This was yet another way-too-fast weekend, huh? After a super-busy day yesterday including my Weight Watchers weigh in (down 2 lbs!), a baby shower (congrats Megs!), and a BBQ at our friends’ house, I needed a chill day. I woke up early, did some blog reading and a special-request blog header (go check out www.seejessrun.com to see!), and then headed out for some grocery shopping. I hit the mother lode! For all of $50, we got tons of produce, meat, beans, and some dry goods. I even managed to find Turtle Mountain coconut milk mini ice cream sandwiches! Usually, the store has 2 flavors of their ice cream and that’s it. This was like finding the Holy Grail!
While eagerly following MizFit’s Tattoo Adventure on Twitter, it was so beautiful outside that there was really only one option for dinner: COOK OUT!!! One of my favorite things about grilling out is that the recipes/prep work is so simple. Tonight we made chicken satays, grilled cauliflower, grilled corn, and a simple peanut sauce.
The satays were simple. I took about 1.5 lbs of chicken tenders (not the fried ones, the pre-cut ones that were on sale at the produce market) and skewered 2 on each soaked bamboo skewer. I sprinkled them with Penzey’s Sate Seasoning and let them sit for about 20 minutes while I prepped the cauliflower. I cut it up, drizzled a little olive oil, and sprinkled some garlic powder on it. The corn was easy: shucked, rinsed, and wrapped in foil. After heating up the grill, everything went on, and about a half hour later, we had plates that looked a bit like this:
I highly recommend grilling cauliflower! It gets a very roasty flavor, and takes about the same amount of time to cook as oh, say, some skewers of chicken! The corn is surprisingly sweet for May corn, and I didn’t even need to put butter or salt on it. The chicken was great, but since they were technically satays, they definitely needed some of this:
Some PB2 Peanut sauce! This was delicious, and significantly less caloric than regular peanut sauce. I mixed together:
- 1/3 c. PB2
- 1/3 c. water
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
It was the perfect addition to the Indonesian-spiced chicken.
I have quite a few Guests for Dinner lined up for this week, and I’m very excited to introduce you to Stephanie from Stephanie’s Healthy Habits. I “met” Stephanie on Twitter after tweeting something about going to Jazzercise. She’s an instructor! It turns out, she and I have a bunch in common, and when i asked her about being a Guest for Dinner, she jumped at the chance! So, Stephanie, pull up a chair, have a seat at my table, and tell us about your meal!
Hi all! It’s Stephanie from Stephanie’s Healthy Habits. I adore Mara’s blog and was totally stoked when she agreed to let me be a Guest for Dinner! One of the biggest items that was hard for me to give up during my Weight Watchers journey was Mexican food…I’m a little bit of an addict, I’ll admit it! So you can understand how excited I was to find a Weight Watchers recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup! The following is a recipe that I created by combining some of my favorite recipes…
Chicken Tortilla Soup
POINTS Value: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving size: 2 cups Number of Servings: 20
Ingredients:
2 10 oz cans of Rotel Diced Tomatoes
2 14.5 oz. cans of Diced Tomatoes
1 4 oz. can of Diced Jalapenos
6 cups Fat-Free Chicken broth
1 pound uncooked boneless and skinless chicken breast
2 garlic cloves, minced 4 tsp. chili powder
4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
4 (6”) corn tortillas
Instructions:
1. Heat a Dutch oven or stock pot on stove on med-high heat. Add garlic (and onions if desired). Cook for about 15 seconds.
2. Add broth, diced jalapenos and chili powder. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. While the soup is simmering, boil the 1 pound of chicken breast until cooked fully. Shred chicken and place in a bowl.
4. Stir in Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Add chicken. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.
5. While the soup is simmering, cut tortillas into ¼ X 2” strips. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer, and coat lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
6. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle servings evenly with tortillas strips. Notes: If you choose to not serve the soup with the tortilla strip, remove 2 points per serving.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe and thank you to Mara for allowing me to post!
-Stephanie
That recipe looks like something we’d love at our house! Thanks so much Stephanie!
If you would like to be my Guest for Dinner, just write me an email with a short explanation of your meal and a photo, and I’ll post it! I love having guests!
This week will bring many surprises, some new foods, and some new food adventures… but for now, I need some more chillin’ before the workin’ starts tomorrow!
QOTD: If you could have ANY fast food meal made good for you, what would it be? For me it would be a loaded Chipotle burrito… no doubt!
Mmm I love chicken sate! Too bad I live in an apartment with no outside grill
But, I will definitely use the peanut sauce, yum!
Jessica´s last blog post..Couscous Salad
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how.do.you.do.it.all?
seriously.
we need to have you a virtual WEDDING SHOWER!
Im on it
MizFit´s last blog post..The Great Tattoo Tweeting of 2009.
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ooh love the grillin’!
Pearl´s last blog post..Purple Peanuts
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Thanks again! I love my new header. Please send me your mailing address!
I think you could make a healthy Chipotle burrito. Just use one of those Smart and Delicious wraps.
Jess´s last blog post..Daily Run: Healing Slowly
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I just found your blog! I used to do Weight Watchers as well and still loosely follow it. Congrats on 2 pounds down!
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Looks great! Grilled corn is one of my absolute favorite thigns about summer!
Victoria´s last blog post..Early Cinco de Mayo
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Looks delish!
Chillin’ and grillin’… ain’t nothing better!
Just make sure you lubricate the grillin’ machine with a decent amount of really good beer or a fine cabernet.
Bon appetit!
Jeff Young
The Catholic Foodie
Jeff Youg´s last blog post..Abita Beer ROCKS!
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I love grill season. I have to invite myself over to friends’ places to get my grill on.
Marianne´s last blog post..Kickin’ It With Kamut
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omgggggggggggggg.
chickn with peanut sauce. drooooooool
glidingcalm´s last blog post..(Part of) A Day in the Life of Gliding Calm (Video)
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First of all, great job on the weight loss! I had never thought of grilling cauliflower. But after your description and picture, I’ll have to try it!
And the soup sounds just delicious…
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thanks for the cauliflower tip! I would have never tried that and now I’m SO going to. I love all things grilled…maybe because I don’t do the grilling, so I get to sit back while Mitch cooks? Nah…it’s just delicious food that comes off a grill
Hallie´s last blog post..Mexican Food Diet = FAIL
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Your grilled meal looks perfect! I should definitely pull out the skewers thsi summer!
Could greasy, salty french fries be good for me? I know there are healthy versions of fries.. but the taste will never compare!
Elizabeth (thelongweigh)´s last blog post..One Month Only..
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Congrats on your weigh in!
You have been a busy lady! I’ve never thought of grilling cauliflower, but that is a great idea.
I would like a healthy deep dish pizza or felafel. By nature, both are so bad for you but oh so good. The healthy versions I’ve tried don’t come close.
Sarah (lovINmytummy)´s last blog post..Imposters!
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Great Recipe! I totally agree on the chipotle, or ANY healthy mexi food- i love it soo much, but i prefer to make it sometimes b/c my tum is not happy after
carolinebee´s last blog post..Pumpin’ Iron
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love grilling out
the pb2 sauce sounds good!
brandi´s last blog post..Make Mine Merry
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GREAT Dinner! I will have to try the cauliflower that way!
Krista´s last blog post..Name that Baby!
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awesome header for jess!
your grilled dinner looks so perfect. makes me wish for a backyard and summer!
and i soooooooooooo agree with your fast food selection. mexican is the only kind of fast food i tolerate! (and dq onion rings and ice cream)
Sarah (Tales of Expansion)´s last blog post..Sources
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Yum, that grilled cauliflower sounds great! And it looks like I’ll be making a field trip to Penzey’s!
Love the chicken tortilla soup, Stephanie!
I like my fast food, so if it could all be healthy that would be great. But if I had to pick one, it would be a Chickfila chicken sandwich. The fried kind, of course.
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Def french fries…or french toast…or bananas foster. :O haha!
Melissa S.´s last blog post..Yay!
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I love chicken satay! It hasn’t been warm enough yet (our garden is also facing north, so it really needs to be warm to BBQ in the shade) for any outdoors grilling, but once it is, you can be sure I’ll be making various satay versions! Congrats on the 2 lbs! I’ve just started my diet again today… fingers crossed it will go well!
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[...] and he dislikes eating outside, but I disagree on both accounts and I got my way yesterday. Like Mara, I appreciate that grilled food is super simple to [...]
I can’t wait to try Stephanie’s tortilla soup! Most of the recipes I have seen are really greasy and heavy. This sounds great!
It sounds like you had a nice weekend…congrats on your weigh-in!
Lara (Thinspired)´s last blog post..Sunday in the City
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That grillin’ looks delish! Don’t get to do peanut sauce because the fiance is allergic to them, but it looks yummy! That tortilla soup looks great, though I am very partial to my own recipe.
I’ve been craving a milkshake for MONTHS myself, I really just need to indulge. It’s not going away.
As for fast food to make healthy – how about general tso’s chicken and some eggrolls?
Quix´s last blog post..Half Marathon Training, Between Week 5 and 6
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