Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

 for the past 8 days Chiso has asked me the following every.single.day:

when is papa coming home?

when does Nigeria close so Papa can come home?

why is it always night-time in Nigeria?

can we Skype Papa?

where is Papa?

why isn't Papa answering?

are you making (food) for Papa too?

can i save the rest of my food for Papa when he gets home?

well thanks be to God that Papa is home from his work trip.

my boo coming home put me in a cooking mood! ok i'm almost always in a cooking mood but today was special.  i had a taste for some enchiladas. healthy enchiladas.  Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce. yaz.

i used boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can also use lean beef, you bet. i diced up the veggies, chopped up the chicken,

assembled my spice mixture,

then made the enchilada sauce! this can certainly be made ahead of time.

Healthy, Homemade Enchilada Sauce

the stuff:

• 1 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt or 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 - 15oz can low sodium tomato sauce
• 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

do this:

1. heat EVOO in sauce pan over medium heat
2. add diced onion and saute until translucent; about 3-5 minutes
3. add in chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, and cocoa powder; cook for 2-3 minutes while continuing to stir
4. add in tomato sauce & chicken stock and simmer mixture for approx. 10 minutes
5. remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes before adding mixture to your blender or food processor.
6. blend until super smooth!

recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

this'll taste even better the next day once the flavors elope in the fridge.

i only had 2.5 La Tortilla Factory (i mostly use this variety; there are SO many!) tortillas left SMH!  i wasn't about to leave and go to the store, so i halved them and made 5 mini enchiladas so i could fill my mini rectangle pan.  you will make enough chicken mixture to cram full 8 regular size tortillas (or more) so don't you worry. i put in about 2 heaping tbsp of chicken mixture and a pinch of 2% mozzarella inside before rolling them up. ok here's that recipe:

Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

the stuff:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed or cut into strips
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained

fajita seasoning

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1-2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt OR 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos

for enchiladas

• 8 low carb, high fiber La Tortilla Factory 70 cal flour tortillas
• 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce (recipe above)
• 2 cups shredded 2% cheese or dairy-free almond or rice cheese...it's your call
• optional toppings: fresh cilantro, avocado, tomato, olives, cheese, green onion, more chicken mixture.

do this:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13'' pan with no-stick cooking spray
2. add 1 tbsp EVOO to medium heated skillet
3. add chicken; cook 5-7 min or until cooked through
4. remove from skillet and set aside
5. add last tbsp of EVOO to your skillet
6. add bell peppers and onions and cook until tender and charred, about 8-10 minutes
7. add chicken and spice mixture all at once into your skillet and combine
8. add mushrooms and spinach and combine once more; cook for 2-3 more minutes
9. spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce evenly across the bottom of your baking pan
10. fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup of filling and 2 tbsp of shredded cheese of your choice. remember to save some filling for your topping if you desire.
11. roll them up and place them into your baking dish, seam side down.
12. pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas, then top with remaining cheese.
13. bake in over for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
14. take out and top with your desired goodies! the olives don't really make sense lol and i wanted some tomatoes on top for color but i didn't have any.

enjoy this family friendly, healthy meal with your loved ones!  take pics and tag me!

now to catch up on that lost family time. happy early MLK Day! hollerrrrrr

le

wienervention - the cleanest hot dog i've ever eaten

another early gym date accomplished this morning and officially 1 month postpartum! i expect to get a lot done today. 

i had my usual preworkout snack, some hot, magical coffee, and headed out for an hour of treadmill intervals. i alternated btw:

5 incline @ 4 mph - 5 minutes

15 incline @ 3 mph - 5 minutes 

walking IS boring but there are ways you can rev it up.  i always swing my arms vigorously, walk heel-to-toe with a wide stride, and i never hold the side rails either. that's cheatiiiiing ;)

can i do a blog #throwbackthursday? i'm doin' it anyway!

**********

while we were headed home from the hospital last month with our brand new baby boy, something beat us there- my Wienervention Kit from Applegate!!!

that nostalgic red and white pattern always reminds you of what? a summer picnic, yep.

however, the Houston heat was too much and i just wanted to lay down somewhere and stuff my face in the AC.  i'd like to give a gigantic high-five and thank you to one of my favorite natural and organic brands, Applegate, for the goods. i knew the kit was on the way, but it slipped my mind after giving birth and all.  my mom and aunt were at our house tidying up and waiting to help out with our new family member, so unbeknownst to Sonny & i, they went ahead and cracked the kit open and prepared a welcome home lunch for us! perfect timing, right?

i actually used to avoid hot dog wieners for this very reason...  i've always thought of them as the wack parts of meat that didn't make the cut all blended up together with fat and other UFOs.  i would only have them every blue moon, like july 4th or memorial day at somebody's BBQ. at home? not so much.  also, reading 'mechanically separated turkey, chicken, or beef' in the ingredients list is not very appetizing. thank God we have many healthier options to choose from these days; these Applegate wieners are in a league of their own! a wienerventioW was overdue.

rest assured these top-notch dogs are:

• all natural
• contain no antibiotics
• humanely raised beef fed vegetarian/grain diet
• gluten-free
• casein-free
• contain no fillers
• contain recognizable ingredients! every single one.
• really, really tasty.

nailed that presentation.

they also sent along condiments, cause you can't build a stellar dog without them.

• Annie's Organic All Natural Ketchup (her salad dressings are crazy good, especially the artichoke parmesan, trust)
• Rick's Picks Zesty Dill Relish - (which tasted like a combo of sweet & dill relish! i've always topped my dog with one or the other..not both. i bet it would be amazing in potato salad as well.)
• Annie's Organic Yellow Mustard

 for the buns, we had a choice of Rudi's Organic Bakery Multigrain or White hot dog buns!  i loved them both and you can snag a coupon for a bag of your choice right on their website. from the bun, to the condiments, to the wiener, this is THE cleanest hot dog i've ever eaten.

time to change the meat you eat and give Applegate a try.

in newborn news, 

i think he'll be tall.

more tummy time, aka, push up practice!

le