Resolutions, Artichokes, and Buffalo Sauce…

Happy New Year! Hard to believe 2011 has past and a new year is upon us. I, for one, am glad to be getting back into the groove of the normal routine. I am also excited about that fresh, “new start” feeling that comes with January. I’ve been thinking a lot about my New Year’s Resolutions and here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. Blog more. Yes, it’s true. You are going to be seeing more of me. I really enjoy blogging. It took me a while to get on board with it, and obviously, if anyone actually reads this, you will notice that frequently my posts are few and far between. But, hopefully that will change this year. I, for one, love reading others’ blogs and keeping up with their lives via pictures and stories. I can only assume my “followers” are looking for the same from me…So, get ready folks, you’re going to see lots more from me in the coming weeks/months!
2. Continue healthy eating habits. It’s no secret that I’ve been following Weight Watchers for about 5 years now. I love it—it’s a great program, and it actually works. But you know, even when you’ve done something for 5 years, it isn’t necessarily something you’re automatically good at. Yes, I’ve been able to maintain my total weight loss for 2 years (took the first 3 to lose it all…), but I’m human. I don’t always make the best choices. This year, my resolution is not to lose weight (like so many years in the past), but to meet good health guidelines daily—that means 5-7 fruits and veggies, 2 cups of dairy/milk daily, multivitamins, 2 healthy oils, and LOTS of water.
3. Run a half marathon. Yes, Mom, you read that correctly. A HALF MARATHON. Don’t call me crazy. I know I can do it. Last March, I made a commitment to run a 5k. I followed a Weight Watchers training program and ran the entire thing in 34 minutes, well below my expected completion time. It was awesome! After that, I decided to run more. I did another 5k in June, and yet another in July, improving my times with each race. Then…the running stopped. What happened? Well, August is kind of a dead month for races—and without something I’ve signed up for motivating me, the running just doesn’t happen. After a 3-4 month hiatus from running regularly, I’m back on the band wagon. My cousin and I are signing up to run the Alexandria Running Festival Half Marathon on May 27th. Time to hit the road!

Now, I think I know what you’re thinking. The title of this post is Resolutions, Artichokes, and Buffalo Sauce…what in the world do artichokes and buffalo sauce have to do with New Year’s resolutions???

 

Well…let me start off by saying resolution #2 has been a little difficult so far this year. What? Day 6 of the year, and I’m already struggling with continuing to eat healthy? Well, it’s hard to stay focused when you have a sinus and ear infection and you have to take steroids to help dry out your sinuses. Four words that have been on my mind frequently this week: Prednisone is my ENEMY. It is so bizarre…I have been having the WEIRDEST cravings! Among them: Eggs Benedict, artichokes and buffalo sauce.

 

In a determined effort to keep my resolution and stay on track with Weight Watchers, I made it my mission this week to satisfy these bizarre cravings AND stay within my points targets. Now, there was really no hope for the Eggs Benedict craving—I don’t even know where that craving came from, because I don’t like eggs. And I don’t know how to make hollandaise sauce, so I just decided to avoid it all together. BUT, the artichokes and buffalo sauce, I could figure something out with those! My solutions: Cajun Artichoke and Spinach Dip and Buffalo Chicken Burgers. Tasty and healthy! These recipes are TOO GOOD to keep to myself, so I’ve decided to share them on the blog. Happy eating!

 

Cajun Artichoke and Spinach Dip

1 bag fresh spinach

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 T. chopped onion

1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, chopped

¾ c. light cream cheese

¼ c. skim milk (or less, depending on how thick you want this to be)

8-10 splashes tobasco sauce (more or less, depending on how spicy you like your food)

A sprinkle of Cajun seasoning

1/3 c. fresh breadcrumbs*

 

Saute garlic and onion until brown (I used cooking spray in a nonstick pan). Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add artichokes, light cream cheese, and milk. Stir to combine and melt cheese. Add tobasco sauce and Cajun seasoning and stir to combine. Pour mixture into an oven-proof dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 until breadcrumbs are brown and dip is bubbly. Yields 4 servings, 4 ppv each**

 

*You can use store-bought if you prefer. We didn’t have any on hand so I made my own by drying out sliced bread in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees then putting it in a food processor. Homemade breadcrumbs actually have less points than store-bought!

**This is a LARGE portion. Basically, I just cut the entire dish into 4 sections and called that a serving. If you make for a gathering and aren’t eating a whole portion, the points will be less.

 

Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Blue Cheese and Avocado

1 lb. ground chicken breast

2 scallions, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 T. fresh breadcrumbs

3-4 T. Buffalo sauce

Avocado, diced

Blue Cheese

Burger toppings of your choosing

Whole Wheat buns

 

Full disclosure: I didn’t measure any ingredients when I made these because the garlic, scallions, and buffalo sauce are all 0 points. After the fact, when I realized how tasty they were, I tried to put together some estimated measurements to create a recipe, but really, if you try this, recognize this as a general guideline. Basically, I just threw the chopped scallions and garlic in with the ground chicken and combined that with the buffalo sauce and breadcrumbs (which help bind it just a bit). I made it into 5 burgers, because when I divided the mixture into 4, they were HUGE. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like it when my burger is bigger than the bun, so I made them a bit smaller so it would be a good fit. If you make 5 burgers out of the mixture, they are 3 ppv each, if you make 4 burgers, it’s 4ppv. I cooked them in a non-stick pan on the stove until they were cooked through, which took about 12 minutes total. After they were done, I placed the burger on the buns and topped each with a little more Buffalo sauce (because that stuff is just TOO GOOD). I added lettuce, sliced onion, ¼ of an avocado and ½ an ounce of blue cheese crumbles. Total, it was 9 ppv made this way. One word: YUM!

 

So there you have it, my first post of many in 2012. Sorry for the length. Enjoy the recipes. And Happy New Year!