Vegetarian Friendly Archives -

Delicata Squash Salad

Rachel — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 14:56:37 +0000

It’s fall which means that it’s the best time of year – aka delicata squash season! And that means that it’s also the return of one of my all time favorite salad combos. I’ve been enjoying this yummy salad for the last three years so I thought it was finally time that it had it’s own blog post. I like to prep a big batch of squash at the beginning of the week and have this salad for lunches. One big salad is 8 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 325 calories.

There is a smidge of prep work involved in making the salad because we need to roast up our delicata squash and cook some quinoa. If you can’t find delicata squash in your area you can always substitute roasted butternut squash- no prob! And if you aren’t in the mood to cook up a batch of quinoa you can always grab the precooked stuff. Look for it in a microwavable bag in the rice aisle or find it precooked in the freezer section. Once we have our cooked squash and quinoa the rest of the salad is a go.

The salad starts with a big bed of mixed greens that we top with our roasted delicata and some cooked quinoa. Then we layer on a bit of red onion, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and pumpkin seeds. Balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect dressing to tie all of these flavors together! Seriously guys, this combo is out-of-this-world. The roasted squash pairs so well with the creamy goat cheese, sweet cranberries, and crunchy pumpkin seeds. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

How to Roast Delicata Squash

Preheat oven to 425F.
Cut the ends off of the squash and then cut it in half length-wise. Scoop out the seeds.
Cut squash into 1/2 inch half-moon shapes and lay flat in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray (I like to use avocado oil or pure olive oil spray) and season with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder (if desired). Flip and repeat on the opposite side.
Roast for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, flipping halfway through cook time.

And yes, you totally eat the skin of delicata squash – it’s delicious!

My Delicata Squash Salad is 8 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans + 325 calories per serving. Enjoy!

Delicata Squash Salad

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 1 salad

Ingredients

mixed greens, about 3 cups
roasted delicata squash (or sub roasted butternut), about 1 cup
thinly sliced red onion (optional), about 2 tbsp
⅓ cup cooked quinoa
8 g. dried cranberries, roughly chopped
9 g. roasted pepitas/pumpkin seeds
1 oz crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette (I use Trader Joe’s FF balsamic vinaigrette)

Instructions

Layer all ingredients into a large bowl. Toss and enjoy!

Notes

Makes 1 large Delicata Squash Salad for 8 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue & Green WW plans.

For multiple servings simply multiply the recipe by the desired number of servings.

Points Breakdown
- greens (0)
- roasted delicata squash (0)
- red onion (0)
- ⅓ c. cooked quinoa (2)
- 8 g. dried cranberries (1)
- 9 g. roasted pepitas (1)
- 1 oz crumbled goat cheese (3)
- 2 tbsp Trader Joe's FF Balsamic Vinaigrette (1)
= 8 WW SmartPoints total

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 salad | Calories: 325 Fat: 11 Saturated fat: 5 Carbohydrates: 46 Sugar: 16 Fiber: 8 Protein: 13

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealthyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!

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Butternut Squash Soup

Rachel — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 23:31:07 +0000

I have been on a quest for the last two years… a quest to make the perfect butternut squash soup. Guess what?! I finally did it! I think a perfect butternut soup is both savory and a little sweet, and it has just the right amount of warm spices. If you’ve ever had Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup (my fav!) then you know what I’m talking about. This version is very reminiscent of it, and that makes me one happy camper. My version has a lot less calories, points, and ingredients too – win win! My Butternut Squash Soup makes 8 generous servings at 3 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 180 calories each.

Let’s talk about the good stuff inside of the soup, shall we?! The ingredients are easy and it comes together surprisingly quick! The hardest part of the soup is chopping the butternut squash – talk about a workout! Butternut squash is literally one of my least favorite veggies to chop but hey, it’s 100% worth it! If you’re running short on time you can always opt to buy the pre-cut stuff which is super convenient. The base of the soup is butternut squash and a few apples – they add the perfect amount of sweetness without the need to add additional sweeteners like brown sugar or honey that many recipes call for.

I like to add just the right amount of warm spices with the squash – for this one we a use a little sage, nutmeg, and some cinnamon. Delicious combo! The veggies and spices are cooked together with some vegetable broth and then blended until nice and smooth. The last step is stirring in a little cream cheese for the perfect amount of rich creaminess. Seriously, ya’ll. This one is a keeper!

The soup is nice and hearty on it’s own and it’s a points bargain at just 3 WW SmartPoints. I usually serve it with with a little something on the side – half of a sandwich or a few crackers and cheese. (A DIY You-Pick-Two!) My favorite sandwich for this soup is a Turkey, Apple, Swiss sandwich made with turkey lunch meat, a wedge of Laughing Cow light Swiss cheese, a few slices of apple, and some mixed greens. Seriously, guys, it’s a winning combo that you’ve got to try for yourself!

My Butternut Squash Soup makes 8 servings at 3 WW SmartPoints on all three WW plans or 180 calories each. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

3 lbs butternut squash - peeled, seeds removed, and diced
3 fuji apples - peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz ⅓ less fat cream cheese
1 c. diced sweet onion
4 c. vegetable broth
1.5 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground sage
1¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
a few pepitas to garnish, if desired

Instructions

Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and saute until onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add squash and apple. Stir well and cook until a few pieces of the squash start to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add a splash of broth to de-glaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add the remaining broth and all of the spices. Cover and simmer until squash is nice and tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the cream cheese to the soup. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until it's nice and smooth and the cream cheese has melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 8 servings of Butternut Squash Soup, (~ 1⅓ cup each) at 3 WW SmartPoints on all three WW plans.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛ of the soup, ~ 1⅓ cup | Calories: 180 Fat: 6 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 32 Sugar: 12.5 Fiber: 6 Protein: 3

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Apple Crisp

Rachel — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 13:09:41 +0000

If you haven’t noticed by now, I have a thing for apples. Two of my most popular recipes, my Ooey Gooey Apples and Zero Point Apple Butter, are apple recipes! This year I wanted to make a new apple dish so I created this delicious Apple Crisp. Ya’ll, it’s SO GOOD. The ingredients are minimal and the recipe is simple to make – it’s perfect to serve any day of the week! My Apple Crisp recipe makes 6 servings at 6 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 230 calories per serving.

One thing I’ve learned about creating apple recipes is that if you use the right apple, you really don’t need to add much sugar, if any at all. Some apples are perfectly sweet on their own! The filling of this apple crisp doesn’t have any added sugar – just apples, cinnamon, lemon juice, corn starch and water. The apples get just enough gooey goodness from the cornstarch and they’re cooked until just tender- I still like them to have a little bite. They’re delicious on their own but the topping is just the icing on the cake.. eeer the crisp!

The crumble is a simple combination of oatmeal, a little brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter. It goes perfectly with our apples and gets super crunchy while baking! I like to top my crisp with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. And to be honest, I may or may not have eaten the leftovers for breakfast on more than one occasion.

Can’t wait for you to give this recipe a try! My Apple Crisp recipe makes 6 servings at 6 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plan or 230 calories per serving. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs fuji apples (about 4 large)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
1.5 Tbsp corn starch
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
¼ tsp nutmeg
⅔ c rolled oats
¼ c all purpose flour
¼ c brown sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a pie dish or 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Peel and slice apples into very thin slices, ¼ inch or thinner.
Mix apple slices with lemon juice, water, cornstarch, 1 tsp of the cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into baking dish.
In the same bowl mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, and the remaining 1 tsp of cinnamon. Pour in melted butter and stir until well blended and crumbly. Using your fingers, crumble the mixture over the top of the apples.
Bake for 60 minutes. Allow to sit at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 6 servings of Apple Crisp at 6 WW SmartPoint each.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙ of the crisp | Calories: 230 Fat: 8 Saturated fat: 5 Carbohydrates: 42 Sugar: 26 Fiber: 5 Protein: 2

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Meal Prep: Freezer Smoothie Packs

Rachel — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 15:04:31 +0000

Summer is here which means I’m wanting to spend time outside as much as possible. More time outside = less time in the kitchen. I’ve been looking for ways to step up my food prep game and after reading about the FoodSaver®, I knew this little machine could be a game changer! If you’ve never played around with vacuum sealing in the kitchen then you better buckle up, because I’m about to blow your mind. The FoodSaver® has ALL KINDS of great uses, which we’ll talk about in a minute, plus I’m going to show you one of my favorite ways to use it in: DIY Smoothie Packs.

Let’s do a quick rundown of this fun little gadget, shall we? The FoodSaver® FM2000 Vacuum Sealing System is a compact appliance that is simple to use and will prolong the life and quality of your food – it keeps food fresh up to 5x longer! Plus, it’s a great tool to use for meal prep because you can cook one time in bulk and divide it into multiple portions for future use – and it’ll be just as fresh each time! This not only saves you a TON of time, but it’ll save your wallet too! Buying in bulk is always cheaper and you’ll have so much less food going to waste.

Great uses for the FoodSaver®

Buy items like meat once a month when they are on sale – portion into vacuum seal bags and freeze until ready to use
Package leftovers into single serve meals for later. Having a freezer stocked with single serve meals is a lifesaver on busy nights! Reheat it in the microwave right in the bag.
Reseal snack bags, such as potato chips, to keep your snacks fresh for longer!
Keep unused portions of ingredients fresh for future use. You know those times when you only need half of an ingredient and have no plans to use it again in the near future? Seal it up and never worry about wasted money on half used ingredients again!
Non-Food sealing: FoodSavers® aren’t just for food! Get creative with uses. Sealing up a bag of toiletries when you travel is a great way to prevent messy leaks in your suitcase.

Other great FoodSaver® features:

Bags and rolls are recyclable
Bags are resealable – simply cut off the existing seal, make sure the top of the bag is clean, and then reseal!
FoodSaver® makes a TON of great accessories such as canisters for pantry items, marinade containers, sealable lids for mason jars, bottle stoppers, deli containers, etc. Each FoodSaver® comes with an accessory hose to use with these items.

Smoothie Packs with the FoodSaver®

Now that we’ve established how awesome the the FoodSaver® is, let’s talk about one of my FAVORITE ways to use it – smoothie packs! I love smoothies in the summer but I do not love having to pull a bunch of ingredients out of the freezer, fridge, and pantry each time I want to make one. I load mine up with protein powder and other boosters so I’ve got a lot of ingredients to get out. With FoodSaver®, I can put all of my ingredients into a single-serve bag and then just pop one out of the freezer when I’m ready. I just need to add my liquid and blend away! HUGE time saver.

I shop for my fruit when it’s on sale and then spend a few minutes assembling my bags. Once they’re full I vacuum seal the tops and in a just a few minutes, I have enough smoothie packs to last for weeks!

Here’s the basic formula I use for my smoothie packs:

1 cup frozen fruit
1 cup greens (spinach or kale)
1 scoop protein powder
Additional smoothie boosters (I’m currently using organic acai berry powder and an organic energy blend made with beets and cacoa)
1 cup liquid added when ready to blend (I use unsweetened almond milk)

That’s it! I love having these smoothie packs on hand for easy breakfasts and whenever I’m in the mood for something refreshing. They’ll keep in the freezer for months with no worries of freezer burn.

Today I prepped my two favorite combos:

Mixed berry + Kale
Tropical Fruit (mango, pineapple, banana) + Spinach

If you want to check out FoodSaver® for yourself visit their website – your fridge and your budget will thank you and you’ll constantly be thinking up of news ways to use it! FoodSaver® is the #1 best selling vacuum sealing brand + all of their products come with a 5 year limited warranty and are ETL Safety Certified.

This post is sponsored by FoodSaver®. All comments, opinions, and recipe are my own.

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Hard Seltzers with Frozen Fruit Ice Cubes

Rachel — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 23:30:50 +0000

Things I am on board with this summer: sun, warmth, and fruity drinks. I’ll say it – the amount of drinks I consume definitely increases in the summertime which is why I am always on the lookout for a more healthful alternative. Standing in the aisle of my local grocery, White Claws® Hard Seltzers variety pack caught my eye. Their drinks are made using a blend of seltzer water, a gluten free alcohol base, and a hint of fruit flavor. Umm… sounds good to me! I served the seltzers over some fun fruit-filled ice cubes for a perfectly refreshing summer drink that doesn’t break the calorie bank.

Seriously, y’all, how fun are these drinks?! Frozen fruit ice cubes are simple to make – you can use whatever fruit you already have on hand and it will instantly turn your drink into a festive summery beverage. I made a mixture of ice cubes to pair with my White Claw variety pack. The pack comes with Black Cherry, Natural Lime, Raspberry and Ruby Grapefruit.

The best part about these fruit flavored seltzers? Each one is 100 calories, 4 WW SmartPoints (for both the Blue and Green WW plan), 2 g of carbs, gluten free, and I love that the ingredients list is super short. They are light, crisp, and just slightly sweet – they don’t make you feel weighed down when you’re sipping away in the sun!

How To Make Fruit Ice Cubes

You’re absolutely going to want to make these fun ice cubes – aren’t they gorgeous?! The best part: they’re insanely simple to make and will mostly definitely impress your friends.

You need three things for the recipe: ice cube trays (I prefer silicon), filtered water, and fruit. You can use whatever fruit you already have hanging out in the fridge. These are actually great to prep at the end of the week because you can use up fruit that didn’t get eaten!

To make the fruity ice cubes just wash and chop the fruit in small enough pieces to fit in the ice tray. Fill each mold with fruit and then add enough water to fill the mold about 2/3 of the way full. Place in the freezer until the water has frozen.

I like to mix and match my fruit and today I used:

strawberries
blueberries
lime
mint
raspberries

I love they way they turned out – time to serve!

Fill a glass with your beautiful, fruit-filled ice cubes and top it off with a White Claw Hard Seltzer for the most perfect, refreshing summer beverage. Enjoy!

Click here to locate White Claw near you!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #SipOnSummer #CollectiveBias

Hard Seltzers with Frozen Fruit Ice Cubes

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Ingredients

White Claw Hard Seltzers
Ice Cube Trays
Fresh Fruit, your choice
Fresh Mint, optional
filtered water

Instructions

Wash fruit and cut into pieces that are small enough to fit into an ice cube tray.
Fill ice cube trays with cut fruit and mint.
Pour water into trays so that each mold is ⅔ full.
Freeze until ice cubes are hard.
To serve: Fill a glass with fruit ice cubes and top with a White Claw Hard Seltzer. Enjoy!

Notes

Fruit Ice Cubes: 0 WW SmartPoints
Each 12oz White Claw Hard Seltzer: 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 12 oz fruit flavored White Claw Hard Seltzer | Calories: 100 Fat: 0 Saturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 2 Sugar: 2 Fiber: 0 Protein: 0

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Air Fryer Potatoes

Rachel — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 23:17:00 +0000

A few weeks ago over on my Instagram stories I shared how I make perfect, super crunchy potatoes in the air fryer. You all asked for an official recipe so here it is! Here’s the scoop on these: I precook the potatoes in the microwave which means they are soft and tender on the inside and extra crispy on the outside. These are perfect for breakfast but I also love to serve them for dinner with grilled chicken, steak, you name it – they’re GOOD. One serving of my Air Fyer Potatoes is 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans and 130 calories.

Let’s talk about why these potatoes are so good, shall we? Before I started precooking the potatoes I was having trouble getting the insides cooked to my likeness before the outside started to burn. But that’s not the only reason to precook – it makes the outside SUPER crunchy, just the way I like them! When we dice the potatoes we toss them with olive oil and seasoning and then give them a rough stir. This kinda breaks up the outside of the potatoes and gives them some texture. THIS is what we want. THIIIS is the part that turns to crunchy gold. Trust me here, folks.

I always season the potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika but they are super versatile so feel free to play around with different combos! When we serve them for dinner we love to add some rosemary and thyme.

Give these a try – I’m sure they will be your new favorite method for cooking potatoes. They turn out legit perfect every single time.

P.S. If you just need enough for 1 or 2 servings you can easily divide the recipe – check the recipe notes for details.

One batch of my Air Fryer Potatoes makes 4 servings at 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans and 130 calories each. Enjoy!

Equipment Used For This Recipe:

Air Fryer Potatoes

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb (about 4 medium) potatoes (russet, gold, or red varieties work well)
4 tsp olive or avocado oil
¼ tsp paprika (I use smoked paprika)
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
other seasonings, as desired (we use rosemary and thyme often)

Instructions

Wash potatoes and wrap them in a damp paper towel. Microwave potatoes until they are about 80% cooked through. You can microwave each potato, one at a time, for about 3-4 minutes (depending on size). Or microwave them all together for about 12 minutes or so, checking for doneness in 4 minute increments. They'll finish cooking in the air fryer.
Once potatoes are cool enough to handle give them a large dice place in a mixing bowl.
Add oil and seasonings and give them a rough toss until everything is well coated. The outsides should appear a little beat up (see photo in post). This will add texture and make them super crispy.
Place potatoes in the air fryer and cook at 400F for 12-15 minutes until they are golden and crisp, shaking the basket every so often. Season finished potatoes with extra salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 4 servings of Air Fyer Potatoes at 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans.

If you need fewer servings you can scale the recipe down. Use a 4 oz potato and 1 tsp oil per serving. I wouldn't suggest cooking more than 1 lb of potatoes in the air fryer at once or they'll be over crowded.

Points Info per serving: 4 oz potato (3 sp), 1 tsp oil (1 sp) = 4 WW SmartPoints total.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ¼ of the recipe | Calories: 130 Fat: 5 Saturated fat: 1 Carbohydrates: 20 Sugar: 1 Fiber: 1 Protein: 2

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Southwest Egg Bites

Rachel — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 23:32:15 +0000

I guess it’s safe to say that I’m a little bit, errr, more like A LOT a bit, obsessed with egg bites these days. They’re an easy and filling breakfast and I just can’t get over the creamy texture in the middle. Oh so good! I wanted to turn one of my favorite omelets into an egg bite recipe and boy, it did not disappoint. These Southwest Egg Bites are loaded with sausage, black beans, peppers, and onions and I’m pretty sure they’ll be one of your favorites! I topped mine with some of my Zero Point Blender Salsa and it was legit the perfect combo. One entire batch of these Southwest Egg Bites is 2 Blue WW SmartPoints or 7 Green WW SmartPoints.

If you missed it in my previous egg bites recipes, I figured out an easy way you can make egg bites on the stove top. The texture is nearly identical to the instant pot version and they’re even quicker to make! I am usually making mine on the stove top these days just for the ease of it. For either method, all you need is a steam rack and a silicon mold.

Here’s a rundown on how we’re gonna make these Southwest Egg Bites: First we start by sauteing up some peppers and onions. I always have a bag of frozen peppers and onions hanging out in my freezer so that’s what I used. Once they’re nice and tender we divide them between our silicon molds and add in some crumbled sausage and black beans. (Feel free to leave out the sausage for a vegetarian-friendly version!)

We add the rest of our ingredients into a blender and quickly blend until light and frothy. For this recipe I used 2 eggs, 2 egg whites, almond milk, and spreadable pepper jack cheese. If you happen to be dairy free you can omit the pepper jack cheese and replace it with 1 oz of non-dairy cream cheese (such as Kite Hill). We pour the blended mixture into the molds and all that’s left to do is cook! The whole process takes just a couple of minutes.

To Cook in Instant Pot

To cook these in an Instant Pot you’ll want to add 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pot and then place the filled mold (covered with foil) onto a steam rack. Select the steam setting and cook for 8 minutes. Allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.

To Cook on Stove Top

To cook these on the stove top you’ll need a pan large enough to fit the steam rack and silicon mold. Place enough water in the bottom of the pot so that it comes just to the bottom of the steam rack. Bring the water to a boil and then gently lower the steam rack and mold into the pot. Cover, reduce heat to a low boil, and steam for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Voila! All done! You can enjoy these on their own or top them with whatever sounds good. Here are a few of my favorite toppings:

extra shredded cheese
Zero Point Blender Salsa
avocado
sour cream or Greek yogurt
cilantro
Zero Point Quick Pickled Onions
hot sauce

Enjoy! One entire batch (7 egg bites) is 2 Blue WW SmartPoints or 7 Green WW SmartPoints.

Equipment Used For This Recipe:

Silicon Mold with Steam Rack and Instant Pot (optional)

Pssst – if you like this recipe be sure to check out my other egg bites recipes:

Southwest Egg Bites

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

18 mins

Total time

23 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 7 egg bites

Ingredients

2 eggs*
2 egg whites*
½ cup chopped bell peppers and onions (I used a frozen blend)
Precooked turkey or chicken sausage (I used 2 links Jones Dairy Farm Chicken Sausages or you can use ¼ c Jimmy Dean crumbled turkey sausage. Use 1 point worth of whatever brand you'd like.)
¼ c black beans, drained and rinsed
1 wedge spreadable pepper jack cheese (I used Laughing Cow)
⅓ c unsweetened almond milk
salt and pepper

Instructions

Spray a 7 hole silicon mold with cooking spray. Set aside.
Spray a skillet with nonstick spray and saute peppers and onions until soft and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
Divide the vegetables, black beans, and chopped/crumbled sausage between the molds.
Place egg, egg whites, cheese, almond milk, salt, and pepper into a blender or food processor. Blend until mixture is light and frothy.
INSTANT POT: To cook in Instant pot cover the mold loosely with foil. Place 1 cup of water into the bottom of the instant pot and then gently lower the steam rack and mold into the pot. Close the lid and turn the valve to seal. Select steam setting and cook for 8 minutes. After cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure, and carefully lift the mold out of the pot.

STOVE TOP: To cook on stove top fill a large pot with enough water so that it just comes to the bottom of the steam rack. Bring to a boil. Gently lower the steam rack and mold into the pot and cover. Reduce heat to a low boil and steam for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Carefully life the mold out of the pot.
Place a paper towel over the top of the mold, turn a large plate upside down over the paper towel and then carefully flip so that the egg bites turn out onto the paper towel lined plate. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 7 Southwest Egg Bites at 2 Blue WW SmartPoints or 7 Green WW SmartPoints for the entire batch.

*Do not use egg or egg whites from a carton - the bites will have too much moisture and will not set correctly.

Blue WW SmartPoints Info: sausage (1sp), pepper jack cheese (1sp), eggs (0sp), black beans (0sp), ⅓ c almond milk (0sp), peppers/onions (0sp) = 2 points total

To Make Dairy Free: omit the Swiss cheese and replace with 1 oz dairy free cream cheese (i.e. Kite Hill - will increase points value by 1 point)

To Freeze: Freeze in a single layer on a tray. Once frozen, store in ziplock bag or container. To reheat place egg bites on a paper towel lined plate and heat in microwave 30-45 seconds, until hot.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: For all 7 egg bites | Calories: 405 Fat: 15 Saturated fat: 5 Carbohydrates: 18 Sugar: 5 Protein: 32

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Crunchy Bean & Egg Breakfast Tacos

Rachel — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 14:05:15 +0000

Tacos…. the most important meal of the day. So naturally, you should totally make them for breakfast. There’s a million and one ways to make tacos – soft or crunchy shell, an endless combination of fillings, and then an insane amount of crazy-good toppings. Although it’s hard to narrow down all the fun combinations, I went for a simple and hearty combo with these babies! My Crunchy Bean & Egg Breakfast Tacos are super quick to make and they’re 5 Blue WW SmartPoints or 11 Green WW SmartPoints for three filling tacos. #YAAAS

I don’t know about you, but I find crunchy tacos waaaay more satisfying to eat. Unfortunately all the oil needed to make them crispy means they’re usually not touted as a health food. Buuuut, did you know it’s easy to make crunchy tacos in a skillet with regular ol’ corn tortillas and a little cooking spray? The key is to cook them low and slow so they get extra crispy and just the right amount of golden brown.

I filled my tacos with fat-free refried beans, some smokey seasonings, scrambled eggs, and shredded cheese. And I HAD to serve them with a side of my 0 Point Blender Salsa because it’s THE BEST! This combo was so hearty and filling – they’re legit the perfect way to start the day!

Of course you can have fun with the fillings and use this same technique to make any kind of taco you want. It’s so fun to get creative and see what yummy combos you can come up with!

Here’s a few more fillings that I love to use for breakfast tacos – I just mix and match depending on what I have on hand!

Sauteed peppers and onions
Black beans or refried beans
Scrambled egg or fried egg
Egg Whites
Chorizo or crumbled turkey sausage
Diced ham
A variety of cheese
Roasted sweet potato

And don’t forget about all the topping options!

Blender Salsa – 0 points
Salsa verde – 0 points
Avocado – 1 or 2 points
Creamy Avocado Sauce – 2 points
Picked onions – 0 pionts
Cilantro – 0 points
Green onion – 0 points
Hot sauce – 0 points
Pickled Jalapeno – 0 points

Also, If you’re looking for a low carb breakfast taco you’ve got to try my Egg “Tacos”! They’re gluten-free, high in protein, and super versatile too.

Regardless of how you like your tacos, I hope you give my crunchy breakfast tacos a try!

My Crunchy Bean & Egg Breakfast Tacos are 5 Blue WW SmartPoints or 11 Green WW SmartPoints. Enjoy!

Crunchy Bean & Egg Breakfast Tacos

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 3 tacos

Ingredients

3 extra thin corn tortillas (I used Mission brand)
2 eggs, scrambled
6 Tbsp fat free refried beans
1 oz lite shredded mozzarella cheese
Chili powder
Cumin
Cooking Spray
Toppings as desired: hot sauce, avocado, salsa, cilantro, pickled onions, etc

Instructions

Assemble your tacos: Spread 2 tbsp of refried beans on each corn tortilla. Sprinkle with a little bit of chili powder and cumin, to taste. Divide shredded cheese and scrambled eggs between the tortillas. Fold each taco in half.
Generously spray a heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place the tacos in the pan and allow to cook several minutes, until golden and crispy. If the tacos are cooking too fast, reduce heat to medium-low. (The lower you cook, the crunchier you can get them!).
Spray the tops of the tacos and carefully flip. Continue cooking until the second side is golden and crunchy. (Mine usually take 4-5 minutes per side). Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Makes 3 Crunchy Bean & Egg Breakfast Tacos at 5 Blue WW SmartPoints or 11 Green WW SmartPoints.

Blue WW SmartPoints Info:
- 3 extra thin corn tortillas (4 points)
- shredded cheese (1 point)
- everything else (0 points)

Cooking note: If your tacos crack a little at the bottom it's okay - the beans and cheese will hold everything together! The key for crispy tacos is using a heavy pan and cooking low and slow.

Additional toppings, such as salsa or avocado are not included in the nutritional info or points.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 3 tacos | Calories: 390 Fat: 14 Saturated fat: 4 Carbohydrates: 40 Sugar: 4 Fiber: 9 Protein: 26

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Egg in a Hole Everything Bagel

Rachel — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:24:47 +0000

Mind. Blown. Everything Bagel meets Toad in the Hole – a.k.a., the most perfect breakfast creation! This idea came to me last time I was making a batch of two-ingredient dough bagels. It worked so well I may never go back to egg-less bagels again. It’s everything you need for breakfast in one perfect little pastry! My Egg in a Hole Everything Bagels are simple to make and come to 3 Blue WW SmartPoints/6 Green WW SmartPoints or 203 calories each.

These guys are so much fun to make! They are perfect to serve for guests, great for brunch, and easy to meal prep to have on hand for the week. I’ve meal prepped them twice and they reheat well in the toaster oven or microwave.

The base of the bagel is the standard two-ingredient dough mix of half nonfat Greek yogurt and half self-rising flour. The key for our egg in a hole is making sure we have a nice big opening for the egg. I created an extra large opening but forming my dough around the bottom of a glass! The dough rises a lot in the oven so it’s important to make a hole bigger than you would expect to need. The bagels bake about halfway before we add in the egg.

I used everything bagel seasoning (my fav!) for the bagels but if you aren’t a fan they’d also be delicious with nutty sesame seeds on top. You can find everything bagel seasoning at most stores these days or you can order online or even make your own (just google a recipe).

Give these a try and let me know what you think!

My Egg in a Hole Everything Bagel recipe makes 4 bagels at 3 Blue WW SmartPoints/6 Green WW SmartPoints or 203 calories each. Enjoy!

Egg in a Hole Everything Bagel

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 4 bagels

Ingredients

1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt (pour out any liquid sitting on top)
1 cup self-rising flour, plus a little extra for kneading
Everything bagel seasoning (store bought or homemade)
4 eggs
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the flour and Greek yogurt. Mix well, until a dough ball forms. If dough is too dry, add a little extra yogurt. If dough is really wet, add a little extra flour.
Lightly flour a work surface and turn dough out. Knead well, until a smooth dough ball forms. Add a little extra flour, as needed, to prevent sticking.
Divide dough into four even pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope until it is long enough to wrap around the bottom of a glass.
Place a glass on the baking sheet. (Mine was 2.75 inches in diameter. Look for one that's 2.5-3 inches wide.) Carefully wrap the dough around the base of the glass, pinching at the ends to form the bagel (see photo in blog post). Remove glass and repeat with remaining pieces of dough until you have four bagels.
Brush the egg white over the tops and sides of the bagels and generously sprinkle with the everything bagel seasoning.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully crack one each into the center of each bagel.
Bake for an additional 8-12 minutes, depending on how done you want the egg yolk. Cook until the bagel is golden brown and the egg is cooked to your liking. Remove from oven and let sit 2-3 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

Makes 4 Egg in a Hole Everything Bagels at 3 Blue WW SmartPoints or 6 Green WW SmartPoints each.

Cooking Tips:
- Try to make sure the bagel is the same thickness all the way around. If one side is really low the egg will run out.
- Bagels reheat best in a toaster oven but can also be reheated in a microwave for about 30 seconds. If you are planning to reheat and like your egg yolk a little soft, I'd under cook the egg by a few minutes so that it's perfect when you reheat.
- Recipe is easy to divide if you'd only like to make 1 or 2 bagels at a time.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 bagel | Calories: 203 Fat: 5 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 26 Sugar: 5 Fiber: 1 Protein: 15

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Quick Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

Rachel — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:59:12 +0000

This is too easy to really be considered a recipe but I had to share it with you all because if you haven’t made tortilla chips in the air fryer, well, you are very sorely missing out. While these may not be the exact same as the big basket of warm, fresh chips from a Mexican restaurant, it certainly tastes good enough to satisfy any craving for them! AND you can make them at home… in 5 minutes… in your pajamas…. with your own pitcher of margaritas! AND since they’re not technically fried, you can feel good about chowing down on a big plate. You can have 24 chips for 4 WW SmartPoints for both the Blue and Green WW plans. That’s a great deal!

My favorite way to serve these chips is dipped into a big bowl of my 0 Point Blender Salsa or served with a side of my Creamy Avocado Sauce for 2 WW SmartPoints. Despite the fact that these chips are air-fried, they’re every bit as crunchy and satisfying as the real deal. Actually, I’d pick these chips most days because I like to let my chips get a little extra toasty – I love the slightly brown, nutty flavor!

I also love to make a big plate of nachos with them. We do this often for game nights and it never disappoints. Plus, it’s a great way to clean out your fridge at the end of the week if you have a bunch of random meat and veggies leftover. Just throw in some spices and pile it on top with a little cheese – SO GOOD!

This recipe is written for 1 serving (24 chips) so if you want more than that, just multiply it. One serving is 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plan or 120 calories. Make sure to give give these a try with my 0 Point Blender Salsa – enjoy!

Looking for more ways to enjoy these tortilla chips? They make a great side to these delicious soups:

Note: I currently have a Farberware brand air fryer.

Quick Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

7 mins

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

3 extra thin corn tortillas (I use Mission brand extra thin corn tortillas*)
Olive Oil Spray
Salt, to taste

Instructions

Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles. Lay flat on a baking sheet.
Spray the triangles lightly with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt, to taste. (Some of the salt falls off while cooking so I'm usually a little more heavy-handed than normal).
Place triangles into the air fryer - spread the out as much as possible so the layers aren't directly on top of each other.
Cook at 360F, shaking the basket often, for 4-5 minutes, until very crispy and just slightly brown. (Watch closely at the end because they will get brown very fast. Be sure to shake often so they don't stick together and all surfaces have a chance to get crispy). Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 1 serving of Airfryer Tortilla Chips at 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and green WW plans.

*If you use a different brand you may want to double check points values*

Points info: 3 tortillas (24 chips) = 4 WW SmartPoints, 4 tortillas (32 chips) = 5 WW SmartPoints

Cooking Note: I don't recommend cooking more than 3 tortillas at once. If I want more than 3 tortillas I do multiple batches.

Nutritional info shown below is for 1 serving (24 chips) using the Mission Extra Thin Corn Tortillas.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 serving | 24 chips | Calories: 120 Fat: 2 Saturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 24 Sugar: 3 Fiber: 4 Protein: 3

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