Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas- A Real Recipe

Now that it's getting cooler, I've been drawn towards warmer foods and keep wanting people to cook for me.  Since we can't go out every day and I'm the cooker around these parts, I settled on making enchiladas this Sunday.

The only problem?  I have never made enchiladas in my entire life, but I was going to do it one way or the other.  I made some simple cilantro rice to go along with the meal, and then got onto the main event.

Ingredients:

• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 5 whole wheat tortillas
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• olive oil
• salt, pepper, paprika
• 1 can green chiles
• 1 cup mixed shredded cheese
• 1 cup cooked butternut squash 
• 1/2 can black beans
• Lime and avocado to garnish

1. Brown the turkey in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika, and set to the side.

2. Mix in the turkey, chiles, shredded cheese, butternut squash, and black beans in a bowl

3. Pour a layer of enchilada sauce at the bottom of your baking dish

4. Stuff each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the stuffing and roll up- repeat until finished

5. Pour remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese

6. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melty and everything is warmed through.

7. Enjoy

Friday Night Date Night

Oh, look!  Another post from me.  It's been a week since I came back from my last work trip and my first real, live weekend in two weeks.  We kicked off the weekend with dinner at Lark Creek, a local restaurant that we have walked by hundreds of times but never went into.  The place prides itself on local, mostly organic cuisine and we sat down to some warm bread and ordered our starter, a tamale pancake.  The shredded chicken, avocado, and tortilla strips made this a perfect, unique starter.

 For our entrees, we decided to roll with a lamb special for the husband, who said it was perfectly done.

 I went with the seared scallops accompanied with butternut squash risotto and roasted kale.  It was perfectly prepared, salty, creamy, and full of flavor.

Just to prove that although I don't always blog, I still can't stop the picture habit, hubby caught me taking this one of my food.  Goober :)

We are off to enjoy the rest of our real weekend- we have a hike and movies on the agenda.  I am also going to be spending time with this little buddy.  (Another photo taken by hubby, don't be jealous of my glamorous outfit).

Anniversary Meals

Since we knew that our kitchen would be a war zone, the weekend of our anniversary was spent going out and eating our weight in delicious foods.  What else can a food blogger (am I still allowed to call myself that?) and a man who just loves food do?  We went to two of my favorite restaurants and thoroughly enjoyed our meals:

Sweet potato fries to share from the counter:

Followed by a turkey burger with pineapple, grilled onions, and black bean salsa:

For our fancy anniversary dinner, we cleaned up the remodeling dust from ourselves and went to Havana for the evening.  They have half off mojito Mondays.  Mojitos are the only drinks that I can actually finish.  The evening ended with a drunken trip to Trader Joe's.  But first- our delicious meals:

Scallops and lamb chops small plates:

Halibut ceviche with plantain chips:

My date for the evening:

Mojito inhalation by yours truly:

And now it's back to sandwiches, salads, and wraps- or anything else I can can make with a fridge or a microwave...and a waffle iron, if that counts.

Do your celebrations involve meals?  Mine always seem to- food is part of a great experience!

One Meal Fits All

Although there are only two of us (and one handsome beggar dog), we still have our own food quirks and serving styles.  Of course I will never be a short order cook, but with a couple of extra steps I make enough food to make the whole family happy when we have our family Sunday dinner.  Of course nothing I am about to say is revolutionary or professional quality, but it's easy, fast, and delicious.

I start with the protein- since I usually bake, grill, or broil our food, I find it easy enough to add different seasonings to the fish/chicken/tofu and bake it all at the same time.  This time I made honey mustard salmon and chipotle seasoning salmon and it didn't take any more time than making only one variety.

While I'm baking, I thrown in a veggie- this time I roasted red onions for a side.

Next, I like to have a fun side or an appetizer. This time I used some simple ingredients (onion, pesto, vegan cheese) and topped a brown rice tortilla for some flatbreads.  Again, I threw them in the oven as my salmon was baking and wasted no time.

  

The final step is selecting a base.  I usually like to load up a bowl of spinach and throw my food on top so I can have more of the fun stuff.  In that case, I just fill a gigantic bowl with greens like so:

 

The more refined members of my family have learned to eat from plates rather than bowls and I usually have a grain, such as my quinoa dish pre-cooked and ready for enjoyment.

 

The easiest part about a bigger dinner?  I cook 4-6 servings so I can always pack up the extras and 2-3 lunches are covered for the week.

Question: Do you cook multiple meals for family members?

I'm Not Perfect: The Hummus Course

The Hummus Course
Not that I have you guys fooled, but I think we can all agree the healthy living blog community likes to keep things beautifully edited and styled- from food pictures to meal posts.  I like to keep things positive because I love the uplifting community and the motivation I get from interacting with you guys.  However, I think sometimes we perpetuate a life of perfection.  It's 9:30 PM and I just settled in after my workout, bringing stuff in from the car, cooking buckwheat for tomorrow (you're welcome, hubby), and packing lunches.

In case you ever had a fleeting thought that I have my stuff together, I present you with my typical weeknight culinary delight- the hummus course.  I really, really like having this and eat something more filling along with it.  The sharp objects in the background are optional.

Instructions:
1. Fill bowl with veggies
2. Dip in hummus
3. Refill bowl and repeat
4. Find a nice snack to eat after, like millet toast with almond butter and coconut butter

I did make something last night that was true perfection.  We all know Gena's banana soft serve, yes?  Since I'm not eating chocolate or other fun stuff like ice cream, I made my own soft serve and added some raspberries and it was fabulous. I ate it out of order in food combining rules, but it was perfect according to my rules.

Adapted Soft Serve:
Adapted from Choosing Raw

*1 frozen banana
*1 cup of frozen raspberries
*little bit almond milk.
*Blend, blend, blend!
*Optional: coconut butter topping

 

 I loved this and I'm definitely going to be making this more often.

Question for you: Tell me your quick 5 minute go-to meal. Go!

Some New Staples

One of the things I was afraid of in cutting gluten from our shopping list was missing out on food- really good food.  I'm not even going to think about things like chocolate chip cookies, chocolate bars, ice cream, or CAKE since those items were usually for the hubby and I broke into the stash when I was extra munchy.  I'm talking about my obsession with pita chips, regular yogurt, and whole wheat bread.

I had to make adjustments and of course my other boyfriend Trader Joe's came through.  Each of these items is affordable and delicious- tested by all the members of my household. Both of us.

Going from left to right, here is my breakdown and description of our new favorites:

Rice and beans chips- these are adzuki and rice flour chips and have just a little bit of bite to them and are perfect dipped in guacamole.

Grade A Goat Milk Yogurt- tangy like regular plain yogurt but with a decidedly different taste.  I add a little bit of honey to mine and stir in some chia seeds.

Savory Mini Edamame Crackers- crunchy, salty, made with soy flour and good with dips. 

Roasted Seaweed- good as a salad topping or on its own.  Just make sure you brush your teeth after eating this.

Brown Rice Tortillas- I found these much harder than regular tortillas so these are best heated.  I top them with almond butter, eat, and then repeat.

Brown Rice Cakes- I know these have a bad reputation as a 'diet food' but these are really good.  The brown rice makes these more hearty and a little nuttier.

Organic Red Quinoa- I love the protein content, the texture, and the color.  You can have this savory or sweet and if you are food combining (or trying to), then you can eat it with protein...which is good!

Another new staple is the gigantor salad that makes its way into my belly at least one meal a day.  I add a little of everything to it- mainly the produce that I buy on a weekly basis and a few fun items.

Arugula, spinach, red quinoa, sugar snap peas, butternut squash, kale and onions roasted in coconut oil, and fresh cilantro on top.

I topped it with some guacamole and it was a filling, delicious meal.

Question for you: What are some new products you have tried recently? 

P.S. I'm adding some pages to try to make this site a little less chaotic.  If you haven't found it hidden in the mess, check out my 'About Me' page.  Also, please let me know if you are not on my Blogroll yet and I will add you as long as you leave your URL.

Sunday Picnic

Hi Guys!  I'm hoping you had a good Monday.  It was a little bit of a rough one for me, but on to bigger and better things.

Thanks SO VERY MUCH for those who voted for me for Project Food Blog.  I had a blast with the first two challenges but couldn't hang with the big kids.  I am looking forward to voting for my favorites.  Seriously guys- check out those entries!  One thing I learned is that I'm no gourmet and I just do things my own, stubborn, way.  Things are more fun that way- trust me.

Each Sunday, I do my food prep for the week and also cook a meal for the hubby and I to enjoy.  Husband has been working like a mad man on his thesis because he's smart and I wanted to spend some time with him.  Food always wins.  We don't really have structured meals during the week so Sundays are it.  It's a great way for us to wind down from the weekend and a good way for me to try to avoid the Sunday blues. 

The Menu:

Spinach, roasted beets, marinated onions, almonds, pomegranate arils, slivered almonds, honey goat cheese and honey mustard vinaigrette.

 Garlic roasted potatoes and stuffed peppers (zucchini, garlic, tomato, basil)

Ahi tuna 'cooked' in lime juice and spicy goodness, homemade guacamole, and marinated spicy shrimp

Fresh veggies for dipping and face stuffing (me mostly)

All enjoyed 'picnic style' in the comfort of our living room

This, my friends, is how we eat our fancy Sunday dinner- other days we sit on our bar stools in the kitchen and sometimes I like to pace around the kitchen while I chew ;).  
I drink water out of a coffee cup and we eat our chips out of the bag (but we don't double dip because that's nasty).
I like to sit on the floor with my legs crossed for complete comfort- because who sits on couches when they are on a picnic?  That's just silly.

Other dining habits?

• I eat breakfast on the run and usually show up to work with food on my face, unless my husband catches me before I get out of the car.
• I eat past 7:00 PM most days of the week because I rarely get home before 8:00 PM and have not turned into a pumpkin or melted yet.
• I eat out of the container if it's only my food- like almond butter and pumpkin butter.
• I prepare breakfast dessert on a weekly basis for my husband because I know he likes it and he gets to eat whatever he wants for his tournament training
• It almost hurts me to follow a recipe- I always have to tweak something for no reason other than my stubbornness

Tonight is my 300th post and I'm glad to have shared some of my quirks with you guys.  I never intended to keep this blog up for so long and wanted to quit many times but realized that it's something I love to do.  For those who read and comment, I'm truly grateful to have you here in my little home.  I invite you to come over for a virtual Sunday picnic.  Maybe I'll even let you sit on the couch and share some dark chocolate with you after dinner.

P.S. Any NYC bloggers up for lunch with me on Sunday, October 24?  I'll be in town and would love to meet you!  Email me onehealthyapple at gmail dot com

Represent, Cuba

One thing that my husband and I love about the city we live in is the extensive variety of the food choices.  Going out to dinner is something we don't do very often (usually by choice), but when we do, we love trying as much as possible.  I usually don't share my food, but this was an exception.
For this reason, Havana Restaurant was a perfect choice this weekend.  Havana is obviously a Cuban restaurant and for some reason I have always been fascinated by the Cuban culture, so getting to try the food was right up my alley.
We started with a mojito.  I have had a fascination with mojitos ever since my favorite sister-in-law took me to a Cuban bar in Mexico and I swam in the minty-sugar cane-rum goodness.  Havana is popular for its mojitos and I went with the original variety.  It was perfect and strong too. I needed help finishing it.

Next we ordered some tapas to share.  First up were Plantain Maduros with Manzana Aioli.  Although the plantains were fried, they were perfectly sweet and not too greasy.  The aioli wasn't anything to blog about, but the hubby seemed to like it.

Next came the Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro Lime Sauce.  I remember trying this dish when I last went to the restaurant five years ago and it was just as good.  The shrimp were grilled to perfection and the rice- oh my was it good!  I don't even like rice.

The star of the show had to be our last tapa- Halibut Ceviche with Mango, Black Beans, Onions, Peppers & Cilantro with Plantain Chips. Not only was it beautiful to look at, it was one of the best dishes I have had in a long time.

The music and atmosphere was a little loud and if you go to the restaurant, be prepared to sit almost painfully close to your neighbors, but if you can handle more than one mojito without wanting to go home and instantly take a nap (like someone you may know) then I'm sure you won't mind the crowd.  I am looking forward to coming back to Havana later this summer when I want a mojito and some plantain lovin.  Until I can go to Cuba, this will have to do.

If you are in the 'burbs of San Francisco, check out this restaurant- it's well worth the trip!

Fitting It All In

Hey Lovelies!  I hope you are doing well- we made it past Monday, always a good thing in my mind!  Thanks for your sugary sweet comments- I really appreciate them and like I say before- HOURS of makeup ya'll!  The rest of the time I have my hair sticking up in a bun and I'm wearing boring work clothes or yoga pants.  Love me some yoga pants :)

So last time I left you, I was going to a baseball game at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  I'm not a huge sports fan and it's taken me all of 26 years to appreciate one sport (hubby brainwashed me), but the stadium is one of the best (and prettiest) in the world, so I love going!

Believe it or not, I didn't eat anything there because I was -ahem- still thirsty from the wedding we attended the night before.  If you do go, the stadium is world famous for their garlic fries- you won't be disappointed.

Fitting It All In
Ah- so the topic of my post. Today was spent commuting for two hours, working, walking to my house, working out, and then school. Phew!  I left at 8:00 and I came home at 10:00 PM!  Today I fit all of my dinner into this bag:

Not my proudest moment, but not the worst.  I used the rest of my pinenuts and made a homemade trailmix of almonds, high fiber cereal, kumquats, dried berries, and a new natural granola bar from Powerbar.  As per usual, I picked around and only picked out the stuff I like, which can get annoying when I share trailmix, but I don't get annoyed at myself!  I'm a little overbooked and I usually like it, but these days, I'm juggling my super intense job, working on my thesis (eek!), regular workouts, and life!  Just like when I was planning my wedding, I get a little frazzled and try to do everything at the same time, so perfection is far from my vocab and I think it's good for me!

My workout in between work and school was pretty dope!  I did legs, elliptical and bis, and increased in my bicep curl weights, so I made sure to grunt extra loud when I lifted!  I came to class a little less glam, but felt ten times better!


Questions for you: What do you think about perfection?  Do you omit the less than perfect details about yourself in your blog?

I'll be back with regular food posts soon that don't come in a baggie!

Papa Namaste's Pasta

It's no secret by now that blog friends can be flippin' awesome and coach us through exercise routines, baking, and provide a sense of sanity in a crazy world. My East Coast sister Mari coached me through what to make for dinner and when I got home from the gym, my mind was made up- Papa Namaste's Pasta!

I have to back up here and say that I am incapable of following a recipe. It's my equivalent of running a marathon.  Just ask my husband about the green cookies I once made. This pasta sauce and lack of pasta had a few mansana tweaks to it and it was good. Oh- and the pasta went missing because it was getting late and my post workout hunger could not wait!

I blended one cup of spinach with 1 tsp of sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, pepper, some water to thin, and a drizzle of spicy peanut sauce I had leftover. I swear it worked- I had the Thai version of the sauce.
Meanwhile, I sauteed some zucchini 'pasta' with mushrooms and eggplant and dinner was served in under 5 minutes! Thanks again Mari for the recipe!

I kept my dinner theme Namaste style by beefing up dessert (can you still say beefing of you don't eat beef??) with some plain yogurt, hemp protein, frozen pomegranate seeds, and carob chips. It was good and killed the chocolate monster!  I don't know where that picture went, so imagine an ice cream sundae.
That's all I've got! Time for a crazy thursday with work and school till 10!

Question: How do your blog friends impact your life?  See above for my answer!

A Story For You

Mondays are pretty fantabulous, especially when they are over.  I was pretty tired all day because being a night owl and the time change don't mix.  How about you guys? 
Thanks for the comments on my last post!  You girls are so sweet that if I told you I was throwing giant tires and pulling monster trucks in my backyard for a workout, I bet I would still get some positive feedback out of you!  In addition to the workout comments, you also mentioned that 'everything I ate today' is not your preferred style.  Me neither!  I love to read the stories and highlights behind the food, but sometimes I'm curious.  Today I hope to give you a story along with the food. 

Wake up at 7:30.  Correction.  Alarm goes off, I send hubby to get ready first and then I'm dragged out of bed at 7:45.

Consume breakfast cookie and coffee at 8:05

This bad boy had 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, almond milk, acai juice, 1/2 banana, and 1/4 cup whole almonds.  I frosted it with plain greek yogurt, vanilla stevia drops, and cocoa powder.

Commute to work from 8:15 - 9:05 I answered work email, personal email, and read some blogs!  Once I got to work, I did some work stuff and worked on my second cup of coffee.


11:15- my stomach started to growl.  Only slightly disturbed that I was hungry for lunch at what was 10:15 only a few days ago, I went with it!  I enjoyed a massaged kale salad.

This is a huge vat of kale massaged with a drizzle of olive oil, soy sauce, some rice vinegar, and black and white sesame seeds.  There are also some cucumbers hiding in there.

By 12:15, it was time for my second course of lunch, because I'm into fine dining.  It also take me forever to eat my lunch because I'm constantly interrupted by this thing called work.

 Pink lady apple slices on the side, sprouted grain toast topped with natural peanut butter and apple slices; extra to dip.

It was so good, I had to do it twice...and did at 2ish

Same thing, but no bread.  Twas delightful.. Pink lady apple count for the day = 2!

By 4:30 I thought it was time to go home soon!  I grabbed my pre-workout snack!

This is about 1 cup of Barbara's Shredded Spoonfulls.  Love. 

The clock struck 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30.  I was still working away on a deadline.  I grabbed a couple of cashews, another few pieces of cereal, and an oreo to get me through my evening. THIS is why I don't picture everything I eat.  It would drive me bats*it crazy!

6:45- run to the train.  Several people who don't understand escalator politics slow me down (is it conventional knowledge that if you are slower, you stand to the right, and if you need to book it, you walk to the left?).  I find out that the next train is 22 minutes away.  No problemo!  My phone has the internets and I can reeeeaaad!

7:15- transfer trains.  Apparently there are mechanical problems and the new train doors don't open.  No worries.


7:20- the train I'm on powers down and it's dark in the train for a few creepy minutes.

7:45- the train reaches the next station and we are evacuated because the train is literally smoking.  And no, it wasn't just my presence!

8:15 I'm home!  Monday chest and tris day is trumped with feeding my belly and getting to an assignment I was helping my hubby with.  I made a gigantor salad.

Spinach, cucumbers, asparagus, sugar snap peas, pinto beans, mango salsa, and spicy peanut dressing.  Holy crap this was good!

8:25 Salad is demolished while tinkering with our DVD player and turning on Julie and Julia.  All the fine dining on TV inspires my dessert only in the way that I must have dessert!


8:30 I meet my increasing apple quota.  Why do you think I name the blog the name it has?

Pink lady apple #3.  I mixed up 1/2 cup greek yogurt with unsweetened cocoa powder, liquid vanilla stevia, and chia seeds.  Fantastic and as gourmet as I get after 10 hours at work!


Thoughts
My thoughts on blogging everything that crosses my lips is that it's a lot of work and not my style.  Also, my days vary widely;  today I wanted to defy the fiber limits of my stomach and ate my weight in produce.  Tomorrow, I'll eat crazy combos like cheese and apples and cookies.  I don't think any given day is completely representative of my nutrition needs or habits, but it was kinda fun to see it all.  I didn't do anything differently today (except had a lot of adventures at work and getting home and missed a workout) and I'm sure tomorrow will bring more randomness and perhaps a completely different nutritional profile.  I like to be flexible in my days and there's always tomorrow or the next meal to make new choices. 

10:00 Hubby came home and I'm drinking my peppermint tea and finishing my post.  I'm running off to watch How I Met Your Mother and to date my husband for a little bit before we go to bed!

Have a good day/night amigos!

Craving Veggies

Hi guys!  I'm so glad you share my love of chocolate covered fruit.  Also, because there is fruit and dark chocolate involved, I feel good for bringing you a new health food. You're welcome.

Now let's get to today's post because I ain't getting any younger here.  It's a rare occasion when I don't get my daily recommended veggies.  I often eat a freakish amount of produce at the amazement of my coworkers and the dismay of my husband because this habit takes me grocery shopping about 5 times a week.  I realized that Monday and Tuesday were very veggie light, so today was my veggie catch up day- I was actually craving fresh veggies.

I conveniently forgot my lunch and hit up the salad bar near my building at work:

• Spinach, green peppers, salsa, black beans, baby corn, hummus, scoop of 2 pasta salads and celery slices

It was delightful!  I doubled up on more veggies for dinner with an eggwhite, zucchini, and boatload of green bean scramble:

I demolished this after work, post hitting up el gym where I focused on chest and tris after 35 minutes of cardio intervals.  I feel like Jell-O so all is well in my world!

Don't worry- I made sure to get in my snack of the day.  May I present the Starbucks cookie:

Don't worry- I'm still good with vegetables here.  Chocolate is made from the cacao plant. Are you following my logic?

I think I'm good and balanced for now.  Just in case, I've packed my lunch wrap (wild salmon, spinach, broccoli slaw, peanut sauce, thai spice mix) for tomorrow and made sure to include enough green stuff.  Here is your preview:

Questions for you: Do you balance your veggies throughout the day?  Or are you like me and make sure to get a good balance throughout the week? I clearly don't worry too much about getting all the right nutrients on the daily but look at it on a weekly basis.  For example, I think I fulfilled my bread requirement on Tuesday so I'm good for a couple of days!