Grilled Swiss with Avocado and Tomato

Since returning home from Disneyland where the Dole Whips flowed like water and the Monte Cristo Sandwiches were aplenty....we've decided to try to be healthier. So tonight I cracked open my trusty "Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites" cookbook and tried this recipe, I loved it!


2 Tbs low fat mayo
8 slices multigrain bread
4 slices low fat swiss cheese
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 cups alfalfa sprouts
1 tomato cut in 8 slices

* Spread 1 1/2 t mayo on each of the four bread slices; layer with one slice of swiss cheese, on fourth of the avocado, on fourth of the carrots, one half cup of the alfalfa sprouts and two tomato slices. Cover with remaining four pieces of bread.

* Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray both sides of each sandwich with nonstick spray; place in the skillet. Cook, covered, turning once, until the cheese is melted and the bread well toasted, about four minutes.

* Devour

*4 WW Points

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I didn't have the alfalfa sprouts or carrots on mine--kudos to you if you keep alfalfa sprouts lying about. Also I used a prepackaged guacamole (that I scored at Costco for cheap!) instead of the avocado.

Very yummy, VERY fast and all made even better with my multigrain bountiful basket bread!

Vegetable Barley Soup

Since we only have one month until our trip to Disney Blaine and I have made a resolve to eat super healthy this month and try to shed a couple of pounds so we can fit in the space mountain car thing together. We have a dream baby!

I also randomly bought some barley about a week ago.

So, I made this vegetable barley soup tonight and it was super easy and had incredible flavor. I wish it would have been brothier because dipping a warm roll into the soup was just a great combination of flavors. Mmmmm!

Beaker's Vegetable Barley Soup (from www.allrecipes.com)
2 Quarts Vegetable Broth
1 C uncooked barley (per reviews I only used 3/4 C)
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (14.5 oz ) can diced tomatoes with juice (I only had stewed tomatoes so I used those)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 onion, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 t garlic powder (I used refrigerated chopped garlic)
1 t white sugar (in the interest of being skinny in disneyland I left this out)
1t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper (important to use plain old pepper and not freshly ground peppercorns)
1 t parsley
1 t curry powder
1 t paprika
1 t Worcestershire sauce (I ran out so I used red whine vinegar with great results)

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium low heat for 90 minutes.

I forgot to cover it, whoops. Maybe I would have had more broth if I would have actually read the directions : ) Regardless add a few extra cups of broth, you'll be happier!

Remove bay leaves before serving

Hearty Spinach and Mushroom Soup ***

Blaine raved on and on about this, a great soup!

From Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

2 tsp Margarine or Butter
1 (8oz) pkg (3 Cups) sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 C finely shredded carrot
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1 (14 1/2 oz) can ready to serve fat free chicken broth with 1/3 less sodium
1 1/2 C frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Dash pepper
2 C skim milk
1/4 C all purpose flour
4 oz fat free cream cheese cut into pieces
4 oz (1Cup) shredded reduced fat swiss cheese

Melt margarine in large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, carrots and onion; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add broth, spinach, nutmeg and pepper, mix well.

In a small bowl combine milk and flour; blend until smooth. Add to spinach mixture; cook until bubble and thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and swiss cheese; cook and stir until melted.

- I used dehydrated carrots and dehydrated onions (yea food storage), I used two chicken bullion cubes and two cups water instead of the broth, and I used swiss cheese slices, and neufacschentioetwnaoidath whatever cheese that is kind of like fat free cream cheese.

Really yum. Well, of course I didn't have any but Blaine loved it, Gwen loved it and I blended some up for lil' Bentley and he loved it :)

Light Lemony Chicken

I LOVE this recipe, and I love it even more because it is light and fast. Really though, even when not dieting we eat this a lot, in my opinion it has the perfect lemony flavor. Mwah, so good. Four stars. I got this from the Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

Light Lemony Chicken

3C rice

2 or 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 1/3 C chicken broth

2t soy sauce

2t lemon zest

½ C lemon juice

2T sugar

2T corn starch

dash of pepper

1 lb Asparagus

2 C baby carrots

green onions

Cook rice. Mix chicken broth, soy sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, corn starch and pepper- set aside. Spray skillet with cooking spray add chicken and onions (cut in once inch sections) and cook until chicken is brown. Remove chicken and onions, respray skillet with cooking spray. Cook asparagus and carrots (cut in one inch portions) until crisp tender. Add the chicken and onions back to the skillet. Pour broth mixture in and cook until thickened. Serve over the rice. Yum.

** Blaine and I are really in to sauce I guess so here I have doubled the sauce portion of the recipe, if you are not so much into sauce you could half it again.

Asparagus Veggie Melts

Okay, so Blaine is doing weight watchers again (down five pounds in his first week-- yahoo!), so my recipes may seem a little questionable for the next lil' while, BUT, you are a skinny lot so maybe you guys eat like this all the time. I just don't want you thinking I've gone soft and started eating like a bird or whatever. Truth be told I only eat Lucky Charms, BUT this thing I made tonight I remember from when I was on weight watchers and I thought it was pretty darn good.

It comes from one of the best cook books EVER Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook. You'll see a lot of recipes from there in my upcoming posts. Everything I have made from the cookbook is excellent and everything takes less than thirty minutes to make and uses food you have actually heard of. Awesomeness.

Okay

Asparagus Veggie Melts

6oz fresh Asparagus Spears (there was no asparagus at the store so I got frozen, lame)
1/4 C water
2 Tbs fat free mayo or salad dressing
1/2 tsp dijon mustard or brown mustard
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 (16-inch) or 1 (8-inch) loaf french bread, split lengthwise
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into rings (red peppers are $2, green are $.50, I choose green)
2 slices mozzarella cheese

Break or cut off tough ends of asparagus. In microwave safe dish arrange spears with tips in center. Add water and cover with microwave safe plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until it is crisp tender.

Meanwhile in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard and dill, mix well. S0read mixture evenly over cut side of each half of bread. Top each sandwich with mushrooms, cooked asparagus and pepper rings. Cut cheese into one inch wide strips and arrange over peppers. Place on ungreased broiler pan or cookie sheet. Broil 4-6 inches away from heat for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.


Oh yeah, one time I made this for my friend Laurie and she thought it was tasty. So HA.