Chicken Enchiladas

Hi again. As I mentioned yesterday, last night's dinner was chicken enchiladas. For this yummy dinner you will need:

1lb of chicken (I use organic skinless)
1/2 jar of green salsa
1 jar of enchilada sauce
At least 2 cups of shredded mexican cheese
1/2 small onion (use more if you like onion, I don't so I use less)
1 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic (or 2 cloves of fresh)
2 tbsp of olive oil
6 whole wheat tortillas

First, chop up the onion and saute in a pan with the garlic and olive oil until caramelized. Set aside.

Poach the chicken. Also known as boiling the chicken in water for about 12 minutes. Another option for poaching the chicken is to cook in the crockpot for 6 hours with regular salsa, which I meant to do but forgot so this is my shortcut version ;) Shred it with two forks (or your hands if you like playing with chicken).

Once the chicken is shredded, add 1 cup of the enchilada sauce, green salsa, 1 cup of cheese, the onion and garlic, and cayenne or chili powder if you want to kick things up a notch. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with some enchilada sauce. Add 1/6 of the chicken mixture to each tortilla and roll up, placing seam side down in the casserole dish. To finish, drizzle the enchiladas with a little sauce and sprinkle as much cheese as you think you can handle (for me it's a lot).

Turn the oven on to 350, cover the enchiladas and cook for 10 minutes. Take the foil off and cook for another ten.

Serve with whatever garnishes you like. My favs are sour cream and guacamole. I could eat mexican food everyday easily. Yum!

B. Good Part 2

Howdy friends!

A few weeks ago I reviewed B. Good at Legacy Place in Dedham. Well last night I had an impromptu dinner date with my fabulous friend Meg, and we settled on B. Good again.

I ordered the sweet potato fries the first time which were gross, so I switched over to the regular fries this time. What a difference! The regular fries are a million times better. They are crispy, tasty, and downright mouthwatering. And I actually remembered to take a picture of my burger and fries BEFORE digging in! How unlike me.

Meg ordered the veggie burger, which I snapped a photo of as well just to show you guys. I have never ordered the veggie burger here but I think I will next time as it looked pretty good.

B. Good now gets an A in my book and I will definitely be back.

Breakfast this morning was cereal. I had a run scheduled at the gym, but got 0.4 miles down and started having "tummy trouble" and had to stop. Once I took care of the issue I had lost all desire to run and just went home to catch up on yesterday's episode of General Hospital instead. Yes I watch a soap opera. Don't judge, I've been watching it since I was 7. It's a guilty pleasure.

On the menu for lunch is leftover healthy baked pasta and tonight I am making one of the boy's favorites...chicken enchiladas! I will post the recipe later tonight.

What's your guilty pleasure? Any shows you don't want to admit you watch?

My Love/Hate Relationship with Running

Hey guys! So today I wanted to talk a little bit about running. As some of you know and for those of you that don't, I am a runner.

I began running in high school here and there running back and forth to my grandmother's house (which was a mile up the road, so 2 miles roundtrip). All hill. I didn't run at all through college, then all of a sudden something clicked when I ballooned up to 170lbs (running a marathon had always been on my bucket list but not something I thought I would ever actually be able to attain). That was 2004. I ran on and off for the next couple of years. Then I got serious.

I wanted to run longer, faster, and more efficiently. I started running more consistently and signed up for my first race in September of 2006. I didn't do all that well, but loved the actual racing aspect of it. I kept running semi-consistently and did a few more races (a few 5 milers, a few Turkey Trots) then in spring of 2009 I finally decided I was going to sign up for a half marathon.

I signed up for the Baystate Half Marathon (the marathon portion of this is one of the races that's known for being easiest to qualify for Boston). The race was in October. I trained all summer, running 4 or 5 days a week, getting up to a long run of 15 miles a couple of times. I started out my training being so hopeful and excited about finally being what I thought was a "serious" runner. I suffered through knee trouble, plantar fascitis, and pretty much a constant soreness. By the time the race finally came around, I was tired. So tired that I wasn't even excited anymore. I didn't love running and saw it more of something that I had to do, a chore. My long runs on the weekend were taking up most of my day including prepping, running, and recovering.

After the half, I gave up. I had become so disillusioned with running that I just stopped doing it. I probably ran a few miles once a month for the next 9 months. It was around my birthday this year that I realized that I kind of missed it. I missed the feeling I used to get finishing a really good run. I missed the ease of just being able to go outside and go rather than schlep to the gym. So I started running a little bit again. I even joined a running club. I found a path by my new apartment that was fantastic. And slowly I have gained back the stamina that I had a year ago. The running bug has bitten me again.

As I mentioned last night, I am going to sign up for a half in the spring. Boston's Run to Remember to be exact. This time I am not going to make the same burnout mistakes. I am going to take it easier on my training schedule, and I am going to enjoy every minute because being able to run is a gift. A gift that I took for granted last year and almost let slip away. A year ago I hated running. Today I realize how much I love it.

Healthy Baked Pasta & Tofu Pudding

As I mentioned earlier, tonight's dinner was a penne casserole, otherwise known as healthy baked pasta (similar to baked ziti only with penne and the addition of meat). I love whole wheat pasta now, but I didn't always. When it first became all the rage years back, I thought it was gummy and just didn't taste quite right. Now, I have learned to like it and would never go back to white pasta (except at restaurants if whole wheat is not an option) solely for the health benefits. I will say, however, that the selection of wheat pastas still leave much to be desired. For example, they have yet to produce a wheat ziti, which would have been perfect for this recipe. Instead, I had to use penne.

First, boil water with a pinch of salt to yield about 3 cups of cooked pasta (about 3/4 of a box). While the pasta is cooking, brown 1 pound of ground turkey with half of a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic (or 1 tablespoon of minced if you're lazy like me).

Once both the pasta and turkey are done, mix in a can of petite diced tomatoes and either a box of drained frozen spinach or 1 1/2 cups of wilted fresh spinach (you can also substitute broccoli in this recipe but if you do make sure you cook it and drain it WELL before you put it in there as broccoli is very watery and can really make the dish runny). For spices, add salt, pepper, and basil as much as desired. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and layer the bottom of the dish with the mixture. Sprinkle on about 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese. Pour the rest of the mixture on top and top with another 1/2 - 3/4 cup of mozzarella.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are a little brown.

For dessert I made tofu pudding with homemade whipped cream. This is super easy to make. Puree a package of silken tofu in a blender.

Move to stove top and add about 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. Cook on medium low heat. Once the chocolate has melted, add two tbsp of sugar (you can also use agave or honey in this recipe) and a dash of vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to consume.

The whipped cream is easy to make as well. Throw 1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream) and 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 tsp of vanilla into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Enjoy!

As I also mentioned, the boy and I went on a quick 2 mile run before dinner. Since I sold my Garmin a year ago when I got disillusioned with running, I had to sort of guesstimate (yes, that's a made up word) how far 2 miles was. The boy did really good and since we were running a shorter distance, I was able to run at his faster pace. I had mentioned yesterday that he and I were going to run a race together in the spring. The race we settled on was one I have done twice before, Boston's Run to Remember. They have a 5 mile component and a half marathon component. I think the boy is going to do the 5 mile and I'm going to do the half. That is the plan as of right now anyway. That could change at anytime. It's a nice goal to work toward I think. I hope we will both be race ready by then!

What is your perfect distance? Has anyone else ever wanted to run a marathon? Or done one already?

Tuscan Grill

Last night I had dinner plans with my friend Jimmy. Our original plan was to go to Tempo on Moody Street, but apparently they had no open reservations for last night, which I thought was strange for a Monday night, holiday or no. I hate restaurants that only take reservations and give you attitude if you show up without one (Melting Pot, I'm looking at you). So already I am a little soured on Tempo. The backup plan ended up being the Tuscan Grill right across the street, which was also on my list to try. The ambience was lovely, very rustic and intimate. The restaurant itself is on the small side, but they more than make up for that with the decor and the service (not to mention the food).

I was ravenous by the time we sat down to eat so I was VERY excited when I saw a bread basket coming my way...but oh wait. Where's the oil? Or butter? Dipping sauce? None of the above friends. Just bread. I will say the bread was really good, soft and chewy with a nice flavor, but it felt so wrong eating bread without the normal accoutrements (that is my big word for the day). They also give you unpitted kalamata olives, which I thought was strange. Why would they give you a plate of olives with pits? Puzzling.

For my entree I ordered the Wood Grilled Stuffed Chicken (stuffed with pork, herbs, and garlic) with a side of crispy red potatoes and roasted butternut squash. The chicken was amazing. Very juicy and flavorful. I will say that visually it was lacking, as the pork and garlic were the same color as the chicken, so you couldn't really see the "stuffing" so to speak. The potatoes and butternut squash were equally as amazing. The portion size was perfect. I have a huge appreciation for restaurants that don't give you a dinner for four when you order your entree. I apologize for the picture, the lighting was dark in the restaurant so I didn't want to do a retake as I was already drawing a lot of attention to myself taking pictures.

For dessert we ordered the Chocolate Budino, which was the best budino I have ever had. I typically order the chocolate budino for dessert when I go to Bertuccis, but the one at Bertuccis is more of a mousse than a pudding. This one was more like a pudding, but homemade pudding with homemade whipped cream and little homemade sticks of chocolate. The chocolate flavor was rich and deep, you could definitely tell immediately that it was homemade from scratch. I may or may not have moaned a little taking the first bite. I would've licked the bowl clean if we weren't in a very visible part of the restaurant.

I would most certainly eat there again. The great thing about Tuscan Grill is that their menu changes frequently (the menu online did not match the menu we got at the restaurant) so they are always coming up with new dishes to try, so I will definitely be back. If for nothing else than for that budino.

This morning I took a Bodypump class. I drove all the way to the gym this morning and then almost didn't go in. I just wasn't feeling it for some reason. But I made myself go anyway and I'm glad I did because I ended up increasing my squat and back weight!

Warmup: 15lbs

Squats: 25lbs
Chest: 15lbs
Back: 20lbs
Triceps: 10lbs
Biceps: 15lbs
Lunges: 15lbs
Shoulders: 10lbs
Abs: Body weight

Breakfast was a cantaloupe bowl with pineapple chobani and a little granola on top. Snack was a banana. On the agenda tonight is a turkey penne casserole and a 2 mile run with the boy. Today is the restart of his running (he ran track in high school) and I'm excited to see what he's made of (besides milk duds and pizza).

As a side note, I saw this post this morning and just had to share...Red Velvet Cookies. Oh. My. God. These are getting made this weekend. I can hardly wait. I'm thinking about taking the rest of the day as a sick day to go make these. Oh wait, I gave my notice and don't have any more sick time. Damn.

Weekend Recap

Hi bloggies! Sorry I've been MIA since Thursday, it's been a busy couple of weeks!

My workout this morning was spin. Being a holiday there was practically NO ONE at the gym and only a total of 7 people in my class this morning. I really hate having to work holidays when I feel like everyone else in the world is off, but the upside is that there is no one on the road either. Breakfast was pumpkin oats and lunch was a chicken salad sandwich with some raw green beans on the side from a farmers market. Raw fresh green beans always remind me of my grandmother's house. Delicious.

A little recap of my weekend...friday night was nice and quiet with a lovely dinner with the boy of pizza and beer ;) It had been a rough day because of some stupid high school girl drama from a now former friend of mine that I won't get into because she doesn't deserve the mention on my blog, but suffice it to say that the whole thing was completely ridiculous. Saturday morning the boy and I did a nice hike in Blue Hills. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and I'm bummed that I left my camera at home :/ No worries though, we will be doing the same hike next Saturday and I will be sure to remember my camera. The rest of the day included some errands and then we had the lovely Danielle's birthday party at Harp in Boston. Does anyone else feel like they are way too old for clubs? Because I do. It was still a lot of fun though! Sunday morning the boy and I did a nice long walk down the trail I usually go running on and talked about a training plan so that he can run a race with me in the spring. Of course he has some unrealistic tough guy goals but I'm hoping to snap him out of that ;)

The highlight of the weekend was a trip to Six Flags Fright Fest. The boy and I went later in the day because our main goal was to take a trip through the Wicked Woods. This year was my third year going and it was by far the worst year. I only had one real scream and one half scream. The first year I went I was screaming every ten feet! It was also extremely packed. The wait times weren't that bad considering how busy it was, but by waiting in line for the third ride I had about had it with standing in line. We breaked for dinner and got the grecian chicken pita they have there that is UNBELIEVABLE. I wish they sold thick pitas like that at my supermarket, I would eat them every day. It's basically grilled chicken, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and onions with italian dressing wrapped in a hot thick pita. Oh. My. God. We also split and order of cheese fries, although it was a pretty uneven split with me only eating a few bites. The problem with cheese fries is that once the fries start to get soggy, they don't taste good to me, and since the pita was so delish, it took me a while to get to the fries.

After the Wicked Woods, we decided to try and see if the lines were a little shorter and try to get in another ride or two in of my favorite ride, Batman. As luck would have it, the wait was only a half hour so we decided to give it a go and hope that we got the front row (I love the front row, it's a whole different ride in the front row than sitting anywhere else). We did not get the front row but decided to do one more rotation through and the line had gotten even shorter, down to 20 minutes! We went through and again didn't get the front row, but decided to try one more time...the wait this time was only ten minutes and as we got closer to the front we were counting the people in front of us to see if we were going to get the front row. To our disappointment, the count would have put us in row 2 as there was a group of 3 in front of us. But then the heavens opened up and brought us two fast-passers (people who pay extra to not wait in the line). They happened to be a group of 2 that wanted the front row so the group of 3 got bumped back to row 2 and we got to share the front row with the fast passers! What a great way to end the night :)

What is your favorite amusement park? Are you a rollercoaster kind of person or a spinny ride kind of person? Or do you hate rides altogether?

Orange Glazed Tofu

So as promised, here is my go to tofu recipe that I love. I actually adapted this recipe from somewhere online a long time ago (probably at allrecipes.com or somewhere like that) but sorry I can't credit it properly. Suffice it to say it's not 100% mine.

For the orange tofu, you have to use firm tofu. I like the nasoya brand personally, but use whatever you like, just as long as it's firm. You could also substitute chicken in this recipe as well. The first step is to press your tofu between paper towels or a clean dishtowel to get out the excess water. I used a bowl of fruit as my "squisher."

Cut the tofu into cubes and saute in 2 tbsps of olive oil and either 2 garlic cloves, or if you're lazy like me, a tbsp or 2 of minced garlic from the fridge (I use two because I love me some garlic).

While that is sauteing, combine the following ingredients:

3 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
 
Once the tofu turns a nice golden brown, add the mixture to the pan, being sure to coat the tofu evenly. After a few minutes, add 1 1/2 tbsps of cornstarch dissolved in water to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Serve with a grain and some veggies. I served mine with quinoa cooked in vegetable broth and a side of steamed broccoli. YUM!

So as a side conversation, has anyone else been watching and enjoying this season of Biggest Loser?

 

I have to say that I am really liking the changes they have made to the weigh-in/vote off process. I think that only making half of the people safe at this point makes for a more dramatic weigh in. I also love making the other half compete for safety. The one change that I am not loving, but can at least agree that it adds drama, is allowing the person with the highest percentage of weight loss to choose one of the unlucky half to "save." The reason why I don't like this is because you are giving a spot away to someone who doesn't necessarily deserve it. Theoretically, you could lose very little or no weight, but still get saved every week and make it to the end. I don't really think that's fair. At least the people who fall below the yellow line have to earn their safety in a challenge. I also don't see how this new yellow line system is going to work as they get down to fewer numbers. At some point they are going to have to go back to the regular way of 2 people being below the yellow line because you won't have enough people to really compete in a challenge. This will stop being effective at 10 people remaining (5 below the yellow line, one gets saved, so 4 people competing in the challenge with only 2 people winning their safety). I am interested to see what new directions they will go in this season.

Have you been watching Biggest Loser? Do you have any other go to recipes for tofu?