Avocado Dip

I’m a sucker for anything avocado.  Guacamole is a must every time I step foot in a Mexican restaurant.  A half of an avocado finds it’s way on my breakfast plate on most days (avocado and eggs!! try it).  They are definitely a staple on my grocery list. 

Admittedly, its because I love the flavor and texture…but the fact that avocadoes are so healthy for you doesn’t hurt. 

   

This recipe from Food and Wine magazine is intriguing because not only does it call for cilantro (one of my FAVORITE herbs), it has basil in it too.  I’ve never thought to put basil with avocado, but believe me, it works!

I doubled the recipe and served with blue corn tortilla chips.  In F&W the dip is actually part of a whole meal…Spiced Shrimp with Tomato Salsa and Avocado Dip…one day I’ll try the entire thing!

Avocado Dip

adapted from Food and Wine magazine

3 - 4 Hass avocados—pitted and peeled
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
8 large basil leaves
juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt

In a food processor, combine the avocados, cilantro, basil and lime juice and puree. Season with salt. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking (more lime? herbs?, salt?) Scrape the dip into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the dip, and refrigerate until chilled (if you can wait that long!).

Chicken Enchiladas

I've been making these enchiladas for several years now, and every time I make them I do something a little different...an ever evolving recipe. I've shared the recipe with several people including Hilary, my non-cooking sister, and Mel, who is a busy mother of 5 children (well 9 if you count me, my brother, my sister-in-law, and Hil).

Before I moved to Houston, Hilary and I lived together and I did all of the cooking. When I moved, I left her a packet of easy-to-make recipes and this was one of them. And believe it or not, she actually made the enchiladas several times.

So I knew these were easy to make, and I knew they were relatively healthy (I adapted the recipe from cookinglight.com), but I wasn't sure what the nutritional content per enchilada was going to be.

About two weeks ago I prepared them with the help of a 14 year old...and she did most of the work. So if Hilary can make these, and a 14 year old can make these, anyone can!

For the enchiladas I take advantage of several convenience products...a store-bought rotisserie chicken, salsa, tortillas, and pre-shredded cheese. All you have to do is chop and saute a few veggies (you knew there were going to be veggies involved!), shred the chicken, blend the sauce, and assemble. Easy!

And an added bonus? They are delicious!

Chicken Enchiladas

created by me!

makes 10 servings (1 enchiladas each)

1 store bought rotisserie chicken, shredded (bones and skin discarded)

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (I used a red one)

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 24 oz jar salsa

½ cup skim milk

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (the cilantro is optional but worth it!)

8 oz reduced-fat cheese (I used a Mexican blend, but cheddar or Jack would be good too)

10 8" whole wheat tortillas (the closer to 100 calories, the better)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until warmed. Set aside to cool slightly.

To prepare sauce, in a blender or food processor (I like using a blender) combine salsa, milk, and cilantro. Blend thoroughly.

To assemble, spread about 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 11 x 7 baking dish. Warm tortillas in the microwave for 30 second intervals until softened. Spoon ½ cup of chicken filling in center of tortilla and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Roll tortilla tightly by hand and place in baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas; use back of spoon to spread sauce so it coats top of each tortilla. Sprinkle with remaining cheese (you should have about ¾ cup left). Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Per serving (1 enchilada*) - 293 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 22 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ starch, ½ vegetable, 2 ½ protein, 1 ½ fat)

Notes - If you can find tortillas that are lower in calories, use them...the ones I bought were whole wheat and 140 calories apiece; I wouldn't worry too much about finding whole wheat ones...they aren't that much healthier and ALL tortillas you find in the grocery store are SO processed (I mean does it really take over 30 ingredients to make a tortilla???) - I'm spoiled from living Houston where you can find fresh, homemade tortillas that actually taste good!; corn tortillas would be a good option too

*Honestly, I ate 2 (1 just wasn't enough!)...if you find tortillas that are around 100 calories apiece, then each enchilada will have 250 calories; so 2 would be about 500 calories, which I don't think is too much!

All We Can Do Is Keep Breathing

Have you heard the Ingrid Michaelson song "Keep Breathing"? Its at the top of my playlist right now...love it! She sings that when life gets crazy and out of control all you can do is keep breathing.

My life has been crazy since November started and as a result I haven't posted anything since November 3rd! In addition to my normal schedule (teaching dance from 3:30 - 9:00 pm Monday through Thursday and 1:00 - 6:00 pm on Sundays) I've been doing a lot of extra choreography: 2 dances for the Saintsations, a duet for 2 kids at the studio, a solo for a high school dancer, and a competition number for the senior company at Tari's School of Dance.

I've also starting working with several high school girls on weight management...I'm on the verge of officially starting my own business...it's so exciting! I love working with this age group (no offense TWL members). I feel that if you can teach young girls healthy eating habits then they will pass what they know on to their families once they get married and have kids.

On top of all of this, LSU has played 4 (going on 5) straight home games. When LSU plays at home my entire Saturday is filled with tailgating, watching band/Golden Girl practice, helping my sister get ready, more tailgating, the game, and finally more tailgating. I also flew to Houston last Friday to watch the Houston Met's fall show and flew home the following morning to get back for the game. Sunday I "worked" from 11:30 am - 7:00 pm. Last night (after teaching from 3:30 - 7:00 pm) I went to Tigerama to watch Hil perform and didn't get home until 12:30 am.

But now I can breathe! Its 10:00 am on Tuesday morning and I am still in bed, blogging. And next week the studio is closed for Thanksgiving so I can really relax.

The following recipes are all slow-cooker recipes. When life gets really hectic, a common problem with getting a home cooked meal on the table is not enough time. With a little planning ahead and by using a slow cooker, you can have dinner ready when you walk in the door at the end of the day. I've already blogged once about slow-cooker meals.

Planning your meals ahead of time can help save time, money, stress, a trip through the drive thru...It will save you from going to the store multiple times a week. You won't have to think about "what's for dinner" each day. And if you have the ingredients to make a recipe on hand, you will probably go ahead and do it as opposed to eating out at a restaurant or getting take out. And as a result you will eat healthier, less processed food.

Before I head to the grocery store, I make a list with the staples I buy every week: apples, yogurt, milk, lettuce, baby carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, cottage cheese. I check to see if I'm out of English muffins (I keep these in the freezer), natural peanut or other nut butter, oatmeal, and nuts. And then I pick my recipes for the week and add the ingredients I need to the list. And this always includes the ingredients for my "salad of the week" and seasonal fruits to snack on.

I actually write down what I plan on eating for the week...and although I don't use it, I found this meal planning worksheet and thought it might be helpful.

Now, I know most of you are thinking right now..."she doesn't have kids", "she doesn't have a whole family to cook for", etc...and you are right! But as you can see above I am really busy, and if I don't plan ahead one of two things happens (1) I don't have enough food for the week and have to eat out more...wasting my calories, or (2) I end up making several trips to the store, usually on my way home from teaching dance late at night ...wasting my time.

My thought is "if you buy it, you will eat it", so buy lots of fruits and vegetables so that you have them to eat and buy fewer processed foods so that you don't have them to eat.

The salad recipe was sent to me by at TWL member. If any of you have any recipes you would like to share with me, I'd love to have them so that I can share them with everyone else! Leave the links as a comment.

Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette -

• Per serving - 153 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated), 11 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber (exchanges ½ fruit, 1 vegetable, 2 fat)
• Notes - Prep everything ahead of time (except the avocado) so that you have a quick lunch ready all week - store everything in separate containers in the refrigerator; make the salad more filling (so that it can be lunch by itself) by adding more veggies (lettuces, red bell pepper, green beans, shredded carrots…) and some lean protein (chicken, turkey, beans); notice the serving size...it makes 12 2/3 cup servings - if you double the size of your serving, don't double the fats (dressing, avocado, pecans); if you don't have raspberry vinegar, just use balsamic or red/white wine

Slow Cooker Rosemary and Red Pepper Chicken -

• Per serving - 200 calories, 4.4 g fat (1.2 g saturated), 4.9 g carbohydrates, 31.9 g protein, 0.7 g fiber (exchanges ½ vegetable, 4 protein, 1 fat)
• Notes - You could use white wine instead of vermouth; Here are some notes I gathered from the comment section: 1) needs more liquid...chicken broth, water, can of chopped tomatoes, or wine (but if you do this double the cornstarch mixture), 2) needs double the rosemary and oregano, 3) serve over pasta

Slow Cooker Chicken Creole -

• Per serving - 191 calories, 1.8 g fat (0.4 g saturated), 14.3 g carbohydrates, 29.6 g protein, 2.7 g fiber (exchanges 2 vegetable, 4 protein, 1 fat)
• Notes - From the comment section: 1) it's spicy...you may want to adjust the amount of jalapeno, 2) you may want to add some tomato paste and okra (frozen would be fine)

Jeanne's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce -

• Per serving - 210 calories, 9.3 g fat, 19.9 g carbohydrates, 14.2 g protein, 5.7 g fiber (exchanges 2 vegetable, 2 protein, 2 fat)
• Notes - When buying tomato products, read the labels and try to purchase brands without sugar (in any form) as an ingredient; ¼ of a cup of olive oil seems like a lot to me (even though ¼ cup = 4 Tbsp = 12 tsp…and the recipe makes 12 servings…so each serving only ends up with 1 tsp of oil, but there is fat from the sausage and beef too)...I would probably start out with just 2 tablespoons; the sausage is optional; you could substitute 1 1/2 Tbsp of Italian seasoning instead of all of the separate seasonings; make the whole recipe and freeze half to use later; make it vegetarian by omitting the sausage, beef, and turkey and using 24 - 32 oz of sliced mushrooms

Slow Cooker Fajitas -

• Per serving - 335 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 29 g protein, 2 g fiber (exchanges 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 protein, 2 fat)
  Notes - Sirloin is one of the leaner cuts of beef, however, you could substitute chicken breasts and save even more calories and fat grams; try to find whole wheat tortillas that are around 120 calories…or less; notice the serving is 1 fajita for 335 cals...serve with a side salad (such as carrot-cumin slaw) or a bowl of tortilla soup (such as Campbell's Select Harvest Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla)

Curried Lentil Soup -

• Per serving - 169 calories, 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 34 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 2 g fiber (exchanges 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 protein)
• Notes - I would use chicken or vegetable broth in place of the hot water

Lagniappe...

The last thing I want to share with you is a web-site where you can map the distance that you walk/run/bike...

When I run outdoors (sometimes its just too pretty to get on a treadmill!), I'm always interested in knowing how far I went...and this website tells me. Under "Map New Run" you enter your starting address and then on a map you click along the path you took.

The Good and the Bad...

First the good...LSU won today 41 to 13 - Geaux Tigers!

And now the bad...Hurricane Gustav is heading for us, and I've evacuated from Baton Rouge to Covington to stay with the rest of my family. Three years ago Katrina put a tree through our roof...hopefully things will be better this time around. Keep all of the Gulf Coast in your prayers.

Anyway I figure this was as good a time as any to blog.

I tried to find some "kid-friendly" recipes for those of you with picky eaters...healthy versions of spaghetti and meatballs, mini meatloaf, and a chilaquiles casserole (its kind of like an enchilada casserole).

The recipes are from several sources...Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (my favorite magazine), Eatingwell.com, and FoodNetwork (recipes from Ellie Krieger, a dietitian).

Broccoli, Chickpea, and Tomato Salad -

• Per serving - 131 calories, 5.9 g fat, 15.8 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g protein, 4.9 g fiber (exchanges: ½ protein, 1 fat, ½ starch, 1 ½ vegetable)
• Notes - Make this Sunday night, and have it for a healthy lunch all week; you could have it with some leftover grilled chicken or canned tuna (chunk light…packed in water!) and serve it over lettuce or spinach

Banana-Nutmeg Smoothie -

• Per serving - 120 calories, 1 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 25 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 2 g fiber (exchanges: 1 fruit, ¾ milk); I modified the original recipe by only using 2 bananas and using skim milk instead of whole
• Notes - Serve this for a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert; substitute cinnamon for the nutmeg if you like!

Edamame Spread -

• Per serving - 115 calories, 4.1 g fat, 10.4 g carbohydrate, 8.2 g protein, 4.2 g fiber (exchanges: 1 fat, 1 protein, ½ starch)
• Notes - Serve this as a dip for veggies…red bell pepper strips, carrot and celery sticks, radish and cucumber slices; this dip isn’t as “starchy” as other bean dips and would be a good snack (as long as you aren’t dipping with tortilla chips!)

Lemony Sautéed Shrimp with Broccoli and Peas -

• Per serving - 261 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 21.4 g carbohydrate, 30.4 g protein, 6.6 g fiber (exchanges: 3 ½ protein, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 ½ fat); I modified the original recipe by only using 2 teaspoons of olive oil in step 1 (instead of 2 tablespoons of butter) and and using 1 tablespoon of butter in step 3
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat pasta); this recipe takes a short cut by using frozen shrimp and peas...buying pre-chopped broccoli will make it even easier

Carrot-Cumin Slaw -

• Per serving - 100 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 3 g fiber (exchanges: 1 ½ fat, 1 ½ vegetable); I modified the original recipe by only using 2 tablespoons of canola oil instead of 1/4 cup
• Notes - I love slaw salads…I buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots in the produce section; this one will go well with Mexican dishes…enchiladas, tacos, fajitas; add shredded chicken or canned black beans (rinsed and drained) and have this as a light lunch

Mixed Leaf Salad -

• Per serving - 48 calories, 3.6 g fat, 3.6 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g protein, 1 g fiber (exchanges: ½ fat, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - Makes 8 small servings (or 4 large); save time and buy 2 bags of mixed lettuce

Chilaquiles Casserole -

• Per serving - 245 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated), 31 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 6 g fiber (exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 protein, 2 fat)
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with “carrot-cumin slaw”; one serving of this casserole provides nearly 25% of the Daily Value for fiber; on the website, some of the readers suggest using less enchilada sauce to keep the casserole from being too runny

Turkey Mini Meatloaves -

• Per serving - 196 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated), 18 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein, 3 g fiber (exchanges: ½ starch, ½ vegetable, 1 fat, 2.5 protein)
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with “mixed-leaf salad” and oven-roasted sweet potato wedges

Turkey Meatballs with Quick And Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti -

• Per serving - 332 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 39 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein, 8 g fiber (exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1.5 fat, 2.5 protein)

Lagniappe...

Someone sent me an email to let me know which recipes they tried/liked/didn't like (which I really appreciate!)...one of her favorites was Ellie's Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach.

Here is an article and comparison on oatmeal...see if your favorite brand is one of the best. As I mentioned in the last post, I eat oatmeal for breakfast a lot...I add fruit and a few nuts and drink a glass of milk...whole grains and fiber from the fruit/oats and protein from the milk and nuts keep me full all morning! I don't use instant packaged oatmeal because I prefer to be creative and create my own flavor combinations and avoid any additives and artificial ingredients.

Here is a comparison/article on cold breakfast cereals too.