Whole Wheat Tortillas

I went through a short phase of trying to eat only whole foods for a month, which led me to a website called "100 Days of Real Food". I found this super simple recipe for whole wheat tortillas on there, and I decided to give them a try. They were AMAZING. I was really shocked at how much better they were than store bought tortillas.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2-1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of oil
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water

Combine all ingredients into a dough until it is smooth. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll them into balls, and then flatten them on a cookie sheet until they resemble tortillas. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and spray with cooking spray. Cook the tortillas one at a time, about 30-45 seconds per side, and transfer to a plate. Keep refrigerated if you don't eat them right away.

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2-Ingredient Guacamole

This is SO simple and SO easy--and it tastes SO good! Serve with tortilla chips.

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
1 cup Garden Fresh salsa (found in refrigerator section)

Mash the avocado until smooth, and stir in the salsa. It doesn't look very pretty, but it tastes fantastic. Serve right away, because the avocado will start to brown.

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Fajita Seasoning Mix

There is no reason to buy fajita seasoning mix in a packet when you can make some of your own in your kitchen. It tastes delicious!

After adding seasoning, piled on top of quinoa... yummy!

Fajita Seasoning Mix  

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. chili powder 
1 Tbsp. salt 
1 Tbsp. paprika 
1 Tbsp. sugar 
2 1/2 tsp. crushed chicken bouillon 
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder 
1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
1/2 tsp. cumin 

Mix it all up in a baggie. To season meat and/or veggies, add 2/3 of a cup of water + 3 Tbsp. of seasoning mix (per pound of meat).  This makes 10 tablespoons of seasoning, and each serving is 3/4 Tbsp. 

The peppers and onions were so colorful while they were cooking, and smelled delicious! And after adding the seasoning, I could have eaten them plain, they were so good.

4 peppers, one each of red, yellow, orange, and green; plus 2 onions

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a mock-Max & Erma's Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that I got online. Really fast to throw it together, and delicious! Got a lot of compliments when I served it to my hubby's friends. I used low fat/fat free canned soups where I could.  Here's the recipe with my changes:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 can  Healthy Request cream of chicken (I used 98% fat free soups where I could)
1 can Healthy Request cream of mushroom
1 can Healthy Request cream of celery
1 can fiesta nacho cheese soup (or if you can't find that, you can use cheddar cheese soup)
1 quart of chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa
1 small can diced green chiles
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red chili powder
1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (it's way better if you take the time to shred them, instead of chop them)

Add all ingredients to a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer one hour.
Makes 8 servings.

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Spicy Black Bean Enchiladas

I got this recipe from one of those little books that they have by the checkout counter in the grocery store (I modified a couple things to make it more figure-friendly). They're very filling and very good!

2/3 cup water
1 package dry enchilada seasoning mix
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fat free sour cream
6 (8") flour tortillas
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
4 oz. shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
sliced green onions
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato

Heat oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. Stir together water and seasoning mix in 10-inch skillet. Stir in beans. Cook over med-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream (save the other 1/2 cup for topping).

To assemble, spread 1 Tbsp. enchilada sauce on 1 tortilla. Place 1/6 of the black bean mixture in center of tortilla. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. cheese. Roll up tortilla (carefully, because the beans tend to fall out). Place in the prepared pan, seam side down. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over filled tortillas. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Uncover, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Continue baking, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To serve, top each enchilada with dollop of remaining sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and green onions.

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Super Hearty Beans & Rice

This is one of my very favorite dishes when I just want to EAT and feel full. It's meatless, it takes less than 25 minutes to make, and it's really healthy. It's very filling.

1 cup long-grain white rice (you could definitely use brown rice)
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) red beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans (do not drain these)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic and onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced)
1 cup frozen yellow corn (no need to thaw)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping (not included in nutrition info; omit to keep it vegan)

Cook the rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over med-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft, but not brown. Add the red beans, drained and rinsed, to the skillet. Then add the black beans WITH the liquid to the skillet. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the garlic powder, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to blend well. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer about 2 minutes. When the rice is done cooking, stir the rice into the bean mixture. Top with cheddar cheese.  Makes 6 servings.

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Mexican Lentils & Rice

This is my new favorite way to get in some serious fiber. I ate it as-is (no cheese or anything) and it was awesome! You can use this as a taco filling, or eat it with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc. It basically tastes just like taco meat.

3/4 cup dry lentils
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
4 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth to make this vegan)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Combine all in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer (about med to med-low) and cook until all the water is absorbed (it took mine about 45-50 minutes). I usually cover the pot for most of the cooking time and remove it when the rice is almost done. Makes 4 servings.

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Southwest Chicken & Beans

This is a favorite slow cooker meal among a lot of my mom-friends. It's so easy to throw together in the morning and then have a healthy, hearty meal to eat for dinner. I like to serve this over rice, and with cheese on top if I have the calories to allow for it. However, it's also good on its own.

I'm sorry, this recipe has been migrated to my everyday blog, Runs for Cookies. You can find the Southwest Chicken and Beans recipe here! Thanks for stopping by.  --Katie

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