Gazpacho

Goodbye Summer. I feel like I barely saw you this year. Now suddenly I feel your cold breeze and I know you are leaving me. I'm not going to hide these tears, because maybe... just maybe they'll bring you back to me sooner. I'll miss you, and I'll always remember the treasured afternoon moments reading a book and enjoying a nice cold cup of gazpacho.

Summer Lovin' Gazpacho
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
2 ribs celery, quartered
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
1/2 cup vegetable juice cocktail
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Combine everything but the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Blend only a few seconds, until the vegetables are finely chopped and well mixed, but NOT smooth! Add the chopped tomato; chill. Serve very cold.

So one might think that because there are only veggies here that it must only count as veggie servings. That is right and wrong.  Anytime you have more than 1 1/2 cups of cooked vegetables or 3 cups or more of raw vegetables in a meal, count them as one carbohydrate exchange.
Generally one veggie serving usually contains 5 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of protein, no fat and only 25 calories. So it works out to 1/2 cup cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 1 cup raw vegetables for an exchange.
This recipe, divided into 5, makes your dinner veggie servings. If you choose to make it more of a meal and divided into anything less than 5 portions be sure to count it as a carb.

Nutrition based on 5 large servings.
Calories    53.52
Total Fat   0.4g
Saturated Fat  0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 192 mg
Potassium 529.7 mg
Total Carbs 11.36 g
Dietary Fiber 2.64 g
Sugars 3.92 g
Protein 2.16 g
Vitamin A 36.6 %
Vitamin B-6 8.3 %
Vitamin C 87.4 %

Cottage Cheese Enchiladas with Cilantro Pesto

The best part about having friends that hold you accountable to a diet or lifestyle change is sharing the tips and tricks that you've both learned along the way. If you are lucky enough to have one of those friends, send them a cyber hug right now! If you are not that lucky, I am for hire...send me your name, and aspirations and I'll torment you with tips and advice. I might even send you pictures like this one below that make you go "Huh?! No way is that healthy!" But I'll be right (as I usually am) and it will be chock full of flavor and low in calories and saturated fat. You'll thank me.

Cottage Cheese Enchiladas with Cilantro Pesto

10 whole grain tortillas
2 cups fat free cottage cheese
8-10 oz fresh spinach, wilted slightly over low heat

For the Cilantro Pesto
2 cups cilantro, leaves only, chopped
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup garlic, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Mix everything together in a mini blender or magic bullet until it forms a paste. Set aside.

For the Red Sauce
1½ cups tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup tomato purée
½ teaspoon chicken bouillon

Mix everything together in a blender. Transfer to a sauce pan and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Using a brush (or your preferably clean hands), cover tortillas with the pesto. I found it easiest to cover and stack until all the tortillas were covered. Then it’s filling time! Make sure to have your glass baking dish nearby  so you can fill and drop them into the pan. Each tortillas gets about 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese and a handful of spinach. Basically the name of the game is to make sure you have enough to fill all the tortillas evenly. No one wants an all spinach enchilada, or just cheese. In the words of Tim Gunn, “Make it work people, make it work.”
So once each tortilla has been filled, you roll it and put it in the pan. Once the pan is full, top all that amazingness with the red sauce you cooked up. Move the dish into the oven for 10 minutes or until it is heated through.

These were soooo good! Even the leftovers were good cold. And check out that Tequila Chicken and Pico and Baked Onion Rings and SKINNY Margarita made by Bree of Three and a Half Stones to Go. She is seriously amazing and these recipes were perfect for our Hypo/Three Stones Mexican BBQ.  In fact the whole event was so much fun that a tradition has been started and we'll be meeting next month for an Asian twist.

In case you don't believe me that these are pretty darn healthy... take a look. The biggest win here is in the saturated fat content. A typical cheese enchilada contains 21 grams of fat, with 12 of those being from saturated fat.  I'm not willing to sacrifice 12 of my 15 allowed grams of saturated fat to a single enchilada. Here it costs only 2.7 grams, and the nutritional boost is something your mother would be proud of.

Nutrition Facts
Makes 10 Enchiladas

One enchilada is equal to 10 Weight Watchers PointsPlus

Calories    361.1
Total Fat   17.1 g
  Saturated Fat              2.7 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat     2.4 g
  Monounsaturated Fat   9.8 g
Cholesterol      7.8 mg
Sodium        707.3 mg
Potassium    322.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate     38.0 g
Dietary Fiber      4.0 g
Sugars        6.1 g
Protein      18.5 g

Vitamin A          47.5 %
Vitamin B-12       7.8 %
Vitamin B-6       11.1 %
Vitamin C          20.5 %
Vitamin D            0.0 %
Vitamin E           10.6 %
Calcium                9.2 %
Copper                8.1 %
Folate                15.4 %
Iron                    13.4 %
Magnesium         10.0 %
Manganese         26.0 %
Niacin                  3.7 %
Pantothenic Acid  2.8 %
Phosphorus        11.5 %
Riboflavin           11.6 %
Selenium             11.2 %
Thiamin                 5.4 %
Zinc                      4.9 %

So there you have it. Forward this to your mother so she knows you eat well (occasionally), and get your friends together for a healthy night of cooking.  Your waist line will thank you!

Polenta Party...take 2.

A few weeks ago I had one of my besties visit from Kansas.
Having seen the original Polenta Party published on this blog (Oh yeah! I got followers woop woop!), she was excited to be a part of another. Here are some of our creations and some great ideas for party food. The next person to visit and request a Polenta Party will get the honor of deviating from the pre-made packages of polenta (which are still delicious and very convenient) and graduating with me to a baked home made dish.

Obviously not all these versions are hypo/Swank friendly, but the best part of a Polenta Party is allowing people to make versions that they like and can enjoy.

Polenta cream cheese, ham and dill pickle

Polenta, ham, dill pickle, pepper jack and spicy mustard

Polenta, cream cheese, chicken and jalepeno

Polenta, cream cheese, bacon and cheddar

Polenta, chicken, pepperoni, cheddar, pizza sauce, parmesan

Polenta, chicken, mango salsa and jalepeno

Breakin' the rules

When is it ok to break the rules? Is it ok to cheat on your diet occasionally?
I've convinced myself that enjoying a toasted marshmallow, or allowing portion control to fly out the window occasionally is ok.
90% of the time I follow the Hypo Rules but I allow myself that 10% to enjoy special occasions. Is that wrong? I'm really not sure what to think at this point.

This weekend we stopped at a Mexican restaurant before our long drive home, and a friend made a comment that really stuck. After reading every item in the 6 page menu I was very frustrated. I signaled to the husband that I needed help finding something "safe". That's when the friend chimed in with "Why don't you just cheat like you did last night with the marshmallows?"
Wow...what do you say to that?  I know it was meant to be liberating...like "You are on vacation, relax with all the rules." But it really got me thinking. Obviously cheating is bad. The rules that I follow are there for a reason, but here's how I look at it:

1) Some rules are more important than others. If I don't eat my required veggies and fruits at each meal it will not effect me the way that Pop Rocks and a can of Coke will.

2) Occasionally portions can be thrown out the window. If 90% of the time you follow the strict 1200 calories a day, allowing yourself to splurge is ok every once in a while. Sitting in a restaurant and portioning out food leaves me feeling deprived and jealous and angry. If I go into the meal thinking that I am allowed to eat until I am full like everyone else...well I feel better about my situation. That does not mean that overindulging is ok, however I am guilty of that this weekend as well. (Lesson learned after the most uncomfortable 4 hour car ride ever!)

3) Hypo rules and MS rules are not equal. Both sets of dietary restrictions are important. But if given the choice between a marshmallow (can you tell I love marshmallows) and buttery popcorn. I will choose the marshmallow (I love them sooo much). Breaking a hypo rule will have me feeling different right away...and I know how to fix it. Breaking an MS rule, with red meat, or butter or other fatty food isn't something I feel right away. I avoid those things actively because I do not want to have another MS episode, and because I believe that these changes will make a difference in my long term health. 

4) Use small cheats to avoid big binges. Let's talk about marshmallows again. My willpower could allow me to resist the deliciously toasted gooeyness, but I promise you that my mind will stay on them for weeks. You might be talking to me about family, boy drama or work woes but all I see is a giant talking marshmallow in front of me. It won't take much longer for me to bust out the Weber grill at home and toast till the bag is gone. Same with chips...one hand full can prevent me from sneaking the bag out to the garage for some solitary snacking.

I guess this is all boiling down to tracking and accountability. After the most disappointing weigh-in since starting this new lifestyle I feel the need to prove to people that I follow the rules. I'm aware that I don't need to literally show people what I eat constantly, but it would be nice to say "I am allowed this treat and I can prove it." I was once great about documenting everything I ate, but as I got comfortable with my food choices, I stopped. So back to the tracking I go...but I'd love to know your opinions on diet cheating.