Greek-Style Twice Baked Potatoes - 4 Points

This is another Weight Watchers online recipe to satisfy that Mediterranean craving!  I made a full batch of these and had them as a side dish for lunches and dinners throughout the week.  I actually thought they were better as leftovers!  You can always switch out the yogurt for light sour cream, and use a different cheese, such as cheddar.  Throwing in bacon bits would be yummy too!  (This will affect points values)

• 20 oz potatoes, 4 Idaho variety, scrubbed
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt, at room temperature (I used Greek yogurt)
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp chives, freshly snipped

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).  Bake the potatoes on the oven rack until a knife can easily pierce the center of each potato, about 45 minutes.  Remove potatoes and let cool slightly on a rack; reduce the oven heat to 375F (190C).
2. Split the potatoes in half horizontally (use oven mitts to protect your hands).  Scoop out the flesh from each potato half, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick layer still in the shell.  Transfer the potato flesh to a medium bowl.
3. Add the feta, yogurt, butter, and chives to the potato flesh and mash well.  Stuff the filling into the shells and arrange filling-side up on a baking sheet.  Bake until the filling is hot in the center and the edges are lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

Yields 2 potato halves per serving.

Baked Falafel Sandwich - 7 Points

In the spirit of Greek Week, and because Brian leaned over my shoulder one day and said, "I want some falafel!", I've decided to add a nice vegetarian option to the mix.  This recipe was taken from Weight Watchers online, and I absolutely recommend it!
One thing to note - this does not reheat well.  Leftovers are definitely not an option on this one.

Brian didn't like the Tahini sauce, but I thought it was a fabulously tangy addition to the sandwich.  Adding some tomatoes will give an extra bit of moisture, as this can be a bit dry (depending on the pitas you get).  Unfortunately, whole wheat pitas in Singers are on the dry side :(

This is Brian's sauceless sammich

• 15 1/2 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped (I used parsley - have I told you that I loathe cilantro?)
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Tahini (sesame butter)
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 large wheat pitas
• sandwich vegetables, such as lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, etc.  (I had cucumber, onion, and lettuce, while Brian had tomato, onion, and lettuce)

Combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt and baking soda in a food processor or blender.  Process until mixture is coarsely pureed and transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in flour; shape mixture into 4 large patties and let stand 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Heath oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add patties and cook until golden brown, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake about 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, whisk together Tahini, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl.


To assemble sandwiches, add one falafel patty to each pita and drizzle with 1 Tbsp of Tahini sauce.  Add vegetables of your choice.

Not as strong as I thought...

Last week I got a call from my gym - they're offering a few free personal training sessions to existing members.  The last time I tried training at True Fitness, I wasn't impressed.  Peggy, my trainer in Houston, was amazing!  She kicked my butt into shape and really strengthened my core.  So when I said I'd do another trial round of training this week, I was skeptical, to say the least.

Apparently I was wrong!  Juliana, the woman who trained me tonight, really knows her stuff.  And she definitely kicked my ass!  I had no idea just how weak I am.  You'd think that a girl who spins, lifts weights, and is in overall good health wouldn't actually lack muscle.  But I do.  Turns out muscle mass burns more fat, and if I want that toned body, weights need to be more of a part of my weekly routine.

Not gonna lie, I doubt I'll walk like a normal person tomorrow.  It's highly doubtful.  I might have some strange kind of hobble, actually.  If I had a video camera that I could strap to my body in a way that I could video my walking abilities, I would - simply for your entertainment.  Alas, a camera I do not have, and you will be suffering with your own imagination.

So what's the verdict?  I scheduled another training session for Sunday.  If I like it then, she's going to show me the "damage" (what I like to call the ridiculous amount of money they charge people like me to have their asses kicked), and I'll make a decision from there.  If I do decide to start the training, we'll do some before and after pictures of Sarah in a bikini (and of course some progress pics along the way).  Aww, hell - even if I don't sign up we'll do progress pictures.  Screw it.

Not to mention my friend Kelly got me started on Pilates.  It's going to break her heart if I choose training over Pilates...I guess we'll find out next week.  I've got another trial Pilates class on Saturday morning.  If I was rich I'd just do both!

What do you think?  Pilates or Personal Training?

Easy Greek Salad with Herb Lemon Grilled Chicken - 6 Points

This is the perfect meal when you just haven't got the time to cook.  It's also a perfect way to use up those Greek ingredients you bought for Greek Week!  I decided to try out my go-to fish recipe on the chicken, and it worked quite well.  Brian didn't care for the chicken, but I thought it was perfect mixed in the salad.  You can substitute other herbs for your chicken to find your own perfect combination!
Salad and Dressing from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook.
Serves 4.
 

For the Salad:

• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp water
• 3 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, cut into wedges (I diced mine)
• 1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced (I use telescoping cucumbers and don't seed them)
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 large Greek olives, pitted and sliced (I used Kalamata)

1. To prepare the dressing, in a mini food processor or blender, combine the cheese, lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, pepper, and water; puree.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, and onion.  Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with the olives.

For the Chicken:

• 4 (3-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• dried parsley
• dried oregano
• salt and pepper
• fresh lemon juice

1. Coat a grill or cast iron grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat, until a drop of water sizzles.  
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano, to taste (or other herbs of your choosing).
3. Grill chicken, basting with lemon juice midway through, until done.

Greek Week!

No, this isn't the kind of Greek Week where all of your sorority sisters and fraternity brothers get together on the esplanade to see who's better.  It's the Greek Week where we cook healthy, delicious, Greek and Mediterranean-inspired meals...obviously!

I completely skipped weigh-in on Tuesday, because that whole "Sarah's getting back on track and being good" thing from a couple of weeks ago failed miserably.  Sure, I've been tracking.  But I've also been giving in to temptation, overindulging, and skipping the gym.  Why do I do this to myself?  Why do I eat so many scones at my friend's brunch that I feel like I'm going to vomit?  Literally.  I did that.  Yesterday.

I'm counting down the days until Brian and I leave for Houston, and I desperately want to reach my goal before then.  At this rate, if I don't shape up, those last few pounds aren't going to ship out.  So I'm planning ahead - further ahead than ever before!  I've got meals written down and grocery lists made to last me through Thanksgiving, and I'm absolutely stoked to share some of my new recipes with you!  I'll take some from Gina, some from Weight Watchers online, a few from random websites.  And one of these days, before it's all over, I promise to develop one of my own.

So what's a girl to do when she wants so badly to reach her goals, but her own obsessive cravings and lack of motivation gets her down?  Pointers?  Tips?  Inspiring words?  Anyone???

Salmon Croquettes

Tonight's dinner was my own spin on a recipe I discovered online.  I've never thought about canned salmon (in fact I probably didn't know it existed) until I saw this recipe.  Poor, poor Brian.  He refuses to eat anything with salmon, and he severely missed out on one of the most delicious and easy meals I've had in a long time!

I had my croquettes with a mixed greens salad and aged balsamic vinegar.

The finished product, ready for consumption!

My first bite - I'm excited to see how it tastes!

Mmm!  So Good!

Salmon Croquettes - 7 Points
Adapted from MyRecipes.com 
Yields 4 servings, 2 croquettes per serving


For the Croquettes:

• 2 Tbsp low-fat Greek style yogurt
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp red bell pepper, minced
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 12 oz canned pink salmon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp canola oil

For the sauce:

• 2 Tbsp low-fat Greek style yogurt
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp capers, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• salt, to taste

Combine all but last two ingredients for croquettes (through egg), stirring well.  Add panko; toss.
Shape mixture into 8 patties.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add patties and cook 5 minutes on each side, or until browned.
(I cooked the first side for 5 minutes, and the other side for 3).

Meanwhile, combine ingredients for sauce, stirring well.

Remove patties from oil and pat dry with a paper towel.  Serve immediately with sauce and a tasty balsamic salad.

Spooktacular Weekend!

As we all know, Halloween means candy, trick-or-treaters, and if you're a grownup - parties.  Loads of parties.  So when I looked at the calendar and realized I had parties on both Friday and Saturday, it was important to plan ahead for easy and healthy meals.
Both Brian and I love a good bowl of soup after a full night of drinking, so my idea to make Quick Chicken Noodle Soup for lunch on Sunday was very well received!

Saturday night was the Halloween Party Hopper - a coach-style bus lugging 45 awesomely dressed partiers from bar to bar.  Not only did we receive welcome drinks at each venue (and free flow at one!), but the organizers did an amazing job of stocking bottles of vodka infused something to pour down our throats while en route to the next spot.  Needless to say, Brian and I made it until 2am (early in Singapore) and decided to go home.  By some miracle I didn't have a hang over on Sunday, but the soup was still an amazing idea ;)
Brian definitely enjoyed it!

In case you're wondering, we dressed as Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction...and we looked fabulous!  (I don't smoke - it was a prop that lasted all of 30 minutes until someone smoked it)

Oh, and here's the soup (5 Points per serving).  I froze the leftovers; I'm sure they'll come in handy for the next hang over!

OMG that's effing good

Gina has once again provided us with an impeccable recipe.  This time - Shrimp Scampi (lightened up).  I served it atop a bed of spaghetti and steamed broccoli, but I think it would be much better with angel hair or linguine.  I just happened to have spaghetti lying around :)

Shrimp Scampi over Pasta and Vegetables - 7 Points
Adapted from Gina's WW Recipes
Yields 1 serving

• 5 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp white cooking wine (I subbed white wine vinegar)
• 1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• black pepper, to taste

• 1 cup of any veggie of your choice (I suggest broccoli)
• pasta of your choice, such as angel hair - should yield 1 cup when cooked

As the shrimp doesn't take long to cook, be sure to time your pasta and veggies appropriately so that all parts are ready at the same time.  I added pasta to boiling water just before I began cooking the shrimp.  Depending on your veggie choice, use discretion to cook it as well.

For the shrimp:
Heat butter and oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat.  When the butter starts melting, add garlic.
Lower the heat; cook for 1 minute, stirring to prevent garlic from browning.
Add shrimp; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add wine (or vinegar), lemon juice, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through.
Stir in bread crumbs and parsley.

Serve immediately with pasta and vegetables.