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.

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.