Halibut en Papillote

Happy Friday!!!

This Friday couldn't have come soon enough because Dusty comes home from harvest today! He's been gone since the beginning of the August and I've been missing him like crazy. I should be used to it by now because he's gone home for harvest every year since we've been dating, but it's still hard being away from him.

But now he is coming home!!!!
(Can you tell I'm excited?)

I'm also excited to tell you that since I've moved to Billings, as of today I've lost 12 pounds!
College was rough on my body. I had a HUGE scholarship that created a lot of extra stress on me and I didn't know how to really deal with it. Instead of taking my stress out at the gym or going for a walk, I used food to comfort my stress and horrible anxiety. Each time I would start a diet I would work out like crazy and have no results. One time, I spent every morning for 3 months working out at the gym and lost only 3 pounds max. It just shows that I wasn't eating right during that time because you would have thought I would have had more results, but I didn't and I was very discouraged.

So why am I having so much success now? Two words....Weight Watchers.

I've been using the old program and it has been working fantastically! Plus after 5 years of college, I've finally learned how to deal with the stress of college and life. I don't let it get to me like I use to because I know everything will work out in the end.

With the Weight Watchers program, I love that I get to eat what I want, but in smaller portions. I feel content at the end of the day because I'm not cutting foods that I love out of my life, which is great!  I could never do a diet that didn't allow me to have any carbs, dairy or fats. It would lead to lots of frustration and instant failure. This program has been teaching me portion control and how to be smart with my meal planning to get the most out of it by making wiser decisions.

The only thing that is complicated with the program for me is that most recipes don't have calories listed on them, so I have to do the research myself. Thanks to a calorie counting App on my iPad or just by googling the calories, I add up all the calories myself for the recipe and then divide it into what each serving would be. It takes some time, but at least I get to eat all the recipes I'm dying to try! So with the combination of eating right and working out at least 30 minutes a day on my exercise bike, I'm having amazing success and feeling so great! I'm lovin' it!

As an example of eating what you want, here is a recipe from Halibut en Papillote from America's Test Kitchen that I calculated to be about 340 calories (7 points) and it was delicious! The original recipe calls for Halibut fillets, but all I could find was a Halibut Steak. So the 7 points is calculated for the steak, but I bet the fillet is definitely less calories.

Here is what you are going to need {2 servings}
-1 Zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
-Salt & Pepper
-2 Plum Tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
-1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1 clove of minced Garlic
-1/8 tsp dried Oregano
-Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
-2 (6 ounce) Halibut Steaks- 1 to 1-1/2" thick
-2 tbsp Dry White Wine
-2 tbsp chopped fresh Basil
-Lemon wedges, for serving

In a colander, toss the sliced zucchini with 1/4 tsp salt, and let drain for 30 minutes. Spread the zucchini on a double layer paper towel and pat dry and wipe of any residual salt. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees (F).

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flackes, 1/4 tsp salt and pinch of pepper. Pat the halibut dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Cut four 12-inch sheets of aluminum foil and arrange the zucchini in the center of the foil in a shingle formation of two foil sheets. Drizzle 1 tbsp of white wine over each mound of zucchini, then lay the haibut steak on top. Spoon tomato mixture on top of the halibut. Place second square of foil on top of each stack and fold edges over several times to seal and make an airtight pouch.

Lay the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Carefully open packets away from you, so the steam escapes away from you, and then use a spatula to gently lift the halibut and vegetables onto your plate. Sprinkle with basil and serve with lemon wedges.

(I was hungry, so I also had some peas to go along with my tasty dish)

Enjoy!