(CS4U) A Sunday share from my kitchen to yours

Here are a couple low cal stir fry ideas from Weight Watchers  sue 1                                                                                                      You're hungry, you're in hurry and all you have left is one little PointsPlus value? It's stir-fry to the rescue with a fast, filling plan for dinner. These super quick, super tasty veggie combos are easy to love. We packed so much taste into 1 PointsPlus value that these recipes can be the center of your dinner. Serve them over rice or pasta, or add chicken, meat, fish or soy for a complete one-wok meal. Read the article below     Each stir-fry we've developed can be adjusted according to what's in your fridge and which vegetables you like best. We give you the general instructions, tips on how to make it quickly, and recipes for different sauces. You mix and match. Each from-scratch sauce takes about a minute or two to make. You can also buy a bottled sauce, but our recipe testing showed that you get tastier results (and often lower PointsPlus values) when you make the sauce yourself. We also tested raw versus par-boiled vegetables. Although you can always just toss the vegetables in the stir-fry pan from start to finish, sometimes we like to parboil or steam the denser vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips and kale, first. When a vegetable is precooked, it only needs 1 to 3 minutes in the wok. That means you can prepare the vegetables ahead and finish the dish in 3 to 5 minutes. Jade Green Vegetables Makes 6 servings Yields 3 cups total PointsPlus™ value | 1 per serving Ingredients 1/2 cup any type of broth, chicken recommended 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 Tbsp sugar 2 sprays cooking spray, canola-variety recommended 1 1/2 tsp peanut oil 1/2 tsp salt 3 thin slices of fresh ginger 1/2 lb uncooked string beans, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces 1 cup scallions, finely sliced Instructions In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce and sugar; set aside. Generously coat a large nonstick skillet (or wok) with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add oil, salt and ginger; stir to combine. Heat until oil begins to shimmer and ginger becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add string beans; stir-fry about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add asparagus; stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add scallions and broth mixture; toss to coat. Heat through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute; serve immediately. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving. Notes How to make it faster: Mix the sauce the night before, buy precut vegetables from a salad bar or buy bottled stir-fry sauce instead (could affect PointsPlus values). Great over brown rice or served with steamed shrimp or shredded chicken. Japanese-Style Stir-Fry Makes 6 serving Yields about 5 to 5 1/2 cups total PointsPlus™ value | 1 per serving Ingredients 1 Tbsp fresh minced gingerroot 1 large minced garlic clove 1/2 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp mirin or sweet sherry 1 Tbsp rice vinegar 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 2 sprays cooking spray, canola-variety recommended 1 tsp sesame oil 4 cups broccoli florets 3 medium carrots, julienned 1 medium red pepper, cut into chunks Instructions In a small bowl, combine ginger, garlic, sugar, mirin, vinegar and soy sauce; set aside Generously coat a large nonstick skillet (or wok) with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat; heat oil until shimmering. Add broccoli and carrots; stir-fry about 5 to 7 minutes. Add pepper; stir-fry for about 1 to 3 minutes more. Add sauce and heat through, about 30 seconds to 1 minute; serve immediately. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving. Notes How to make it faster: Parboil the broccoli and carrots the night before to decrease the stir-fry time. Or use quicker-cooking vegetables such as spinach and matchstick carrots. You can even buy a bottled Japanese stir-fry or teriyaki sauce (could affect PointsPlus values). Wonderful as side dish for flank steak, pork roast or miso-glazed fish. Mixed Greens Stir-Fry Makes 6 serving Yields about 3 cups total PointsPlus™ value | 1 per serving Ingredients 3 sprays cooking spray, olive oil-variety recommended 1 1/2 tsp olive oil 3/4 lb baby spinach 3/4 lb baby arugula 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste 1/4 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar Instructions Coat a large pot with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat; heat oil until shimmering. Add spinach and arugula; cook until just wilted, turning greens over with tongs from the bottom of the pot to the top, about 1 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar; stir and heat through, about 30 seconds. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving. Notes How to make it faster: Use reduced-calorie Italian or vinaigrette dressing instead of salt, pepper and vinegar (could affect PointsPlus values). Any combination of leafy greens will work: beet greens, Swiss chard, kale, collards, mustard greens, etc. Italian-Style Stir-Fry Makes 6 serving Yields about 6 cups total PointsPlus™ value | 1 per serving Ingredients 3 sprays cooking spray, olive oil-variety recommended 1 tsp olive oil 1 Tbsp fennel seeds 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp salt 1 large Spanish onion, peeled, cut in half, thinly sliced 4 medium peppers, 1 each red, orange, yellow and green, thinly sliced Instructions Coat a very large nonstick skillet (or wok) with cooking spray; heat over medium to medium-high heat. Add oil; heat until shimmering. Add fennel seeds and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add salt and onion; stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Add peppers; stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving. Notes How to make it faster: Buy precut vegetables at your grocery store or a salad bar. Or use thawed frozen pepper and onion strips (could affect texture). Use any color or variety of pepper. Add chopped tomatoes and/or a tablespoon of fresh basil or 2 teaspoons of rosemary instead of the fennel. Oregano and thyme are nice additions, too. Terrific over pasta, as a topping for a sandwich, or served with pork, chicken or fish.