Garden Fresh Veggies With Cottage Cheese

I am so happy that Summer is rolling around again! 

I love crunchy, fresh, filling, nutritious, and delicious salads... and they just seem to taste that much better in warmer weather.

I don't buy cottage cheese very often as I have been very disappointed with the fat free varieties available locally.  So, I took a chance this week on some 1% and although it was a bit creamier in texture than I normally like, it was very tasty and inspired this lunch.

I heaped our plates full of leafy mixed greens and then layered on the cottage cheese and a variety of fresh vegetables.  I drizzled a teaspoon of olive oil and about a tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar over the whole works... a dash of salt and pepper, and a sprig of fresh cilantro and we were eating lunch.

You can add any flavorful toppings you like such as crumbled bacon, sliced black olives, sunflower seeds, avocado chunks, shrimp, chia seeds, or even croutons... just make sure to count the Points Plus values if you are following the Weight Watchers program.

This salad was very simple and here is how I put it together.

Garden Fresh Veggies With Cottage Cheese

Makes 1 large serving

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups mixed salad greens of your choosing
• 2/3 cup cottage cheese
• slices of cucumber, tomato, onion, red bell pepper
• baby carrots and fresh cilantro for garnish
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• dashes of basil and oregano if desired

1. Place the mixed greens on a large plate or in a bowl.
2. Spoon cottage cheese on top of the greens and then layer on veggies and toppings.
3. Season as desired.

Per serving.

Weight Watchers P+ =  5 *

Calories 195; Protein 17g; Carbohydrate 19g; Fat 6g; Fibre 5g.

*  If you count only the cottage cheese, olive oil, and vinegar, the P+ = 3.  It is up to you as to how you count.

I think this would make a great lunch to take along to work as well... but I would pack the cottage cheese separately so that the greens stay crisp till you are ready to eat.

It is very filling, with all the protein that the cottage cheese contains and kept me satisfied all afternoon.

Printable Recipe

Fresh Homemade Salsa

Now that we have a container garden on our apartment balcony, I have enough cilantro to share with everyone in the building. I had no idea when I planted these 6 little plantlets a few weeks ago how quickly they would grow!

So, if you see lots of my recipes using cilantro over the next few weeks, you will know why.  And actually, it is very good for us... I did a post featuring cilantro a while back and there are many health benefits to eating this tasty herb.

Yesterday I found bell peppers on sale at my favorite local freggie market, so I stocked up on yellow, green, red, and orange, and when I got home I started washing and chopping and made a batch of fresh salsa.

I love salsa, and fresh is really the best.  I love the crunchiness of the fresh peppers and it is nice to be able to season it just the way I like with salt and pepper, lemon or lime juice, and as much cilantro as I like.  And, because The Captain is not a fan of hot spicy dishes, I can make some up for him and then add a bit more chopped jalapeno pepper to mine. 

Use whatever colored bell peppers you can find... make it as colorful as you like, and if you don't have ripe tomatoes, use canned - just squeeze the extra juice out of them as you cut them.  Cut everything up as finely as you have the patience for!

And be very careful with the jalapeno pepper.  Do not touch your face or run your eyes if you handle it with bare hands... make sure you wash your hands well after you are finished cutting up the pepper.

The one I had was so powerful that I could feel in my throat the strength of the flavor as I was cutting it up.  Not quite sneezing, but I certainly was aware of it.

Fresh Salsa

Makes just over 1 cup

• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to tast
• quick splash of lemon or lime juice

Mix everything together and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld.

Per 1/4 cup serving (approx. 1/4th total recipe)

Weight Watchers P+ = 0.

Calories = 15; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 3g; Fat 0g; Fibre 1g.

This salsa keeps nicely in the fridge for a day or two and I like to used it in a variety of different dishes.

I had some for dinner on a plateful of corn chips...

And on my morning omelette...

And at lunch time, piled on a cooked sweet potato topped with black beans...

Do you like salsa?  Do you ever make your own?

Do you have any ideas as to how I can use all the cilantro I am growing?

Simple Lemon Chicken

We seem to have been eating quick and easy meals on the fly lately... but I really wanted to prepare a nice, sitdown meal for The Captain to say thank you for all of the work he has been doing for us lately. 

And he does love lemon, so I decided to bake some chicken breasts with lemons and it seems to have been a good idea because he really loved it.

It was very easy to put together too.  You can adjust the ingredients for the number of servings you want to make.

Simple Lemon Chicken
Makes 2 serving

• 2 raw (not frozen) chicken breasts, 4 ounces each
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 small lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 thin slice of onion
• Dashes of salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F
2. Prepare a baking pan by coating it with non-stick spray.
3. Place chicken breasts in the pan and spread 1/2 tsp of olive oil over the top of each.
4. Drizzle 1 tsp of lemon juice over the breasts and then sprinkle salt and pepper on the top.
5. Cover each chicken breast with thin slices of lemon and onion rings.
6. Pour the water around the breasts in the bottom of the pan.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 194; Protein 25g; Carbohydrate 3g;  Fat 9g; Fibre 1g.

I covered my baking pan with foil and then coated with non-stick spray for easier cleanup.

Baked chicken served with brown rice and peas.  Mmmmm.



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