Skinny Chicken Fried steak - for my hubby

My hubby is a pretty classic, homestyle guy when it comes to food.  He has been a great sport of my imposed dietary changes for the family and has eaten everything I have made for him, usually with more enthusiasm than I have!  But whenever I ask him what he would like to request for dinner, he always requests the classics - chilli, meatloaf, etc.  So I know he misses those comfort meals!  I try to make them healthier (using ground turkey and other lighter ingredients, going easier on the portions, etc) so we still get to eat them, just less frequently and healthier.  So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest (thanks http://www.laaloosh.com - this is a good website with weight watchers recipes!!), I knew I had to give it a try for him!!!


I will say, I thought it wasn't bad.  Not something I personally would crave, but a good change of pace and something different.  I will say that it was quite filling, which was nice!!!  I found the original recipe hard to follow, so I adjusted the flow of the instructions a bit in hopes of making it easier to make next time.  Let me know what you think!!!

Country Fried Steak and Gravy Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 lb lean cube steak, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 4 portions
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 Fiber One cereal, processed very fine, to breadcrumb consistency
- - 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder

 1 ¼ cups fat free beef broth
- 1/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
-1/4 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare 3 shallow bowls:

1.      ¼ cup all-purpose flour on a large plate.

2.    2 egg whites (lightly beaten)

3.    “Crumbs” – mix together

a.    ¼ cup Fiber one cereal crushed to breadcrumbs

b.    ¼ cup whole wheat flour

c.    ¼ cup cornstarch

d.    1 tsp garlic powder

e.    1 tsp paprika

·         Season both sides of steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

·         Dredge the steak in the flour, shaking off excess;

·         dip in the egg white

·         then dredge in the Fiber One/flour mixture – DO NOT TOSS the rest of this mixture!

·         Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonfat cooking spray, and

·         heat over medium-high heat.

·         Reduce heat to medium and add steak

·         cook until browned on both sides, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes total.

·         Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 

·         Transfer the steak to the prepared baking sheet

·         Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

·         Meanwhile, add broth to the pan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, approx 3 to 5 minutes.

·         Whisk water and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth.

·         Add to broth, stirring to keep from clumping.

·         Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the left over Fiber One/flour mixture.

·         Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

·         Stir in buttermilk;

·         Season with the remaining salt and pepper.

·         Serve the steak topped with the gravy.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1 steak with 1/4 of the gravy
Each serving = 6 Points +

PER SERVING: 288 calories; 8 g fat; 14 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 3 g fiber

Overnight oatmeal....what a flop!

Well, I suppose statistically it was inevitable.  I have found so many recipes on Pinterest and the majority of them I absolutely LOVED!  A few were so-so.  But I had yet to find any that I just hated and would vow to never make again....until this week.  So while at first I was disappointed with not having a complete winning record, I quickly realized that 100% success rate was unrealistic.  So I prided myself that it took this long to find a "flop" and celebrated the number of successes I have to date.

Since I am not a morning person, I thought that a quick and easy breakfast meal that was something different than I have been eating would be a great change of pace.  So when I came across the "overnight oatmeal" recipes with some many variations and positive comments, I thought it sounded like just what I was looking for.   But oh was I sadly mistaken.

I got them ready at night before I went to bed.  I tried 2 different variations - a berry and a vanilla/cinnamon.  It's basically oatmeal, yogurt, and some kind of liquid.  You refrigerate overnight and the oats are supposed to soak up the moisture in the liquid and soften without cooking and is a cold cereal.  But to my horror, it was like eating flavored glue.  It was horrible.  I even added some no-cal sweetener....not any better.

So I have put that recipe in the "I will never make THAT again" section in my recipe book.  I would love to hear if any of you have tried similar recipes and had any success.  I hate having a fail on my record....my competitive streak coming out again :-)

Parm Roasted Potatoes

I have made these potatoes for several meals lately.  They are simple and versatile and a HUGE hit with my hubby!!  He really likes them and requests them.  I (again) forgot to take a pic of the finished product.  I am sure we will be having them again soon so I will update with pics then.

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Recipe Type: Side Dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp pepper
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the cubed potatoes into a baking dish. (The cubes of potatoes should be about 3/4 of an inch on all sides) You can spray the baking dish with a baking spray too to eliminate anything possibly sticking
3. Pile on the olive oil, garlic salt, salt, paprika, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Using your fingers, or a spoon if you feel inclined, get in to the potatoes and carefully mix everything around until the seasonings coat each potato.
4. Transfer the baking dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the potatoes with a pair of tongs. Put the baking dish back into the oven and bake for about 15 – 25 minutes more until they are golden and crispy.
5. Season with an little dusting of sea salt if desired and serve.

Maple Dijon Chicken

I wanted to share last night's new dinner recipe with you.  It was a keeper.  It was a little something different from a flavor perspective, which was a welcome change.  I am not usually a mustard person, but I am trying to embrace it because it's lower in fat and calories than mayonnaise and other creams.  I don't think this is one of my top 3 fave dishes at the moment, but possibly top 5 and for sure top 10.  I hope you enjoy too! 

Maple Dijon Chicken

Preheat your oven to 450ºF.Then, mix together 1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar. 

Put a 1.5 pound package of chicken thighs into an oven-proof baking dish. I used boneless, skinless thighs. Six came in my package, which made enough to serve 3 people. Then, salt and pepper the thighs. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated. 

Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 155ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through.I find that a meat thermometer is essential in cooking because it allows me to check for doneness without cutting into the meat and losing its precious juices. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. If there is ever a time to use fresh herbs, THIS IS IT! The flavors are just so good together. Enjoy the savory goodness of this meal!

I ran!???!!

Well I did my first "Couch to 5k" training session today.  I ran for the first time in almost 3 years (and that was only a couple of times for a brief couple of minutes and before that it had been YEARS).  And I am pleased as punch to say that I didn't die!  For those of you that aren't familiar with this program, it is about a 30 minute walk/jog that you do 3 times a week.  It is designed to gradually train you to run a 5k.  I have heard great things about it from several friends that have done it.

I have been "mentally working out" for a while now....thinking about getting started that is.  I worked from home today so had the perfect opportunity to get started over my lunch hour - no one to see me after I became a hot and sweaty mess, no toddler to try to entertain and prevent from interrupting the session 500 times, and the actual motivation to do it so I decided to give it a shot.

The week one session is a 5 min warm up followed by 20 minutes of alternating 60 seconds of running followed by 90 seconds of "recovery" brisk walking and finishing with a 5 min cool down walk.  I made it through 4 "running" sessions (out of 9 - yes I actually created a spreadsheet to figure out how many there were.  Yes, I am a geek!).  While I was hoping to be a trooper and make it through the whole first session as planned, sadly that wasn't the case.  I did keep going but I changed the last 5 runs to an increased walking pace.  Surprisingly it wasn't my breathing or heart rate that was causing me trouble to run, it was my calves - they were on fire!!!

I feel like for a first attempt this could be chalked up as a success.

• I did it and got started (for me, that is a miracle in and of itself!)
• I didn't get discouraged and quit
• I actually don't completely detest the thought of doing this again (just partially...j/k actually not bad)

So for those of you that are looking for something different, I suggest you try this.  Info can be found at this website - http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml.  Also if you google "couch to 5k podcasts" you will get results of sites where you can download playlists that will tell you when it's time to run/walk.  I used one recommended to me by a friend and I can't imagine trying to time it myself!!!  There are also phone apps that will time it for you and tell you when to switch and you can use your own playlist for music.  It just depends on what your style preference is.

I think my favorite part about this was it was only 30 minutes.  To me that seems much more do-able, tolerable and repeatable than a 1 hour walk/jog.  So here's to hoping I can actually get my butt up off the couch and do this again on Sunday.  Hold me accountable folks....I need it!!!

Until then, I am looking forward to completing my first (of I hope many) 5k (this one will for sure be a WALK) with my mom tomorrow morning.  It should be a nice day.  I will be sure to post a pic.

Whew it's been a while!! Time for an update!

Sorry that it's been so long since I've posted on here!!!  Lot's has been happening with my family the last week or so.  I think things have calmed down a bit (knocking on wood!!!) so time to catch back up.  So here are a few updates:

• # pounds lost to date - ????  I am sad to say that we had a flood in our bathroom last weekend.  Not only was it a total exhausting pain to deal with, I found out that my electronic bathroom scale couldn't swim and became a casualty.  :-(  So I haven't been able to weigh myself since Sat....boooo!  That's been really hard for me since I have been doing it daily since the beginning of January.  So tomorrow night after work I will be headed off to the store to get a new one.  I hate replacing it because all of my readings were with that scale....I was used to it's numbers and readings.  I knew what to expect.  I admit that I am scared to get a new one.  Silly, I know. But I think it feels like mentally I will be starting all over again.  I hope that this is a short-lived panic attack and me and the newbie will be BFF's in no time.

• I went to KC to visit my brother this week.  I will admit that I did eat McD on the way up there, but more out of necessity than desire.  I really wanted a Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich but couldn't find a Wendy's.  And since it's pretty hard to eat a salad while driving, I opted for convenience.  I could have had a grilled chicken at McD too, but I didn't, I got a burger instead.  I also could have eaten a salad before getting back on the road, but since we were running late I didn't.  I know, excuses, excuses.  But I didn't beat myself up over it, I didn't get back into old habits, I just enjoyed the tiny break while I had it.  While in KC I enjoyed cooking two of my favorite meals for my brother and my pregnant SIL while there (brown sugar glazed baked salmon and cilantro lime chicken).  They were both a big hit with them.  I finished getting my book of Pinterest recipes organized - I will try to post some pics tomorrow.  But overall ate well while on the trip....a big success for me for sure, especially with 3 kids in tow!!!

• While I don't have a scale at the moment, I continue to be amazed at how my clothes are fitting these days.  If you ever find yourself feeling frustrated with your (lack of)  progress (especially on the scale) go try on some of your old clothes.  You may just be AMAZED at how differently things fit.  I have 2 zip up hoodie sweatshirts that not long ago were snug on me and they actually have ROOM to spare now!  WOWZA!  I just love it!!!

• I am walking in my first 5k race this Saturday.  While I will be walking, not running, I haven't trained at all, and will be pushing my almost 3 year old in the stroller, I am really looking forward to doing this  with my mom.  I am not looking to break any records (except maybe slowest time??) but I can say that I am proud of myself for at least signing up.  Again, something I would never have even considered a year ago.  I am looking forward to this being my first of many and hopefully being able to run one someday.  I am still trying to get myself psyched up to start couch to 5k, but can't quite get myself over the mental block and just get started.  Soon, I hope.  Until then, baby steps.

• I did try one new recipe while on the trip - the triple chocolate muffins.  I will try to get a blog posted on that tomorrow so stay tuned!!!  I am hoping to avoid any homeowner crisis this weekend so I can get some more recipes tried....wish me luck!!!!

Well, think that's it for tonight.  I am off to read a couple chapters in my book and then bed....this mamma is TIRED!!! 

Black bean and corn salsa

Looking for snack ideas?  Wanting a healthy choice but something a little different?  I absolutely LOVE this dip!  It works well as an appetizer to take to parties or potlucks, but I will also occasionally make a batch to snack on during the week.

1 can black beans, drained
1 can shopeg corn (a whiter corn and smaller can then golden sweet corn)
1 can Mexican Rotel - cilantro and lime
fresh cilantro chopped - to taste
white onion, chopped - to taste
1/2 tsp lime juice

Mix it all up and serve with tortilla chips.  I used the baked Tostitos Scoops and it was great!

I usually do about a 1/2 cup of salsa and eat with 5-10 chips (I fill the scoops as full of salsa as I can so eating more dip and less chips).  A nice low-cal snack!

I will try to post WW points soon but need to figure out how many servings it makes.  :-)