Frank Said Don't Tell

Children change everything. Winter used to mean Christmas (YAY!!!!) and Parties (YAY!!!) and fake holidays where everyone eats appetizers (Super Bowl!!! The Oscars!!!). After children, winter is that, AND a seemingly endless cycle of sick. It's better now that they are older, but still. December-March means cough, booger-nose, tummy troubles, fever, repeat. Small children tend to cough right into your mouth, without even trying! Whomp-whomp, everyone is sick. But don't worry. I have soup. Lazy soup. Lazy soup with things you might have lurking in your fridge and pantry. Also, its very low in Smart Points, 1 point for a giant, comforting bowl. I kinda winged this recipe. HOWEVER, the base is straight out of Americas Test Kitchen's (ATK) Family cookbook. Their recipe (for chicken pot pie p. 323) involves sautéing onions in butter then splashing in dry sherry to deglaze, and that shit is delicious. Per ATK's recommendation, you've got to use this sherry though:...

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...

I usually make this with acorn squash, but the delicata squash looked like this, too pretty to pass up. AND y'all, the skin is edible. Pick it up like a little squash taco! I don't really sports, but I think this might win your next tailgate. Could it, maybe, even look a little footballesque? Laced with just enough toasted pecans and parmesan to make it special, this is our go-to healthy celebration of squash season. This recipe evolved from Greens with Spicy Lemon Cumin Oil out of Russ Parson's treatise on vegetables, How to Pick a Peach . If you are new to cooking and eating vegetables in season, this book is an excellent resource, and a great read. Its still on my shelf, eleven years later. Yield: 2 servings/8 smart points per serving as a main OR 8 servings/2 smart points per serving The photo shows one dinner portion or four side servings. Ingredients: 1 10 oz package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained 1-2 winter squash, size and hunger ...

Are we in need of a little comfort? This is basically enchiladas for lazy people. I found  this recipe  over at Smitten Kitchen a couple of years ago and made a few tweaks to lower the points... enough to add avocado and still meet my nutrition goals. I also switched in kale, in lieu of spinach. Kale is better in baked tomato dishes, also, it was in my fridge. With over six cups of vegetables, and corn and beans being "free" on the new WW plan, one can enjoy this filling, delicious, AND EASY comfort dish, that won't screw up your diet. And these days, I feel we are all in need of more than a little comfort. Yield: 4 servings/8 smart points per serving Ingredients: 1 small sweet onion, chopped fine 1 small jalapeño, sliced. PLEASE add more if you like spicy 1 TBS olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp cumin 2 tsp chili powder 1 TBS fresh oregano and thyme 1 tsp salt, more to taste 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 14.4 oz can diced tomat...

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...