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Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Chicken & Black Bean Burrito
My husband has been known to call me "Juanita" for my devotion and deep love for Tex-Mex cuisine. To date I'm sure I've had more meals of Nachos than any other dish. How can you not LOVE Tex-Mex? At it's best, it's fresh, loaded with veggies, and combines so many flavors and textures! And, there are infinite combinations of ingredients to keep you coming back for more and more and more....
Sadly, many people have only had the lower quality, not so fresh, industrial versions ..... even I purchased a bag of frozen Burritos last week, to have a easy breezy dinner option for the fam on one of our hectic (or just really tired!) nights.
It was good. Don't get me wrong, it was fast and easy and fed us and tasted okay. But with each bite I just kept thinking how easy it would have been for me to make the same dish myself, with better and fresher ingredients.
And, so, last night when I was staring at the leftover Rotisserie Chicken from the night before, I saw my chance to just go for it = mission a total success, we ALL loved it! Highly likely going into the weekly rotation!
Yes, Tex-Mex can be a part of a healthy diet....lean proteins, lots of veggies, and all the delicious MUFAs in the Avocados!!
And my Burritos had another health bonus = total portion control! There are four of us, so I made 4 Burritos! I'm sure we all would have gone for a second one without question (yes, it was THAT GOOD!), but one was actually plenty filling especially after adding in all the yummy Guacamole and some fresh fruit!
AND, it was EASY! And came together pretty fast because of the Rotisserie Chicken. So, these are the ingredients I used.....
-1/2 of a leftover Rotisserie Chicken, chopped
-1 can Black Beans, drained/ rinsed
-1.5-2 cups freshly grated White New York Cheddar cheese
-1 handful of fresh Cilantro, chopped
-Jar of Organic Salsa
-4 Flour Tortillas (gonna try Corn Tortillas next time!)
-1 Tbsp melted butter - YES I DID! #totallyworthit!
-All Natural store bought Guacamole
AND, this is what I did....
1. preheated oven to 375
2. covered large square casserole dish with Canola Oil spray
3. lightly toasted the Flour Tortillas on both sides, on my stove (gas cooking rocks!)
4. mixed chicken, beans, salsa, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and cilantro all together in a large glass bowl
5. filled each tortilla with chicken bean mixture, and then rolled it up and laid them seam side down into casserole dish
6. brushed the tops of the rolled Tortillas with butter
7. put into oven (not covered) for 10-15 minutes, when I could smell the butter toasted on top....
8. I removed the casserole dish and put the rest of the shredded cheese on top and covered it and put it back into the oven to finish baking - another 10-15 minutes (keep an eye on it!)
9. Let it cool a few minutes - and then plated the Burritos, topped with more Cilantro, more Salsa and plenty of Guacamole!
And, it came together pretty fast because I used leftover (already cooked!) chicken, store bought Salsa & Guacamole. Of course I could have made those from scratch, but I was really trying to replicate the ease and speed of store bought Burritos - on a busy/ tired night - this wins hands down, enjoy!!
Thursday, August 1, 2019
My Summer Salad, with a Simple, yet Delicious, Homemade Hummus Dressing
WOW, I just realized that I have not posted any food or recipe ideas in over a year- yikes!!! My love for this blog and it's mission has never waned, yet, I have been busy working on other projects, so this kind of fell by the wayside.
You know what else fell by the wayside? My daily focus on maximizing veggies and minimizing pastas and breads. No, I haven't been eating Donuts, French Fries and Ice Cream every single day (but a girl can dream!!)
However, I have been more lax with food choices and portion size. So, it is not shocking that I've gained 7 pounds. Yup, true story!!! It is the dangerous territory when all the clothes get tight and uncomfortable, or flat out just don't fit. I want to fit into the jeans I already own this Fall, just to save myself from the torture of shopping for jeans - not easy for a curvy woman!
So after seeing that scary number on my scale Monday morning I have been trying to eat more consciously and refocus on the fresh veggies and healthy proteins that have always been the focus of successfully managing my weight while satisfying my hunger at the same time.
I've enjoyed variations of this salad every day this week. To call it an Arugula Salad just does not do all the other amazing ingredients any justice....
My Summer Salad
Arugula, a handful
Homemade Hummus Dressing (recipe below)
6 Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes, halved
6 Red Grapes, halved
2 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped
1/2 Avocado, chopped
1 Tbsp Roasted & Salted Pepitas (aka Pumpkin Seeds - special shout out to Aldi for making food like this affordable!)
So this is YUMMY! Seriously this is ALL good stuff, and testament to that is I'm eating it again today for the 4th day in a row. You have the perky spicy Arugula, with a little sweetness, a little creaminess, a little crunch and a whole lot of filling Protein and Good Fats, as well as satisfying flavors. I'm ready to do it all over again tomorrow! :)
Homemade Hummus Dressing Recipe:
Mix below ingredients and drizzle over salad:
-a big spoon loaded with Classic Hummus (store bought!)
-a little spoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-juice of 1/2 Lime or Lemon (I've done both: same same)
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