Chicken Enchilada Lasagna (6 points)

I love chicken Enchiladas. I've only made them once since we started doing Weight Watchers. I love tortillas too, but they are so many points. Sure there are some low-carb and high-fiber ones that are one or 2 points, or you can use the smaller ones that are one point each. But when it comes down to it all of those tortillas are more expensive when it comes to your purchasing cost. I hate spending more for items that aren't too much worse and cost SOOO much less. However, if you won't use those items before they go bad, because you don't want to eat the extra points,  it wasn't worth the lower cost of those items. Tortillas are one of those items for me. I can get the unhealthy ones for almost nothing, but hate paying a ton of money for the reduce point ones. But in the end we won't eat the fatty tortillas before they go bad.
Chicken Enchilada Lasagna was my solution, just like with pasta lasagna, it gives you the taste, without needed as much of the tortilla as you would to wrap it all. IE 3 tortillas for 4 servings. This idea actually came from a Pamper Chef party I went to, although their enchilada lasagna was so fatty and would be a ton of points.
Chicken Enchilada Lasagna
(4 servings, 6 points)

• 1 can canned chicken (I love the Kirtland Sig brand)
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can Green Chilies (we like a kick, if that isn't your family, then use however much you desire)
• *optional Green Chili sauce
• 1/2 cup of Milk (anything but Whole won't really change the points)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 3 tortillas
• 1 quart square baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, the canned chicken, Green chilies. Mix them well. Take one of the tortillas, I sliced mine up to have them spread over more space and fix the awkward  circle square thing, but do as you want. Layer over the tortilla 1/3 of the chicken-chili mixture. Layer another tortilla over that. Then another 1/3 of the mixture layered over the 2nd tortilla. Layer on the last tortilla.  Then add the 1/4 c of the cheese to the chicken-chilli mixture along with the 1/2 cup of milk. Layer the last of the mixture over the last tortilla and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Cook for 25 minutes. Serve warm, 4 servings, at 6 points each. Can serve with Sour Cream on it, count the points on the sour cream.

Side suggestions: Rice, bean mix, green beans.

Ways to make it lower if desired: Use a low-fat, whole wheat, or high-fiber tortilla. Check them out, there are a few out there with better calorie counts, and fat counts. Campbell Soup makes a low-fat Cream of Mushroom- it takes 2 points off of the entire can. Low-fat Cheese and skim milk (don't make much of difference on their own but using both makes some difference. So if you used 3, 1 point tortillas, it would be 18 points for the whole meal which is 4.5 per serving. Use the Low-fat Soup and dairy you are easily to 4 points per serving maybe even 3. Check you nurt. values.


Sorry no picture. I wasn't sure if I was going to post it till afterwards. I'll have to make it again and take a picture that time.

Pineapple Glazed Pork Chops

Yummy Yummy Yummy- sorry my picture didn't turn out very good, but it sure tasted good
Pineapple Glazed Pork Chops
serves 4, 5 points each
4, 4 oz boneless pork chops
1/4 tsp salt and pepper (each)
6 oz can unsweetened pineapple juice (I blended up 1 cup of pineapples in the food processor)
2 tbs dry cooking sherry (optional)
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp garlic power


What you do: Mix pineapple, sherry, brown sugar, rosemary, and garlic- then set aside. Salt and pepper chops, then place meat in a skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, brown meat on high then turn down heat and cook till done. Remove meat from heat, in the little bit of grease left, add the pineapple mixture to skillet. Cook on low heat until mixture thickens. Put meat back into the pan, turn it over around in the glaze, remove from heat, place glazed meat onto serving place drizzle remaining onto the meat and serve.
Suggested sides: potatoes, couscous, carrots, peas.

Butternut Squash-1point

I love Butternut Squash. I think that it taste great just the way it is or fixed up like sweet potatoes. Either way it does need butter.
How you make it:
Take you Squash cut it into chunks. Leave the skins on. You can make it one of three ways, the microwave, the oven, or a steamer.
Microwave- wrap piece in plastic wrap, cook the same as you would a potato (if you don't have a potato button  on your microwave, cook on high for about 2 minutes.)
Oven- place on pan skin down or put it into veggie medley mix. Cook for an hour.
Steamer- cook for about 20 minutes.
Once cooked the skins should peal right off, if they won't peal, then it should cut right off. The reason not to cut it off before is it is too hard don't waste your time.
To serve, mash or eat in chunks. Spray with spray butter. If you have the points add 1 teaspoon  per 1 cup of mashed sweet potato. I doesn't add a full point. but add a point to each 1 cup serving. 
I hope you enjoy Butternut Squash as much as I do.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Orzo -7 points per serving

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Orzo

7 points per serving, 4 servings

• 6 oz Orzo pasta
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 1 3/4 c tomato sauce
• 1 tbs  honey
• 15 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts

Boil water for the orzo, once its boiling cook orzo. Orzo only needs to cook around 9 minutes. Put to the side once its cooked and drained. Meanwhile, cook up the onions and garlic in a sauce pan, add cinnamon,salt, ginger, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, once onions are cooked add the tomato sauce and honey. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until boiling. Remove from heat. If you can multi-task enough, spray skillet, cook chicken that has been cut into strips over high heat, cook until fulling done, remove from heat. Serve orzo, with chicken strips on top, all covered by the sauce. 
Each serving is 3 oz of cooked chicken, 1/4 th of the Orzo, 1/2 cup sauce.
Suggested Veggie side: Broccoli, California Veggie mix, Veggie Mix

Salsa Beef- 5 points

Salsa Beef

(5 points per serving, 4 servings)

• 1 lbs boneless top loin steak*, trimmed visible fat
• 1 1/2 cup Salsa

Take your beef, cook in skillet on medium heat. Sear each side. Once seared, turn heat to low, pour salsa over the beef. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until meat is fully cooked (don't over cook or scorch the salsa).

Suggestions: Serve with rice or rice and beans. Don't forget a veggie or a side salad.
*This can also be made with chicken, how many ounces of chicken you use is your points since most salsas have almost no points, But check your salsa for calories. If the calories are under 25 calories per serving then don't worry about adding it into the points.

Baked Salmon

This was the first time I had ever made fish. I'm not a big fan of eating fish, but my husband loves it. Since its expensive to buy good fish (and impossible to buy it really fresh) in Arizona, I use that as an excuse not to make it for my husband. But with Lent ongoing, fish is a more reasonable price. I decided to try my hand at it.

Baked Salmon

2 serving, 8 points

4 servings, 4 points

1 lbs Salmon (salmon is about a point per oz)

1 tbs spray butter

1 tbs lemon juice

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Place a sheet of tin foil onto a baking sheet. Place the salmon scale side down on the tin foil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fish. Drizzle spray butter on the salmon, and drizzle the lemon juice. Let it sit out for 5 minutes before putting it into the oven. Broil fish or bake it on a high heat. Watch carefully, do not over cook. Remove from heat once fish meat because flaky. I didn't understand what this ment until it got to this point, you can take your fork and run it over it and it will break apart in the flaky fish cooked texture. Remove from oven and serve. I actually enjoy eating fish in small amounts and when it hasn't been in the freezer yet. Fish is tastier the closer in time since they left their home in the water. 

Sorry no picture. They are on the computer that is on the fritz.

Party Food

Since starting Weight Watchers whenever we have a gathering at our home or if I'm going to someone's home and am suppose to bring a side or treat to share.

Here are 3 recipes that can be made low-point to share at parties, or for a fun evening at home.

Italian Dressing Pasta Salad

6 servings (1 cup), 5 points each

12 servings (1/2 cup), 3 points each

• 1 bag/box Spiral pasta (my bag has 6 servings in the bag)
• 5 tbs Light Zesty Italian Dressing
• 1/4 c Light Miracle Whip
• 3 servings of sliced ham (diced)
• 1 c diced Tomatoes (or more if you like, it doesn't add points)
• 16 Olives (black or spanish)- if you dice them it will feel like there are more
• 1 package (~8oz) Fat Free Feta cheese
• optional*-1/4 c chopped onion, 1/4 c chopped green peppers- neither add points its just up to your taste

Directions: Cook up the pasta, drain, and place in the fridge. While pasta cools in the fridge, chop up the veggies and place them in a large bowl to serve in. Add in the measured dressing, miracle whip (some find it useful to mix dressing and miracle whip till blended then add to the mixing bowl), ham, and Feta. When the pasta is cold (do not add hot it will melt your cheese),  add it to the bowl, mix and toss till everything is covered. Serve. 1/2 is 3 points, 1 cup is 5 points.

Soda Cake

12 servings, 3 points each

• 1 cake mix (doesn't matter which type)
• 1 can of diet soda (which one doesn't matter, you might find you like the taste of one over the other when added to the cake

Take the cake mix, add the can of soda, mix well and place in pan, Bake at the temperature directed by the box's direction.  Cut the cake into 12 slices, each slice is 3 points. Ideas for topping-  fat free cool whip, powdered sugar lightly sprinkled, light chocolate syrup, or make frosting and figure out its points.

Strawberry Limeade

each 12 oz glass = 1 point

Personal Serving Size

• 1 can diet Sprite/7-UP
• 1 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 1/2 c crushed ice

Take your strawberries, and place them in a blender or food processor. Blend them. Crush your ice. Pour your soda into a glass. Add the strawberries and ice to your glass. Mix and drink.

Party Serving

• 1 2-liter of diet Sprite/7-UP
• 1 package of strawberries
• 8 cups crushed ice

Process the strawberries and ice, add soda. Serve in a pitchers, glasses, or punch bowl. Fresca works well too.

Have fun at your parties.