Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Ah, Fall. I have such mixed feelings about the change of seasons.  Let's see... I really don't like that the days are getting shorter and cooler.  And I am not happy about the rainy days we are having right now either, even if we really need the rain after the unusually hot and dry Summer we enjoyed!  On the other hand, I do love that some of my very favorite things to eat are more readily available and more reasonably price with the onset of the Fall harvest.

One of these favorite things is red peppers!  And when they are on sale at my local market, I buy a huge bagful and always roast some almost immediately. I love them sliced up on salads, and in omelets, on burgers, and especially in home made soups.  Today I am sharing a quick and easy way to put together a lovely one... Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup.

It is just a matter of roasting the peppers and then pureeing them with a can of diced tomatoes.  If you are not sure how to do this, I have included a link to a little tutorial about it in the first recipe instrucion (which also has another delicious soup recipe).  It is so easy... just takes a bit of time.  You can season  your soup with basil and oregano, or leave plain and just add some salt and pepper. As is, it is vegan but if you don't care about that, you can  make it a little fancier and even company-worthy with the addition of a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.  It is truly delicious!

You might enjoy this soup as a first course at dinner, or as your main course at lunch. I have even slurped a bowlful as an afternoon snack.    Yes, the best part about Fall is definitely homemade soup!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Makes 4 servings, approximately 1 cup each

Ingredients:

• 3 red peppers
• 1 28-ounce can (798 ml) diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• dashed of basil and oregano (optional)

Instructions:

1. Roast red peppers and allow to cool before removing seeds and skin.
2. Place the peppers in a large bowl along with the tomatoes.
3. Puree the veggies with immersion blender and pour into to saucean to heat.
4. Warm soup to desired temperature over MEDIUM heat on stovetop.
5. Remove to serving bowls and season.  Garnish as desired.
6. Leftover soup may be stored in refrigerator for a couple of days or frozen.

1 serving, without garnish

WW SP = 0 (vegetables are 0 SP foods so nothing to count here)

Calories 70

Saturated Fat 0g

Carbohydrates 14.1g

Fibre 3.6g

Sugars 5.1g

Protein 2.6g

I always make a few extra, for omelets, burgers, salads...  yum!

After seeding and removing the skin.

Season with salt and pepper, and a bit of dried basil and oregano if you like them.

A bit of shredded parmesan cheese adds a lot of flavor and only a few calories.

Are you a fan of roasted red peppers, too?  What is your favorite way to enjoy them?

Slow Cooker Chicken Coconut Curry

I have just put all of the ingredients for this dish into my slow cooker and set it to cook. I love this meal. It is my third time making it so I thought it was about time I shared it with you.  Slow Cooker Chicken Coconut Curry is a recipe I found in a local food market newsletter, but I have altered it somewhat to simplify the ingredient list and the instrucions, so I will share it the way I make it my own kitchen.

I admit it does take a bit of time preparing the ingredients.  But once that is done you just layer it all in the slow cooker and let it simmer. So simple.  Just before I serve it I cook some vegetables to add to the dish.... peas, carrots, green beans, snow peas... whatever you select will work just fine.

And, I like to add a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt to my curry dishes too, just before serving.  It makes a soupy stew really creamy.  Mmmmm.

I do love the aroma of a nice light curry coming from my slow cooker... tantalizing, especially on a gloomy and cool Winter day!

I used chicken breasts here but thighs would be fine too. And if you don't have chicken stock, grab a boullion cube and make some!  I also like a light coconut milk, but if you only have full fat, go ahead and use it... just make the adjustment if you need the nutritional information or Smart Points values for tracking.

Slow Cooker Chicken Coconut Curry
makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces of boneless skinless chicken cut into cubes
• 3 medium white potatoes, scrubbed and cuts into cubes
• 1 medim onion, peeled and sliced vertically
• 1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 can (400 ml.) light coconut milk
• 2 Tbs curry powder

Instructions:

1. Coat the inside of your slow cooker with non-stick spray for ease of cleanup.
2. Prepare ingredients as described.
3. Stir curry powder into chicken broth.
4. Layer ingredients in the slow cooker... potatoes, onions, chicken, tomatoes, chicken broth with curry powder.
5. Put lid on slow cooker.
6. Turn setting to HIGH for 15 minutes, then turn down to LOW and let cook for 7 to 8 hours.
7. Turn setting to off. Prepare addition veggies as desired and divide among serving plates.
8. Portion leftovers and freeze or store in fridge for one or two days at most.

Per serving, without additional veggies.

Weight Watchers Smart Points  = 6.

Calories 201

Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 3g

Carbohydrates 23g

Sugar 5g

Fibre 4g

Protein 16g

Getting ready to serve.  Mmmm.  Smells great!

With some petite green peas added.

And a bit of yogurt for me.

Stirred in...

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Are you a fan of slow cookers?  All year round, or just in the Winter?

Spicy Kabocha Tomato Soup

Friends that know me won’t be surprised that my first recipe of the New Year is a homemade soup… this time it’s Spicy Kabocha Tomato Soup… On these cool, wet, and dreary days we can have during the Winter on the West Coast, I often eat soup at noon and for snacks and at dinner. 

I love the comfort and warmth that spooning into a thick and tasty homemade soup brings.  This one fills that need quite nicely.  It’s simple and you likely have the ingredients on hand. It is vegan, but if you want, you could make it paleo by using a bit of turkey or beef broth in place of the water.

I am sure that a butternut squash or an ambercup squash would sub quite nicely for the kabocha that I used. They are about the same texture.  Even a sweet potato would work, but of course that raises the calorie count and therefore the Weight Watchers P+ values considerably. You decide.  The squash I used yielded almost 3 cups of cooked flesh.

You could prepare the squash a  day or so ahead of making the soup and keep it in the fridge if you like.  Then just put it all together in about an hour when you want to make soup.  Mmmmmm.  I know you are gonna love this as much as I do.

Spicy Kabocha Tomato Soup
Makes 6 one-cup servings.

• 1 medium size kabocha squash
• 1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes (946 ml)
• 1 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 2 Tbs curry powder
• 1 cup sliced white onion
• coconut oil or spray to coat soup pot
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash the kabocha squash. Then cut in in half horizontally and remove the seeds. Bake it in the oven, cut sides up for 45 minutes at 350°F.  Allow to cool about half an hour and then remove the peel and cut the flesh into large chunks.
2. Coat the inside of your soup pot with coconut oil, about 1 tsp, or use a spray.
3. Place the onions and garlic into the soup pot over MEDIUM heat and cook about 10 minutes till translucent. Do not allow them to brown.
4. Add the squash chunks and contents from the can of tomatoes along with 1 cup of water and up to 2 Tbs of curry powder and stir altogther.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 15 minutes. Blend in batches or with your immersion blender.  It will be very thick.
7. Serve with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with yogurt or sour cream if desired.

Per serving without garnish.
Weight Watchers P+ = 0. *
Calories ; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 1g; Fibre 3g.

* The only item that actually needs to be counted here is the coconut oil and 1 tsp divided amongst 6 servings is negligible.  The vegetables are zero P+.

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Bacon and Tomato Sauce

Doesn’t everything just taste better with bacon on it?
 
I don’t eat regular pasta anymore, preferring zoodles or spaghetti squash strands over wheat flour or even brown rice noodles.  But The Captain does like his pasta so I threw this together for lunch on Tuesday after we came home from the tennis court.

I was hungry, and hoped this might be quick. I already had some zoodles prepared and waiting in the fridge, so I put some water on to boil for The Captain’s linguine noodles while I made this sauce. It all came together in about 20 minutes.

I always keep some cooked, crumbled bacon in the freezer. It is just so handy to add a spoonful or two for a little flavor boost.  I also keep peeled garlic cloves in the fridge, too. If you don’t have crushed tomatoes on hand, use diced, or even fresh.. and you could also use your immersion/handheld blender to puree them if you like.

Bacon and Tomato Sauce
Makes 2 servings.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 3/4 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh or dried basil for garnish and flavor punch

1. Warm the olive oil in a skillet or saucepan over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the garlic and onions and saute about till softenened but not browned, about 7 or 8 minutes.
3. Add the bacon and mix.
4. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and mix again. Allow to heat through.
5. Remove from heat and then ladle sauce over noodles of choice on serving plates. Garnish and season before serving.

Per serving, sauce only.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 132; Protein 8g; Carbohydrate 10g; Fat 7g; Fibre 2g.

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Simple Summer Salad

It is hot here this Summer!

The great thing about that, aside from enjoying the sunshine and blue sky, it makes me want to eat a bit less, and a lot lighter.

This simple Summer Salad is an old favorite. I can remember my Mother making it for the family on hot Summer nights.  I have been enjoying it ever since.  It is simple and nutritious, and quite pretty, too.  It can be made several hours ahead if you like, and kept cold. It is a great picnic take-along too. Make up a big batch; just keep it on ice till it’s time to eat.

I love the crunchiness of the veggies, and the small zing of the white vinegar is just the right touch for this light and cool side dish.

 

Summer Salad
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium tomato, core removed, sliced
• 4 or 5 very thin slices of white onion. separated into rings
• 1 small cucumber, sliced very thin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 Tbs white vinegar
• Dashes of salt and pepper

1. Layer the veggies in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the olive oil and white vinegar together in a small bowl and spoon over the veggies.
3. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
4. Stir and refrigerate another 20 minutes.
5. Divide into 2 small serving bowls and serve cold.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 63; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 6g; Fat 5g; Fibre 1g.

Layer the prepared veggies in a wide bottomed bowl.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on them.

Spoon the marinade over the top.

Stir part way through the cooling process to make sure all veggies are being coated with marinade.  If you are leaving refrigerated for a few hours, do this a couple more times.

Divide into serving bowls and enjoy!

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What’s your favorite simple Summer salad?

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Easy Curried Vegetables

I have been trying to come up with new ways to eat all of the cauliflower I have been buying! 

I like to have some on hand, in case I get a yen for pizza and need cauliflower to make a crust… or to make paleo cauliflower ‘rice’ to go with whatever stir-fried chicken and veggies or almost any othr dish I am having… Every time I see cauliflower on sale I cannot refrain from buying a head or two!

But sometimes a head of cauliflower sits in the fridge, staring me in the face when I open the door, taunting me… just daring me to use it before it starts to get little specks of brown, indicating it is losing its freshness and needs to be eaten!  Fresh cauliflower really doesn’t stay fresh for more than a few days in the refrigerator.

This Curried Vegetable dish was born of that need… I had a head of cauliflower and a butternut squash that I wanted to turn into something fabulous!  I decided that I really couldn't go wrong with a curry.

 So I washed up the cauliflower and broke it into florets, and I got The Captain to peel the butternut squash and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks… and then I combined them in a large pan with some garlic, onions, mushrooms, green bell pepper, canned tomatoes, and some spices.

It was delicous!  And it smelled wonderful while it was cooking, too.  You could use coconut oil to saute the veggies if you like, but for this dish, I chose to coat the skillet with a non-stick spray to keep the P+ count down to zero.

I do like coconut oil when cooking veg.  But once in a while I like to keep the fat content down, so that I have more leeway in the rest of my meal.  And let's face it... sometimes I would just rather spend my fat grams on almond butter during the day!

I portioned out the leftovers and froze them in individual servings.  They thaw quickly on the counter, and are still a really nice texture afterward… even heated up in the mike!

Curried Vegetables
Makes 6 servings

• 5 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 cup onions, cut into large dice or chunks
• 1 head cauliflower, washed and broken into florets, about 6 cups
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks, about 1 pound
• 6 mushrooms, cut into large chunks, about 1-1/2 cups
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz/796 ml)
• 2 Tbs curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Lightly coat a large skillet with non-stick spray and set over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the garlic and onions and saute till translucent, about 5 or 6 minutes.
3. Add the curry powder and stir to coat the onions and garlic,
4. Add the cauliflower, squash, mushrooms, and green pepper, and canned tomatoes.
5. Stir well and bring to a light boil.
6. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Vegetables should be soft but not mushy when the dish is cooked.
7. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 0.
Calories 113; Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 25g; Fat 0g; Fibre 6g.

A large skillet full of veggies and spices!  Mmmmm.  Smells so good when cooking!

 

The day I made up this dish I served it with some slices of lean roasted pork loin and some green peas…

 

 

And then enjoyed some leftovers with a few Spicy Meatballs.

 

Printed Recipe

 

 

Do you like to experiment with veggies and combinations of veggies?

 

What is your favorite go-to cauliflower dish?

Fresh Tomatoes.. Ah, So Delicious

Over the past couple of years we have been lucky enough to house-sit for folks who have had lovely yards with big flower and/or vegetable gardens... with free licence to  help ourselves.

 

We moved these plants to keep them in the sunshine all day long.

 

And loved eating the fresh and juicy tomatoes they produced.

 



And in doing so, we both have come to really appreciate freshly picked tomatoes!  Is there anything that tastes better?

I have grown a few herbs on the boat over the past several few years but had really forgotten how much I loved to garden and grow our own food and flowers.

That's why, when we decided to move off the boat this year and find an urban flat, we knew we needed either a patio or a balcony where we could have a container garden for herbs and flowers and strawberries and tomatoes.... this week we picked the last of the tomatoes, still green, and put them away in paper bags to ripen.

 

But, for the past few months, it has been an absolute joy to go outside and pick perfectly ripe tomatoes at will, bring them in to wash them, and then greedily devour them!  Succulent, juicy, sweet, and perfectly sumptious tomatoes.

 

 

One planter of full size yellow tomatoes and one of red cherry tomatoes.

 

 

It was so exciting to see the fruit growing...

 

 

and I had quite forgotten we had chosen a yellow variety until they started to ripen.

 

 

In our part of the country, yellow tomatoes are quite expensive at the market, so I guess I must have decided to try growing them ourselves when I saw the plants at the garden shop... I honestly cannot recall this - just too much going on at the time I think, with setting up the new apartment, the impending half marathon, and getting the house we were looking after in tidly shape to turn over to the owners.  I was quite excited when I realized we were growing yellow tomatoes.... for some reason this variety has virtually no waste... such a small and sweet core with very few seeds.  Lovely!

 

 

We have enjoyed them on salads.

 

 

Many times.

 

 

And it is nice to be able to go out and pick just a few...

 

to dress up an omelet.

 

 

We have so enjoyed getting back to gardening this year, even if on a very small scale,  and I can't wait to see what next Spring brings to us.

 

Here is one of my favorite ways to use and enjoy fresh tomatoes...

 

Avocado Boats

 

 

Are you a gardener?  Flowers or veggies or both?

 

What is your favorite kind of tomato?

 

 



White Bean and Kale Veggie Sauce

My simple pasta sauce, which is really more of a stew, took on a life of its own!

I started out wanting just to chop some veggies and then stir in some canned tomatoes, to make a quick and simple pasta sauce for our dinner.  It turned out to be so much more and so much better!

When I got out my large skillet and began cleaning and chopping vegetables, I decided to make enough sauce to have a few portions to freeze for future meals. It's always good to have something on hand to thaw for quick dinners or lunches, don't you think?

Then, when I decided to add some torn pieces of kale to the mix, I recalled a really nice kale and white bean soup that one of my Weight Watchers buddies told me about a few months back.  So I got out a can of white kidney beans, rinsed them,  and added them to my sauce pot.  By the time it was all cooked and ready to eat, I realized it was as thick as a stew.... and it was delicious.

I served it over pasta for The Captain, and cooked spaghetti squash for me, but I can easily envision it over cooked quinoa, or rice or even by itself with some cooked chicken or beef strips added to i,or on top of scrambled eggs or omelets.  It would probably even be good cold with cooked and cooled quinoa.

 



Kale and White Bean Veggie Sauce
Makes 13 half-cup servings

• 5 cloves garlic, peedled, smashed and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium red pepper, cut into small pieces
• 2 mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup diced zucchini
• 3/4 cup torn kale leaves
• 1 - 15 oz. can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1-1/2 Tbs Italian herbs
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Coat a large skillet with non-stick spray and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat.
2. Add garlic, onions, peppers and cook still translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and cook another 8 or 10 minutes till all veggies are cooked through.  You may need to turn heat to MEDIUM during this time so veggies do not burn. Add a bit of water to pan if things are sticking.
4. Add the kale leaves and beans, and cook a few minutes more till the kale leaves are limp.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and the Italian herbs,  Bring to a light boil then turn down to simmer and cover.  Meanwhile cook the pasta and the spaghetti squash - this will take about 10 minutes.
6. Plate the pasta and the spaghetti squash and then top with 2 or 3 ladles of the sauce.  If you like, garnish with a tablespoon of shredded parmesan cheese.

Per 1 cup serving, sauce only.
Weight Watchers P+ - 3.  *
Calories 122;  Protein 7g;  Carbohydrate 23g;  Fat 0g; Fibre 6g.

*The amount of beans in a 1 cup serving of this sauce works out to Calories 68, Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 0g; Fibre 3g and is equal to only 1 P+ value in the N,.I. calculation.  It is up to you as to how you want to count this in your program.

This is such a filling and delicious sauce! 

Cooking the vegetables.

 

 

Adding the beans and tomatoes.

 

Served over spaghettini and topped with freshly grated parmesan.

 

And over spaghettti squash.  Enjoy!

 

 

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Enjoying Summer's Bounty

It has been such glorious weather these past few weeks so we have been enjoying lunch on our balcony as often as we can.  It is nice to be able to sit out and enjoy the bustle of the city passing us by and watch the herons, turtles and other waterfowl in the park across the street.

We walked to a different neighborhood market on Saturday morning, and, inspired by all the lovely fresh local produce, I came home and made us a cold gazpacho for lunch... and decided to dress up our balcony surroundings a bit, by turning it into an Italian Trattoria!

I used our red checked linens on the table, and The Captain poured us each a cold glass of Pino Grigio to go with the soup that I whipped up in few short minutes, with the food processor.  It was really nice to sit out and watch the turtles come and go from a log in the lake at the park across the street and while away some time....

The soup is just a bunch of ingredients that you already likely have on hand... and it has very few calories, lots of vitamins and antioxidants.!  You can certainly improvise and add what you like for seasonings.  If you have more time than I did, you may want to leave it chill in the fridge for an hour or more before you eat it. And, if you like you can add a bit of olive oil to it if you haven't had your healthy oil servings for the day.

I would suggest this easily makes an appetizer course for 4 people or a lunch for 2.



My Summery Gazpacho
Makes about 4 cups

• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes, including some juice
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 medium green pepper
• 6 inch piece of long English cucumber
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• Fresh basil, 4 or 5 large leaves, or 1 Tbs dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place all of the vegetables inthe bowl of a food processor.  Add 3 basil leaves and a few dashes of salt and pepper.
2. Puree about 30 seconds.
3. Remove to fridge and chill thoroughly.
4. Divide into bowls and garnish with the other basil leaves and a bit of parmesan cheese and tomato pieces.
5. Serve chilled.

The whole batch only has 145 calories and is made up of vegetables so I didn't bother to break down the nutritional information for this recipe.

Simply puree everything in the food processor.

 

The table, set and waiting for us!

Buon Appetito!



 

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Sizzling Turkey Chili Con Carne

Is the weather too hot for chili?

No matter!  I wanted to make some anyway. I like to have a few meals in the freezer so I can come home and put together something quickly after a day on the boat, or running errands.  And chili can be used in so many different ways.

I made this batch with a lovely extra lean ground turkey and it turned out really nicely.  We had some for dinner tonight on top of a mound of brown rice, and some steamed green beans.  Sometimes we like it as a topping on a baked potato.  Of course it is great on its own too, or on pasta, or even with quinoa.  It is a very thick chili, which is the way we like it.

I think chili tastes better after leaving the flavors to meld for at least a day... and because The Captain doesn't like it too spicy hot, I only added 1 Tbs of chili powder to the mixture.  When we eat it, I add a bit of hot sauce to my own serving.



Turkey Chili Con Carne
Makes 15 cups

• 1 tsp canola-olive oil blend
• 1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 can mushrooms, drained
• 2 15-oz. cans (540 ml each) dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 28-oz. can (796 ml) diced tomatoes
• 1 28-oz. can (796 ml) crushed tomatoes
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 - 2 Tbs chili powder, to taste

1. Place oil in a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.
3. Add the garlic, onion and carrots and cook about 10 minutes till soft.
4. Add the mushrooms, beans, canned tomatoes and seasonings and stir well.
5. Turn up heat till mixture comes to a soft boil and then lower heat and allow to simmer for about an hour and a half.
6. Cool and then refrigerate/freeze in batches.

Per serving of 1 cup.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 140; Protein 12g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 3g; Fibre 5g.



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Are you a chili fan?

What is your favorite way to eat chili?

Eggplant? Here is a Great Idea For a Pasta Topping

Have you ever picked up a piece of fruit or a vegetable in your local market and brought it home and then wondered what you are going to do with it?

That happened to me this past week... my favorite little produce market had eggplants on sale for 99 cents each so I chose one without really thinking.  When I arrived home, I set it in a bowl on the table along with some tomatoes and an avocado... and sorta forgot about it.

Then on Saturday, I decided I wanted to have pasta for dinner and thought I should use that eggplant in my sauce.  I remembered that the Weight Watchers web site has a RECIPE FINDER feature in the e-tools section so I had a look.  I don't often think to use it but we had just been discussing it at a meeting during the week so I thought I would give it a try.

You can enter up to 3 items that you would like your dish to contain so I typed  eggplant, tomatoes, and then pasta in the 3 search fields... and the first recipe returned looked so good to me that I didn't pay any attention to any others.

I didn't follow the recipe as it was written so I will share what I did actually make.  It was wonderful!  And The Captain specifically requested we have it again so that is win for sure.

I find it easier, when preparing a recipe that has a few steps, to make sure all my ingredients are ready to use so I begin by slicing, chopping, measuring.... before I start cooking...  particularly now when we are eating 2 different kinds of pasta.  For this dish I cooked linguini for The Captain and gluten-free brown rice rotini for me.

Of course, if you ARE a Weight Watcher, you can change up the amount of cheese if you want to alter the number of P+ involved.  The Laughing Cow wedges I use are 1 P+ each.

And one more thing... I think this would freeze very nicely.  So make extra to have on hand for a quick meal.  It's that good!



Eggplant and Tomatoes For Pasta
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/3 to 1/2 inch-thick rounds
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 8 strips
• 1 spritz olive oil  
• 1/2 tsp table salt, divided
• 1 clove garlic peeled, smashed and minced
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes
• dash black pepper
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 4 Laughing Cow cheese wedges, each cut into 5 or 6 pieces
• 2 Tbs freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces dry pasta of your choice (or measure the amount that you would like to have - we normally eat 2 ounces each)

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. Place the eggplant slices and yellow pepper strips on a baking sheet that has been coated with a non-stick spray.  Spritz them very lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. 
3. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the veggies cool to room temperature.
4. Cook the pasta to al dente while you are making the vegetable sauce.
5. Lightly coat a medium-large skillet with non-stick spray and set over MEDIUM heat.
6. Saute the minced garlic for about 2 minutes.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till soft, about 5 minutes.
8. While the tomatoes are cooking, cut the roasted eggplant and peppers into bite-size pieces.  Add them to the skillet when tomatoes are cooked.
9. Add the red pepper flakes, dash of black pepper, chopped basil and chopped chives, and stir well.
10. Allow to cook till all veggies are heated through.
11. Drain and plate the pasta, then top each plate with half of the veggie mixture.
12. Dot the pieces of Laughing Cow cheese over the vegetables and then sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.
13. Serve while hot.

Per serving, without the pasta.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 210; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 29g; Fat 9g; Fibre 9g.

The pasta we use is 4P+ for 2 ounces dry, but yours might be different so I haven't included that in the N.I. here.. of course you will add that number to this sauce to get the total for the meal. 

And I do understand that there is always a bit of controversy about including the zero point vegetables in the overall P+ count.  The only things that really count here are the spritz of olive oil and the cheeses.  Those items add up to 3 P+ in each serving.  Use your own discretion.

Roast the eggplant and pepper in the oven for 20 minutes.

I just happen to have chives and basil growing on my balcony.

Let the roasted eggplant and pepper cool while you start the pasta and sauce.

Roughly chopped tomatoes.

Cut the eggplant and pepper into bite-size chunks.

Add them to the skillet with the seasonings and herbs.

Drain and plate the pasta.

Put the veggie mixture and cheeses on top to serve while still hot.

Allow each diner to mix in the cheeses to at the table... they will melt and get gooey in the hot pasta and veggies... Mmmm!



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