Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas

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Mmmm...cheesy goodness...

I love when I can throw a meal into the oven and do the dishes or feed the baby while it bakes. This meal comes together relatively quickly (though it does dirty two pots and a casserole, but it's worth it!) and would be a great thing to prep ahead of time for company.  The spiciness can be adjusted to your liking; we used two jalapenos this time but I think I'd prefer it with just one.

Another reason I like to make this recipe is this: I sometimes buy stewing hens for cheap (this last one cost me $3 from a local farm), which are great for making soup or broth, but the meat tends to be a little dry. Somehow, when you cover it with cheese and sour cream, it doesn't matter so much. :)

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas

Filling ingredients:
1 T. coconut oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 (4 oz.) can diced mild green chiles
1 1/2 c. cooked white beans, such as cannellini or great northern (or one can, if you're in a pinch)
1 1/2 c. cooked, shredded chicken (I made broth with a stewing hen and saved the meat)
2/3 c. chicken broth
1-2 t. cumin
unrefined sea salt and pepper to taste

Sauce ingredients:
1 T. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 T. flour (I use all-purpose, I'm sure sprouted would be a good alternative)
1 c. chicken broth
1 (4 oz.) can diced mild green chiles
1-2 chopped jalapenos (I wear a glove when I chop hot peppers. They burn!)
unrefined sea salt to taste

Other ingredients:
1/2 c. sour cream (I like Daisy Brand - no additives!)
1 c. shredded cheese (I used colby jack)
8-10 corn tortillas (We like Milagro brand, which are traditionally prepared in lime. Sprouted corn would also be a good option.) 
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Sour cream for serving

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Make the filling. Saute onion in oil until almost tender. Add garlic and saute one minute more. Add chiles, beans, broth, cumin, and salt and pepper. Stir, cover, and cook on low fifteen minutes while you prepare the sauce. Add chicken and cook long enough to heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Make the sauce. Cook onion in butter and until tender. Add flour and cook, stirring, one minute. Whisk in the broth and bring to a boil, stirring and cooking until it thickens. Add chiles, jalapeno, and salt, and cook a 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 c. sour cream.

4. Assemble the enchiladas. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Fill tortillas with about 1/3 c. of the filling. Roll them and place them seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until you run out of filling. Pour and spread the sauce over the enchiladas, and top with the grated cheese.

5. Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

6. Serve, garnished with chopped cilantro and sour cream.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think in the comments!

 This is part of the following carnivals: Foodie Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Favorites, Inspire Me Friday, Eat, Make, Grow

How to Make an Awesome Smoothie

If you want to learn more about delicious, nourishing, real food without the guilt trip for everything you're not doing right, hit that "like" button on the right, and subscribe to my posts by e-mail or reader feed so you don't miss anything. Thanks for stopping by!

Strawberry, Banana & Peach Smoothie

I think my smoothie-making has reached new heights lately. My non-smoothie-loving husband has even been enjoying them, which is quite an accomplishment in my mind. I've finally found a method that produces a delicious smoothie every time. Want to know how?

Tips for Making Awesome Smoothies

 

1. Use frozen fruit. Using fresh fruit, or even a mixture of fresh and frozen, results in a thinner, more liquid smoothie. My favorites are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and peaches. When those fruits are in season locally I buy a bunch at the farmer's market or u-pick farm and freeze them. (My next post at Modern Alternative Kitchen is on Lazy Freezing Techniques. Subscribe over there so you don't miss it!) Then I have enough for smoothies year-round!

You can freeze strawberries whole with tops for smoothies!

2. Banana is key. The creamy sweetness of a banana can't be beat! Next time you have some slightly over-ripe ones, cut them into chunks and throw them in the freezer. (You can sometimes find over-ripe bananas for a reduced price. This is an excellent use for them!)

3. Add greens...sparingly.  Greens such as spinach or kale add a lot of nutrition to your smoothie, provided they are lightly cooked first. See this post for how to prepare greens for smoothies (scroll down to the smoothie section), or do it the easy way: buy a bag of frozen spinach. Make sure you get the kind that is not all in one solid clump. Add a couple tablespoons to your smoothie right from the bag. They are already cooked before freezing, so you don't have to worry about the raw greens problem. Don't add too much, or the taste may be overpowering. Experiment and see what works best for you!

See the little green flecks?

4. Start with just a little liquid, and add more as necessary. I use whole raw milk in my smoothies. Full-fat coconut milk is a good alternative if you can't tolerate dairy. I start with just a little, which I add after I put the fruit into the blender. Then when the blender gets stuck because it needs more liquid, I stream more milk in through the top while it's running.  I add just enough to get it going.

5. Season your smoothie. I like to add a pinch of salt, a splash of vanilla extract, and sometimes a little honey if it's too tart. It's amazing what a difference it makes in enhancing the flavor. Don't forget to taste it before you pour it out to see if it needs anything.

6. Use plain, full-fat yogurt. This goes a long way in making the smoothie satisfying. Greek yogurt guarantees an even thicker product, but make sure you buy full-fat! I can only find full-fat Greek yogurt at the health food store.

7. Include coconut oil.  I love the subtle flavor that coconut oil adds, and it's a healthy fat. Read more about it here. In the past I've melted it first, but lately I just throw it in solid. As long as you follow the next tip, it will be okay.

8. Blend it thoroughly. It's no fun to run into chunks of un-blended fruit. Don't be shy, let that blender do it's thing until you're sure it's all blended! This also makes the smoothie....frothy. Frothy is good.

Strawberry Orange Julius

If you're afraid to make a smoothie without a recipe, you can find recipes all over the internet. Use your judgement and use only real ingredients! And if you want to try something a little different, try my Strawberry Orange Julius. It's a refreshing treat any time of year!

What's your favorite smoothie? Share your smoothie-making tips in the comments!

This is part of: Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday. Keep it Real Thursday, the seasonal recipe round up for berries at Gnowfglins, Monday Mania

Salmon Patties with Probiotic Lemon-Dill Sauce

Salmon Patties with Wild Rice Pilaf

Crispy on the outside, studded with sauteed onion, and seasoned with dill and mustard, these salmon patties are one of our favorite meals. The simple sauce takes only a few seconds to mix together, which is easy to do while the salmon is frying. We like to eat these with either oven roasted potatoes or a wild rice pilaf.

The last time I made these, I tried something new: doubling the recipe and freezing half. I formed it all into patties, cooked what we were going to eat, and froze the rest without cooking. I put them in a container separated by parchment. I'm planning to thaw them and cook them up when we need a quick and easy meal...which is pretty often, with a newborn and a 2 year old in the house!

To make this even more economical, I used one can of the pricier but more delicious red salmon, and one can of the cheaper but less tasty pink salmon. I've made them with all pink salmon before, but we gave that a thumbs down. Half and half was perfect, though! If you're only making a single recipe, I recommend just using the red salmon.

This recipe makes 4 patties. It doubles easily.

Toss it in and mix it up!

Salmon Patties

 ingredients:
1 16 oz. can wild Alaskan salmon (red or pink)
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 T. butter
2/3 c. homemade breadcrumbs, separated
2 pastured eggs
1 t. dried dill
1/2 t. dry mustard
freshly ground pepper
2 T. coconut or olive oil

method:
1. Saute onion in melted butter in a large skillet.
2. Drain salmon, reserving liquid. Remove large bones (you won't even notice the small ones).
3. Mix together all ingredients, except for 1/3 c. breadcrumbs and oil. Add enough reserved liquid to moisten, up to 1/3 cup.
4. Place reserved breadcrumbs on a plate. Form the mixture into patties and gently coat with crumbs.
5. Fry in oil in a hot skillet until brown on both sides. Depending on the thickness, you may have to turn heat to low and cover in order for them to cook all the way through.
6. Serve topped with Lemon-Dill Sauce, below.

Lemon-Dill Sauce

ingredients:
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. sour cream (I use Daisy Brand)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 t. lemon zest
1/2 t. dried dill (I'm sure fresh would be great!)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients.

 

So yummy.

What's your favorite way to eat fish?

 This is part of Real Food Wednesday and Whole Foods Wednesday.

Easy Change #4 - Switch to Coconut Oil

This post is a part of my Easy Changes You Can Make Today series. Check out the previous posts and make an easy change today!

It's been a few weeks since I posted an easy change. But let's get back into it! So far we've covered homemade mac & cheese, homemade EASY salad dressing, and how to start reading ingredient labels. I'm super excited about today's post because it really is a simple switch, and it can have a huge impact on your health!

Today I challenge you to STOP buying vegetables oils. That means canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, ect. If a recipe calls for "vegetable oil," use coconut oil instead!

First, the why. As I learned in the very amusing documentary "Fat Head" (watch it for free on hulu!), these vegetable oils are a very new addition to our diet if we think about the scope of human history. I know, you're saying, "I thought canola oil was a healthy oil!" Well, we've been misinformed. All vegetable oils are very susceptible to going rancid, especially when heated. And in processing, they are heated to super high temps, and then deodorized because when something goes rancid, it stinks. They also have a nice bit of yellow color added to them to make them look more appetizing. Yum.

Also, they are high in omega-6 fatty acids. We do not need any more of those suckers. With most meat and dairy (and even farmed salmon!) being corn-fed, we already get way more than necessary.

They are also almost always genetically modified. The trouble with GMO's is that we just don't know if they are safe or not. They are too new. But we certainly haven't become any healthier since they've been around, so I'd rather not risk it. They are pretty hard to avoid, but this is one step you can take. Yay! Baby steps! (Click here for more of the scoop on vegetable oils.)

So why is coconut oil a healthy alternative?

1) Healthy saturated fat.

I know you still can't believe it, but saturated fats actually don't clog arteries or cause heart disease. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated oils do. Healthy saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, lard, and tallow actually do the following (according to this source):

• strengthen the immune system
• protect against cancer
• regulate insulin receptors and thereby protect against diabetes
• lower your chances of getting asthma because they help your lungs function properly
• suppress inflammation
• help your brain work better (did you know that more than half the brain is made up of saturated fat?!)
• carry fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 which are essential for good health!

2) Lauric Acid=anti-microbial

Lauric acid is the same stuff that is in breast milk to help protect infants from getting sick. And coconut oil is full of it! Score!

3) Weight Loss

According to the book Eat Fat Lose Fat, coconut oil actually helps you LOSE excess weight! And when you eat enough fat, you feel satisfied sooner, so you are less apt to binge on junk food.

4) It's traditional.

People in tropical climates have been eating this stuff for thousands of years without getting heart disease.

Is that enough reasons for you?

Where can you find coconut oil?

You can find coconut oil at most larger grocery stores (like Meijer, around here) or health food stores, but you're going to pay an arm and a leg. I order it online to get a better deal. I've found the best price to be through Columbus Foods, and it seems to be a very high quality oil. (Here is the link - scroll down to "Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin".) You can also buy it through Mountain Rose Herbs or Tropical Traditions.

When you buy coconut oil, look for the words "virgin" or "unrefined". If you REALLY can't stand the taste of coconut (though I don't usually notice it) you can buy the cheaper refined variety, but it loses many of its health benefits. Refined coconut oil is still a healthier choice than vegetable oils, though!

If you're afraid to go out on a limb and buy a gallon of the stuff, buy a small jar from the store to try it out. Or split a gallon with a friend or two!

How do you use it in recipes? Here are a few ways:

1) Sauteing.

I use coconut oil in most recipes that call to saute something in olive oil, because it has a higher smoke point and is safer for sauteing. If the recipe is one with a mild flavor where the coconut flavor might be obvious, I'll use olive oil or butter. But there are some recipes where it works great, like curries, anything with fish, stir fries, etc.

2) Baking, in place of a liquid oil.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature unless the room is quite warm (it melts at 76 degrees F). So to use it in place of a liquid oil, you have to melt it. I usually put it in a stainless steel measuring cup and place it over very low heat right on my stovetop. You can also melt it gently in a saucepan, or place it (in a glass jar) on top of the oven when the oven is on. Make sure it's not too hot when you add it too your recipe.

3) Baking, in place of a solid fat.

If a recipe calls for butter, lard, or (eek!) margarine, you can use coconut oil. I sometimes use it instead of butter simply because it's slightly less expensive per pound than the high quality butter I like to buy. Just use it as is, solid at room temperature.

Here's another post about coconut oil with lots of ideas for how to use it!

One more tip.

If you order a gallon of this stuff, you are going to get it in some sort of big plastic container. To make everyday use easier, I transfer it to glass quart jars (available in the canning section of your grocery store or hardware store). The stuff from Soaper's Choice comes in a bottle that should really be for a pourable oil - with a small spout. So I put it on top of the oven when I have it on a low heat for granola or something, and when it gets melty I pour it (carefully! sometimes it splashes!) into my jars. When you order from Mountain Rose or Tropical Traditions it comes in a bucket, so you can just scoop it out with a spoon into jars.

So order some! It's an easy change you can make today! :)

This is part of Real Food Wednesday. Check it out for more real food recipes and ideas!