photo credit: the daily green

As many of you know, I’ve always been a fan of Miracle Noodles. They are a 0 calorie pasta that are so versatile, they can be used in a variety of low calorie recipes. Recently, Rachael Ray prepared a fabulous Hot or Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe using Miracle Noodles, and it is truly an awesome dish. Traditional noodle recipes can rack up a LOT of calories and Weight Watchers Points. However, this slimmed down version, has just a 6 Point Total per serving, and the serving is HUGE!!! It’s half of the entire recipe!! And though this is not an official one of Rachael Ray Weight Watchers Recipes, it’s a great alternative dish that any dieter will appreciate. Sesame noodles are one of my favorite Asian Recipes, but I usually avoided them because of the calorie count. But now with this awesome Rachael Ray recipe, I can enjoy them once again!

Hot or Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 or 2 7oz. bags of Miracle Noodles (the less noodles you use, the more the sauce is distributed, and the more flavorful the noodles are)
- 1/4 cup Kikkoman – Tamari Soy Sauce
- 1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high
- 2 tbsp cider or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dark sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
- 2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:
Open bag of Miracle Noodles into a colander and rinse with warm water for a couple of minutes and boil for one minute, pat dry with a paper towel or small hand towel. Cut noodles with scissors to make smaller pieces.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy, peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Add noodles and veggies and toss to combine the noodles and coat them evenly with sauce.
Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds throughout the salad and serve.

Or you can heat the sauce for a couple of minutes in a sauce pan, then add noodles and serve hot! It’s makes great leftovers the next day!!

Entire Recipe makes 2 servings
Each serving = 6 Point Total

P.S. If you are interested in seeing the Rachael Ray Clip with Rocco DiSpirito and Miracle Noodles it is here

photo credit: Koko’s Kitchen

Traditional hummus recipes get a new twist with this flavorful version! When I found this pumpkin hummus recipe, I was really excited to give it a try! I love hummus, and even though it’s good for you, it tends to be pretty caloric, which can really rack up those weight watchers points. This lower calorie version uses pumpkin instead of the traditional garbanzo beans, which helps you get more quantity in each serving than you would with your traditional hummus recipe. It doesn’t taste exactly like regular hummus, but the new taste is absolutely fantastic! Each serving of the Pumpkin Hummus Recipe has just a 2 Point Total, which isn’t bad. And I think it’s a really unique dip recipe that is ideal for any party or appetizer. Try serving with some 1 Point Pita Bread, or with some 0 point veggies! It also makes a great spread for sandwiches too! This hummus recipe has endless opportunities. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Hummus Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) can of pure pumpkin
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor.

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Each serving = 2 Point Total

While looking for good Weight Watchers Breakfast Recipes, I came across this fabulous recipe for Apple Butter French Toast with Honey and Almonds! It’s deliciously sweet and flavorful and because it’s baked, it’s super easy to make. I let the bread soak overnight, and then popped it in the oven in the morning for a gourmet breakfast treat! My husband and I both loved it. And with just a 2 Point Total per slice, it’s a great, low point breakfast recipe for anyone who’s looking for a yummy, yet satisfying dish. Though this is not an official one of Weight Watchers Recipes, it’s definitely a must try.

Apple Butter French Toast Recipe

Ingredients:
- 6 slices light bread (I used Sara Lee Delightful)
- 3/4 cup egg substitute
- 2/3 cup fat-free skim milk
- 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate (I used the frozen kind)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp slivered almonds
- 1 tbsp honey
- a few spritz’s of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” spray
- 1/4 cup apple butter
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

*If you prefer to make your own homemade Apple Butter, check out this fabulous low calorie apple butter recipe!

Directions:
Place bread in a 9-inch square baking dish that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine egg substitute, milk, apple juice concentrate and vanilla extract. Pour over bread and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Spitz with a few sprays of the 0 calorie butter spray, drizzle with the honey, and then sprinkle with the almonds. Combine apple butter and allspice; serve with French toast.

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is 1 slice
Each serving = 2 Point Total

photo credit: i heart all things food

It was a cold and chilly morning here in LA, and I was craving a hot and hearty breakfast. And this tasty Pumpkin Oatmeal Crock pot Recipe really hit the spot! All of the autumn like flavors in this breakfast recipe were just what I was looking for on this winter’s day. This delicious oatmeal recipe is a definite crowd-pleaser that not only tastes fantastic, but is really quite good for you too! It’s also a wonderful vegan or vegetarian recipe. Though this is not an official Weight Watchers breakfast recipe, it’s a wonderful dish for any weight watcher who wants a hot, nutritious slow cooker oatmeal recipe that will warm you up anytime of the year! And with just a 3 Point Total per serving, this filling breakfast will leave you feeling satisfied.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Crockpot Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 15 oz can of canned pumpkin OR 3 cups of fresh pumpkin (peeled, seeded, and cut into small cubes)
- 5 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
OPTIONAL: Garnish with a few dried cranberries, for a fabulous taste and dislpay

Directions:
Combine everything in a crock pot, cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir well before serving.
NOTE: If you use the canned pumpkin instead of the fresh, your oatmeal texture will be creamier and more like a chunky puree.

Entire Recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is approx 1 cup
Each serving = 3 Point Total

This delicious tangy Thai Cucumber Salad Recipe is a fabulous, 0 Points Total dish that’s super easy to make, yet is a unique substitute for traditional salads. It’s a tasty side dish recipe that was given to me by another Weight Watchers member, and I’m so glad I gave it a try! All the ingredients have 0 Weight Watchers Points, so each serving would have to be pretty big in order to rack up any Points. This can be eaten alone as a salad, or makes a wonderful garnish or topping for healthy meat recipes. If you want a good low calorie salad to add to your Weight Watchers Salad Recipes repertoire, this is one to consider!

Low Calorie Thai Cucumber Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
- 6 regular sized cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup Splenda (the kind in the box for baking, not the packets)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
- 2 tbsp sliced fresh hot red or green chilies (use more if you like it spicy!)

**You can peel the cumbers if you prefer, but I left the skin on on for more flavor and texture.

Directions:
Combine vinegar, water, spelnda and salt and boil until Splenda and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat, cool to room temp.
In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, shallots, red onion and chilies. Add cooled vinegar mixture and toss. Enjoy!

Serving size = 1 cup
Each serving = 0 Point Total

Ok, so I know it’s been a while since I last posted, but my husband and I just moved, and that was a LOT of work. And doing that while trying to take care of a 6 month old was incredibly time consuming. So posting (or doing anything else for that matter) was out of the question.

Anyway, excuses aside, I’m doing my best to get back on track with a tasty and healthy salad dressing recipe that is loaded with antioxidants and yet low in Weight Watchers Points! Our friends over at POM Wonderful sent us some samples of their fabulously delicious POM juice to try out. The juice by itself is really really yummy, but a small, 8oz bottle of it is about 4 Weight Watchers Points. A bit too many Points to spend on a beverage, in my opinion. So, I decided to experiment with it, and I found lots of ways to incorporate POM Juice into some Weight Watchers Recipes, while still keeping the recipes low in Points. Pomegranate Juice is so incredibly good for you – it’s health benefits are endless. And it tastes pretty amazing too! POM Juice is actually grown and manufactured in California where it’s hand-picked and squeezed into bottles that are even manufactured by POM too. Other brands are made with juice from Iran and Turkey, and were shown to contain added sugar, colorants and other low-grade filler juices, despite being labeled as “100% Pomegranate Juice”.

With that being said, the benefits that Pomegranate Juice has to offer are countless — cardiovascular health, prostate health, erectile function….and the list goes on. It’s super high antioxidant potency is a major benefit too. So finding ways to add some POM Juice into your diet is a great idea! And this delicious, low calorie vinaigrette recipe is a great way to get started!

Thanks to our friends over at POM Wonderful for introducing us to the rockin’ taste of fresh POM Juice!!

POM Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate
Juice
- 1/3 cup arils from 1 large POM Wonderful
Pomegranate (optional)
- 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
– 1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar
– 2 tablespoons grated red or brown onion
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) In a screw-top jar or plastic container with tight-fitting lid, combine juice, the 1/3 cup arils and remaining dressing ingredients. Cover and shake well. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.

Serving size = 2 tablespoons
Each serving = 2 Point Total

Roasted Red Pepper Dip Recipe with Chick Peas

Ingredients:
- 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium roasted red pepper, skin and seeds removed
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, leaves only
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add a little water if it is too thick. Blend until smooth. Serve with fresh vegetables like cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, or whatever you prefer.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Each serving = 4 Point Total

This recipe was created by Gina’s WW Recipes.

On one of my trips to the Middle East, I discovered the amazing concept of salads that don’t involve lettuce. They are so different from the American concept of traditional salads, and they are WAY healthier and yummier! Consisting of a vast variety of different vegetables, Middle Eastern Salads are a real treat to the palate and to the waistline! One of my favorites, is this Turkish Salad Recipe. It is LOADED with fabulous flavor, but also with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. If you are looking for delicious and healthy weight watcher salad recipes, you must give this Turkish Salad a try! With just a 3 point value for half of the recipe, this low calorie salad recipe is a great way to get in your vegetable servings and have a delicious salad that will actually fill you up, because the serving size is huge!!! Though this isn’t an official Weight Watchers Salad Recipe, it’s still a great dish for anyone watching their weight or trying to eat healthier. It also makes a wonderful side dish to serve with just about any chicken, fish or beef meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1 large onion
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 large tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp. sliced or pitted, chopped green olives
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. parley or coriander leaf
- Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste

Directions:
Peel and dice the onions. Fry them in the olive oil till golden: use a medium-sized pan or a large frying pan. Remove the stem, seeds and white inner membrane from all the peppers. Chop into dice. Add them to the onions. Cover the pan and cook the vegetables till the peppers are soft – about 8 minutes. Stir once or twice. Dice the tomatoes. If necessary, pit and slice the olives. Add all of these to the pan. Add the bay leaf, black pepper, cumin, salt, and tomato paste. If you like, add Tabasco or chili of choice. Cover the pan again and cook the vegetables over a medium flame for about 15 minutes. Some want the vegetables to retain their individual forms and tastes (I do). Others like to blend their Turkish Salad and serve it as a dip. This is totally up to you. For an aesthetic touch, chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the salad. Serve hot or cold.

Entire recipe makes 2 HUGE servings
Each serving = 3 point value

Another fabulously delicious 0 point value recipe to share today! This weight watcher pico de gallo recipe is so fresh and tasty, and yet so incredibly HEALTHY! Loaded with fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, this homemade salsa recipe beats a store bought brand any day. It tastes SO much better than all the preservative filled ones that you buy in a jar. And the fact that you can eat quite a bit of this without using any of your Weight Watchers Points is a huge plus! This salsa recipe is perfect to serve with some baked tortilla chips for a low calorie, healthy Weight Watchers snack. Try it over a baked potato, or on top of an egg white omelet! If you are following the Weight Watchers program, this pico de gallo recipe will be a fabulous addition to your collection of Weight Watchers recipes. Enjoy!

Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 chile peppers, mild or hot, seeded and finely chopped (I used jalapeno)
- 2 tbsp chopped bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (no stems)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is approx 1/2 cup
Each serving = 0 point value

This recipe was created by Gina’s WW Recipes.

Parsley and Lemon Zest Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
- 2 packs Miracle Noodle Mini-Pearls
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. coarse (kosher) salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- Grated zest from 2 lemons
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

** You can add more salt and pepper to suit your taste
** Feel free to throw in some other 0 point veggies to jazz it up. I loved it with tomatoes added!

Currently, Miracle Noodles can only be purchased online. CLICK HERE TO BUY MIRACLE NOODLES!!

Directions:
Drain and rinse the pearls well; transfer to a serving bowl. Add oil and remaining ingredients;
toss to combine flavors. Spoon 1 cup onto each of 4 dinner plates and top with the Weight Watchers chicken recipe or Weight Watchers fish recipe of your choice.

Entire Recipe makes 4 servings
Serving Size is 1 cup
Each serving = 0 point value

*This is not an official Weight Watchers Side Dish Recipe or a Weight Watchers Pasta Recipe.