Pleasant Surprise

We made Robin Miller’s Puttanesca Sauce with Tilapia – with our own touches – and it turned out great!!!

The recipe was so simple:

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (halve this if you’re feeding 2 or less)
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives (we only had about 1/3 a cup on hand)
• 1/2 jar of capers
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 5 oz tub or bag of baby spinach
• Garlic
• S + P
• EVOO

We threw it all in together (first browning the garlic, then sauteeing the spinach) and the simmering for 5 minutes. I threw it all in a bowl to get the weight by oz and had 8.5 oz for around 80 calories.

On the side we seared tilapia in only 1 tsp of walnut oil until it was brown and crispy.

I had mine over re-heated spaghetti squash (husband just had “tomato sauce soup” with fish in it) and a little goat’s cheese. It was delicious and filling and had a surprising amount of flavor for such a simple recipe. I love crushed tomatoes!! They are so much better than plain tomato sauce in a can. And the capers really added a nice twinge. So did the red wine.

Also had a glass of red wine – we’ve got lots in the house this week, but now it’s all gone 🙁 Although I LOOOOVE wine and know it can be beneficial and did manage to lose my weight while drinking it more than just “occasionally,” my body does not have that firm, hard feeling the morning after even one glass. I think I must retain some water or something – or I’m a little dehydrated. Anyways, as much as I love it, I really don’t need it. I try to have it once at week at the most and this week is going on 4 nights, I believe. As tempting as it will be to open some tomorrow night when the husband is at a catering event, I will have a diet tonic and lime virgin cocktail instead.

Total dinner calories (including 5 oz of wine): ~410

Had a few dark chocolates for dessert! These are little dark (73% cocoa) chocolate discs I get from Earth Fare. They are 10 calories each and the perfect end to a meal.

Had a Gnu bar at 3:00. I’m having my snack a little earlier than I need it because I like being hungrier for dinner at 6. Gnu bar was good, but then I ended up having one-too-many servings of Raspberry chocolate almond peanut trail mix. I will NOT bring this to work again – I need something in a package that requires a commitment to open and eat and this trial mix is just too easy to go back for seconds, and thirds, or just have an almond or two after lunch. I try to estimate my portions, but when this package is done, I’m done with it for a while!

Serving one….

Serving four….

Snack Calories: ~200

Total Monday Calories: ~1780

-532 thru workout and walk

= net of 1245. A little over, but that’s fine.