Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Cheesy Chili Enchiladas




Serves 3

Ingredients

6 - Corn Tortillas
1.5 cup - Vegetarian Chili*
1 can - Enchilada Sauce (like Old El Paso)
1/2 cup - Shredded Reduced-Fat Cheese, Mexican Blend
Chopped Green Onion (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 8x8 glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. 

Place tortillas between damp paper towels and microwave for 30-60 seconds.  They should be soft enough to roll without breaking.

Spoon just enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom.  Spoon 1/4 cup of chili in the center of each tortilla, roll up and place seam-side down in the dish.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over them and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Top with chopped green onions if using.  2 enchiladas per serving.




Nutrition Info (2 enchiladas): 277 Calories, 7g Fat, 7.5g Fiber, 13g Protein

*If you want already prepared chili, some good ones are made by Health Valley, Amy's Organic, and Trader Joes.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Easy and Healthy Vegetarian Chili


This vegetarian is easy to make and is healthy and filling too!  Below I've also included a cheat sheet with some shortcuts to make even easier.  This makes a huge pot and I say it serves 6-9 because you'll get either 6 - 1.5 cup bowls or 9 - 1 cup bowls. 
You can freeze some for later, use it in tacos or my
Veggie Chili Enchiladas - coming soon!


Serves 6-9

2tsp - canola oil
1 - small onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves,finely chopped
1 - red bell pepper, diced
2.5 cup - vegetable broth
1 - 28oz can diced tomato w/ green chilies
1 - 15oz can black beans
1 - 15oz can white beans
1 - 15oz can kidney beans
1.5 cup - chopped fresh or frozen veggies (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, and corn are all good)
1tsp - cumin
1tsp - chili powder
1/2tsp - oregano
1/2tsp - cayenne (optional)

Topping
1 Tbsp (per bowl) - Reduced fat shredded cheese
Scallions

1. Heat oil in large pot, add onion, garlic, and red pepper.  Cook on medium for about 5 minutes.




 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.


3. Serve with scallions and 1 Tbsp of cheese on each bowl.

Nutrition Info (1.5 cups): 262 Calories, 3.5g Fat, 13.5g Fiber, 15g Protein

Cheatsheat:
Garlic: Substitute 2-3 tsp of jarred minced or crushed garlic.  Or 3 frozen garlic cubes (Trader Joe's and most supermarkets now carry these).

Onion and Red Pepper: Check your supermarkets salad bar for already diced onion or peppers.  Aim for 1/2 cup onion and 1 cup of peppers.

Spices: Substitute taco seasoning, start with 1 Tbsp and then add more if desired.  Also, be advised that some contain partially hydrogenated oil so you'll want to read label if that's something you avoid.  Also go for low sodium.




Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Rice - Frozen in Individual Servings


I've thought about buying those individual cups of Minute rice but they cost a pretty penny compared to the bags of rice.  To get more bang for my buck, I buy a box of Trader Joe's frozen brown rice.  It comes with 3 microwaveable bags and each bag makes about 3 cups.  The only problem is that I end up cooking way more than I need for one meal.  So my solution is freezing the leftovers in 1/2 cup portions.   I pack the rice into the measuring cup (works best if the rice is still a little warm), then turn upside down on a cookie sheet, tap it and it slides out.  Stick them in the freezer for a couple hours and once frozen you can transfer to a Ziploc bag.  Now you've got individual servings ready to go!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Girls Bite Out - Latte vs. Misto

The ongoing battle with the Bucks.  Who wants to drink hundreds of calories without a buzz?  Not me.  Lattes are tasty but that cup is almost all milk with just a shot of espresso.  Meet Mr. Misto, aka coffee with steamed milk.  The Misto has more coffee and less milk, yet still has the froth and creaminess.

Here’s the comparison of calories w/ nonfat milk for a Tall (12oz):

Tall
Latte – 100
Misto – 60


And while we're cutting calories, let's not forget about our friend Shorty.  The less known Short is an 8 ounce cup.  It may look small but when you think about it, it's the same size as an old school coffee mug. 

Short
Latte – 70
Misto – 35