Tomato Basil Soup

Whenever it starts to get cold, I start craving soup! So with this deep freeze going on (for what seems like forever now!) I am definitely in the mood for some warm and hearty soup!

The other day, I went to the grocery store and picked up a rather delicious looking "can" of tomato basil soup to throw in my cart. Since I am on Weight Watchers, I checked the points on my handy little WW app. HOLY CRAP! It was 28 points for two cups of this soup! That's like all I get for a whole day! I quickly put it back, perplexed as to why tomato soup would have so many points. I know it had cream in it, but still! Tomatoes are zero points!

I decided right then and there to make my own tomato basil soup, with as few points as possible! I am so thankful for my smart phone (don't laugh, I only got one recently!) because I quickly looked up a few recipes on Pinterest. Most had the same basic ingredients and I switched out or left out some of the higher point items and came up with my own recipe!

This soup is really so easy and delicious, there is no need to buy canned soup ever again! And if you're on Weight Watchers, it's only one smart point! One! And that's just for the olive oil to saute the onions in!


Ingredients:

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes 

half a large onion, chopped

1tbs olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic (I use the pre minced stuff in the jar)

1 14oz can of chicken broth

fresh basil

Here's what I did:

I started by sauteing the onions in the olive oil until golden brown over medium heat. Then I added the garlic and cooked just until fragrant (about one minute.)

Next I added in the chicken broth, tomatoes and a pinch of salt. I brought it to a boil and then turned the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

At this point, try the soup. If it's too sour for you, you can add some sugar to sweeten it up. I recommend adding a teaspoon at a time. I liked mine without it, but some people may not.

Lastly, I added the basil. I only cut up three leaves of it because I wasn't sure if I liked basil. And the soup tasted pretty darn good without it, so I didn't want to ruin it! But, if you know that you like basil, by all means, use as much as you like!

I also used my immersion blender and blended the soup so that it would be smoother. You could use a food processor to do it, but just make sure that the soup is mostly cooled down before you do it that way. No one wants to get burned by scalding hot soup exploding out of a food processor (because it will!) Or if you're rich and have Vitamix, you can use that as well. Or, if you like chunky soup, don't blend it at all!

Yum!!!

A little basil garnish to make it pretty!

And a little shaved Parmesan cheese to make it extra yummy!

This recipe made about 3 cups of soup. 

Just remember if you are on WW, everything you add to the soup (sugar or Parmesan cheese) adds points, so adjust accordingly!


Enjoy!

Easy Hawaiian Chicken Bake!

We had my in-laws over the other night again and I was wanting to try something new and impressive, but still super easy for dinner. 

Enter this Easy Hawaiian Chicken Bake!

This dish seriously could not be easier! And it's amazing! It's great for a crowd or even for a romantic dinner just for two. 

I also thought about serving it for Easter dinner since something about pineapples screams Easter to me for some unknown reason! And, you can really up your game and make it ahead of time!

This Hawaiian Chicken Bake is also very Weight Watchers friendly! (Only 8 points per serving!)

Ingredients:

(based on four to five people)

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 to 2 sweet onions, quartered

1 large can of pineapple slices

A bottle of your fave BBQ sauce

1 package of smoked provolone cheese slices

First, start by quartering your onions and place them in the bottom of a sprayed baking dish.

Place your chicken breasts on top of the onions and season with salt and pepper. These are probably the thinnest chicken breasts I have ever seen. Normally, I get thicker ones, but it all tastes the same!

Next, drizzle your chicken and onions with your favorite BBQ sauce! If you are on Weight Watchers, measure it out for the points. That Kroger Sweet n Tangy BBQ sauce in the background is one of my favorites! It's, guess what ~ sweet and tangy!

Place the pineapple rings on top of the chicken.

Then top with the provolone cheese!

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees internally. After it reaches 165 degrees, take the foil off and return the chicken to the oven and cook until the cheese gets bubbly and a nice, golden brown.

Mmmmm! It is so good!

I also made an Angel Food Cake for dessert and topped it with Cool Whip Lite and fresh strawberries!

The quickest way to the hostess's heart is by bringing them flowers! Thanks, honey!

For all you Weight Watchers out there, this Hawaiian Chicken Bake is only 8 smart points per chicken breast! (The kind of bbq sauce and cheese you use will effect the exact pointage of the meal, this is just how much mine was. If you want exact points be sure to figure it out based on your options!)

Enjoy!

 

Pot Roast for the In-Laws

Cooking for your in-laws is quite possibly the most daunting task you will ever be faced with. 

Let me make it really easy for you.

Make a pot roast.

A pot roast is a surprisingly easy meal, yet it is very elegant (and most importantly, delicious!!!)

Some people will just throw it in the crockpot and that's fine, but I prefer to cook mine in the oven. It browns the meat and that's where the flavor comes in!

A roast does take about four to five hours to cook, so make sure to prepare for that. But, if your mother-in-law is coming over you'll probably be spending the day at home cleaning anyways. Am I right?

 Once you throw a roast in the oven there's nothing else to do to it, so you can fix it and forget it!  

I usually get approximately 1.5 lbs of chuck roast per person. (You'll probably have a little for leftovers.) Then I season it liberally with garlic powder, salt, and pepper on both sides.

I put the roast in my French Corningware casserole dish (you could use a small roasting pan as well) and pour in a can of beef broth, filling up the dish about half way up the roast. (Make sure you spray the dish with cooking spray before placing the roast in it for easier clean up!)

At this point, I add my veggies. I usually include carrots, a giant sweet onion (that's my favorite part!), and potatoes. Today, I used red potatoes.

Just cut the potatoes in half.

I quarter the onions.

Add the onions, taters, and baby carrots to the roast. Start the oven out at 350 degrees for about an hour. Then drop the temp down to 250 degrees and cook for about three to four more hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling apart. Make sure the temp is at least 165 degrees in the middle of the roast.

Dig in!

~ ~ ~

This roast is perfect for Weight Watchers followers too. 3oz of roast are 7 smart points and the potatoes are only 2 points for half a cup! Everything else is zero points!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

I love Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. I love stuffed peppers. Put them together and you get Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers! And they, are amazing!

These Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers are also easy to make and surprisingly healthy!

And as always, for all you Weight Watchers out there, they are only 4 points per half pepper! 

All you need are five ingredients:

2 bell peppers

 6 reduced fat smoked provolone cheese slices

1 sweet onion

Butter to saute your onions

About 1/3 lb deli sliced or shaved roast beef

First, cut your peppers in half and clean out the guts of the peppers. I prefer red peppers over green, but feel free to use whatever color you want! (That's my awesome husband/sous chef cutting up the peppers for me!)

Saute up a sweet onion in a scant bit of butter (I've been using whipped butter for everything here lately - aside from baking - it's got a lot less calories/points.)

Place half a slice of smoked provolone cheese (I used Sargento reduced fat!) in the bottom of each pepper.

Divide up some of your sauted onions between the four peppers, leaving about half in the pan still to put on top later.

Add your roast beef.

Top off your meat with the rest of the onions.

Add your final slice of cheese and put into the preheated oven. Bake at 400 degrees until heated through and the cheese is golden brown and bubbly!

Like this!

Enjoy!

Homemade Vegetable Soup (for the soul!)

 This is the best vegetable soup I have ever had - hands down.

And I made it! This was the first recipe that I ever devised by myself, soon after I got married and long before I joined Weight Watchers.

It's super easy, ultra healthy, but most importantly, delicious! And for all you "Weight Watchers" out there, it's only one smart point!  

It's the perfect soup for a cold winter's day and with the frigid temps and blustery days we've been having, now is the perfect time to make this yummy deliciousness!

I use mostly frozen veggies for this soup, with the exception of canned diced tomatoes and potatoes, and fresh cabbage. Really, you can put anything you want in it, this soup is very versatile.The last time I made it, I didn't have any tomatoes so I used some V8 juice instead. This time around, I didn't have any potatoes so it's potato free today!

First, I start out by adding torn cabbage leaves to four cans of chicken broth. If you prefer to make this a vegetarian vegetable soup use vegetable broth instead! I just eyeball most of the ingredients in this soup. Use as much or as little cabbage as you like! Let it cook on low/medium heat until the cabbage is translucent - about twenty minutes.

Then I add one can of diced tomatoes - juice and all! Give it a stir.

Next, I add frozen carrots and frozen green beans - a handful at a time. Again, use as much or as little as you want, keeping in mind whether you like your soup thicker or more soupy. I also add 1/2 cup of frozen sweet corn (I measure the corn out for points value for WW since it's a starchy veg.) Slowly bring the soup to a boil over medium heat.

Once it boils, it's time to add my favorite part - the barley! I use 1/3 cup of pearl barley. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook until the barley expands, then lower the heat again to simmer and cook about 10-15 minutes more.

Ready to eat! Once in your bowl, season with salt, pepper, or seasoned salt to taste! I simply use seasoned salt to season my soup. It adds some spices and salt. It's delicious!

Sometimes, after this soup sits a lot of the liquid will disappear and you will need to add another can of broth for the leftovers. Even though I like a thicker soup, I usually add another can or so into the container right before I put it in the fridge so all the flavors can meld together. Other times, I just use water when I am reheating it. 

Enjoy!