5 Quickie Dinners made with Tortillas

Making dinner during the week can be difficult. Working takes up enough time, but what if you want to work out or meet with friends. Here are a few ideas for dinners that are quick and easy and are made of ingredients you can easily have on hand.

Chicken Enchiladas

• 1 Brick cream cheese (I use 1/3 fat)
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 8 fajita sized tortillas (I use the whole wheat)
• 1 cup shredded taco cheese
• 1 small onion
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• Two cooked Chicken breasts chopped into small pieces * For vegetarian just add another can of drained pinto beans instead
• Cayenne pepper and powdered garlic to taste

Melt the cream cheese and salsa on medium heat. Stir till blended, then add the cooked chicken, drained pinto beans, cayenne pepper, garlic, tomatoes and stir until blended. Fill the tortillas, roll into tubes, and lay side by side in an oven safe/lightly oiled pan. Chop up the onions. Pour sauce over rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle on chopped onions and shredded cheese over the top. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Mexican Pizzas

• 1 Bag tortillas
• 1 can refried beans
• Shredded Cheese
• Salsa
• Chopped Onions

Toast one tortilla spread refried beans and salsa on top. Layer with next tortilla spread onions and green peppers, salsa and then toss shredded cheese. Toast in toaster oven or in oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Quesadillas

• Tortillas
• Shredded Cheese
• Chopped Onions
• Chopped Green Peppers
• Baby Spinach
• Oil

Toast one tortilla. Layer cheese, and chopped vegetables between two tortillas. In a lightly greased pan toast until light brown and cheese is melted.

Taco Salad

• 1 Can pinto beans
• Salad
• Shredded Cheese
• Salsa
• Tortillas

Make a salad with all of your favorite veggies. Toast a tortilla in a toaster or in the oven. Toss shredded cheese, drained pinto beans, salsa, and crumbled tortilla over the top.

Wraps

• Turkey Swiss, Baby Spinach, and mustard
• Turkey, Mexican Shredded Cheese, Onions, Green Pepper, and Salsa
• Hummus, Green Peppers, Onions and tomatoes

Quickie Tips

• Keep chopped up onions and green pepper on hand for speedy use
• Buy pre-chopped salads/lettuce
• Keep cans of pinto beans and chopped tomatoes on hand

Grocery List

• 1 Bag of Tortillas
• 2 Bags of Shredded Mexican Cheese
• 1 can of Enchilada Sauce
• 2 Can of Tomatoes
• 2 Can of Pinto Beans
• 1 Jar of Salsa
• Baby Spinach
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Green Peppers
• 1 Can of Refried Beans
• Turkey Lunchmeat
• Humus

Organizing for a Diet

This entry is all about organizing for a diet. I recently started the South Beach Diet, Phase One, so this entry will be mostly about the South Beach Diet, but a number of tips can be used for preparing for diets in general.

First, I believe that the preparation/organization phase of the diet is a key psychological step in preparing for weight loss. This process allows you to purge the negative influences in your life and allows you to set the foundation for new healthy habits.

1. Research: I chose the South Beach Diet after a few days of researching online about the diet and then going to the book store and looking at the book. (No, I didn’t end up purchasing it.) After being pretty honest with myself, I chose the diet that I thought would be right for me. I then looked up some recipes online and created a shopping list. I didn’t go so far as to create a meal plan, I wanted some flexibility to be able to eat what I’m craving from time to time. In this stage also a great idea is to talk to a medical professional about any health risks associated with dieting. Here too you can research gyms and exercise programs.

2. Purge: No I am not advocating bulimia. I am talking about preparing your home for a diet. That means getting rid of the temptations. This also doesn’t mean shoveling in 8 ice cream bars because you have to get rid of them before you start your diet. Dump out your juice and regular sodas, toss the snack food.

For me, I needed to get rid to the massive quantities of complex carbohydrates in my refrigerator and pantry. I kept anything that is complex to prepare. I can certainly use it at a later date, and these delayed gratification products are safe with me. The longer it takes to cook, the more time my self control has to kick in.

If you really guilty about wasting food like I do, here are a few options to avoid waste.

- Donate your can jars and boxes to a local food pantry
- Take the already opened baked goods on a walk to the park. Break up the bread, crunch up those chips, and feed them to ducks in the pond, squirrels or just scatter them on the side of the path, believe me the animals will find them no matter where you put them. Now you getting some exercise and feeding some hungry wildlife.

3. Restock: Now go shopping. Buy nothing that does not jive with the diet you have chosen, but be generous. (Eat before you go. Studies have shown people how shop on a full stomach make better purchasing decisions at the grocery store.) Take your big list, and make sure you have given yourself plenty of variety. Refill that empty refrigerator with the good stuff. Also, take the time right away to prepare some food so you have something to eat immediately.

Some easy ideas:
- Cut up celery sticks to dip in humus
- Hard boils eggs for a quick high protein breakfast
- Bean dip - layer vegetarian refried beans, salsa, low fat shredded cheese
- String cheese
- Turkey Jerky – I love the Trader Joe’s Terriaki Turkey Jerky
- Buy or cook I head of time some grilled chicken to throw on salads or dip in mustard
- Lite Egg Salad, lite Miracle Whip, mustard, egg white, green pepper

4. Arm Yourself: Take the cash out of your wallet. (If you can't, leave in only a large bill.) When I don’t have cash, I am less likely to stop by Starbucks and get an 800 calorie coffee drink, or pick up a candy bar from the gas station. Having disposable cash around is a huge temptation. Bring to work only what you are allowed to eat.