I HATE mushrooms and several recipes I've found call for mushrooms. They are 0 points correct? Is there something I can use in their place, or would it drastically hurt the point value if they were left out entirely? For example...this recipe was found under the Pizza/Pasta forum here.....

Mostaccioli Pizza Salad
Recipe By : WW Make It Fresh - 4 Points
Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta Dishes Salads
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 tablespoons white vinegar 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon olive oil 3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves -- crushed
2 3/4 cups cooked mostaccioli(about 1 1/2 c. uncooked
1 cup mushrooms -- presliced
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes -- halved
1/2 cup green bell pepper -- chopped
1/2 cup(2 oz) part-skim mozzarella cheese -- shredded
Additional cherry tomatoes -- optional
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring
with a whisk until blended. Add pasta and next 4
ingredients; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.
Garnish with additional cherry tomatoes, if desired.
Yield: 5 servings(serving size: 1 Cup).
POINTS: 4; Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch, 1 Fat. Per serving:
Cal 164(28% from fat); Pro 6.6g; Fat 5.2g(sat 1.6g); Carb
22.3g; Fib 0.8g; Chol 7mg; Iron 0.8mg; Sod 174mg; Calc 86mg.
MC Formatted by Sue B 4/98 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hello!

You can send the mushrooms to our house, we eat them as fast as we can!

Yes, mushrooms are 0 points, which is great for those of us who love them dearly!

I ran your recipe through my Master Cook, and deleting the mushrooms didn't make any difference in the nutritional value or points. If you wanted to add something else for "bulk", try julienned zucchini.

Hope this helps!

Annie
290/205/150-ish

Annie,

What is a Master Cook?

Thanks
Angie

Hi,

MasterCook is a software program from Sierra. It's a recipe management program. It figures out the nutritional information in your recipes, which makes it easier to figure out the points.

Re: mushrooms. Although I wouldn't do it, loving mushrooms as I do, you can leave them out of most recipes without any problems. In the recipe you posted, I agree that zucchini might be a good substitute. I'd probably slice it for a salad recipe.

Lin

By leaving out the mushrooms, the serving size will be slightly smaller (because the mushrooms make up some of the bulk of the measured serving.) You can add the equivalent amount of diced red or yellow (or green, of course) peppers; or as someone else said, Zucchini; or even blanched and sliced green beans, which would add a nice crunch. In fact, the more veggies you add, the fewer points the recipe has because then you'll be eating less pasta, proportionally. It's a good recipe. I just copied it! Thanks!