Fancy Pants Banana Puddin'

Everyone loves banana pudding. Well, at least the people I trust love banana pudding. We all know the classic recipe. You know, the kind made with those 'nilla wafer cookies.  Not the case here, friends!  I tossed the wafers for decadent, butter cookies. Don't worry though, this recipe won't expand your waistline. Although, I suspect if you inhale the whole dish, it just might :)  Moderation, right?

Make this dish. You will become a rockstar at your next brunch or other get together. Heck, make it for Sunday dessert!


Oh, in case you were wondering....Yes, I purposefully left the "g"  off in "pudding."  Alright, enough talking. Let's eat!

Fancy Pants Banana Puddin'

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen''s Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

 

Ingredients:

2 bags of butter cookies (I used Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies!)

Approx 6 nanners (aka bananas), sliced

2 cups skim milk

1 (5 oz) box of French vanilla pudding

1 (14 oz) can of fat free sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 oz) block of reduced fat cream cheese or neufchatel, softened.

1 (8 oz) container of fat free whipped topping, thawed

 

Method:

1. Arrange cookies (approx 1 bag) along the bottom of a large dish (13x9, although I used a rather oddly shaped one about the same size).
 

 

2. Add the sliced bananas, and spread evenly over the cookies.

 

 

3. In a medium bowl, add the milk and pudding mix.  Beat with electric mixer until well blended. Set in fridge.

 

 

 

 

4. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.  Mix until smooth.

 

 

 

 

5. Fold whipped topping into cream cheese mixture.

 

 

 

6. Remove pudding mixture from fridge.  Fold cream cheese mixture into pudding mixture. Stir well.

 

 

7. Spread mixure over the bananas. Even out the top.

 

 

8. Cover pudding with remaining cookies.  You don't have to get fancy, but I like to try and alternate the patterns. Believe me, you'll rake in the compliments on the presentation!

 

 

9. Cover & chill until ready to serve.  

 

Other information:

Serves 12-20  Bless your heart if you get more servings out of this pudding :)

 

Weight Watchers Points Plus:

 

For 12 servings: 10 points plus

For 13 servings: 10 points plus

For 14 servings:  9 points plus

For 15 servings:  8 points plus

For 16 servings:  8 points plus

For 18 servings:  7 points plus

For 20 servings:  6 points plus

 

**Points based on manual imput into the recipe builder function on the Weight Watcher site.  They are not official.**

 





Peach Cobbler Oatmeal

Peach Cobbler Oatmeal

Cobblers are a staple in the South.  Peach cobbler just happens to be my favorite, especially with all of the juicy peaches around. However, peach cobbler is notorious for being high in sugar, and extremely buttery...and therefore, awesome. Add some vanilla ice cream, and you're really in for a treat as the ice cream melts and forms a cream over the dish.  With that being said,  I will concede that peach cobbler is not so awesome on your waistline.  But don't worry, I have a solution :-)

*drum roll* OATMEAL!

Oatmeal is a glorious ingredient to use at breakfast time. At the risk of sounding like a waxing poetic on the subject, here's a list about the wonders of eating oatmeal:

1. It helps stabilize blood sugar.
2. Keeps your heart healthy.
3. It's a good source of soluable fiber, therefore it keeps you full!!
4. Oats are full of fiber, thus, is anti-carcinogenic. Plain english? Oats are especially effective for colon cancer.

So, here's a guiltess excuse to eat dessert for breakfast. After all, isn't dessert truly the best part of a meal?

xo!


Ingredients

1/3 c old fashioned oats
1 c + 1/2 T unsweetened almond-coconut milk (or just plain unsweetened almond milk)
1 T brown sugar
1 T Smart Balance light with flax seed
1/4 cup peaches, diced (canned in light syrup or fresh)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Method:

In a small sauce pot, add oats and 1 cup almond milk.  Cook on low for about 15 minutes (or until desired consistancy is reached).  Stir often to prevent burning/sticking.

Turn off heat and add in sugar, cinnamon, and smart balance.  Stir and allow butter to melt, fully incorporating the spices into the oatmeal.

Dice peaches.  Add into oatmeal. 

Transfer to serving bowl.  Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.  Pour 1/2 T of almond milk over oatmeal.

Serves 1

Enjoy!

Other information

WW 6 pt+ (if using canned peaches)
WW 5 pt+ (if using fresh peaches)

**if you use skim milk, add another point.


All photos are mine, so don't be a thief. 

Facts on Oatmeal

I am in no way associated with Weight Watchers.  All points are unofficial.  Points will vary due to products used.

Curry Chicken Salad

Laura's Curry Chicken Salad

Hey ya'll! I've missed posting the past couple of months.  The Bar exam sucked all of my time and energy. However, I'm back and ready to give you all some healthy, and-- more importantly--TASTY recipes!!!

Need to spice up your lunch? Check out my twist on a classic! This is a great way to use up any leftover chicken that you may have in your house.  For this recipe, I used leftover smoked chicken breast, but any cooked chicken will do just fine.  Beware, this doesn't last long! Try it today!

Ingredients
1 cup cooked chicken breast meat (skin removed)
1/2 medium or large apple, chopped (I used golden delicious)
a handful of red seedless grapes, sliced in half
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 sweet bell pepper (red or yellow), chopped
2 T pecan halves, chopped
3 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 1/2 T reduced fat mayo
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Method

1. Chop scallions and place in a large bowl.

2. Add pepper, apple, and grapes.

3. Shred chicken, and add in with pecans to the bowl

4. Add in the spices and mayo
5. Mix well. Throw in the fridge until chill so the flavors can "get to know one another better."

6. Serve on bread, with crackers, or over salad greens.
7. Enjoy!

Makes 4 generous servings

Other Information:

3 WW points +  per serving

Pictures are mine, so don't be a thief.

As always, I am not in anyway associated with WW. 

Cinnamon Spiced Apples

Cinnamon Spiced Apples


 I had some apples....lots and lots of apples.  I made these, along side a roasted pork tenderloin, for some dinner guests, and everyone loved them!  They can be used as toppings for desserts, yogurts, folded into oatmeal, or as a good old fashion Southern side dish.

Ingredients:
5 apples (peeled, cored, sliced, chopped)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 T of light butter

Method:

In a mixing bowl, combine apples, sugar, and spices. Toss to coat apples.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the light butter and melt.  Once melted, add in the apple mixture.  Reduce heat to medium.

Cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes. Apples should be tender. 

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.  Enjoy!

Serves 8

Other Information:
WW information: 1 pt+ per serving

BLT Breakfast Bowl

BLT Breakfast Bowl 

This isn't your average BLT, folks. B for the bacon, L for LAUGHING COW CHEESE, and T for tomato! Lettuce wasn't invited to this party. So sad....not.  Lately I've been on a grits kick. So naturally, I've been scheming of delicious ways to have this southern delight for breakfast. Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients
1 packet instant grits (I used Quaker butter flavor)
water (according to instructions on grits)
1/4 cup diced tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese (I used french onion)
1 1/2 T low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
black pepper

Method
1. Prepare bacon (via pan, microwave, oven, etc). Cool, crumble, set aside.

2. Prepare grits according to packet instructions.  Pour into serving bowl.

3. Slice laughing cow wedge and stir into grits. Top with cheddar cheese.  Zap in microwave for 10-20 seconds.

4. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes.  Retrieve grits from microwave and top with bacon, tomatoes, and pepper.

Serves 1

Other Info
WW 5 pt+

Legal
Inspired by Savoring the Thyme's BLT Polenta Bowl

Soul Food Vol 1: Chili BBQ Shrimp & Grits

Welcome to the Soul Food challenge! I've extended this challenge to myself, and hopefully you can reap the benefits as well. This is the first of many 'Soul Food' volumes.  Here we go!

Health conscious cooking doesn’t have to mean gross or eating only raw carrots. While you should eat vegetables ( a conversation for another day), there is plenty of room for healthy takes on southern classics.  I don’t know very many people who are opposed to good southern cooking.

 In the South, cooking is often referred to as “soul food”—and is made with love.  In fact, many southerners celebrate just about everything with food.  This doesn’t have to lead to a Santa Clause style belly that jiggles around.  You can be perfectly jolly, sans the belly. So what is one thing that is  quintessentially southern? Mardi Gras, of course. Where does Mardi Gras take place? New Orleans. 

New Orleans is known for a particular dish…BBQ Shrimp.  Don’t be fooled. It has nothing to do with sticky, sweet BBQ sauce.  It’s perfectly delicious, but is filled with butter and other belly expanding ingredients.  Its time I put my healthy spin on it.  For the purists, its not “exactly” BBQ shrimp.  How could it be? I’m drastically reducing the fat & calories.  It is still delicious though. Have faith. It was still made with love, and therefore, is still “soul food.”

 

pictured w/ Gambini's Cheese Grits, and my take on collard greens.

New Orleans Style BBQ Habanero Shrimp

Ingredients:
10 large shrimp
1 tsp olive oil
1 habanero, stemmed, seeded, & thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t italian seasoning
a few churns of fresh black pepper
juce of 1/2 lemon
3 tsp of hot sauce
2 tsp of water
1 T light butter
1 scallion, sliced

Method:
1. In a bowl, combine the shrimp with 1 t of the olive oil, habanero, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper, 2 t of hot sauce, 2 t of water, and lemon juice. Toss well to mix. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate the shrimp at room temperature for 20 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

2. Heat a small/medium sautee pan, and pour contents of small bowl in over medium heat. Cook until sauce bowls and shrimp turn bright pink.  Remove shrimp from sauce, and continue to boil marinade a few minutes longer.

3. Return shrimp to the pan, and turn heat to low. Add remaining hot sauce, butter and scallion.

Serves 1
WW 5p+

Gambini's Fluffy Cheese Grits

Yeah, you heard me right--as in Vincent LaGuardia "Vinny" Gambini.  If you recall, there is a very distinctive scene about grits. To which a character states, “no self respecting southerner uses instant grits.”  Well, my friend, I beg to differ. Any self-respecting southern cook should know how to prepare grits, but that’s definitely a hard and fast rule.  In honor of my favorite legal movie…here we go.  Vinny, this one’s for you.

This is actually my take on a recipe my Mom makes.  Love you, Mom!

Ingredients:

1 packet instant grits (I used butter flavor)

½ c water
2 wedges laughing cow cheese (I like garlic & herb or french onion)
3 1/2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, grated (I put a hunk into the food processor to get it fine)
1 egg
1/8 c of skim milk
Pam spray

Method:
Set oven to 350 degrees

1. Boil water and add grits. Prepare as packet describes. Remove from heat
2. In a small bowl, beat egg and milk together until frothy.
3. Slowly (SLOWLY!!!) add egg mixture to the grits, in batches.  Continue to whisk and temper both ingredients until fully combined into the grits.  (This is to prevent scrambled eggs)
4. Add in 3 T of the parmesan cheese, stir.
5. Crumble/pull apart the laughing cow wedges into the mix, stir.
6. Spray a dish with cooking spray. Pour grit mixture into pan. (I used a 15oz corning ware dish).
7. Sprinkle top with the remaining 1/2 T of parmesan cheese
7. Bake for 50 minutes, until golden brown.

Serves 2.
WW 4p+