Crab and Corn Quesadillas

3 flour tortillas
2 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
4 oz white crab meat (or lump crab meat)
2/3 cup corn (canned, or already cooked)
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1 tsp caribbean jerk or cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
spray butter
olive oil cooking spray

Combine cream cheese, crab, corn and roasted red peppers in a bowl.  Add caribbean or cajun seasoning, black pepper, and cilantro.

Spray 10" skillet with olive oil spray and heat to medium.  Spread 1/3 of mixture onto one half of each tortilla, and fold over.  Spray each side of tortilla with spray butter and heat on each side for approx. 3 minutes.  Cut each quesadilla into two pieces.  Serve with salsa or sour cream.

Servings: 6
WW Points per serving: 2

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

This is one of my all time favorite soups, as I can add lots of random veggies that are in the fridge and use things up!  Also, it is super easy, and tastes great.

Here is the basic recipe, but feel free to add and substitute veggies as you'd like.

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 red bell peppers, roasted
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 can fat free reduced sodium chicken broth (any kind of vegetable stock, if vegetarian or vegan)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
olive oil cooking spray (if roasting peppers in the oven)

First, begin roasting the red peppers.  The easiest ways to do this are the grill or the oven.   To roast in the oven, spray peppers with cooking spray and place them on a broiler pan or baking sheet.  Broil until skin turns mostly black on the top, and then turn over to roast the other side.  When finished, place peppers in a bowl and cover with lid or plastic wrap to collect steam.  Let sit for approximately ten minutes, then peel off skin and cut peppers into smaller pieces.

While the peppers are collecting steam in the bowl, heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.  Add garlic, carrots and onion, and saute for about 5 minutes (or until translucent).  Next, add broth, water, potatoes, and peppers.  Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Then, decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer until potatoes are tender.   Stir occasionally.

Once potatoes are tender, use a food processor, blender, or hand blender to puree soup until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, or other herbs and spices to taste!

Chocolate Orange Cake

Over the weekend, I was looking for something to make to take to a small party, and I really wanted something sweet.  I knew I was taking a friend of mine to the party with me, and she is a vegan.  This gave me motivation to find a great recipe for something healthy and sweet that she could also enjoy.  Fat Free Vegan Kitchen came to the rescue, with Chocolate Orange Cake.  


Oh my.  This is one of the best cakes (and especially fat free cakes!) that I've had in a long time.  I didn't take any pictures, as the presentation wasn't amazing, but it still tasted wonderful.  I did make a few substitutions in the recipe.  I didn't have soy yogurt on hand, as I assume many don't, so I substituted 1/4 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce.  Yes, the oil does add a little fat, but not much.  You can substitute all 3/4 cup for applesauce if you'd like!  The cake is meant to be prepared in a Bundt pan, but I made it in a regular 9 x 13 cake pan, and it worked wonderfully.  Just be sure to watch the cooking time in this case as it may not be exact!


Chocolate-Orange Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup soy yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel

Chocolate Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
2 teaspoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp. if double strength)
--plus extra orange juice as needed

Orange Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp. if double strength)
--plus extra orange juice as needed

Spray a Bundt cake pan with non-stick spray and dust it lightly with unsweetened cocoa. Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, vanilla, balsamic vinegar, water, and orange juice. Beat by hand or with a mixer on low speed just until well-combined, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the grated orange peel, and pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert it onto a serving platter and cool completely.

When the cake is cool, make the icings. For each icing, mix the ingredients in separate small bowls. One half teaspoon at a time, stir in enough extra orange juice to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the chocolate icing over the cake, wait a few minutes for it to set, and then drizzle the orange icing.



16 servings
WW Pts:  3 per serving (when made with 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce - adjust for substitutions)

I'm experimenting today...

I have been following the Weight Watchers weight loss program since January of 2009, and have lost over 50 lbs in the past year.  A major part of my success has been learning to cook for myself in the healthiest and best way possible.  I used to constantly eat out, eat excessive frozen/processed foods, and eat a lot of carbs and very little fruits and vegetables.  I'm learning to enjoy making low fat healthy foods, and they still taste great!

Lately,  I often find myself saying to my mom, roommate, friends, that "I'm experimenting" in the kitchen.  Sometimes I'm pulling random ingredients out of the fridge and cupboard.  Other times I've found a recipe that I'm evolving into something better, faster to make, healthier, you name it.

Through all of this, I have had many successes and failures, but I am slowly learning to cook.  I am constantly sending recipes to friends and family and recommending new things,  so recently I decided that a blog may be the best way to bring it all together in one place.  Hope you enjoy it!