Pineapple Bliss Cupcakes

                                           Pineapple Bliss Cupcakes - Ginna's Skinny Recipes

                                                               Level of Difficulty:  Easy

                                        Weight Watcher Points Plus:  4 (1 cupcake with frosting)

                                                                        3 (no frosting)

Ingredients:  

    1 box super moist yellow cake mix

    2 cans crushed pineapple

    1 8 oz low fat cream cheese

    1 jar fluff marshmallow spread

Directions:  

    For the cupcake:

1.     Mix cake mix and one can crushed pineapple - do not drain.
2.     Using an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until moist.  

      3.    Pour into cupcake tins about 2/3 full.  Bake according to box. 

     4.    Let the cupcakes cool.

   

For the Frosting:

1. Drain the second crushed pineapple can very well.  (it will be too watery if not)
2. Mix pineapple with cream cheese and 3/4 cup marshmallow spread.
3. Frost the cupcakes.

    

Food for Thought                                          

Surprisingly the cupcake came out extremely moist despite not using any eggs or oil.  The cake was a bit sticky, so I would recommend  eating this with the frosting.  The frosting is my favorite part, but that's because I love anything with cream cheese.  I would probably add shredded coconut on top because that's another thing I love, but I made this for Mother's Day, and not everyone is a coconut fan.  This recipe was so simple and easy to make - dumping everything together and mixing.  If you love pineapple and more pineapple, this is for you.  Thumbs up!

Smokey Bean and Spinach Soup

                                     

Smokey Bean and Spinach Soup

                           - Healthy Girl's Kitchen

Level of Difficulty: Very Easy

Ingredients:

    4 cups vegetable broth

    2 cans of refried beans

    2 cans of pinto or black beans

    1 jar of salsa                                      

    1 bag of spinach

    1/2 bag of frozen corn (not in the photo)
    1/8 tsp Liquid smoke

 Instructions:   

In a large pot, add broth, both cans of beans and refried beans, jar of salsa and corn.  Let the soup come to a simmer.  

Add spinach and liquid smoke.

Food for Thought
This was SO easy to make and the taste was so warm, homey, and  extremely yummy.  The liquid smoke is a must for the recipe and you can taste all the flavors of the salsa and the beans.  This is one of my favorite recipes so far and I could make this over and over again.  This soup is probably best for a cold and rainy day, but if you want something hearty with good flavors and something easy and fast to make, this is for you.  Two huge thumbs up!!!

    

   

Maple Syrup Glazed Salmon

                                            

Maple Syrup Glazed Salmon - Health Magazine


Level of Difficulty:  Easy

What you need:    Piece of salmon (wild, not farmed)
                               1 1/2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
                               2 Tbsp Grainy Mustard
                                A clove of garlic
                               1/8 tsp Cumin




Instructions:  

• Preheat oven/broiler to 350 degrees.
• Mix syrup, mustard, garlic and cumin together.  
• Spread mixture on salmon
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until the sauce gets browned or salmon is done.

Food for Thought:                        

I would recommend soaking the salmon with the sauce longer to get a better taste.  I didn't particularly care for this recipe, but the reasoning could be because only the top layer of the fish had a sweet flavor.  When you put each piece in your mouth, you first taste the sweetness, and then as you munched more, the flavor got bland.  I don't think I am making this recipe again, but who knows...you just might like it.  Thumbs down for me.  :(

Tofu Patties

Co-worker's tofu patty idea

 Ingredients:  
                   1 block firm tofu
                   1 egg

                   Wheat crackers
                   Vegetables of choice (I chose Spinach)

                   Spices (I used garlic powder and salt)


Level of Difficulty:  Easy

                              

Step 1: Drain tofu.  My co-worker drains it over night.  I was too hungry, so I let it sit for 5 min.  I recommend draining it longer because when everything was mixed, it was a bit watery.

Step 2:  Cook the vegetables in a pan for a few minutes.  

                                  

Step 3:  Mash the tofu and add vegies, egg, spices and crackers.  For the crackers, I add a handful at a time, mashed everything, then added more as needed.   

Step 4:  Heat olive oil in a pan.  Make tofu patties and fry until golden brown. 

Suggestions:  I would add heavier vegies like chopped up bell peppers, onions, or carrots.  I like spinach, but just the spinach alone didn't make the patties as firm as I wanted it to be. 

You can eat this in so many ways.  I ate it in a sandwich and also with a salad.  You could also pair it with rice and gravy.  It can also be frozen to be eaten on another day.  It's light, healthy and yummy.

 

BLT Pizza

                                                                                            Hungry Girl's BLT Pizza                                                         

  Level of Difficulty: Easy


Serving:  Makes 6 slices
Weight Watcher Plus Points: 6 points/slice

 Ingredients:  

Pillsbury Pizza Crust

    6 slices bacon : I used Turkey bacon

        1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise :  I used 1/3 cup

          1/2 tsp dry ranch dressing : I used  1/8 cup

      Tomatoes and lettuce
         

I adjusted the recipe because the pizza dough wouldn't expand in the pan.  I am also not a mayonnaise fan, so even if the crust would have expanded, I wouldn't have used the 1/2 cup mayonnaise the recipe called for.  I did add more of the Ranch dressing because I like the flavor.

Basically, you bake the crust by itself for 15 minutes and let it cool.  Mix the mayonnaise and the ranch dressing and spread on the crust.  Everything else goes on top.  It tasted really good and the recipe made four slices, although if the dough had spread out more, it would have made six slices.  It's simple, easy and delicious.  Like a BLT sandwich, but in a pizza form.