Skinny Kale Chips

When I first heard about kale chips, I was pretty skeptical. I mean, a leafy green as a substitute for potato chips? Come on. But I kept hearing about how great they were, and who doesn't want a healthy potato chip alternative? So I finally broke down and made them, and I have to say, they are fantastic! They get seriously crunchy, and when well salted, they really are a satisfying chip replacement. Plus, you can easily flavor them any way you like. They would be a great way to get they picky eaters in your house from your kids to your husbands/boyfriends (who are really just big kids) to eat their vegetables. So far, I've made them salted, and dusted with chipotle chili powder. Both ways tasted great. I used curly kale, but you can also use dinosaur kale which will come out flatter and more chip-shaped. If anyone tries with dinosaur kale, let me know how they come out!

Skinny Kale Chips

Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 0

1 bunch fresh kale

Olive oil flavored cooking spray

Salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Wash kale and dry very well. Cut or tear kale away from the stem and into bite-size pieces and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray with a light mist of cooking spray, salt well, and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. Flavor any way your little heart desires and enjoy!

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Buffalo Wings with Bleu Cheese Dipping Sauce

If I had to choose only one snack to eat for the Super Bowl (or any other football game, for that matter), it would be Buffalo wings. I want them to be crispy and smothered in a sauce on the hotter side of the Scoville scale. I want to cool them off by dunking them into a pool of Bleu cheese dip. I want an endless mountain of fresh cut carrots and celery to snack on while my mouth is cooling off in between wings. Luckily, these taste just as good baked as they do fried, and are quick and easy to make.

Skinny Buffalo Wings

Serving Size: 2 wings

WW PointsPlus Value: 5

2-3 lbs chicken wings and drumettes

1/2 cup Buffalo style hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Season wings with salt and pepper, then broil for 10 minutes per side, until outsides are crispy and juices run clear. Toss in hot sauce, and serve while still hot with dipping sauce (recipe follows).

Skinny Bleu Cheese Dipping Sauce

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup Blue cheese, crumbled

1 Tablespoon mayo

Salt to taste

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with Buffalo wings and lots of fresh carrots and celery to dip.

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Guacamole

I make a great guacamole. Way before I got really into cooking...and way, way before I got into "skinny" cooking, I decided to come up with my own perfect guacamole recipe. It is my all-time favorite dip for my all-time favorite kind of chip (tortilla), so there was really no choice in the matter. There are two secrets to making the perfect guacamole: Simplicity, and fresh ingredients. There is no need to throw all sorts of crazy stuff into your guac...avocado is the star of this dip, and you want to compliment it, not cover it up. Because it's such a simple dish, you want each and every ingredient to be as fresh as possible. This dip is always a crowd pleaser, perfect for Super Bowl Sunday. It's another recipe which can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.

Skinny Guacamole

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

WW PointsPlus Value: 3

1 large Hass avocado, seeded and peeled

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

1 small tomato, diced (optional)

Directions:

• Ideally, you'd want to smash the avocado with a mortar and pestle. What's that? You don't have a mortar and pestle? Me neither. I use a potato masher, fork, or just pop it in the magic bullet when I'm feeling extra lazy.
• Once the avocado is smashed, add all other ingredients and stir well. Serve with salty tortilla chips (for the record, those new Tostitos that claim to be "even crispier" absolutely are. I'd highly recommend them for game day).

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Onion Rings

Here is another great Super Bowl snack. These onion rings are so quick and easy to make, and the recipe is easy to double or even triple to serve larger groups.

Skinny Onion Rings

Serving Size: 1/2 recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1 large onion

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon milk

1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

salt to taste

cooking spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice onion into rings. Mix egg white and milk in a small bowl, and breadcrumbs in another.
• In small batches, coat onion rings with egg mixture, then dip in breadcrumbs. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spray with a light mist of cooking spray. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. These would taste great with my Skinny Buttermilk Ranch Dressing!

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks: Spinach Artichoke Dip

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, I thought I'd post some healthy makeovers of classic football snacks. Most food served at Super Bowl parties is far from "skinny," so if you're having a party of your own, make sure to keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand. If you plan on attending a party, make one or two healthy snacks to bring, and make sure to eat a meal before heading over. You'll be more likely to overeat if you're hungry...especially after a couple beers.

This is a great dip which I like to make when I have people over. It's packed with healthy spinach and artichoke, but it's creamy and cheesy. Every time I make this, it disappears. I would serve this with multigrain tortilla chips or pita chips and fresh cut veggies.

Skinny Spinach Artichoke Dip

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

1/2 lb fresh spinach

2 cans quartered artichoke hearts in water (not oil), drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 1/4 cup for topping

1/2 cup lowfat sour cream

4 oz lowfat cream cheese

salt, pepper, and red crushed pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook garlic and spinach over medium-high heat in a saucepan until spinach wilts. Remove from heat, and add remaining ingredients, except for 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Spoon spinach artichoke mixture into an oven-safe baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
• Cook 25 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Remove and let cool 5 minutes before serving