Pumpkin and Rice Enchiladas with Beans

Happy Black Friday!

While everyone else is working their way through turkey day leftovers, I'm dealing with leftovers of a different variety.

Remember that pumpkin risotto? Well, I had a full serving still sitting in the fridge.

Sure, I could just reheat it, but that's not much fun.

I could have made Arancini di Riso - but I wanted something a bit lighter. Plus, have you ever deep fried something in small space, like a 750 sq. ft. apartment? It reeks for days on end.

So, I opened the fridge and just kind of stared into it. I saw some whole wheat tortillas and I started thinking that rice and beans are good in burritos.

Risotto is rice (duh) and I have a lot of black beans in my freezer. Then, I saw the salsa verde in my fridge and some corn tortillas and I started thinking about the awesome sweet potato enchiladas I made a long time ago.

Sweet potatoes and pumpkin are both orange.. so why not?

Now, before you think I've lost my marbles, hear me out. But besides the parm and little bit of ginger that went into the risotto, it wasn't far off from the beginnings of a great mexican-type dish.

So, tonight I re-purposed it by sauteing some garlic in a little oil, adding the leftover risotto, beans, and a little broth to soften it up. Then I added some cumin, chili power, more cayenne and a little salt and pepper.

Then, I used it to fill the enchiladas, topping them with salsa verde and pepper jack cheese.

And just like that it was an entirely new dish.

Pumpkin and Rice Enchiladas with Beans
Serves 2

2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 serving leftover pumpkin risotto -or- about a cup of cooked rice mixed with some pumpkin puree stirred in
3/4 cup black beans (about half of a 15 oz can)
Chicken broth as needed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste
salt and pepper
6 small corn tortillas
About 4 ounces salsa verde
1/4 cup (or more if you like) shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°

In a medium saucepan, warm the oil and minced garlic over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle and is softening, add the leftover rice and beans. Add chicken broth to the pan just to help loosen things up and keep it creamy — I barely covered the rice with the broth.

Stir in the cumin, chili powder and cayenne, and let cook until warmed through, adding more broth if necessary to keep stuff from drying out. Season with salt and pepper

Warm the tortillas according the package directions.

Fill the tortillas with the rice mixture. I put somewhere near 1/4 in each tortilla, but eyeball it. Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in casserole dish coated in cooking spray.

Cover the rolled enchiladas in the salad verde (I used about half a jar give or take) and top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 425° for 15 to 18 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is starting to brown.

Bean Burritos

I decided these bean burritos because they included instructions to reheat from frozen, I thought these would be a great thing to have for those nights when I come home famished and just don't feel like cooking. Or when I run out of food money and still need to feed myself for the week. Rare, but it could happen.

They were just OK. I was reading through some of the reviews on the Everyday Food site and some said they were bland. And I agree.. even though I used pepper jack and chili powder. I even used an entire jalapeno and half still had the seed and ribs. I'll eat the ones I wrapped for the freezer, but I don't think they're worth making again, especially considering one burrito comes to 8 points. For that many points, the burrito should be tastier, I think.

Bean Burritos
1-1/2 cups rice, cooked (brown or white)
Cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bag frozen corn kernels, (5 ounces)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
6 whole wheat tortillas, 8 inches
3/4 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Salsa and sour cream, optional

Cook rice according to package directions and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a pan coated in cooking spray over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add beans and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.

Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with 1/4 rice, 1/2 cup bean mixture, and 2 tbsp cheese. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 3 months.

To reheat from frozen: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate; microwave on high for 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet; bake at 450 degrees until crispy, about 10 minutes.

Mushroom Spinach Quesadillas

I might get to move to a smaller apartment and save some money in the process. While I love having so much space, a possible $100 a month savings is too much to pass up. When I first got this new job with a bigger paycheck I promised myself I wouldn't let money get as tight as it was when I had my last job. I couldn't really help it then but I can help it now. Sort of.

My current situation I can't really help.

But it's exciting news anyhow. Maybe my luck is starting to change now that October is over.

I did find the perfect recipe to use up the odds and ends in my fridge. The people at Everday Food must have been able to see inside my fridge. I had both mushrooms and spinach to use up. But I decided to change the recipe, quite a bit.

I thought it might be a bit bland so I added about 1/2 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and about a 1/4 tsp oregano. I also cut the amount of cheese in half, cut the oil to 4 tsp (you can use less to saute and spray the tortillas with cooking spray) and used only one tortilla per serving. If you can find taco sized it'd probably be OK to use two, but the brand I have is 3 points per tortilla, so I only used one and folded it in half.

On the side roasted green beans. I put green beans in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes after tossing them with a little oil, salt, and garlic herb season. Even though it was all pretty much on the fly, it was a great dinner.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

I was in a good mood yesterday. I'm down at least another pound this week. That's only four pounds total since I've really recommitted a little more than a month ago, but I just felt thinner. I’m not too worried about what the scale says, though. For all the ups and downs I’ve had in the past few years, I have a healthy relationship with the scale. It’s just a marker of my progress and it’s these thin-feeling days that I think count more.

Plus, I know my health numbers are perfect. That’s a big help. I should take my measurements, too.

Now on to dinner. My friend, Valerie, tried these enchiladas from Karina's Kitchen and loved them. Because they came from a gluten-free blog, I ended up making some substitutions like using cornstarch instead of arrowroot. And I used regular white corn tortillas. I also think that because of the writer’s location, chiles are more available. Ours are about $3.99 a pound here, which is just outrageous in my opinion. My food budget is approximately $60 a week for just me — not hard to stick to — but I still have to make smart choices with my money. So I used canned roasted green chiles instead.

These would have to be trying to be horrible in order for me not to like them. They got a good review from a friend who has good taste in food and, duh, they’re enchiladas. I haven’t met an enchilada I haven’t liked. And obviously, they were delicious. I inhaled them.

On the side I made of my go-to salads for Mexican-type foods. Mixed greens with mandarin oranges, red onion, and honey vinaigrette. Yum.

More enchiladas:
Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
Garlicky Bean Enchiladas
Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Speedy Chicken Enchiladas

Mushroom and Zucchini Tacos

Meat is expensive. Especially pork and beef, which can be $3 a pound or more. And when you're trying to stay on budget, a couple of pounds of meat at $3 a pound can eat up a big chunk of your grocery bill.

So, each week I do plan a couple of meatless meals. There's just one small problem — the boyfriend won't eat beans of any kind. Try finding a meatless meal that doesn't have beans. It's actually kind of difficult.

I ran across these tacos that have zucchini and mushroom and red onion for the filling and was immediately excited. Meatless with no beans and zucchini are about 99 cents per pound. Less if I buy it at Aldi's in a 3-count package.

And they were simple. Just roast the veggies, warm the tortillas, and top with cheese and salsa, and ta-da, dinner is served.

The boyfriend had just one complaint: "Mushrooms in my tacos are weird." I, however, disagree.

On the side, I served it with my new favorite salad: Romaine Salad with Corn and Pepitas. Pepitas are green pumpkin seeds. Here, they're suggesting you buy the raw ones and toast them yourself. It's healthier that way. But I bought the roasted on accident, so I skip the baking step.

The tacos are a steal at 5 points for a three taco serving if you use only 4 tsp of oil (you may also need some cooking spray) and only a 1/2 cup cheese if using full-fat monterey jack as I did. The salad is 2 points per serving as written.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

I love enchiladas, but finding a healthy alternative can be difficult. They are loaded with cheese at the very least, and sometimes the tortillas are gently fried in oil before you fill them.

Cooks Illustrated's Red Chile Enchiladas looked like it could be easily modified — if only it didn't call for more than a brick of monterey jack. I liked a lot of the recipe. Pickled jalapenos were a fun twist I don't normally see and fresh cilantro in the filling sounded fantastic. As did making my own red chile sauce (I like to move away from the canned varieties when possible.)

This time, I reduced the cheese by quite a lot. I reduced the cheese in the filling by half and used only 1/2 cup on top. But it wasn't quite cheesy enough for my liking.

So here's what I plan to next time.. combine two of enchilada recipes to come up with something a little cheesier, but still fits in my menu plan. It looks like there's a lot of ingredients, but it comes together fairly quickly, and while the sauce is simmering, you can easily start mixing the filling.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
Sauce and filling:
4 teaspoons canola or safflower oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup (3 oz.) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped
Tortillas and toppings:
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream, avocado, lime wedges for garnishing (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300°.

FOR THE SAUCE AND FILLING: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat add onion and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and 1/4 cup water. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine with cilantro, jalapenos, and cream cheese, chicken, and 1/2 cup sauce in medium bowl and set aside.

Lay the tortillas out on a baking sheet and spray each side with cooking spray. Warm in the oven for 4 minutes, or until soft and pliable.

TO ASSEMBLE: Preheat oven to 475°. Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla; roll up. Place tortilla, seam-side down. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and filling. Pour remaining chile sauce over the enchiladas and top with 1/4 cup monterey jack. Bake for about 18 minutes or thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Nutritional Info (without optional toppings): 370 calories, 12 grams fat, 6 grams fiber

Tilapia Tacos with Peach Relish

Peach season is almost in full swing here in Ohio, and there's nothing I love more in the summertime than fresh, local peaches. Hands down, they beat what's available in the grocery stores every time.

The peaches I find in the stores are almost always impossibly rock hard, and even though I put them in a paper bag for a couple of days, they never ripen up right. They just aren't as juicy.

No matter where you get the peaches, this peach relish from Cooking Light is a good use. In this recipe it was used as a topping for breaded tilapia, but it would work equally well on any kind of white fish or on grilled chicken.

The tacos themselves weren't anything special. I thought I had panko, but it turned out that I was out, so I used regular bread crumbs. The recipe also calls for corn tortillas, and while lower in calories and fat than flour tortillas, the boyfriend, thought the distinct flavor of the corn tortillas over powered the delicate tilapia. I thought the extra flavor was probably necessary.

The shining star, of course was the peach relish. I would even just dip chips in it. It's a perfect summer fruit salsa. Sometimes, if you don't like the idea of the recipe as a whole.. a part of it will stand out for another use.

Steak Quesadillas

It's not easy to photograph a quesadilla, just thought I'd say that. Anyhow, I opted for another non-Core dinner, tonight, but it's not to difficult to make it almost Core.

This week I'm cleaning out my fridge, freezer, and pantry. I found a top round steak trimmed of any visible fat, some whole wheat tortillas, and a red onion. I also had an extra can of black beans and some tomatoes that didn't get used from last week. So, this quesdilla recipe from Everyday Food was perfect.

As written, the recipe is about 14 points. Which is probably more than most people are willing to spend. To make this more points friendly, try 2% cheese, smaller tortillas, or less meat and more veggies. In the bean salad, use half or a quarter of the avocado instead of a whole avocado.

To make this closer to core, make sure you use ff sour cream and ff cheese or soy cheese.

If you can't find a ff/soy pepper jack you can probably use cheddar, although I might then add part of a fresh jalepeno to add some heat.

Either way, this was a quick, satisfying meal no matter how you choose to make it fit into your plan.

American BBQ Tacos

These tacos were bizarre. That's really the only way to describe them. They were like a bbq sloppy joe with pickle relish on a soft taco shell.

Don't ask me why I decided to try them.. especially since I had to spend points on them. BBQ sauce isn't Core and neither were the shells, so I felt the need to count for the whole recipe.

The tacos came from Vegetarian Times orginially, but I used lean ground beef instead of crumbles because I don't really like fake meat crumbles. They don't taste all that great and last time I made them, it actually stunk while it cooked. I'm all about my food smelling good and the fake meat certainly didn't.

Overall, the combination wasn't awful, but I can think of better taco recipes out there worth spending points on.

Impromptu Nachos

The boyfriend and I have had a rough week. This morning so far I've forgot my employee badge, my wallet, and spilled my breakfast on my leg. I would have turned around and went home today, but there was an accident on the freeway and traffic was backed up for miles. So here I am, muddling through my workday, trying not to seriously injure myself or anyone else.

And when I have a bad day, I crave junk food. The other day that manifested itself in a heaping plate of nachos. I didn't have a lot on hand, so they may not look that appetizing. I defrosted some Taco Filling I made about a month ago, added it to blue corn chips, and topped it with scallions, two kinds of salsa (regular medium and salsa verde), and some shredded monterey jack cheese.

Oh yeah, and we slugged down a couple margaritas, too.

Garlicky Bean Enchiladas

After nearly a month of cooking from my freezer and pantry, I can nearly see the back of the freezer and closet. It's a great feeling. In the pantry I always keep a bunch of different kinds of black beans. Canned beans are an easy side, a quick protein source, and pureed in a food processor for quick dip when mixed with some lemon juice, olive oil, and some herbs.

Garlicky Bean Enchiladas are another way use white beans. And what's more, I had all of the ingredients in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. Just a couple of problems. The original recipe used WAY too much oil. And the servings were a bit large. To make them more point-friendly, I cut the oil by soaking the tortillas in chicken broth and by using fewer tortillas and less cheese. For as many changes as I made, it really didn't sacrifice flavor.

Do you have a favorite enchilada recipe?

Glaricky Bean Enchiladas
4 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 (14.5 oz.) can white beans (such as cannellini)
3 tbsp plus 1/2 cup chicken broth
salt
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup store-bought salsa verde
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until barely golden, 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 tbsp chicken broth. Season with salt and cook, mashing the beans, until softened -- about 7 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Next, warm remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth in a small skillet. Soften each tortilla in the chicken broth -- about 30 seconds or so. Immediately fill tortillas with 3 tbsp of beans and roll. Place in 13x9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Pour salsa over the filled tortillas and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake until cheese is melted and salsa is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Nutritional Info: 392 calories/15 grams of fat/9 grams of fiber

Black Bean Tostadas

Sometimes, I really crave hot lunches. And I'm not talking leftovers from the night before. I want something made right before I eat it. I've gotten used to leftovers, but it rarely tastes as good as when I first made it. Plus, cooking relaxes me, and there are just days I need to get away from work. Today was one of those days. Probably because I had a case of the Mondays.

Luckily, I go home for lunch every day. This afternoon I was working from a recipe in theory. Only, I was missing two ingredients, and didn't really pay much attention to the directions. It still tasted fine. Corn, grape tomatoes, jalapenos, and red onion over black beans on a 6-inch (taco sized) flour tortilla with just a smidge of Monterey Jack cheese and a dollop of light sour cream. Not the fanciest of meals, but it was a perfect lunch with an apple on the side.

Black Bean Tostadas
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed
1/4 small red onion
2 tsp olive oil
lime juice, salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup black beans
1 small flour tortilla (6-inch)
2 tbsp shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 475. In a small bowl, combine corn, tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, oil, lime juice salt and pepper.

Brush tortilla with oil (or spray it with olive oil like I did) and top with black beans, part of the corn salsa, and the cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are crispy.

Serve with sour cream and leftover salsa on the side.

Sizzling Steak Fajitas

Flank steak is a tough meat to cook — and sometimes — a tough meat to chew. If it's not sliced diagonally across the grain or it's over cooked. Forget it. You'll need razor blades for teeth to get through that meal.

I've had mixed results with flank steak in the past. Take this spinach and steak mistake. The Flank Steak Fajitas with Garden Vegetables was good, but I guess this time I around I was looking for less veggies. I love vegetables, but I'm not sure squash had a place in my fajitas. Oh, and I overcooked the steak.

Luckily, I didn't need the teeth as sharp as daggers this time. The Sizzling Steak Fajitas weren't what I'd call sizzling, but they were closer to what I am looking for in a fajita. The flavor was bland when I tasted it as I was cooking. It needed a lot more salt for one. But once I added the green salsa and rolled it up in the whole wheat tortilla they were *much* better.

I'm going to try this again. Except next time I'll take a hint from a local, cheap Mexican food joint and add some spicy chorizo to the mix. They may be more than the 7 pts. they were tonight, but they'll be tasty. And if I get the cast iron pan I want so badly for my birthday — watch out. I'll be a fajita making fiend.

Blackened Shrimp with Monterey Jack, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

Risotto is one of the most versatile dishes on the planet. You could make risotto out of anything and it would probably taste good. There's just something comforting and delicious about creamy rice. I have a couple of all time favorites. I make an awesome Pumpkin Risotto, which I got out of the newspaper, believe it or not, and this Monterey Jack, Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Risotto is another that I make frequently.

I wanted a protein source with this, though. A few weeks ago DBF and I went out to the Burgundy Room, and I had corn dusted scallops over midnight blue risotto with bacon, corn, corn and tomatoes. So thinking along those lines, I thought shrimp would be a nice touch. I had a recipe for Spicy Seasoning that makes a good blackening spice mixture for chicken. It's a bit too spicy for the shrimp, I think. So it could use a little tinkering, but otherwise a spice-rubbed shrimp over the risotto was a good idea. Maybe a cumin/coriander mixture as I used in the risotto itself would have been more appropriate. Or, that could have been too much of a good thing. Hard to say.

I will make this again and keep trying for perfect spice rub. But even if you don't serve it with shrimp. I highly suggest you try this risotto sometime. It's 8 points per cup, but could just as easily pair with a nice salad as a main or some chicken as a side.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

A week or so ago I went to a local Mexican chain restaurant. I can't say this particular restaurant is ever fantastic, but it's good for cheap Mexican food every once and a while. I usually just order the chicken fajitas, but this time I ordered Enchiladas Suizas. Basically, chicken enchiladas with tomatillo salsa. Sounded good.

Unfortunately it was only plain unseasoned chicken rolled in corn tortillas and covered with salsa and cheese. I not only could have done better. I already had made a better version once or twice before.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde is the same idea. Except the chicken filling is tossed with some of the salsa and low fat cream cheese. It just makes a world of difference. A flavorful, cheesetastic difference. It is by far my favorite low fat enchilada recipe. As good, if not better, than I can get at any restaurant. Now if only I could accurately recreate those chips and salsa!

On the side is Mexican sort of rice. I combined two different recipes for this one.

Jen's Mexican Rice
2 tsp canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced; ribs and seeds removed
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large tomato
2 tbsp or so of tomato paste
1/2 tsp or so of cumin
1/2 tsp or so of chili powder
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups chicken stock

Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and jalapeno until soft and the onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Add rice and saute another minute or so. Pour in broth, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, simmering for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Taco Bell vs. Homemade

The other day a friend of mine craved Taco Bell. She craved it so much, she was ready to pick some up on her way home from work. But, being diet conscious, she didn't really want to spend the points. Taco Bell can be point-laden, depending on what you order. For a decent-sized 9 pt. meal you could have 2 hard taco supremes fresco style (with beef, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa) and a side of pintos and cheese fresco style (beans, red sauce, and salsa). For the same amount of points though I can recreate two regular style taco supremes with beans and cheese for the same point value. And, it's actually better than eating Taco Bell in the first place.

Taco Bell

2 Taco Supreme® (seasoned ground beef, cheese, tomato, lettuce, and sour cream)	10
1 order of Pintos n' Cheese (refried beans and cheese, no red sauce)	3
Total	13

Homemade

2 homemade taco "supremes" (seasoned extra lean ground beef (at least 92% lean), 2 tbsp shredded Kraft 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, and 1 tbsp fat free sour cream)	7
1/2 cup fat-free refried beans with 2 tbsp shredded Kraft 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese	2
Total	9

My point is, sometimes Taco Bell can be convenient, but if you want to save 4 points and have something taste less healthier than it really is for you — make it at home.

Mmm...Mexican

This has to be simplest dinner ever. Seriously. It's just cooked chicken, red onion, a can of green chiles, two jars of salsa, and some tortilla chips with melted monterey jack. Garnished with sour cream and cilantro. It's pretty good for how simple it is. Definitely get unsalted chips. I didn't, and it's really, really salty. And it might be a good idea to get a decent salsa, instead of the $1 a jar generic that I bought.

Chicken Chaquiles
2 tsp canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onion, divided
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
3 cups purchased medium-hot salsa with chipotles and garlic (from about two 16-ounce jars)
4 cups unsalted tortilla chips
1 cup shredded monterey jack
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Low fat sour cream

Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet. Add 11/4 cups onion; sauté until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and chiles; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in salsa; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chips. Sprinkle with cheese. Place skillet in oven; bake just until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup onion and cilantro; top with sour cream and serve.

Cinco de Mayo... well.. not quite

I won't be in town for Cinco de Mayo — so it has been a fiesta of sorts at my house all week. Monday. DBF and I made chicken enchiladas, refried beans, and a mixed greens salad with mandarin oranges, red onion, and honey vinaigrette.

The refried beans were from Food Network's show, "Healthy Appetite." I've made several of her recipes and liked each one a lot. I learned a good way of making hot chocolate from her. It's in my very first post if you're interested. Seriously, these beans are MUCH better than canned.. and take about 10 minutes to prepare. I'll be adding some leftovers to a baked potato later this week. The enchiladas aren't the best recipe out there, but they make a decent enough weeknight meal. I would make my own enchilada sauc next time, though, so I can save the point. Canned enchilada sauce just isn't worth it in my opinion.

Fajitas!

Dinner tonight was Flank Steak Fajitas with Garden Vegetables, well, minus the bell pepper because I was out. I had chili lime corn on the cob and black beans that I seasoned with garlic, cumin, and cilantro. It was really good. The flank steak is so lean that it's a little tough. So I don't nearly need to cook it as long as they suggest. But other than that.. it was good.

The polenta lasagna is good as well. Better than I expected judging by the smell of the faux meat cooking in the pan. It's not only edible, but pretty darn good, especially considering it didn't take much effort to make.

A note on what I eat: I'm not afraid to use my APs and WPA for things. I don't typically try to save them, I don't make a point to eat every single last one, but I don't fret about eating a slice of bread, non-Core item, etc. In fact, last week I went horribly over and still lost. This morning the peek said 135.4, which I actually haven't seen since Christmas. So eating them must not be hurting my weight loss at all.

That being said, this week I plan to spend most of them on an entire non-core meal. Sunday, because DBF and I can't actually go for St. Patrick's Day, we'll have a Irish-inspired meal. Well, maybe not. But the Monte Cristo sandwiches I plan to make are what he always gets at Claddagh's Irish Pub. The place is OK. I've been there once with him. It's a chain and I don't really care much for chain restaurants in general. It's usually predictable food laden with unnecessary fat and calories. How do these restaurants make a chicken dish more than 1,000 calories? I don't really understand how they do that.. besides maybe rubbing the meat down with lard before cooking it, which I doubt they actually do.

Anyhow, with the Monte Cristos I'll make fries and wash it all down with a Guinness. That's what I call a non-core meal.