Healthy Enchilada Grains

I made the best concoction for my lunch this week. I had to share it because it tastes so good I almost forgot how healthy it was. the bonus is that it makes enough that I had a nice big helping for lunch, and was able to freeze some for future meals. It's so good, I may even use it to fill whole grain tortillas for some incredible veggie enchiladas.

(In a crockpot) Just take a large can of Enchilada sauce, a cup of wild rice and a half cup of Bulgar wheat (all wild rice if you're avoiding gluten) put enough water in it to make the measurements of liquid correct according to your rice and wheat packages...chop up an onion in there, and cook on low overnight. Shred a little cheddar cheese over the top, or you could use fat free...and it is so delish. it's like eating beefy enchilada filling...Yum! You can make the enchilada sauce from scratch if you want to, that way you avoid the sodium too. The great thing is, a whole cup and a half of this filling meal only has 400 calories...and they are all whole grain, dairy and veggie.

Enchilada Sauce

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon rice flour
* 1/4 cup chili powder
* 2 cups vegetable stock
* 10 ounces tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

In a medium saucepan heat oil, add rice flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings. Serve atop your favorite enchiladas.

Celebrating day 42 with a great recipe

Hi my name is Pamela and I am addicted to processed, unhealthy foods.

Wow, hard to believe it has been 42 days since I realized food addiction was the primary cause of my weight issues and was leading me toward health problems and aches and pains as each day passed.

42 days in, I am happy to say, as of this morning, I have lost 29 pounds. This is amazing to me because I am not counting calories, I'm not on any specific plan, I'm not writing down every morsel I put in my mouth. I am simply saying no to any foods that are processed, packaged or made specifically for the fast food industry. I have consumed cheese, red meat and even a small slice of homemade apple pie. Yes, those things are limited in my daily routine and I would not eat them every day, but none of those foods are triggers for binges on large amounts of calorie laden, unhealthy foods. It was very freeing to discover that foods made from scratch without preservatives, even if they contain some sugar or a little bit of fat, are not triggers. Of course this convinces me even more of the dangers/problems with processed foods. I am still researching that and when I feel like I know what I am talking about a little more, I will post the results of my study. In the mean time, I'm celebrating the freedom of walking each day in food sobriety. I don't have a weight loss goal set because as I wrote previously, it isn't as much about losing weight as it is about being healthy. But, just so that none of the readers get concerned about the weight loss, I could easily lose another 70 to 80 pounds without being in danger of being under weight. ;) I don't know if my body will shed that much or not. Wherever the number lands I will still work out my food-sobriety each day, sometimes each hour. Just like a alcoholic or drug addict, this will not go away and no matter what my body weight or BMI I must be committed to food sobriety for the rest of my life.

This morning I made a wonderful wild rice dish. In celebration of 42 days of food-sobriety, here is the recipe.

Wild Spanish Rice

4 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 large can, chopped green chiles
1 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese

Stir all ingredients into rice over medium heat. Keep stirring as mixture heats. (to avoid scorching) If you want to add some lean protein to this dish, add 1 cup of diced, cooked chicken breast. Serve as a side dish or as a wonderful lunch. It's great served with a side of fruit or stuffed in a tomato or bell pepper. This will serve 6 to 8 adults as a side dish, or at least 4 as a main dish.

Enjoy!

Keep coming back, It works if you work it!

Three and a half weeks in...

Hi, my name is Pamela and I am addicted to unhealthy & processed foods.

Three-and-a-half weeks into food-sobriety and I feel amazing. I was elated when the first 15 pounds came off so easily just because I was not participating in my addiction to processed or sugary foods. But, the first 10-15 pounds always comes off easily, so I rationalized that it would slow down right away. I didn’t want to be discouraged if my food-sobriety didn’t always have that awesome side effect. Well, so-far I have lost 24 pounds, and yes, I do expect it to slow down at some point and I will have to increase exercise to keep the weight coming down, if that is what I choose.

The great thing is, I get to make that choice. My big discovery this week is that I am seeking food-sobriety, and choosing to walk in that sobriety with God’s help on a daily basis FOR ME. My motivation is not to lose x number of pounds by a certain date or event, it’s not to impress my viewers or readers and it’s not even because my mom has been telling me I should get some weight off. For the first time in my life, no one else is making this choice for me. For the first time in my life, it is truly not primarily about a number on the scale, but about staying sober and vigilant about my food choices. It’s not even that absolutely everything I am eating would be considered the healthiest by some people. I eat regular cheese, I eat red meat sometimes, I even ate some stroganoff the other night…but I’m not eating any of the foods that I know will trigger a binge.

I did get caught unexpectedly this past Sunday. A friend and I went to lunch after church. The restaurant serves baskets of popcorn on each table, fresh and warm. I thought, A few pieces of popcorn sounds good. So I ate a few. Not more than 10 and I was fine. I thought, Cool, that was tasty. We ate our lunch and went our separate ways. I was surprised that on the way home I had an urge to swing through a drive through. I didn’t even know what I wanted…my body was just signaling that I wasn’t fully satisfied with lunch. I knew better. I had enjoyed two servings of squash, onions and peppers and a petite steak. I was fine. Still, even as I resisted that urge and arrived home everything in me, except my spirit and my will, craved something else to eat. I thought back on my food choices for the day…what had I eaten to trigger the craving? It was the popcorn, the popcorn oil/salt combo they use on it is like what movie theater’s use. I am positive it has ingredients that are not natural, but I didn’t consider that before I ate it.

With the mystery solved I was able to avoid a binge, but it was a tough afternoon. Lesson learned…if I do want popcorn I will select a natural variety and pop it myself, that way I know what I am putting into my body.

How about you, what were your successes and struggles this week?

Marinated Cucumber Salad

This is one of my absolutely favorite side dishes, and it's super easy to make. You can leaves the
peel on the cucumbers if you want to, just taste a slice first to make sure it's not bitter.

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, julienned

1 TBSP chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill.

1 pkt Truvia, or 1 TBSP Agave Nectar (I like the agave but truvia is better for diabetics)

¾ cup white vinegar

2 ¼ cups water

Combine all ingredients, put in fridge and marinate at least 3 hours, but overnight is better. Yum

Excellent Lunch recipe!!!! Zucchini Fritters with Tomato

Hi, my name is Pamela and I am addicted to food.

Well, at least certain foods. I have found that because of that I need to really enjoy the healthier options I find. As I sat staring at a zucchini on my counter, knowing it was a great idea to actually eat it, I began to dread the process of steaming, or sauteing this summer-garden favorite. I like zucchini well enough, but it is not special in the appetite centers of my mind. I had to do something to make it more appealing. This is the recipe I came up with that gave me the goodness of the vegetable, plus a serving of protein, dairy and a bit of Lycopine from a friendly tomato. Of course you can adjust it a bit if you are allergic to dairy or have issues with any of the ingredients...but this is the recipe for my lunch today...and it was a PLATE FULL of amazing. 

Non-stick spray

2 eggs

2 cups grated zucchini

½ cup grated onion

1 Tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 tomato slices

2 ounces grated cheese (your favorite)

Beat eggs, add zucchini, onion and pepper. Spray griddle with non-stick spray and place on burner, over medium heat. When it is hot, spoon half of zucchini mixture onto griddle in four small mounds. Push them down to flatten a bit. Cook for about two minutes and then flip them carefully. 

Place about a quarter ounce of cheese on each zucchini patty, top with a tomato slice, flip again so that the tomato is on the bottom. Cook about two more minutes. Place fritters on a plate, sprinkle with a bit more cheese. Repeat with remaining mixture and cheese. Serve hot. Makes 2 generous servings at approximately 215 calories each.