Thanks My Friends,

I appreciate you both for stopping by to visit and for the nice comments. It's great to be back.

Here's another one that I hope you will all like from my Weight Watcher's files. Simple, yet savory, roasted eggplant drizzled with a freshly made tahini sauce is a delicious and healthy way to get in those important vegetable servings. The smoky taste of the eggplant is perfectly complemented by the tangy, nutty tahini.

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized eggplant, sliced into 1/2” slices
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Juice from ½ a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and mist with cooking spray or an olive oil mister.
2. Place eggplant slices evenly onto baking sheet (you may need 2-3 baking sheets), mist with olive oil mister or cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until well browned, about 20-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
3. Meanwhile, combine tahini paste, water, lemon juice, garlic, and paprika in a small bowl. Season with salt.
4. Place roasted eggplant slices on serving dish and pour tahini sauce over them evenly. Garnish with parsley.

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is about 1 cup
Each serving = 2 Points +

Per Serving 83 calories; 3g fat; 12g carbohydrates; 2.5g protein; 6g fiber

Have A Terrific Tuesday,

Phil

Quote:

Hello Friends,

Well, friends, I'm not exactly a shadow of my former self, however, I have dropped over 75 lbs since March, 2013, or approximately 10 lbs per month. Most of this is due to eating no more than three egg yolks per week, nothing but fresh vegetables and white meat (fish, chicken, and turkey, drinking water, green tea or black coffee and consuming no more than 1,500 calories daily based loosely around weight watchers principles.

Here's one of my favorite weight watchers meals. This mock Italian delight is creamy, cheesy, and deliciously comforting, while still being rich and satisfying enough to be served as a main dish and also works well as a side. It’s a healthier, lower carb alternative to a pasta dish, and is a great Weight Watchers recipe at only four points.

Spaghetti Squash and Sausage Bake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 6oz chicken sausage (I used 2 links)
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp light butter
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp dried, ground sage
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly mist a 9” x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.
2. With a sharp knife, pierce some holes all over the squash. Place it in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for about 7 minutes. This will soften the squash enough so that it can be cut in half. Let squash cool about 10 minutes before handling.
3. Once squash has cooled, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds. Lightly mist both halves with an olive oil mister and sprinkle with salt. Place in a shallow baking dish with about 1/2 “ of water (cut sides up), and roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until squash is tender.
4. When squash is cool enough to handle, scrape with a fork to remove flesh in long strands, and place strands in a large bowl.
5. Remove casings from sausage, dice, and add into the squash.
6. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour to form a roux. Then slowly whisk in the milk, broth and garlic. Bring to a boil, while whisking constantly. Then lower heat to medium, stir in the parmesan and sage, and continue stirring until sauce thickens.
7. Pour sauce over squash and mix well and season with salt and pepper.
8. Pour squash into prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, then top with the Panko breadcrumbs and dried parsley.
9. Place in oven and bake until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
10. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Cut into 8 equally sized servings.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)

Calories: 164; Fat: 6g; Protein: 12g

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is about 1 cup
Each serving = 4 Points +

Have A Terrific Evening,

Phil

Hi Phil,

I knew you could do it. Congratulations on your weight loss.
I love spaghetti squash, i put my spaghetti sauce on it, it is yummy. This sounds good to.

Hi Myrna,

Any praise definitely belongs to my Nutritionist and the wonderful support from my friends such as yourself. Of course, following Weight Watcher's guidelines also helps.

Savory and satisfying, this butternut squash lasagna is a delicious fall comfort recipe. Layered with cheeses and whole wheat lasagna noodles, it’s an ideal Weight Watchers Recipe at just 6 Points + per serving.

Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 ½” pieces

• 8 oz no-boil whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 15 oz fat free ricotta
• 1/4 cup 2% fat milk
• 1/4 cup fat free vegetable broth, or as needed
• 1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp light butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with an olive oil mister.
2. Place butternut squash on baking sheets and spray with an olive oil mister and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Place in oven and roast, rotating tray halfway through, until tender and golden, about 40 minutes.
4. Transfer to a large bowl, and mash with a fork or masher. Add in milk, butter, egg, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper. If mixture is too thick, thin out a bit with some broth. The consistency should be that of runny mashed potatoes.
5. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, fresh sage and garlic.
6. Spray a 9” x 13” casserole dish with non-fat cooking spray or an olive oil mister. And keep oven set to 425.
7. To layer lasagna, start by spreading a small amount of butternut squash mixture on bottom of casserole dish. Now top evenly with a layer of noodles. Then cover noodles with a layer of ricotta. Repeat until all components are used up, and end it with the butternut squash mixture on top…I was able to make 3 layers.
8. Now sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over top of lasagna. Cover with foil, and place in oven. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and begins to brown.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 8 equally sized servings.

Cooking time: 3 hour(s) 5 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1/8th of dish
Each serving = 6 Points +

PER SERVING: 240 calories; 6.5g fat; 30g carbohydrates; 15g protein; 4.5g fiber

Have A Wonderful Week,

Phil

Hi Phil,

You are following the diet and you are doing the work, so you do deserve the credit. I think it is wonderful losing that much weight.
It is amazing what they are making with squash now. This dish sound very good.

Hi Myrna,

Nevertheless, the kind words and support are appreciated. Here's a simple little skillet dish that I thought you might like.

Parmesan Meatballs and Orzo

1 1/2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion stir-fry (from 1-lb bag)

2 tablespoons Italian dressing

1 3/4 cups Progresso® beef flavored broth (from 32-oz carton)

1 cup uncooked orzo or rosamarina pasta (6 oz)

16 frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (from 16-oz bag)

1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook stir-fry vegetables and dressing over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Stir in broth; heat to boiling. Stir in pasta and meatballs. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in tomato. Cover; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and pasta is tender. Stir in parsley. Sprinkle with cheese. Serves 4.

Have A Happy Monday,

Phil