Black Bean Dip

About 1 1/2 cups

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 19-ounce or 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa, hot or mild
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Combine black beans, salsa, lime juice, cilantro and cumin in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Per tablespoon: 17 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 53 mg sodium; 2 mg potassium.

source: http://www.eatingwell.com

Black Bean Soup

A friend gave me this recipe to try. I made it tonight and it's yummy! I had a side of cornbread.

(Panera Bread) Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:Servings: 4-6

* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
* 1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 2 small chicken bouillon cubes
* 1 -1 1/2 cup boiling water
* 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1/2 lemon, juice of
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 25 mins


1. In a pot, combine the first six ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.
3. Puree soup (I use an immersion blender which makes it easy to do it right in the pot).
4. Add the rest of the beans to the soup.
5. Combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.
6. Add the lemon and the cornstarch to the soup; cook until thickened.

Nutrition Facts(Panera Bread) Black Bean Soup Serving Size: 1 (189 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving % Daily ValueCalories 241.1Calories from Fat 11 70%Total Fat 1.2 g 1%Saturated Fat 0.3 g 1%Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g 2%Trans Fat 0.0 g 0%Cholesterol 0.2 mg 0%Sodium 683.1 mg 28%Potassium 682.7 mg 19%Magnesium 117.1 mg 4%Total Carbohydrate 44.6 g 14%Dietary Fiber 14.3 g 57%Sugars 2.4 g 9%Protein 14.6 g 29%

Mini Chocolate-Chip Cookies

PointsPlus™ Value: 1
Servings: 48
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Go ahead and grab a few of these bite-size cookies. They might be little, but they pack a big chocolate punch.

Ingredients

	2 Tbsp butter, softened
	2 tsp canola oil
	1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar, dark-variety
	1 tsp vanilla extract
	1/8 tsp table salt
	1 large egg white(s)
	3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
	1/4 tsp baking soda
	3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 1/2 cup

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  
  
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine.
  
  
• In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout.
  
  
• Drop 48 half-teaspoons of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 4 to 6 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

**I didn't have chocolate chips in the house so I used raisins and they turned out yummy!**

source: www.weightwatchers.com

Baked Honey-Mustard Chicken Bites

PointsPlus™ Value: 1
Servings: 24
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Just dunk and pop them into your mouth. Go sweet with our honey mustard dip or make it spicy by adding hot red pepper sauce.

Ingredients
8 oz refrigerated bread stick dough
1 pound(s) skinless chicken thigh(s), cut into 24 equal-size pieces
1/4 cup(s) honey mustard,

Dipping Sauce
3 Tbsp honey mustard
1 1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp chives, fresh, minced
Instructions

* Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

* Unroll dough and cut it into 24 strips; place strips horizontally in front of you. Top each strip with a piece of chicken and brush chicken with some mustard; roll dough around chicken (chicken will stick out on the ends).

* Place chicken bites on prepared baking sheet. Bake until dough is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

* Meanwhile, combine mustard and soy sauce in a small bowl; sprinkle with chives. Yields 1 chicken bite per serving.

source: www.weightwatchers.com

South African Corn and Tomato Soup

Course: soups
PointsPlus™ Value: 5
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 32 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Corn, tomato and basil are a delicious trio in this lightened-up version of a traditional South African recipe. Use fresh corn when in season.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
2 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 large tomato(es), beefsteak, ripe, cored, coarsely chopped
3 cup(s) frozen corn kernels, or fresh corn kernels from 4 cobs
14 3/4 oz canned cream-style white corn
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
3 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup(s) basil, fresh, cut into ribbons*
Instructions

* In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are extremely soft, about 10 minutes.

* Stir in tomatoes; cook for 5 minutes more.

* Add both types of corn, milk, broth, remaining teaspoon salt and pepper; simmer for 15 minutes so flavors can combine. Top each serving with basil. Yields about 1 1/4 cups soup and 1 tablespoon basil per serving.

source: www.weightwatchers.com

Baked Ziti

PointsPlus™ Value: 7
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 40 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Here’s a tasty, healthy version of the Italian classic. For more robust flavor, add crushed fennel seeds. For a meaty version, add lean ground beef to the sauce.*

Ingredients
3 spray(s) cooking spray
1 pound(s) uncooked pasta, rigatoni or penne
3/4 pound(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
4 cup(s) marinara sauce, store-bought, divided**
1/2 pound(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses
1/4 cup(s) basil, cut into ribbons, for garnish***
Instructions

* Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat bottom and sides of a lasagna pan with cooking spray.

* Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cool water and drain.

* While pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup marinara sauce.

* To assemble ziti, spoon 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of prepared pan; top with half of pasta in an even layer. Evenly spread pasta with ricotta mixture; cover with half of remaining sauce. Top with remaining pasta and spoon remaining sauce over top; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining tablespoon Parmesan. Bake until cheese melts and is browned, about 20 to 30 minutes. Allow ziti to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

source: www.weightwatchers.com

Pumpkin Bread Puddin'

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 1/2 cups white bread cubes
• 3/8 cup miniature chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 6 large custard cups.
2. Whisk together the egg and egg yolks in a large bowl. Add the milk, sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; whisk into a smooth batter. Add the bread cubes and toss gently to dampen. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cups. Sprinkle chocolate chips and brown sugar over each portion. Arrange the custard cups in a shallow baking pan. Pour hot water into the baking pan to halfway up the sides of the custard cups.
4. Bake in preheated oven until pudding is golden brown and puffy, about 40 minutes; transfer to cooling rack for 10 minutes.

**I doubled the recipe. Instead of using custard cups, I poured all ingredients in a greased 9x13 pan and baked for about 45 min. Add some vanilla ice cream and it was unbelievably delicious.**

from: http://allrecipes.com