Burgers with friends, a PT update & Chicken Fiesta Soup

Hello! Happy Friday!!

Anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend? We’re hitting the blueberry festival! I seriously wait all year for this event. Me and blueberries – it’s eternal love. ♡

Sorry for being a bit late with today’s post. This is what happens when I stay up past my bedtime!

Between being up before the sun yesterday to go to CrossFit and then physical therapy in the afternoon, the fact that I was even able to stay awake while out to dinner with friends was amazing!

We went to McGuire’s Irish Pub and I had one of their burgers – the guacamole & Monterey Jack steak burger. YUM!

One of my friends had the Skippy Peanut Butter Burger. Yes, peanut butter. On a burger. I can see how it could be delicious but I’m definitely not brave enough to try it!

That’s a whole lotta peanut butter right there!

Okay, so, physical therapy. No running yesterday. 😦 I’m really just not ready. There’s still one spot on my sartorius that isn’t fully healed yet. It’s been reminding me that it’s there this whole week so taking it easy is definitely the right thing to do. I didn’t even spin bike this morning and that has nothing to do with the fact that I stayed out past my bedtime and was too tired to get out of bed this morning! I really just needed to rest it. I’m really reconsidering my goal of a BQ at Tupelo in September. We’ll see how I progress next week before I make a decision on what my realistic goals should be.

Because I stayed out so late – seriously, I was up for 19 hours yesterday! – I worked it out so I could come in to work late today. That gave me time to get dinner in the crockpot without being rushed! I’d already had it on my menu plan for the week but I didn’t have to prep the night before or run around super early in the morning trying to read the recipe with half-opened sleepy eyes. Sometimes, that makes for some interesting mistakes. Oops. What? Like you’ve never made a mistake or neglected to read a recipe the whole way through before you started? 🙂

Anyway, this dish couldn’t be any easier and it most definitely delicious! I know what you’re thinking. Soup? In the summer? (Technically, it’s still spring!) In 90 degree weather? Well, yes. Soup. Soup is YUM all the time. It’s comforting, it’s healthy (unless, of course, it’s cream based but that’s for another discussion), and it’s easy – especially when you have a crockpot and it does all the cooking for you. 🙂 And hey, you could totally go to the grocery store and buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that for this soup. Then, you wouldn’t even have to turn your oven on! See? I’m looking out for you. 🙂

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some soup to eat. Om nom nom!

How do you top your burger?

Soup in the summer? Yes! or No, thank you?

Chicken Fiesta Soup
makes 8 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can (about 14 ounces) stewed tomatoes, drained
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped mild green chilies
1 can (28 ounces) enchilada sauce
1 can (about 14 ounces) chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 cup frozen corn
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
8 tostada shells, crumbled
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine chicken, tomatoes, chilies, enchilada sauce, broth, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, cilantro. corn, squash, and zucchini in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.

2. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with crumbled tostada shells and cheese.

3. Om nom nom!

– jennifer

Why is 3:30am so early? Eat – Chicken and Bean Burritos

Hello!

Because I am a glutton for punishment, I decided it was a really good idea to get up at 3:30 in the morning again and head to CrossFit. So. Early. This is totally going to be me this afternoon. Wake me up if I start drooling.

Today’s workout wasn’t as intense as yesterday’s but it was a good one.

I wasn’t really sure about those front squats – especially at 95# for Rx! Um, no. I can back squat 95# no problem but my form gets a little wonky with the front squats and with my sartorius not 100%, I knew I didn’t need to push it. Besides, it’s 30 reps total so it’s not like I needed to be testing out my one-rep max. So, I loaded up with 55# pounds and went from there. I’ll tell you what – round 3 was TOUGH! My legs were shaking and my arms were tired from the pullups (C2B stands for chest to bar, aka – pullups). It was programmed to be a sprint workout and I finished in 5:39. Woot!

The cool down was a mini-workout on its own! Front and side planks, both right and left), 30 seconds each side, 3x each. Oof!

Raise your hand if you love planks!

So, let’s talk food. All the recipes I’ve planned on making this week have come from the June 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine. Most are grilling but this one wasn’t. And, that’s okay because we’ve been having thunderstorms around dinner time and while I love grilling, I draw the line at lightning. Um, hello, grills are METAL!

Anyway, this recipe is definitely a keeper! We like to do taco nights at my house and this one will fill in quite nicely as a little change in pace. Burritos stuffed with chicken, black beans, and cheese for under 300 calories a serving? Yes, please! And the bonus is you probably already have everything in your pantry and it comes together in a snap. Dinner in less than 30 for less than 300 while tasting great and packing a powerful nutrition punch. Om. Nom. Nom.

Do you do food-themed nights such as “Taco Tuesday” in your house?

Chicken and Bean Burritos

3/4 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup lower-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 ounce preshredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1/4 cup)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; toss well.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chicken mixture; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Add beans and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until heated, stirring frequently. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top each burrito with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up each burrito jelly-roll fashion.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of burritos evenly with cooking spray. Place burritos in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Cut burritos in half. Top with pico de gallo and sour cream, if desired.

Per serving (1/2 burrito):
Calories 287; Fat 8.8g (saturated 2.6g, monounsaturated 3.8g, polyunsaturated 1.6g); Protein 24.7g; Carbs 25.4g; Fiber 2.9g; Sodium 499mg; Cholesterol 57mg

And, because you read all the way to the bottom, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Tomorrow is National Donut Day! Not sure if Krispy Creme is playing along but Dunkin Donuts is offering a free donut with the purchase of a beverage. 🙂 Score!
Thanks for reading all the way to the end, btw. 😀

– jennifer

Have a Mexican Fiesta! (part 2)

Happy Saturday!

I went and checked out a new gym with Carla and another friend (her name is Jennifer, too – clearly she’s awesome!) this morning. We got a great workout in! It was a team workout that involved running, cleans, front and back squats, and thrusters or push jerks. 20 minute AMRAP. Phew! It was pretty awesome. Then, we went to breakfast.

Om nom nom! Egg white veggie omelet with asparagus, bell peppers, roasted garlic and goat cheese. So delicious! If you have an “Another Broken Egg cafe” in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend them. 🙂

Then, on the way home, the traffic billboard spoke to me.

Pretty apropos with marathon training starting on Monday, don’t you think? Yeah, I thought so, too. 🙂

Fiesta!

Part 2 of the Mexican Fiesta in your dining room – salad, guacamole and salsa! There’s nothing quite like homemade guacamole and salsa. You can totally control how spicy or tomato-y (in the case of the salsa) that you want it. Also, you know darn well what went in to the dishes and that you’re not getting some weird stuff that you can’t pronounce. If you don’t feel like taking the time to do this, it’s okay; there are things you can buy at the store that are quite delicious and very healthy. First step, guacamole. Never, ever, ever buy anything that is called “guacamole dip” – if you look closely at the packaging, it usually says something like 10% avocado. Really? Only 10% Um, ew. Guacamole should be 100% avocado with some added stuff in it. Look for Wholly Guacamole. You can find it usually in the produce cooler section of your grocery store – I find mine right next door to the lettuces and salad kits. And, interestingly enough, that’s where I find salsa, as well. Don’t buy salsa in a jar. You only find those in the regular section of the grocery store which means stuff has been added to the salsa to help keep it shelf-stable. You want fresh, real ingredients and you’ll only find that sort of stuff in a cooler-type environment. Sometimes, you can find fresh salsa in with the refrigerated Mexican tortillas, cheeses, etc but most often, you’ll find it in the produce section (it is produce, after all!) and it will usually be in a plastic container. Trust me, if you don’t want to make your own, that is what you should buy. As for the cactus salad, I got nothing. Sorry. Never had it and didn’t make it. But, I’ll provide you the recipe and, if you make it, you can tell me how it turned out! 🙂

Salsa
1 pound (2 medium-large round or 6 to 8 plum) ripe tomatoes
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 3 serrano or 1 jalapeno), stemmed
1/2 finely chopped white onion
4-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Salt

Chop the tomatoes into small (1/8-inch) dice and scoop into a bowl. Finely chop the chiles, seeds and all, and scrape in with the tomatoes. Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water; shake off the excess moisture and add to the bowl. Stir in the garlic, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste and season with salt, usually about 3/4 teaspoon. Scoop 2/3 of the mixture into a salsa dish; leave the rest in the bowl. Cover both and refrigerate.

Cactus Salad
8 medium (about 1 pound total) cactus paddles
Oil, for grilling
Salt
Reserved salsa
A few nice looking lettuce leaves, for serving

1. One by one, clean the cactus paddles: Holding each paddle gingerly between the nodes of the prickly spines, trim off the edge that outlines the paddle, including the blunt end where the paddle was severed from the plan, then slice or scrape off the spiny nodes from both sides. Set aside until you’re ready to grill.

2. Brush or spray the cactus paddles on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay on the grill grate, cover the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned in places. Flip the paddles over, cover and grill until they’re browned on the other side, darkened to an olive green color and softened enough to look limp when picked up with a pair of tongs (this indicates they are cooked through). Lay out the cactus in a single layer on a rack and cool completely.

3. When it is cool, cut the cactus into squares a little smaller than 1/2-inch. Mix with the reserved salsa that’s in the mixing bowl. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Line a serving bowl with lettuce leaves, scoop in the cactus salad and set on the table.

Guacamole
4 large, ripe avocados
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Halve and pit the avocados, then scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Add the garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Using the back of a large spoon or an old-fashioned potato masher, coarsely mash the avocados, mixing in the flavorings. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 1/4 teaspoons. Scrape into a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate.