Recipe Roundup

I have had an opportunity to try a few of the Weight Watchers recipes available on the web. Some of them have been okay, some not so okay. Here are my reviews:


No Points® Value Vegetable Soup
If you're into vegetables, you just can't go wrong with this soup. The broth base gives it a nice flavor to build from and, since vegetables are relatively equal, you can pretty much throw anything in here you want. I, for instance, do not like celery, cabbage or cauliflower and I'm not quite sure what Swiss Chard is or if I can even get it where I live. I do, however, like yellow squash and always put in extra carrots. Chop the broccoli small if you don't like big chunks.

Tomato Spinach Slow Cooker Soup
Like the soup above this has a zero point value and makes a great "filler" if you want to add a little extra to a meal or just need an in-between appetite satisfier. This one relies on the tomatoes for much of its flavor. The spinach looks like you're putting together a salad more than a soup but it cooks down nicely and actually adds to the soup well.

Turkey Enchilada Pie
My wife thinks this was bland but I enjoyed its flavor. 4 ounces of jalapenos is WAY too much. The next time I make it I will cut that at least in half. They really overpower the dish at that concentration. I will also probably add some more chili powder or some other spice to the turkey to season the meat itself a bit more. Overall it was edible but needs a little tweaking.

Turkey Burger with Chili Fries
Oh, these were a mistake. In my recipe binder, I wrote, "This needs something... I think it's called FLAVOR!!" Even with the amount of onions and other spices mixed in with the meat it was completely without flavor. Maybe I cooked it wrong or something but I gave a friend some and he described it as, "You know what happens to cardboard when it gets wet?" The potatoes were okay but took longer to cook than the recipe said and they came out bland as well. I know you're supposed to limit your sodium intake but come on! Let's put a little more flavor in there - experiment with the seasonings.

Italian Turkey and Spaghetti Squash Pie
I made this tonight and it turned out rather well. Its biggest drawback is the prep and assembly time. There really wasn't much chopping but you have to cook the squash, then transform it. After that, you assemble the "pie" and it takes the better part of an hour before you ever get the assembled product in the oven for the final heating.

Once it's done, though, it comes out tasty. I used real cheese since our Wal Mart doesn't carry any low-fat or no-fat cheeses. The squash could have used a little kick for flavor (maybe just a bit of salt) but I haven't quite worked out how or when to add it.

I buy my turkey in 1lb rolls so it's hard to make something with 1/2 pound (what do you do with the other half?). I decided to make two and 58 oz of undrained diced tomatoes makes it come out pretty wet (tip: use a chili pot to heat the turkey/tomato mixture). Another adjustment I will make next time I make it is to drain one of the cans. Maybe that will help.