Days 329 & 330: 4 miles, New Enchilada Recipe & New Panini Recipe

Before I get started I had mentioned how I straightened my hair and it's feeling super bouncy at work! I think Mica Pie requested a pic so here goes! (please not the awful bathroom lighting!! hehe)

K - back to it! Wednesday was just a wash you guys! I woke up exhausted and SORE, worried I wouldn’t be able to work out. Work was draining – I ended up going out to lunch with a co-worker which resulted in me ordering a grilled chicken sandwich (no bacon; honey mustard on the side) and fries. Yes, fries! I didn’t eat them all but still. I even had some bread/butter on the appetizer – eek! It was yummy though but I felt AWFUL when I got back to work and my tummy was too upset for gym time. So I skipped BOTH workouts and went straight home and got in bed. I’m such a loser! Haha I didn’t even had dinner. I had a few bites of the pasta Austin cooked and some of those yummy jaleneno crunchies and that was it! I watched SYTYCD and passed out! I ended up at 1,786 calories, 217 carbs, 57 fat grams and 97 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

Thursday I woke up feeling SO much better. I worked from home, got lots done, and got to see Austin during lunch! I made a new Panini from Our Best Bites!! We call it a Turkey, Artichoke & Swiss Panini. Here’s the recipe for 1 large sandwich (one serving):

First, make Garlic-Herb Sandwich Spread: ¼ cup fat free mayonnaise, 2 tsp minced garlic, juiced squeezed from ½ of a lemon, ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp fresh basil, ¼ tsp dried rosemary, ¼ tsp dried oregano. Put in a food processor and process until smoothed. Makes 3 servings.

Then use the following:

½ tsp olive oil

3-4 roma Tomato slices (2" diameter)

2 slices Hormel Natural Choice turkey (36 grams)

2 slices Whole Wheat Tuscan Pane (87 grams)

Artichoke hearts, quartered and marinated (25 grams; about 4)

1 slice light swiss cheese (I used Jarlsberg lite)

Spread 1/3 of the garlic-herb spread on each slice of bread, then layer cheese, turkey, tomato and artichoke hearts on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Put top on. Brush outer sides of sandwiches and grill on Panini maker (or George Foreman!) until golden brown. Put on a microwavable safe plate and cook for 40 seconds or until cheese is fully melted. Remove, cut in half and serve. Nutritional Information: 374 calories, 51 carbs, 11 fat grams and 25 protein grams. It was SO good! The NI is up a bit on this one because I used much more bread (57 grams last time), but it was fab and FILLING. I had mine with a ½ cup of Amy’s Tomato Bisque (Austin had the rest of the can - 1.5 cups - and a larger Panini!).

After lunch we went back to work, and when I finished I headed straight for the gym with my HRM to walk 4 miles – here’s the workout:

Mile 1: (incline 3; 4.1 mph) burned 87 calories

Mile 2: (incline 3/2; 4.0 mph) burned 98 calories

Mile 3: (incline 1; 4.1/4.0 mph) burned 90 calories

Mile 4: (incline 0; 4.0 mph) burned 90 calories

TOTAL: 365 calories burned in 1 hour walking 4 miles – woo! GREAT workout – wearing it made me want to walk faster and at more of an incline – love it! I raced home, did some cleaning then got to work on dinner: Enchiladas with Chicken in Verde Sauce from Cookinglight.com. Here’s our version of the recipe for 2:

2 tbsp chopped onion

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

3 oz. salsa verde , divided

5.5 oz. cooked chicken breast (browned in pan; diced)

1.5 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened

½ cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

4 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1 oz. fat-free cheddar cheese, grated

¼ tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine onion, cilantro, garlic, 2 oz. salsa and cream cheese in a blender; process until smooth. Add chicken and process again. Bring broth to a simmer in a medium skillet. Working with one tortilla at a time, add tortilla to pan; cook 20 seconds or until moist, turning once. Remove tortilla; drain on paper towels. Repeat for the other 3 tortillas, then lay them all out. Spoon 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place each tortilla, seam-side down, in an 8x8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas; sprinkle evenly with cheese and chili powder. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes. Nutritional Information: 291 calories, 2 fat grams, 30 carbs and 28 protein grams.

They were SUPER yum – very light! If I made this again I’d probably add a side of black beans for more protein. I laughed when I found only 2 fat grams – all of that fat free stuff you know? This recipe, with all of the salsa/cilantro/etc. made all of the other ingredients taste fatty (if that makes sense) and I LOVED cooking the tortillas in the chicken broth – SMART – made them taste authentic. Anywho! After dinner we decided we’d done enough – time to have some wine! We had a couple of glasses, and I made a bowl of strawberries/grapes and we sat outside and played music (heart outdoor music; Austin set it up to where we control the computer upstairs with our music through our iPods through the outdoor/indoor spreakers!!) Such a nice way to end the night!!

I ended up at 1,753 calories, 257 carbs, 39 fat grams and 76 protein grams. Not bad – especially considering the wine and the 365-calorie-burning- walk!! Here’s what I ate. So I’m already slacking on my ST – grrr! Today I’ve got to do 5.5 miles, legs and abs. Tomorrow I’ve got to do 4 miles, biceps, back and abs (to get back on track). Wish me luck!! Happy Friday – can’t wait to catch up on your blogs!!