Frank Said Don't Tell

Full of good things tucked inside, this make ahead dish holds all the notes of a spectacular grits casserole, the creamy decadence of mac and cheese, and the subtle Tex-Mex twist of roasted peppers. Its full of veggies and about half the fat and calories of typical holiday fare. Double bonus, its GOOD straight out of the oven, AMAZING reheated, perfect for the office potluck, or even your holiday table. Adapted from  Makeover Creamy Macaroni and Cheese from Taste of Home magazine  which was so darn good, I ate two servings in eleven minutes, blowing over a days worth of smart points in one sitting. Damn it. Totally worth it, but still... More about "Worth It" after the recipe. Yield: 5 servings, 9 smart points per serving Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 centimeter) 1/2 poblano, diced (1 centimeter) 1 cup frozen corn 3/4 cup (90 g) uncooked macaroni (I used Dal Raccolto) 25 g table salt, iodized 2 Tbs unsalted butter (I...

Y'all, I love vegetables, but can you carve one into a pasta shape, and pretend its a noodle? I tried. Many different sauces. Many different vegetables. Not ever close to tasting like pasta. Nope. However, this recipe's sauce pairs well with the carrots, bringing out their natural sweetness, which further compliments the ginger/garlic notes in the coconut sauce. Bonus, no spiralizer needed, just use a regular vegetable peeler to make carrot ribbons. Not noodles, but tasty way to incorporate more veggies into your diet. This happens to be my favorite vegetable peeler. OXO brand from Williams Sonoma, not the one from Target. I hate how brands have different models at different price points at different stores. It's a trick, like vegetable noodles. Recipe modified (very little) from  Thai Turkey with Carrot Noodles  over at Emily Bites. Also, when I made this, I had some extra kale I needed to use up. DON'T ADD KALE. NOT GOOD. I'm all for using up what...

Warning, there are no chips, or cheese, but we like NOT-chos enough to eat them once a week. The richness of the avocado, the earthy black-eyed peas, and the spicy-sweet char on the peppers scratch the nacho itch without the uh-oh after. After the recipe are some thoughts on how to eat healthy, without giving up the tastes you love. Yield: 2 servings/5 smart points per serving Ingredients: 1 small avocado, diced or sliced fat free greek yogurt, to taste 1 can black-eyed peas 1.5 C frozen corn 1 poblano chopped into 1 inch pieces 6 small sweet peppers or 2 red bell peppers chopped into 1 inch pieces 1 Tbs olive oil Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400° and line sheet pan with foil. 2. Toss peppers with olive oil and spread on sheet pan. 3. Roast at 400° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and scrape pan with spatula to free any charred on peppers. Set aside. 4. Bring small pan of water to boil and add corn. Cook according to di...

Do you ever go on vacation, and maybe, bookend each day with a pan of  biscuit beignets  and at least two pina coladas, filling the space between with fried things and ice cream? Probably not you. Its probably only me. Probably. Several warnings/comments about this meal. If you're not a dieter/weight watcher, this meal is full of vegetables and its delicious. Skip down to the directions. WW buddies, keep reading. IT IS NOT LOW IN POINTS ON THE CURRENT PROGRAM. It was on the original Points program. When I first started making this, I thought balsamic vinegar had zero points. IT DOESN'T. However, I've eaten this nearly every week and lost weight. I track all the points. I find this meal especially handy when I get back from vacation, and I'm used to eating off plan. This is very tasty, a little salty, a little sweet. I also eat this for dinner the night of weigh in. I eat light the night before, so by dinner, I'M HUNGRY. This meal was inspired by a meal an o...