side of each bun.


When the burgers are done to your liking let them stand for 5 minutes off the grill/pan and then pop onto your prepared buns. Top with tomato slices, avocado slices, and a crisp piece of lettuce.



http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/southwest-burgers.html

Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

1 lb lean ground turkey (or ground beef if you prefer)

1/2 c. (plus more if you need it) dry bread crumbs

1/2 c. red or green bell pepper, minced (about 1/2 medium bell pepper)

1/2 c. thinly sliced green onion

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger root

1 small can pineapple slices; reserve juice

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Thick Teriyaki sauce

Light mayonnaise (optional, but very yummy!)

4 hamburger buns

Gently combine turkey, bread crumbs, bell pepper, green onion, ginger, 1/4 c. reserved juice from pineapple, and salt. Form into 4 deliciously large patties. Chill until ready to cook.

If you can, pop these puppies on the grill until done; otherwise, you could put these under the broiler in your oven, a grill pan on your stovetop, or just a frying pan. If desired, grill pineapple in last 5 minutes of cooking. Baste burgers with Teriyaki sauce during last two minutes of grilling. Spread buns with light mayonnaise and a little more Teriyaki sauce. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Burger and Pineapple Only:

Calories: 238

Fat: 3.6

Fiber: 1.6

Weight Watcher points: 6

Burger and Pineapple on Whole Wheat Bun:

Calories: 358

Fat: 5.6

Fiber: 3.5

Weight Watcher Points: 8

*If you add light mayo, add 1 more Weight Watchers point

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/01/hawaiian-turkey-burgers.html

Pineapple Teriyaki Pork Chops

Olive oil in a sprayer (not store bought spray that contains propellant)
4 (4 ounce) trimmed boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4" thick
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
8 teaspoons honey teriyaki marinade and sauce (this is not simple teriyaki sauce, B Loser suggests Ken's   
         Steak House Marinade and Sauce)
4 slices canned pineapple in juice, drained

Preheat the broiler.  Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray the foil with olive oil. 

Lightly mist both sides of the chops with olive oil and season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Place the chops, not touching, on the prepared baking sheet and broil about 3 inches from the heat for about 2-4 minutes.  (Be sure to leave the oven door open a crack when broiling).  Turn the chops and brush or spread 2 teaspoons of teriyaki marinade evenly over the top of each.  Top with pineapple slices.  Broil for 3-5 minutes longer or until the pineapple and glaze brown lightly and the pork is barely pink inside.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings, WW Points @ 4 pts per chop with 1 slice pineapple

Recipe From the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook pg 160 

Honey-Mustard Pork Chops

4 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cider or wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 (5 ounce) bone-in loin pork chops, 1 inch thick (Nate prefers the boneless pork chops)

To prepare the marinade, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the honey until it liquefies.  Remove from heat,  Stir in the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Cool to room temperature.

Place the pork chops in a gallon size Zip loc bag, add the marinade, seal the bag, squeezing out the air, turn to coat chops.  Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight.  Remove the chops from the fridge at least 30 minutes before broiling.

Preheat the broiler.  Discard the marinade.  Place the chops on a broiler rack (I put mine on a foil-lined cookie sheet) and broil 3-4 inches from the heat until cooked through, @6-7 minutes on each side. 

Makes 4 servings, 4 WW points per chop

Recipe from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook, 2009, pg.207

Apple Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded and peeled apples (3 medium Granny Smith green apples)
1 cup shredded carrot (1-2 medium)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, Spray 24 muffin cups with nonstick spray or line with paper liners (I prefer the liners)

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl, set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla.  Stir in the apples and carrot; then stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them half full.  (Easy trick- use a small ice cream scoop to place the batter into the muffin cups)

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 20 -25 minutes)  Serve warm.

These muffins freeze really well too!  They remind me a bit of carrot cake!

Serving size: 1 muffin = 2 WW points

Recipe from Weight Watchers Magazine Sept/Oct 2005