salmon burgers topped with peach salsa and a summer slaw

This was something new for us, and was a great light summer meal.  Each of these are Weight Watchers recipes, the salmon burgers and salsa together are 5 points and the coleslaw is 1 point.  My friend Stef and I made this meal together for my family and believe me, it was gobbled up.

Sorry for the picture quality, and believe me, it tasted WAY better then it looks.  In the slaw we used a Mexican root vegetable called Jicama, which tastes like a cross between water chestnuts and snow peas.  It can be eaten cooked or raw and is a great substitute for chips and crackers – it can be dipped too!

Anyways here’s what you need for the Salmon burgers and salsa:

• 2 large peach(es), diced
• 1 small jalapeٌo pepper(s), cored, seeded and finely chopped (do not touch seeds with your bare hands)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp table salt
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
• 14 3/4 oz canned salmon, red, drained, broken into small chunks
• 1 medium scallion(s), finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 large egg(s), beaten
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 1/2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs, whole wheat
• 1 packet(s) Sweet’N Low Low calorie sweetener

To prepare salsa, combine peaches, jalapeno and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Stir in salt and cilantro and toss gently to mix; set aside.
Preheat grill.
To prepare burgers, mash salmon bones with the back of a fork. Combine salmon, scallion, lemon zest, egg, black pepper and bread crumbs in a medium bowl; mix well. Shape salmon mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.
Gently place burgers in a grill basket or on a grill rack and grill at medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Flip burgers and grill about 3 minutes more, until golden brown on both sides. Serve salmon burgers with peach salsa on the side. Yields 1 burger and about 1/2 cup of salsa per serving. (Note: The burgers can be broiled instead of grilled, if desired. Coat a broiler rack with cooking spray, preheat broiler and broil 4 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side.)

And for the slaw, you need:

• 4 cup(s) green cabbage, Napa, shredded
• 1 1/2 cup(s) jicama, peeled and shredded
• 1 cup(s) radishes, shredded
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp table salt

Toss the cabbage, jicama and radishes in a salad bowl.  Add the lime juice, vinegar, sesame oil, cumin and salt. Toss well to serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

three dip appetizer

At a family dinner, our part of the family was responsible for the appetizer.  My mum and I decided to keep it light and make three dips.  We made a creamy mexican dip, a feta and spinach dip, and a mango salsa.  All of them are weight watchers, and all were big hits.  My favourite was the mexican dip, and while I’m not a fan of spinach dips, it got eaten too.

SO first the mexican dip:

Here’s what you need:

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup salsa, hot chipotle variety is suggested, but we used Garden Fresh Salsa, Medium.
• 3/4 cups avocado, diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste

In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt and salsa until blended; and stir in the remaining ingredients one at a time.  Garnish with cilantro.  This is a great light dip, and is only 1 point per serving, which is an eighth of the mixture – about 1/4 cup.

Next the feta spinach dip.

Here’s what you need:

• 4 cups spinach, fresh, chopped, about 2 oz
• 1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chives, fresh, minced, divided
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp table salt, or less to taste

Place spinach in a saucepan with 2 cups of water, and cook over high heat for 1 minute; drain well.

Place the spinach, cream cheese, sour cream, feta cheese, 1 tbsp of chives, lemon juice and pepper in a blender; puree.  Taste the dip and add salt if needed.  Spoon dip into a serving dish and garnish with remaining chives.

This dip is very easy to make, a crowd favourite if you like spinach dips and is about 2 points per serving, which is about 3 tbsps.

And finally for the mango salsa, here’s what you need:

• 2 small mangoes, diced
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 medium sweet red pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 medium scallion, cup into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 tsp unpacked brown sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/8 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

We followed the instructions and it ended up like more of a fruit salad, so I would say combine mango, cucumber, red pepper, cilantro and scallions in a blender, and blend until desired consistency – not a puree and a little chunky.  Add the seasonings and mix, taste and adjust until the salsa is sweet and tangy, with a nice kick.  Garnish with fresh cilantro.

This salsa is 0 points, and super quick and easy to make.  Serve all these dips with pita or bagel chips and enjoy!

dairy-free sugar-free vegan raw banana chocolate ice cream

This recipe is literally easier then 1-2-3.  Not only is it 0 points with Weight Watchers, but it is also sugar free, dairy-free, vegan, raw AND a serving of fruits.  DAMN.  Almost too good to be true right? WRONG.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 ripe banana
• 3/4 tbsp cocoa powder

In a bowl, simply add the two ingredients together and mash until mixed well.  The mixture should look like lumpy pudding.  If you want a smoother texture, blend in a food processor.  Then simply freeze for at least 2 hours and enjoy!

This literally tastes like chocolate ice cream, and has the same texture and feel.  Great for a light sweet HEALTHY treat.  Try it, and let me know what you think.  I’m thinking of making a big batch and separating into a bunch of 1 cup servings and freezing for a quick dessert.  YUMM.

slow cooker turkey chili

This is the first chili I have ever made, and it worked.. kinda.  It was really tasty, just not a thick chili like the store bought ones or a Tim Hortons chili.  Anyways if you love spice, then you’ll love this, and it’s a lighter option because of the turkey substitution over beef.

Here’s what you need:

• 6 links raw turkey sausage, hot-italian variety (about 1.5 lbs)
• 19 oz canned diced tomatoes, with garlic and onions, undrained
• 19 oz caned red kidney beans, undrained
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
• 1.4 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Start by removing the casing from the sausage and place in a large slow cooker.  Break up the meat with a spoon.  Add the beans, tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and chili powder and flakes.  Stir well to mix it all up together.  Adding the chili powder and flakes now will let the spice mix and brew making it spicier and yummier.

Cover the slow cooker, and cook on a low setting for at least 5 or 6 hours.  For chili, generally the longer it cooks, the better.  A half hour before serving, add the salt and pepper, and any extra spice you may want to include.  Keep in mind this is a very spicy chili, and you will most definitely want to keep a dairy product on hand to cut the spice.

Anyways, try this recipe and let me know what you! If you have a better or different chili recipe, let me know and we’ll do a trade.  Oh and if you’re wondering a serving is about a cup and a half, and the WeightWatchers PointsPlus value is 8 per serving.  A cup and a half was a little much for me, so I generally eat half of that particular serving.  Anyways, ENJOY!

spicy bbq meatballs

Today my boyfriend (Alex) and I decided to make meatballs for dinner (his favourite).  SO I found a recipe that was very easy to follow and was very low on the points scale.  For 10 of these meatballs, it is 5 points, perfect as a protein to a dinner or as an appetizer.  And it is a Weight Watchers recipe – cool.

 

Unfortunately I didn’t remember to take a picture but they are just as good looking as they are tasty.  No lie.  Here’s what you need:

• 1 1/2 lbs extra-lean ground turkey
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 egg whites
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

If you have never made meatballs before the instructions are superrrrr easy; start by mixing all the ingredients together very well by hand, and then roll 60 meatballs in your palms and place them on a baking sheet coated with either a cooking spray or olive oil.  Before you roll the balls out, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  When all the balls are done and shaped, bake for 25 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking and becoming delicious, heat the barbecue sauce in a sauce pan over medium high heat until it is hot and ready.  Keep warm and reserve for later.  We added hot sauce to our barbecue sauce to make them spicy and they were tastyy.  Another thing to add to up the heat is chopped hot peppers to be mixed in with the meat.  Just make sure to wash your hands and not touch your face, those things are deadly.

When the meatballs are done, transfer them to a serving dish and pour the sauce over top.  Toss gently and serve immediately.  Enjoy!