English Muffin Bruschetta

The two points must be because this is too easy...

Okay, corny joke aside we tried a recipe that we saw in the Weight Watchers magazine this month.

3 Tbsp fresh tomatoes
1/2 tsp Olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 tsp of fresh basil
1/2 light English Muffin
2 Slivers of diced garlic

Combine the tomato, oil, salt, garlic (WW suggests garlic salt but, I like actual diced garlic better), and pepper in a small bowl. Garnish with basil and spoon the whole thing over a toasted English Muffin half (we used a light, multi-grain version).  Overall, good taste, very quick to whip up and a perfect cap with the Italian style turkey sausages I cooked on the grill. When I do this over, I am going to toast this muffin a couple of minutes more.

Tipping the Scales in the Other Direction...

Image Courtesy of: rx4betterhealth.com

Each year my employer runs a wellness program - with this year's effort being notable for not being so heavy handed and guilt ridden. Given my size, I was somewhat surprised when the Admin from our Human Capital team reached out yesterday and asked me to share my story.

I am sharing here so that you have context for my personal choice to opt for picking real over faux (or fast) food...   

“I am shocked when I see pictures of myself – the self image does not sync up with what my eyes see. This year, I decided that I can either sit back and wait for some magical change to happen or I can do something constructive to align the image in my head with the one that you see. Those constructive actions can be broken down into three steps...

Step one - I realized that by the time I get in the car, drive to the fast food joint, get my food, and drive home; I could actually just fix something fresh and healthily. As a result, I have rediscovered that I love cooking.  Also, there is zero junk food in my house - a unconditional key to being successful is not having it within easy reach.  When start to dream about that Snickers bar I just remind myself that, “I know what that tastes like but, I do not know what my goal weight feels like” (quote credit for that one goes to Rose).

Step Two - I joined Weight Watchers with my Fiancée.  I could not do this successfully on my own. Together, we keep each other accountable and are chasing our weight loss goals. We prop each other up on the bad days and celebrate the successes.  I have found the Weight Watchers eTools and overall points tracking system easy to do and have been able to sustain their use over the last 40 days.  They also coach you to look at your loss in 5% increments (instead of focusing on a huge number) – as I write this, I can share that there is 5% less of me than there was at the start of June. That is a huge motivator as I roll up my sleeves and fight through the next five percent.

Step Three - You cannot lose weight effectively until you get off the couch and exercise.  For me, that has taken the form of swimming four to five times per week. I started out slow (four laps, rest, four more laps, etc) but I am now up to a half mile, without stopping, each time I get in the pool. DVR that TV show and make this a priority in your life and it will become routine.

I will not kid you, this is not an easy journey but, I ate it so I own it.  Make healthy food choices, find a support system, and get off the couch – you will see results and you will believe that you can do it.”

Quick and Dirty Steak Prep...

Image Courtesy of Pike Valley Farm Foods

Sometimes there is a meal that you just crave. That was definitely the case tonight. Maybe it was the new grill, perhaps it was the fact that I have not had a decent steak in a long time, or the fact that I did not eat a big lunch (instead of working from home, I went into the office today for a meeting). 

This is a pretty simple meal. The rice from a box and flavored with two each Dorot Garlic and Basil cubes.  The asparagus from a bag (before you judge me for this, remember that I do not cook in a five star restaurant). What I spent the most time on was the steak.

Be sure to start with a decent cut of meat with a good amount of marbling. Personally, I think the strip steak is the best as it comes from a muscle that does not do a lot of work (therefore it is particularly tender). I didn't marinate the meat before leaving for work today so all the prep work happened while the grilled warmed up. If I had been smarter about it, I would have used a ziploc bag and let this marinate in the fridge during the day...

Just 16 Points for Fellow Weight Watchers folks

Quick and Dirty Steak Prep

1. Use a dinner fork and pierce each side of the steak(s).
2. Rub Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce into both sides of the steak. 
3. Season both sides with Kosher Flake salt and ground pepper (to taste).
4. Place steak on very hot grill - sear one minute on each side. Reduce heat and cook approximately 5 minutes per side (can vary based on your grill).
5. In a small saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add onions and saute until golden brown.
6. Cook steak to internal temperature of 140 degrees - remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 
7. Plate steak last and spread onions/butter mixture over the top of the steak.

Enjoy - I know we did...

New York Strip Steak, schezwan asparagus, and garlic basil brown rice.

Healthy Shrimp Tacos

Made shrimp tacos tonight using cilantro and red chilli peppers. Garnished with broccoli slaw, a fire roasted salsa, and served on a whole wheat tortilla. Served with a cajun spiced couscous.

Watermelon Feta Salad

Crazy simple stupid easy...

1. Buy watermelon, a block of firm feta cheese, and some fresh mint.
2. Chop into small pieces
3. Toss pieces in bowl - mix together
4. Eat

Told you - crazy, stupid easy stuff to beat the heat.

Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomato

An 8 point Weight Watchers Lunch (per stuffed tomato)

Irony - I love to cook, I hate to grocery shop. Came home from the adventures of running errands and shopping for the week to decide that I wanted a quick cool lunch.  This time of year, here in Phoenix, it is all about not turning on the stove in the middle of the day.

Here is what you will need;

• Large tomato - I like a beefsteak or slicing one.
• Canned chicken - you can use all white meat but, a mix of white and dark will give you more flavor.
• Light mayo or Miracle Whip.
• Celery stalk
• Shredded Cheese
• Seasoning - I opted for my old standby, Cavenders.

Open and drain the chicken completely.  I even go so far to blot dry the meat after draining. Empty into a mixing bowl.  Add the mayo/Miracle Whip and seasoning into the bowl. Dice the celery into fine pieces and add to the bowl.  Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are integrated. Carefully slice the top off the tomato and core out the inside. Personal preference if you decide add the cored tomato guts to the bowl with the chicken or discard. Spoon the chicken salad into the tomato shell and sprinkle with the cheese.

This will take maybe five minutes but, it is worth it...

Texas Barbecue Chicken with Couscous Stuffed Red Peppers and Basil Garlic Crostinis

A colleague that I assigned to an implementation in Ennis, Texas brought me back some really nice sauce that we decided to try tonight. The finished product was pretty awesome - if I say so myself.


Texas Barbecue Chicken - what you need...

• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Bottle of barbecue sauce. This was from Texas  so I dropped that in the name but, really you can use any dang sauce you like.
• Ziploc bag

Place chicken breast in Ziploc bag and pour sauce into it. Place sealed bag in fridge for a few hours (I did this early in the morning and let it marinate the whole day). I skipped a step this morning and didn't flatten the chicken breasts - so I strongly suggest that you do this before bagging and tagging (doing this helps the chicken cook evenly).

Image Courtesy of seriouseats.com

When ready preheat grill and place marinated chicken breasts on the upper grill grate.  It only takes a few minutes per side, so keep an eye on it or you will wind up with dry chicken. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Give it a couple of minutes to rest before plating.

Couscous Stuffed Red Peppers

Swung by the local fresh & easy and grabbed a prepackaged offering that comes in a ready to use grilling pan.  Unwrap and put on the grill - that is it, nothing complicated.  If you are in a time crunch but, want a filling side dish then this is the way to go.  While there is some great layering of flavor in this, I have to believe that if you spent a few more minutes you can get a customized result that blends the flavors your want (garlic, basil, parmesan, feta, whatever).  Next time I am going to give fixing this myself a whirl and I will let you know how it goes.

Basil Garlic Crostinis - what you need...

• Fresh baguette
• Butter
• Garlic
• Basil
• Seasoning of Choice - mine is Cavender's

The method that I am sharing works for me.  I like the texture of the finished result but, crostini snobs out there will tell you that this isn't a "true crostini. Personally, I am not wanting something that will disintegrate the first time you bite into it (plus, this is my blog). You have been warned - read on if you want a soft crispy product. If not, then there are a zillion other recipes out there for you.  I will leave you to decide now...

Thanks for sticking with me - it really means a lot that you have bought into my vision.  Move oven rack to near the top of the oven and pre-heat broiler to 275 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat in sauce pan. Add garlic and basil to taste.  Once all ingredients are combined/melted, add seasoning to taste.  While the butter is melting, slice the baguette into 1/4" portions. Place on ceramic baking sheet. Brush/spoon/pour melted butter mix over the baguette slices.  Place on top rack of oven and cook for five minutes. If yours isn't a light golden brown, then leave it there for another minute but, keep an eye on it. There is a fine line between yummy bread product and burnt toast.