Fajitas!

Last Sunday funday, my husband and I decided to take a little break from cooking, it was

a great day to lay around; he watching football and I watching a 'Love it or List it' marathon. Our first meal shall remain nameless because it is, for sure, not on any recommended diet...ever. The second meal I thought better be more healthy, I mean after all our arteries could be on the line here.  We went to the Local El Chicken place and ordered their chicken bowls, super healthy right? Well after finishing up our dinner and patting ourselves on the back for such a diligent dinner decision,  I got to thinking well how many calories do these chicken bowls actually have? I mean it can't be much, after all it is just chicken, rice, beans, some veggies and sauce right? Wrong! One bowl came out to over 900 calories! No you read it correctly 900! Thank goodness I only ate a little over half of it but still, that is more calories than our burg... I mean lunch. It was then and there that I vowed that I was going to show those chicken bowls a thing or two, tonight I made us chicken fajita bowls with just as much flavor and with less than half the guilt. So here we go: 2 chicken breasts marinated in fajita seasoning, 2 bell peppers (one red and one green) cut into strips, 1/2 onion cut into strips, 2 cups jasmine rice cooked with lime juice and cilantro (remember all the health benefits of cilantro;), one can drained and rinsed black beans with a few sautéed  pepper and onion bits, homemade avocado salsa and sour cream. Dunda-dun for 1/4 of this recipe (a hefty bowlful) it is only 435 calories. Less than half of the calories than the other place, although I have to admit their portions are much larger. My kids LOVED it, even though they didn't eat as much of the bell peppers as a mother dreams of, they did eat all the other stuff and all the peppers in the, as I like to call it, confetti beans. Simple and delicious, who could ask for anything more;)

Till Next Blog,

T.Sadd

Nacho Average Casserole

Even though I live in Southern California, I don't think I can get enough Mexican food. Mexican food combines a ton of super healthy foods and makes them even more heathtastic; Beans and rice = complete protein, avocados and tomatoes = vitamin E+C and cilantro is a nutritional power house and is packed with antioxidants. This recipe is like having nachos without that awkward, if they are all stuck together it is one nachoness or guilt. This being said here is my super simple mexi-melt casserole. It has a quick prep time, especially if you opt for canned corn instead of fresh. I used the last of our tomatoes ripening on the vines and our peppers are turning a brilliant red in the warm October sun, absolutely perfect for this recipe! I used one ear of corn left over form Sunday's BBQ, 2 ripe tomatoes the size of tennis balls, 2 Ortega chilies from our garden, a can of drained and rinsed black beans, a pound and a half of lean ground beef, 1/4 yellow onion a tablespoon of taco seasoning, fresh cilantro and about 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Brown beef with seasoning and onion until the beef is cooked then add the corn, and peppers after cooking for a couple minutes add the black beans and tomatoes. If the skillet is not oven safe, add mix to a baking dish, cover with cheese and bake at 350 for 15 minutes! Serve with tortilla chips on the side. Dinner: done and done.  You don't even have to feel guilty you are serving nachos, this recipe is super healthy! One sixth of the recipe is only 315 calories!
Till Next Blog,
Olé
T.Sadd

To find out more healthy benefits of cilantro check out what Yahoo! has to say about it!

Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday

Growing up one of my favorite meals was tacos, I am pretty sure it is because I got to choose what went on top of my taco. Kinda like the Subway commercials where the boy chooses his own sandwich toppings. That, my friend, is why my kids love taco night as much as I did as a kid. When kids feel they have control over what they are eating they are more likely to eat it. I never hear 'I hate taco night' or 'this smells disgusting!' only "Mom this is Grant's it has sour cream!" This recipe is super easy and a real crowd-pleaser. I use the stand up taco shells since they are easier to bake and easier to stuff full of toppings. I use meatless taco filling, 1 can fat free refried beans, 3/4 cup marinara sauce and about a tablespoon and a half of shredded cheese. That is 183 calories, 12g protein, 8g of fat and 4g of fiber. Those totals however do not include the toppings. The toppings are just as important for making this a fam fav. On mine I put shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped olives, sour cream and Ortega taco sauce. I think for all the toppings it is about 20 calories. If you like the tacos from Taco Bell or Jack in the Box, stand by because these are at least 100x tastier and approximately 100x better for you, they are not fried in high saturated fats but baked at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the taco shells are golden brown. This is great for a Meatless Monday meal or for Taco Tuesday.
Till Next Blog!
T.Sadd

P.S. Click here for reasons why Meatless Mondays are great!

Walnut & Curry Tuna Melt

Tuna melts are by far my favorite greasy diner food, but alas as a person who is deeply vested in health and fitness I cannot indulge my love of this calorie rich food. Fear not health minded friends I have come up with a recipe that is probably 1 billionth of the fat and calories of this diner fabulous food. I use Greek yogurt instead of mayo and add walnuts to give it a nice crunch, this recipe is a good replacement for the not so heart friendly traditional melt. I use chunk light tuna in water (always dolphin friendly, don't want to hurt our cute little ocean buddies), about 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt like Chobani 0%, one stalk celery, green onion (also know as chive or scallion), 2-3Tbsp chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of curry powder (I usually sprinkle and test until I get to the right amount). I think serving a tuna melt on anything but sour dough is a crime against food, punishable by eating bland food forever. I also like thin sliced tomato on mine under 3/4oz melted Tillamook cheddar cheese. This recipe is 475 calories, 36g of protein, and 15g of fat compared to a traditional tuna melt from a well known diner chain of 810 calories, 52g of fat and 43g of protein. You only sacrifice 7g of protein but save yourself a whopping 37g of fat and 365 calories. Yes I know, your welcome!

Till Next Blog,

T.Sadd

Salad, It's What's For Dinner

Salads aren't just for dieters anymore, I personally love salads. When done right a salad can be  packed with nutrition, taste and texture. I was once asked by a co-worker if there was something I ate with every dinner, he was from a traditional Hispanic household and said at ever meal his wife served beans and rice. I thought for a couple minutes and said that at most meals we have a salad. Then I thought more and more and realized though it sounded healthy; iceberg, carrots and Ranch dressing, while delicious, probably isn't as healthy as it seems. Over the years I have experimented with many different salads and have a few favorites. When I found out iceberg has almost no nutritional value I decided to change it up, first I started using romaine (a little better) and now I use a baby kale/spinach mix or baby springs mix. First of my favorites is the Steak and Grape Salad; I use about 3oz of left over steak, red grapes, white cheddar or Havarti cheese and of course the usual salad fixings: cucumbers, chives and such. Second is the Creamy Cherry Walnut Salad; I use 3oz chicken breast, 1-2 laughing cow soft cheese triangles, dried cherries and 2Tbs chopped walnuts, on this salad I use Newman's Own Lite Raspberry & Walnut Vinaigrette. Next is the Mango & Avo salad; I use 1/3 of a mango, 1/3 of an avocado with cucumbers, chives and Newman's Own Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette. The Buffalo Chicken salad is definitely one of my favs;  I toss the cooked chicken breast in Frank's Red Hot Sauce,  half an ounce of Blue Cheese crumbles, celery and carrots and Bob's Big Boy Lite Blue Cheese dressing. Last of my favorites is what I call the Not So Basic Salad; chicken breast, hard boiled egg whites, avocado, tomato, carrots, cucumber, chives and my secret ingredient (found by accident when I was out of regular cheese) string cheese.  Salads are great in the summer; they are light and delicious and there is tons of fresh produce out there to experiment with during the summer months. There are so many combos to try, maybe beets with feta and arugula or tomato and mozzarella with basil vinaigrette the options are endless. So here is to summer and all her bounties!
Till Next Blog,
T.Sadd

P.S. Did you know dried cherries are an excellent source of Melatonin which is known to promote natural sleep patterns? Well now you do!

80/20 Chow Mein

I love stir fry and my kids love noodles, I have found a way of tricking them into eating tons of veggies while thinking they are eating chow mein (evil laugh muahahaha). When I was younger my Gramma made this chow mein that was not too bad from a little Bohemian woman. After my Gramma passed in 2010 I tried to find her recipe, no one seemed to have it, so I set out to recreate it. Three years late I think I finally have it and here it is: 2Tbs grape seed oil (or olive oil), 2 cloves garlic, 2/3 of a head of cabbage, 4 carrots peeled into long strips, 1/2 onion cut into strips, 5 stalks of celery, a cup of mushrooms, soy sauce and of course noodles. I use Maruchan's Fresh Yaki-Soba brand noodles, they come in 3 individual packages, I use just one package. First I saute the garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds, then add onion and celery saute for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots on medium for about 5 minutes until the veggies are soft but still a little crunchy, add about 3Tbs of soy sauce. Remove the veggies from the pan (I usually move them to the cutting board) add the noodles to the pan and heat on medium low for about 3 minutes adding hot water to break them apart. When the noodles are tender (3-5mins) I add the veggies back in, cook another minute or so and add a little more soy sauce (I don't have a specific amount, just to taste). This recipe is 80% veggies, 20% noodles and 100% awesome! The kids are also getting Vitamin D from the mushrooms, Vitamin K from the cabbage, Vitamin A from the carrots and all these veggies are low in calories! Super duper win win! Total calories for 1/5 of the recipe (a heaping cup) is only 150!!!! I repeat 150! That means you can treat yourself to a side of gyoza or an egg roll and not even feel guilty!
Till Next Blog!
T.Sadd
P.S. Add chicken or tofu for extra protein.

Vagabond Soul

I believe I was born with the soul of a vagabond, I love to travel whether it be to countries unknown or to local spots that have yet to be discovered. This past weekend we traveled to St Louis to visit my husbands Marine Corps brothers, we seriously had a blast. I almost wrote to my mom to pack the kids and send them to St Louis cause we were ready to stay. However with my husband having to be back at work and my 4 1/2 year old commencing from preschool, with sad hearts we headed back home. We had so many great experiences while in St Louis; playing washers, drinking Budweiser products, eating our weight in all sorts of BBQ food and of course spending time with people we love. These were my husband's buddies, who we really do love dearly and his buddy's family and friends welcomed us with open arms. I feel as close to some of them as I do with people it took years to build friendships with, with some people it just clicks. Anyway back on point, travel really opens your eyes to so much of what the world has to offer and what amazing things are waiting out there for you to discover. Travel doesn't have to cost a lot or be far from home, taking a trip to your local botanical gardens or any national monument that may be close to you, maybe a hiking trail you have yet to tackle. My advice is get out there and explore; for example, about 20 minutes from us is a nature center, it is riddled with hiking trails from the beginner trail to the mountain climber trail. Our trip to The Lou was definitely good for my soul for so many reasons. Get out there and experience life, I promise it will be good for your soul too.
Till Next Blog,
Explore!
T.Sadd

P.S.: For all my SF friends take a San Francisco Walking Tour, the docents love the city and know all sorts of great stuff about it. Take a tour I promise you won't be disappointed! Oh and by the way they are free, a small donation is suggested though.