This WW recipe is on page 156 in the Soups & Stews chapter of the Weight Watchers Annual Recipes for Success 2004 edition. I could not find the exact recipe online, all the versions I did find included bacon or anchovies. The recipe I’m sharing today has no meat, only vegetable stock, and lots of fresh vegetables, my version has a bit more fresh vegetables than the original recipe, since vegetables are now “free” on the WW points plan, it makes sense to bump up the ingredients for a hearty soup. The original recipe from 2004 is listed at 2 WW points per serving, however, with the new points system all vegetables are “free”, with the newly updated 1 point* now coming from the portion of parmesan cheese I suppose . The recipe serving size is 1 1/2 cups (12-fluid ounces), with 148 calories, and 23g total carbs per portion. (*according to the WW app).

We harvested the kale for this recipe from our backyard garden patch of dwarf kale we grew from direct seed in the garden bed.

I’m not sure why WW recipes include a cup or so of water in recipes that also have some form of stock in them, it makes sense to me to use extra stock in place of the water for the flavor benefit. I’ve incorporated the 1 cup of water into the total stock required for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
• 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots (about 3 carrots)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (could use more if you like fennel)
• 6 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1 quart plus 1 cup (5-cups) vegetable stock or broth
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, about 5-minutes. Add the garlic and fennel, and stir well, cooking until aromatic. Add the kale, stock, beans, and tomatoes, stir well. Simmer uncovered for 30-minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of the soup into bowls and top each with 2 teaspoons of the Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size 1 1/2 cups)- Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cook Time: 40 minutes

Get yourself a 3-4 pound whole cleaned chicken and dressing it up with some fresh cut lemons , whole garlic cloves, and fresh herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, and basil. Coat the inside and outside of the whole chicken with fresh squeezed lemon juice then stuff the cavity with the cut lemons fresh herbs on the stem and the garlic cloves.

We found this WW recipe on page 128 in the Weight Watchers 50th Anniversary Cookbook and it clocks in at 4 points for those counting their daily WW points intake, 161 calories, and 0g total carbs.

I could not find this recipe online, so I’ve created my version for your culinary education!

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 (3-4 pound) roasting whole chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 lemon, halved
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 3 sage sprigs
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 3 oregano sprigs
• 3 basil sprigs
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on the inside and outside of the chicken, then rub the inside and outside with the salt and pepper. Place the squeezed lemon halves along with the fresh herb sprigs and peeled garlic cloves into the cavity of the bird. Using kitchen string, truss the legs together at the ends to help keep the herbs, lemon, and garlic inside the cavity.
2. Place the sliced onion on the bottom of a roasting pan, then place the stuffed chicken breast side up over the onions. Roast in the preheated oven for about 1 3/4 hours, or until juices run clear from the thigh or the internal temperatures reaches 165-degrees F. Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 10-minutes before slicing into 8 portions. WW suggests you remove the skin before eating, but for me that’s the icing on the cake. If you are a purist and want to cut some fat and calories, then discard the skin.

This WW recipe is found on page 98 in the Best of WW Recipes Cookbook, which is where we got the recipe, but you an also find it online at the WW website for Perfectly Barbecued Chicken Breasts.

The recipe calls for bone-in chicken breast, but I used boneless, they cook faster and it’s what we had on hand already. Though bone-in chicken always tastes better because the bones release more juices that get absorbed and cooked into the meat, they do take longer to cook.

What makes these chicken breasts so plump and juicy is the salt-brine solution they are allowed to set in for at least 30-minutes. I find you can let the boneless chicken set in the brine for several hours, or even overnight for bone-in or whole chicken. Just be sure to rinse off the brine before cooking.

I cooked the brined chicken breast on the griddle on the stove-top. The presentation side with the perfect grill marks is accomplished with grilling the breast for about 2-3 minutes, then flipping each breast 45-degrees and grilling for another 2-3 minutes. Once the grill marks are accomplished, the breasts are flipped on the back side and grilled for another 5-6 minutes. Once grilled, the chicken is transferred to a sheet pan and put into the 350-degree oven until they are cooked, or an internal temperature of 165-degrees.

This recipe is a modification of the WW Mahi Mahi soft tacos recipe we found on page 82 in the Best of WW Recipes cookbook. Or, you can find the recipe on the WW website at Mahi mahi soft tacos.

What do I change in the recipe?

Our main modification utilized catfish filets in place of the mahi mahi called for in the original recipe. I also modified the way the corn tortillas were warmed up, the recipe calls for lightly toasting them, but I find many corn tortillas become brittle and fall apart easily, so I put them on a small sheet pan and covered them with foil and into a 170-degree oven for about 10-minutes to warm them up a bit. The recipe calls for grilling the fish, but I seared it in a cast iron skillet until cooked on each side, about 4-minutes per side.

I also made a small batch of Mexican Rice as a side for the tacos, it was quite easy, and I’ll share the recipe for it below.

Here are some photos of our rendition of the soft taco recipe: