Getting Cold Out...

It seemed like now that the kids are back to school, Mother Nature really wanted to make it clear that summer is over! We had quite a cold snap recently and that made me start craving soups.

Quite a while ago I saw this recipe on the Nutrisystem boards but never got around to trying it myself. If you enjoy rich flavour, you will really enjoy this one! I found it to be a delicious lunch.

Potato Leek Soup:



1 pkg NS Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1 leek, diced into little pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (or Gourmet Garden garlic paste)
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 cup cauliflower florets, diced small
1 green onion, diced
1 tbsp bacon bits
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
pepper to taste

Steam cauliflower until tender. In a medium sauce pan, saute leeks and garlic in PAM spray on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add a few Tbsp. of water when they to start to brown to keep the leeks from sticking and to steam them. Reduce heat to low and add chicken broth and milk, then add NS potatoes and stir to blend. Add pepper, cauliflower, and bacon bits. Simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often to ensure the potatoes are entirely mixed in and hydrated. Serve in a large soup bowl and top with shredded cheddar and green onions.

Count this as one lunch entree, plus 2 veggies, 1 dairy/protein serving, and a free food. If you have an extra carb serving, I'd suggest boiling a medium red potato and dicing it into chunks to add a little more body to the soup- but if not it is fine as is!

It's made of WHAT?

OK, I saw this recipe kicking around on the NS boards for quite some time, but I honestly didn't believe it. How can you make cauliflower taste like pizza or bread sticks? I'm a carb addict myself and I really like my bread!

Finally, I decided to buy a head of cauliflower, with the intention of giving it a try. It's been sitting in my fridge for about a week and I've been giving it the side eye. It was starting to go a bit brown so I figured it was now or never, so without further ado...

Flex Meals (Dinner):



1 cup riced cauliflower
3 tbsp + 2 tsp Egg Beaters (or 1 egg)
1/2 cup shredded fat free mozzerella cheese
oregano, basil, garlic to taste

I tried to save time and ran my (raw) cauliflower through the food processor instead of grating it. Well, it got awfully small and looked more like large powder bits than rice, so I may do it the hard way for recipes where you actually substitute it for real rice, but it was fine for this one. I put the riced cauliflower into my silicone steamer for 2 minutes and then poured it into a mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and blend well. Note that this stuff sticks like crazy to whatever you put it in- I put a sheet of tinfoil over my baking tray but the edges still stuck to the foil so make sure to use cooking spray on your foil as well! Spread the crust thinly (the thinner it is, the crisper it will be) onto the foil and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.



When it comes out, let it cool for a minute and then top with pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni, and your favourite pizza toppings plus a little cheese of course. Broil the pizza just until cheese is melted or it will get soggy.

I was really surprised at how bread-y this tasted! I gave my husband a bite and we're going to make a double sized one for dinner tomorrow. It wasn't quite as satisfying as a bread-based pizza but it was still really good, and a very large serving! Don't forget to add a low GI carb to your day elsewhere and skip an extra dairy serving.


Grilled Chicken Breast (Dinner):


I love chicken parmigiana- one of my favourite meals! This is easy to flex if you don't have any Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken- just use 3oz of your own chicken.

1 pkg NS Grilled Chicken
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Eggbeaters
1/4 cup low sodium tomato sauce
shredded cheese, mozzerella or Parmesan (free food)

Dip the chicken in the Eggbeaters and breadcrumbs, and fry in a skillet sprayed with PAM until crispy. Put it into a glass baking dish and top with tomato sauce and cheese, and bake until cheese melts. You use so little breadcrumbs that it can count as a free food, same for the Eggbeaters. You only need a little cheese, but if you have a whole dairy serving to use, save some for this side dish!

Italian Vegetable Bake:

1 large can whole tomatoes (no sodium added)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb fresh green beans, chopped
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium eggplant, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
fresh basil and oregano, chopped (better than dried by far)

All vegetables should be chopped coarsely into chunks, rather than small for pasta sauce or whatever else. Drain the tomatoes (reserving juice) and chop them into chunks as well. Mix everything together well in a bowl and pour into a baking dish. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees and top with a little Parmesan cheese just before serving if desired.

This makes a huge pan full of vegetables but it is very flavourful so they will go fast! If you like spice you can add a little chili pepper but I didn't think it was really needed.


Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes (Lunch):


When I was a kid, I used to complain that clam chowder never had enough clams in it. My mom used to tell me that clam chowder was basically cream of potato soup with clams added, so that's what we'd do- buy potato soup and add our own clams. I was just thinking today about how I missed Campbell's clam chowder and then I happened to glance at a cup of Nutrisystem's Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes. Then the wheels started turning, since we already have a great recipe for potato soup!

1 pkg NS Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped baby clams
steamed chunked cauliflower or onions, if desired

Prepare the potatoes by adding 1 cup of hot boiling water (more than you usually add) and let stand until they set. Pour into a pot and add the milk and stir, simmering for a few minutes. Add in the clams and any vegetables you want to use (the cauliflower chunks are a good sub for potato pieces) and let it warm on the stove until the flavours are well mixed.

This isn't as creamy as the Campbells' version, but it's very flavourful. I added a little of the riced cauliflower I used for the pizza to thicken it up a bit and that helped. It also had more clams than you'd get with Campbells', just like my Mama said it would!

New recipes and reviews!

OK, back to the interesting stuff for a while! I've got quite a few new recipes and reviews to share since they didn't really fit in with the Salad Free Week theme. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Granola Bar (Breakfast):



Yeah, I kind of knew when I opened the package that I wasn't really going to enjoy this. It looked just like the Apple Granola Bar that I threw out. It also had no real peanut buttery taste at all- just more of a heavy taste. I did eat it because it wasn't bad- it just wasn't good, either. In hindsight, I should have smeared my fat serving of 1 tsp peanut butter on top of it and I bet it would have tasted a lot better but I didn't think of it at the time. I think this could definitely have been improved if Nutrisystem put chopped peanuts in it instead of just "flavour"!


Pancake Mix (Breakfast):



I got this recipe off the NS forums and it sounded so good but I just didn't find that the taste was what I expected. I'm willing to give it a second try though because it sounds so good! I am thinking that the eggs and cheese might be better on the side.

Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Bowl:

1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
1/2 dairy/protein serving sausage (I use Lilydale Turkey Sausage)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup McCormick's Sausage Gravy

Prepare your sausage as directed and cut into chunks, set aside. Mix the pancake mix and milk and pour into a sprayed casserole dish. Pour half the gravy on top, then add the sausage, egg, and cheese. Top with remaining gravy and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.


I've got one more pancake mix recipe that's so good, the whole family enjoyed it!

Sweet Potato Bran Bread:


1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
2 tbsp wheat bran
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
1 small jar pureed sweet potatoes

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a greased loaf pan at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done- very simple!

When I saw this recipe idea, I thought of how my ten month old son loves sweet potatoes so I decided to modify the recipe to make it for him. I used organic whole grain pancake mix instead of the NS mix and real sugar instead of Splenda, as well as butter to grease the pan instead of spray. He loved it! I did bake it in a casserole dish but I think next time I will use a loaf pan. This might be good with shredded zucchini as well.


Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes:


I decided to make a recipe similar to my Crab Cakes but baking them in the oven to get more of a twice baked potato feel.

Baked Crab Florets

1 pkg NS Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
4oz crabmeat, drained (100 calories or less)
diced green onion
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
Old Bay seafood seasoning

Prepared the potatoes as directed, with slightly less water to keep them thick. Stir in the other ingredients and put them in a fun shaped silicone baking dish (I used roses). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown, and serve with seafood sauce.

Yum! I think I'd let these crisp up a little more next time but I really enjoyed them.

Onwards and Upwards!

After tackling McDonalds yesterday, I took a shot at KFC today. My husband and I always make jokes about KFC because it has got to be the worst possible thing you can eat. When we were on our road trip in Indiana, we discovered that KFC actually has a buffet! We wondered if morgue service was included.

In the past, however, KFC's chicken bowl has always tempted me.



Mashed potatoes, fried chicken, corn, and cheese, swimming in gravy. Yum! Could there possibly be a way to make this NS friendly?

KFC Chicken Bowl:


1 pkg Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1/2 serving chicken
1/2 serving shredded cheese
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup gravy
1 tbsp breadcrumbs

Prepare the Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes as normal and set aside. Cut your chicken into chunks and dip into Eggbeaters just to moisten, then dip into breadcrumbs. Fry with cooking spray or else use your favourite fat serving for a little extra flavour. Spoon the mashed potatoes into a bowl, top with chicken, corn, and cheese, and pour gravy on top. Enjoy!

This counts as your lunch entree, 1 dairy/protein serving, 1 veggie, and 2 free foods. I wouldn't eat it very often since you're combining your free foods plus using a starchy veggie, but if you are craving fast food it's a nice treat! As I mentioned in my last post- the NS dieticians have said that it is acceptable occasionally to substitute one serving of a starchy veggie for 2 veggie servings. Here I used half a corn serving so I counted it as one veggie. If you prefer, you can substitute out the corn for a different veggie like green beans and I am sure that would be delicious too!

One serving has 375 calories, 47g of carbs, 10g of fat, and a massive 27g of protein. It is very filling and delicious! Compare that to KFC's stats- 700 calories, 32g of fat, and 77g of carbs and enjoy this guilt free!

More potatoes!

Oh my goodness, I think I need to revise my auto delivery again. I wish I'd put more than three Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes for this month because there are so many things you can do with them!

I got this recipe off the Nutrisystem website and it is amazing. I love creamy soups and this one was very satisfying and it also made a huge portion. The bowl that the soup is pictured in is not a regular soup bowl. That is actually my large pasta serving bowl! I had a hard time finishing it all and I was stuffed. My husband tasted it and he liked it so much that he asked me to make him some, too.



Creamy Potato Soup

1 pkg Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 oz shredded cheese
1/2 tbsp bacon bits (optional)
If chunky soup is desired, add 1 cup steamed cauliflower mashed in a blender (but still chunky) with a tbsp of fat free sour cream and black pepper.


Add 1 cup hot water to the Potatoes, which fills the cup nearly to the brim instead of the fill line. Stir well and transfer to a large bowl. Give the potatoes a few minutes to rehydrate- this is a good time to prepare the cauliflower if you want that in your soup. Pour in 1/2 cup milk (I found I actually needed a little bit more to thin the soup to my liking), stir in cauliflower if desired, and then top with the cheese and bacon bits. Serve warm.

I looked at the nutritional stats on bacon bits and compared it to the imitation bits and to turkey bacon. 1 tbsp of real bacon bits has about 35 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, with 5 grams of protein. I am personally comfortable with a little extra fat and treating them as a partial dairy/protein serving even though they slightly exceed the program requirements- after all, we're only using half a tablespoon. If you want to adhere strictly, I suggest cooking up a slice of low fat or fat free turkey bacon and using that for your crumble or skipping it entirely if you aren't a bacon fan. You could also try fat free ham cubes or something similar.


I've also got a few other ideas to share. Last night I followed a tip I was given about the Flame Broiled Beef Patty. I must revise my opinion of it upwards yet again!

I rehydrated the patty but didn't soak it to death in that little tray so it was still fairly firm and not crumbly. Then I took my fat serving, and fried it in a pan with olive oil. Wow. It was a million times better than just eating the rehydrated patty. It tasted like a real hamburger! I had it with a serving of shredded coleslaw and Calorie Wise Kraft Coleslaw dressing. Delicious!


I've also got an idea for a dairy/protein serving. If you're like me, sometimes you get tired of the same old thing for dairy/protein. Since you have to eat three a day, it can get repetitive if you are not creative. I saw an idea on the NS website for "crustless pumpkin pie" as a dairy/protein substitute, so I had to try it.



1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can evaporated fat free milk (12 oz)
¾ cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
½ tsp. salt
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup Splenda® (or sugar), or to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Pour into 9” pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 45 more minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into sixths- one sixth equals a dairy/protein serving.


I think a shallower pan would be better as my slices came out much softer than I was expecting. Perhaps I could have baked it longer but I didn't want the top to get too dry. I also think this could use a teensy bit more pumpkin pie spice and Splenda.

I like to have this for my afternoon snack dairy/protein serving. It's like having a dessert in the middle of the day! Top it with fat free Cool Whip and enjoy.

The most versatile food

If you like to be creative with your food, order a lot of the Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes. There is so much you can do with them! I made this recipe for lunch today and had to share it with you right away. It is very high in protein and so filling. It is high in sodium so if you are sensitive, you may wish to avoid it, but if not, have at it!



Crab Cakes

1 pkg Homestyle Potatoes
3oz crabmeat
1 green onion

Add about half the water you'd normally add to the potatoes and stir, then let them stand, covered, until they are ready. In the meantime, chop up your green onion into small pieces and mix it with the crabmeat. Add in the potatoes and stir well. Add your favourite spices (I like Old Bay seafood seasoning) and combine everything.

Pan fry in PAM spray until both sides are crispy. Serve with seafood sauce, horseradish, or eat them plain- they're good any way!


I definitely plan to add more of these to my next auto-delivery. I already have some more things to try with them.

New foods and more tips and tricks!

I've been away for a few days visiting family so I haven't had as much time to be online as usual- still sticking to my program, though. I had my first major challenge this week. I went out to dinner with a friend, and I decided to eat my NS dinner before going out to reduce the possibility of temptation. I just ordered a big garden salad with fat free dressing. I was really proud of myself. Of course, my friend ordered a burger and fries and seemed to take perverse pleasure in trying to get me to eat some fries. Then after dinner, he tried to get me to split a dessert! It wasn't easy, but I didn't want to throw away everything I've done for something that would taste good for a few minutes and then be forgotten. If I got through that, I can get through anything!

Here are some of the new things I have tried.

Fudge Graham Bar (Lunch):


I really liked this! It smells exactly like a graham cracker and I liked the chocolate. I think this would be good with a little of Walden Farms calorie free marshmallow dip on top- it would taste exactly like a S'more. It was more chocolatey than fudge-y, which I like better anyway.


Macaroni and Cheese with Beef (Dinner):


Since I liked the regular Macaroni and Cheese, I figured I would like this and I was right. It tasted exactly like Hamburger Helper cheeseburger macaroni. Loved this- it definitely made me feel like I was cheating. There is absolutely nothing missing from the flavour. I think Kraft Dinner and Hamburger Helper could take a page from NS here.


Carrot Cake (Dessert):


This was pretty good. I wasn't impressed by the frosting, since I was expecting the usual cream cheese type. This didn't really make much of an impact on the flavour so as far as I was concerned, it was only there for appearance. The cake itself was very good though and I enjoyed it.


Meatloaf and Tomato Sauce with Mashed Potatoes (Dinner):


My question here is, where's the beef??? The box shows a nice thick slice of meat loaf, a pile of mashed potatoes, and dill pickle slices. The entree was almost entirely mashed potatoes with a couple of bites of meat loaf. Now, I like mashed potatoes as much as the next person (despite the unappealing look of the entree in the photo), but if I just wanted to eat potatoes, I'd have the lunch Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes. I was disappointed because this is one of my personal favourite comfort meals and I don't think it's going to be one of my go-tos. It was okay, but not what I wanted. And why would they put dill pickle slices on the box if they don't give you any? They haven't done that for any of the other meals.


Buffalo Chicken Wrap (Dinner):


Loved this! It is zesty with a kick, and I found it very filling. There is too much meat and sauce to fit on their wrap, though. For some reason they give you a wrap for this meal and not for the veggie fajitas. I also thought it was a little odd that the wrap tasted slightly sweet but it was OK. I added some onions, bell pepper, lettuce, and tomatoes after taking the photo and it was a really yummy meal.


Here are a few things I've tried with the NS meals to jazz them up a bit.

Granola Cereal (Breakfast):


I turned it into apple crisp and it was fantastic! Chop up your apples and stir them up with cinnamon and a little brown sugar Splenda, and a little sugarfree maple syrup if you like. Top them with the granola cereal and 1 tsp of butter (yes, I am stealing your dinner fat serving but it's worth it!). The butter will melt in the oven so it doesn't need to be stirred or anything. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy! You can also make this the night before and just microwave it in the morning- it tastes just fine.


Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes (Lunch):


I got the idea from the Nutrisystem boards to make potato salad! First prepare the potatoes as directed. Then I hardboiled an egg and diced onions and celery, then stirred in a little mustard. This was incredibly filling and yummy. At first I didn't add enough mustard so the cheesy flavour was a little odd for potato salad, but I just added a bit more and it was fine. I really enjoyed this. Add whatever things you'd normally add to potato salad (except mayo but you don't need it) and try it out! You can eat this warm or refrigerate it and have it cold like regular potato salad.

Wow

Tonight my dinner was absolutely unbelievable. I wouldn't have guessed that it was designed for weight loss! SOOO good. I had the Beef Taco and it was amazing. I made it into a taco salad with romaine lettuce, tomato chunks, cheddar cheese, and fat free sour cream, and I added diced onion and green bell pepper to the meat and sauce. It also came with three taco shells which I crunched up and put on top. It was one of my favourite meals!



Here are some other meals I have tried recently:

Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes (Lunch):


I confess to having been a little leery of this! Not only just at the idea of having mashed potatoes as a main course for lunch, but just generally instant mashed potatoes. I was pleasantly surprised by how rich and cheesy they were. I had them with steamed broccoli and a serving of fresh salmon and it made a yummy lunch.

Rotini with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce (Dinner):


This meal was pretty much what you'd expect- rotini pasta in a chunky tomato sauce with little meatballs. I found the meat plentiful and since I love pasta, this really hit the spot for me but wasn't anything special.

Beef and Noodles with Stroganoff Sauce (Dinner):


I love beef stroganoff, so I was hoping for a creamy beef and noodle dish. It wasn't really what I had in mind though (although I guess I was thinking of Hamburger Helper Stroganoff which isn't all that great anyway). The sauce was a little too thin for my taste and it was more of a broth based dish than a cream sauce. Would I eat it again? Sure, but I've adjusted my expectations.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pudding (Dessert):


This was the first thing I actively disliked, but then again, I'm not really a pudding person. I thought it would be really great to enjoy it as a fondue, so I cut up strawberries and bananas and got some graham crackers to dip in the pudding. It still just didn't cut it for me. This one is definitely not on my order again list.

But, the bottom line is, so far so good. I'm sticking to my program, I'm losing weight, and the food is definitely not bad. Nutrisystem is a win for me.