Weight Loss and Nakato's-Inspired Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables

I read in a Monday Motivation, "If something doesn't change, nothing will change."

I also saw the message, "If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness. Read that again."

On Friday, August 28, 2020, I decided I had to focus on my health and diet AGAIN.
In looking back at the last time I actually recorded my weight, since January 15th this year, I had gained 22 pounds.  I felt it.  Again, my clothes aren't fitting and I don't feel good in clothes that are fitting.

Last year I documented my weight loss journey and blogged about it weekly.  I had some good information in those blogs.  They were titled:

The Beginning - Focused, Aware, and Disciplined 

Week One - Progress

Week Two - Determined

Week Three - By our choices we reveal our commitments

Week Four - What can happen in one month

Week Five - Don't give up

Week Six - Reprogram your brain

Week Seven - My body is changing

Week Eight - Traveling and eating right

Week Ten - Mindfulness

Week Eleven - Handling disappointment

Week Twelve - Unstoppable

Week Thirteen - The desire to find a way

Week Fourteen - Starting over again

If you're interested I think there is some good motivation in these blogs.  I recently reread them and I remember feeling like my weight was coming off quickly.

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Again, I am focusing on drinking my water.  I'm striving for 100 ounces.
I hired a personal trainer for 2 days a week.  He is making me send him pictures of everything that I am eating, including my beverages.
And most days I am tracking the calories, trying to stay at about 1300 for the day.
On the days I don't work out, I am supposed to walk 30 - 45 minutes.

I am also searching online for healthy recipe ideas. I hope to share some of those healthy meals.
Basically, I am striving to add lots of vegetables into my meals.

One of my favorite dinners has been this Stir-Fried Chicken and Vegetables.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 oz Chicken breast
Broccoli
Carrots
Mushrooms
Onions
Zucchini

Spicy Yummy Yummy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Real Mayonnaise (Hellman's)
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
2 Tablespoons Milk (2%)

I thought I was making a LOT of vegetables, but they definitely cooked down.  Or perhaps I overcooked them.  I started with about 2 cups of vegetables.  Next time I may double that.  And I was only cooking for ONE person, me.

My fitness Pal added this entire meal at 516 Calories.  

Take away - fill up on vegetables!

PS, As of Sept 15. 2020, I am down 9 lbs.
It really does come off fast when you stick to a low calorie diet, incorporating healthy, real food, and skip the alcohol.

Ground Beef Enchiladas

These Ground Beef Enchiladas are so tasty and easy, you’ll never go back to canned enchilada sauce. Corn tortillas filled with flavorful ground beef, melty cheese and a killer homemade red enchilada sauce.

This beef enchilada recipe is really so simple, that you might have all the ingredients you need already on hand. Start with a pound of extra lean good quality ground beef. I prefer to sauté the onions and jalapeños, then add the garlic just before adding the ground beef. This brings out the flavors of the aromatics. A small amount of sugar balances the acidity of the tomato sauce.

How to Make Beef Enchiladas – Time Saving Tip!

Prepare as much as you can ahead, dice and shred and have everything laid out. Once you have everything prepared, set up an assembly line to make the enchiladas. In this enchilada recipe, the beef and sauce is cooked together in one pot. For assembly, rather than separating the meat and the enchilada sauce, I use a slotted spoon to spoon the meat mixture into each tortilla, then top with cheese and roll. Once the beef has been evenly divided into the tortillas, use the remaining sauce in the pan to top the enchiladas and bake.

Good Quality Spices and Fresh Herbs

I love the flavor of cilantro, but if you don’t you can certainly skip it. For freshness, try chopped fresh parsley instead. I also like the extra flavor of smoked paprika in this recipe, but you can substitute regular paprika as well.

Frying the Tortillas for Enchiladas

In a small frying pan, lightly fry tortillas in a shallow amount of vegetable or canola oil. You just want the tortillas to be soft and pliable, not crispy. Lightly frying the corn tortillas prevents them from getting soggy once you bake the enchiladas. The oil acts as a barrier and keeps tortillas from absorbing too much liquid from the sauce.

Beef Enchiladas Recipe

The best part of this recipe is that it’s easily doubled or tripled. It’s a great dinner to make and take. Make one for home and one for a friend or neighbor. These beef enchiladas freeze really well too! Just assemble, let cool completely, cover tightly and freeze.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus additional for frying tortillas
• 1/2 cup onion finely diced
• 1 jalapeno minced and seeds removed
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound 93/7 lean ground beef
• 1 cup beef broth low sodium
• 2 8 oz cans tomato sauce good quality
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• 12 corn tortillas
• 16 oz Colby-jack cheese shredded
• sour cream for serving

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, sauté onions and jalapeño over medium low heat until onions start to soften and turn translucent, 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Increase heat and add ground beef to skillet and brown until cooked through. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, sugar, cumin, salt and pepper to pan and stir to combine. Let simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly. 
2. Meanwhile in a second smaller skillet, lightly fry corn tortillas in hot vegetable oil. Tortillas should still be pliable for rolling. Set tortillas aside with paper towels between each layer. Once sauce has reduced slightly, stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
4. To assemble enchiladas, start by adding 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce mixture in bottom of baking pan. Use a slotted spoon to evenly divide meat mixture into each of the tortillas, then divide 8 oz of cheese between all 12 enchiladas, roll and place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over rolled enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with additional fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream.

This recipe comes from Melissa at;

number-2-pencil.com 

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Level - EASY
Prep Time - 30 minutes
Cook Time - 45 Minutes
Yieild - 12 Servings

This recipe comes from 

Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

Cake: 

1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.
3. To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
4. To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.