Lighten Up, Girlfriend

When I commiserated recently with my sister that I was having trouble maintaining my Weight Watchers fighting weight, she pointed out that the majority of my blog recipes as of late have involved a great deal of butter. Humpf. She thinks she knows everything! Granted, I did have to start buying my butter at Costco, and I’m only cooking for my husband and me. But, really….

Anyway, in deference to you-know-who (and also to perhaps be kinder to my heart and ratchet down my cholesterol count), this week I am going to feature tasty, yet healthy, recipes.

I’m not great at cooking healthy. I’m much more like Paula Deen than Ellie Krieger (though I can safely say under oath that I have never used the “N” word to describe a person. Well, except when it used to be part of the “eenie, meenie, miney, moe” thing when I was a child. Wow. That’s weird to think about. You Baby Boomers know what I’m talking about.)

Anyhoo, back to cooking healthy. It’s just never really been my thang, doncha know. I love the taste of butter. I have always preferred chicken thighs over chicken breasts. Nothing tastes better to me than a really nicely marbled (read, FAT) rib-eyed steak. I know the BEEF: IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER people tell me a sirloin steak has the best flavor, but seriously?

But I have come to realize that healthy cooking doesn’t have to be flavorless, or even calorie-less. Weight Watchers has taught me that it’s about the combination of calories and fiber, protein and carbs in the right way. And furthermore, it really is about portion control instead of deprivation. So, unlike the olden days, pasta isn’t a no-go. And really, pan frying isn’t a no-go either. Just use a little oil instead of butter, or at least combine the two.

Some of the recipes I will feature for the next few days are recipes I have tried, and some are recipes that look good to me. We will see how it goes.

This is a recipe I plan to make tonight.

Greek Chicken Cutlets (from Martha Stewart, perhaps from prior to incarceration).

The recipe feeds four.

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb. thin chicken cutlets (about 8)
1 pint grape tomatoes
½ c. fresh mint
1/3 c. Kalamata olives, pitted
Salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
4 oz. feta cheese

Process
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, feta, mint, and 1 T. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill. Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Grill, working in batches, until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Top chicken with tomato mixture and serve.

Nana’s Notes: Instead of grilling the cutlets, you can use a large skillet over high heat, adding 1 T. olive oil per batch. Also, I will use basil instead of mint because I prefer the flavor and it might annoy Martha Stewart should she stumble on this blog. That’s a good thing. By the way, the image is courtesy of Martha Stewart's website. I really shouldn't be so mean to her.