Sunday, 18 March 2018

Skinnytaste Success Story: Mary Billiot

I am thrilled to share another Skinnytaste weight loss story!

Hi friends! I am thrilled to share another Skinnytaste weight loss success story. Nothing makes me happier to hear these weight loss stories – how you did it, how long it took, what helped motivate you, etc, so I plan on sharing more of these stories to help inspire you! Mary shared her story on the Skinnytaste Facebook Community Group and everyone was so excited to find out more, so I asked her to share her story here. Thank you Mary!

Mary Billiot
Clothing Size: before 13 down to current size 4
Weight before/after: 166 pounds/128 pounds
How long: 3 months, started on December 4th

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Saturday, 17 March 2018

Skinnytaste Meal Plan (March 19-March 25)

A free 7-day flexible meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points.

A free 7-day flexible meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points.

Happy Saturday, I hope you all had a great week! I’ve been in Berkeley, California all week shooting my new cookbook with photographer Eva Kolenko, I can’t wait for you to see the photos!

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc. You should aim for around 1500 calories* a day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing!

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated Weight Watcher Freestyle Points for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!

MONDAY (3/19)
B: Maple Pecan Banana Muffin (4) with an orange (0)
L: Roast Beef, Arugula and Shaved Parmesan on a Baguette (9) and an apple (0)
D: Baked Potato Soup (5) and a green salad (2) with 2 tablespoons Low-fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (1)

Totals: Freestyle Points 21, Calories 937*

TUESDAY (3/20)
B: Maple Pecan Banana Muffin (4) with an orange (0)
L: LEFTOVER Baked Potato Soup (5) with 8 carrots sticks (0) Low-fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (1)
D: Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblanos (6) with Best Guacamole (3) and 1 ounce (about 14) baked tortilla chips (3)

Totals: Freestyle Points 22, Calories 925*

WEDNESDAY (3/21)
B: Maple Pecan Banana Muffin (4) with an orange (0)
L: Open Faced Tuna Sandwich with Avocado (4) and an apple (0)
D: Skinny Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy (5) with Creamy Cauliflower Puree (1)* (Recipe x 2 for Thurs leftovers)

Totals: Freestyle Points 14, Calories 887*

THURSDAY (3/22)
B: Maple Pecan Banana Muffin (4) with an orange (0)
L: Open Faced Tuna Sandwich with Avocado (4) and an apple (0)
D: LEFTOVER Skinny Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy (5) with Creamy Cauliflower Puree (1)

Totals: Freestyle Points 14, Calories 887*

FRIDAY (3/23)
B: 2 hard boiled eggs (0) and a pear (0)
L: Open Faced Tuna Sandwich with Avocado (4) and an apple (0)
D: Blackened Scallops with Horseradish Sauce (2) with ¾ cup brown rice (5) and Sautéed Julienned Summer Vegetables (1)

Totals: Freestyle Points 12, Calories 995*

SATURDAY (3/24)
B: Easy Tomatillo Huevos Rancheros (4) with ½ sliced mango (0)
L: Blood Orange Endive Salad (2) (Recipe x 4)
D: Dinner Out!

Totals: Freestyle Points 6, Calories 542*

SUNDAY (3/25)
B: Stuffed Bagel Balls (5) and ½ sliced banana (0) with ½ cup sliced strawberries (0)
L: Shrimp Quesadillas with Tomato Avocado Salsa (10)
D: Skillet Chicken Cordon Bleu (5) with Asparagus with Dijon Vinaigrette (1)

Totals: Freestyle Points 21, Calories 870*

*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc.

*NOTES: 1 Green salad includes 5 cups romaine, ½ cup each: carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, 2 scallions and ½ ounce shaved parmesan.

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Friday, 16 March 2018

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Muffins

These whole wheat Irish soda bread muffins are delicious, the perfect start a lazy cold March Sunday morning. Speckled with raisins, they are sweet and perfect enjoyed with a hot cup of tea.

These whole wheat Irish soda bread muffins are delicious, the perfect start a lazy cold March Sunday morning. Speckled with raisins, they are sweet and perfect enjoyed with a hot cup of tea.

Plus, making them in muffin tins is perfect for better portion control. I first posted these back in 2010, and almost forgot just how good these were! I used a combination of King Arthur unbleached white whole wheat flour with unbleached all purpose flour, and the flavor and texture was perfect – they don’t taste whole wheat at all. If you like caraway seeds in your bread, you can add about an eighth of a teaspoon.

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Thursday, 15 March 2018

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Since tomorrow is St Patrick's Day, I'm sure many of you will be enjoying the classic Irish-American dish, corned beef and cabbage, which I am sharing from the archives! This is what we'll be eating for dinner tomorrow and I can't wait! I used frozen pearl onions and I used parsnips instead of potatoes to make this easy peasy and the results were great!

I’m sure many of you will be enjoying the classic Irish-American dish, corned beef and cabbage, which I am sharing from the archives! So easy to make in the slow cooker, I used frozen pearl onions and parsnips instead of potatoes to make this easy-peasy!

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Saturday, 10 March 2018

Skinnytaste Meal Plan (March 12-March 18)

A free 7-day flexible meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points.

A free 7-day flexible meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points.

This week, I created another meal prep dish with my Embarrassingly Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Thighs. You can pack the lettuce and tomatoes separate for an easy lunch for the week. Chicken breast can also be used in place of thighs, if you prefer!

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc. You should aim for around 1500 calories* a day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing!

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated Weight Watcher Freestyle Points for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!

MONDAY (3/12)
B: 1 piece whole grain toast (3) with 1 tablespoon peanut butter (3) and 1 banana (0)
L: Embarrassingly Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Thighs (2) with ½ cup brown rice (3), 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce (0), ¼ cup tomatoes (0) and 2 tablespoons reduced fat cheese (1)
D: Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats (3) with Black Beans and Corn (0)
Totals: Freestyle Points 15, Calories 1,034*

TUESDAY (3/13)
B: 2 hard boiled eggs (0) and an orange (0)
L: Embarrassingly Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Thighs (2) with ½ cup brown rice (3), 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce (0), ¼ cup tomatoes (0) and 2 tablespoons reduced fat cheese (1)
D: Sheet Pan Italian Chicken and Veggie Dinner (8)
Totals: Freestyle Points 14, Calories 987*

WEDNESDAY (3/14)
B: 2 hard boiled eggs (0) and an orange (0)
L: Embarrassingly Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Thighs (2) with ½ cup brown rice (3), 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce (0), ¼ cup tomatoes (0) and 2 tablespoons reduced fat cheese (1)
D: Asian Lettuce Wrap Chicken Chopped Salad (8)
Totals: Freestyle Points 14, Calories 890*

THURSDAY (3/15)
B: 6 ounces nonfat Greek yogurt (0) with ½ cup sliced strawberries (0), 1 teaspoon honey (1) and 2 tablespoons cashews (3)
L: Embarrassingly Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Thighs (2) with ½ cup brown rice (3), 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce (0), ¼ cup tomatoes (0) and 2 tablespoons reduced fat cheese (1)
D: Lasagna Soup (8)
Totals: Freestyle Points 18, Calories 885*

FRIDAY (3/16)
B: 6 ounces nonfat Greek yogurt (0) with ½ cup sliced strawberries (0), 1 teaspoon honey (1) and 2 tablespoons cashews (3)
L: 1 whole wheat pita (4), with ¼ cup hummus (3) and carrot sticks (0)
D: Dinner out!
Totals: Freestyle Points 11, Calories 540*

SATURDAY (3/17)
B: Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata (1) with orange wedges (0)
L: Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad (2)
D: Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup (8) with Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Muffins (6)
Totals: Freestyle Points 17, Calories 832*

SUNDAY (3/18)
B: Easy Bagel Recipe (3) with 1 egg (0) and 2 ounces avocado (3) and fruit salad** (0)
L: Greek Nachos (5) (Recipe x 2) with ½ cup sliced strawberries (0)
D: Shepherd’s Pie Lightened Up (5)
Totals: Freestyle Points 16, Calories 877*

*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc.

**Fruit salad includes 2 chopped oranges, 2 sliced bananas, 1 cup sliced strawberries

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Thursday, 8 March 2018

Blackened Scallops with Horseradish Sauce

These quick seared Blackened Sea Scallops are coated in a homemade blend of blackened seasoning, then cooked in a cast iron skillet served with a creamy horseradish sauce.

These quick seared Blackened Sea Scallops are coated in a homemade blend of blackened seasoning, then cooked in a cast iron skillet served with a creamy horseradish sauce.
Blackened Scallops with Horseradish Sauce

On nights I don’t want to cook, we like to take a walk to a local restaurant which is literally 2 short blocks away from my house. It’s the type of restaurant that serves really good French Onion soup, steak tidbits, etc. But I often stick with seafood as a high protein, leaner option. Blackened scallops is usually my go-to, which I love so much I wanted to recreate them at home (they are so easy to make yourself!). The sauce cools the heat from the blackened seasoning, but you can of course reduce the cayenne if you prefer to make them mild.

I always get them with brown rice and sauteed julienned vegetables, which you can easily make yourself with a mandolin, julienne peeler or spiralizer.

These quick seared Blackened Sea Scallops are coated in a homemade blend of blackened seasoning, then cooked in a cast iron skillet served with a creamy horseradish sauce.

These quick seared Blackened Sea Scallops are coated in a homemade blend of blackened seasoning, then cooked in a cast iron skillet served with a creamy horseradish sauce.

How To Make Seared Blackened Scallops

  • Make sure the scallops are at room temperature before adding the melted butter.
  • To begin you’ll need a cast iron skillet. This recipe starts on the stove then finishes in the oven. In order to get a good sear, your skillet needs to be very hot.
  • Be sure to dry the scallops well before cooking. You can blot with paper towels.
  • If you like your food spicy, increase the cayenne pepper to 3/4 to 1 teaspoon.
  • Once the pan is hot, sear them without moving at least 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Cook until the center is slightly translucent, careful not to overcook.
  • You may want to open your windows, you kitchen will get smokey.
Did you make this recipe?

Blackened Scallops with Horseradish Sauce

These quick seared Blackened Sea Scallops are coated in a homemade blend of blackened seasoning, then cooked in a cast iron skillet served with a creamy horseradish sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)
  • 1- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 16 large sea scallops (20 ounces) room temperature

Horseradish Cream

  • 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon prepared grated horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. In a small bowl combine the horseradish cream ingredients and set aside.
  3. In another small bowl, add the paprika, cayenne, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper and mix to blend. Coat the scallops on all sides with the spices.
  4. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, and melt the butter.
  5. When very hot add the scallops and saute 1 minutes on each side.
  6. Transfer to the oven to finish cooking 4 to 5 minutes, or until the scallops are just cooked through and just opaque in the middle. (warning, you may want to open your windows, you kitchen will get smokey.) Serve with sauce.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 4 scallops, 1 1/2 tbsp sauce

  • Amount Per Serving:
  • Freestyle Points: 2
  • Points +: 4
  • Calories: 184 calories
  • Total Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 60mg
  • Sodium: 400mg
  • Carbohydrates: 6.5g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Sugar: 0.5g
  • Protein: 25g
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Wednesday, 7 March 2018

Cream of Asparagus Soup

I LOVE cream of asparagus soup, it’s pure comfort in a bowl and so simple to make. This recipe is made with just 5 ingredients, not counting salt and pepper and is ready under 25 minutes!

I LOVE cream of asparagus soup, it's pure comfort in a bowl and so simple to make. Made with just 5 ingredients and ready under 25 minutes!
Cream of Asparagus Soup

This healthy, creamy soup is made with no cream, it’s simply pureed with a little sour cream, which you can totally omit if you want to keep it dairy free. I watered a little sour cream down and drizzled a little more on top. Perfect for a light lunch, or to serve with a sandwich or a salad.

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