Food Friday- Warm your bones

Mexican Inspired Vegetable Soup

 This recipe was passed over by one of my athletes. She is taking part in a challenge we are having where they are adding in extra veggies and healthy fats into their daily snacks.  This soup has been a favorite of hers to add those extra veggies into her day and it sounded so good I decided to give it a try.  It was a hit, even among the littles as I made a couple changes to create a better chance of a win. 

The Recipe

Thank you Debbie and it originated 

via 

Weight Watchers.com 

2 cups uncooked green beans, fresh and cut into bite sized pieces. 

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 small uncooked zucchini, cubed

14 oz canned diced tomatoes, Mexican style (I used no salt fresh diced tomatoes)

1 medium uncooked onion chopped

1 medium green pepper chopped

1 cup chopped tomatillos

1 medium jalapeno pepper (we omitted this and added it as a garnish)

1/2 medium poblano chile, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin (I always add a little more cumin:))

6 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup roasted red peppers (packed in water)

Garnish: 

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp lime juice

3/4 tsp sea salt

Put all the vegetables above into a large stock pot except the roasted peppers.  Place those in a food processor and puree them, then add to the rest of the ingredients. Add the veggie broth, cover, boil and heat over high. Reduce to low once it comes to a boil and let it simmer. 

Top with the cilantro, lime juice and sea salt as well as the jalapenos. We also added fresh cubed avocado to this soup.  We added some fun corn tortillas chips to the girls soup and fresh cheese as they needed a little more fun. 

This was amazing and I have to say will be a staple this Fall and winter as it got better the next day! 

Enjoy!

A little late to my Food Friday post!

Cinco de Mayo!

Better late than never. This past week turned out to be a little busier than normal so my poor little blog seem to take a backseat.  I was sad as this is a place I love to come and share my week.  I figured better late than never so here is my Food Friday post. 

With Cinco de Mayo coming up and with one of my favorite foods being on the menu, I wanted to pass over some healthy tips and recipes for keeping it low cal, full of flavor and still have some fun.
This is what we will be having on Sunday!  

Chicken Fajitas                               
saute chicken breasts into skillet with chicken broth and or stock, you can add in your favorite seasoning. I usually add  fresh ground chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, and some chopped tomatoes.  Add fresh peppers and onions if you like them.  Serve over steamed corn tortillas or flour but limit the flower to 2 and the corn to 3 tortillas. Top with salsa and non-fat plain yogurt. You could even add a sliver or two of avocado.  

Mexican Salad                    

Fresh greens, super greens or romaine are my favorites.  Chop some jicama (this has been a staple around our house lateley) copped tomatoes, chopped beets (fresh) and sprinkle a little cotija cheese or goat cheese if dairy does not suit you. You can even sprinkle with some baked corn tortillas. ( I bake these at 350 degrees until crisp) 

Honey Lime Dressing

1/4 to 1/2 of avocado (amazing flavor and amazing healthy fat) 

1/2 cup lime juice

1/4 cup or less of raw honey

s+p

a dash of chili powder

you could also juice one orange for a little added citrus flavor.  

I use our magic bullet for salad dressings ALL the time. You can also store in your fridge and re-use up to 3-5 days. 

New-Refried Beans (from my friend Shanti at Sweat Play Live) Thanks Shanti!!

1 lb. beans boiled till soft, w/ garlic and 1/2 onion (about 2 hours). Put in blender till smooth. Heat 3-4T Coconut oil in pan, add puréed beans and stir till incorporated. Salt. If too stiff..add water till smooth.

Cinnamon Baked Chips 

This is a favorite dessert in our house and they are so easy to make. As I mentioned above in the salad recipe, I use corn tortillas and spray with a little coconut oil and sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar that I make (cinnamon and raw sugar blend) You can also bake the non cinnamon chips along side them and then you have a really fun small sweet dessert to finish off your Mexican fiesta. No guilt! 

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Food Friday

Food Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  If you are like me, I love Mexican food and serving up one of my favorite dishes to my family is super easy and is packed with TONS of veggies. This is also a great dish for entertaining and leftovers are even better.

Butternut Squash and Pinto Bean Enchiladas

What you will need:
Casserole dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2-4 cups of Pinto Beans: I always make a batch in the crock-pot. They are super easy to make or you can buy them at the store. Just make sure to drain them and give them a little rinse. 

**(Crock Pot Beans)

Soak your beans overnight

Put them in the crock-pot 

cover with vegetable broth and/or water to cover the beans. 

Place a Ham Hock for flavor in the beans or without if you want vegetarian beans. 

Add some S&P, cumin for extra spice. 

Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours. 

That is all!  

1 dozen corn tortillas

A bunch of raw spinach

Enchilada sauce (You can go with store bought if you have a good healthy alternative or you can make your own)

Cooked butternut squash (I found fresh squash cubed at Trader Joes and Whole Foods or you can buy it as a whole squash)
Cook the butternut squash until soft, mash with masher/fork.
Once the butternut squash is cooked (you can also do this in advance and use the leftovers for soup)

Spread butternut squash over corn tortilla, add some cooked pinto beans, shred and sprinkle spinach leaves, roll up and place in baking dish. 

Repeat until all tortillas are rolled. 

Top with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through at 350 degrees.
Cool and serve. Top with Cilantro garnish.

These are amazing!  I always serve this with a side of mixed "Super Greens" tossed with chopped mint, avocado, a little citrus slices and a fresh vinegar-ette.  You have all you need here with this super simple dish.  

If you want something non-alcoholic to go along with your Mexican themed meal Try this from my friend Kristen. You can visit her on her FB at Coach KR.  

In the blender: Watermelon, cucumber, mint, MILA, ice, and water. Super refreshing.


Enjoy and let me know how you like them!