Pumpkin pie phyllo pastries

I've had a few requests for this recipe and I figured posting it BEFORE thanksgiving was helpful to those Canadian weight watchers needing a fall dessert and some calorie sanity this coming weekend!

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Servings: ~40
Points: 1 point each pastry

2 cups canned pumpkin
1 package of phyllo pastry (the one I have is a 1 pound package)
3 large eggs
1 cup low fat evaporated milk
3/4 cups unpacked brown sugar (set aside 1/4 cup for topping)
pam cooking spray
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (set aside 1/2 tsp for topping)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

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Prehead oven to 375.
-Mix together the pumpkin, eggs, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, evaporated milk, and spices.  Set aside.
-Lay out phyllo so it's laying long ways side to side 2 sheets at a time, spray between them lightly with pam (I folded one side of the top layer of phyllo, sprayed, replaced it back and did the same with the other side).
-Slice the phyllo into 5 equal width columns.  This will make 5 pastries.
-Place about 2 tbsp of pumpkin mixture on the bottom portion of the piece of phyllo.
-Now here's where you fold up the phyllo into triangles.  Might get a bit confusing, I'll post pictures this weekend as it's hard to explain!  You just want to keep folding it to make a triangle.  Take a bottom corner (both pieces of phyllo) and pull it up to the side so it makes a triangle.  Then grab the lower point of that triangle and pull it over to the other side so it again makes a triangle.  Keep doing this until you have finished the whole piece of phyllo.
-Keep repeating steps until you either run out of phyllo or pumpkin filling.
- Mix together the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle the tops of each of the pastries evenly.
-Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake until top is lightly browned and phyllo is crispy on the loose edges.  About 15-17 minutes.

Serve warm if you can, but they are still REALLY good when they've cooled down and aren't crispy anymore.  I even froze them and thawed them a week later and they held up!  Enjoy!

Shepherd's pie

Prep time 10 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Servings: 8
Points plus value: 8


1 lb lean ground beef (you could sub in 1/2 lb ground chicken 1/2 lb ground beef to make it even less points, but I have low iron so I'm enjoying the full beefyness)
1 onion diced
5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 tbsp beef bovril
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce (we call it Wooster sauce in our house!)
1 small carton button mushrooms sliced
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
3 medium potatoes
1 head cauliflower
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup skim milk
salt. pepper, garlic powder to taste
1 tbsp flower

(add or takeaway whatever spices, this is just what I used/had on hand.  I'm not watching sodium as I have low BP, so you may want to adjust that too)

Peel and cube potatoes and put them on to boil.
Put cauliflower in steamer and steam for 30 minutes.  You want them mushy.
Brown the ground beef and drain.
Add in the olive oil, onions, garlic and mushrooms, they'll release water, keep that in there.
Once the onions are clear, add the wooster sauce and bovril and mix in the flour to make the gravy.
Spread beef mixture in the bottom of a large baking dish.  Cover with mixed veggies.
Drain potatoes, add in cauliflower, butter garlic powder salt and pepper and mash until relatively smooth.
Spread potato mixture over meat and veggies.
Bake in oven uncovered at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 mins or until gravy bubbles up the edges and potatoes are slightly brown on top.

Enjoy and think of me!

Tuna greek salad

This is a really easy dinner or lunch.  Usually I'd make one portion and split in in two for two lunches.

Prep time 5 mins
Cook time: 7 mins
Servings: 2
Points plus value: 6


1 red pepper
1/2 english cucumber
1 serving no yolks egg noodles
1 ounce low fat feta
1 can flaked light tuna in water
2 tbsp Kraft greek feta and oregano dressing

Cook pasta according to directions.
chop up pepper and cucumber into bite size pieces.
Split pasta up into two dishes.
Divide veggies, place on top of pasta.
Crumble feta and tuna, divide and put on top of pasta and veggies
Pour in one tbsp of salad dressing onto each serving, toss.

That's it!  Quick, healthy and tasty!

Stuffed prosciutto wrapped chicken

I combined a few different recipes to come up with this one.  My sister's co-workers requested this recipe :)  Hi Annie's Co-workers!

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 1 hour total
Servings: 8 (or 4 if you're generous)
Points Plus value:  7

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 an onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes
110g log of low fat goat cheese (I used PC blue menu)
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
8 slices prosciutto

Preheat oven to 350.
Slice chicken breasts into two fillets, pound flat until thin.
put olive oil into pan, heat on medium.
Fry the onions until soft, add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and stir.
In a bowl, mix the goat cheese, basil, garlic powder, pepper, salt and parmesan cheese.  Add half of the the onion mixture and stir all together.
With the remaining onion mixture, add the white wine and chicken broth, reduce on medium-high heat until liquid is boiled down.
Divide cheese mixture evenly and place on chicken fillets, roll up.  Then wrap chicken rolls in prosciutto.
Place in baking pan loosely.
Drizzle wine/onion sauce over chicken.
Bake in oven about 40 mins or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve immediately.


I served this with tomato rice.

Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 10-30 mins depending on type of rice you use.
Servings: 4
Points Plus value: 3


4 servings rice (according to package)
chicken broth (however much rice package dictates)
1 small can diced tomatoes (I mince them a little before adding to rice, I don't like huge tomato chunks!)

Cook rice according to package directions (sub in chicken broth for water)
When chicken broth is boiled down, add diced tomatoes.  Mix in and cook on low until hot stirring frequently.  Serve.

Shrimp and snap pea stirfry

Well February has been a write-off for many reasons and I've obviously been neglecting this blog!

Here's one of my go-to recipe's.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Servings: 4
Points Plus value: 10

2 boxes of the cheapest shrimp rings in the store, thawed, de-tailed and rinsed.
2 servings of angel hair pasta (according to box)
1 carton (4 cups?) low sodium chicken broth
4-6 cloves garlic
4 cups sugar snap peas
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 tbsp grated parmesan (or more/less according to taste)

Cook pasta in chicken broth, drain and set aside.
Melt butter in wok or large sauce pan on medium heat.  Add in minced garlic.
When garlic is starting to brown add parsley, olive oil, shrimp and peas.  Toss until peas are semi-soft and shrimp is heated through.
Throw in pasta and parmesan.  Toss to coat.
Serve immediately.

Roman Chicken

I got a few recipes off of The Food Network and I just made one of them!  Roman Chicken!  I'm not even done eating it and I'm blogging it it's so good!

According to their nutritional values this is 7 points plus points per serving.  I used WAY less oil and it turned out to be 6 points plus points.  I served it over rice which adds another 3 points.

Here's the link for the recipe.  I made it pretty much the same way but used skinless boneless chicken thighs and dried herbs instead of fresh.  Less oil than asked for though :).

Enjoy!

Roman Style Chicken

Chicken stuffed peppers

We went to a friends house for dinner last night and I made dinner!  Easy way to make sure dinner is healthy :)

I made Chicken stuffed peppers.  One of our favorite meals!  The stuffing can also be served as a casserole with veggies/salad on the side, or used as a filling for cabbage rolls.  It's so yummy!


Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Servings: 8 
Points plus value: 12

2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound extra lean ground chicken 1 dry cup minute rice 1 can low sodium chicken broth 1 cup crushed tomatoes 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp chili powder (or more/less to taste) 1/2 tsp table salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dried parsley flakes 3/4 cup of shredded skin milk mozzarella cheese (6 servings by weight) divided 1/2 & 1/4 cup 4 red peppers Preheat oven to 375 degrees Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and stem and set aside on cookie tray Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Sautee onions and garlic. Put the rice and chicken broth on to boil, covered in a separate pot.as you would if you were cooking the rice in water as per package directions (you can substitute any kind of rice or grain here, whatever tickles your fancy). Meanwhile, fry up ground chicken and crumble up fine.   Add spices to the cooked chicken mixture, then crushed tomato, rice and 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Combine until cheese is melted. Spoon filling into peppers and sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake in oven for 15 mins or until peppers are slightly softened and cheese is melted. Serve with a big salad. Enjoy!

Broccoli bacon quinoa

I made this for dinner tonight because I don't have a whole lot of stuff in my cupboards!  It turned out really well for something I made up!

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Servings: 4
Points plus value: 8

1 cup uncooked Quinoa
1 1/4 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth (or as per quinoa package directions)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 finely chopped red onion
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 bunch of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces or smaller
1/2 cup real bacon bits
3/4 cup skim milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper


Cook quinoa as per package directions but substitute chicken broth for water.  Set aside.
Sautée red onions and garlic in oil.  Add in bacon once onions are slightly carmelized.  After a couple of minutes add broccoli.  Sautée until cooked but still firm.  Stir in ricotta, skim milk, and spices.   Stir in cooked quinoa.  Serve hot.