Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

I made the yummiest new recipe for dinner tonight...Chinese Chicken and Broccoli. In my opinion, it was better than anything I've eaten in a Chinese restaurant. Yes...it was THAT good! I found it on Pinterest (what did we do before Pinterest??) and it originally came from the following blog:
http://www.ateaspoonofhappiness.com/chinese-chicken-and-broccoli/


Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients

• For the marinade:
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large head of broccoli, crowns only, cut into bite-sized pieces
• For the sauce:
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl – pour oven chicken.
2. Marinate the chicken while preparing the sauce and broccoli.
3. Steam broccoli for just 3 minutes – set aside.
4. In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the chicken with its marinade and ½ of the sauce mixture in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
5. Once chicken is fully cooked through, add the steamed broccoli, remaining sauce and 1 tablespoon water.
6. Cook for 2 minutes to thicken sauce or until broccoli is tender, but still crisp.

 

** I served it over brown rice.

** 8 PPV for Weight Watchers for 1/4 of the recipe. (Add additional points for rice!)

I can do hard things...

I noticed something interesting tonight at a church ladies meeting. A lady came up to me and was asking me about my weight loss. She was so excited for me and commented on how huge of an accomplishment it is. My response? "Thanks, but I still have a ways to go." Why is it that I felt the need to discount her compliment? Why is it so hard to just say, "thank you" and accept a compliment? It's because in my head, I am focusing on how far I have to go and feeling overwhelmed. Instead, I need to appreciate and be proud of how far I've come and what I HAVE accomplished.
I, a food addict, an emotional eater who is the mom of two "high maintenance" boys with their own challenges, pushed through the obstacles, the self-doubt, cravings and physical limits to lose over 100 pounds. That is something to be proud of. I can do hard things. I am proud of what I've learned and who I've become. I have inspired people to begin their own journeys to better health and that is a huge responsibility. I can now push through this plateau, remind myself that I am worth it and I can do hard things and continue to realize my potential.

The ups and the downs....

The first few months of my weight loss, I did see losses every week, but soon your body decides to not let that weight go as easily! Then it starts looking like this picture. Remember it's all part of the journey. If there weren't some challenges along the way, if it were all easy sailing, we wouldn't learn anything. I wouldn't trade the small gains and the struggles because they have taught me so much about myself. It's something that we will work on our entire lives. Being healthy is a journey, not a destination.

This week's meal plan...

I just finished my meal plan for this week...

Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

This is another yummy "healthier" burger recipe. I made it for dinner tonight and my 7 year old LOVED it! I got it from the cookbook " Everyday Light Meals".

Hawaiian Turkey Burgers (7 WW PPV per patty...at 4 servings per recipe)
Yields: 4 servings (mine made 5 good sized patties)

1 can (8 oz.) sliced pineapple
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt (I omitted this)
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/4 cup reduced sodium teriyaki sauce
4 sesame hamburger buns (I used sandwich thins instead)

Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice; set pineapple aside. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, onions, red pepper, soy sauce, salt and reserved pineapple juice. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.
Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Brush with teriyaki sauce. Grill 4-6 minutes longer on each side or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Grill pineapple slices for 2 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with teriyaki sauce. Warm buns on grill; top each with a burger and pineapple slice. (I also add spinach leaves to mine)

Bacon Cheeseburger Patty :)

I really like "Hungry Girl" recipes. For those of you not familiar with her, she "healthifies" (yes, a HHM word!) regular recipes, restaurant faves, etc. She has some great ideas and some great recipes. You can check her out here: http://www.hungry-girl.com/ . I have most of her cookbooks and love them. This recipe came from her book "Hungry Girl: To The Max".  Who doesn't love a Bacon Cheeseburger? How about one that is only 205 calories (patty only) and 5 PPV? Even better, right?

Ingredients:
4 oz. raw extra-lean ground beef
dash each of salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. precooked real crumbled bacon
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese

Directions:
Season beef with salt and pepper. Add bacon and knead to evenly distribute. Form into a ball and make a large hollow indentation with your thumb (past the center but not all the way through).

Fill the hole with cheese wedge and squeeze meat to seal, enclosing cheese. Flatten slightly into a thick patty.

Bring a grill pan (or skillet) sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Cook patty for 4-8 minutes per side, until cooked to your preference. Enjoy!

(HHM note: I usually buy a pound of the beef and make 4 patties, then freeze the extra 3 for later. I also use a sandwich thin rather than a regular hamburger bun and top with lots of veggies!)

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