Pumpkin Pie Custard

My friend brought over a Paleo cookbook yesterday and while I was flipping through it I stopped on a recipe for a Pumpkin Pie Custard. Fall is my favorite season (although now that I live in STL, it may become winter) :) and I am so happy that it is finally upon us. I know it isn't October yet but I can't help myself - I have already broken in the pumpkin recipes for the season!!!!

So, while browsing the recipe I realized that I already had all of the ingredients and decided to try it out right then and there. It literally took me 4 minutes to get it prepped and in the oven! With such an easy prep I was just crossing my fingers that it would be a keeper. And I was in luck - it was! I plan on eating this three or four times a month for the next 3 months.

Pumpkin Pie Custard
serves 2

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch of grated nutmeg
pinch of salt



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil a pot of water - just enough to create a water bath.
3. Beat together the pumpkin puree, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coconut milk. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Pour into small ramekins.
4. Place ramekins in a baking dish with sides. Carefully add enough boiling water to come up halfway to the top of the ramekins. Place in the oven very carefully to not slosh any water onto custards.
5. Bake about 45 - 60 minutes (depending on depth of the ramekins) or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let sit until room temperature or slightly warm.

*** Recipe from Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo

Chicken Spinach Salad with Apple, Walnuts, and Bacon

I got this recipe from the starter meal plans from Tarryn and boy was it perfect! Matt not only loved it for dinner but also asked if we had enough leftovers for him to have it as a lunch the next day. Coming from a guy that isn't a huge fan of salads for dinner - it seems like a pretty good review.

The Dijon dressing is perfect with the tart apple, the smokiness from the bacon, and the deep toasted flavor in the walnuts. I ended up using a smoky spice blend to season our chicken before cooking it (but still tossed it with some of the dressing ahead of time) and it was a perfect choice. If you'd rather just salt and pepper your chicken, feel free but this is what we'll use again in the future. It would also be a great way to just use whatever leftover chicken you have on hand.

Chicken Spinach Salad with Apple, Walnuts, and Bacon
serves 2

1/2 cup walnuts                                                       Smoky Spice Blend
1 chicken breast (about 10 ounces)                             1 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar                                    1 teaspoon paprika
1 & 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard                                  1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt                                                            1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon black pepper                                          1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil                                                           1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 granny smith apple, cut into matchsticks
4 cups spinach

1. Toast walnuts at 400 for 3 minutes. Stir and toast another 3 minutes. Chop and set aside.
2. Slice chicken lengthwise to make thin fillets. Season chicken with the Smoky Spice Blend and cook over medium high heat until cooked through. Let cool and slice thinly.
3. Blend red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil until well emulsified. Drizzle about 1/3 of dressing over the chicken in a large bowl and let sit 5 minutes.
4. Add walnuts, bacon crumbles, red onion, apple sticks, and spinach to the bowl with chicken. Toss well with extra dressing and serve.

Paleo Daily #1

Paleo Day 1 (of a 30 day "reset"):

You know what's great about loving to cook? It's a little easier to stay on a diet since we don't have to break habits of eating out or eating prepared dinners all the time.


Breakfast: We made Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes. I have to admit that these were just OK. The flavor was decent but they were so dense but I have an idea about how to fix that. With that being said, I'm going to wait to post that recipe until we've improved it.

Lunch: Turkey, Avocado, and Bacon Lettuce Wraps. I've posted a blog about these before because I love lettuce wraps instead of sandwiches. Check it out here if interested. Basically I just cut out the dairy by layering iceberg lettuce leaves with smashed avocado, sliced deli turkey, and a half of a piece of bacon. Plenty of flavor and salt to satisfy this girl.

Dinner: Italian Steak Faux "Pizza" and a Zucchini Ribbon Salad. I want to point out that this isn't really pizza because there is no CHEESE but I'm not really sure what else to call it. Any suggestions? It was pretty tasty. We're going to try it again with other flavor profiles too. I'm thinking a Mexican fajita, Paleo BBQ Chicken, and (if the Paleo Ranch is any good) a Buffalo Chicken Ranch version. We'll see!

Dessert:  Fruit and Coconut Whipped Cream Trifle - IT WAS DELICIOUS. This is going to be a snack, dessert, what-have-you often in this household. Of everything today, the pineapple version was my favorite new recipe.

Fruit and Coconut Whipped Cream Trifle

OMG this is tasty. We'll be using this in the Taylor household a lot in the future because it was so easy and yummy!

You could use whatever fruit and nut combination you'd like. In this photo we used frozen mixed berry combination with sliced almonds. Later in the day we also tried it with frozen pineapple chunks (no nuts) and it was delicious!

Fruit and Coconut Whipped Cream Trifle

Coconut milk, full fat, chilled in the refrigerated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Mixed fruit, frozen or fresh
Sliced almonds

1. Place mixing bowl, whisk attachment, and canned coconut milk in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. On high speed, whip coconut milk with vanilla extract in the chilled bowl with chilled beaters. Beat until firm peaks form.
3. Layer fruit with whipped coconut cream. Top with sliced almonds and serve immediately.

Italian Steak "Faux" Pizza

I hesitate to actually associate this dish with pizza but I can't think of a better name for it. SUGGESTIONS anyone???

There is no cheese and the crust is made from cauliflower. BUT before you dismiss it right here and now, I should point out that even Matt was a big fan and wants to make it again next week. He said that the cauliflower crust was the closest thing to bread that isn't actually bread so he's one happy man. 

Italian Steak Faux "Pizza"
serves 2

Roasted Tomato Pizza Sauce (MY FAVORITE PIZZA SAUCE - just happens to be Paleo):

1.5 pounds Roma Tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped coarsely
1 large garlic clove, smashed
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on your tastes.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss all ingredients until well mixed. Spread in an even layer in a baking sheet with sides.
3. Roast in oven for 20-30 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and have broken down.
4. Let cool slightly. Blend together until mostly smooth but a little chunky.

Cauliflower Crust:

1 medium head of cauliflower
3 teaspoons dried Italian seasonings (you could also use fresh or sub out other seasonings)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
Cooking spray

1. Trim and rinse the cauliflower florets (you don't need the stems). Put in a food processor and pulse until fine pieces.
2. Cook for about 3 minutes with just a little bit of water. You won't need that much water since cauliflower already has so much water in it.
3. Transfer to a fine mesh colander and push out as much liquid as possible. Then use a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to squeeze out even more liquid. It's important to get rid of as much water as possible. Then I let it dry at room temperature for a while to dry it out even more.
4. Add  seasonings and egg to cauliflower and stir.
5. Lay out parchment paper on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Turn mixture out onto parchment paper and compact into a "crust" shape (whatever shape you want). It should  be about 1/3 inch thick.
6. Bake at 400 degree for 30 minutes or until golden brown.


Top with whatever toppings you want and voila! you have a paleo friend faux "pizza." Here we used Italian seasoned top sirloin, thinly sliced red onion, and thinly sliced red bell pepper with a bunch of the Roasted Tomato Sauce. YUM.

Paleo Intro + Before/After Photo progress

Hello my old friends! It's been a while.

A few months ago I learned of a slight medical imbalance that I have. It's nothing serious (so no worries) but I am finally wanting to get everything in check. A sort of rejuvenation - a new job, a new diet, and all with Matt's full support doing it with me. He's such a great guy :)

We're starting the Paleo diet to get things started off on the right foot. It's going to be pretty hard so I thought that I'd enlist the encouragement of anyone reading this to help keep me focused!

This is embarassing but for the sake of holding myself accountable, here is the ugly truth - my before pictures and my before weight. Hopefully after this "30 day reset" I'll be proud to have better photos and a better number to report! I mean, it's already gotten better than it was, right?

This is from November and December 2010 when I was at my heaviest (236.8 pounds!).

This is my current photo set. Here I'm 210.0 pounds. That's right.... 26.8 pounds down. It's amazing how much 26.8 pound sounds like a lot but there doesn't seem like a huge difference to me. It must be time to get back in the gym!!!!

I have to say that just looking through all these photos has really reaffirmed the fact that this is just for me to get healthier. I am so glad that I can look back and say that no matter my weight, I've always been happy. Good to know that I don't necessarily let my weight control that!

So that's it for my introduction to Paleo post. I'm going to post some of our first experimental recipes soon. Stay tuned!

Spicy Walnut Broccolini

I hate to admit that I didn't snap a photo of side dish before we ate it but it's still worth posting. It's one of those side dishes that even though it's a Weight Watchers recipe, it doesn't really need to be one. We'll eat this on a diet or off. I will probably try it with broccoli as well for a cheaper option that I usually already have all the ingredients for. We'll see!

Spicy Walnut Broccolini

serves 2

1 bunch broccolini

1 tablespoon margarine

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Boil 1" of water in a large skillet. Add broccolini, cover, and cook 4 minutes. It should be tender, but not mushy (watch it because it can quickly cross the line). You'll also want to flip it once during cooking. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, stir together margarine, walnuts, lemon zest, and red pepper in a small bowl.

3. Wipe the skillet dry and return to medium - high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add broccolini and walnut butter to pan. Saute 2 minutes or until hot. Serve immediately. 

Nutrition (per 1/2 recipe):

         2 weight watchers points+

Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

People on diets often use cauliflower as a substitute for some carbs - mashed "potatoes" and "breadsticks" are the ones that I've tried. They are usually pretty good but never the same. I found this recipe as part of the Paleo-friendly blog I found on Pinterest. I tried the original recipe (without the paleo substitutes) and liked it but it needed a few changes. I didn't really care for the basil, cilantro, and mint. Otherwise the recipe is pretty much the same as how I usually make fried rice. 

As a main dish it probably would be enough to replace a craving for some good fried rice. However, as a side dish it was a perfect substitute to get rid of all those points from the carbs. You pulse the cauliflower until it's the size of rice and then cook it just like fried rice - so it really does taste close to the same. I'm definitely keeping this in my book to use as a fried "rice" for asian side dishes. I recommend it with the Mongolian Beef in my blog. It was quite a tasty pair. :)

Cauliflower Fried “Rice”

Serves 4

1 small head cauliflower, separated

2 eggs

½” knob of ginger, minced

1 garlic cloved, minced

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

4 oz sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Put cauliflower segments into a food processor and pulse until the size of rice.

2. Whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Spray a skillet heated over medium heat. Pour eggs into skillet and cook into a thin omelet. Remove and thinly slice.

3. Increase heat to medium high. Add chopped onions and sliced mushrooms. Cook until light browned and softened, about 5-6 minutes.

4. Add ginger and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add cauliflower pieces. Lower heat to medium, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be tender but not mushy.

5. Add soy sauce and sliced omelet. Serve hot.

Nutrition (1/4 recipe):

2 Weight Watchers Points+

Original Recipe inspiration - http://paleoparents.com/2013/paleo-p-f-changs-recipe-recreation-round-up/

Mongolian Beef

You probably know by now that I've been trying out a lot of Weight Watchers recipes and that I love Chinese food. So when I found a paleo website on Pinterest that had adapted P.F. Chang's recipes into Paleo-friendly recipes, I pinned almost all of them. If you want the actual paleo recipe, you can find it here - http://paleoparents.com/2013/paleo-p-f-changs-recipe-recreation-round-up/. My version, below, uses the regular ingredients rather than the paleo substitutes. I did however adjust it a little bit to make it more WW friendly.

I recommend serving it with Cauliflower Fried "Rice".

Note: This recipe could be for either 4 or 6 people, depending on how much you want to serve each person. I've included the points for both serving sizes at the bottom.

Mongolian Beef

Serves 4 - 6

1½ pound stir-fry beef (1” x 1.5” pieces)

3 tablespoons flour

1½ teaspoons garlic, minced

¾ teaspoon ginger, minced

⅓ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup green onions, cut into 1” pieces

1. Lightly dredge the beef in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Coat with cooking spray and add beef. Cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2. Coat the skillet again with cooking spray. Saute garlic and ginger for 90 seconds.

3. Pour in soy sauce and water. Simmer 3 minutes.

4. Stir in molasses and brown sugar until dissolved. Simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Be careful not to let it burn.

5. Add the beef and green onions to the pan and toss to coat. Cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve immediately while still hot.

Nutrition (1/6 recipe):

5 Weight Watchers Points+

Nutrition (1/4):

8 Weight Watchers Points+

Eggs Benedictwich

OK, let's be honest. This sandwich has no right to be claimed as "healthy" so I'll just admit that I cheated big time by eating this sandwich. It was SOOO worth it though. The sauce really makes the sandwich so don't skip it. You'll just need about a tablespoon of sauce per sandwich though so you'll probably have extra. If you want to refrigerate it, you can reheat it, add a little more lemon juice or water, and blend it again to reuse it the next day. Trust me, you'll want a repeat the next morning!

Eggs Benedictwich

serves 4

Sandwich Ingredients: Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients:

4 slices of country ham or 12 slices of bacon 2 egg yolks

2 cups fresh spinach 2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice ⅔  teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons hot sauce

4 large eggs ½ stick butter, melted and kept warm

4 english muffins

1. Cook ham or bacon until golden. Set aside.

2. Toss spinach with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Fry the eggs in the skillet until cooked to desired doneness (preferably with the yolk slightly runny).

4. Meanwhile for the sauce: blend together egg yolks, lemon juice, dijon, and hot sauce for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add  melted butter and mix until well blended and thickened. 

5. Stack the sandwich as follows: english muffin, ham, spinach, egg, sauce, english muffin top.

Chile-Lime Flanksteak

Flanksteak is one of my favorite cuts of meat because it's so tasty with just a little simple seasoning. This chile  and lime combination adds just the right about of flavors while letting the meat shine through - something that can be hard to accomplish sometimes! Plus, it's really easy :)

I served it here with some roasted potatoes and my Corn and Red Bell Pepper Saute. The recipe calls for it to be grilled (which would be the most flavorful) but I cooked it in a skillet this time since it was raining. Either way works great.

Chile-Lime Flanksteak

Serves 2  

10 ounces flanksteak

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon lime zest

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Poke flanksteak with a fork on both sides to create several holes. Drizzle lime juice over steak and let sit.

3. Meanwhile, combine chili powder, lime zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub onto steak and let sit until the grill is ready.

4. Spray grill rack and add steak. Grill 5-7 minutes per side or until cooked. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut across the grain and serve hot.

5 Weight Watchers Points+

Zucchini Couscous

I meant to post this a while ago but I probably just forgot to take a photo so I didn't post it. Either way, here you go!

This dish has become a staple side dish since we tried it about a month and a half ago. It can go with a ton of stuff but we love it with marinated, grilled meats and a simple salad or some green beans.

Tips:

    1) If you are already grilling, you should grill the zucchini. It'll add just a bit of grill flavor and some great grill marks. If you do, just cut the zucchini in half and brush on some olive oil mixed with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Grill until tender and there are grill marks. Then cut into small chunks when cool enough to handle.

    2) Make sure to squeeze a lemon and use fresh lemon juice (rather than bottled). It makes a BIG difference! I did it once with bottled lemon juice because I forgot to buy the lemon and it wasn't nearly as flavorful. 

Zucchini Couscous

serves 2

1/2 cup couscous

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/2 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 medium zucchini

1 small tomato, chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley

1. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Add couscous, stir, and take off the heat. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

2. Cut zucchini into quarters. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and add garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook zucchini until tender and lightly browned.

3. Toss the couscous, zucchini, tomato, lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition (1/2 recipe of couscous):

    146 Calories, 3g Fat, 27g Carbs, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein

    4 Weight Watchers Points+

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Here's a refreshing smoothie that gives you two servings of fruit with minimal calories. It's only about 1 point on weight watchers and is great after working out. I usually add a splash of whatever fruit juice I have in the house (usually V8 Light Mango) for a little extra flavor.

Strawberry - Banana Smoothie

5 fresh strawberries, quartered
1 banana, cut into chunks
1/3 cup diet 7-up
1/2 cup crushed ice

Blend together until smoothie and enjoy while cold!

Champagne Vinaigrette

I cannot say enough good things about this salad dressing!! I know that sounds a little overdramatic :)

Fratesi's Italian restaurant in Jackson, MS has the best vinaigrette ever made and of course now that I don't live there, I never have it. This dressing however is going to take it's place in our household. It's so light, flavorful, and versatile that you can really use it a lot. I'm actually making 2 batches at a time and keeping it in a jar in the fridge (I found a cute this jar that I just love).

I served it here with chunks of avocado, crumbled bacon, and avocado. Next time I may add some sunflower seeds too.

I can think of tons of combinations I want to try!

Champagne Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

Salt and Pepper

½ cup olive oil

1. Stir together mustard, garlic, vinegar, and salt and pepper.

2. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until well emulsified. Toss over salad.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lately I have been eating lettuce wraps for lunch whenever I can. They have several advantages:
1) iceberg lettuce is SOO cheap
2) no unnecessary carbs
3) they are so tasty - most important of course!

So far I have two favorites: Turkey BLT and Buffalo Chicken Wrap. The Turkey BLT is less of a recipe (sliced deli turkey, 1/2 slice cooked bacon, 1/2 tablespoon fat free cheddar, tomato slices, and mashed avocado) and I haven't taken a photo so for now I don't think I'll give them their own post. These buffalo ones are great and are super easy to make ahead of time. I like to spend a little time making a big batch of the chicken mix so that it's easy to wrap up each day. I can easily eat this whole recipe for one lunch and not have to feel guilty about it!

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Makes 4 wraps

1 oz (2 tablespoons) light cream cheese,

         softened

2 tablespoons celery, finely diced

2 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded (about 3 oz uncooked)

1 tablespoon buffalo sauce

2 slices bacon, cut in half and cooked

2 tablespoons light sour cream mixed with 

          Ranch powder

4 large lettuce leaves

1. Stir cream cheese, celery, and shredded chicken breast together. Stir in buffalo sauce.

2. Divide Ranch sour cream between the four pieces of lettuce. Divide buffalo mix among the four leaves. Top each with one half piece of bacon. Wrap to serve.

if you don't like ranch then you can omit that part and take off 1pp. Just watch out because it might get hot so I do recommend either Ranch or sour ream. 

Nutrition (whole recipe):

    6 Weight Watchers Points+

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

I made these last night and they were delish! I'm sure that you could sub out different vegetables depending on what cuisine you're eating but the combination of zucchini, red pepper, and red onion was not only tasty but also seems pretty versatile.Whatever vegetables you use, make sure that they are about the same size so that they'll cook evenly.Enjoy!

Balsamic Glazed Steak Roulades

Makes 2 servings

8 oz flank steak, sliced thinly and cut into approximately 3in x 2in strips

Salt and Pepper

1½ tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 garlic cloves, smashed

½ red bell pepper, julienned

1 medium zucchini, julienned

½ red onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons butter

2 teaspoons shallots, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup beef broth

1. Tenderize flank steak strips until thin. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle Worcestershire sauce over steak and marinate about 30-45 minutes.

2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Saute garlic until golden brown. Add red pepper, zucchini, and red onion and saute until starting to soften. Season with italian herbs. Set aside.

3. Divide sliced vegetables evenly between the flank steak strips. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.

4. Cook steak in a pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Saute until browned and cooked through on all sides.

5. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat. Saute shallot until soft and lightly browned. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, and beef broth. Boil to reduce by half and until slightly thickened.

6. Serve the hot steak roulades with the balsamic glaze drizzled on top.

    7 Weight Watchers Points+ for 1/2 a recipe

Spinach, Romaine, and Tangerine Salad

This is one of Matt's favorites. He will take a salad with citrus vinaigrette and fresh orange slices any day of the week. I'm not sure that both the romaine and spinach are necessary (if you don't have both on hand just use the one that you do) but it does add some nice variety.

Spinach, Romaine, and Tangerine Salad **
serves 2

1 Tablespoons mint leaves, torn
1/2 teaspoon tangerine zest
1 Tablespoon fresh tangerine juice
1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
dash of salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups Romaine, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 peeled and sliced tangerine
2 Tablespoons walnuts, toasted
dash of pepper





1. Whisk mint leaves, zest, juice, vinegar, and salt together. Gradually add the olive oil while whisking continuously.

2. Toss Romaine, spinach, tangerine slices, and walnuts together. Sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with the dressing. Toss well.

Nutrition (per 1/2 salad):
       136 Calories, 13g Fat, 7 Carbs, 2g Protein, 2g Fiber
       4 weight watchers points+

** recipe from http://pointlessmeals.blogspot.com/2012/02/spinach-romaine-and-tangerine-salad.html

Crunchy Asian Salad

This salad is simply delicious! It's very light and refreshing. We had it with an Asian marinated pork tenderloin but it'd also be a great side dish with something spicy and southwestern. Serve a full cup of salad for a hearty side dish or a half of a cup for just a simple side note next to another side dish. Either way, enjoy!

Crunchy Asian Salad **
serves 8

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

3 Tablespoons Splenda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 package Ramen noodle soup mix, seasoning packet discarded

16 oz coleslaw mix, shredded

1/4  cup sliced almonds

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

11 oz mandarin oranges in light corn syrup, drained

3 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped

1. Whisk canola oil, rice vinegar, Splenda, salt and pepper together and set aside.

2. Break up Ramen noodles and combine with remaining ingredients. Toss to coat.

Nutrition (per 1 cup):

    162 Calories, 13g Fat, 9 Carbs, 1g Fiber, 2g Protein

    4 Weight Watchers Points+

** http://pointlessmeals.blogspot.com/2010/08/crunchy-asian-salad.html