photo credit: lol foodie

Take advantage of all the delicious seasonal squash with this amazingly yummy Winter Vegetables and Pasta recipe. Healthy and light, you’ll get a full 2 cups serving for just 6 Points +!! Now that’s what I call a meal, people. Just by using a low calorie, high fiber pasta, and bulking up the dish with lots of veggies, you’re able to get a truly delicious vegetarian pasta meal without using up a lot of your Weight Watchers Points Plus, AND you’ll be satisfied. And with the fantastic flavors of the butter, sage, thyme and wine, this dish is truly reminiscent of a fabulous fall day. Enjoy!

Sage Butter Winter Vegetables and Pasta Recipe

A tasty and low calorie pasta recipe that’s loaded with delicious winter vegetables and flavorful herbs. And with just 6 Points + for a generous 2 cups serving, this vegetarian recipe not only tastes great, but is very filling.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: Reduced fat, High protein

Number of servings (yield): 4

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 2 cups
Each serving = 6 Points +

PER SERVING: 275 calories; 3g fat ; 46 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 12 g fiber ]]> http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/09/29/sage-butter-winter-vegetables-and-pasta-recipe/feed/ 5 http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/09/21/autumn-spiced-squash-saute-recipe/ http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/09/21/autumn-spiced-squash-saute-recipe/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:32:34 +0000 LaaLoosh http://www.laaloosh.com/?p=5498

If you’ve ever seen this pretty, Fall-looking squash at the grocery store but wondered what it was and what you could do with it, you’re not alone! I have seen it many times, but didn’t even know what kind of squash it was, let alone how to cook it. Well, apparently, it’s called a delicate squash, and it’s delicious. I came across a recipe using it, and decided to give it a try. So glad I did!! Now I have another yummy vegetable in my repertoire to work with. I revamped the recipe, and made a lot of delicious changes. The end result was a tasty Autumn Spiced Squash Stir Fry that’s both sweet and savory. Perfect as a healthy side dish recipe to many meals, this dish has just 2 Points + per serving. It’s a great way to really enjoy the fabulous flavors of Fall!

Autumn Spiced Squash Saute Recipe

This low calorie Delicata and Butternut Squash Recipe is the perfect Fall side dish to go with a variety of meals. Flavored with delicious autumn spices, this sweet and savory recipe is a real bargain at just 2 Points + per serving.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegan

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate

Number of servings (yield): 4

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1/4 of recipe
Each serving = 2 Points +

PER SERVING: 80 calories; 1 g fat; 19 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 5 g fiber ]]> http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/09/21/autumn-spiced-squash-saute-recipe/feed/ 0 http://www.laaloosh.com/2010/11/15/autumn-harvest-salad-recipe/ http://www.laaloosh.com/2010/11/15/autumn-harvest-salad-recipe/#comments Tue, 16 Nov 2010 05:02:40 +0000 LaaLoosh http://www.laaloosh.com/?p=3790 With the fall season now in full swing and delicious seasonal produce is abound, I think this Autumn Harvest Salad Recipe is a perfect compliment to many meals. The original version of this salad is an actual Weight Watchers Salad Recipe, but I revamped it, adding more flavor and texture, yet still keeping it just 4 points per serving. I never thought about using butternut squash in a salad before, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I’m pretty sure this butternut squash salad will be making it to my Thanksgiving table this year. Enjoy!

Autumn Harvest Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
- 5 cups arugula leaves
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 1/2 cup butternut squash, diced
- 1 medium pear, cut into thin slices
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- 1/2 tsp rosemary, fresh, minced
- 1 tsp table Kosher salt

For dressing:
- 2 medium shallots, minced
- 2 tsp apricot preserves
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp rosemary, fresh, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a baking sheet with non fat cooking spray.
Put squash in a medium sized bowl, and spray with a bit of cooking spray. Toss squash with rosemary and salt; spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Roast, flipping once halfway through cooking, until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 15 to 25 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Just before serving, add arugula, onions and squash to vinaigrette; toss until thoroughly combined.
Equally divide salad among serving plates; evenly distribute cheese, pears and pecans on top of each salad.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1 ½ cups
Each serving = 4 Point Total

photo credit: gourmet.com

Ok, I admit that I’m a bit obsessed with butternut squash lately, but can you blame me? It’s everywhere right now, it’s incredibly healthy, versatile and delicious. I just can’t help myself. And while browsing through some Weight Watchers Fall Casserole Recipes, I came across one that I revamped and made into a super yummy and healthy dinner. This Butternut Squash and Pasta Casserole Recipe was the perfect low calorie meal idea and my family loved it! Still with all the fabulous fall flavors I was hoping for, each serving had just a 4 Point Total. And it was so hearty and filling! If you are looking for a quick and easy casserole idea to try, that’s friendly to Weight Watchers, this one is a must try. Enjoy!

Pasta and Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:
- 12 oz Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta, or any whole wheat, high fiber pasta
- 20 oz butternut squash, fresh, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 1/4 cups fat-free skim milk
- 2 tbsp whole wheat, all-purpose flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp light butter
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a 2 ½ quart baking dish with non stick cooking spray (preferably the butter flavored kind). Place squash on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with a bit of salt; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl.
In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in squash, thyme and sage. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat.
Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dollop with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is about 1 cup
Each serving = 4 Point Total

Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Curry Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 lb steamed cauliflower florets, chopped
- 1 lb butternut squash, steamed and chopped into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup canned light coconut milk
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger root, fresh, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup water

Directions:
Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and set at medium high heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the salt & pepper, curry powder and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
Stir in the tomato puree, coconut milk and water. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. In a large bowl, place the cauliflower and butternut squash. Pour the curry sauce over the vegetables and gently toss until veggies are evenly coated with sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is about 1 ½ cups
Each serving = 2 Point Total

photo credit: food network

Despite all the tasty fall recipes that can destroy your diet faster than you can say Pumpkin Pie, with the abundance of fall vegetable recipes, it’s not hard to find a lot of delicious low Points dishes you can incorporate into your plan without missing out on fall flavors. One of my favorite seasonal staples, is this tasty, low calorie Butternut Squash Soup Recipe. It’s creamy, tasty and full of fiber, but low on Weight Watchers Points. In fact, each super yummy serving has just a 3 Point Total. By incorporating a few of the basic ingredients from traditional brown butter sage sauce recipes, this Butternut Squash Soup is sure to please your palate without punishing your waistline.

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
– 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 32 oz fat free vegetable stock
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 1/4 cup water

Directions:
Spray a large, nonstick saucepan, with non fat cooking spray (the butter flavored kind). Then add in the garlic and onion. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, broth, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, pepper and sage; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, adding the water 1?2 cup at a time, until the squash is very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 30 minutes.
Pour the mixture through a strainer; reserve the liquid. Transfer the squash mixture remaining in the strainer to a blender or food processor; add the yogurt. Puree until smooth. Add 1–1 1?2 cups of the strained liquid, a bit at a time, until the soup has a fluid but creamy consistency. Transfer the soup back to the saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until just heated through. Serve with an optional garnish of fresh chopped sage and a light drizzle of plain Greek yogurt, for no increase in Point Total value.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1 cup
Each serving = 3 Point Total

This Greek-Style Pasta Casserole Recipe is truly a unique and flavorful dish. I love almost all Mediterranean recipes, so I was excited to give this one a try. And I was NOT disappointed. It’s a pretty easy dish to prepare, and it packs a lot of flavor. With each serving only having a 3 Point Total, this is a wonderful low point dinner recipe that the whole family will enjoy. It’s also a great , original dish to take to a potluck as well. If you like mediterranean flavors, you’ll like this casserole…it was delicious. You can also add in some toasted almond slivers for added crunch, but make sure to factor that in to the Point Total. Though this is not an official one of Weight Watchers Recipes, it’s a great meal that just about any dieter will enjoy. You can also prepare this dish cold as a great greek pasta salad recipe!

Greek Pasta Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:
- 8 oz dried, low calorie pasta like Ronzoni Smart Taste, penne or rotioni
- 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and sliced into small pieces
- 3 handfuls spinach, chopped
- 2 cups fat-free, plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 large Kalamata olives, pitted and torn into pieces
- 1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
- zest of one large lemon
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8×12-inch baking dish with non-fat cooking spray. Sprinkle with lemon zest and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the pasta until al dente. 10 seconds before the pasta is cooked, stir in the spinach and butternut squash; drain quickly and carefully. Run cold water over the pasta, squash and spinach (just enough to stop it from cooking), shake off any extra water and set aside. While waiting for the pasta water to boil, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, garlic, pepper and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside until the pasta is ready, then add the pasta-squash-spinach mixture to the yogurt mixture. Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with Feta cheese and the olive pieces and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve sprinkled with some chopped fresh mint.

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1/8th of dish
Each serving size = 3 Point Total

This pairing of sweet apple juice and spicy curry powder makes for a salad that’ll have your taste buds talking! This butternut squash recipe is so unique and festive, it will make a wonderful holiday side dish to any Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa dinner. With just 3 Points per serving, this is one filling Weight Watchers Salad Recipe that is sure to please your dinner guests and yet still help you stay within your daily Points range. Plus, it’s incredibly healthy — low in calories and fat and packed with fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. This dish is so deliciously flavorful and colorful, I’m betting it will become a squash recipe that you’ll end up preparing more than on just the holidays! The thing I love most about it is that it’s so easy to prepare and yet so impressive! – much better than the traditional, albeit slightly boring, green leaf salads. And if it’s a good Kwanzaa recipe that you are looking for, this butternut squash salad will be a wonderful compliment to your meal. This Weight Watchers Holiday Recipe is sure to dress up any dinner table this year, so make sure to give it a try!

Weight Watchers Butternut Squash Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp apple juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp red onions, chopped
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
Cut squash in half crosswise where it starts to widen (where the round “bulb” meets the “neck”). Place both pieces of squash cut side down in prepared pan. Bake until bottom half of squash is just tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes; remove bottom half from oven and set aside. Bake top half of squash until just tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool.
Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Peel and seed cooled squash; cut into 3/4–inch cubes. Place in a serving bowl and toss with dressing. Makes 6 servings.

Yields about 2/3 cup per serving
Each serving = 3 Weight Watchers Points

Yes, you read that right — this Weight Watchers French Fries recipe has just ONE Point per serving!! French fries are a favorite snack of just about everyone in the world (I mean, have you ever met anyone who doesn’t like them?). But even the baked versions are pretty caloric and void of any really good nutritional stats. So, most of the time, these tasty little treats of greasy potato yumminess are just occasional indulgences — but still daily fantasies (at least for me!). When I came across the Weight Watchers recipe for a butternut squash french fries version that was not only low in Points, but super high in fiber and vitamins, I was incredibly skeptical, but determined to give it a try. I figured that any recipe that promised just 1 Weight Watchers Point for something that might taste anything like french fries was worth a shot! So with dreams of massive mounds of low calorie french fries dancing in my head, I put this recipe to the test. And boy was I glad I did! These fresh and slightly sweet butternut squash french fries were mouth-wateringly delicious and easy to make. Healthy french fries — a dream come true!

Weight Watchers Butternut Squash French Fries Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 whole butternut squash
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half first, and then peel it and remove all seeds. Then, slice it up into french fry like shapes. Just make sure the slices aren’t too thick, as this will prevent them from getting crispy. Spray a backing sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Then, take a large bowl, throw in the french fries and toss with some non-stick cooking spray, until all fries are evenly coated. Then, so the same thing with the kosher salt. Make sure all your fries are well coated with the salt. Now, spread out your fries evenly on the baking sheet. Make sure no fries are on top of each other as this would prevent even cooking. Place in oven and bake for about 40 -45 minutes, flipping the fries over once, halfway through. Fries are done when the edges start to turn golden brown and the fries are looking good and crispy. Enjoy!
PS…served with ketchup, these babies are SOOOOOOO good!!!

*TIP: Because all butternut squashes are not created equal, I suggest weighing your french fries first, before you cook them, in order to determine how many servings will be in your entire recipe.

Serving size = 5 oz of squash (uncooked)
Each serving = 1 Weight Watchers Point