Pork Chops in Creamy Garlic Spinach Sauce


Pork Chops in Creamy Garlic Spinach Sauce

Serves 4

Blue – 7 points

Purple – 7 points

Green – 7 points

  • 4 4oz boneless pork chops
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 ¾ cups fat free half and half
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Fresh chopped parsley

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chops with paprika, salt and pepper on both sides and sear in the hot pan for 3-5 minutes on each side depending on the thickness or until cooked to your liking. Remove chops from pan and set aside

  2. Add garlic, onion, Italian seasoning and stir fry in pan juices until fragrant, about one minute

  3. Add in the stock and allow to reduce a little

  4. Reduce heat to low and add the half and half and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

  5. Add the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce and stir in the parmesan cheese. Allow sauce to simmer for a minute or two until cheese melts.

  6. Transfer pork chops back into the pan to reheat; sprinkle with the parsley and spoon the sauce over each chop.




French Onion Soup


French Onion Soup

Serves 4

6 points on all plans, 5 points if you use light butter

  • 2 Tbsp butter (or 4 Tbsp light butter)
  • 4 large onions, halved and sliced
  • 1/4 cup Lakanto Monkfruit
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 6 cups homemade beef stock or canned stock
  • 2 Tbsp red wine
  • 4 slices (about 1/2 oz each) French bread, toasted
  • 4 oz grated Gruyere cheese

  1. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onions and wilt over medium low heat, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  2. Sprinkle the Monkfruit over the onions, toss, and cook, uncovered, until caramelized, 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

  3. Add 3 cups of the stock and simmer, uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes. Then add the remaining 3 cups of stock and the wine; cook until the broth is rich in taste, another 30-40 minutes

  4. Preheat the broiler, or the oven to 350

  5. Divide the soup among four ovenproof bowls. Top each with a slice of toasted French bread (I like to tear mine in bite size pieces) and sprinkle the cheese evenly on top. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts or back until the cheese melts and the soup is bubbly.




Salsa Chicken Casserole


Salsa Chicken Casserole

Serves 6

Blue- 4 points

Purple- 4 points

Green- 6 points

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 ½ cups salsa (pour off liquid, drain well)
  • 6 oz reduced fat mexican blend cheese
  • 1-2 Tbsp taco seasoning (depending on taste) *see note below

  1. Preheat oven to 375.

  2. Place chicken pieces in a 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray

  3. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.

  4. Spread salsa on top of chicken

  5. Sprinkle cheese over salsa

  6. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.

  7. NOTE: I use homemade taco seasoning, but you can use anything you like

    Taco Seasoning:

    3-4 Tbsp Ground Cumin

    3 Tbsp kosher salt

    2 Tbsp garlic powder

    2 Tbsp ground black pepper

    2 Tbsp SMOKED paprika

    INSTRUCTIONS 

    Mix all ingredients.

    Place in an airtight container

    Use about 3 Tbsp per 1 pound of meat




Chocolate Cake


Chocolate Cake

Sometimes known as "Wacky" or "Depression" Cake

Serves 9

3 Points on all plans

  • 1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose)
  • 3 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
  • 1 zero calorie sugar substitute – I use Lakanto Monkfruit
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup water
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease an 8×8 baking dish
  3. Mix first 5 dry ingredients in large bowl
  4. Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients – two small, one larger.
  5. Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in third larger depression. Pour water over all. Mix well until smooth.
  6. Pour into prepared pan
  7. Bake on middle rack of oven for 35 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Cool.
  8. Note: Oven baking times may vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.




Sandwich Bread


Sandwich Bread

Adapted From Plated Cravings .com

Makes 2 loaves. Cut each loaf into 14 slices.

2 points for 1 slice on all plans

4 points for 2 slices on all plans

  • 1 ⅔ cups water – 110° to 115°
  • 2 ¼ tsp instant or active dry yeast
  • 4 tsp Lakanto Monkfruit
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ Tbsp room temperature butter, cut into small cubes
  • 4 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp butter, melted, for brushing

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the yeast, 1 tsp of sugar and about 1/2 of the water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes if using instant yeast and 15 minutes if using active dry yeast.

  2. Add remaining water, remaining sugar, salt, and 4 cups of flour to the bowl. Knead at low speed until the dough comes together and is soft but not sticky. If dough is sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. I usually use an extra 1/4 cu

  3. Continue to knead 6 to 9 minutes. Stopping to scrap down about 1/2 way through. Continue to knead for the remaining time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is soft and smooth*****see note below

  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled.

  5. Lightly flour your work surface. Divide dough in half and working with one half at a time, pat down into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle. Use your fingers to press out any air bubbles

  6. Starting at the short end, Roll up into a tight log and pinch the seams to seal. Tuck ends under. Place in a greased 8×4 inch loaf pan. Repeat with other piece. If using a larger pan, do not divide dough.

  7. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with non stick spray. Put in a warm place and let rise again for 45 minutes or until doubled in size

  8. Preheat oven to 390°. Carefully and gently remove plastic wrap. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

  9. Invert bread on a cooling rack and brush tops with melted butter. Let cook, slice each loaf into 14 slices.

  10. ***NOTE: if you do not have a stand mixer, you can knead in the bowl for 10 minutes.




Sourdough Pancakes


Sourdough Pancakes

**To make these, you need active, recently fed sourdough starter.**

Serves 2 – about 3 large pancakes per serving – easily doubled or tripled!

4 points per serving on all plans as far as I can calculate with the sour dough starter

  • 1 cup fed sourdough starter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 Tbsp zero calorie sugar replacement (I use Lakanto Monkfruit)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp canola oil for frying in cast iron or spray for other pans

  1. If using a cast iron skillet or griddle, begin heating it while you are mixing batter – it should be hot enough to produce a sizzle

  2. In a medium bowl, mix the starter, egg, applesauce, monkfruit and salt in a glass bowl.

  3. Add the baking soda last – it should foam up!

  4. Put oil in hot skillet and let that heat up.

  5. Once it is heated, start scooping batter in. Turn the stove down so the inside of the pancakes cook and the outside does not get too brown.

  6. Once the top is nice and bubbly, turn the stove down a bit more and flip. Flip only once. Let cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute.




Creme Brulee Oatmeal Custard


Creme Brulee Oatmeal Custard

Serves 4

Blue – 5 points

Purple – 1 point

Green – 6 points

  • 2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/3 cup Lakanto Monkfruit or other zero point sweetener
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 1/3 cups unsweetened almond or cashew milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • cinnamon
  • 3 Tbsp zero point/zero calorie brown sugar replacement

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8×11 dish with non stick spray

  2. Combine milk, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.

  3. Add oats, monkfruit, cinnamon (to taste) and salt. Mix well.

  4. Pour into baking dish, spreading out

  5. Bake 40-45 minutes or until center is jiggly but not runny. Edges should be light brown and pull away slightly from the sides of dish.

  6. Remove from oven. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Return to the oven and bake until sugar is melted.

  7. Turn oven to broil and heat until sugar bubbles slightly (about 1-2 minutes). Allow to cool slightly.




Bean Soup


Bean Soup

This was a recipe my mom always used! She got it from a cookbook published in 1959 called the Farm Journal's Country Cookbook. I make it as written – you can cut down LOTS of time by doing in the Instant Pot. But, I'm old fashioned and I like a pot of soup simmering all day 🙂

Makes 10 servings. The points are more of an "at your discretion" decision. I don't know how to point out the ham bone. So, here is my take on it

Blue – 0 points or 3 points (if you want to count the small amount of meat/fat from bone)

Purple – 0 points or 3 points (if you want to count the small amount of meat/fat from bone)

Green – 4 points or 7 points (if you want to count the small amount of meat/fat from bone)

  • 2 cups dried navy or white beans
  • 1 ham bone or 1 1/2 lb ham butt
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery and leaves
  • 32 oz diced tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup diced potatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Prepare Beans

  1. Wash beans, add 6 cups water and boil 2 minutes.

  2. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.

  3. Simmer beans without draining until tender, about 2 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Soup

  1. While beans are simmering, simmer ham in water to cover. About 2 hours

  2. Remove ham bone. Skim fat from broth and add tender beans

  3. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.




Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole


Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Serves 6 – each serving is about 1 1/3 cups

Blue – 8 points

Purple – 5 points (if you use brown rice)

Green – 10 points

  • 1 cup light sour cream
  • 1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup or one "recipe" of homemade mix **see note below!!
  • 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp dill weed
  • 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 10 Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs
  • 3 Tbsp light butter, melted

  1. In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, soup, poppy seeds and dill. Stir in chicken and rice.

  2. Spread into a greased 11×7 inch baking dish.

  3. Combine the cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle over the top.

  4. Bake, uncovered at 350 until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

  5. ***I do not use canned soup – I make a homemade mix and use that. Here is the link to that recipe: https://joanspointedplate.com/cream-of-whatever-soup-mix/ or you can search "Cream of Chicken Soup Mix" in the search box for that recipe. I make it in a big batch and then "make" the soup and use it in the recipe.




Oat Bran Muffins


Oat Bran Muffins

Who would have thought oat bran muffins could be soooo delicious!!!!

Recipe adapted from the back of the Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran Hot Cereal Bag

Blue – 2 points per muffin

Purple – 2 points per muffin

Green – 1 muffin – 2 points; 2 muffins-5 points

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran Cereal
  • 1/2 cup zero calorie brown sugar (I use Surkin Gold)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3 cup mashed banana
  • 1/2 cup non fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

  1. Preheat oven to 400

  2. Mix dry ingredients.

  3. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients

  4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir until just moistened – do not overmix

  5. Fold in carrots and walnuts.

  6. Lightly grease (spray) a muffin tin.

  7. Fill each cup 2/3 full of batter

  8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins