Tim and I have been eating oatmeal 1 to 2 times a week...he won't go for the overnight ones.  

I printed your overnight oats recipe, Margaret! We will certainly be trying that one. Thanks for sharing :)

Orzo with Shrimp, Feta, and Lemon

1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice from the lemon you just zested

1.5 lbs extra lage shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion chopped fine

2 garlic cloves minced

2 cups orzo pasta

1.5 cups chicken broth

1.5 cups water

1.5 cups pitted kalamata olives, chopped (just buy sliced kalamata olives then no chopping needed)

1/2 cup feta cheese

2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

1. Combine lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add shrimp, toss to coat the shrimp, refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and stir for another 30-seconds to 1 minute. Add uncooked/dry orzo, cook stirring frequently until orzo is coated in oil and lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Stir in broth and water, bring to a boil. Cook, stir occasionally until orzo is al dente. Stir in olives, 1/4 cup feta, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Nestle shrimp into orzo, cover, and cook until shrimp are opaque.

4. Plate servings. Top with parsley, feta, and a small drizzle of olive oil.

Keto Ground Beef Casserole

This very tasty ground beef casserole is keto and low carb. A very easy recipe, it's absolutely perfect for a weeknight dinner. Leftovers are great too!

CourseMain Course

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10minutes minutes

Cook Time20minutes minutes

Total Time30minutes minutes

Servings8 servings

Calories265kcal

AuthorVered DeLeeuw

Ingredients

• Olive oil spray for pan
• 2 lb. extra lean ground beef (93% lean)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese cubed
• 1 cup shredded cheddar divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 2-quart casserole dish with olive oil and set it aside.

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly spray it with olive oil.

• Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef and return it to the skillet.

• Reduce the heat to medium. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne into the beef, then slowly and patiently mix in the cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated.

• Turn the heat off, and mix ½ cup of the shredded cheddar into the beef mixture.

• Transfer the mixture to the prepared 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar on top.

• Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Debra - I might try that casserole this weekend - it sounds perfect for cold winter nights!

    Mediterranean Chopped Salad

1 Med Cucumber, peeled and seeded, halved lengthwise, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half

3 T olive oil

3 T red wine vinegar

1 med garlic clove, minced (about 1 tsp)

1 – 14 oz can white beans or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

½ C pitted kalamata olives, chopped

½ small red onion, minced (about ¼ C)

about 3 cups romaine lettuce or butter lettuce

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 C)

Pepper 

Whisk oil, vinegar, and garlic in large bowl.  Add cucumber, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, olives, onion and parsley.  Toss and let stand at room temp to blend flavors, about 5 min.

Add romaine and feta; toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper (the feta & olives are salty so it needs very little salt).

Oriental Cabbage Salad

1/2 small head green cabbage

3 scallions, chopped

2 Tbs dark sesame oil

2 Tbs rice wine vinegar

2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Combine the cabbage, scallions, oil and vinegar.  Toss well and chill until ready to serve.

Add the sesame seeds and toss again before serving.

Serves 4

Per serving:

• 103 calories
• 2 g protein
• 5 g carbohydrates
• 9 g fat
• 1 g saturated fats
• 15 mg sodium
• 0 mg cholesterol
• 2 g fiber

I have no idea why it has this name! I almost forgot about the recipe but I used to make it often.
This is a recipe a woman made for a church meeting and everyone loved it so much that she gave out the recipe with this name; no idea where she got it. It is the easiest stew ever. This was probably 35 years ago! It isn't designed for weight loss directly, but it does have lots of vegetables and anything you cook at home is bound to be healthier than a microwave meal or eating out! If you left out the potatoes it would be fairly low carb.

you need a big pan with a lid that can go in the oven. I use a big metal stew pot. Just make sure it doesn't have plastic handles. A turkey roaster is great if you have a lid.

in your big pan, put the following:

• 3 pounds of cubed meat. I'm too lazy to cube meat so I buy a package of stew meat. You can use pot roast, etc. Do not brown it.
• 1 medium chopped onion I sometimes use the freeze dried onion.
• 1 cup celery, chopped 
• 2 cups cut carrots sometimes you can find a bag of frozen onions, celery, and carrots already chopped in your grocery store. Perfect for people who cook like me!
• 4 medium potatoes, cut in chunks

Mix the stuff in the pan around a bit

Sprinkle the following on top:

• 3 T tapioca I think this is the special ingredient! It won't be the same if you leave this out.
• 1 T salt You could maybe lower this if you are worried about sodium
• 1 T sugar I leave this out, but it was in the recipe in the church newsletter
• Pepper to taste 

pour a can of tomato soup over this, and about a third of a can of water, rinsing the can. Again, tomato soup is from the original recipe. I do not like tomato soup, so I usually use cream of celery or something similar.

Put the lid on your pan.

put the covered pan in the oven. Cook for 5 hours at 250 degrees. Do not lift the lid, just let it do it's thing. 

--------

no typo. 5 hours, really! But you don't have to monitor it or stir it or anything. It's great for a winter day when you weren't going anywhere. Dump all the stuff in the pan, and go read a book or watch football or do laundry. After 5 hours you have an amazing thick stew. If your family is like mine, this will be eaten quickly!

Here's my weekly recipe.   

Zero Point Fruit Salad This Weight Watchers Fruit Salad will make you smile! With a touch of vanilla pudding mix, this recipe sure outshines plain fruit salad! At zero points per serving, you'll be happy you made this.

PREP TIME 10 minutes ADDITIONAL TIME 5 minutes TOTAL TIME 15 minutes

Ingredients 1 14.5 oz can no sugar added mandarin oranges 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped into chunks 1/2 of a pineapple 3 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into chunks 2 cups strawberries, trimmed and sliced 2 cups grapes 2 medium bananas, sliced 2 medium peaches, peeled and cut into chunks juice of one lime 2 tsp lime zest 2 TBS vanilla instant pudding mix (mix only)

Instructions 1. Do not drain the mandarin oranges. Add water with oranges. This will help mix with the pudding to create a glaze on the fruit. 2. Add all ingredients to a medium sized bowl and mix together well. 3. You can serve right away, but it's best when refrigerated for at least 2 hours. Notes You can use any fruit you would like in this recipe. Use what's in season to be easier on your pocketbook. The vanilla pudding makes this salad delicious and really helps blend all the flavors.

French Onion Chicken

4.91 from 164 votes

Cals:335

Protein:33.5

Carbs:16.5

Fat:14.5

If you love caramelized onions and melted cheese, you will love this Skillet French Onion Chicken, a great way to jazz up chicken breasts!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets, (16 to 20 ounces total)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more as needed
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour mix*
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• pepper, to taste
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

• In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat.

• Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, increase to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to brown around the edges.

• Turn the heat to medium-low and add the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the onions are very tender. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze. Set aside and wipe out the skillet.

• If the chicken is not uniformly thin, place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a heavy pan until thin but still intact. Season to taste with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper and set aside.

• In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, pinch of salt, and paprika.

• Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt 1 teaspoon butter.

• Dredge two of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, then shake off the excess and lay them side by side in the pan. 

• Cook the chicken for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, then flip and cook for 3 more minutes. Set aside on a dish and repeat with the remaining butter and chicken. Set aside.

• Combine the broth and 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture and mix, add it to the skillet and whisk on low heat, 1 minute, until it thickens. Toss the rest of the flour out.

• Return the chicken to the skillet, top with onions and cheese and cover. Cook low 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Pressure-Cooker Spicy Beef Vegetable Stew

Prep: 10 min. Cook: 5 min. + releasing

8 servings (3 quarts)

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 3-1/2 cups water
• 1 jar (24 ounces) meatless pasta sauce
• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Select saute setting on a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker; adjust for medium heat. Cook beef until no longer pink, 6-8 minutes; crumble beef; drain. Press cancel. Stir in remaining ingredients. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 5 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.

1-1/2 cups: 177 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 35mg cholesterol, 675mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 5g fiber), 15g protein

UPDATE:

I made this on Feb 8, 2024  I added potatoes, sautéed some carrots with the onion and used a chicken bouillon cube as that is what I had on hand. I added some spices in as well.  I increased the cook time to 10 minutes to ensure the potatoes were cooked.  This was very tasty.  

Favorite Broccoli Salad

• Author: Cookie and Kate
•  
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
•  
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
•  
• Total Time: 20 minutes (plus 20 minutes marinating time)
•  
• Yield: 6 side servings 1x
•  
• Category: Salad
•  
• Method: By hand
•  
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

5 from 357 reviews

This broccoli salad recipe is the best! It’s healthy, too, thanks to the delicious honey-mustard vinaigrette (no mayo). This broccoli salad packs great for lunch and potlucks. Recipe yields 6 side servings.

SCALE1x2x3x

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 1 pound broccoli florets (from 1 1/2 pounds broccoli stalks), thinly sliced and then roughly chopped (see photos)
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds or slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries, chopped

Honey mustard dressing

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Toast the sunflower seeds: Pour the sunflower seeds into a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently (careful, they’ll burn!), until the seeds are turning golden on the sides, about 5 minutes. Pour the toasted seeds into a large serving bowl.
2. Add the chopped broccoli, onion, cheese and cranberries to the serving bowl. Set aside.
3. In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and salt). Whisk until the mixture is well blended.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until all of the broccoli is lightly coated in dressing. I highly recommend letting the salad marinate for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Divide the salad into individual bowls and serve. Leftovers will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, covered.

NOTES

Recipe adapted from my honey mustard Brussels sprout slaw. 

Make it vegan: Omit the cheese, and use maple syrup instead of honey.

Make it dairy free: Omit the cheese.

Make it nut free: Be sure to use sunflower seeds instead of almonds.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Ingredients

•  3 medium extra ripe bananas
•  1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
•  1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
•  3/4 tsp baking soda
•  1/4 tsp salt
•   2 tbsp butter, softened
•  1/3 cup light brown sugar, not packed
•   2 large egg whites
•  1/2 tsp vanilla extract
•  10 tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter, divided into 8 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.

Mash bananas in a bowl, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.

Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce, vanilla, and 8 tablespoons peanut butter, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add flour mixture, then blend at low speed until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into muffin tin halfway, then add 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining peanut butter into the center of each muffin.

Top off each muffin with remaining batter, and bake on the center rack for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serving: 1 muffin, Calories: 192 kcal, Carbohydrates: 24.5 g, Protein: 5.5 g, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 170 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 9.5 g

I've been craving salad lately....

Mediterrean Chopped Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 heads romaine lettuce chopped, about 6 cups
• 1 pint grape tomatoes quartered
• 1 cup chopped Persian cucumbers
• 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup red onions finely chopped
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives pitted sliced
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
• 
  Dressing Ingredients
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove pressed
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• Assemble the salad in a large bowl by placing the chopped lettuce first, then arranging lines of the remaining ingredients on top of the chopped lettuce.

• To prepare the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar until emulsified.

• When ready to serve, pour the dressing on top of the salad. Garnish with parsley. Toss if you prefer to keep the salad untossed for best presentation.

I went hunting through a pile of recipes today. Threw many out, as some weren't gluten free and others just no longer appeal.

Here's one I think I only made once, but it was pretty good, so now that I've found it again, I will make it when I find some celery root. ( which isn't the root of celery!)

Celery Root Purée 

Ingredients:
3 large celery roots
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.
You could also and other seasonings such as garlic, or some dried onion, or bacon bits, or...

Prep:
You'll be steaming the vegetable, so you match want to start heating the water now.
Cut off any leaves and the outer skin of the roots.
Cut up the roots. Smaller pieces steam faster, but you lose moisture if you make your pieces too small.
Steam root pieces until mashing consistency.
Purée the steamed roots with the oil and seasonings.

Simple, easy tasty sweet treat.  Mix a tub of thawed sugar free or light cool whip with a package of sugar free Jello.  Freeze for an hour.  Tastes like ice cream....Add canned or fresh fruit as desired.

BAKED EGG AND BROCCOLI MUFFINS----BREAKFAST ON THE GO

Ingredients

• 10 large eggs
• 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli steamed and chopped (or frozen and thawed)
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese plus more for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 12 count muffin pan with silicone liners or coat with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large 4 cup measuring cup or mixing bowl, crack in eggs and whisk together with salt and black pepper.

3. Whisk in garlic powder and thyme until combined. Stir in broccoli and cheddar. Divide evenly into muffin tins filling each about 2/3 full.

4. Sprinkle with more cheddar if desired. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until set.

Weight Watchers Caramel Apple Salad AKA Snickers Salad

  Sorry, can't get this blue box deleted

• 1 container (8 oz) fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 box (1oz each) sugar-free, fat-free instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 1 8z small can of crushed pineapple in juice
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
   
• Mix together the box of pudding mix and crushed pineapple. Fold in cool whip and then add in chopped apples. Cool before serving.
• Serving size: 1/2 cup. 

MIX AND MACH 4-INGREDIENT SNACK BALLS
 

Make these energy balls in minutes! For this recipe, we mixed together: 3 parts oatmeal, 1 part peanut butter, 1/2 part honey and a heaping handful of mini chocolate chips mixed with raisins. Mix well and roll mixture into balls. You also can make it your own with any grain (oats, millet or buckwheat), nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter or tahini), liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, molasses or prune puree) and add-ins (chocolate chips, raisins, chopped nuts, seeds, coconut, or dried fruit) you have on hand. Enjoy

I've never eaten a cauliflower steak but they always look delish when I see them prepared on cooking shows.  Last night I watched this weeks Masterchef with the children and they prepared them.  Looked so good.

Roasted Cauliflower Steak

These thick slabs of cauliflower steak are delicious, well-seasoned, and satisfying. And they are so easy to make!

CourseSide Dish

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10minutes minutes

Cook Time30minutes minutes

Total Time40minutes minutes

Servings4 servings

Calories109kcal

AuthorVered DeLeeuw

Ingredients

• 2 medium cauliflower heads
• Olive oil spray
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided; or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
• 1 teaspoon paprika divided
• 1 teaspoon coriander divided

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil or high-heat-resistant parchment paper and spray it with olive oil.

• Wash the cauliflower heads, remove the outer leaves, and trim the very bottom of the core, keeping the core intact. Slice each cauliflower head into ¾-inch-thick slices. The outer slices will fall apart - simply roast them as florets with the steaks. Plan on getting three steaks out of each cauliflower head.

• Arrange the steaks in a single layer on the baking sheet. Scatter the florets around them. Spray their tops with olive oil and sprinkle them with half the seasonings.

• Bake the cauliflower slices for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven, carefully flip them using two wide spatulas, spray them with more oil, and sprinkle them with the remaining spices.

• Return the cauliflower steaks to the oven and bake them until browned and fork-tender, 10-15 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

• When you cut the cauliflower heads into slices, some will fall apart and turn into florets. Don't worry about those! Simply bake them alongside the intact slices. That's why you need two cauliflower heads for this recipe, to account for the slices that fall apart.
• Don't trim the core. Cauliflower stems are edible. Removing the core, even very carefully, will cause the steaks to fall apart. I remove the outer leaves and trim the very bottom of the stem, but I leave the core intact, and I find that it softens nicely and is delicious when baked.
• You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cauliflower head | Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 367mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g

Confetti Tuna in Celery Sticks

1 can Tuna, drained and flaked

1/2 c shredded red or green cabbage

1/2 c shredded carrot

1/4 c shredded yellow squash or zucchini

3 TBS reduced-calorie cream cheese, softened

1 TBS plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

10 - 12 celery sticks

In a smal bowl toss together tuna, cabbage, carrot and squash.  Stir in cream cheese, yogurt and basil.  Add salt and pepper to taste. With small spatula spread mixture in celery sticks.

Nutrients per serving (1 piece)

• Calores  32
• Fat  2 grams
• Sodium  92 mg
• Cholesterol  9 mg