Those who know me know that my whole life I've been a yo-yo when it comes to weight. Up, down, waaayy up, down, up again, and so on. This past winter, fed up with feeling tired all the time, and the fact that I could no longer deny the extra pounds that I was carrying around (once again), I decided that I'd had enough of my battle with the scale.
I had lost weight in the past with a simple online tracker that calculated calories and fat, but it caused me to become a little OCD - skipping meals at times in order to allow for binging, not eating the correct kinds of foods and learning little from the process. Obviously, This and a lack of regular excersize are why I gained the weight back.
Of course, I had known that Weight Watchers was out there the whole time, but didn't really think it would be something I'd do (call it being stubborn). Finally realizing that HELP is what I needed, and determined to lose weight before my milestone birthday on July 1, I signed up for their online tracking program on January 24, and officially started my journey on January 30.
I won't bore you with details, but I am happy to report that I am close to reaching my first goal (ahead of schedule) and will be need of many new clothes very soon (shopping spree, yay!). The WW program is actually really easy, I'm learning while eating and am enjoying the process as a whole. In fact, I am really excited about some of the foods I'm eating, so I wanted to share one of my latest creations with you. And it's only 5 points per serving!
Ratatouille with Polenta and Goat Cheese
Bursting with fresh vegetables, this classic Provencal stew is wonderful with eggs, pasta or grilled fish.
10 servings, generous 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Ratatouille Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 red and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 medium eggplant, diced
- 2 large zucchini, diced
- 28oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Ratatouille Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl.
- Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until browned in places, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the vegetables.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until browned in places, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, thyme and the reserved vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
- Bake the ratatouille, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Nutrition facts per 3/4 Cup serving : 88 Calories; 3 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 13 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 29 mg Sodium; 472 mg Potassium (Points Plus Value of 2)
This easy polenta takes only a few minutes of stirring before it's left to cook on its own to creamy perfection.
8 servings, about 1/2 cup each | Active Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Polenta Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups cornmeal
- 6 cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Polenta Preparation
- Combine cornmeal, water and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and very creamy, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition facts per 1/2 Cup serving : 74 Calories; 1 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 0 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 16 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 303 mg Sodium; 60 mg Potassium (Points Plus Value of 2)
Final Touches
To finish off the dish, place the polenta in a shallow dish and spoon over the ratatouille. Top with a tablespoon of crumbled goat cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Excuse some of the formatting by the way. I am still working with this wacky editor :o)
