Feliz Navidad!

I had a craving for enchiladas this week!!  Now, I know this dish may not seem like the healthiest in the world, however, there are some ways to make it more nutritiously satisfying.

Start with...you guessed it...vegetables!

Soften some chopped onions, green/red peppers, spinach, and mushrooms in a skillet.  Cook brown or white rice and add this to the softened veggies with some nice spice (cumin, red pepper, garlic, other spicy stuff) for a healthy filler.  If you want, add some cooked chicken, beef or pork.

No enchilada dish is complete without the sauce!  Grab a can of cream of mushroom soup (I used the low sodium variety), enchilada sauce (find it with the salsa), 1/2 jar of your favorite salsa, and about a cup of milk.  Blend these ingredients in your blender until smooth.

Prepare the dish (9.5x11, or something smaller if you are making a smaller amount) by covering the bottom with a thin layer of the sauce.

Next, grab a package of your favorite tortillas.  I do my best to avoid the ones with lard and trans fat (this is hard to do once you start reading food labels!!).  For this batch of enchiladas, I even used whole wheat tortillas which were a healthier option without sacrificing taste.

Before you stuff and roll the tortillas, microwave each tortilla for 15 seconds.  This makes it easier to handle and roll.  Put about 1/3 cup of rice/veggie/meat filler into the tortilla, sprinkle with taco cheese, roll it up tight, and lay it in the bottom of the dish.  Repeat this process until the dish is full.  Pour more sauce over and around the tortillas.  Sprinkle the top with cheese and crushed tortilla chips, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Mmm...warm, gooey enchiladas!!!!  Serve with fresh guacamole and enjoy!

Combine with a partner walk outside.  It is so important to get natural Vitamin D this time of year to chase the winter blues away.  Wear sunscreen if you have sensitive skin!

Cold dinner in cold weather!

Tuesdays....better than Mondays but still so far away from Friday!

After a lengthy workout at the gym, I enlisted Mr. PT to whip us up a smoothie for dinner!

Try as I might with the blender, Mr. PT's smoothies are always much tastier than mine.  For this smoothie, he blended:

-low fat vanilla yogurt

-skim milk

-frozen strawberries

-4-5 baby carrots

-2 bananas

-1/4 cup oatmeal

-1 tsp cinnamon

Yum!  Don't be afraid to smoothie it up for dinner once or twice a week!

Combine with a cardio/strength workout at the gym.  It's getting cold outside so your gym membership will really come in handy now.  Spend 15-20 minutes on a cardio machine and 15-20 minutes with free weights and resistance machines.  Don't be afraid to ask how a machine works if you don't know!

Green and Leafy

Not diggin the sauteed kale?

Try it in a quiche!

Saute your chopped onions, mushrooms, and peppers in olive oil until soft.  Add stripped, rinsed kale leaves and cook until wilted.  Throw your veggies in with 5-6 whisked eggs, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, and some seasonings (I used fresh rosemary, salt and pepper).

Line a pie dish with a pie crust and pour the egg mixture in.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until slightly crispy and the crust begins to brown.

You can also make an oldie but a goodie...kale chips!

Strip the kale leaves from their stalks and rinse them.  Swirl them in a salad spinner to get the moisture off.  Line them on a sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt/pepper and bake at 400 for 5-6 minutes.  Make sure they don't burn!

There are endless ways to eat those green leafy things!

Combine with fast-paced 20 minute strength workout, followed by a 10 minute stretch session.  Ahhh...

Spaghetti time!

It's been a while since I've made homemade spaghetti sauce.  On Sunday, I was craving everything spaghetti.  Pasta, cheese, chunky sauce...it all sounded delicious.  So Mr. PT and I took a Sunday drive to Kroger!

Once you make your own homemade spaghetti sauce, you'll never do Prego again.  The homemade variety is much lighter on your stomach, but heartier in your belly, if that makes sense.  And it really is not that hard!  Prep time is 45 minutes max, although you'll want the sauce to simmer on low for a while to allow the sauce to season.

You will need:

-1 lb lean ground beef

-1-3 bell peppers, depending on size (I used green, red and 1/4 yellow)

-1 medium sweet onion

-3-4 mushrooms (optional)

-1 large can crushed tomatoes

-1 medium can tomato paste

-2 cloves garlic

-Italian seasoning (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc)

Start by browning off your meat in a medium sized pot.

this brand had an enticing label!

Once thoroughly cooked, strain and rinse the fat off.  This sauce is hearty enough without it!

In the same pot you used before, heat some olive oil (about 1 tbs).  Saute chopped (as finely as you prefer) onions, peppers, and mushrooms.  Once the veggies are soft, add the meat back in and add crushed/diced garlic.  Saute for 5 minutes.  Add both cans of tomatoes.  Season with salt, pepper, and other Italian spices.  If it's too thick, add some water, just be sure to season accordingly.  Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes.

About 5 minutes before serving, add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese to the sauce.  

Serve over whole wheat noodles and you have the perfect Sunday night meal...fit for a personal trainer.

 

Combine with 30 minutes of exercise a day.  Don't make excuses.  There will always be an excuse.  Have kids?  Take them with you.  Work late?  Walk at lunch.  Sore knees?  Get in the pool.  The best way to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight is to change your eating habits and move.

Kale season!

I stink at posting!  I apologize for my absence.  I will be better.  I promise!

It is time to buy kale!!  Flat kale, curly kale, sweet kale, hearty kale...whatever kale you like.  Buy it now when it's time to build up your iron to prepare for the cold winter ahead.

Here are 2 ways to eat kale as a side dish or main dish.  Both recipes start with stripping the kale from it's thick stem, rinsing it under water, boiling it for about one minute, then returning it to the colander to be rinsed again with cold water.

Now you are ready!

This first dish starts with olive oil, sweet onions, and mushrooms softening in a medium-high skillet with lots of garlic (1-3 cloves, depending on how much you like the stuff).

Next, throw in your boiled kale.  Let the kale soak up some of the oil and keep this simmering on medium heat.  Meanwhile, boil some more water and throw in your favorite diced potatoes.  Sweet, red, purple...whatever is available.  I opted for white sweet potatoes!

Once the sweet potatoes are tender (not too soft), throw them in with the kale and other veggies.  Let all of these ingredients simmer on medium for at least 15-20 minutes so all the flavors can combine.  Right before serving, toss in your favorite cheese.  I had some manchego, a nice dry Spanish cheese, on hand so I diced it and tossed it in.  Serve warm!

Mmm...delish!

The next dish is similar but with a few different flavors.  Prepare the kale with boiling water as mentioned above.  Meanwhile, heat a skillet with garlic only.  Once the garlic has seasoned the oil, throw in a hefty handful of spinach leaves.  Allow some time for them to cook down before throwing in the softened kale.  Add a touch more olive oil if necessary.  Add about 1/3 cup of chicken broth.  It will seem soupy, but if you give it enough time, the broth will cook down and flavor the greens nicely.

Meanwhile, boil some...are you ready?...purple sweet potatoes!  That's right!  Dark purple sweet potatoes.  Talk about picking the darker, healthier veggies.  Slice them thinly with the skins left on (make sure you scrub them clean first).  Boil the potatoes until they are, again, tender but not too mushy.  Once soft, throw them in the skillet with the greens and garlic.  There should still be broth to help finish cooking the potatoes.  Allow these ingredients to cook down until they just start to get crispy.  Remove, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and you've got dinner.

Kale is so good for you and very filling!  I encourage you to get out of your vegetable and salad box and try some cooked kale.  You will instantly be hooked.

Combine with standing leg exercises.  Use a resistance band around your ankles and do forward, side, and back leg lifts, as well as walking shuffles.  Your rear will feel the burn!

What's in your pot?

Tired of those old-fashioned American style soups, heavy with cream and cheese?

Try a vegetable miso soup!

I got this idea after I picked up my vegetable share today.  My bag was full of collards, leeks, and daikon radishes.  I also had mushrooms and carrots leftover from last week!

Start with a big pot of chicken broth...I used the biggest stock-pot I had!  Bring the broth to a boil and add thinly sliced radishes, carrots, mushrooms, and leeks.  Pull chard leaves away from stems, rinse, and cut into 1 inch strips.  Add to broth.

Season with fresh rosemary, dill, salt/pepper.  Simmer for 1-2 hours.

I added about 1/4 box of whole-wheat spaghetti about 10 minutes before serving to add a little extra filler.

Enjoy with some crusty bread dipped into this wonderfully flavored broth!  The vegetables may look icky and crunchy at first, but give them some time to season the soup.  You will also feel the house get warmer and cozier the longer this soup simmers on your stove.

Combine with a long walk...for exercise and release of the stress from a long day at work!

Soup Season

This is a repeat.

But it is so worth it!

This time I used acorn squash and another un-named winter squash.  It might have been a pumpkin, not sure.

See the original recipe here!!

Combine with 10 minutes of pilates followed by 30 minutes of yoga...hummmm...