healthy laps

I never realized how easy it is to make your own corn tortillas.  Have you ever gone to a Mexican restaurant where they serve fresh, warm, homemade tortillas?  They are the best and definitely make the meal.

It is super easy and you only need 3 ingredients: Masa Harina, a pinch of Salt and Water.

Masa Harina is a special type of corn flour that is made from corn that is soaked in lime, dried, then ground in to a fine flour.  It is different from corn flour or corn meal, so make sure that you pick up the correct flour for your tortillas!  I had trouble finding the flour in stores, so I ordered it online through Nuts.com.  I got it the very next day!

Lets walk through the process!

Mix together 2 cups of masa harina, 1 tsp salt and 1.5 cups warm water and let sit for about 30 minutes for that it can set and form a dough.  As you wait for the dough, you can prepare your toppings!

Take your dough and form into balls about the size of a golf ball

Individually, place each ball of dough in between 2 pieces of wax paper and roll (flatten) into a patty about 1/4inch thick

Keep some thickness to them because it makes it easier to place on the grill, flip and stuff with your favorite toppings!

Cook in a pan or on a griddle for about 2 minutes on each side until browned and the edges start to curl up.

While the tortillas were cooking, we got all of our toppings ready to go:

The beauty of fajitas/tacos is that you can make any creation that you want!  We had a little bit of everything: grilled chicken, black beans, peppers & onions, roasted corn, salsa, pepperjack cheese, avocado, sour cream, fresh limes.

The fresh tortillas are perfect piled high with all of your favorites

And, they don’t fall apart when you are eating!

This was a completely delicious meal and so worth the few extra minutes it took to make the tortillas!  The tortillas still tasted great the next day, so you could even make them ahead of time is you need to.   Yum!

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It’s the start of a new year!  The perfect time to get back on track with your healthy lifestyle after the holiday season.  One of my goals is to start cooking more and it is easy to do that when you have a full stocked fridge and pantry.  Another easy way to get back in to cooking is to plan simple quick meals for the week.  That way, when you get home from a busy day at work, you will already have a simple menu planned.  Try to plan meals that will take you no longer than 30-45 minutes from start to finish because that is the key to wanting to cook after a busy day (it would most likely take you that long to get takeout anyways!).

On the menu tonight – Lentil Bolognese.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

• 1 lb whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 1 cup green lentils
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large carrot
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 zucchini
• 6 white mushrooms
• 2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
• 2 tbsps tomato paste
• 1 large handful fresh basil, chopped
• pinch red pepper flakes
• salt + pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Start by putting 1 cup of lentils in a pot (or rice cooker) with 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until tender.

2. Next, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add your pasta and cook until al-dente, about 7-9 minutes.  Drain, rinse with hot water to prevent sticking and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, get to work chopping your veggies! Mince your garlic, onion, carrot, celery, zucchini and mushrooms.

4. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil.  Add your onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

5. Add your chopped carrots and celery and cook for 3-5 minutes, until tender.

6. Then, add the zucchini and mushrooms and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until just tender.

7. Add the 2 cans of tomatoes and tomato paste and cook on medium-low heat until warm.

8.  Add cooked lentils and basil.

9. Mix everything together and simmer until ready to serve.

10. Serve warm over pasta with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.

This makes a terrific weeknight dinner because it only takes about 40 minutes to prepare start to finish and tastes delicious!  Vegetables make super simple dinners and when you pair them with beans or a grain (or both!), you add protein to keep you satisfied.

This recipe will serve 6-8 people.  You can cut the recipe in half, or make the full recipe and save it for leftovers.  It keeps very well in the fridge or freezer!

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I have been doing a great job of sticking to my goals over the past few weeks!  I have been doing cardio 4-5 times per week and weight lifting or doing a mini bootcamp 2 times per week.  My cardio includes running, walking, elliptical or an interval workout.  I already feel so much better mentally and physically by making working out a priority again!

But, my goals didn’t stop there.  Cooking more and eating healthy real food has been even more of a priority for me.  I have only been shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store (except for a few items) and picking up delicious fresh fruits and veggies each week.  It is really easy to eat healthy if you only have healthy foods in your house.  I used to be so good at this (check out my pantry here!), but after having a baby I got a little off track.  But, I’m back!!

My pantry is re-stocked and I am getting back in to cooking delicious and healthy meals for my family.

It is the end of the week, so our fridge is looking a little bare, but that didn’t stop me from making a delicious lunch!

Tuna Bean Pasta

serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are 🙂

Ingredients:

-1 can tuna, white albacore

-1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

-1 cup whole wheat pasta, cooked

-1 cup frozen broccoli, thawed while cooking pasta or in microwave

-2 tbsp dijon mustard

-1/4 cup relish

-pepper to taste

-avocado for garnish

Throw everything in to a bowl and mix!  Viola!  A simple, delicious, healthy meal!!

This meal was delicious.  If you like tuna, it is a must.  You could even serve it over a bed of greens to get in more nutrients.  It would be a perfect meal after a long day at work, or something that you could make and grab for lunch each day.

With the addition of the avocado, this meal is a great balance of protein, veggies, fat and carbs.

Try it!!

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