Penne with Zucchini and Goat Cheese

Delicious! That is what this dish is...absolutely so good and incredibly easy to make! If you can boil water then you can make this insanely good tasting meal...the secret to this recipe lies in the use of goat cheese. I love cheese of any kind but have never cooked with goat cheese before, this is all going to change! The sauteed zucchini tossed in olive oil with the penne would have made for a sufficiently good time...but the last minute inclusion of goat cheese transformed the dish into a creamy, out of this world alfredo-like sauce! I had not anticipated the cheese to melt in such a manner...it quite seriously looked and tasted as though I had prepared a full flour/butter based cream sauce. Such a delightful meal and a great way to enjoy pasta on this new Points Plus program (side note...my goodness how busy WW meetings are right now! I went to my usual Monday night and people were swarming around reception like flies on honey!) This will definitely be a repeater, gotta try: Penne with Zucchini and Goat Cheese

Pierogies with Creamy Mushroom and Sherry Sauce, Balsamic Spinach and Turtle Brownies

Perhaps my favorite recipe thus far into the WW cooking experience (beginning around March) has been what I deliciously whipped up for dinner last night. Growing up I had the occasional pierogie from the typical sources...Oktoberfest festivals, international cuisine events, etc. However, since meeting my sweet Polish love, pierogies have become somewhat of a staple. So imagine my surprise when I found a fantastic and super easy recipe from the, "WW Stir It Up! Super Skillet Cookbook." This recipe has a truly phenomenal taste combination of nutty mushrooms with caramelized onions in a sherry flavored sour cream sauce that when topped with chives is pretty perfect. The pierogies themselves require no effort as pre-made low fat store versions are used to keep the fat/calories in check. A generous 1 1/2cup serving is a great way to spend 5pts! Definitely try Pierogies with Creamy Mushroom and Sherry Sauce

To accompany the very rich tasting pierogies I usually opt for a side of steamed asparagus, but since local stores were out I went for another lovely green staple...spinach! To "fanci-fy" my side I quickly sauteed the spinach (one bag of pre-washed baby spinach) in 1tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Upon wilt I added a few quick seasonings: 1/4tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp black pepper. And to really add some extra flavor I used 1oz or 2tbsp of fat free feta for a great tasting side with a .5pt value! Serving size may vary depending upon how wilted you allow your spinach to become...however mine measured a very full 1/3 cup scoop.

For dessert I tried making a new kind of brownie; I love brownies and since starting WW I have tried at least four recipes that have results ranging from "ok" to "I actually had a friend try it and she spat it out." So imagine my surprise when the Turtle Brownies from, "WW Ultimate Classics 101 Best-Loved Recipes," turned out so good that I double checked the points value certain that I would find a 6 in place of the 3. These are definitely worth the effort! I think the secret lies in pre-toasting the pecans for that extra nutty flavor or perhaps it is just the inclusion of Rolos (by the way, I could never find Mini Rolos so I ended up cutting up a role of the regular kind...I cut each piece into fours.) To make this recipe even better (if you were not already convinced) by using butter, sugar and egg substitute I was able to make the brownies drop from 3pts to 2pts per brownie! If you are a brownie or chocolate lover you have got to try Turtle Brownies

So there you have last night's feast for a whopping total of 7.5pts! Happy Cooking!

Spicy Jack Cheese and Spinach Quesadillas with Refried Beans

Though not having picked this particular selection I was curious nonetheless to see what sort of flavor combination lime and spinach would produce; this recipe comes from the, "WW Stir It Up! Super Skillet Cookbook." The best thing I can say about this dinner is that it is very quick and very easy to make...I can also mention that the recipe makes four servings and Wojtek ate three of these four! Overall the taste just seemed like it needed something...perhaps a bit more salt to bring out the flavor of the spinach, or maybe even nutmeg? I don't know...honestly it was really not that bad, kind of good...great if you're a Wojtek, but for me I think not a repeat. I paired the quesadillas with a 1/2cup serving of lime and chili flavored fat free refried beans for a great 1pt side dish. Topped everything off with 1tbsp of salsa and 1tbsp of fat free sour cream to make things festive without adding points. Total for the meal: 5pts! Try it and tell me what you think Spicy Jack Cheese and Spinach Quesadillas