SUNDAY SUPPER
Typically, cooking for me means scrambled eggs, removing tuna from a can and mixing it with hummus (if I’m feeling fancy), or popping a bag of frozen vegetables in the microwave. Let me rephrase that – cooking for me means preparing premade food. Ah yes, that’s more like it.
There’s something about cooking for one that just doesn’t appeal to me. I tend to also find I’m too indecisive to cook an entrée that I will want to eat more than once so I then end up tossing it and wasting my money.
Despite not being good at it though, it was/is something I do enjoy doing with someone. Plus let’s face it; I should at least eventually know how to make at least ONE chicken entrée off the top of my head.
Since my roommate Kelley enjoys cooking (and is incredibly helpful when it comes to assessing what I’m doing wrong) we both decided to make ourselves a Sunday dinner.
While she took to the left of the stove, I took the burners on the right. She made one of her favorite recipes from skinnytaste, which was Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas (and happened to be vegetarian) and I made a simple Chicken Skillet Dish with Spinach and Tomatoes from McCormick. Both recipes are pretty simple, rather healthy, and super delicious.
They're both explained below and can be found at their original sources by clicking on the name of each. (Fun Tip: Put the game on in the background, pour yourself a glass of wine or grab a beer and your Sunday Funday is set!)
Ingredients: (Serves: 6)
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (recipe originally calls for chicken tenders but I didn’t want my chicken to be breaded)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon Basil Leaves (recipe calls for McCormick but I cut my own)
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, Ground
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Oregano Leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (6 ounces) baby spinach leaves
Directions:
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add chicken; cook and stir 10 minutes or until browned.
Add onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until softened.
Stir in tomatoes, water and seasonings. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 3 minutes or until heated through.
Stir in spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach begins to wilt.
Serve over quinoa (recipe suggests pasta or couscous)
Nutrition information (before Quinoa):
(Amount per serving)
Calories: 220 Cholesterol: 73mg
Sodium: 431mg Protein: 28g
Total Fat: 8g Fiber: 3g
Carbohydrate: 9g
Ingredients:
(Serves: 8)
1 cup red enchilada sauce (homemade or canned)
1 tsp. olive oil
2 1/2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut 1/2-inch-dice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup water
8 medium low-carb whole-wheat flour tortillas
1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese
2 tbsp. chopped scallions, for garnish
Reduced-fat sour cream, for serving (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet.
Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant.
Add cubed butternut, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, water, cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Place about a generous 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla and roll, place on the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling.
Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake, covered with foil until hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
Top with scallions and eat with sour cream if desired.
Nutritional Information:
Size: 1 enchilada Calories: 185
Fat: 6 g
Protein: 13 g
Carb: 29 g
Fiber: 13 g
Sugar: 2 g Sodium: 864 mg
Cholesterol: 7.5 mg
