Nadia G's Nonna Theresa's Lasagna Bianco

Blog readers, who is ready to get bitchin'? Okie, even I will admit that was velveeta cheesy but I try. Nonetheless, tonight's meal is packed with a punch from Mrs. Nadia G's recipe collection. We profiled Mrs. G a few posts back when we made her not so well recieved potato and onion pizza. Yes, yes I know it wasn't a stellar performace from our kitchen but I refuse to give up hope on her food ideas. Besides tonight is an oldie but a goodie revamped in a whole new way.

Last week the husband and I were watching Nadia's show and I'll admit most of her recipes I wouldn't make simply because they aren't my forte. There was one however that struck this girls fancy. It was her Nonna Theresa's Lasagna Bianco. How much more Italian can ya get? Hey, that's coming from one Italian girl to another. ;]. This recipe gives life to a classic and has a surprising ingredient you wouldn't use normally in lasagna. Wanna know more? Follow me:


Nonna Theresa's Lasagna Bianco

TOTAL TIME: 3 hr 45 min
Prep: 45 min
Inactive Prep: 30 min
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
YIELD: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN BROTH:
1 whole organic chicken, rinsed, cut into pieces
1 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

EGG PASTA:
2 cups unbleached flour, sifted, plus more for dusting
4 organic eggs

TOPPINGS:
4 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmigianno

*Making the broth*: Put the chicken pieces and parsley in a large stockpot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours.

*Line a strainer with cheesecloth and strain. Put the broth in a clean pot on low heat. Skim off the top. Season with sea salt and pepper. Pick out the good chicken meat from the cheesecloth and set aside.

*Making the pasta*: Into a food processor, add the unbleached flour and eggs. Pulse until crumbly. Take the dough out and place on a floured surface. Knead the dough until silky, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

*Roll out the dough by hand, or using a pasta machine, until about 1/8-inch thick. Slice into lengths the size of the baking dish.

*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

*Making the lasagna*: Place a layer of pasta, then some mozzarella, Parmigianno, chicken meat and a ladle of broth. Repeat three times. Finish with a top layer of cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

*Plate the lasagna in a shallow bowl, add a ladleful of broth and enjoy.







(SIDE BAR: I was in charge of the broth and chicken. I must say this is the first time I've made broth and it turned out quite well. *Pats back* Huzzah!)

Lookie at me and Mr. Chicken. Don't laugh, he's very photogenic ;].

I wanna hug Nadi'a G's Nonna. This recipe is stellar! It reminds me of that old stable fave butter and cheese noodles. YUM!


WW Points: 8 points per serving


Tid Bits:
*Whoever said it wasn't okie to cheat...(on recipes that is sheesh!) was wrong. Go ahead and use the no boil lasagna noodles they work just as good.


Ma's Spot: I liked tonight's recipe. I have to admit I liked it better than Nadia G's potato and onion pizza. It does have a few draw backs for me. I thought the chicken was a bit too soggy but I did enjoy the flavors and how they came together. We did have to drain a lot of the chicken broth off after it was done. I saved it to use for chicken soup for another recipe later. It did have 2 of my favorite cheeses in the dish so that was a plus for me. So I liked it but would I make it again? Probably but only because my sister loved it. Please, don't look at my take on this and not think to try it because it's really good.


*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:



WW Points: 3 points for 3/4 cup (without milk)

Dinah: So tonight we have the new cereal by Kellogg's called Krave Chocolate Cereal. Before we have peeps saying that this is not considered a "snack" I beg to differ my good friends. I often enjoy a small bowl of cereal as a delish snack and tonight's pick would be one to enjoy over and over again. I thought it was crunchy and chocolatey. It reminded me of Captain Crunch honestly. Which isn't a bad thing at all. ;].


Ma: First of all let me put this on record. I love cereal. If I could my top my fridge to look like Senifeld's I would. And when you add chocolate to cereal me and that are a perfect match. Is that legal anyways or would I have to go to Conneticut to be with my cereal? I had a coupon for this cereal but even without it I would buy it.


That's all folks! We'll see you here next week with another recipe. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Hungry Girl French-Toasted Waffles & Weight Watchers Fruit Dip

Evening blog readers, tonight we are bringing you something fun and different. Normally you would think that with it being something different I would've been your guess on who picked the meal for this evening but you'd be wrong. Ma had an idea to do something different (taking a page from yours truly) and she came up with breakfast for dinner.

Oh I can hear the groans, ha. How we've done this once before (even though it was last year) and that how many times can you do pancakes, eggs, and bacon? Well you're right, but fear not, we're jazzing up a bit and you could even say this is a brunch menu item. So Ma bought the Hungry Girl books from Walmart (Hungry Girl was featured in a not too long ago post) and stumbled apon this gem:

French-Toasted Waffles




PER SERVING (entire recipe): 274 calories, 6g fat, 807mg sodium, 41.5g carbs, 3.25g fiber, 6.5g sugars, 16g protein -- PointsPlus® value 7*

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
*2 frozen low-fat waffles
*1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
*1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
*1/4 tsp. cinnamon
*2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
*1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
*1 tsp. powdered sugar
*Optional: raspberries

Directions:
1. Lightly toast waffles. Mix egg substitute, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a wide bowl, and set aside.
2. Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add butter and allow it to coat the

bottom of the skillet. Meanwhile, coat the waffles thoroughly in the egg mixture.
3. Cook waffles in the skillet until golden brown, 4 - 5 minutes per side. Top them with syrup and powdered sugar. Serve with
raspberries, if you like, and enjoy!
MAKES 1 SERVING

BONUS RECIPE:

Weight Watchers Fruit Dip




Ingredients:
*8 ounces weight watchers reduced fat cream cheese spread , room temperature
*¼ cup marshmallow cream
*3 tablespoons sugar free seedless raspberry preserves
*fresh fruit

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients. Blend thoroughly.
2. Serve with fresh fruit.

So waffles were excellent! Fruit dip...eh, it was alright. I'm just not a huge fan of the taste of pure sugar and this dip seemed
smothered in it. Weird since the preserves are sugar free but then again marshmallow fluff is...well not.


Tid Bits:
*For a few added points you could always top the waffles with some sugar free preserves and whipped butter.
*Not into low-fat waffles? You can always try the multi-grain or wheat variety.
*Feel free to use any type of sugar free preserve you'd like. We could only find strawberry.

Ma's Spot: Once again Hungry Girl comes to the rescue. This woman is a dieters very best friend. There hasn't been a single bad recipe I've tried of hers. Everyone so far has been delicious. I bought 2 new cookbooks by her and the recipes are wonderful in them. Tonight's dinner was no different. It amazes me how you can take 2 low-fat waffles and turn them into a fantastic different taste. The only bad thing about this recipe was stopping myself from eating the whole box of waffles done this way. I really hope you give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed.
*And as for the fruit spread, I loved it! Any recipe that says that I can use marshmellow fluff gets two thumbs up. I think this is a great spread. Not only for only fruit but bagels, pretzels, and crackers as well. The possibilites are endless. Give this one a definite try.


*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:



WW Points: 5 Per Container

Dinah: Tonight we have the Skinny Cow Limited Edition Shake Stirs Mint Choco Chip. So, this is a nice healthy sub to the
regular ice cream shakes located in your grocery store. The flavor is good but I found it a bit hard to mix in the milk. It seems
like the ratio of shake to milk seems a bit off. The counter ended up getting a lot of the shake. I'd say besides that they're a
winner.



Ma: What can I say about the Laughing Cow brand? Everything I've had from them is delicious. During a sugar attack they are
my new bff. This was creamy and delicious. If I had six thumbs they would all be up and my taste buds are saying "whooo hoo
we have a winner!".



That's all folks, we'll be back here next week with my pick. Get ready to get bitchin'! My pick comes from Mrs. Nadia G. Trust,
it's not one to be missed. Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Weight Watchers Cheesy Chili-Mac

Ah, blog readers it's that time of year again. Where you get the most romantic ideas ready for that special someone and make it a day to remember. Yes, I'm talking about Valentine's Day. Your blog mistress isn't so much a fan of this sugary and completely mushy filled holiday but I digress. So, instead of heading out to some over crowded (let's face it everyone has the same unoriginal idea) restaurant why not stay in and make one of our L-O-V-E-ly dishes for that special person in your life? Okie, do I not sound like a radio dj right now? Bring on the Michael Bolton and Journey songs lol.

Tonight we have something warm, filling, and super yum to serve for this chilly winter holiday. It was my pick this week and I've been wanting to find a chili mac recipe. In the days before WW I made one hell of a chili mac. I would make up my awesome chili and have that slow cook for hours and right before I was ready to dig in I would make a box of my favorite mac and cheese and then smother some of the delish chili on the cheesy goodness followed by a night helping of sour cream. Geez, I miss that stuff but unfortunately WW doesn't do kindly to extreme fat and calories (hence the points system). I had to leave all that behind and start a new search for something that fit a similar mold of my previous calorie filled dish and I think I just may have found it:


Weight Watchers Cheesy Chili-Mac




Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 28 min
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
*1 spray(s) cooking spray
*2/3 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef
*2 medium uncooked onion(s), chopped
*29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, Mexican-style (undrained)
*2 1/2 cup(s) canned tomato juice
*4 oz canned green chili peppers, diced, drained
*2 tsp chili powder
*1 1/2 serving(s) uncooked macaroni, elbow-size
*31 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
*1/2 cup(s) low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese


Instructions:
1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion until meat is browned, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 10 minutes; drain off fat.

2. Stir in undrained tomatoes and their juice, tomato juice, chili peppers and chili powder; bring mixture to a boil.

3. Stir in macaroni and beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes. Spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 cup chili and 1 tablespoon cheese per serving.


WW Points: 7 Points per serving




This was pretty yummy. It filled the chili mac void left from my previous calorie-wise no good recipe. I think I may have to make this again in the future. ;].


No tid bits tonight, the recipe is pretty spot on. Oh, you could add 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream for 0 points.


Ma's Spot: I enjoyed tonight's dish a lot. I don't like hot food so when Dinah picked this recipe I was worried because of the Mexican tomatoes, seasoning, etc...but it ended up not being hot and I really liked it. The whole wheat pasta was very good along with the other ingredients that went into this recipe. So I encourage you to make it. The next time I make it I'm going to mix it up and put in some green peppers and maybe some mushrooms. As always we say to make it the first time as is and then if you like it and want to make it again tweak the recipe to your liking.



*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:




WW Points: 9 kisses for 6 points




Dinah: Tonight in the spirit of that little diaper fella with the bow and arrow we went with yummy chocolate. Hershey's Kisses Raspberry Hugs...I am not really a choco gal (yes I am aware I am strange, ha.) but these are pretty amazing. Geoff got me these as one of my V-Day gifts and they're pretty epic. From first opening the bag the smell of raspberry made me *swoon* and I knew I was in for a treat. These are smooth and creamy with this awesome hint of raspberry mixed in. I'd say these are a keeper.

Ma: What can I say it's chocolate and raspberry. Two things that when put together spell out yum! Oh and that they are a point and a half each is an extra bonus for me. So if you're watching your weight or not these are a yummy treat.


We hope we've made your Valentine's Day a little more yummy with this week's recipe and treat! Next week is Ma's dish..es. Yes as in plural. It's not one to be missed. Have a great week guys!





Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Italian Wedding Soup Supper

Italian Wedding Soup Supper




Prep: 25 min.
Cook: 15 min.
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:
*2 cups small pasta shells
*1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
*2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
*1 medium onion, chopped
*1 medium carrot, finely chopped
*1 celery rib, chopped
*1 package (12 ounces) frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs, thawed
*1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
*1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
*1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
*2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/8 teaspoon pepper
*3/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute chicken in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm.

2. In the same skillet, saute the onion, carrot and celery in remaining oil until tender. Add the meatballs, soup, spinach, broth, thyme, salt, pepper and reserved chicken; cover and cook for 4-6 minutes or until heated through.

3. Drain pasta; stir into skillet. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.




Tid Bits:
*For the Weight Watchers peeps out there, omit the chicken to save some points and just stick with the meatballs.

*Not a fan of regular beef meatballs? Try turkey meatballs, they're just as yummy.

Ma's Spot: I love this recipe. I did take out the chicken though, it's too much for one dish with the chicken and the meatballs together. I loved the taste of everything combined together. I do think that Dinah was right about the spinach. It turned out soggy but other than that I don't have any complaints about it. I will be making this again and I might leave out the meatballs and just fix it with the chicken. I urge you to give this a try, it's a different kind of dinner and it's easy to make.


*SNACK CORNER:*

It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:



Dinah: Ladies and Gents, this week we have Quaker Stila Oat Clusters. Now, before everyone starts getting all huffy because it looks like "health food", fear not these are actually quite tasty. I like the idea of mixing oats and fruit in a new way. So, give these a try. You just might like it ;].

Ma: I am a huge fan of granola and this snack was an A+ in my book. I've had the apple but I'm looking forward to trying the strawberry. If the apple is any indication on how good it's going to be I know the strawberry is going to be out of this world. I know that part of eating is a visual effect. You get a whole bag of these for only 2 points. For me, that's a lot better than 4 points for those lousy 3 cookies last week. So I'm going with more is better. So my fellow WW's ride a bike, rollerskate, or run and get to your local Walmart and buy these.


Well, that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed the vlog and the rest of this week's entry. We'll see you back here next week for my pick and I have no idea what it is yet but it'll be good. Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma