Totally Terrific Tuna Melt

Per Serving (entire recipe): 7 Points+
298 calories, 3g fat, 1,379mg sodium, 31.5g carbs, 6.25g fiber, 4g sugars, 39g protein 

The recipe: "Hungry Girl 1-2-3", page 28 - 29
or http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/532 *

Yuck! Bleh! Gross! This is my least favorite recipe so far.  I would call this a Totally UN-terrific Tuna Melt in my opinion.  This tuna melt did not taste good.  Period. 

I tried to put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn't like about this.  Was it the Dijonnaise in the tuna, since I don't really like Dijon mustard?  Or was it the chopped dill pickle that didn't taste quite right in the tuna (I'm used to sweet pickle relish in tuna)?  Or maybe it was the fat free slice of american cheese that was pretty much tasteless?  I asked my husband what he thought, and he said he likes Dijon mustard, but he sure didn't like this tuna melt.  I asked what specifically he didn't like about it, and he said he didn't know - he just didn't like it.  I felt the same way.  I couldn't say exactly why, but I know I did not like this dinner.  Since the recipe called for 3 oz of tuna per tuna melt, I made three of them (about one can's worth of tuna).  We actually ended up throwing away the third tuna melt - something that almost NEVER happens in our house.  Usually, someone will suffer through eating leftovers even if it is not so great, just so we don't waste food.

So, my conclusion is that this recipe just isn't good.  Maybe we are the only ones who don't like it, and maybe those of you reading this will totally disagree with me, but I would definitely skip this recipe if I were you.  There are plenty of recipes that ARE good, so why waste time with one that isn't?

*A note about the weblink.  It is not quite the same recipe, but it is very similar to the one in her book.  The recipe online seems to be a toned-down version to the recipe from the cookbook.  The amount of Dijonnaise, pickle, etc, is all less in the online recipe, which could very well make it better.  If you really want to make this, I would use the recipe online, since it seems to have a more reasonable amount of seasoning for the tuna, and uses more bread to mask the flavor.

Exploding Chicken Taquitos

Per Serving (2 taquitos): 5 Points+
197 calories, 2.5g fat, 594mg sodium, 22.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugars, 20.5g protein 

The recipe: "Hungry Girl 1-2-3", page 246 - 247
or http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1223

This recipe is yet another one of my HG favorites, and this is the second time I am making it.  They are pretty easy to make, have a great flavor, and everyone in my family likes them.  Although it uses canned chicken, which sounds kind of gross, the flavor of the filling is delicious.  It is the perfect combination of chicken, salsa, and cheese, and the canned chicken gives it the right texture.  My main complaint is that the recipe only makes 8 of them! 

One thing I decided to test out this time was whether or not it was necessary to place toothpicks in each one to hold them together, as her directions state.  I made four with toothpicks and four without to see if it made any difference.  It didn't appear to effect how much they exploded (and yes, they do explode - especially if you cook them longer) or whether or not they rolled apart while cooking.  So, my conclusion about the toothpicks is that it is an unnecessary step, so skip it. 

The other thing that I attempted to do this time was to make them as nice looking as the HG photo.  The first time I made these, they definitely exploded.  The filling was oozing out the bursted middle of the taquitos, and they definitely did not look pretty.  This time, I made sure to buy as fresh of corn tortillas as possible, and sprayed them well with non-stick spray.  I even heated up four at a time in the microwave (instead of all 8), so they were nice and warm and pliable when I rolled them up.  I also made sure not to overcook them.  I waited until they were only lightly golden brown, yet still crispy.  These things seemed to make a big difference, since, as you can see, only a few of them exploded, and not that badly at that.

I made my husband and I a salad to go along with the taquitos, but he did complain that he was still hungry after eating four of them (2 servings).  He then proceeded to make two more small bean and cheese soft tacos with the remaining corn tortillas.  Next time I will have to double the recipe.  I, myself, had two servings, since it is really hard to stop at just two of them.  So, if you do not have many points left for the day, this is not the best meal to make.  It is not very filling, and you will most likely want to eat at least four of them since they are so good, which is 10 points+.  If you decide to dip them in sour cream, that will add yet another point.  I dipped mine in salsa for 0 points, which tasted great.  I will definitely be repeating this recipe again in the future, since it was a winner two times in a row.

Devil-icious Shrimp

Per Serving (¼th of recipe, about 1½ cups): 5 Points+
208 calories, 2.5g fat, 736mg sodium, 19g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 10.5g sugars, 26g protein

The recipe: Hungry Girl 1-2-3, page 65

The main thing that intrigued me about this recipe is that in it's description, HG says that this is one of her absolute favorite recipes in the book.  I think, specifically, she says she "loves, loves, loves, this recipe".  So, I took her word for it and decided to make it. 

To give her credit, the shrimp did have the perfect amount of spice in it.  However, I thought the recipe was a little bland (how something can be spicy but bland seems like a contradiction, but it was).  I added some salt to it to bring out the flavor, and that helped a little.  The problem was that the main flavor I tasted was stewed tomatoes, which I'm not a big fan of.  My husband, however, loved the recipe and said I could make it again.  I think this is the first time that my husband has liked something that I didn't!  He said he likes stewed tomatoes and shrimp, which is what this tasted like.

My original plan was to serve the shrimp over some brown rice, but once I made the dish, I realized it was more like an italian-style tomato sauce.  I cooked up some pasta and served the shrimp over that for an extra 5 points+.  With some parmesan cheese on top, it actually turned into a pretty good meal.  I think it definitely needs to be served over something, though - whether you serve it over pasta, rice, baked potato, or whatever is your choice.  Otherwise, it feels like you are just eating sauce.

Super-Cheesy Ham-Stuffed French Toast

Per Serving (entire recipe): 6 Points+
256 calories, 7g fat, 1,264mg sodium, 24g carbs, 5.25g fiber, 5g sugars, 25g protein

The recipe: "Hungry Girl 1-2-3", page 284 - 285

Ok, so this is one of my absolute favorite recipes from Hungry Girl.  When I got the " HG 1-2-3" book, my husband and I were especially intrigued by the entire chapter devoted to french toast.  I went through and made almost all of the recipes in that chapter, most of which were really yummy.  We kept going back to this ham & cheese french toast sandwich, though.  I finally had time to make some and get photos for this blog, so I am happy to put this review in here.

This breakfast sandwich is so gooey, cheesy, and meaty that you will not be able to tell that it is made with reduced fat ingredients.  I have made this for my mother, my mother-in-law, and my husband and son and all of them became big fans after eating one.  This is my go-to breakfast when I have overnight guests, too.  Need I go on?  Make this recipe now!

All you do is get some light bread, spread half of a Laughing Cow cheese wedge on each piece, add a slice of fat-free American cheese slice, and one ounce of lean ham.  Put the pieces together, and dip the top, bottom, and all of the sides in egg substitute with some cinnamon mixed in.  Cook until sandwich is browned and cheese is melted.

I like to make several at a time and bring them to work to heat up for breakfast.  Instead of using syrup or powdered sugar for a topping, which is what I do at home, I use a different method to get a sweet flavoring to the sandwich without being messy (I eat my work sandwiches with my hands after heating them up).  I add a packet of Splenda to 1/2 cup of egg substitute and about 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.  I mix that together, and that becomes my egg dip for three sandwiches.  It ends up being just enough egg mixture for three sandwiches, so nothing goes to waste, either.  I will usually make 2 - 3 batches of these sandwiches at a time - one batch for my family's breakfast, and another 2 batches for breakfasts during the week.  Yum!

Funkadelic Chili Mac

Per Serving (1/4th of recipe, about 1 3/4 cups): 8 Points+ -
297 calories, 2g fat, 637mg sodium, 55.5g carbs, 9.75g fiber, 11.5g sugars, 19g protein

The recipe: "Hungry Girl 300 Under 300", page 184
or http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1588

Since chili mac is one of my favorite unhealthy dishes, I thought it was a good idea to try a healthier version to satisfy my cravings.  Before going on Weight Watchers, I could easily eat an entire box of mac-n-cheese with an entire can of chili added to it.  An easy dinner to make, but not so easy on the hips!

This chili mac definitely tasted healthy, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  It had lots of veggies in it, and the veggie crumbles made me feel like it had actual meat in it.  The portion size was nice and big - something you usually don't get when pasta is involved. 

My husband was not a fan of this recipe.  He said it was too bland and he ended up making something else for dinner.  He usually doesn't like something if there are too many veggies in it, so that was probably the problem.  If it tastes healthy, he thinks of it as diet food.  I do have to agree that it was a little bit bland.  I think it needed a little bit of salt and pepper to bring out the flavors a little more, but once I added that, it was fine to me.  Granted, it wasn't the enormous bowl of gooey, cheesy, chili mac I used to eat, but it was a good meal overall.