WW Tortellini-Tomato Soup

If you haven't figured out already, WW is weight watchers. This is my favorite soup EVER. So, so, SOOO good. It calls for a 9 ounce package refrigerated 3 cheese tortellini (cheese ravioli also works), but I buy a bigger package of the frozen stuff, coz J doesn't care much for the soup part so I just add in some extra tortellini for him. I love a big bowl with some crunchy, buttered French bread to dip in it. Yum. Can't wait for fall!

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 oz each) fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated 3 cheese tortellini
1/4 cup (1 oz) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese (don't use the grated stuff, if you don't shred it fresh yourself at least buy the shredded kind in a can, Kraft makes some in the refrigerated section)

Heat oil in Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add onion; saute' 5 minutes or til tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add broth and next 5 ingredients. Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Add tortellini; simmer, uncovered, 5-7 minutes or til pasta is tender ( frozen might take a few minutes longer, it floats when it's done). Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 6 servings (serving size 1 1/4 cups soup)

WW Rosemary-Feta Chicken with Cherry Tomato-Olive Sauce

This was one of the very first weight watchers recipes I tried. I absolutely love this recipe. It is definitely one of my all time favorites. I can't even describe how good this is. Just make it. Trust me.

1 (1.5 oz) slice hearty white bread (I just use a slice or 2 or 3, depending on the size of the slices, of whatever white bread I have on hand. )
1/4 cup (2 oz.) crumbled feta (I've used reduced fat with success)
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (I'm pretty sure I've always used dried rosemary)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
1/4 tsp salt
4 (6 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp olive oil
cooking spray
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup minced shallots (about 3 large)
1/3 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 pint grape tomatoes (called cherry tomato-olive sauce, but calls for grape tomatoes in the recipe. Whatever)
Rosemary sprigs, optional

Preheat oven to 375F. Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or til coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and rosemary in small bowl. Toss well; set aside. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp pepper and salt evenly over chicken. Heat oil in nostick skillet coated with cooking spray over med-high heat. Add chicken, cook 3-4 minutes on each side or til browned (it will continue cooking in the oven so don't cook it all the way through). Place chicken in an 11x7 baking dish; top evenly with breadcrumb mixture, pressing down slightly. Sprinkle olives, shallots, and tomatoes around the chicken, then pour the chicken broth around the chicken (not on top of the breadcrumbs). Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Bake at 375F for 27 minutes or til chicken is done and breadcrumbs start to brown. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired. Yield: 4 servings

WW Chicken Piccata

Yes, another Weight Watchers recipe. I made this just the other night. I hadn't made it in quite some time, and GI Joe requested it, it's one of his favorites. The kids don't like the sauce, but that's ok, more for us! And I actually double the sauce ingredients, it's really yummy and we like to have enough to go over egg noodles with the chicken.

4 (6 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp minced shallots (I double this)
1/4 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth (I double this)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (I double this)
1 tbsp capers (I double this)
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley, divided (I double this)

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2 inch thickness with meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Heat 1 1/2 tsp olive oilin large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add half of chicken; cook about 3 minutes each side or til done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Repeat with remaining olive oil and chicken, removing chicken when done. Add shallots to pan; saute' 1 minute or til tender. Add broth, lemon juice, and capers. Increase heat to high and cook 1 minute. Stir in 1 teaspoon parsley (I probably use a tablespoon or more). Spoon sauce evenly over chicken (we spoon it on ourselves on our plates, like I said the kids don't like it so I don't need the sauce on all of the chicken). Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

Lipton's Onion Mushroom Meatloaf

I'm not the biggest fan of meatloaf. I'm very picky about my meatloaf. I don't like it to be topped with sauce (though I have to have ketchup on my plate to dip it in). I don't like green peppers in it. Actually, I pretty much only like this meatloaf. I actually love this meatloaf. Sometimes I make into a loaf and cook it in the oven as a normal meatloaf, but sometimes I shape it into patties instead and cook the patties in a skillet, that way every piece is like a crusty, yummy "end piece".

2 lbs. ground beef
1/3 cup ketchup
2 eggs
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I've used fresh and I've used the stuff from the grocery store, either way works)
1 envelope Lipton's onion mushroom soup mix.

Combine all in a large bowl, form into a loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or til done. Or form into patties, heat up a skillet, spray skillet with cooking spray, and cook 'em up in the skillet.

Crustless Smoked Turkey and Spinach Quiche

I make this for dinner, it is very filling and rich, and it even heats up wonderfully. I actually think I have some of this turkey ham in the freezer, so I might have to make it again soon, all this food talk is makin' me hungry :P Oh, and this is a lower fat version of quiche, from a Cooking Light magazine I believe.

3/4 cup (4 oz.) cubed smoked turkey ham (such as Jennie-O)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup fat free evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk....some people get them confused)
3/4 cup shredded Swiss, divided
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat large nonstick skillet on med-high. Coat with cooking spray. Add ham, onion, and pepper; saute' 4 minutes or til ham is lightly browned. Sprinkle 1/4 cup swiss cheese in 9 inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Top with ham mixture. Combine remaining 1/2 cup swiss, spinach, eggs, egg whites, evaporated milk, cheddar, and cottage cheese in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level with knife. Combine flour with baking powder in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; add to egg mixture. Pour egg mixture over ham mixture. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or til knife inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 8 servings

Nanny's Chicken Casserole

I'm gonna share something that is near and dear to my heart. This is one of my great-grandmother's (I called her Nanny) recipes. For those that don't know me that well, my Nanny was very special to me. My mom was a teen mom, and we lived with my great-grandparents (along with my mom's brother) up until I was about 13, and at that time my mom and I just moved across the street to live with her boyfriend/fiance/now common-law husband or whatever, but anyways....so growing up, there was always super yummy southern granny food on the table. A lot of these she never wrote down, so many have been lost as she got older and has since passed away (though I was very lucky to have her in my lfe until I was about 28). So the handful of her recipes that I have are very important to me, it's like preserving a special part of my past. This is by far my most favorite thing she ever made, next to her apple pie turnovers.
1 chicken (boiled and deboned. You can either boil it whole, adding enough water just to cover, or cut it in pieces and add enough water to cover. Either way, reserve the cooking liquid coz you can use it for the chicken broth that the recipe also calls for instead of canned)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (you can use canned or just strain the chicken cooking liquid coz hey, that's chicken broth!)
1 bag herb Pepperidge Farm dressing
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 stick butter

When chicken is done, remove from pot, reserving liquid if desired, and set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove from bones (discard skin and bones or save them to boil up to make even more chicken broth) and shred into large but fairly bite sized pieces. Melt butter; pour over dressing in large bowl and let sit about 10 minutes. Layer dressing, chicken, 1 can soup, and 3/4 cup broth (if using the broth from the cooked chicken, be sure to strain through a fine strainer to remove any bits and pieces); repeat layers and sprinkle with remaining dressing on top. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.

Hamburger buns

Recipe says it makes 12 large hamburger buns or 30 small dinner rolls. I get about 14-16 buns.

1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed ( I make it with powdered milk and hot water)
1 large beaten egg
2 tablespoons butter (I melt it)
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups bread flour (I use 2 cups bread flour, and 1 1/4 cups wheat flour)
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (I use bread machine yeast)

1. Place all ingredients in pan of bread machine according to manufacturer’s directions.
2. Select “Dough” setting.
3. When cycle is complete, turn out onto floured surface.
4. Cut dough in half and roll each half out to a 1 inch thick circle.
5. Cut each half into six 3 1/2 inch rounds with inverted glass as a cutter.
6. Place on greased baking sheet far apart and brush with melted butter.
7. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
8. Bake at 350° for 9 minutes.
9. Note: Oven temperatures vary so check after 9 minutes to see if done. These can take anywhere from 9 to 15 minutes (mine usually take about 12 minutes).