Anybody Doing WW Core - Recipe Exchange

[blazedog]

I started WW Core this week and think it's great as it's basically the way I enjoy eating the most - fish, veggies, whole grains, FRUIT (yeah to unlimited:D).

This morning I had a CORE version of Baked Oatmeal and it was really yummy and satisfying. Topped it with TJ FF Yogurt and some fresh blueberries. I'll post the recipe below.

I'm planning to make the Green Bean, Garbanzo & Feta Salad with FF Feta and also try the Blueberry Corn Muffins (CORE version) which have been circulating.

Oh yes, I LOVE Grace's Cole Slaw made with Splenda -- becomes totally CORE.

Anybody else have some good CORE recipes or suggestions.

Baked Oatmeal Cake

2 cups oatmeal dry
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs or Eggbeater equivalent
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup sugar twin brown sugar (couldn't find yet so used plain Splenda
2 mashed bananas
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Mike dry ingredients then mix in wet ingredients.
Pour into 8 x 8 cake pan. Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

[TerriS]

Yay! Thanks for starting this thread!!!

Okay, core recipes...

Chickpea Quinoa Pilaf
I just made this up last week, but turns out it's CORE! Sorry, I don't have it formally, but I think I can get it down...I hope the quantities are right!

1 large can chickpeas (19 oz? the big fat ones)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 summer squash, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or to taste
1/2 onion, diced
approx 1 tsp each of basil, oregano, thyme or other spices to taste
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

In a large saucepan saute the squash, onion and garlic with some Pam. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chickpeas and quinoa, cover, reduce heat to low, cook for 10-15 minutes until most water is absorbed.

I got about six servings out of this, I think.

My Current Smoothie (CORE)
It's easier to make this for two.

2 cups frozen fruit (berries, peaches, mango, cherries, etc.)
1/3 of a banana
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
approx 1.5 cups Crystal Light (orange sunrise, raspberry lemonade, lemonade, etc)

Put fruit in blender. Add banana and milk powder. Add enough Crystal Light to barely cover. Blend on medium low, stopping to stir occassionally. Add more Crystal Light as mixture appears too thick, 1/4 cup at a time. Blend on increasingly higher speeds until smooth.
(I just eyeball the CL - I've been making these almost daily in some form for 3 years).

Makes 2 servings.

Thank goodness bananas are back!

[TerriS]

And here's my meal plan for the week.

Breakfasts: smoothie and/or 1-point English muffin topped with 1/8 cup egg beaters, canadian bacon & Kraft FF singles cheese (1 point for muffin)

Snacks: jello cups, 94% FF popcorn, string cheese (1 point), veggies with black & refried bean dip, fiber one cereal with carb smart yogurts (1 point for the yogurt)

Lunches: leftovers & fruit

Dinners:
*salsa chicken w/zucchini & avocado
*burgandy pork tenderloin w/carrots, potatoes, etc (will have to count a little of the wine it is cooked in)
*chickpea-quinoa pilaf
*coriander teriyaki flank steak (1 point for sugar in marinade) w/grilled veggies
*breaded dill fish (Moosewood) using all wheat germ for breading & veggies

Dessert: will use 2 points on good old light ice cream. Just tried the new stuff by Skinny Cow - it's darn good!

[blazedog]

Hey Terri

Just got back from the Farmer's Market -- I'll be making the following -- need to find some recipes

Guacamole with cut up veggies to dip
Chicken with Citrus Latino Sauce - 1 point for the lime and orange juice marinade
TOT Lemon Garlic Chicken -- totally CORE:)
Crustless Spinach Feta Quiche
Candice's Brown Rice & Veggie Casserole -- made with Soy Cheese it's totally Core and delicious -- had it for dinner last night.

I am making the Wasabi Peas from the WW site.

I am also looking forward to watermelon and grapes -- both fruits which used to be small portions:)

[sarah2397]

I am making the Wasabi Peas from the WW site.

Any way you would want to post the Wasabi Peas recipe?

[HeatherTx]

Is the spinach feta quiche from the boards? I can search for it but just wondered. LOL.

My plan this week includes core beef fajitas (on romaine leaves or corn tortillas), salmon on core creamed spinach, pork tenderloin, "fried" scallops (cornmeal is core and I can use my 2 tsp oil per day to fry them).

Here is the creamed spinach recipe. I will skip the processing step.

Creamed Spinach

Was | POINTS value of 6
Now | POINTS value of 0
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 8 min
Cooking Time | 7 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

side dishes | If you've been dodging this fat-laden side dish, it's time to put it back on your plate. We've trimmed it down so you can stay on track without sacrificing this traditional favorite.

Ingredients


10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1 tsp dehydrated onion flakes, or minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste


Instructions

In a blender or food processor, combine spinach and evaporated milk; puree until smooth.

Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan and add minced onion and garlic powder. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, until thick.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving. Note: For those on the Flex Plan, keep in mind that a larger (1 cup) serving will have a POINTS value of 1.

[blazedog]

I haven't made the Wasabi Peas yet -- I love regular Wasabi Peas but those babies are packed with transfatty acids and other not so good stuff. I haven't found my feta/spinach recipe yet but here's a Cheese Quiche from the WW site -- It looks great but I haven't located FF Parmesan cheese or FF Ricotta Cheese yet. I am really liking the TJ shredded soy cheese I got (mix of cheddar, jack and mozzerella -- melted and tasted just fine in my brown rice casserole.

Wasabi Roasted Peas
Core Recipe
Servings |  8
Preparation Time |  7 min
Cooking Time |  200 min
Level of Difficulty |  Easy

These spicy peas are a great fix for snack attacks. If you’re feeling adventurous, turn up the heat by adding 1 to 2 more teaspoons of wasabi powder.


Ingredients

2 serving cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
3 pound frozen green peas, thawed under hot water and drained
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
8 tsp wasabi powder, or to taste
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225ºF. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.


Transfer peas to prepared baking sheets and bake 3 hours, or until dry, shaking pans every 30 minutes to promote even cooking.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, wasabi powder and mustard. When peas have roasted, add them to wasabi mixture and toss to coat. Return peas to baking sheet and bake until coating is dry, about 20 minutes more. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving. (Note: To keep peas crisp, store in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag for 3 days. To re-crisp already cooked peas that have gone soft, cook on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 250ºF.)

Five Cheese Spinach Quiche



Core Recipe
Servings |  6
Preparation Time |  20 min
Cooking Time |  35 min
Level of Difficulty |  Easy

This crustless quiche is loaded with the intense flavor of five cheeses. Packed with spinach, it’ll really satisfy.

Ingredients

1 serving cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
1 cup onion(s), yellow, sliced
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
3/4 cup Kraft Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese, or other brand
2 slice Borden Fat Free Singles American Cheese, or other brand, torn
3 large egg(s), lightly beaten
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fat-free bleu cheese dressing
1/4 cup Kraft Non-Fat Grated Cheese Topping, or other fat-free parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 9-inch nonstick pie pan with cooking spray.


Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.


Transfer onions to a large bowl and add spinach, ricotta, cheddar cheese, American cheese, salad dressing, eggs, mustard, oregano, salt and black pepper. Mix until well blended. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth top with back of a spoon. Sprinkle with grated topping.


Bake until a knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 6 pieces.

[sarah2397]

Thanks Blazedog!

[Mamasue]

What is the core program? I started on my own doing the WW last month using the point system. Is this a program that is similar to low carb? Can you direct me to where I can read about it. The WW web site does not explain unless you are a online participant. :(

Thanks

[blazedog]

Mama -- There are certain foods that are "Core". Basically all lean meats, legumes, fruits, veggies, certain grains. You can eat your fill of these foods -- not to the point of being stuffed but in touch with your satiation.

Certain foods -- brown rice, whole wheat pasta and potatoes can only be eaten once a day (also ground beef or turkey) -- but again, not limited to a WW serving but not eating to the point of being stuffed.

Part of the concept is being in your comfort zone - eat when you're hungry and stop before you feel uncomfortably full.

You get 35 points to use if you eat foods which aren't CORE -- For example bread is not a CORE food so you would have to use its points value if you want a sandwich. If you cook and know the ingredients, you can just use the points value of the non Core foods but if you eat out, you need to use the standard points for a dish.

It's not difficult but I've just scratched the surface. I have a list of CORE foods which I could email if you are interested.

The premise is really that if you eat lean non-processed foods which are NOT calorically dense, you will lose weight and be healthy -- for example, the difference between 100 calories of OREO cookies and 100 calories of watermelon.

I think a lot of WW members were misusing the FLEX points since you weren't required to use them for nutritionally sound foods. When I lost a lot of weight on WW, you had to eat a certain number of servings of fruits, veggies, fish etc. and your optional calories (think that is what they were called back then:)) really were only used to "purchase" treats or condiments for foods that weren't on the program as opposed to being able to not eat fruit/milk and then use the points for chocolate.

Hope this brief synopsis helps.:)

[blazedog]

I haven't tried this yet but I can't wait.:)

Blueberry Corn Muffins (CORE)

1 cup uncooked cornmeal
1/4 cup SPLENDA
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
1 item egg
4 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 cup fat-free skim milk
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 cup blueberries
Instructions
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Combine, and fold in blueberries. Bake in muffin tins (sprayed with cooking spray) at 400 degrees until lightly brown on top (about 15 minutes

[Mamasue]

Thanks blazedog! Right now I think I will stick to what I am doing since it seems to be working. Would love to hear how the blueberry corn muffins work out though! Does the recipe have a serving of 12? :)

[emilyn]

I made the blueberry corn muffins last night, I got 12 from it. They were ok. The blueberries all rose to the top. The batter was really runny. As an all core food it's probably pretty good but it's not like a really good muffin. I don't know, not really describing it well I guess.

I also made a variation of baked oatmeal over the weekend. It's one that was posted on the board a while ago. I used brown sugar so it would be a point for each serving. I used fresh blueberries instead of any dried fruit. I thought it was really good and it stays with you a while. I'll probably try the one posted by blazedog at the top of this thread next.

I made a mexican chicken salad posted on the weight watchers board but I haven't tried it yet.

[TerriS]

Here's what we had for dinner last night. You can make it Core by using fat free cheese...I used the real stuff and just counted a point for it...barely used a pinch of it. I also added about 1/4 a chopped avocado as a garnish, and cooked some diced zucchini and onion with it in the pan and served it on top of that with some brown rice. Let's see, I also just used the chopped green chiles that come in a can and left out the olives. Gee, this is like an epicurious review! :) What really works with this recipe is the coating the chicken with the taco seasoning, cooking it in the pan and then finishing in the oven. Really really good.

Salsa Chicken

Personalize this recipe by using your favorite tomato-based salsa. Or try a fruit salsa such as peach, cranberry, or pineapple. Serve over white rice.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
Cooking spray
2/3 cup bottled salsa
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 (4-ounce) can whole green chiles, drained and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives

Preheat oven to 475°.
Combine chicken and seasoning in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Arrange chicken in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with salsa, cheese, and chiles. Bake at 475° for 8 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is melted. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 1/2 teaspoons olives.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 207 (15% from fat); FAT 3.5g (satfat 1.4g, monofat 1.1g, polyfat 0.5g); PROTEIN 33.4g; CARBOHYDRATE 9.5g; FIBER 2.1g; CHOLESTEROL 71mg; IRON 1.5mg; SODIUM 587mg; CALCIUM 130mg;

[blazedog]

Avoid the Wasabi Peas -- YUCK:D I can't imagine anybody preferring them to Edamame beans which I just keep in my fridge now as a snack.

The Wasabi Peas reminded me of some of the ersatz WW creations when I first started the program and bread was the only carb allowed.

[kwormann]

Ive been hearing about a new cookbook that goes with the new program....anyone have it???

[blazedog]

I've been going through some CL recipes with CORE in mind and these look wonderful and totally CORE I think:) Roasted Corn, Black Bean, and Mango Salad

From Cooking Light


Browning corn in a skillet gives it a nutty, caramelized flavor that contrasts with the tartness of the mango. But brown it good--corn likes it that way.

1  tablespoon vegetable oil
2  garlic cloves, minced
3  cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
2  cups diced peeled ripe mango (about 2 pounds)
1  cup chopped red onion
1  cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3  cup fresh lime juice
3  tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon ground cumin
1  drained canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
2  (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
8  cups gourmet salad greens

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in corn; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Place corn mixture in a large bowl. Add mango and remaining ingredients except greens; stir well. Arrange 1 cup greens on each of 8 plates. Spoon 1 cup corn mixture over greens.

Yield: 8 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 204 (15% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat  0.6g,  mono 0.8g,  poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 9.2g;  CARB 39g;  FIBER 6.9g;  CHOL 0.0mg;  IRON 2.8mg;  SODIUM 315mg;  CALC 56mg; 

Cooking Light, JULY 2000

Couscous with Corn and Black Beans

From Cooking Light


1 1/2  cups water
1  cup uncooked couscous
1/2  cup chopped fresh parsley
1  (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1  (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and drained
3  tablespoons orange juice
1  teaspoon grated lemon rind
3  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2  tablespoons olive oil
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon ground cumin
1/8  teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, and stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine couscous, parsley, beans, and corn in a large bowl; toss. Combine orange juice and the next 6 ingredients (orange juice through pepper); stir. Add to couscous mixture; toss well.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 332 (21% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat  1g,  mono 5g,  poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 12.4g;  CARB 58g;  FIBER 6g;  CHOL 0.0mg;  IRON 2.8mg;  SODIUM 321mg;  CALC 32mg; 

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1995

Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans

From Cooking Light


2  teaspoons vegetable oil
1  cup chopped onion
1  tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
2  teaspoons curry powder
1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/8  teaspoon salt
1  (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/3  cup chopped fresh parsley
1  tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and gingerroot; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder; cook an additional minute. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add salt, black beans, and chickpeas; stir well. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in fresh parsley and lemon juice. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 main-dish servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 258 (17% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat  0.8g,  mono 1.3g,  poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 13.3g;  CARB 43.2g;  FIBER 7.1g;  CHOL 0.0mg;  IRON 4.6mg;  SODIUM 552mg;  CALC 100mg; 

Cooking Light, JANUARY 1995

[Catew]

Our good friend, the La Bamba casserole is core as well (just use lean turkey and ff cheese or count the cheese points). And remember that ff sour cream and avocadoes are core as well! I served it with brown rice, salsa verde, and steamed broccoli. You get 6 servings too, and it freezes well for lunches or emergency dinners.

(it's on here about 110 times, but I'll post it anyway).

La Bamba Casserole

1 (5.25-ounce) can whole green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut green chiles in half lengthwise. Arrange chiles in a single layer in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add diced tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Spoon turkey mixture over chiles. Top with corn. Carefully spread beans over corn. Sprinkle cheese over beans. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; top with chopped tomato and green onions.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

CALORIES 344 (28% from fat); FAT 10.7g (satfat 6.3g, monofat 2.9g, polyfat 0.8g); PROTEIN 32.2g; CARBOHYDRATE 30.7g; FIBER 7.4g; CHOLESTEROL 77mg; IRON 3.2mg; SODIUM 902mg; CALCIUM 269mg;
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

[blazedog]

I made this last winter and it was superb and it's totally CORE. Yeah

Bree's Lentil Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/3 cups water
2 1/3 cups dried lentils
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
Chopped fresh tomatoes (optional)
Cilantro sprig (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute for 3 minutes or until tender. Add the turmeric and the next 6 ingredients (turmeric through garlic); saute for 1 minute. Add water and next 4 ingredients (water through diced tomatoes); bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour.

2. Reserve 2 cups lentil mixture. Place half of remaining mixture in blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with other half of remaining mixture. Stir in reserved 2 cups lentil mixture. Garnish with chopped tomatoes and a cilantro sprig if desired. Yield: 11 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 186 (9% from fat); FAT 1.9g (sat 0.3g, mono 1.0g; poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 14.1g; CARB 29.8g; FIBER 13.9g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 4.4mg; SODIUM 412mg; CALC 54mg

[Mlasley]

I have the new Turnaround cookbook which has all CORE recipes. So far I've made the mushroom beef barley soup (excellent), turkey cutlets with roasted red pepper and mozarella, and succotash (really good). I think it is worth it. Of course, I am an avid cookbook fiend.

[kwormann]

Do you know, do you have to buy it at a meeting?

[blazedog]

Regarding the cookbook, yes although I've been told it's already being sold on EBAY. I believe the expanded Core Food List is also a purchase rather than a freebie.

[slknight]

I'll have to double-check the core foods list, but I think the favorite chicken and barley is core, isn't it? Or it might be with a bit of tweaking.

Smothered Barley with Chicken

1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried mint flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
6 (4-ounce) chicken thighs -- skinned (Use boneless skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/4 cups uncooked pearl barley
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes -- drained
6 tablespoons chopped green onions

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a small bowl, and rub chicken with half of spice mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 1 minute on each side or until chicken is browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Recoat skillet with cooking spray; add chopped onion, bell pepper, and soy sauce. Cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Add broth, barley, tomatoes, and remaining spice mixture, and stir well. Add chicken to skillet, nestling into vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 55 minutes or until chicken is done. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh, 1 cup barley mixture, and 1 tablespoon green onions

[KLynn]

Thanks for starting this thread, blazedog!

I am planning on making this tonight, with a combo of regular and FF Feta (counting a point for the feta), and cutting back on the oil.

MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS SALAD

1-1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup plain couscous
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced very thinly
1/2 cup loosely packed shredded fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese


In medium saucepan, bring water and pepper just to a boil. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork; cool, uncovered 10 minutes.
In large bowl, combine couscous, lemon juice and olive oil. Add tomatoes, zucchini, basil and green onions. Chill 4 hours or overnight. Stir in cheese before serving. Serve on lettuce leaves or as a filling for pita bread.

Source: CLBB, Posted by Canice

[blazedog]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by slknight
[B]I'll have to double-check the core foods list, but I think the favorite chicken and barley is core, isn't it? Or it might be with a bit of tweaking.

Great minds think alike :D Totally CORE. I had just dug out my East Africa Braised Chicken which I love but don't tend to make as often since it was a high points entree. I love the raisins (hate dates) so I think I'll just count the points for raisins and wine. Couscous is Core -- yeah.

With Core, I am so filling up with my favorite Core foods, that I am not using my points plus I do 45 minutes on the Stairmaster each morning so I have about 3 points a day for that :)

Love CORE -- I had been plateauing for SO LONG and I am down 3 pounds since Sunday eating so much wonderful food:D


East African Braised Chicken

From Cooking Light
Braising in a highly spiced aromatic liquid yields an exceptionally flavorful and tender result. Serve this adaptation of an East African dish with a bowl of plain low-fat yogurt and flatbreads or couscous.

2  chicken breast halves (about 3/4 pound), skinned
2  chicken thighs (about 1/2 pound), skinned
2  chicken drumsticks (about 1/2 pound), skinned
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon black pepper
1  tablespoon olive oil
3  cups vertically sliced onion
1  tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1  teaspoon curry powder
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2  teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4  teaspoon ground red pepper
2  large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2  cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2  cup dry white wine
3  tablespoons chopped pitted dates
3  tablespoons golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from pan.

Add the onion to pan; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ginger and next 5 ingredients (ginger through garlic); cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken, broth, and the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken and about 1/4 cup sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 279 (29% from fat); FAT 8.9g (sat  2g,  mono 4.4g,  poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 28.1g;  CARB 21.9g;  FIBER 3g;  CHOL 79mg;  IRON 2mg;  SODIUM 423mg;  CALC 48mg; 

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2001

[TerriS]

That chicken and barley recipe looks great, thanks!

A word of caution about couscous...part of me thinks it is a mistake that it is on the core list...it is not always considered a whole grain. Check the labels! Sometimes it is basically just small pasta!

[blazedog]

Teri -- Couscous is pasta -- it's not a grain. I only use whole wheat couscous anyway:D I'm not worried about couscous portion control -- my trigger would probably be whole wheat pasta :D

[Molli526]

Originally posted by Mlasley
I have the new Turnaround cookbook which has all CORE recipes. So far I've made the mushroom beef barley soup (excellent), turkey cutlets with roasted red pepper and mozarella, and succotash (really good). I think it is worth it. Of course, I am an avid cookbook fiend.

They don't have it yet at my meeting :( I asked Tuesday and they said it is on its way though :)

[mbeth]

This is a very interesting thread!! I'm not doing WW now, since I'm pregnant, but CORE sounds like exactly what I like to eat--whole grains, beans, veggies, and yummy avacado. I'm definitely going to look into this when I'm breastfeeding!

Catew--I'm making the La Bamba casserole tonight! (with regular cheese) and serving with brown rice, as you suggested. Thanks for posting it!

[KLynn]

I am also making up a batch of these tomatoes to serve with polenta, and later with WW pasta.


Tomatoes Roasted with Rosemary and Lemon

Cooking Light June 2004

Proof that simple foods are often best, this colorful multipurpose combination of tomatoes, herbs, and lemon smells almost as good as it tastes. To serve over pasta, cook 12 ounces dried pasta; drain and return pasta to pan. Stir in 3 cups of the roasted tomatoes; cook over low heat until liquid thickens. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat oven to 400°

Place all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss well to combine. Place tomato mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove mixture from oven.

Preheat broiler.

Broil tomatoes for 10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Remove from oven; stir gently to combine.

Note: Place chilled tomatoes in heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags; freeze for up to 3 months.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 53 (34% from fat); FAT 2g (sat 0.3g, mono 1.1g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CARB 9g; FIBER 2.2g; CHOL 0.0mg; IRON 1mg; SODIUM 134mg; CALC 15mg;

[HeatherTx]

Thanks for all the recipes! I go tomorrow for my first Core weigh in.

I made this for dinner tonight. Serving size is 4 but it made 5 good sized servings for us since we had salad and canteloupe too. I also added a large diced tomato for some extra color and upped the red pepper flakes since we like things spicy.

Shrimp Couscous --Points: 7
From: WW Make it in Minutes Cookbook
Serves: 4 (338 Calories 5g Fat 3g Dietary Fiber)

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil [well within Core oil allowance]
1 zucchini, chopped
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 cup couscous

Saute onion and garlic in 2 tsp of olive oil, until soft. Add zucchini and saute 1 minute or so. Add chicken broth, thyme, red pepper & shrimp and bring to boil. Add couscous; remove from heat, cover and fluff after 5 minutes or when fluid is absorbed.

[KLynn]

I was craving some comfort food tonight, so I got adventurous and made meatloaf using rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs. I generally followed a recipe from AllRecipes, but made several adaptations. What I ended up with is below:

OAT MEATLOAF

1.25 lb. 93% lean ground beef
1 egg
I small onion, finely chopped
2/3 c. oatmeal
3/4 c. fat free milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Ketchup


Mix all ingredients except ketchup. Line broiler pan with foil. Shape mixture into two loaves and place on top of broiler pan. Top with ketchup.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until brown.

[rosie_one]

Wow, that is the meatloaf recipe my mother fed us throughout my childhood, minus the onion. Don't you just hate it when your mother turns out to be right on these things? :)

I really have been enjoying the core strategy. This was a favorite.

Gingered Shrimp and Soba (from the Moosewood Low-Fat cookbook)

3 T. Soy Sauce
2 T. Dry Sherry
2 T. Water
1 T. Grated ginger root
1 bunch broccolini, chopped into bite sized pieces
½ - ¾ cup edamame
8 oz. soba noodles
2 t. canola or sesame oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ c. scallions (optional

1) Bring large pot of water to boil.
2) In sm. sc. pan, combine soy sc.; sherry; water; and grated ginger root and simmer on med. heat for 5 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
3) Blanch bunch of broccoli and edamame in boiling water (covered) 3-5 mins. and remove with slotted spoon, setting aside. Add soba noodles (buckwheat noodles - get where Asian foods are sold) to still boiling water and cook for 8-10 mins.
4) While noodles cook, combine sesame oil, lemon juice and garlic cloves in a non-reactive skillet and warm on med. high heat. Add shrimp and saute for 3-5 mins. until just pink and tender. Set aside.
5) Drain noodles and return to pot. Add broccoli, shrimp, chopped scallions (if desired), and soy sc. mix and toss on med. heat until everything hot. Serve immediately.

It was really delicious. I've also experimented with baked oatmeal bars (didn't like the splenda aftertaste though) and steel cut oats, apples and bananas in the crockpot. I love oatmeal. Yum.

[Dawn43]

I have always loved Baked oatmeal and I bake mine in 6 muffin tins for easy handling and storage.
Might want to give it a try I bake 4 batches and then freeze them and re warm in the micro.
Dawn

[greysangel]

I saw the cookbook and I didn't think it was anything to get excited about :o I would actually look towards Eating well and old CL cookbooks like complete. Most of us know how to tweak well :D The recipes looked really really basic.

J

[Molli526]

Originally posted by greysangel
I saw the cookbook and I didn't think it was anything to get excited about :o

That's sad.

[bijoux22]

I love the new core program! Last week I had

Black Bean Mushroom Chili
Zucchini Lasagna
7 Layer Bean Dip
Baked Apples

It is so much easier to cook with core foods and not worry about measuring and counting points. My first week I lost 2.6 pounds, and I used some of my extra points for beer, now that is a great plan!

Cheryl:p

[crazycook]

Hi all,

I was searching for CORE recipes for a friend and came across this BB that has a forum dedicated to CORE recipes. They are listed by category, ie: Snacks, Desserts, Light Meals, Side Dishes, Entrees, etc. They have also linked to other recipes posted on their site that can be considered CORE with some minor adaptations. I thought of the people here and thought I would post the link for you to check out if you're interested. Here is the link to the site. I hope it's helpful.

CORE RECIPES (http://p087.ezboard.com/fdottisweightlosszonefrm139)

Enjoy your day! :)

Anna

[crazycook]

Here is a recipe that my friend Cathy(on WW-CORE) shared with me and that my family enjoyed. We found it quite tasty. I still have to get portion size under control :rolleyes: because one thigh per person just didn't seem enough to me. I made a couple of additions (not sure if they are CORE-acceptable, as noted in the recipe).



* Exported from MasterCook *

Cathy's Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Peppers

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 Skinless Chicken Breasts, or Thighs
Paprika -- to taste
Salt and Pepper -- to taste
1 Lemon -- sliced
1/2 Lemon -- juiced
4 Potatoes -- peeled and sliced into wedges
2 Red Peppers -- sliced into thick strips
8 Garlic Clove -- whole
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary

Preheat oven to 425º F (220º C). Spray a 9" X 13" (3L) baking dish with cooking spray.

Season chicken pieces with paprika, salt & pepper.

Thinly slice lemon and arrange slices in pan.

Toss potatoes, peppers, 8 whole cloves of garlic, olive oil, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and black pepper to taste. Scatter in dish.

Place chicken on vegetables. Drizzle with 2 tblsp. lemon juice from 1/2 of another lemon.

Cover and roast 30 min. Uncover, stir vegetables and continue to roast, uncovered, about 30 more minutes.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 228 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (20% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 57mg Cholesterol; 70mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : I doubled the recipe (used thighs only) and cooked it in my large roasting pan. I added some dried marjoram and one whole Vidalia Onion chunked to the vegetable mixture (not sure if those additions are CORE or not). Make sure the pan is large enough so that the pan juices have a chance to reduce. (I found I had to cook for a bit longer after uncovered--oven temp. off??)
Nutr. Assoc. : 902592 0 0 0 2130706543 0 0 0 0 0 0

Enjoy!

Anna :)

[CindyWeightWatcher]

Love this thread! I'm trying Core too. I bought the Turnaround
Cookboook but haven't tried anything from it. When I do, I'll post.
Meantime, if anyone knows of a recipe they want me to post I will!

[AZLorena]

Just a quick question. Hubby and I are trying the CORE plan with some borrowed materials from a friend. I was just wondering. Would Wheatberries be considered CORE? I love them....but don't eat them much. Are they along the same lines as barley?

Lorena

[KLynn]

My guess would be that they are Core, but I don't really know.

[greysangel]

wheatberries are not in the complete list, but quinoa, couscous, brown rice and barley are all core...I'm guessing wheatberries are too :D

And that recipe is core too...I can't believe chicken thighs are core..I had to do a double take!

j

[Gracie]

I have not been to WW in a couple of weeks and am reading this very interesting thread.

What I am getting from it is that CORE seems to be a modified South Beach - like jumping in at Phase 2 of SB and skipping the Phase 1. However it seems that potatoes are allowed in CORE??

Is this a good assessment of CORE?

Loren

[greysangel]

Loren - It's like south beach in that it's a healthy carb approach and it's not about "counting" with the exception of the allowance points. That's about where it ends :D

South beach phase II sort of has you guestimate how many carbs to reintroduce back.

WW Core only has limits on:

fats - only 2 tsp of healthy oil (olive, canola, flaxseed) per day
protein - lean (although chicken thighs are in there!)
potatoes, ww pasta, brown rice - 1x a day
high fiber cereal - 1x a day

those are the limits in addition to the basic allowable foods. Than you get 35 allowance points (like your flex points) to use how you want.

But you aren't counting carbs and aren't even limited to what kind or how much you have in one setting.

There are other differences...it's much "cleaner" in terms of what is allowed and isn't allowed as a CORE item which makes it also stricter. For example, you cannot sub nuts or peanut butter for your fats allowance. You cannot sub a dannon light and fit yogurt for your plain nonfat yogurt. And the only real "treat" is sugar free ff pudding...skinny cows, frozen yogurt, low carb treats and ww treats even all go against your allowance points. :eek: Makes you really rethink what you are using those points on :D

It's like south beach, willett, BFL and countless other "healthy" eating plans.

oh and there is a stronger emphasis on activity...28 point boxes to check off for activity per week :eek: :D

j

ps I really really really like it a lot. I hope the scale likes it too :D However, I could not do it as a lifestyle forever...it's incredibly restrictive. However, I do think the habits learned following core may lead to better choices when on flex.

[CindyWeightWatcher]

I have the Core Food Companion and Dining Out Guide --- will
check on wheatberries when I get out of work this afternoon.

[Gracie]

Thanks JeAnne. That's a great synopsis. I intend to go to meeting this Saturday so I'll see what I can learn.

I am surprised that WW puts a limit on lean protein. Well, within reason of course, but that seems to me to be the least of the other limited food.

What about corn and other starchy vegetables?

Loren

[greysangel]

Loren - there is no limit on amount of lean protein.

They have a new sort of "hunger/satiety" barometer...you are only supposed to eat when you are in 1-2-3 ie in the hunger zone.

I dont have my getting started book with me (I have complete food with me and wheat berries is not there :D ), but I think starchy veg may also have a 1x a day restriction...I forget because it's not exactly a trigger for me.

j

[RebeccaT]

Still trying to figure this out...

... I can have whole-grain unsweetened cereal 1x per day?

...I can have brown rice or barley or couscous or sweet potatoes 1x per day? Or more?

What are ya'll eating for snacks?

[AZLorena]

I have been eating fruit for snacks.....or I use a couple of points with one of those 100 calorie snack packs, but only once a day.

Lorena

[RebeccaT]

Oh, and Lorena, I found this on my food list:

grains, wheat, hard red spring
grains, wheat, hard red winter
grains, wheat, soft red winter


All are core. I would think that wheatberries would qualify as one of those???

[KLynn]

Of brown rice, WW pasta, and pototoes - you can have only one of them, once a day.

Barley and couscous don't have a limit (though all of us know that couscous really is a pasta, so it is sort of a mistake in the program!)

[greysangel]

barley has no limit. Like Klynn said..I think the couscous is a mistake, but who knows and who the heck is going to od on couscous? :D

yes on the cereal..I think it's high fiber unsweetened whole grain cereal, once a day. No limit on hot cereals though I dont think :o

snacks

sf ff pudding with fruit
fruit smoothies with nf yogurt
ff popcorn
fruit

that's about it :eek:

[slknight]

Originally posted by greysangel
barley has no limit. Like Klynn said..I think the couscous is a mistake, but who knows and who the heck is going to od on couscous? :D



Um, me? Seriously, I had a lot of couscous the other day and it's not something I usually eat.

Anyway, I've been doing popcorn or fruit for snacks.

Or if I want something sweet, those Dove promises have 1 point each. Yum.

Let's talk cereals for a minute. What cold cereals are core? Specific names and brands. Because I tried shredded wheat, and I would rather eat sawdust. :p

[KLynn]

Snacks are hard. I think that is one of the main reasons the Core plan will work for me if I stick with it. I am bad about a cracker here, a cracker there - and you don't have that kind of option on Core (unless you count it, of course). It forces you to snack on fruits and veggies. 94% FF popcorn is a lifesaver.

I also saw in the latest WW magazine that SF/FF hot chocolate is Core. That works for me for a little sweet fix.

Another sweet fix: I mixed some white chocolate pudding (made with skim milk) with some FF cream cheese, FF ricotta and a touch of Splenda. Topped with blueberries, you sort of get the feel of cheesecake. I am trying not to Splenda-rize everything to create desserts, but a few things here and there help keep me on track...

[RebeccaT]

huh. Not a lot of practical snacks. I (obviously) love to cook, but with my schedule being what it is I really only have time to cook dinners. I think Core dinners are going to be easy peasy, but it's looking like lunches and snacks are going to require some ingenuity.

Hmm.

Well, I should contribute to the thread if I am going to participate, eh? :D Here's my favorite Lemony Orzo Salad... except that I make it with barley instead of orzo! YUMMY! With FF feta, it's CORE, but I haven't yet decided if I can tolerate FF feta cheese.

Lemony Orzo Salad
From Cooking Light


1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. Combine orzo, zucchini, and onion in a large bowl; toss well. Combine parsley and next 6 ingredients (parsley through pepper); stir well with a whisk. Stir into orzo mixture; add tomato, cheese, and olives, tossing gently to coat.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 199 (22% from fat); FAT 4.8g (sat 1.5g, mono 2.3g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 6.7g; CARB 32.7g; FIBER 1.8g; CHOL 6mg; IRON 2.1mg; SODIUM 307mg; CALC 58mg;

Cooking Light, MARCH 2000

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by slknight


Let's talk cereals for a minute. What cold cereals are core? Specific names and brands. Because I tried shredded wheat, and I would rather eat sawdust. :p


Kellogg's
Puffed rice cereal
Puffed wheat cereal
Shredded wheat miniatures cereal

Post
100% bran
The original shredded wheat
The original shredded wheat 'n bran spoon size
The original shredded wheat spoon size

Quaker Oats
Oat bran cereal
Puffed rice cereal
Puffed wheat cereal
Shredded wheat cereal

Um. Yeah. Slim pickins, I'm afraid. Too bad, because I have been eating cold cereal for breakfast every morning for years, and I love it. :(

[slknight]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
I think Core dinners are going to be easy peasy, but it's looking like lunches and snacks are going to require some ingenuity.



Dinner is very easy. And lunch is easy peasy too if you want to eat dinner left-overs. How many days in a row can I eat chicken and barley? ;) (Answer: 3 and then it's gone.)

But my big problem is breakfast. I'm not too interested in those cereals (but thanks for typing them out) and I don't like yogurt. I love scrambled eggs, but don't feel like I should eat those every day, even though I could very easily do that. Unfortunately, I usually eat waffles or pancakes and those aren't core. I caved this morning and had two eggos, but I haven't been real focused today on core and have used about 9 points which isn't good.

I tried the core blueberry muffins this weekend. Bleh. I also tried a core baked oatmeal. It was ok, but not great. I think I might need to try some more oatmeal variations. (Usually the only oatmeal I like is those packets with all the brown sugar.):rolleyes:

[RebeccaT]

Susan, do you like hot cereal in general? I think I am going to become very good friends with oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc. Now that apple season is starting up, I think I am going to do oatmeal with a chopped up apple, Splenda, and cinnamon a couple of days a week. Yum. But I will miss my Puffins. :(

How about smoothies? There were a few smoothie recipes on page 1 of this thread. I don't care for them myself (I'm a big fan of chewing), but they may work for you.

Are nuts core? If not, that's a real shame. I mean, I sort of understand why not, but IMO if avocados are core (YAY!) then nuts should be too, because they are so good for you.

[greysangel]

actually i was counting the kashi cereals as core..the go lean and good friends? Also the high lo cereal and trader joes high fiber cereals? Am I wrong to do this?

nuts are not core and the explanation that was given was WW wanted to remove trigger foods which is why bread is totally not there either...even high fiber bread.

breakfast is hard for me. I've been doing cereal (but I guess I may be wrong to do this!)

only the 94% ff popcorn is core. I had ACT II light butter today and it's costing me :D

Like I said...if you want to use the 35 points towards dinners out and stuff, it makes the rest of the eating a little more complicated :D I've been spreading them out. Tonight I'm having CL's oriental flank steak from the complete cookbook and I'm going to have some barley under it with veggies. I'm counting APs for the honey in the marinade.

(plus my APs today for the popcorn will put me at 26APs meaning I have 9 til friday :eek: :D )

j

[greysangel]

ps just looked up in the complete food companion..kashi is not core :(

oh well...

I'm not going to go back and count in those points as it's depressing (I've had it every morning) :( But it's gotta be better than chocolate :D

JeAnne

[Gracie]

Originally posted by greysangel
I'm not going to go back and count in those points as it's depressing (I've had it every morning) :( But it's gotta be better than chocolate :D

JeAnne

No kidding! This is on the same line as the cooked carrots costing a point in the old version of WW. None of us ever gained weight by eating too many cooked carrots! ;)

Loren

[TerriS]

I saw on the WW boards that Fiber One is a Core cereal. I love that stuff. I eat 1/2 a cup with a little yogurt - that amount is 0 points, anyway.

I have been snacking on veggies and dips. Last week I made a Core black bean dip (black beans, FF refried beans, garlic, cumin, salsa) and this week I made a Core hummus (chickpeas, roasted red peppers, garlic, 1/4 cup plain FF yogurt, lemon juice, pepper, salt) and I have carrots, celery, and jicama for dipping. I also like:
* FF sugarfree jello cups
* 94% FF popcorn
* FF sugarfree pudding is core if you make it yourself with FF milk - and counts as a dairy
* fruit and FF cheese
* I have a little cup of black bean salad with corn and red bell pepper for snacking on today as well.

Nuts are not core, sadly. But they are a major trigger food for me.

Breakfast is a smoothie (made with frozen fruit, nonfat dry milk powder, and Crystal Light) and sometimes some egg beaters with a slice of FF cheese atop a slice of Canadian bacon. Yummy.

[RebeccaT]

Terri, according to the WW site, Fiber One is not core, but 1/2 cup is definitely 0 points... I just think that it starts having points if you have more than 1/2 cup. But I think I might try mixing Fiber One with shredded wheat... that could work for me in the AM.

I am sad that my favorite Weetabix has 2 points. No idea why it's not core, when it has no sugar and is whole grain. :mad:

I think I might have to get reaquainted with my childhood favorite... butterscotch pudding! :D

[greysangel]

Terri according to the complete food guide fiber one doesn't count as core either...don't know why :confused:

also looking at the cheeses, there are very few that are core according to the book:

Borden ff slices
kraft free
smart beat ff
soy garden lactose free
soya kaas ff

plus the cottage cheese..so i'm not sure about ff feta and stuff :confused: ff cream cheese is not core :(

J

[greysangel]

sorry i keep posting but it's very confusing :( In the core food list it says that all ff soft and hard cheese is core. Than in the part of the book where it lists by food type and brand, it's not listed as core :(

j

[slknight]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
Susan, do you like hot cereal in general? I think I am going to become very good friends with oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc. Now that apple season is starting up, I think I am going to do oatmeal with a chopped up apple, Splenda, and cinnamon a couple of days a week.

How about smoothies? There were a few smoothie recipes on page 1 of this thread. I don't care for them myself (I'm a big fan of chewing), but they may work for you.



I do think I'm going to have to eat more oatmeal. I like it ok. Not a fan of cream of wheat, although we've got it in the house because DH really likes it. I like the idea of the chopped up apple and cinnamon in the oatmeal. That sounds good. Like I said, I think I need to try some more baked oatmeal or a crockpot version. I didn't like the one I made the other day with the banana chunks in it.

I like smoothies, but the one I usually make has juice in it.

[RebeccaT]

The website doesn't list FF feta at all, as core or otherwise. Seems like it would be core if other FF cheeses are. Hm.

Looks like we're just going to have to use common sense. I think that FF feta should be Core, and I herby deem it so. If the Core police want to come get me, I say bring it! ;)

Personally, I can't stand FF feta. So I will probably use the points for the real thing. :D

[TerriS]

Since the Fiber One is 0 points, it's not a huge deal, but I saw multiple times on the WW boards that it is core and just needs to be added to the list.
The original (very non specific) list that I had simply said all FF cheese was core...so I figured Kraft Free slices, FF feta and cheddar from Trader Joes, etc. Wonder what the deal is with that??? That is the most annoying thing so far, there already seems to be a huge discrepancy between what is Core according to the books, their own online e-tools, and what leaders are telling people in meetings. I wish there was a criteria that we could apply, or a formula or something.

[RebeccaT]

I think they're just getting the kinks out. I remember that I joined WW for the first time soon after they made the switch from 1-2-3 Success to Winning Points, and everyone was all mad and up at arms because the new point calculations made some of their favorites higher point. It'll work itself out.

[greysangel]

no up in arms here I promise :D

Susan - I'm probably going to make up some protein pancakes from my body for life days. :D They should be core and you may want to try them :)

Shannycakes
1/4 cup egg whites or egg beaters
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup dry oats
splenda to taste
1/4 tsp vanilla
cinnamon or apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice to taste

Heat pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine ingredients in blender. Pour and cook like a pancake. Makes 1 serving (either a large pancake or a few small ones)

I like these ok :D I have several variations of them if you like :) They are dense pancakes and you can eat them with fruit or I like them as is. I also used to love the taste of them with a little pb though that is not core then.

JeAnne

[gdnr77]

Lorena, according to the food list on weightwatchers.com, uncooked wheatberries are core. That's the only listing for wheatberries they have . Hope this helps.

[slknight]

Originally posted by greysangel
no up in arms here I promise :D

Susan - I'm probably going to make up some protein pancakes from my body for life days. :D They should be core and you may want to try them :)

Shannycakes
1/4 cup egg whites or egg beaters
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup dry oats
splenda to taste
1/4 tsp vanilla
cinnamon or apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice to taste

Heat pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine ingredients in blender. Pour and cook like a pancake. Makes 1 serving (either a large pancake or a few small ones)

I like these ok :D I have several variations of them if you like :) They are dense pancakes and you can eat them with fruit or I like them as is. I also used to love the taste of them with a little pb though that is not core then.

JeAnne

Thanks JeAnne! These sound great. I am definitely going to try them. But I don't have any cottage cheese. I am usually a twice a week grocery shopper, and I have now been every day for the last 5 days. :rolleyes: This whole core thing is taking a little bit of getting used to in terms of my shopping. (Plus, seedless green grapes are on sale for 99 cents/pound. :D ) Next time I am at the store, I will get some cottage cheese. I'll have to double-check, but I'm assuming it has to be fat free, right?

[KLynn]

Jeanne-
I'd love to hear your variations on those pancakes. They sound very interesting. I may try them in the morning.
Kristi

[leightx]

Those pancakes are also really good with a tiny schmear of FF SF raspberry jam. (1 point maybe??)

I'm still thinking about doing Core, but haven't made the leap yet. I keep thinking I don't need/want another "gimmick" - since everything (points, BFL, South Beach, etc) always seems to work for a while, and then I fall off the bandwagon. But at the same time, I need to do something (as opposed to eating and cooking whatever I want all the time! :D ) I do realize this is a problem with me, and not the eating plan, but it's frustrating all the same. I really want to find something I can do forever and ever. Points wasn't it - I'd hoard points for junky stuff, even though I knew better. BFL - I've never eaten healthier, but it was just too stressful to prepare and eat 6 meals a day, with balanced protein and carbs. My whole life seemed to revolve around food. South Beach - again, I ate healthfuly, but it was rather complicated, and the thought of having extremely limited "real" desserts was not a happy one. Perhaps Core is the answer - healthy eating, with room for treats. It's just so hard when I see all the recipes on the boards and elsewhere - I'm dying to make them, but I have zero self-control if I do. If I can find enough core recipes here, maybe that will do it for me. I just seem to need more variety than most of these plans provide.

[greysangel]

Susan - it does have to be nonfat. my favorite CC is friendship brand and breakstone small curd.

I'll be back with more of those recipes including a cookie one :D The pancakes I find are good for fill in when you really want something "bready" in the morning. You can bake them like muffins but they are not as good. They also freeze really well so I used to make big batches of them and freeze individually.

j

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by slknight


This whole core thing is taking a little bit of getting used to in terms of my shopping.

No kidding! I got the most random assortment of foods last night when I went shopping! Yikes.

My current plan for lunches is to make up some sort of noodle/grain salad once or twice a week and eat it on the days where I don't have leftovers. Last night, I made up a pretty tasty concoction for lunches the next two days:

Rebecca's Core Salad

1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 small avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped basil
2-3 Tbs. FF Greek salad dressing
S&P to taste

Mix up and let sit overnight in fridge. Makes two decent sized lunch portions.


I am also planning to try this recipe, from the WW site under "Meal Ideas:"

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

Ingredients
1/4 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup sweet red pepper(s) chopped
4 oz cooked chicken breast shredded
1 cup cooked whole-wheat spaghetti or other whole-wheat pasta
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp canola oil
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp cilantro fresh, chopped
1 Tbsp basil fresh, chopped


Instructions
Fill a medium saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add broccoli and peppers. When water returns to a boil remove pan from heat, drain and refresh veggies under cold water. Mix veggies with remaining ingredients in a large bowl until well-mixed.

[greysangel]

Here are all of the variations...I have not tried alot of them. I've done apple ones, pumpkin ones and lemon blueberry...that's about it other than the original :D

Have fun!

Variations

The following are variations to the above recipe. Cook the same way. The egg count will differ in order to make the batter the right consistency. Note that the servings differ for each recipe. You can save the extra servings in your fridge for a week in ziplocs or tupperware.

Banana Protein Pancakes - 4 servings:
12 egg whites
1.5 cups dry oats
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 large banana)
1 tsp. baking powder
Cinnamon, vanilla and Splenda (or other sweetener) to taste - I use about 3/4 cup equivalent
Note: you can freeze peeled bananas for later use


Pumpkin Protein Pancakes - 1 serving
4 egg whites
1/4 heaping cup dry oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese
4 tbsp. Pumpkin puree (1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pumpkin pie spice (or all spice) and Splenda (or other sweetener) to taste
Note: you can freeze the remaining pumpkin puree

Lemon blueberry shannycakes/muffins (1 serving)
2 egg whites + 1 whole egg
1/4 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. oatmeal
1 Tbsp. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. Splenda (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/4 c. whole blueberries
Put all ingredients except blueberries in food processor, and blend until smooth. Mix in whole blueberries by hand, being careful not to crush them. Cook as with other shannycakes, or put in well-greased muffin tins. These are lighter than other recipes, and more golden.




Blueberry Protein Pancakes - 1 serving
3 egg whites
1/4 cup dry oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup blueberries (use fresh - frozen might make the batter too watery)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Splenda (or other sweetener) to taste


Strawberry Protein Pancakes - 2 servings
6 egg whites
3/4 cup dry oats
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup strawberries (do not use frozen or your batter will be too watery)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Splenda (or other sweetener) and vanilla to taste


Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes - 4 servings
16 egg whites
1.5 cups dry oats
2 cups cottage cheese
1.5 cups of chopped apple (about 1 large)
1 tsp. baking powder
Splenda (or other sweetener) to taste, lots of cinnamon

This also works really nicely with pear. Just substitute the same amount of pear for the apple.


Chocolate Protein Pancakes - 1 serving
1/3 cup of dry oats
2-3 Tbsp. cocoa (all natural, only ingredient should be cocoa)
4 egg whites
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup sugar equivalent of sweetener
splash of vanilla or almond extract
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Blend the oats into a powder. It is important to blend the oats - otherwise there is a stronger oat-ey flavour. Add in cocoa. Then put everything else on top (otherwise the cocoa powder goes everywhere). Cook up like flapjacks. I find this recipe gets really thick - I had to water it down a bit at the end. Add in a tbsp. of water if necessary.


Peach Pie Pancakes - 2 servings
6 egg whites
3/4 cup dry oats
1 cup cottage cheese
1 small peach - about 3/4 cup equivalent of flesh (can used canned in own juice)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
dash of nutmeg (just a small dash is sufficient)
vanilla and sugar substitute to taste


Savory Italian Spinach Pancakes - 1 serving
4 egg whites
1/2 cup dry oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 to 1.5 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup frozen spinach thawed
1/4 tsp. baking powder


Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes - 1 serving
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup dry oats
4 egg whites
1/4 cup equivalent of sugar substitute
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. lemon oil (not extract nor juice - must be oil)
1/4 tsp. of baking powder


Raspberry Almond Pancakes - 1 serving
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup dry oats
3 egg whites
1/4 cup equivalent of sugar substitute
1/2 cup raspberries (I used frozen)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp baking powder

[KLynn]

Thanks so much, Jeanne! I think I have found my new breakfast plan. :p

[RebeccaT]

Do those of you who attend meetings know anything about how a recipe that has both Core and non-Core ingredients should be counted? I just used the Recipe Builder on the site to check the FPs or APs I would have to use for a yummy-looking Brown Rice Pudding recipe (which, incidentally, looks like it would make an awesome breakfast, Susan!). The only non-core ingredients are 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 raisins, and this recipe looks like it would serve 4. But the recipe builder says it has 5 points!!! :mad: Does anyone know why this would be? Because it certainly doesn't make sense!

Here's the recipe, btw:

BROWN RICE PUDDING

1 1/2 c. cooked brown rice
2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. (or less) salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. raisins
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated best)

Combine all in 1 quart casserole and stir. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Stir once about 15 minutes after placing in oven.

[greysangel]

what the materials and my leader said was that you count non core items under your allowance points UNLESS it's something where there are more non core ingredients than core and then you just have to count the total number of points. The example he used was regular lasagna...he said to count that as however many points listed.

j

[greysangel]

1 1/2 c. cooked brown rice = 6
2 c. milk = 8
1/4 tsp. (or less) salt
1/4 c. sugar = 4 (i think?)
1/4 c. raisins = 2
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated best

20/4 = 5 points

for core I would sub ff milk, use splenda and count the raisins as AP

or use sugar, ff milk and sub apple for the raisins and count the sugar as AP

[RebeccaT]

Yeah, I didn't doubt the number of points for Flex, but I just didn't understand that, since brown rice and milk (FF or unsweetened soy) are core, why I wouldn't just count the raisins and sugar separately.

I was thinking I would use Splenda as well, and then it would just be 1 AP (for the raisins).

[Mlasley]

I made this yesterday and it is really good. Not only that, but a wedge kept me full until lunchtime (always a plus!)

Baked Oatmeal
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 teasp. baking powder
1/2 cup Splenda
1 teasp. cinnamon
1 teasp. vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 grated apple (you can use mashed banana or any other fruit- or even no fruit)
Mix all together and pour into a pie plate that has been sprayed with Pam.
Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings

[valchemist]

I got this recipe out of the latest edition of Light and Tasty and modified it a bit. I had it for lunch today and it is delicious and filling and core.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Vegetarian Spinach Curry

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dish Vegetarian Main Dishes


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 c chopped onion
2 clove garlic -- minced
1 tbsp curry powder -- (I used 2 tsp hot curry powder plus 1 tsp sweet curry powder and that was just right)
2 tsps canola oil
8 ozs tomato sauce
10 ozs frozen chopped spinach -- partially thawed (no need to drain)
19 ozs chickpeas, canned -- drained and rinsed, divided
1/2 c vegetable broth -- or chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt

Cook the onion, garlic, and curry powder in oil for 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomato sauce, partially (or fully) thawed spincach, and 1 cup chickpeas. In a blender, combine the remaining chickpeas and broth. Cover and blend until smooth (I did this in a mini food processor), about 2 minutes (I didn't blend that long). Stir into skillet. Sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir until heated through.

Source:
"adapted from Light and Tasty, October/November 2004"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 257 Calories; 5g Fat (16.3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 1270mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

(5 points per serving if you aren't doing CORE.)

[leightx]

I just made the Smothered Chicken with Barley and thought it was ok, but probably not a repeater for us. It was lacking something. I didn't add the mint (couldn't find it) - so maybe that was it! :p

My favorite meatloaf recipe is core though! Well, my 2nd favorite anyway. My top spot goes to the Italian Meatloaf with Basil and Provolone(or something like that), but that one involves cheese. I may try that without the cheese - or with RF and count the points. Anyway, here's the (practically) core Homestyle Meatloaf. I did leave in the tbsp of brown sugar - spread over 6 servings, it doesn't amount to even a point, but you could always just leave it out, or replace with Splenda. Oh - and I actually cooked this in regular sized muffin tins, b/c we were starving! It only took about 20 minutes that way (I used my meat thermometer, so I'm not really sure on the time). And they were in individual serving sizes - I got 12 meatloaf muffins (ewww...... :p ), so 2 muffins per serving.
Forgot to add - I did use the extra lean ground beef, and that worked out just fine.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Home-Style Meat Loaf

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef March '98


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 cup ketchup -- divided
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup minced fresh onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large egg whites -- lightly beaten
1 1/2 pounds ground round
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, oats, and next 6 ingredients (oats through egg whites) in a large bowl. Add meat; stir just until blended. Shape meat mixture into an 8 × 4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush 1/4 cup ketchup over meat loaf. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serving Size: 1 slice

Description:
"An iron-rich food like meat loaf can help keep you warm on these last
winter nights. When researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
deprived a group of women of iron, they became chilled more quickly
when exposed to lower temperatures."
Source:
"Cooking Light, March 1998, p.97"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 286 Calories; 14g Fat (45.1% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 70mg Cholesterol; 524mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Suggested Wine: Merlot


Nutr. Assoc. : 774 27099 0 0 0 0 0 0 9018 0

[helene]

Here is the CORE list:

The plan rules
1. Eat as much of the core foods as you need to feel satisfied.
2. If you want to eat foods that are not on the core foods list use you 35 weekly points allowance.

Vegetables
Fresh, frozen or canned (without added sauce, fat or sugar)
Tomato paste purees and sauce
*Vegetables cannot contain ingredients that are not core foods. (ex regular refried beans, pork beans, corn in butter sauce, dried tomatoes packed in oil, French fries, and sweet pickles are not core foods.) Vegetable juice is not a care food.

Fruits
Fresh, frozen or canned (without added sugar)
*Canned fruit must be packed in water or juice (not syrup) and drained before eating. Unsweetened applesauce is a core food, but sweetened is not. Dried fruits are not core foods. Fruit juices are not core foods.

Soups
Fresh, canned, frozen, or homemade soups made only with core foods
Bean soup (lentil, split pea)
Bouillon
Broth based soup
Tomato soup
*Creamed soups are not core foods.

Starches Grains and cereals
Whole wheat pasta or brown rice or potatoes is limited to 1 meal a day
Barley
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Cornmeal (polenta)
Couscous
Kasha
Popcorn (airpopped or 94% fat free micro popped)
Quinoa
Rolled oats
Starch vegetables (peas, corn)
Cooked hot cereal (any plain variety that does not contain added sugar)
Puffed wheat, puffed rice, shredded wheat, and 100% bran cereals that do not contain added sugar, are limited to 1 meal a day and must be eaten with fat free milk or plain fat free yogurt.

Lean meats, poultry, fish, meat substitute and egg products
Beef
Bottom and top round roast
Bottom and top sirloin steak
Eye round roast
Flank steak
Filet mignon
Round steak
Round tip steak and roast
Sirloin steak
T-bone steak
Tenderloin roast and steak
Top sirloin roast

Lamb
Leg roast, Loin chop or roast, Sirloin chop

Pork
Canadian style bacon, Lean ham
Loin chop or roast, Sirloin chop
Sirloin cutlet, Tenderloin roast

Veal
cutlet, Loin chop or roast
Round steak, Sirloin steak

Poultry chicken and Turkey
Fresh, frozen or canned
* trim any visible fat and remove skin before eating

Fish and shellfish
Fresh, frozen or canned any variety
*Canned varieties must be packed in water or broth or tomato juice, not packed in oil

Meat substitutes
Dried beans and lentils
Tofu, any type
Vegetarian burgers, frozen

Egg products
Egg, whole or egg whites
Egg substitutes

ETA: *Ground beef with no more than 7% fat,or ground turkey or ground chicken is limited to 1 meal a day.

Milk products and dairy substitutes
Milk products
Fat free cheese, Fat free cottage cheese
Fat free milk, Fat free sugar free pudding
Fat free sour cream, Fat free plain yogurt

Dairy substitutes
Soy milk (plain)
Soy cheese
Soy yogurt (plain)

Weight watcher smoothies or fat free sugar free instant hot cocoa or reduced calorie dairy shakes is limited to once a day.

Oils, Condiments, and Extras
Oils
Fat free dressings, Fat free margarine
Fat free mayonnaise, Nonstick cooking or baking spray

Include 2 teaspoons of Olive, canola, safflower, sunflower or flaxseed oil each day

Condiments
Baking powder
Baking soda
Capers
Cocktail sauce
Extracts
Flavorings
Herbs
Horseradish
Hot sauce (pepper sauce)
Ketchup
Lemon juice
Lime juice (unsweetened)
Mustard
Salsa (fat free)
Soy sauce
Sugar substitutes
Taco sauce
Teriyaki sauce
Vinegar
Worcestershire sauce

Extras
Gelatin (unflavored or sugar free flavored)
WW fruities

Beverages
Coffee, Tea (without sugar)
Diet soft drinks
Club soda
Seltzer (plain or unsweetened)
Water or mineral water

[EsteemSamurai]

Stupid question: If the bran cereal (allowable 1x/day) is eaten plain or is eaten with non-Core foods, does it become non-Core? Or do you just count the non-Core accompanyment towards your points?

I.E. If I eat All-Bran with a FF Light N' Lively yogurt, then do I just count the yogurt? Or does the All-Bran now also count toward my points since its not being eaten with FF milk or nonfat, plain yogurt?

~S

[HeatherTx]

Here is my interpretation of that. I think WW just doesn't want people sitting around with a box of all bran and snacking on it without realizing how much they have eaten.

My opinion is if you are just putting some in your yogurt and your yogurt just happens to be not core then count the all bran as Core. You are still following the "must be eaten with FF yogurt of milk" rule but you are using your WAP for an upgrade in yogurt.

[blazedog]

Heather is correct in terms of the rationale behind restricting cereal to once a day to be eaten with yogurt or milk. WW wants to prevent cereal from being used as a crunchy snack and if one is eating it with milk or yogurt, a spoon must be used and the volume eaten is diluted with the dairy.

That said, I think we are all adults and can determine whether deviating from the Core program is going to help or hinder one's ultimate goals. If you find yourself eating quantities or cereal or yogurt greater than that which you would have eaten otherwise, then you can make a determination of how you want to proceed.:)

[HeatherTx]

I had a field trip with my daughter's preschool class today so threw this in the crockpot this morning before I left. My CP cooks so hot that it was done on low by 2pm (6 hours on low). I snuck a taste and it is really good. Will serve with whole wheat angel hair and steamed broccoli and salad.

CROCKPOT PROVENCALE CHICKEN SUPPER


4 (6oz) chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 (16oz) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14oz) can Italan diced tomatoes, undrained

1. place chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle with basil, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

2. Combne remaining salt, pepper, bell pepper, beans and tomatoes in bowl and stir well. Spoon over chicken. Cover with lid and cook on high 1 hour and low 5 hours. Spoon bean mixture into each of 4 shallow bowls. Top each with 1 breast and 3/4 cup bean mixture.

[lisaleeb]

Blazedog, Could you please post the recipe for the green bean, garbanzo and feta salad please. It sounds very good.

[Dawn43]

here is what I have been having every day for lunch.All the ingredients are CORE.


Chicken fruit Salad(Core)

1 big can chicken
ff miracle whip
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 big stalk celery(cut in large diced)
1/2 cup seedles grapes (cut in half).

I just use enough miracle whip to make it moist.

You could also use diced apple or any fruit.
Dawn

[stephanie678]

Thanks for all of the recipes and great ideas!

I've been thinking about the Volumetrics program since I started Core and found out that WW relied on some of the science behind Volumetrics. A number of recipes in the Volumetrics book are Core or Core-friendly. I'll list some that I like, and if anyone wants them, I'll post them. I'm also going to post my favorite Volumetrics recipe, (which is Core-friendly but uses a few points), Peanut Chicken Stew.

Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Calypso Chicken Packages (chicken w/ pineapple, corn, and black beans)
Moroccan Garden Couscous

Peanut Chicken Stew
Note: This recipe would count for 1.5 points.

1 t. canola oil
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 lb. b/s chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 1/2 c. f/f chicken broth
3/4 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 c. cut fresh or frozen green beans
2 c. sliced fresh spinach (or 1/2 pkg. frozen)
3/4 c. diced red bell pepper
3 T. smooth peanut butter
2 T. lemon juice
Hot sauce to taste (we use Asian chili-garlic)
2 cups cooked brown rice
Garnishes: 1 T. each sliced green onion, minced cilantro, or chopped dry roasted peanuts (for extra points, natch)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add chicken; cook until chicken loses its pink color, stirring frequently. Add broth, sweet potatoes, and beans to saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in spinach and red bell pepper; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in peanut butter, lemon juice, and hot sauce until blended; simmer one minute. Remove from heat. Put 1/2 c. brown rice into bowls and ladle stew over the rice. Sprinkle with toppings, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings of 1 3/4 c. each
Nutritional information without brown rice: Calories: 330. Carb: 39g. Fat: 7 g. Protein: 29 g. Fiber: 7 g. Sodium: 708 mg.

[blazedog]

I haven't made this with ff feta yet but don't see why it wouldn't be tasty.

Green Bean, Chickpea, and Tomato Salad

The salad holds well and can be tossed a few hours in advance - but leave out the salt until close to serving time, since it will cause the tomatoes to release their juice. Blanch the green beans a day ahead and keep refridgerated.

2 cups green beans, trimmed (8 ounces)
4 cups coarsely chopped tomato (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 cup thinkly sliced red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 Tbl chopped fresh mint
2 Tbl red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1. Place beans in a large saucepan of boiling water, and cook 3 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water. Drain.
2. Combine beans, tomato, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, toss well to combine. Yield: 6 servings (serving size 1 1/2 cups)

[blazedog]

I made this on Sunday and it was really good. I was surprised since the ingredients didn't seem that exciting but I needed to use up some excess cooked chicken. This makes wonderful left overs and generous portions -- although that doesn't really matter on Core technically :D

I am thinking of doubling the recipe next time I make and freezing a lot of portions individually for a stash of home made Smart Ones.

I used the shredded soy cheese (mozzarella, cheddar and jack) from TJ. I didn't have any parsley so used a bunch of fresh basil that was on its last legs. Otherwise stuck to the recipe.

Chicken Rice Casserole with Mozzarella

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1-1/2 medium red bell peppers, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons non-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 ounces skinless, diced cooked chicken or smoked turkey
3 ounces part fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole with
nonstick cooking spray.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the bell peppers, corn 1/4 cup of the broth, the thyme and black pepper, and continue cooking until the bell pepper begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup broth, the rice, sour cream, and
mustard. Add the chicken, remove from the heat, and stir until well
combined. Stir in one-third of the mozzarella and the parsley.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole. Spread the mixture
evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese has melted.


Serving Information

Serves: 4

[RebeccaT]

That looks really good, blazedog! Do you think that the FF sour cream and cheese do ok in it, or do they give it a funky texture?

[blazedog]

I have stopped using ff cheeses as they are too bizarre but the soy cheese worked well as did the ff sour cream.

[RebeccaT]

I agree with you on ff cheese, which is why I asked. Soy cheese, eh? Does it melt? Is it Core?

[hpcowsmkgr8chz]

Cream soups are not core, but these two are and they're yummy!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 white onion -- chopped
1 head cauliflower -- broken in florets
3 cups low-sodium fat free chicken broth
3/4 cup evaporated skimmed milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Salt to taste

Preheat a large nonstick saucepan to Dutch oven over medium high heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl to coat. Sauté the onions, stirring constantly, until tender
and translucent, about five minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring, until heated through, about five minutes. Add the broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the
heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the vegetable can be easily mashed, about ten minutes.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree. Pour the puree back into the saucepan. Over low heat, stir in the evaporated milk, nutmeg, pepper and salt; heat to serving temperature, about one minute.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Lowfat Broccoli Soup

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 can low-sodium fat free chicken broth -- (14.5 oz)
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen broccoli
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 can evaporated skim milk -- (12 oz)

In a saucepan, combine broccoli, onion and broth; simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree half of the mixture in a blender; return to the saucepan.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 3 tbsp of milk until smooth. Gradually add remaining milk. Stir into the broccoli mixture. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.

[Hkgall]

I am loving this drink - it seems almost too good to be true!

Limeade

squeeze 1 lime into a glass filled with ice. Add 1-2 tblspn of SPLENDA. Fill with club soda & enjoy!

You can fiddle with the amount of splenda v. lime juice to your tastes.

[Iodine]

Hi everyone,
I've been doing WW Core for about 5 days now and I like it. I am happy that I staggered into this group! It is 8 AM here and I've been up all night, so gotta get some rest, but I'll be back later. I hope to share lots of recipes and inspiration :) too. Bye for now.
Iodine

[bethchef]

i love CORE but i am not really that into FF plain yogurt. i don't like how it is so tart - my preference is FF vanilla yogurt.

anyway, i just wanted to share a great way to make the FF plain yogurt more palatable. i add some vanilla extract to it and a little stevia (both CORE!). this is my first time using stevia - i guess it's an herbal all natural no-calorie sweetener. it turns out great this way!

i eat some Horizon FF plain yogurt every day with raspberries or blueberries for a yummy dessert.

[Iodine]

Hi again,
About Plain yogurt? Yuck, it is too tart. I measure out 1 cup of plain yogurt, then I partly defrost (in microwave) 1 cup of any fruit. Mix together and sweeten it with Splenda. I love blueberries
in the plain yogurt and the Splenda makes it so lucious! There is no way I could eat plain, unsweetened yogurt. Try my idea.
Iodine:)

[dibranchia]

"About Plain yogurt? Yuck, it is too tart. I measure out 1 cup of plain yogurt, then I partly defrost (in microwave) 1 cup of any fruit. Mix together and sweeten it with Splenda. "

What I like to do is add some dry oatmeal (uncooked) and let this sit over night. And instead of vanilla and the splenda, I'll add some of the SF coffee syrups. Yummers! It's usually my breakfast, and sticks with me until lunch.

[oduamy]

Don't forget a southern girl's best CORE friend.... GRITS :)

This is one of my fave CL recipes anyway, and if you use FF parm (or just take the WPA for it), its CORE!

Shrimp and Artichokes Over Parmesan Grits
From Cooking Light

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
3 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and artichoke hearts, and sauté 5 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth, shrimp, and garlic, and saute 6 minutes. Add oregano, rind, juice, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.

Bring 2 1/2 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly stir in grits; reduce heat to low. Cook 7 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese. Spoon 1/2 cup grits into each of 4 bowls; top each with 1 cup shrimp mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 341(18% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 2.1g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 35.9g; CHOLESTEROL 199mg; CALCIUM 185mg; SODIUM 912mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 4.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.5g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1998

[barbarab58]

And here's my meal plan for the week.

Breakfasts: smoothie and/or 1-point English muffin topped with 1/8 cup egg beaters, canadian bacon & Kraft FF singles cheese (1 point for muffin)

Snacks: jello cups, 94% FF popcorn, string cheese (1 point), veggies with black & refried bean dip, fiber one cereal with carb smart yogurts (1 point for the yogurt)

Lunches: leftovers & fruit

Dinners:
*salsa chicken w/zucchini & avocado
*burgandy pork tenderloin w/carrots, potatoes, etc (will have to count a little of the wine it is cooked in)
*chickpea-quinoa pilaf
*coriander teriyaki flank steak (1 point for sugar in marinade) w/grilled veggies
*breaded dill fish (Moosewood) using all wheat germ for breading & veggies

Dessert: will use 2 points on good old light ice cream. Just tried the new stuff by Skinny Cow - it's darn good!

I didn't think Jell-o cups that you brought in the store was Core. I was told not, only what you make.

[barbarab58]

What is the core program? I started on my own doing the WW last month using the point system. Is this a program that is similar to low carb? Can you direct me to where I can read about it. The WW web site does not explain unless you are a online participant. :(

Thanks

:) Be happy You can go to Pttp://nautilus.ws/core.html
Its a great site to explain the program. Also your leader (at the meetings) should help you too.:D

[blazedog]

I didn't think Jell-o cups that you brought in the store was Core. I was told not, only what you make.

Premade as long as they are sugar free is okay -- don't know if they have those. I think some of the confusion is that the premade puddings are FF but not sugar free and vice versa.

[barbarab58]

I'll have to double-check the core foods list, but I think the favorite chicken and barley is core, isn't it? Or it might be with a bit of tweaking.

Smothered Barley with Chicken

1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried mint flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
6 (4-ounce) chicken thighs -- skinned (Use boneless skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/4 cups uncooked pearl barley
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes -- drained
6 tablespoons chopped green onions

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a small bowl, and rub chicken with half of spice mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 1 minute on each side or until chicken is browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Recoat skillet with cooking spray; add chopped onion, bell pepper, and soy sauce. Cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Add broth, barley, tomatoes, and remaining spice mixture, and stir well. Add chicken to skillet, nestling into vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 55 minutes or until chicken is done. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh, 1 cup barley mixture, and 1 tablespoon green onions

change the veg oil to olive oil and it will be core:o

[barbarab58]

Hello Just login
Love all the recipes I am finding.

[Angelina]

:) Be happy You can go to Pttp://nautilus.ws/core.html
Its a great site to explain the program. Also your leader (at the meetings) should help you too.:D

Welcome to the boards, Barbara! Glad you like them! I think Mamasue figured out the Core program by now since the thread you are looking at is a couple of years old.

If vegetable oil can interpreted as canola oil, that is Core too. Not sure about the other ones. :)

Angela

[avenitza]

Need the recipe, girl!! That sounds great.:) :)
avenitza
avenitza@onelinkpr.net



And here's my meal plan for the week.

Breakfasts: smoothie and/or 1-point English muffin topped with 1/8 cup egg beaters, canadian bacon & Kraft FF singles cheese (1 point for muffin)

Snacks: jello cups, 94% FF popcorn, string cheese (1 point), veggies with black & refried bean dip, fiber one cereal with carb smart yogurts (1 point for the yogurt)

Lunches: leftovers & fruit

Dinners:
*salsa chicken w/zucchini & avocado
*burgandy pork tenderloin w/carrots, potatoes, etc (will have to count a little of the wine it is cooked in)
*chickpea-quinoa pilaf
*coriander teriyaki flank steak (1 point for sugar in marinade) w/grilled veggies
*breaded dill fish (Moosewood) using all wheat germ for breading & veggies

Dessert: will use 2 points on good old light ice cream. Just tried the new stuff by Skinny Cow - it's darn good!