Weight Watchers Wednesday: Calzones

I had some pizza crust (the Pillsbury kind in the tube) in the fridge, so in my quest to find a healthy Weight-Watchers friendly recipe, I knew I wanted to make something with the pizza dough. I thought a pizza or calzone would be a good choice ... if I could find a healthy recipe.

I found this recipe while looking through my Weight Watchers cookbook, and thought I'd give it a try. It also helped that feta cheese was BOGO this week at Publix, and I was able to find a coupon. Healthy AND cheap - score!

I must admit that this isn't what I would typically think of when I think of a calzone. There's no meat (calling all vegetarians!), and there's no sauce, so it's not really as much like a pizza as I had thought. But it's not bad.

In the interest of being transparent I will say that this isn't our favorite meal, but it's not bad. If I had all the ingredients, I'd make it again, but it's not going to be one of our go-to dishes. But maybe you'll enjoy it!

And I took a photo, but can't find it anywhere, dagnabbit! It was actually really pretty!

Calzones
1 1/4 teaspoon (about 1/2 envelope) active dry yeast*
3/4 cup lukewarm (105-115 degrees) water*
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon salt*
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, combine 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water through the feed tube just until the dough forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and elastic, about 30 times. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour. (OR -- use a tube of Pillsbury pizza dough and roll it into a large circle on a baking sheet. Much easier!!)

Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the shallots and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach; cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in the ricotta, feta, egg, mint, oregano, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Turn out the dough; divide into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on one side of each circle, then dampen all around the edge; fold over and press with a wet thumb to seal. Transfer the calzones to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes.

Weight Watchers Wednesday: Apple-Oatmeal Cookies

We can pretend that today's still Wednesday, can't we? It's my blog so it's Wednesday here (too bad I can't rewind real life).

The weather might disagree, but the calendar says that it's fall. It's almost October and when it's fall (regardless of the ridiculous heat) I want to make fallish things. Apple things, pumpkin things, squash things. You know, fallish things.

And this week I wanted a sweet fall thing. I had an apple in the fridge, oatmeal in the pantry and this recipe in my cookbook. The stars aligned and thus, I made these cookies.

They're good; they're a nice light bite of sweetness. With only 1/4 cup of sugar, they aren't overly sweet, but just enough. And the small amount of fat means that there's not a lot of dough to this cookie; it's mostly a lot of oatmeal and apple bundled together. But they are good! We've really enjoyed them this week - and guilt free because they are low fat and low calorie! I'll definitely make these again.

I hope you enjoy these little light bites of fall!

Sorry for the crummy photo; I took it with my phone. But a crummy photo is better than no photo, right?

Apple-Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats, toasted until lightly browned*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dark raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray (don't spray if sheets are nonstick). (I use parchment paper instead - love the stuff.) In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, cream the brown sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the apple, egg, and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the oats mixture, stir to blend, then stir in the raisins (if you use them ... I didn't). Drop the dough by tablespoons onto the baking sheets, forming 12 cookies on each sheet; flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes Cool completely on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

*Toasting oats brings out their nutty flavor. Spread the oats in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Weight Watchers Wednesday: Goat Cheese & Roasted Corn Quesadillas

I weighed myself this morning and was not completely disgusted. I now have about 10 pounds to go before being at my pre-pregnancy weight. I'd love to lose a little more, maybe a total of 15 pounds, but I won't push my luck. Ten will do for now, I suppose (although I do have to fit into a bridemaid's gown in May ...).

So this isn't the best-looking photo in the world (a quesadilla is a quesadilla, right?), but a bad photo is better than nothing, I guess.

This isn't a Weight Watchers recipe, but it's from Cooking Light. Close enough, eh? I found this while wading through recipes looking for something healthy but not too off the wall. You know my love for cheese, so I thought we'd give this a try.

We enjoyed this; the flavor was good and it wasn't heavy like most of the quesadillas I make (with lots of regular cheese). I followed the recipe and only used one ear of corn, which yielded only 3/4 cup of corn. Next time I make this I'll use two ears of corn - I think this could have used more. And if you want to add more substance, you could add grilled chicken, too.

All in all, this was a pretty good meal. Healthy, easy and if you like goat cheese, tasty. Enjoy!


Goat Cheese & Roasted Corn Quesadillas
Recipe from Cooking Light, March 2009
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear)
2/3 cup (5 ounces) goat cheese, softened
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 1 green onion)
10 tablespoon bottled salsa verde, divided
Cooking spray

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Place corn in a small bowl. Add goat cheese to corn; stir until well blended. Divide corn mixture evenly among 4 tortillas; spread to within 1/4 inch of sides. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1 tablespoon green onions. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons salsa; top with remaining 4 tortillas. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels; recoat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with remaining 8 tablespoons salsa. Serves 4.

Calories per serving (serving size: 4 wedges and 2 tablespoons salsa): 223; Fat:8.9g; Protein: 9.9g; Carbohydrate: 28.6g; Fiber: 3.2g; Cholesterol: 16mg; Iron: 1mg; Sodium: 266mg; Calcium: 75mg

Weight Watchers Wednesday - Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

So, yeah, it's not Wednesday anymore. Whoops. But better late than never, right?

Living in the South, fried chicken is a big deal. It's everywhere. And it's mighty tasty. But not healthy. Not at all. But sometimes you just get a craving and want that delicious flavor. When the mood hits and nothing else will do but fried chicken, here's a yummy and guilt-free alternative to the artery-clogging and button-popping original.

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken
Courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
5 points
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds chicken, skinless
4 teaspoons canola oil (it's important, flavor-wise, that you use canola oil)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the buttermilk into a shallow bowl. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake 30 minutes, then turn the chicken over. Bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer.

Per serving (about two pieces): 229 calories, 10 g. fat, 2 g. sat. fat, 0 g trans fat, 64 mg chol, 295 mg. sodium, 11 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 23 g protein, 49 mg calcium.

Weight Watchers Wednesday - Honey-Mustard Pork Chops

How fitting that this post should come right after my cheese-and-bacon laden Bacon Quiche recipe.

But don't be fooled. It's only a once-a-week commitment that I'm making to eating healthier.

Unfortunately for me, these pesky 20 pounds I've been holding onto since Nora was born don't seem to be going anywhere. And I want them to go. Anywhere. Somewhere. Just far, far away from me. Apparently, though, it sometimes requires a change in habits to lose weight, and I haven't changed a single habit. Just wishing and hoping the pounds away isn't cutting it anymore. Thus, Weight Watchers Wednesday was born.

Every Wednesday I'm going to make a new and healthy recipe. It might come from my Weight Watchers cookbook (I'm gonna start there) or it might come from Cooking Light or another healthy food source. Wherever it comes from, though, it's gonna be healthy.

No heavy cream, no half-and-half, no "four cups of cheese" or "1/2 pound of bacon."

We'll see how this goes.

Thank goodness it's only once a week.

Honey-Mustard Pork Chops
Courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
4 Points
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cider or wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 (5-ounce) bone-in loin pork chops, 1-inch thick

To prepare the marinade, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the honey until it liquefies. Stir in the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper; cool to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a gallon-size Ziploc bag; add the marinade. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air; turn to coat the chops. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove the chops from the refrigerator 30 minutes before broiling. Preheat the broiler. Discard the marinade. Place the chops on the broiler rack and broil 3-4 inches from the heat until cooked through, 6-7 minutes on each side. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving (1 chop): 178 calories, 7 g. fat, 3 g. saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 10 mg. cholesterol, 124 mg. sodium, 2 g. carbs, 0 g fiber, 26 g. protein, 27 mg. calc.