Cooking for Weight loss

EASY BAKED BARBECUE CHICKEN BREASTS

This barbecue sauce can be as flavorful as you like. For the adobo sauce and garlic, start with the lower amounts, then taste and adjust to your preference.

Start to finish: 40 minutes (10 minutes active)
Servings: 4 Old WW Points: 5.2   Points Plus: 6
1/2 cup ketchup
1 to 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts without the filet (a total of 2 to 3 breasts, each about 3/4- to 1-inch thick)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Heat the oven to 350 F.
In a small bowl combine the ketchup, adobo sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Line a shallow baking dish with foil, leaving enough excess to generously overhang the sides. Spread half of the sauce on the foil in an area just the size of the chicken breasts. Arrange the breasts on top of the sauce and spoon the remaining sauce over them. Bring the edges of the foil up and over the chicken and fold it to enclose them. Bake the breasts on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium, heat the oil. Add the breadcrumbs, thyme, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Saute until light golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
After the chicken has baked for 20 minutes, open up the foil and spoon any sauce that has fallen off the chicken back on top of it. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the chicken. Continue baking, uncovered, until the chicken is just cooked through, another 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Carefully slice the chicken, then divide between 4 serving plates, spooning any sauce and crumbs that have fallen off over the chicken slices.
Nutrition information per serving: 240 calories; 45 calories from fat (19 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 28 g protein; 750 mg sodium.

DOLLY PARTON'S CABBAGE SOUP

1 small head cabbage
3 ribs of celery
2 green peppers
... 1 medium onion
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
water
salt and pepper to taste
Cut all vegetables into bite size pieces. Put in large soup pot with just enough water to cover and cook until the cabbage is done, about 30 minutes. **Use more or less of each vegetable.

General Tso's Chicken  (Source: Weight Watchers)

This recipe lacks full nutritional info as WW still declines to provide it on recipes it distributes to local media.  Nonetheless it's good on points:
General Tso's Chicken  (Source: Weight Watchers)PointsPlus™ Value: 8
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

You can enjoy this Asian classic by sautéing the chicken instead of frying it. The flavor's still there — just not all the fat.

Ingredients
3/4 cup(s) Broth, chicken, canned, reduced-sodium
1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Sugar, white
2 Tbsp Soy sauce (shoyu), low sodium
1 Tbsp White wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Ginger, ground
2 tsp Oil, peanut
2 medium Scallions, raw, chopped
2 clove(s) Garlic, fresh, minced
1/2 tsp Pepper, red or cayenne, or 1 dried chili pepper, minced
1 pound(s) Chicken, breast, raw, without skin, without bone, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cup(s) Rice, white, cooked, kept hot

Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger; set aside.

2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add chicken; sauté until browned all over, about 5 minutes.

3. Add reserved sauce to pan and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.

4. Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Yields about 1 cup chicken with sauce and 1/2 cup rice per serving.

This is a great yummy summer salad and can stay in your fridge up to 2 months.


4 thinly sliced cucumbers
1-large sliced red onions
... 1-large sliced green bell peppers
1-tbsp salt
2-cup white vinegar
1 1/2-cups sugar (use a substitute??)
1-tsp celery flakes
1-tsp red pepper flakes


Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set a side.

Put vinegar, sugar, celery flakes and pepper flakes in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 handfuls of ice until melted.


Place all veggies in large mouth canning jars (2 quarts or 1 half gallon jar)

Pour mixture over cucumbers, store in refrigerator.
Will keep up to 2 months

Makes 2 quart jars