Spinach and Pizza Stuffed Shells and Garlic Toast

***This is from last spring. Luckily, because I had already had a good start on the post, it came together easily. Seeing these pictures made my mouth drool, especially thinking about the pizza ones. Too bad we have long since polished these off. Otherwise, I know what we would be having for lunch.
By the way, the point values were actually one point lower than I posted on booth when I calcualted them, but they seem so sinful I upped them both by one. It just sits better with me and how I will be counting them.
These past few weeks were a mess. I wasn't making good food choices, I was eating too much, we were eating out a ton and I WAS HATING COOKING! I couldn't really figure out why but I think in hindsite, I was missing blogging. I usually have my camera in the kitchen and create a post in my head as I go, hoping it turns out good enough that I was to share with you. (This is not always the case, but oh well!) I had my parents in town and didn't want to be taking pictures
This was a dinner that I made quite a while ago and have been meaning to post. I had some of the leftover shells (Don't worry, they were from the freezer!) for lunch and they were delcious. I thought it was the perfect time to share.

Spinach Stuffed Shells
4 pts
Serving - 3 Shells

box of large pasta shells
2 c fat free cottage cheese
4 oz part skim mozzarella, shredded
1 egg (could use 2 egg whites)
2 T parmesan cheese
1/4 t salt
dash of pepper
1 T oregano
1/2 t minced garlic
10 oz. frozen spinach (thawed & drained)
3/4 c pasta sauce
1 oz finely shredded mozzarella for topping

Cook shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. I like to set them out on a cookie sheet so that they don't stick together or rip. Let cool enough to handle.


While noodles are boiling, combine cottage cheese, egg, garlic, salt, parmesan, mozzarella and oregano in a large bowl. Strain and press all the water out of the frozen spinach. (I wrap it in a paper towel and squeeze it to get out most of the water.) Add spinach to cottage cheese mixture. I use the whole package but it is a little on the "spinachy" side but I work under the theory "the more veggies the better." If you are nervous about the spinach only use 1/2.


Man, isn't this pasta pretty. Make sure that you don't cook them too long or they get mushy. Stuff the shells with about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture. I stuff them just full enough that you can see the filling poking out but not so full that you run the risk of it oozing out everywhere.



I use bottled sauce (usually Ragu Light) but you could use tomato sauce with some Italian spices in it too. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of Pyrex. Put shells in Pyrex. Spoon more sauce over the top. Sprinkle 1 oz of mozzarella on the top. I shred mine fine so that it goes a bit farther. Bake approx. 30 minutes at 350 degrees.




This made much more than pictured above. I stuffed at least 12 - 16 more shells and laid them in a single layer on a pan that fit in the freezer (no sauce!) and put them in a Ziploc after they freeze. Directions on how to do this are in the recipe below.

They came out so cheesy and delicious. I love that way that cottage cheese melts when you bake it. I am not a ricotta fan but you could use it instead if you prefer it or have it on hand.



I served it with a salad and garlic toast. To make garlic toast I just take a thin slice of french bread and brush some olive oil and garlic on top. I broil it for a minute or two. I have to sit in front of the oven and watch it or else I forget about it. It will burn on you really fast. This was store bought bread but I have been working on french bread and made some today that was near perfect. I will be posting that soon. I have to be careful not to make it too often because I could easily polish off half a hot loaf.

I had cooked the whole box of pasta shells and had a ton left and was looking for a way to use them. This is what I came up with. While I love the spinach stuffed shells, I have to admit that these are better. So delicious the best of pizza and cheese pasta all rolled into one.

Pizza Stuffed Shells
5 pts
Serving Size 3 shells

pasta shells (cooked according to package directions)
1/2 c diced white onion
1/2 c diced green pepper
1/2 c diced fresh mushrooms
12 large olives, diced
20 slices turkey pepperoni, diced
1 1/2 c cottage cheese
4 oz mozzarella, shredded
1/2 t minced garlic
1 t oregano or Italian seasoning
2 T parmesan cheese
3/4 c pasta sauce
1 oz mozzarella, finely shredded for topping

Sauté onions and green peppers and mushrooms in a pan with non-stick spray till soft.

Mix cottage cheese, mozarella, parmesan, seasoning, egg and garlic together in a large bowl. Add chopped olives, pepperoni and onion mixture to cottage cheese mixture and mix together.





Stuffs shells with mixture. Shells should be full but not over-full.


If you were eating these immediately you would prepare with the pasta sauce as in the spinach recipe above. 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

However, I made these to freeze for future use. After stuffing the shells, I placed them on a plan lined with plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer overnight. The plastic wrap keeps it from sticking to the pan. Once frozen through, I transferred them to a Ziploc bag. This way I could take out what I needed for dinner that night. So easy! And so delicious! Just add a little to the cooking time if cooking from frozen.

Between these two stuffings, I used all the shells. I had dinner for 4 or 5 nights for my little family.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Revisited and Almond Onion Rice

Since making this Chicken Cordon Bleu a few weeks ago, my husband has been begging (literally) me to make this again and to make several of them so he can take them to work for lunches. I finally picked up some more ham this past week so I set out to make a bunch of them on Monday night. We had them for dinner that night and I paired it with some almond onion rice (recipe below) and a green salad topped with craisins, dried apples and raspberry vinegrette. It turned out as good as the first try and the experimental rice turned out amazing! Last time I had a request for pictures so here is the recipe again with pictures. The rice recipe is posted too.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
5 pts
2 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large deli slices of ham
2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss
1 egg white (mixed with a splash of water)
1/4 c panko style bread crumbs
1/2 c Fiber One cereal, pulsed in food processor or blender until fine crumbs

Thaw chicken. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to about 1/4 inch thick with meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove plastic.


Place a slice of deli ham over each piece of chicken. Spread a wedge of cheese on half of each piece of chicken/ham. Roll like a burrito starting with the cheese side first so that it is in the middle of the roll. Secure with toothpicks if necessary.



Put egg white in a bowl. Combine panko bread crumbs and fiber one crumbs in another bowl. Dip the chicken in egg white and then roll in bread crumbs, coating entire chicken roll. Place on a cooking sheet that has been spray with nonstick spray. Repeat with second piece of chicken. sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top of chicken.



Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving because cheese inside will be very hot.



If freezing these, cook before freezing. Can be reheated in the oven or thawed in the fridge and them reheated in the microwave.



Brown rice takes forever to cook. I sometimes cheat and use instant brown rice on days that I forget to set the rice cooker early. I have heard that rice freezes well and have been meaning to try it so when I made fried rice on Sunday night, I cooke 2 extra cups of brown rice to freezer for quick meals during the week.

While the chicken cordon bleu is absolutely amazing, it is a little time consuming. I recommend making a bunch at one time like I did and freezing them for later meals. After preparing the chicken, I realized that I had forgot to throw on some rice. I had planned on making fresh rice because I wanted to season it with chicken stock and the rice I had cooked earlier in the week was plain. With only 25 minutes till dinner, I needed to figure out something fast. Rather than breaking out the instant rice, I pulled out the precooked rice from the night before and this is what I came up with. By the way, it was delicious!

Almond Onion Rice
1/2 c = 2 pts or 1 c = 5 pts
Serves 2-4

2 c cooked brown rice
1/4 c water
1 T chicken base
1/2 t mined garlic
1 green onion, sliced
canola oil spray
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray

If frozen, break rice into smaller chunks to fit in a microwave safe bowl. Ad water, minced garlic and chicken base. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 3 minutes or until warmed through. Uncover and stir. If water still remains in the rice microwave at 30 second intervals until water is evaporated or absorbed.




In a dry nonstick skillet (I used cast iron.), toast almonds until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Spray pan with canola oil spray and return to medium heat. (I have a oil sprayer from Pampered Chef that I love. Nonstick spray is not very good for your pans.) Add sliced onion and saute lightly.



Spray 10 sprays of butter spray to pan. Add rice and base mixture and mix until combined. Let rice cook 2-3 minutes without stirring. This will give the rice more of a "fried" flavor. Stir lightly and let cook another 1-2 minutes without stirring. Mix in toasted almonds. Serve and Enjoy!
(I think that 1/2 c of rice is the perfect serving but my husband always want at least 1 c.)

Apple Crisp Oatmeal - 4.5 pts & Spiced Apples - 1 pt

I think I am on a breakfast kick! I promise I have other recipes and ideas for dinners waiting in the wings. Now that I am photo tracking, I am trying to get the recipes up here that correspond with my daily menu. We'll see how well that works out, but for the time being I'm trying.

After loving the Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal so much, I decided that I needed to experiment putting more fresh fruit in my oatmeal. In the past, I have cut up an apple and tossed it in but there was nothing amazing about how it turned out. For Valentine's day, we had pork ribs and I thought that it would be delicious to serve it with some spiced apples, like you get at the restaurants. These are the spiced apples that I came up with. It is a really chunky applesauce with lots of flavor. I loved how they turned out and thought that they would be delicious on oatmeal too. This is what I came up with.

Apple Crisp Oatmeal
4.5 pts
Serves 1

1/2 c oatmeal
1 c water
2 packets Splenda
dash of salt
1/2 t almond extract
1 serving Spiced Apples (recipe below)
2 T Microwave Granola

Place oatmeal, water, Splenda, salt & almond extract in a micowave safe bowl. Allow extra room in the bowl for the oatmeal to bubble during cooking or you will have a mess in your microwave. Microwave on high 3 minutes.

Top with Spice Apples. Sprinkle Microwave Granola over the top. Enjoy hot!

Spiced Apples
1 pt
Serves 3

Peel and cube 4 small or 3 medium apples. Put in a small saucepan.



Add 1/4 c water and 1 t lemon juice. Stir. Them at 3 T Splenda for Baking, 1/4 t cinnamon and 1/8 t nutmeg. Stir to coat apples evenly. Cover and place over medium heat.


Cook until apples are tender but not mushy. Mash lighly with a fork or potato masher. Divide into 3 servings. Stores well in fridge for a few days. Can be used as a topping or a side dish or just enjoyed pure.

Here is the original go at the spiced apples. They were delicious served with the ribs and sweet potatoes. The candied yams recipe is coming soon! By the way, pork ribs, not WW friendly at all! They were a Valentine's treat for the husband.

Big Bowl Cereal - 4-7 pts

Well, I keep saying how I have a bunch of recipes or ideas to post here and never follow through so today is a the day. I think I am going to post 1 or 2 a day so that some of the first ones I post don't get lost behind the latter posts.

Really, who measures their cereal?

No one unless they are watching calories or points or whatever. From kids on, we crack open the box and poor it into the bowl until it looks like a reasonable amount and will satisfy our hunger. Fast forward. As an adult, we want to shed the pounds and so watch our portions. We break out the measuring scoop and have anywhere for 1/2 cup to 1 1/4 cups depending on the cereal. Well, when you put that in a regular cereal bowl, it sure seems like a puny amount. In thee past I measure out my cup of Cheerios and pour my milk on it and wolf it down in 3 bites or so. I end up feeling totally unsatisfied and I am hungry in 90 minutes or so.

The above reasons is why I started doing this. My Big Bowl Cereal. It is a mixture of different cereals and some fruit if you care for it. You end up with a big soup bowl filled to the brim with cereal and after eating it, you are full all morning.






Big Bowl Cereal
4-7 points
Serves 1

1 serving of cereal, 2 pts for 30 g of cereal (I use Cheerios - 1 c or Kix 1 1/4 c.)
1 serving Fiber One Original, 0 pts for 30 g
1 serving of Puffed Wheat, 1 pt for 15 g
1 pt serving of fruit (I use 1/2 banana or a couple of strawberries cup up.)

Mix together.

Pour 1 c milk over top of cereal. (see options below)

1 c skim milk, 2 points
1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 pt (If I use this I usually add a package of Splenda to it and sometimes skip the fruit because it has a nice flavor to it already.)

I usually have 15 g Kix, 15 g Cheerios, 30 g Fiber One, 15 g puffed wheat, and 1 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk with a package of Splenda. This is 4 pts, the same as 1 c Cheerios and 1 c skim milk, with lots of fiber to keep you full all morning.

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu - 5 pts

Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorites. I never was brave enough to make it and would just the the ones in the freezer section. They come in at 10 pts for one piece of chicken and expensive on top of that. Yikes and totally unnecessary. I set out to make my own version while praying that my husband wouldn't notice too much of a difference.

I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, laughing cow light original Swiss, lean deli lunch meat, egg whites, fiber one and panko bread crumbs. They turned out absolutely amazing! They looked almost identical to the ones you buy frozen but tasted so much better. My husband was disappointed that I only made two. He practically was begging for me to make them again. That was between the constant Mmmmm's and raving about the taste. Next time, he wants me to cook up some extras and freeze them for his lunches.

These were so beautiful and would be a great dish for a dinner party. I will definitely be making these when my parent come in town this spring. I really wished I would have taken pictures to share. That is something that I need to remember to do in the future.

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu
5 pts
2 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large deli slices of ham
2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss
1 egg white
1/4 c panko style bread crumbs
1/2 c Fiber One cereal, pulsed in food processor or blender until fine crumbs

Thaw chicken. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to about 1/4 inch thick with meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove plastic. Place a slice of deli ham over each piece of chicken. Spread a wedge of cheese on half of each piece of chicken/ham. Roll like a burrito starting with the cheese side first so that it is in the middle of the roll. Secure with toothpicks if necessary.

Put egg white in a bowl. Combine panko bread crumbs and fiber one crumbs in another bowl. Dip the chicken in egg white and then roll in bread crumbs, coating entire chicken roll. Place on a cooking sheet that has been spray with nonstick spray. Repeat with second piece of chicken. sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top of chicken.

Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving because cheese inside will be very hot.

If freezing these, cook before freezing. Can be reheated in the oven or thawed in the fridge and them reheated in the microwave.

Grain Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce - 5 pts

i love my better homes and gardens cookbook. it is the one that can be found in almost every kitchen in the country. lots of basic of recipes and they all turn out delish. many are not very figure friendly though. i know that several recipes in there have contributes to me gaining weight.


while perusing the cookbooks at costco earlier this week, i came across another bhg cookbook, "eat well, lose weight". as i flipped through it, most of the recipes looked pretty easy, they all had pictures (which i love), and it had all the nutritional information for them so it would be easy to figure points. i tossed it in my cart and excited headed off to the check-out so i could go home and really look through it.


well i love it as much as i thought i would. great recipes. it is a 3 ring binder, like the classic, so it lays open nicely. all of the recipes are geared towards healthier eating. i have gone through and calculated the points on many of the recipes that i want to try and written them in for easy reference. if you come across this cookbook, take a peek.

well enough about how great this cookbook is. here is the recipe. it has a strawberry sauce which i didn't make even though it looked delicious. i prefer yogurt on my pancakes. i know, strange, but something that my dad got me hooked on as a kid. now i use dannon light n' fit 0 plus smoothies as syrup. only 1 pt for the entire smoothie and i am getting my dairy from it. i had fresh strawberries on the side.

the texture was a great. i like a nutty pancake. i used whole grain oats instead of instant and substituted splenda brown sugar for regular. points are figured on original recipe.

Grain Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce
from Better Homes and Gardens' cookbook "Eat Well, Lose Weight"
5 pts

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup uncooked yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup quick cooking oats
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1 egg
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tbsp canola oil

1. In am medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a small bowl combine egg, milk, and oil; beat with a fork or wisk until combined. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter shoul be lumpy).

3. Lightly coat an unheated griddle or large skillet with momstick cooking spray. Preheat griddle over mdium heat. For each pancake, pour a scant 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle. Spread each to a 3 to 3 1/2 inch circle. Cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each sie or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfarces and slightly dry edges.

4. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a blender or food processor combine 2 cups strawberries, granulated sugar, and canilla. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan, heat sauce until warm. Quarter remaining 2 cups strawberries. Serve pancakes with sauce and berries.

Makes 6 servings. (2 pancakes per serving).