Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a fan of soups....especially creamy, cheesy soups. So, here is another one!

Serves 8, about 2 cups per serving...3 WW smart points each.

2 large leeks (0)
1 cup seasoning blend (0)
about 8 baby portabella mushrooms sliced (0)
2 T. crushed garlic
5 T. real bacon bits (4)
4 laughing cow pepper jack wedges (4)
4 slices Kraft fat free American cheese slices (2)
3 cups Silk Cashew Milk (3)
10 cups Chicken Broth (3)
6 tsp. grated Parmesan Cheese (2)
1 bag Ore Ida steam and mash russet potatoes (4)
3 T. Cajun Seasoning
1 T. worcestershire sauce (1)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T. oregano
1 T. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb blend
additional seasoning to taste

Cut green tops off of leeks, cut root section off of bottoms and cut in half length ways, hold under running water and slightly pry apart in order to get them really clean, there's always lots of dirt and grit in between the outer layers. Once they are thoroughly cleaned, slice them, about 1/4" thickness. Clean and slice mushrooms. In a large pot, generously spray bottom with Pam and sauté leeks, bacon bits,  seasoning blend, mushrooms and garlic until vegetables are tender, add enough broth to just cover the vegetables then add your cheeses, cook slowly until cheese is melted and well incorporated. Add remaining ingredients, stir and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender. Adjust seasoning to suit your taste.  This soup is really good. It is even better the next day as it will thicken in the refrigerator overnight. Enjoy!

Leeks, mushrooms and seasoning blend ready to sauté.

I like to take easy route with things, of course you can use fresh potatoes, but I had these in the freezer and they required no peeling or preparation at all.

My favorite of the Laughing Cow flavors, I use it in sauces, as a spread on sandwiches and mixed in with canned green beans, it really kicks up the flavor of simple foods.

This is my power player! I use it in all my sauces and smoothies, at only 25 calories for a full cup, its just 1 point and 0 points for a half cup. Trust me on this one...get some!



This is the finished soup, it is very creamy in texture and delicious. Low points too!

Crab Bisque

                                                                                                                                                                                                            
 
Crab Bisque
Serves 8, 2 WW Smart Points each

1 pound crabmeat (claw or lump, check for shells first)

1 cup seasoning blend
6 wedges laughing cow pepper jack spreadable cheese
48 oz. Swanson chicken broth or stock
2 cup Cashew milk unsweetened unflavored (25 calories per cup)
½ cup dry potato flakes
2 tbsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning
1-2 Tbsp. Cajun Seasoning (Tony’s)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. dry oregano

 Spray the bottom of a large pot with cooking spray, sauté seasoning blend until onions are clear, add chicken stock and seasoning, add cheese and cook on medium until well incorporated, whisk in potato flakes and Cashew milk, add crabmeat last and cook until heated well through, do not boil. Enjoy.

I don't have a picture of this soup, I guess I was too hungry to take a picture that night, haha.
Trust me though...it's good!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

 

Weight Watchers Smart point 2 points per serving

Makes 10 servings 1 cup each

1 pound frozen broccoli chopped

1 cup seasoning blend (onion, celery, bell pepper)

6 wedges Laughing Cow Pepper Jack spreadable cheese

1 cup water

48 oz Swanson Chicken Broth or Stock

1 cup Almond Breeze Cashew Milk, unflavored

1/3 cup dry potato flakes

2 Tbsp.  Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning

1-2 Tbsp. Cajun Seasoning (Tony’s)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

 

Spray the bottom of a large pot with cooking spray, saute seasoning blend until onions are clear, add broccoli and seasoning, saute a few minutes more. Add water and chicken stock, boil until broccoli is tender, remove from heat add cheese and puree using a hand held processor (if you use a blender, let mixture cool prior to blending.) Once mixture is pureed, add cashew milk and potato flakes, add more seasoning if desired and serve warm.



 

 

 

broccoli and seasoning blend along with chicken stock and water

finished...good and hearty!

Dawn's Crispy Potatoes

My friend Dawn is a great cook and a fellow Weight Watcher. She shared this recipe with me, of course she washed and par-boiled her potatoes and did the fancy tri-colored ones. I took the lazy route and got the convenient, already washed, steam in the microwave kind. They were delicious either way.

Makes 2, 4 ounce servings at 3 smart points each.

One bag of baby Idaho Potatoes

Pam cooking spray (Olive Oil)

Cavender's Greek Seasoning or Cajun seasoning

 

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Microwave potatoes according to instructions, remove from bag, place on paper towel to drain, cut larger potatoes in half and cool thoroughly. (I put the whole pan in the freezer for 10 minutes, again, I take the easy route.) Once potatoes are cool, smash them with your hand until flat, spray with Pam and sprinkle seasoning, carefully flip them with a spatula, spray and season the other side. Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes total, flipping half way through. Cook them until crisp and golden brown. They are delicious!

 



These were so easy, microwave for 6 minutes.

I cut the cooked potatoes in half and cooled on a paper towel, before smashing them.

Yummy! Crispy, spicy and delicious!

Spinach and Mushroom Pita Bread Pizza

Spinach and Mushroom Pita Bread Pizza
1 individual pizza 8 Weight Watchers Smart Points
(It's easy to make several of these at once. To do so, just sauté more onions and mushrooms together and follow the rest of the steps below)

1 Tofayan Whole wheat pita bread (4pts)
1/2 onion sliced (0)
1-2 large baby portabella mushrooms sliced (0)
10 baby spinach leaves
1 wedge laughing cow pepper jack cheese (1pt)
1/4 c. Kraft 2% shredded mozzarella cheese (2pts)
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (1)
Mrs. Dash garlic and herb blend
Pam cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In frying pan, spray Pam and sauté onion and mushrooms with seasoning until onion caramelizes, remove from heat. Place pita bread on pan, spread laughing cow cheese on Pita bread, drizzle olive oil on top of cheese then spread it evenly around. Place spinach leaves evenly on top of the cheese, top with onion and mushrooms, add shredded cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle oregano on top. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.  Yum!

This Pita Bread makes the best pizza crust, hearty and crisp. It is 4 pts, but I think it is well worth it.
You can cut split the pita in half and separate to get 2 pizzas out of one.
This is a great option, it is still very good and gets crispier than the full pita, and saves you 2 pts.  

I like to make sure the onions an mushrooms are nicely caramelized.

Finished product, so yummy! And, like I said...worth the points.

Crab and Eggplant Pirogues!

I love to eat, and I love to eat GOOD FOOD! I cannot stand the typical "diet" food. So, I love the challenge of making delicious foods that are low in points value. It's a win/win combination. I hope you give this a try!

 

I made this last Friday night, I was in the mood for something decadent but was trying to make good choices. This dish was amazing and very low points! I enjoyed it with a lovely Chardonnay and great company!

 

Crab and Eggplant Pirogues

Serves 4, 3 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving.

 

8 oz. crab meat (I used claw meat, but if you have lump that's great too) (4pts)

1 large eggplant (0pts)

1 c. seasoning blend (onions, celery, parsley) (0pts)

1 1/2 c. Silk unsweetened cashew milk (the one that is 25 calories per serving) (1pt)

2 wedges laughing cow pepper jack cheese (2pts)

2 slices Kraft fat free American cheese slices (1pt)

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash onion garlic blend

*Cajun seasoning (Tony's) about 1 1/2 tablespoon, divided (if you don't have access to Cajun Seasoning, you can use Season-all or another seasoned salt)

dash of red pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. lemon juice

Pam nonstick spray

5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (3pts)

 

 

preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel eggplant and slice length way in 4 thick slices. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place eggplant in single layer on pan, spray both sides of eggplant with Pam and sprinkle both sides with Cajun seasoning bake for 10-15 minutes on each side until eggplant is golden and tender. While that is cooking pick through crab meat to remove any shells. Spray a large frying pan with Pam and sauté seasoning blend until veggies are tender and onions begin to caramelize, add seasoning, lemon juice and laughing cow, and sliced cheese and cook over low heat until cheese is incorporated, add cashew milk and crab meat, cook on medium for a few minutes until crab is warm and ingredients are mixed well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Once eggplant is done, spray the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish with Pam and place half of the eggplant in a single layer, top with half of the crab mixture, repeat with remaining eggplant and crab mixture, then sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

*I like my food well seasoned, so my directions are for my taste. I suggest adjusting seasoning to suit your tastes.

 

 

 

Delicious!
Crab and Eggplant Pirogues