I made a beef roast in the crockpot the other day, using my usual spice blend. We used it for tacos, with corn tortillas from Trader Joes that I will never buy again. Ugh. They were so odd. They smelled weird and had very little flavor. Very disappointing.

Last night, I needed to fit a few things into the few remaining hours of the day. Among these things were dinner and my daily run. I decided to use the leftover beans and beef from the other dinner to make a sort of layered enchilada/Mexican Lasange dish. I don’t remember the exact measurements, but you can find a quick explanation below. I built the casserole, then refridgerated it for an hour while I ran. After my run, I took it out, let the dish sit for 15 minutes, then baked it. Letting it sit for a bit allowed the tortillas to plump up a bit with the sauce. That, paired with the creamy layer, gave it a lasagne-feel.

Mexican Lasagne

*1 cup Enchilada sauce
*12 corn tortillas
*1 cup refried beans with 3 TB water stirred in to make them smooth and spreadable
*1 1/3 cups Shredded Beef (you can substitute ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken here, but it helps if it already has been seasoned with taco-type seasoning)
*1 1/2 cup cheese (cheddar, jack, Mexican mix, whatever you like)
*1 cup sour cream
*1 TB flour
*1 cup salsa

Spray a dish (about 8 inches in diameter) with no-stick cooking spray. Pour a 1/4 cup Enchilada sauce in the bottom to coat, then lay 3 tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Break one apart if you need to, as long as you cover the entire bottom of the pan. Spread the beans over the tortillas, then top with a light layer of cheese. Cover with 1/4 cup Enchilada sauce, then another layer of tortillas. Spread the shredded beef over the tortillas, then top with the salsa, then sour cream, then cheese, then 1/4 cup Enchilada sauce. Top with another layer of tortillas. Cover with 1/4 cup sauce, then remaining cheese.

At this point you can either bake or cover with plastic and put in the fridge to bake later. If baking now, cover with foil, put into a 350 F oven for 30 minute. Uncover and back for an additional 10 minutes. Dish is done when it’s brown and bubbling.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

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What kind of cheese? The options are endless; cheddar, jack, pepper jack, bleu cheese, fontina, swiss, Parmesan, queso blanco….

In search of an early dinner, I took out some leftovers and got to brainstorming. I’m trying to lose weight, so I switched out my usual canola for a double spritz of no-stick cooking spray and came up with Chicken Avocado Quesadillas. I used half a cup lowfat grated for a lower fat content in the dish. The avocado gives the quesadilla a nice creaminess, so I didn’t miss the extra cheese. If you like more cheese, go with the larger cheese measurement.

Chicken Avocado Quesadilla

Ingredients for one quesadilla

*1 flour tortilla
*1/2 – 2/3 cup lowfat grated Mexican Cheese mixture (queso blanco, cheddar, mozzarella)
*sprinkle granulated garlic powder
*1 cup diced, cooked chicken
*1/4 avocado, cut into think slices

Spray a fry pan with a double spray of no-stick cooking spray. Place on burner set at medium. Put a tortilla into the pan, sprinkle with half the cheese, then a light dusting of the granulated garlic. Spread the chicken over the cheese, then place the avocado slices on top of the chicken. Top with the rest of the cheese, then fold the tortilla over. Press down, slightly. Flip if necessary. Quesadilla is done when cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

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Eliza, at Homemom3, is giving away a copy of Cherie’s book. Head on over and enter her giveway here.

Grab A Pan: What role does diet play in the treatment of Diabetes?
 
Cherie Burbach: Diet and exercise go hand in hand with treating diabetes.  A diabetes diet is a healthy one.  It’s something everyone (diabetic or not) should strive for.  Diabetics especially need to watch their carbs and eat reasonable portions.  
 
Grab A Pan: Does a diagnosis of Diabetes mean that a person can no longer enjoy their favorite foods?
 
Cherie Burbach: Not at all.  It used to mean that.  But as research has found out more about the disease, they have discovered that there is no food that is completely off-limits.  That doesn’t mean you can have it all the time, but it means you balance it out with the rest of your diet.  If you consistently choose healthy foods and manage your diabetes well, you can have the occasional treat or enjoy your favorite foods.  Also, watch the portions.  You can have spaghetti, but if you eat a massive plate of it, your blood sugar is likely to go up too far.  It’s all about balance and eating in a reasonable way.
 
Grab A Pan: If I’m hosting a dinner party and I have a friend coming who has Diabetes, what do I need to know before planning the menu?

 
Cherie Burbach: This is a GREAT question.  First, make sure you tell your friend what time dinner will be and stick with that time to make sure she can time her diabetes med’s to coincide with the meal.  Then, make sure you have some sugar-free beverages on hand.  Your friend may have a glass of wine or beer (if that’s what they drink) but chances are they’ll want something sugar free after that.  Then, make a healthy meal as you normally would.  If you were planning on making dessert, go ahead and do it.  You don’t need to make a special dish for your friend.  If her blood sugars are doing okay she may want a piece of that dessert.  Or maybe she won’t.  But you don’t need to prepare something sugar-free especially for her.  Diabetics eat the same foods as everyone else.  We just try and make sure we stay on the healthy side most of the time.  (As everyone should!)
 
If you’re diabetic and think you have to give up taste (or carbs), don’t fret.  Carbs and even the occasional treat are all part of a healthy eating plan.  Everyone in the family should eat healthy, so there isn’t a special diet just for the diabetic.  Everyone should watch portion sizes (including too many carbs) and always opt for something healthy over junk food. 

For a quick and easy dinner, I have a really great recipe that fills you up and adds protein to your diet. 

 
Black Bean and Chicken Stew
 

·         2 cups white rice

·         2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

·         1 onion (any type, can be sweet, red, white, or yellow)

·         1 Tablespoon minced garlic

·         1 green pepper

·         1 (16 oz) can of black beans (juice included)

·         1 (14.5 oz) can of chicken broth

·         1/2 teaspoon oregano

·         1 Tablespoon olive oil

·         salt and pepper

 
Cook the rice as described on the package.  Set aside.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven pot, and cook the onion, pepper, and garlic.  Cook until onions are translucent, about ten minutes.

Add beans, broth, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste (1 tsp of each of if you’re unsure of what you prefer) and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, and cook for ten minutes.  Add cubed chicken and heat through.  Serve over rice.

******

Cherie Burbach is an author, blogger, poet, crocheter, and geek.  She loves football and is obsessed with anything having to do with the Green Bay Packers or Tudor history. 

A passionate diabetes advocate, Cherie has written the book, 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes. 

For more information, please visit Cherie’s website, http://helpsomeonewithdiabetes.com/ or follow her on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/brrbach.

Image credit: Amazon.com

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The yogurt makes for a thick, fluffy pancake. If you have find that your pancakes aren’t cooking all the way through before browning, then pop them in the microwave oven for 30 seconds before serving.

When I make pancakes, I usually double the recipe, then freeze the extras for later. The trick is to freeze the pancakes on a cookie sheet, with plenty of room in between them. Then, when they are solid, transfer the pancakes to a freezer bag. Reheat for a minute or two in the microwave and you’ve got a quick breakfast before school. Below, find my take on Food Network’s pancakes.

Yogurt Pancakes with Chocolate Chips

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3 TB sugar
1 TB baking powder
1/2 salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, mix well. Add the wet to the dry ingredients, then mix until combined. Do not over mix.

Heat a pan to medium heat, pour 1 TB of of canola oil in the pan. When pan is hot, measure a 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Cook until bubbly on top and light brown on the bottom (use spatula to lift the edge for peeking), then flip and cook until brown on the other side.

Serve with butter, maple syrup, or honey (I like the honey best).

Makes about 10 pancakes

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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As part of Sierra Nevada’s 30th Anniversary celebration, they have 4 new collaboration beers to be released this year.

The first of these beers, called Fritz & Ken’s Ale, was released last month. The rest will be released at various dates on through the Fall of 2010. Each of the beers is packaged in a 750 ml, corked bottle. Each beer is limited to a 900 barrel batch.

Jason Cassidy, of the News and Review, had this to say about Fritz & Ken’s Ale, which was made in collaboration with Fritz Maytag, of the Anchor Brewing Company:

“… a toasty aroma rises from a coffee-brown head. It has that wonderful creamy-malt stout texture, but with a welcome double-bite from toasted malts and an unexpected hoppiness. With its 9.2-percent alcohol content (making it what some would call an Imperial Stout), it might at first raise an eyebrow for the casual stout drinker, but it goes down more smoothly than such potency might suggest. You’ll want to take your time with this big boy, or better yet share it with a friend…”

I didn’t get a chance to try it (dang it!), but my friend Chris did. He said it was very good, but on the pricey side. Profits from each of the anniversary brews will go to various charities. Read more about the new brews here.

Image credit:  Michelle Hamor Smith

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Running at this point in the morning can bring up some issues for me.  By “issues,” I mean burps. If I eat too close to a run, I burp.  Uncomfortable.  I decided that I had a few choices:

*Get up earlier to eat

*Skip the meal until afterward

*Eat something like an energy bar before a run

Getting up early is not going to work, because I don’t get enough sleep as it is. Skipping the meal is what I’ve done many times, but I have a lot less energy for my run and I want every run to count. So, bar it is.

 Luckily, Vega sent me some of their Whole Food Vibrancy Bars to sample for review.  These bars are made with organic “superfoods.”  They have an interesting texture, like mashed raisins or prunes, which is actually much more appetizing than it sounds. This bars were perfect. They  gave me energy, tasted great, and  produced no run-burps.

My favorite was the Chocolate Decadence, but I also tried the Original Flavor, and the Green Synergy.  They all had that same dense fruity texture.  The bars are made with raw and organic ingredients like sprouted buckwheat, sprouted almonds, acai, Salba, and hemp seeds. These are “enzymatically-active plant-based superfoods.”

Here’s more information about the Chocolate Decadence:

*17.5g of sprouts, rich in enzymes and phytonutrients
*10g of raw protein for easy digestion
*4g of Omega-3 and 6 essential fatty acids
*5g of soluble and insoluble fiber (20% of RDI)

Healthy food is a great idea, but no one is going to eat it if it doesn’t taste good. These bars taste great and are easy to throw into your bag or a pocket before heading out on a hike, run, or ride.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

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About 2 hours later, Mom and I were walking through the newest Farmer’s Market in town (Chico, CA,  Butte College Chico Center parking lot), and at the northeast corner I saw a Korean food  truck, featuring Korean Tacos. How lucky was that?? They were the most colorful tacos I have ever seen and while they won’t replace my favorite dish of fish tacos, they were damn good.

Korean Tacos differ from a traditional taco in that the meat is marinated in Korean spices and the lettuce is replaced by cabbage and/or Kimchi. Instead of salsa or a Mexican sauce, the tacos have a bit of Korean hot sauce. The tacos at the truck I visited came in  chicken (teriyaki type), beef, and spicy pork. Next time, I go straight to the spicy pork. I like plenty of zip with my tacos.

If there’s no Korean Taco truck in your town, you can find recipes to make your own here.

Image credit: Sxc.hu

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My kids and I got to try some samples of  H2Organics Nutrient Enhanced Water for review. These waters are made with a “multi-filtered reverse osmosis purified water.”  They are low calorie, low carbohydrate, and low in sugar. I really liked them and so did the girls. They are both refreshing and flavorful. Sarah liked packing on in her lunch for school.

The waters are developed in six formulas: Relax, Flexibility, Energy, Focus, Antioxidant, and Hydration. Each formula has it’s own particular flavor. My favorite was the Grape-Berry flavor of the Relax formula. Each formula contains a specific blend of minerals that help to enhance your ability to “relax,” “focus,” and so on.

The waters are pasteurized and the bottles are recyclable. The product has no preservatives, it’s certified Kosher, BPA free, and HFCS free. Click here for more information.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

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Taquitos

1 lb cooked, shredded chicken, drained (too much moisture is dangerous when frying)

12 corn tortillas

canola for pan

toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour about 1/4 of canola oil in the pan, heat to medium high.

While pan is heating, steam tortillas. I use a plastic steamer that I place the tortillas in, microwave 1 minute, flip the stack over, microwave for 1 more minute, then cover with a lid. If you don’t have a steamer (and I highly recommend one), you can steam the tortillas either in a warm over wrapped in foil, or in the microwave, kept them warm wrapped in a towel. If you do much Mexican cooking, think about purchasing the steamer. They are inexpensive and really handy.

Take about 2Tbs of chicken, place it along one end of the tortilla, roll tightly into a cylinder, fasten with a toothpick lengthwise, then set to the side. Do this with all 12 tortillas. Place the rolled tortillas into the pan 4 at a time, very lightly browning on all sides. Place browned tortillas on a cookie sheet, while you do the next two batches of 4 taquitos. When all are browned, place cookie sheet in oven for 10 minutes to further brown. ( I do it this way to ensure crunch and cut the time the taquitos are sitting in the oil).

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

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More than anything I use it for making a stewed chicken recipe in the slow cooker. I buy a bag of frozen chicken breasts or tenders, dump the entire bag into the crockpot with a cup of salsa, a cup and a half of water, and about 3-4 tablespoons of the spice mix. You can add onions and/or chopped green chilis to the mixture, if you like. Cook the chicken on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6. When you are done, pull the chicken out and use the leftover broth for cooking up some Mexican style rice. Shred the chicken and you’ve got chicken for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taquitoes, taco salad…..the options are endless. I usually use half for dinner, then I put the rest in a ziplock bag for another meal.

When making the spice mix, I use the spice packets that are available in the Mexican food section of my market. The packets are roughly one ounce a piece, with a 1 part Cumin to 1 parts Chili ratio. I like to do a red chili and a browner chili mixture.

Mexican Spice Mix

1 packet California chili
1 packet New Mexico chili
1 packet Cumin
1 1/2 Tbs ground Mexican Oregano powder
1 1/2 Tbs cocoa powder, I use Hersheys
2 tsp salt
2 Tbs Masa Harina, or flour, but the masa works best

Put all ingredients in a glass jar. Shake to mix.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

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