Pineapple Beef Brisket

The last time I made a beef brisket recipe, I cut the brisket in half and froze it for later since it was so large.  I figured it's time to use the brisket I had been saving.  This is new way to cook it.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Meat Tenderizer
3 lb Beef Brisket
1/4 c Soy Sauce
1 c Water
8 oz Can Cubed or Crushed Pineapple, drained

Stir together the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, brown sugar, and meat tenderizer.

Run the mixture over the entire beef brisket.

Mix the soy sauce with water in a bowl.

Place the beef brisket in the slow cooker.  Pour the soy sauce mixture around the brisket.  Then sprinkle the meat with the pineapple.

 Cover and cook on Low for 7 hours.

Let the meat cool on a platter for a few minutes before slicing.  Then slice against the grain.  Dinner is served.  You will just need to make some sides to serve with the beef.

We thought the brisket had a great flavor.  I would definitely use this spice combination again.  Plus, it was very easy and available! :)  The pineapple had an interesting flavor though...  It didn't taste like pineapple anymore.  It absorbed all of the flavor from the spices.  They were definitely still edible.  :)   Just don't expect a sweet flavor.

Nutritional Info: (Serves 5)

374 Calories

26g Fat

0g Fiber

25g Protein

6g Carbs

10 WW PointsPlus

Mediterranean Chicken

Lately I have been craving Mediterranean food so much that I decided to start trying to make it at home.  This dish turned out so good!  There were so many bold flavors that I would recommend it to anyone!
Ingredients:
1 lb Boneless Chicken
10 oz Portabella Mushrooms
14 oz Artichoke Hearts
6 oz Black Olives (low sodium)
1 pint Stewed Tomatoes (smaller than the one in the picture)
5 Garlic Cloves
1 cup Chicken Broth (Fat Free)
2 tablespoons Corn Starch
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

First I prepared my slow cooker with a liner and I sprayed it with cooking oil.  Then I quartered the mushrooms, artichokes and olives.  Mix them together with the stewed tomatoes and finely chopped garlic.

Sprinkle the corn starch on top of everything.

After this I defrosted my chicken for about one minute so that I was able to cut through it.  I cubed it it and laid it on top of the mixture and sprinkled the seasoning on top. Then evenly pour one cup of broth over the chicken.

I cooked this on low for eight hours and then it sat on warm for two more hours.

I served this on a cup of wheat pasta.

It had such a unique taste! I loved it! :)

Nutritional Info: (without pasta)
6 Servings
WW Points Plus: 4
Calories: 264
Fat: 9
Carbs: 13
Protein: 32

Bean Soup

I wanted to make a healthy soup to keep in the house to keep us full.  I thought a bean soup would hit the spot!

Ingredients:
8 c Chicken Broth
16-20 oz Package of 15 or 16 Dried Bean Soup Mix
14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 c Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery
1 Large Onion
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Italian Seasoning (or 1/2 tsp Basil & 1/2 tsp Oregano)
1/2 tsp Pepper

Soak the beans in a lot of water over night.  Make sure the bowl is large so that they have room to expand.  I made that mistake before.

Chop the carrots, celery, and onion.

Combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 - 10 hours.  Next time I actually would cook it on high for a little while in th beginning since I prefer the beans somewhat broken down.

Dinner is served.  My husband and dad liked it a lot.  :)  I think it's a nice clean meal.  It worked out perfectly for my "No bread or white carbs Monday and Tuesdays"

Nutritional Info: (12 Servings)
188 Calories
1 Fat
13 Fiber
32 Carbs
12 Protein
4 WW PointsPlus

Recipe from Betty Crocker

Pot Roast

I am trying to eat low carb on Mondays and Tuesdays from now on.  I have heard that this can drastically help your weight loss goals.  I am still staying within my WW points for the day as well.  I figured a good old fashion pot roast would be a great way to start my new challenge.
Ingredients:
2 lb Chuck Roast
16 oz Mushrooms
10 oz Baby Carrots
1 Onion
1 can FF Cream of Mushroom
1/2 cup Water
1 packet Onion Soup Mix

Place the roast in the bottom of the slow cooker.  I put the liner in the slow cooker and sprayed it with Pam.

Wash and slice the stems off of the mushrooms, peel and quarter the onion and pour in the carrots.

Next you can mix together the water, soup and soup mix.

Pour it on top of the vegetables and mix it around so that it is spread evenly throughout.

I cooked this on low for nine hours and it sat on warm for two more.

It turned out perfectly!!! I'm normally not a fan of pot roast but this was delicious!

The meat came right a part with just the fork!  If you left out the vegetables you could easily make this into sandwiches. 

I didn't realize how bad this kind of meat was for you though.  Next time I will make sure to either buy a leaner cut or take off all of the fat before I cooked it.

Nutritional Info:
5 Servings
WW Points Plus: 16
Calories: 488
Fat: 16
Carbs: 19
Protein: 62

Spinach, Mushroom and Pesto Lasagna

I love lasagna!! It is so fun to experiment with and try to make it different ways.  I also really like spinach and mushrooms so this type was right up my alley!

Ingredients:

12 strips Lasagna

2 10oz packages Spinach

2 8oz packages Mushrooms (I used them all except the five I saved for my eggs)

3/4 cup Pesto

2 cups Italian Blend Cheese

10 oz Ricotta Cheese, Part Skim

1/4 tablespoon Egg Beaters

1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 jar Tomato and Basil Spaghetti Sauce

1 can Tomato Sauce

 

Begin by boiling your noodles.  I added a little bit of olive oil to keep them from sticking together.  I only boiled them for about 5 minutes since they would be cooking all day in the slow cooker.

While your water is trying to boil you can start rinsing out your spinach.  I did this to thaw it out and clean it before I could add it to the mixture.

Slice up your mushrooms and mix them together with the spinach and the pesto.  Then set this bowl aside until later.  This smelled sooo good! :)

Combine the ricotta cheese, Italian cheese blend and the egg beaters.  Once this is all mixed together you can stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.  Then set this bowl aside until it is time to start layering.

Finally you can mix together the spaghetti sauce and the tomato sauce.  I know I was not impressed with how many dished I had to go through to make this meal.

Now you can begin the layering! :)  Start by spreading 1/4 of the tomato mixture across the bottom of the slow cooker.  I used a liner and sprayed it with Pam to ensure an easy clean up.

Place a row of pasta on top of the tomato layer.

Place 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the pasta.

Top the cheese mixture with 1/3 of the spinach mixture.

Complete this pattern a total of three times.  Then after the spinach mixture is gone you can place a layer of pasta on top of it.  After this you can finish it off with the rest of the tomato sauce.

I cooked this on low for four and a half hours and then it stayed on warm for five hours.

It was a little overdone to say the least... I think it would be a lot better if you just cooked it on low for 5 hours.  Then I sprinkled it with the rest of the Parmesan and let it sit for a little while longer.

I also wish I would have saved some of the cheese for the top of the lasagna too.

It was really good but it would have been better if it wasn't so overcooked.

Nutritional Info:

8 Servings

WW Points Plus: 12

Calories: 374

Fat: 17

Carbs: 35

Protein: 20

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I have always loved Asian lettuce wraps from Pei Wei, but I've never tried to make them myself. I was so excited when I found this recipe. These lettuce wraps are healthy and taste great!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Medium Onion
2 Celery Stalks
1/2 c Hoisin Sauce
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger or 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
5 oz Bamboo Shoots, canned and drained
12 oz Sliced Water Chestnuts, canned and drained
1 c Fresh Bean Sprouts
4 Green Onions
1/4 c Fresh Cilantro, minced
14 Iceburg Lettuce Leaves
1/4c Hoisin Sauce



Chop the onion, celery, and green onion. Store the green onion for later use.


Add the chicken, onion, celery, hoisin sauce, soy suace, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts to the slow cooker.


Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours.

30 minutes before the end of cooking mix in the green onion, bean sprouts, and cilantro.


Rinse the lettuce and seperate the whole leaves.


To serve, spoon the mixture into a lettuce leaf and drizzle with additional hoisin sauce. Then roll the filled lettuce leaf.



This recipe is very healthy and had a yummy sweet asian taste. I would definitely make it again. :D I love the crispiness of the water chestnuts!


Nutritional Info: (Serves 7)
323 Calories
6g Fat
3g Fiber
34g Protein
26g Carbs
7 WW PointsPlus

Apricot and Pecan Brie

Everyone in my family brought a dish for Easter. I decided to make Brie as an appetizer. I love Brie! This was an awesome choice. :D It has a unique spiced sweet flavor.

Ingredients:

1 Large Round of Brie

1/2 c Chopped Dried Apricots

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Water

1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 tsp Dried Rosemary

1/2 c Chopped Pecans

I shaved the white rind off of the top of the Brei so that it was softer to dip into. I didn't touch the rest.

Mix the apricots, balsamic venegar, brown sugar, water, and rosemary in a separate bowl.


Place the Brie in a glass oven safe serving bowl. Spoon the mixture on top of the Brie. You could put the ingredients straight in the slow cooker, but I decided to put all of the ingredients in a serving bowl so that it would be easier to serve at the party. It worked out perfectly! It was ready to serve immediately, and I didn't even have to wash the slow cooker!


Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of the Brie. Then place the dish in the slow cooker.


Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 3 hours. Serve with crackers and apples.

My family LOVED this! It is not healthy, but it was delicious! They had to keep pulling themselves away from it! Haha

Recipe from Oprah.com