Weight Watchers knows that Easter Sunday and Passover are less than one week away and offers some recipe ideas for the holidays.
Weight Watchers accepts that food, particularly big holiday dinners are front and center during Easter and Passover celebrations.
The international weight-loss giant offers some recipe ideas so those around the dinner tables can enjoy the meals and not hate themselves the day after. Simple things like baking some dishes rather than frying and substituting fatty meats for leaner varieties can help you achieve that.
Bake the potato latkes rather than fry them. Carve up a delicious pork tenderloin roast instead of a ham and if you can resist most of the chocolate, enjoy some fresh and flavorful lemon snap cookies.
The Weight Watchers PointsPlus program centers on measuring food consumed based on its fiber, protein, carbohydrate and fat content and giving everything a points value. Members are given a points-limit per day and extra points to use throughout the week. All recipes are found on the WeightWatchers.com site.
Baked Potato Latkes
Ingredients: 4 spray(s) cooking spray 2 pound(s) uncooked potato(es), yellow, peeled 3 medium uncooked shallot(s), finely chopped 1/2 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute 3 Tbsp matzo meal 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp table salt 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Cooking instructions: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Generously coat a 12-hole muffin pan with cooking spray. Using the large holes of a box grater, shred potatoes. Working by small handfuls, squeeze shredded potatoes over sink to get rid of any excess moisture; place in a large bowl. Stir in shallots, egg substitute, matzo meal, thyme, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
Evenly spoon mixture into prepared pan; lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven and coat with cooking spray again. Continue baking until browned and set, about 30 minutes more. Cool at least 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Yields 1 latke per serving. PointsPlus value per latke: 2
Matzo Pudding
Ingredients: 5 spray(s) cooking spray, divided 3 large egg(s) 3 large egg white(s) 2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste 2 cup(s) canned chicken broth 10 board(s) matzo(s) 2 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), Spanish, chopped (about 3 medium onions) 1 cup(s) uncooked celery, chopped (about 2 ribs) 1/2 pound(s) fresh mushroom(s), finely sliced or shredded 2 Tbsp canola oil 2 Tbsp parsley, fresh, minced
Cooking instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 3 quart oven-proof baking dish (about 13- x 7-inches) with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whiles, salt and pepper until well-combined; stir in broth.
Run each sheet of matzo under cold water and shake off excess moisture; crumble matzo into egg mixture and stir well to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, tossing once or twice.
Meanwhile, coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Add onions and celery; sauté until onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables brown and start to caramelize, about 15 to 20 minutes.
When eggs are almost all absorbed by matzo, stir in vegetable mixture until well-combined; spoon mixture into prepared dish and smooth out top. Drizzle oil over top of matzo pudding; bake until top is crisp, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting into 12 equal portions. Garnish with parsley and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving. PointsPlus value per serving: 6 points.
Easter Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients: 1/2 cup(s) reduced-calorie pancake syrup 1 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp table salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground 2 1/2 pound(s) uncooked lean pork tenderloin, use two 1 1/4-pound pieces
Cooking instructions: In a large zip-close plastic bag, combine syrup, dry mustard, cloves, ginger, salt, cinnamon and pepper. Trim pork of all visible fat and cut each tenderloin in half width-wise. Add tenderloins to plastic bag, squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat tenderloins. Place bag on a plate and refrigerate on bottom shelf, turning bag occasionally, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat broiler. Place tenderloins in a roasting pan and pour marinade over them. Broil 5 inches from heat until pork reaches an internal temperature of 160°F, about 6 minutes per side. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing. Yields about 4 ounces of meat per serving. PointsPlus value per 4 ounce serving: 4
Lemon Cookie Snaps
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp table salt 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup(s) regular butter, softened
1 cup(s) sugar 2 large uncooked egg yolk(s) 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp lemon zest, finely chopped
1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream 2 spray(s) cooking spray, flour-variety recommended
Cooking instructions: In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder; set aside.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg yolks and combine thoroughly. Add lemon juice and zest; beat well. Add sour cream and a small amount of flour mixture; beat to combine. Add rest of flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.
Tear off heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into balls; place about 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press each ball down with palm of your hand to flatten. Press tines of a fork across cookies in one direction to make lines. Press tines of a fork across cookies in opposite direction to make a cross-hatch pattern.
Bake until edges of cookies turn golden, about 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on cookie sheets for 1 or 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 2 cookies per serving.
Weight Watchers PointsPlus is a registered trademark of Weight Watchers, Intl. All recipes part of the Weight Watchers website.