Zucchini Potato Pancakes

Hello all! Today I got creative in the kitchen and found a yummy alternative to hash browns or potato pancakes. It's healthy, simple and tastes Delicious!

Makes 6 medium sized pancakes/2 servings at 3 Pts. per serving

Simple Instructions:
Peel a small potato and wash one medium zucchini then grate both into a bowl. Add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon milk, seasoning salt to taste, and 1 tablespoon baking mix (like Bisquick).  Mix together and drop large spoonfuls onto hot griddle sprayed with Olive Oil Spray. Brown to your preference and enjoy!

Can I hear a Way to Stretch a Potato, Jan?

Jennifer Hudson's Veggie Lasagna

Jennifer Hudson is an icon when it comes to Weight Watchers and she recently shared some of her weight loss secrets on the Dr. Oz Show.  Her recipe for a "No Noodle Lasagna" went viral on Facebook recently and for good reason! I tried it and it is delicious!

Recipe note: I didn't have the eggplant so I just used zucchini from my sister's garden.

In case you missed this recipe from the Dr. Oz show, here it is:


Jennifer Hudson Veggie Lasagna Recipe

12 servings

(Only 5 Weight Watchers points per serving)

Ingredients :

• Cooking spray
• 1 med eggplant – Trim the eggplant into slices lengthwise
• 2 large uncooked zucchini sliced and trimmed into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise
• 1 large beaten egg
• 3/4 pound part skim ricotta cheese
• Fresh basil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 Cups marinara sauce
• 1/2 pound shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
• Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray
• Place the 1/4 inch lenghtwise sliced eggplant on one prepared baking sheet nd do the same with the zucchini on the other baking sheet
• Roast for 8 minutes
• Turn vegetables and roast 7-10 additional mins
• Remove from oven
• Combine egg, ricotta cheese, basil, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• After you have removed the veggies from the oven reduce heat to 350 degrees
• Spray 14″ x 8″ baking dish with cooking spray
• Spread thin layer of marinara sauce on bottom of pan.
• Layer eggplant over sauce
• Add another layer of marinara sauce over eggplant
• Add Ricotta cheese and half the mozzarella cheese over the eggplant and marinara sauce
• Add layer of zucchini
• Add Remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese
• Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35-40 minutes until the bottom starts to bubble
• Remove from oven to cool
• After the lasagna cools you can cut it into 12 pieces
• Each piece is considered one serving

Note : If you can’t cut the eggplant or zucchini lengthwise you can cut them into 1/4 inch round slices as well and layer accordingly.

Enjoy! Thank you Weight Watchers!

 

Cheesy Zucchini

I saw this recipe posted on Facebook by Gregg Howard the other day and thought it was perfect for we Weight Watchers who enjoy growing veggies in our backyards or know someone who does.  If you strike out on both counts, look for a local farmers market, like Sprouts and buy a big baggie of zucchini....because this looks delicious!  I plan to keep the points as low as possible by spraying the tops with Olive Oil Spray and using a mixturre of low fat Parmesan and Mozarella cheeses. Yum!

Slice the zucchini in half. Slice off the bottom it sits flat on the pan. Brush with olive oil and top with garlic or garlic powder. Top with sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Use mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese or mixed blend.. Bake 375 for 20 to 30 minutes until soft.

Estimated WW Pts: 1-2 per serving (2 Zucchini Strips) 

To befriend Greg Howard visit his Facebook Page

TopChips - Microwave Chip Maker

I saw an advertisement on TV this week for "TopChips", a product made by Mastrad that I think would work great for those of us watching their fat and calories, i.e. points, in their diet. It jogged my memory of watching an episode of Dr. Oz that showed it in action too. 

TopChips includes a slicer on which you slice vegetables, and a cooking tray that cooks them into "chips" in 3 to 6 minutes....all without oil!

I'm considering buying this product and thought I'd share this idea. If you have one, please give us the scoop on your experience with it.  I hope it works!

Here's the link to this product:
TopChips by Mastrad

Update 6/15/2012:  I have used the TopChips tray several times and like it.  I'm still getting the cooking times down, but think it will be a useful tool for me.  The vegetables shrink during cooking, and you don't get a huge serving with one batch, so you'll want to plan to make several.

I've tried carrots, zucchini and apples so far....the carrots came out crunchy, but the apples were closer to the dehydrated kind you buy in the bag...I couldn't seem to get them crispy. (but they were still good to snack on!) Today I made the Zucchini chips and they came out pretty good, although they weren't  crispy after 3 minutes. Next time I'll add 30 seconds to see if they turn out better.  I love the slicer...it makes very nice, thin slices....be careful of that blade though...it's sharp!

Hints:
Slice smaller vegetables like carrots on a diagonal so they are larger.
Season lightly and after cooking....I've made mine a bit too salty by seasoning raw.
For the zucchini chips, try seasoning with Land'O'Lakes Parmesan Herb seasoning.

Carrots Chips

Cut carrots and zucchini into a diagonal for larger chips

Zucchini Chips (This is one medium sized zucchini)