Oven Baked Tostadas

Are you or your family in a dinner funk?  Does is seem like you always eat the same thing each week?  I will tell you that I love tacos and could eat them every week because they are fast, easy, and delicious.  I try to mix my menus up each week for the family to try new foods and to keep things lively, but sometimes you just want tacos!!  This is my way of having tacos again but adding a couple extra ingredients, baking the shell and calling it something different to make them think we are having something different!  

 

 

First things first is to preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  spray the flour or corn tortillas with oilive oil and place on a sheet tray.  Bake for 4 minutes on each side.  Now when they are done set them aside for tostada assembly. 

Now you need to cook and brown your ground beef.  Cook on medium high heat for about 6-8 minutes.

While the beef is cooking, open up and drain the beans.  The beans are my way of making my money go a little farther and also adding fiber into my families diet.

Wash the beans, nobody likes dirty beans!

After the ground beef is cooked, add the beans, taco seasoning, and some water and mix.  Heat on medium heat until beans are hot and sauce starts to thicken. 

Now that the meat mixture is ready add it to the tops of the toasted tortillas and add cheese.  From here you can pop the tray back in the oven if you want to melt the cheese otherwise just add cheese and start adding toppings that you desire.  The cheese usually melts anyways with the meat being so hot from the pan.

And now the fun part.  Add the topping that you like and desire. 

 

Sometimes I go with what is in my fridge and top my tostada with the standard lettuce, salsa, and Greek yogurt.

Other times I just want to spice things up and have more of a fiesta.  These times I add lettuce, salsa, Greek yogurt, diced tomatoes, sliced avocados and jalapeños.  

It's your tostada, you do what makes your belly happy!  

 

Have a happy week!

Tostadas

Serves 8

 

8 8-inch flour tortillas

1 lb. ground beef or turkey, cooked

1 15-oz. can pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1 Tbsp. water

1 ½ c. Shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Additional Toppings if desired:

Cut romaine lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Salsa

Greek yogurt

Avocado slices

Jalapeno Peppers

Black Olives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray the tortillas with olive oil, place on a sheet tray and bake 4 minutes on each side.  Set aside for assembly.  In a medium skillet over medium high heat add the ground beef or turkey and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.  Add in the beans, taco seasoning and water and cook until meat and beans are coated and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

For assembly take the tortilla shell, top with bean mixture, shredded cheese and top your tostada with any other toppings that you desire.  Serve immediately.

 

-Cool

 

Hot Dogs! My Decade Indulgence

I cannot tell you the last time I ate a hot dog. They are not my favorite food, I never buy them and they probably do not make any dietitian's "Top 10 Food" list. But I get it. Hot dogs = summer. Today is National Hot Dog Day. And this summer, I had my first hot dog I have had in probably more than a decade.  To preface, I did consume a lot of water with this salty treat and I was a little nervous to dig in.

I was with a group of new friends that told me I had to partake in this summer tradition. Outside of this adorable establishment, you could watch the hot dog magic happen. 

Chili, hot dogs, cheese and more chili to top off this dining experience. 

The place was full of jovial hot dog lovers!

I was kind of feeding off the energy there and did get a little excited to dig in. And then it arrived...

First bite...good. 2nd bite....oooo yum.  Add a few fries and it became one of my favorite moments...and food of the summer. 

I was so glad I let down my dietitian guard and enjoy this summer favorite.  I am not sure when it will happen again, but when it does, it will be enjoyed in the summer, with good friends and a whole lot of laughter. This summer, I started a new "Top 10" list of foods, maybe not the most healthy foods but foods that made healthy memories with amazing people.

~Crazy

Probiotics: Why Your Tummy Needs Them

Do you eat food? Do you have a stomach? Have you ever been sick? Have you ever taken an antibiotic? Do you get heartburn or other related tummy issues?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you need probiotics!!!! A probiotic is a food or a dietary supplement containing live bacteria (as lactobacilli) that is taken orally to restore beneficial bacteria to the body.

Why do you need probiotics? We all are born with lots of good bacteria in our gut and as time passes, so does our good bacteria. Age, illness, medications, environmental factors and much more depletes our massive stores of this life-enhancing substance. Probiotics helps us digest food, absorb nutrients, build a strong immune system and prevent illness.

Probiotics may also help prevent or ease the symptoms of a lot of GI issues many people experience: bloating, gas, IBS, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux, food intolerances/allergies, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and the list goes on and on.

70% of your immune system is in your gut and if you are missing good bacteria, your immune system is suffering. Every medication you take and every time you take an antibiotic, you kill off good bacteria. If you find yourself with numerous colds, infections and doctor appointments, you need to be replacing your good bacteria.

Probiotics are naturally found in many foods with the most common one bring yogurt. Greek yogurt usually has 5 different strains of good bacteria and standard yogurt has 1 strain. Both are a great choice and should be eaten every day. You can also find probiotics in fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso and ginger beverages.

 

 

Pharmax Probiotics are Dietitian and Pharmacist Recommended.

Not into a yogurt a day or fermented foods? There are supplements available that can also be taken daily. But there is not a one-size-fits-all oral probiotic pill. You must seek out a professional to navigate the probiotic pills. I have favorites that I recommend to my clients and will be happy to discuss the one that is perfect for you.

 

Bottom line: Make probiotics part of you daily routine. Dietitian recommended!

~Crazy 

Sunday Funday: Chicky Dinner

Today, you may be a little exhausted from a weekend full of fireworks, food and fun.  I know I enjoyed all 3, maybe a little too much. But I ended the weekend with a delicious and healthful meal on Sunday with these 2 chickies and with the rest of my family, giving a whole definition to Sunday Funday.

Sunday dinners never really were a tradition in my family. We usually had Sunday brunch after everyone got up and got going, usually around the 11 a.m. time. But I love the idea of having Sunday dinner and want to start this tradition in my life.  Having dinner with your family has a ton of benefits!  According to the Family Meal Project, the magic of family meals provide the following benefits:

• Better academic performance
• Higher self-esteem
• Greater sense of resilience
• Lower risk of substance abuse
• Lower risk of teen pregnancy
• Lower risk of depression
• Lower likelihood of developing eating disorders
• Lower rates of obesity

If you are interested in reading more about the benefits of family dinner, check out their Family Dinner References page.  Dinner does not need to be fancy or traditional. It could be anything from sandwiches and soup to tacos. I ended up going an easy direction with one-pot cooking and decided on a roasted chicken and vegetables. 

 

The preparation was so easy!  I placed my whole chicken in the bottom of the baker and drizzled olive oil over the top, rubbing it in. I placed 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary and 3 sprigs of fresh time into the cavity of the bird.  Feel free to use dried herbs, but if you have some fresh in the garden, these flavor your chicken and veggies wonderfully.  I sprinkled the bird with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. I surrounded the bird with various vegetables and then covered the baker. The ceramic handles a high temperature, so the oven was pre-heated to 425 degrees and the chicken cooked for 1 ½ hours. For the last 10 minutes, I took the lid off and spooned some of the juices on the bottom of the baker on top of the chicken for additional browning.

I chose celery, tomatoes, carrots, onions and potatoes. I always go with the Yukon Gold potatoes because they have a creamy and buttery flavor, so you don't have to add a bunch of toppings to make them taste good. Use any vegetables you have in the house, next time I am going to be adventurous and try fennel and Brussels sprouts.

The vegetables turn out perfectly, tender but not mushy. And the color stays beautiful! (Remember you eat with your eyes too!)

You just can't beat a healthful meal like this to end a holiday weekend. Another weekend is soon approaching, what will you be making for Sunday Funday?

Sunday Funday Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

1 – 4 lb. whole chicken

6 Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut in half
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into sticks
3 celery stalks, sliced into sticks
2 medium tomatoes, cut into fourths and deseeded
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place chicken in the baker, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and salt

3.       Place 3 sprigs of rosemary and thyme in the cavity of the chicken.

4.       Place vegetables around the chicken and put the last sprigs of rosemary and thyme on top of the chicken.

5.       Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, removing the lid of the baker the last 10 minutes. Spoon juices from the bottom of the baker on top of the chicken for continued browning.

6.       Removed vegetables and place in a bowl to serve.

7.       Cut chicken and place on platter to serve.

8.       The remaining juices can be used for gravy or a stock.

  ~Crazy