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

Maple-Glazed Chicken

If you like spicy with a mix of sweetness, you will want to check out this chicken out for sure! I got this recipe from Weight Watcher's Make It in Minutes Cookbook, but made a few changes.

Ingredients

1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
2 tbsp light or low-sugar maple syrup
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

-Preheat grill or oven to 500 degrees. If using the oven, coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray. If using the grill, you could spray and use a sheet aluminum foil, or just put it on the grates. It is up to you.
-Combine the paprika, salt, cinnamon, cumin, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on the chicken breasts, so the meat is completely covered. Place the chicken on the sheet/grates. Bake/grill 15 minutes.
-While that cooks, combine the syrup, butter, and mustard in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the butter melts and mixture is combined.
-After the chicken bakes for 15 minutes, brush it with the maple glaze every 5 minutes for so until the chicken in fully cooked.

*I like to serve it with the cilantro lime rice found on this website or garlic-y egg noodles (my husbands recipe).

Nutritional Information
This makes 4 servings. Each serving has about 245 calories, 8 g fat, 710 g sodium, 1 g fiber, and 36 g protein

Beer and Brat Stew

This is a delicious stew that helps chase the winter chills away. IT makes a lot, so plan on eating it for a few days. This recipe was inspired by one found on Foodnetwork.com by Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients

3 (12 oz) bottles of dark beer
1 package (12oz or more) of Andouille sausage
1 package (12oz or more) of turkey bratwurst (you choose the flavor. I've used both smoked and hot and spicy before)
5 slices of turkey bacon
3 cups of yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 can of reduced sodium, 99% fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes cut in halves and quarters
3 large carrots peeled and cut into disks
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp slat
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Directions

-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-- pour two bottles of bear in a medium Dutch oven and bring to a boil
-- Peirce the sausage and brats and add to the beer. Turn the heat down and simmer 10 minutes
-- Remove sausage and cool slightly
-- Reserve the sausage-liquid in a bowl and set aside
-- Slice the sausage into disks once they are cooled
-- Add the bacon to the pan and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove and set on paper towels to drain.
-- Add the brat to the bacon drippings in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes.
-- Add the onions to the pan and cook 5 minutes or so
-- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds or so
-- Add the remaining sausage-liquid, beer, chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, and seasonings. Bring to a boil and cover.
-- Place the Dutch oven in the oven and back for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and serve.

Nutritional Information
Bases on 12 hearty portions, each portion contains 256 calories, 9 grams of fat, 13.9 grams of protein, and 1.7 grams of fiber

Cajun Grilled Shrimp

This dish can be a little on the spicy side depending on your sensitivity, but don't let that scare you!
This recipe was adapted by a similar one found in Good Housekeeping's grilling cookbook

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs of shrimp (I use frozen, but you can use fresh too)
1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Cacherere's)
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lime zest
1 tsp of either fresh lemon or lime juice

Directions

-Preheat your grill to about 350 degrees
-Combine the seasonings, oil, zests, and juice in a bowl.
-Add shrimp to the bowl and toss until the shrimp is covered
-Lay out a piece of aluminum foil onto your grill; fold up the ends to create a small tray
-Pour the seasoned shrimp onto the foil
-Cook for 2-3 minutes, and then flip the shrimp over
-Cook for another 2-3 minutes
-Enjoy!

This goes really well with the lime cilantro rice! I can imagine it would be tasty in a salad too.

Nutritional Information
This recipe makes four servings. Each serving is about 199 calories, 5.4 g fat, .07 g fiber, and 35.6 g protein.