Make Mushrooms Your Pick of the Season

Savor the Flavor Every Day, Every Way
--(Business Wire)--
Long overlooked, mushrooms are nature's hidden treasure for
helping those focusing on living a healthful life. To promote the
nutritional benefits of fresh produce this back-to-school season,
Weight Watchers(R) continues Pick of the Season, a public health
initiative spotlighting seasonal fruit and vegetables, with recipes
this quarter for mushrooms, a produce selection so versatile it can
add flare to any every day meal.

Did you know? Mushrooms are the only fresh fruit or vegetable that
has four percent of the Daily Value of vitamin D.* Mushrooms are also
nutrient rich, providing a similar number of nutrients as many
brightly colored fruits and vegetables. For instance, mushrooms
provide the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. They
have natural antioxidants and in fact, are the leading source of the
antioxidant selenium in the fruit and vegetable category. Mushrooms
are also fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium.

In addition, mushrooms have umami. Also known as the "fifth
taste," umami foods are described as hearty or savory. The high water
content and very low energy (calorie) density of mushrooms help to
satisfy hunger.

In the kitchen, nothing beats the versatility of mushrooms; they
work in everything from soups and salads to main dishes and appetizers
and are easy to prepare. Simply saute and in fewer than 10 minutes you
can add flavor and texture to any favorite family meal. Just toss in a
handful of mushrooms to enjoy a boost of delicious flavor and
nutrition.

Below are four recipes to share with your readers to highlight the
savory taste of mushrooms: Mini Mushroom Burgers; Tilapia with
Mushrooms, Olives and Tomatoes; Turkey Mushroom Soup; and Mushroom
Chicken Piccata.

*Per serving of 4-5 white button mushrooms specifically

EDITOR NOTES:

-- Local Weight Watchers spokespeople are available to discuss
the importance of fruit and vegetables in diets and for
in-studio food demos. Please email media@weightwatchers.com to
arrange media interviews.

-- For your convenience, this release and photos of the recipes
are also available electronically via email.

These recipes reflect the food values inherent to the Weight
Watchers philosophy that eating should be satisfying as well as
healthy. In fact, learning and sharing innovative ideas about healthy
cooking and eating are part of the experience at weekly Weight
Watchers meetings, where members help and support each other. To learn
more about Weight Watchers, visit www.weightwatchers.com. To find the
nearest Weight Watchers meeting location, call 1-800-651-6000, or
click on the Find a Meeting link at the top of our homepage.

For more information about mushrooms, visit the Mushroom Council
at mushroominfo.com.

Pick of the Season - Mushrooms/Page 2

Pick of the Season - Mushroom Recipes:

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*T
Mini Mushroom Burgers
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
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2 Portabella mushrooms, stem 8 small high-fiber whole grain
removed dinner rolls
1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette 8 slices red onion
Salt and freshly ground black 8 slices tomato
pepper

Preparation
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1. Place Portabellas and vinaigrette in a large zip top bag. Zip and
lightly rub the vinaigrette into the mushrooms. Let marinate for
at least 30 minutes.
2. Remove mushrooms from bag, drain and season both sides with salt
and pepper. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat and spray
with non-stick cooking spray. Place the mushrooms on the grill
gill side down and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and continue to grill
until mushroom is almost cooked through, about 4 more minutes.
3. Remove from pan and drain mushrooms on paper towel, gill side down.
Cut each mushroom into quarters and place on buns. Top with onion
and tomato and serve.
*T

POINTS(R) value per serving: 2, 144 calories, 5g fat, 5g fiber

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Tilapia with Mushrooms, Olives and Tomatoes (Core Recipe)
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
----------------------------------------------------------------------
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, removed
from stem and chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely
(about 3 cloves) chopped
1 pound (16 ounces) button 4 skinless tilapia filets
mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup pitted green olives with Salt and freshly ground black
juice, halved pepper
2 cups halved grape tomatoes

Preparation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-
high heat. Add garlic and a single layer of mushrooms and cook,
without stirring, for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms become
red-brown on one side. Flip and cook about 5 minutes more, until
other side is same color. Add olives, tomatoes and herbs and heat
for another 2 minutes, until juice is evaporated. Remove from
heat, place in a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
2. In the same saute pan, heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over
medium heat. Season the filets with salt and pepper on both sides
and place in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes until nicely browned,
gently turn and cook another 3 minutes. Return vegetables and
herbs to skillet briefly to warm, then serve.
*T

POINTS(R) value per serving: 4, 196 calories, 7.5g fat, 2g fiber

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Turkey Mushroom Soup Needs (Core Recipe)
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces (about 2 cups) cooked
turkey (or chicken), removed from
the bone and shredded
8 ounces white button mushrooms, 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans,
quartered drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
onion) (a large handful)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon
(about 3 cloves) juice
1/4 cup chopped celery (about 3 1 teaspoon salt
stalks)
8 cups low-sodium turkey stock (or 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black
store bought chicken broth) pepper
2 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

Preparation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a single layer of
mushrooms and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes or until
mushrooms become red-brown on one side. Add onions, garlic and
celery and saute until translucent, about 5 more minutes. Add
turkey stock (see recipe below) or chicken broth, turkey and sage.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
2. Add rinsed beans, spinach, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a
boil to wilt spinach and serve hot.
3. To make turkey stock: Place turkey bones in a large stock pot and
cover with cold water. Add 1 quartered onion, 2 coarsely chopped
stalks of celery, 1 coarsely chopped carrot, 1 bay leaf and 2 sage
leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 2 or
more hours. Strain and skim fat from top and store stock for
future use.
*T

POINTS(R) value per serving: 2, 120 calories, 3g fat, 3g fiber

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Mushroom Chicken Piccata
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
----------------------------------------------------------------------
4 chicken cutlets (4 oz each) 1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Freshly ground black pepper 1 lemon
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons capers, with juice
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
quartered

Preparation
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1. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and heat a large
saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and warm
briefly, then add chicken and cook until nicely browned, about 2
minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover.
2. In the same pan, warm the remaining olive oil over medium-high
heat. Add a single layer of mushrooms and cook, without stirring,
for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms become red-brown on one
side. Flip mushrooms, add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add
wine and scrape up any browned bits in the pan. Bring to a boil
and add stock, then return heat until it is bubbling nicely. Slice
4 very thin slices of lemon and add to the pan along with the
juice from half of the lemon. Add capers and continue cooking
sauce till it becomes a glaze, about 2 more minutes. Add the
chicken to the sauce and heat through, then serve.
*T

POINTS(R) value per serving: 4, 199 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber

All recipes courtesy of the Mushroom Council and mushroominfo.com.

(C)2008 Weight Watchers International, Inc., owner of the WEIGHT
WATCHERS and POINTS registered trademarks. All rights reserved. Note:
POINTS (R) values for these recipes were calculated using the
calories, fat, and fiber information for one serving. Results may
differ from adding the POINTS values listed in the Eat Wisely booklet
for each individual ingredient.

Weight Watchers International
Diana Levine, 212-589-2738
levined@weight-watchers.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008