Try Pompeian to Weigh In

 

I have a problem. I love to cook and I love to eat. So I also have a problem with weight. I always envied the women who could eat anything and never gain weight. Oh, how I wished I was one of them but that wasn’t my lot in life. My husband and I keep talking about dieting but somehow our diet attempts are abandoned about 9 o’clock at night when the ice cream in the freezer rears its ugly head and tempts us. Of course in our weakened state, we give in and forget about dieting.

About a month ago we went to this foodie event where you got to try all these wonderful foods put out by local restaurants. My husband decided we should try this diet he saw on television where you restrict your calories to 500 a day but you only do it two days a week. He thought then we could eat at the event and not feel guilty. Well, we made one day but we were not happy and my whole day I was obsessed with what I could eat next. I have to say, he did better than me but I keep telling him it’s because he got 600 calories because he is taller. I had a friend who used to tell me she would go the doctor and when they weighed her she would look to see how tall she should be. She kept telling the doctor she was still growing and her height would catch up next time she saw him. Talk about optimism! I always figure if I have to be fat, let me be fat and happy and not fat and grumpy. So I decided maybe I’d try to be just a little healthier and maybe modify the way I cook to see if it could make a difference.

I love cooking with phyllo dough but anyone who has ever used it knows if you see a recipe with phyllo, you will see butter listed as the next ingredient. That’s why it has all those wonderful flaky layers. I decided I would take the Pompeian Time to Change Your Oil Challenge and see how it worked in a savory phyllo pocket. For my recipe I used the Pompeian OlivExtra Premium Mediterranean Blend because I felt it would be closest to the texture of butter and I wanted to make sure the recipe turned out because if it didn’t there would be no dinner tonight and we might have to face another diet night. Ah, but luck was with me and it was delicious. I felt so healthy after eating it, I even skipped ice cream! Maybe this healthy stuff won’t be that bad.

 

Spring Harvest Pockets

1/3 cup Pompeian  OlivExtra Premium Mediterranean Blend

½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup diced red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup *half and half
½ cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
½ cup tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup basil, chopped
1-8oz roll phyllo dough, thawed
 

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic and red pepper in 2 tablespoons Pompeian OlivExtra Mediterranean Blend. Cook until onion is tender. Reduce heat to low and add flour. Stir to incorporate (about 2 minutes). Add chicken, paprika and pepper flakes, gradually add chicken broth. Increase heat to medium. Add half and half and corn, tomatoes and basil. Continue to heat until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Unroll phyllo and remove single sheet. Brush with oil and fold in half. Remove another sheet and brush with oil. Fold in half and place on top of 1^st sheet, crisscrossing sheet. Repeat with another sheet of phyllo and pivot this sheet on top of other sheets. Gently press phyllo into large (6-count) muffin pan. Repeat with remaining phyllo. Fill cups with chicken chowder mixture and fold overhanging phyllo over top of mixture, brushing with oil after each fold. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow pockets to set for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

*This recipe can be made using milk to eliminate even more calories.