Hello Again

Frustrated that I wasn't loosing weight fast enough, I decided to seek a little help from online Weight Watchers. It makes it easy to track your food, keeping you accountable and has some great recipes. Knowing that I would have to track my food this weekend, it helped me to stick to only 2 slices of pizza and a healthy omelet with fruit while at I HOP. If anyone wants my username and password to check it out, let me know. Last night I made Chicken Piccata with Garlic Spinach, which I loved! I posted the recipe. As a kid I remember hating spinach, but surprisingly I liked this recipe. Everything is better with garlic! The Duathalon/Triathalon is in <2 months so I started my training. Yesterday I ran 3miles and then went to pilates, where I found my core has softened quite a bit. Spin class was full this morning so I ended up in Step Aerobics, which must have been quite amusing for those watching me. I lack coordination and combing more than 4 steps at a time left me running in circles around my step box only to trip over my own feet. From now on I'm going to stick to running and biking. Tomorrow I'm trying out a chicken recipe with dijon potatoes, so look out for more recipe posts.

Chicken or Pork Picatta and Spinach

My Substitutions/Changes: ~1lb Thin sliced chicken Double or Triple :) the garlic 3 servings instead of 4 Weight watchers recipe: 5 points if 4 servings, 7 points if 3 servings Ingredients 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp table salt, divided 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided (or less to taste) 1 pound(s) lean pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 16 thin slices 2 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided 3/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium 1/4 cup(s) fresh lemon juice 2 tsp cornstarch 2 tsp butter 1 Tbsp capers, drained 1/2 tsp minced garlic 12 oz spinach, baby-variety Instructions In a small bowl, combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle over both sides of pork, shaking off excess. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork (in 2 batches if necessary) and cook until just cooked through and golden, about 1 1/2 minutes per side; set aside on a serving plate and cover to keep warm. In a cup, whisk together broth, lemon juice, cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until blended. Pour into same skillet and whisk to combine with pan drippings; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat; stir in butter until melted. Stir in capers and spoon over pork; cover to keep warm. Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach to skillet in batches, tossing mixture and adding more spinach as some of it cooks down. Cook, tossing, until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper and serve with pork. Yields 4 slices pork, about 3 tablespoons sauce and 1/2 cup spinach per serving.

Turkey Florentine Meatballs

Turkey Florentine Meatballs


This is the recipe that single-handedly woo'ed a skeptical David into the turkey loving man he is today. ha!

1 1/3 pound ground turkey
1 box frozen spinach (thawed)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wring out excess water from spinach. Place all ingredients (except EVOO) into a large mixing bowl. Mix ingredients well-- the best way is with your hands! Form into however many balls you want (I usually get around 16) and place on a nonstick baking sheet (or cover a regular baking sheet with parchment paper or foil). Drizzle with EVOO. Roast for 20 minutes. That's it! (Makes 4-5 servings)

These taste great with any kind of sauce, but this is our favorite, simple version.

Olive Oil, Garlic and Crushed Red Pepper Pasta


Pour just enough EVOO in a skillet set over medium-low heat to lightly cover the amount of pasta you are eating. Once warm, add a clove or two of minced fresh garlic. Let cook about 30 seconds, then sprinkle in crushed red pepper flakes to taste (we probably use 1-2 tsp). Cook for another 30ish seconds, until warm and pour over pasta.

Turkey Chili

I made this up and don't measure exactly so you may have to season to taste... It probably makes about 7-8servings.

1lb lean ground turkey
1 can Black Beans drained
1 can Kidney Beans drained
2 cans Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1/2 red onion diced
2 Bell peppers  diced (mix red, orange  or yellow-- sweeter than green)
1/2cup Veggie Stock/Broth
4 cloves garlic
3 Tlb chili powder
2 tsp Red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
EVOO

1. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in large skillet. Cook onions  on medium for 2-3min, add garlic, then bell peppers. Cook for 5-6min. Stir frequently. Add to large pot.
2. In large pot, add beans, tomatoes, broth, 2 Tlb oil and above seasonings. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
2. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in large skillet. Brown  and break up turkey,  while browning add 1 Tlb chili powder and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Add to large pot.
3. Simmer chili for 15-20min.
4. You can probably throw all the raw ingredients into slow-cooker too.

Italian Veggie hogie

I like this sandwich... I havent tried it yet, but it sounds great and I intend on trying it this weekend when the Surgeon General is here.  Looking at the nutrition facts at the bottom, this may not be the leanest of choices, but its pretty healthy and sounds filling.  I'll comment back on the reviews...

4 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings
• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 16- to 20-inch-long baguette, preferably whole-grain
• 2 slices provolone cheese, (about 2 ounces), halved
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini, (optional)

Preparation

1. Place onion rings in a small bowl and add cold water to cover. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
2. Combine artichoke hearts, tomato, vinegar, oil and oregano in a medium bowl. Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths. Split each piece horizontally and pull out about half of the soft bread from each side. Drain the onions and pat dry.
3. To assemble sandwiches, divide provolone among the bottom pieces of baguette. Spread on the artichoke mixture and top with the onion, lettuce and pepperoncini, if using. Cover with the baguette tops. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving: 264 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 10 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 8 g fiber; 624 mg sodium; 174 mg potassium.

Amazing Chicken fingers

AMAZING Chicken Fingers

My Changes to the Recipe:

These changes were either made because of convenience or to make the recipe healthier:

-Chobani Fat free yogurt, instead of mayo (This worked great. It cut out a lot of fat and added ~9gm of protein!)

-I didn't use walnuts or lemon juice

-EVOO instead of canola oil

-Kraft 1/3 less fat grated Parmesan, instead of freshly grated

TIP:It was difficult for me to find Wheat Germ. I finally found it in the organic section next to flour and flax seed. There is just enough breadcrumb mix, so don't go over board on your first tenders. There is more than enough dipping sauce, I thought about thinning some of it to make a dijon salad dressing. These were AWESOME and I couldn't believe they weren't fried. This recipe would be great on a salad or paired with a small salad and side veggie.

ENJOY! -- originally from Shape Magazine, edited by KVG

Comfort Food: Healthy Chicken Fingers with Mustard Dipping Sauce

This crispy chicken recipe gets an omega-3 boost from walnuts. Plus, the chicken fingers are great with the mustard dipping sauce.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving:

(3 chicken fingers and 2 Tbsp dipping sauce): 361 calories, 16g fat, 2g saturated fat, 20g carbs, 31g protein, 2g fiber, 48mg calcium, 1mg iron, 673mg sodium

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Ingredients for the Chicken Fingers

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• ¹/₄ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pound chicken tenders, trimmed
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoons canola oil
• ¹/₂ cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• ¹/₄ cup walnuts
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• ¹/₄ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹/₄ easpoon freshly ground
• black pepper
• Cooking spray

Ingredients for the Dipping Sauce

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh
lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine mustard, mayonnaise, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.Add chicken tenders, coat well, and set aside.

Pour oil into a small nonstick skillet and heat over medium. Add panko and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until crumbs are golden. Transfer to a shallow dish.

Arrange walnuts on a baking sheet; toast in oven for 2 to 3 minutes until just fragrant. Let cool, then finely chop and add to panko with wheat germ, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Toss well.

Set a wire rack over a large baking sheet; spray lightly with cooking spray. Dredge chicken fingers in crumb mixture and arrange on rack. Spray chicken lightly with cooking spray and bake for 12 minutes or until just cooked through.

While chicken is baking, combine ingredients for dipping sauce in a small bowl. Divide among four small ramekins. Serve with the chicken fingers.

COMFORT FOOD: Healthy sausage pizza with sweet peppers

Healthy Pizza - from the surgeon general

Week 2: I was slow to exercise, but I had a weight loss of 2lbs this week!
Tomorrow I'm meeting with a trainer for the first time, hopefully it won't be
canceled due to the snow. The diet is going well and I'm trying out lots of new
recipes. Tonight I made pizza, a recipe from Shape magazine. To prevent from
over indulging in pizza,  I ate a big salad while the pizza was in the oven.
Below is the recipe and the changes I made to it. ENJOY!
My Changes:
3 cloves of garlic, sauteed with the onions (because everything is better with
garlic)
Boboli whole wheat crust ( it had  less cal/fat and 3gm more fiber/serving than
the wheat dough)
Apple Spiced Chicken Sausage (it was 3gm less fat per link)... I think this
recipe would be really good with hot italian chick/turk sausage too
I removed the sausage from the pork casings (less fat...and just gross)
I bought 1lb of sausage (5 links) and I  used 3 links in the recipe
I didn't use cornmeal since I bought a pre-made crust
I doubled the sauce (1/2c).... 1/4c isn't enough for me

Comfort Food: Healthy Sausage Pizza with Sweet Peppers
A whole-wheat crust, chicken sausage and a ton of veggies make this sausage
pizza surprisingly healthy.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Nutrition Score per serving:
(2 pizza slices): 351 calories, 11g fat, 4g saturated fat, 44g carbs, 17g
protein, 6g fiber, 207mg calcium, 3mg iron, 705mg sodium
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Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
4 ounces sweet Italian-flavored chicken sausage, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
of crushed red pepper
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1?4-inch strips
1 medium red onion, cut into 1?4-inch strips
12 ounces store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough
Cornmeal for pan
1/4 cup jarred pizza sauce
3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella (about 3?4 cup), divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 F with rack in the lowest position. Pour 1 teaspoon oil into
a large nonstick pan and heat over medium-high. Add sausage and sauté for 3
minutes or until just brown, stirring occasionally. Add fennel and red pepper;
sauté for 1 more minute. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining teaspoon oil to pan
with the bell pepper and onion. Sauté for 10 to 12 minutes or until softened and
lightly charred.
While sweet peppers and onions are cooking, roll out whole-wheat pizza dough to
a 12-inch circle. Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal and arrange crust on top.
Poke lightly with a fork. Bake for 6 minutes or until slightly puffed. Remove
from oven; prick any bubbles. Spread with sauce, leaving a 1?2-inch border; top
with 1?2 cup cheese.
Arrange sweet peppers and onions over top, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and
top with sausage. Bake for 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted and pizza
crust is golden and crisp. Let cool slightly before slicing into 8 pieces, then
serve.