Holy Moly Enchiladas!

By Anita

One of my favorite items to make and share with everyone are ENCHILADAS! I mean, seriously, you could roll anything in a tortilla and it will most likely taste amazing. Add cheese to that and you are in a little rolled up piece of heaven. Enchiladas are one of the recipes that I no longer look at a cook book for since the first time I read the recipe off of the 'enchilada sauce can'. It can be created into a super meaty & cheesy dish or a completely vegan and fulfilling meal. You could add ground meat (turkey is my favorite) or all chopped veggies such as bell peppers, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, beans... OH the possibilities inside a rolled tortilla!


The typical enchilada recipe I use consists of a few basic items for Latin inspired meals: tortillas, cheese, enchilada sauce. It becomes my go-to when I want to use up some of my pantry items or veggies all while creating awesome leftovers that taste better the next day! So keep in mind that a lot of these items are optional depending on your dietary likes, wants, and needs. 


For listening pleasure while cooking, check the Brazilian Radio on Pandora and shake those hips even if this is more of a Mexican-style recipe.


Enchiladas: Veggies & Chorizo


INGREDIENTS:

• 4 -8 Whole wheat tortillas
• 2- 14 oz Enchilada sauce cans 
• 1- 14 oz Black or Pinto bean can, rinsed
• 1- 14 oz Vegetarian Refried bean can
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 Tablespoon oregano
• Salt (to taste)
• Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon dried onion flakes OR one 1/2 chopped onion 
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Bell peppers - sliced or chopped
• 1 Zucchini - cut in half & chopped
• 1 Chorizo sausage - chopped; more sausage could be added, I wanted more veggies
• 1 cup Shredded Cheese (Mexican style, Colby Jack, etc.)
• OPTIONAL:1/2 Jalapeno pepper - finely minced/chopped, chopped scallions or fresh cilantro, sour cream, Greek yogurt, guacamole, salsa

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 
2. In a large (deep) skillet on medium or medium-high heat, get the olive oil heated up and add the chopped peppers and zucchini.
3. Add the spices and add salt to taste (not too much!) and black pepper to the veggies. Saute seasoned veggies for about 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the chopped chorizo and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring to mix everything together.
5. Add about half of the black or pinto beans (or all if you are not using any meat) and about half of the refried beans to the veggies/chorizo mix to heat through. 
6. Add half of one of the Enchilada sauce cans into the skillet and turn the heat down to low/simmer.
7. Create an assembly line to prepare your enchilada mixture on your tortillas. Get a plate for the tortillas, the cans of Enchilada sauce w/ a spoon, the sauteed veggies/chorizo mixture and a glass baking dish (i.e. Pyrex).
8. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of Enchilada sauce on the tortilla, spread around the tortilla, add a hefty spoonful of the veggie/chorizo mixture down the middle of the tortilla, roll the tortilla, and set into the baking dish. REPEAT until all of the tortillas are filled.
9. Pour remaining Enchilada sauce onto the rolled tortillas and spread around to cover them. 
10. Add the shredded cheese on top of the rolled tortillas (as much or as little as you would like).
11. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is all gooey and melty. 
12. Add chopped cilantro or cilantro on top and let the baked enchiladas sit for a few minutes...if you can resist. 

Even though this seems like a lot of steps, once you get the hang of the sauteing/grilling and what type of assembly station works for you, this recipe will be a quick 30-minute meal that can get pretty creative. 

I make a quick salad and guacamole for the side of this meal and a tasty Sol or Corona to pour down the gullet. :) You can also add a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt on top of the Enchiladas.

Chopped up veggies

Rinsed black beans

The infamous ENCHILADA sauce -- I prefer the Old El Paso brand & have yet to make my own...

Saute the veggies and season

My trusty spice combo or you could use "taco seasoning" mix

Add Chorizo sausage to the veggies and cook through

MORE veggies - black beans and refried beans with Enchalada sauce to simmer

Bake the Enchiladas for about 10 minutes, let sit for a bit and add cilantro or scallions on top for garnish

Simple rolled up piece of heaven... ENJOY!

SUPER SIMPLE Chicken-in-a-Crockpot

By Anita

Since the weather is getting warmer and muggier one may not want to be standing over a hot oven baking/sauteing/frying so investing in a slow cooker is the way to go for a more carefree (and cooler) summer. As with most meals, there's a certain amount of planning beforehand that needs to go into it which is why a lot of people end up eating junk. Well, my advice to you is to buy a slow cooker (Crockpot) and maybe a calender to jot down what menu you'll have (and plan) during the week so you know when to thaw things out. :) Now you can relax a little more this summer.


This recipe is SUPER SIMPLE and takes only a few ingredients (and patience of waiting since it involves a slow cooker). 


SUPER SIMPLE Chicken-in-a-Crockpot


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large (3-4 lbs) whole chicken (organic.farmers market - highly recommended)
• 1 onion (white or yellow)
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 teaspoon minced or whole garlic
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme (dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• OPTIONAL: Instead of all those dry spices listed above, you can use a Cajun spice premixed or Jamaican Jerk spice mix depending on the type of cuisine you want your meal to take on. 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all of the dried spices into a small bowl to mix up.
2. Rough chop the onion, celery & garlic. Larger chunks are best to place on the bottom of the slow cooker to elevate the whole chicken.
3. [WARNING: Here's the kind of gross part, at least for me it was not pleasant.] Take the whole chicken (on a separate, poultry designated cutting/prep board) and remove the giblets (inner grossness). 
4. Rub the dry spices ALL over the whole chicken (this reminds me of rubbing lotion on a baby so this weirded me out a bit) and be sure to get into all of the crevices. Rub some of the spices into the cavity of the chicken too. 
5. Place the spice rubbed chicken into the slow cooker on top of the rough chopped onions & celery. Cover the Crockpot and set it on HIGH. No liquid needed, believe it or not!
6. Cook for 4-5 hours. The delicious, juicy meat will literally be falling off of the bone! 

• If you want, you can also make your own homemade chicken stock from the remains (bones and all) in your Crockpot! Thanks to 100 Days of Real Food blog for inspiration. If you do, be sure you have a fine strainer or even cheesecloth to sift out the bits and pieces. Freeze the stock to use for future use.

I made some rice, beans, and veggies or salad to have along side this juicy meal. This is great for a party as well since you can make the meal go a long way. 

LEFTOVER INSPIRATION: Pulled chicken sandwiches, enchiladas, tortilla soup, on top of salad, Buffalo chicken dip... a lot of possibilities!

Chopped onion and garlic (and celery not shown); bottom of  Crockpot

The spice rub - use your own mixture or a Cajun or Jamaican Jerk pre-mix

THE WHOLE CHICKEN -- there it is, a blank canvas. 

Spice rubbed WHOLE organic chicken

Holy Meatball!

by Anita


There are some days when you want a meatball. "Ahh tasty ahh meat-ah-balla" (said in in my best Italian accent). Well, as a part of the "Real Food Challenge" that I have tried out (with some success), the first day of my challenge I made a simple, yet delicious whole wheat pasta with a red sauce and homemade meatballs. The end result was a healthy and nutritious dinner that can stretch your dollar for a few days if you make the whole pound of pasta. Leftover pasta is always the best!


To check myself and to be honest with you, eliminating all processed foods is a process in itself but if you have a partner in crime to take on that challenge then it can be done as long as you have the right snacks in place. HA! My boyfriend took on the challenge with me and went to the grocery store on his own to gather the ingredients for our dinner. One minor road bump was the search for WHOLE WHEAT bread crumbs--prepared--and ready to purchase. That was not found at our grocery store. So we got creative and just eliminated bread crumbs all together from this recipe to eliminate the "un-real" foods for the night. We also steamed some fresh broccoli to have as a side dish.


Enjoy this for dinner by yourself or make it with some friends with a delicious glass of Malbec, Pinot Noir or Chianti. 

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE & MEATBALLS 


Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole-wheat pasta
• Red pasta sauce (Organic Tomato Basil Sauce)
• 1 lb ground beef (Laura's lean beef)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; and extra for garnish.
• ½ cup carrot bits (diced and chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce (Gluten Free used)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (Substituted with dried Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Onion Salt, Pepper)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Whole wheat noodles take longer.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
3. Mix together ground beef and next 8 ingredients. This is where you get your hands dirty to mix all the ingredients. :)
4. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil to cover the pan.
5. Roll the beef mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. Place them in rows onto the greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until brown all the way through. 
7. Ready to eat? Serve meatballs on top of cooked pasta and warm pasta sauce. 

Serves: 5 

The base ingredients for the meatballs: beef, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic, cheese,  & carrots (omit bread crumbs)

Some of the tasty liquids: Tomato Basil pasta sauce, Red Wine Vinegar & Soy Sauce used in the meatballs

Don't watch the water boiling or else...

In a bowl, mix all of your base ingredients and liquids along with the diced carrots

Down and dirty with the meat balls!

The rolled up and baked meatballs ~ about 1 - 1.5 inches

A quick and easy side dish: steamed chopped broccoli. Add some extra grated Parmesan cheese on top! 

Mix your baked meatballs in with your warmed up pasta sauce and  cooked whole wheat pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese for a garnish.

My taste tester LOVES his broccoli!

 This dinner was a quick and super easy meal to prepare and you can certainly make a big batch of meatballs and freeze them for that lazy dinner day. Bon Apetito!

Weekend in food (and then some).

by Crystal

Hey everyone. How was your (last) weekend? Do you even remember it? I know, I know. It's a new weekend. That whole, "out with old, in with the new," thing. But I absolutely must share with you what happened to me last weekend.

Mine was phenomenal. And I don't use that word very often - phenomenal. I also don't italicize words very much, so please notice the emphasis. For my Birthday a few weeks ago, my wonderful fiance told me I'd be flying to go visit the one and only Katie (the "cheese" of the bunch, since she's in WI), and her gf Katie. That in itself was enough to make me cry with excitement!

I had a lovely time experiencing a day in the life of a dog walker; we walked probably over 7 miles, only to find out that was a slow day! Crazy. And tiring. About an hour after I had fallen asleep, I get a knock on my bedroom door to find Anita and two of our very good friends who drove up from Columbus, OH! That's not a short drive, my friends.

The next morning, while our lovely friend Angela was cutting my hair (huge advantage to having a friend studying at Aveda), in walks my mom. MY MOM. She drove up from IL to spend the morning/afternoon with us. Seriously? I found out E had been planning it for a few months. Needless to say, I was on Cloud Nine. And crying. I cry on either end of the emotional scale. That's just me, folks.

Since our weekend involved a lot of great food (and drink), I thought I'd share with you some photos we snapped of the deliciousness.

And now for the "and then some..."

It wouldn't be an occasion without jumping pictures, y'all. Has anyone else played Farkle or The Game of Things? A lot of fun (especially with a splash of wine).

Latin Version of Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

by Anita


My dinners that I make when I cook for myself usually are simple and quick: steamed veggies, steamed rice, and a black bean burger (that all came from the handy dandy frozen food section). Well, as my stomach grumbled while I was at work, I started imagining something a little more tasty. Then at that moment I  received a message from my boyfriend who asked if I was interested in dinner and a movie (In Time)...which means that I got excited to make a meal FOR someone and watch a bonus movie at the end of it all. 


Chopping, prepping, simmering, and taking in the aromas of cooking has always been a stress reliever for me. I needed that yesterday. I will spare you details of the "pet messes" that I came home to on my bed which definitely did not put me in a tranquil frame of mine before cooking. 


Once I turned on my Pandora to Florence + the Machine radio, I started tapping my toes, swaying my hips, and chopping away to make a Tortilla Soup and Grilled Chicken Quesadillas. The recipes used are from a blog that I have been reading daily for cooking inspiration about eating REAL food = no processed junk, no sugars, organic when possible, and meat in moderation. Since it was a bit on the cooler yet comfortable side outside, I opted to grill some of the food which always makes the end result taste that much better. I highly recommend this tasty, healthy, and versatile recipe that is delicious for leftovers as well.


TORTILLA SOUP (modified for ingredients in my 'fridge)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bell peppers (any color), chopped
• 3 organic celery stalks, chopped
• 1 – 2 hot peppers (optional - I did not use)
• 1 teaspoon coriander or cumin
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 8-oz can organic black beans (liquid drained and rinsed)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-oz can organic stewed tomatoes
• 1 8-oz can organic tomato sauce
• 2 – 3 cups organic, low sodium chicken stock depending on how “soupy” you like it
• Optional (but recommended) garnishes: avocado, scallions, lime juice, tortilla chips

1. Rinse and dice the bell peppers, celery, any other veggies you add. I used minced garlic in a jar. 
2. Heat a large stock pot with the olive oil on medium high heat. Add bell peppers, celery, garlic in pot.
3. Let the veggies eat through for about 5 minutes. Add spices.
4. Add rinsed black beans. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken stock.
6. Boil all ingredients, then turn heat down to low/simmer and cover for about 10 minutes or longer to let all the flavors mix and mingle. 
7. Ready to eat? Add to a bowl, and add the green trifecta of garnishes: diced avocado, chopped scallions, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

Serves 8 - 10 (smaller bowls HA!) 

My uber small kitchen...If I can do it, so can you!

Bell peppers - Red are my favorite & they have more vitamin C than an orange. Believe it. 

Drain and rinse black beans; reduces the sodium.

Muir Glen is found in most grocery stores for tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and salsas.

I buy this in bulk and the store brand is less expensive than other organic brands.

Diced, simmering veggies in the stock pot

Mixing and mingling of flavors

Green Trifecta for garnishes with Latin dishes: Avocado, Scallions, and Lime Juice

Tortilla soup garnished and ready to be in my belly!

GRILLED CHICKEN QUESADILLA


Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 2 Tbsp+ Jamaican Jerk seasoning
• 2 Tbsp+ Olive Oil & Vinegar salad dressing (Newman's Own is best) 
• 1 cup+ (1/2 a bag) shredded Mexican cheese
• 4 small tortillas (wheat preferred, but I only had white)
• 4 scallion bunches, chopped

1. Marinate chicken breasts first off! Place in a deep dish and season each side and then drizzle dressing on both sides. Coat and let it hang out for about 15 - 30 minutes, the longer the tastier.
2. Place all 4 tortillas on an oven proof/heat resistant plate/tray. Lay out the tortillas flat and sprinkle as much or as little cheese on all 4 tortillas.
3. Heat grill, grill pan, oven, or saute pan (medium high heat or 375 degrees) -- whichever you prefer to cook your chicken. I grilled!
4. Add chicken to grill and cook for about 4-6 minutes on each side. Do not over flip your chicken.
5. While chicken is cooking, microwave or place tortillas in oven to melt cheese.
6. Once chicken is cooked, remove from heat onto cutting surface, let it SIT for a few minutes to get the juices to settle. 
7. Thinly slice the chicken breasts and add to one side of cheesy tortillas. Add a little extra sprinkle of cheese if you want and other toppings. I only added scallions and folded other side of tortilla.
8. Enjoy with your soup and dip away!

Serves 4; recipe easily doubled.

Marinated chicken breasts with Jamaican jerk seasoning & Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing

Juicy and healthy grilled chicken (cooked 4-6 minutes each side)

Super easy assembly of melted cheese on tortillas and sliced chicken 

4 simple and delicious ingredients: Chicken, Cheese, Tortillas, Scallions

Our Latin dinner: Tortilla Soup & Grilled Chicken Quesadillas (and Malbec!)

This meal was so great and we had plenty of leftover soup for us to eat for the next couple days. Soups overall are the best thing to make when you don't end up eating a ton of veggies during your meals. I used any ingredient I had in my fridge which had a Latin flavor to it. 


And the movie was really great as well, two thumbs up!