Jalapeno Poppers

I found this recipe on WeightWatchers.com and am super happy I did. I made these as an appetizer/side with dinner last night and was not disappointed. Good think my husband already removed his from the pan, or I would have been tempted to eat his too!

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheese (You choose. The recipe said cheddar, but I only had
mozzarella and a fiesta blend in the fridge, so I used half of each).
1/4 cup low fat cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
1 tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
8 small jalapeno peppers or 4 medium to large ones
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute (or if you don't have any, one egg mixed with a couple splashes
of water. This will change the nutritional info though)
7 tbsp cornflake crumbs (cornflakes crushed)


Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Coat baking sheet with cooking spray
-In a medium bowl, combine shredded cheese, cream cheese, and mayo. Mix well and set aside.
-Cut peppers in half length wise. Remove seeds and membranes. Leave some if you want more heat. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES. If you are afraid you will absentmindedly, you may want to wear gloves.
-Fill peppers with cheese mixture.
-Place egg in shallow dish and cornflakes in another shallow dish.
-Dip peppers in egg, both sides, and then roll the pepper in corn flakes. Place completed pepper on baking sheet.
-Bake for about 30 minutes, until filling begins to brown and/or bubble over.

Nutritional Information
This is for 8 servings, regardless of pepper size. Each serving has about 55 calories, 3 g fat, .4 g fiber, 3.2 g protein

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

I love jalapeno poppers, but not their nutritional information (or lack there of). Although it was a little bit of work to make these, I was NOT disappointed. The serving size is a little small, though, so I would suggest and nice-sized salad and some low fat cottage cheese as sides. That way you get in your veggies, protein, and dairy. This recipe was adapted from one of my favorite recipe sources, hungrygirl.com.

These directions are for one cutlet. I made four at a time. Plan accordingly.

Ingredients

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/8 tsp or more of garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Dash or more of cayenne pepper
One 5 oz raw boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlet, pounded out to 1/2 in thickness
**If you do not have a meat tenderizer, it is okay. I wrapped the chicken in
plastic wrap, put a cake pan on top, and used a can of soup! Thanks Alton Brown and
Good Eats for that idea!**
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light and Creamy Swiss Cheese (I love this stuff!! Totally worth
buying the whole container. It's good on crackers, sandwiches, burgers, or just on its
own)
1 1/2 tbsp chopped jarred jalapeno slices (about 6 disks)
1 tbsp of either fat-free liquid egg substitute or mixture of egg white and water


Directions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Add bread crumbs, powders, and cayenne to gallon zip-lock bag and shake to combine
-Place chicken cutlets on a clean and dry surface; season with salt and pepper
-Spread upward facing cutlets with evenly separated cheese. Then top evenly with jalapeno pieces
-Carefully roll chicken and secure with toothpicks
-Brush cutlets with egg mixture and then sprinkle with breaded coating with a spoon until chicken cutlets are evenly coated
-Spray baking pan with non-stick spray and place chicken in the pan (I used Pyrex). Cover with foil and back 20 minutes.
-Remove foil and return pan, uncovered, to the oven for 15 minutes.
-Let cool slightly, remove tooth picks, and serve.

Nutritional information
This recipe is for one cutlet. It is about 240 calories, 4 g fat, 7 g fiber, and 36.5 g protein.

Cheesy Orzo

This side may not be as low in calories a many of the others on this site, but I am a firm believer in the idea that you need to spoil yourself every now and then. If you are crazy some ooey gooey mac and cheese, this would be a very satisfying swap. This recipe was altered slightly from one with the same name found on FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups dry orzo
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

--Preheat 8 inch pot (with a lid) on medium heat
--Add oil, onion, and garlic. Saute 3 minutes, or until onions are translucent
--Add broth and bring pan to a boil.
--Cover and reduce heat. Boil 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
--Remove lid and add cheese
--Season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Nutritional Information
This makes about 6 even servings. Each serving has about 240 calories, 9.8 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, and 14.9 g protein