Enchilada skillet and a superstar sandwich
This past week we had Parker's birthday on Wednesday and his pool party on Saturday. Birthday weeks are always extra busy, especially for moms. I jokingly asked Frank the night before the party, "Okay, babe, you're all set with everything you're supposed to do for the party, right?" and he laughed. Not sure how it is in your house but he's just "support staff" with all the planning but I'm usually the project manager role. I'm convinced that birthday parties always take more prep (and cost more) than you think but also that pool parties may be the way to go. So far, this one was easier to plan than any others I've done!
For this week's lunch ideas, I'm sharing my current sandwich obsession (thanks to my friend Katie's fabulous sandwiches she made last weekend on our moms trip) with some optional ingredients to swap for added nutrients. Also, you'll find an enchilada skillet recipe from Fed and Fit I love that serves up great leftovers for lunch. It's also one of the only proven recipes I've found that successfully disguises cauliflower rice. Yay! I tweak it to use only 1 lb of meat plus like that it's a versatile recipe to swap in whatever you have veggie wise.
Prep Ahead: Enchilada Skillet
modified from Fed and Fit recipe
Preheat oven to 450. Use oven safe skillet.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, ideally grass-fed
1-2 colored peppers, diced
2 teaspoons ghee, olive or avocado oil
10 ounces (I used 8 ounce bag from Thrive Market) of riced cauliflower. Defrost and drain if frozen.
15 ounce can enchilada sauce (red, mild)
15 ounce can black beans, drained
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
6 tortillas cut into 1 inch strips (I've also used crushed tortilla chips)
1-2 cups shredded cheese (to taste)
1 avocado diced to top
cilantro for optional garnish
Assembly:
Cook beef first, then drain and set aside. Saute peppers and onions in same skillet for 7-8 minutes. Once softened, add beef back into pan as well as riced cauliflower, enchilada sauce, beans, seasonings. Add 2 TBSP water if it looks dry. Still to combine then stir in tortilla strips or crumbled chips.
Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake 8-10 minutes at 450. Brown cheese to your preference, let sit for a few minute and serve! Garnish with avocado and optionally cilantro. Leftovers are great for lunch with a fresh avocado or even thrown over greens for an enchilada salad.
Grab and Go: Sandwich
Sandwiches can be either a nutrient powerhouse, sustaining you well into the afternoon, or an over-processed, additives-filled trap. Not sugar coating anything there!
Things to ask yourself in the sandwich world -- what bread are you using? Many conventional brands are full of processed ingredients AND glyphosate risk if not organic (think RoundUp weedkiller -- cancer risk.) Also, what's your protein? Do you have a lot of colors? Those are the keys to a filling health-happy sandwich.
Sandwich Ingredients I'm loving (mix and match)
Dave's Killer or Ezekiel breads
Turkey (look for no added nitrates)
Cheese
Lettuce and tomato
Sliced dill pickles (**game changer)
Olive oil/vinegar/salt and pepper (I keep it prepped ahead of time for sandwiches and salads.)
Hummus (check for no added inflammatory oils)
Avocado
Sauerkraut (if you can handle it it's an awesome gut health addition to ANYTHING!)
** A word of caution on pickles -- many brands have yellow dye 6 added so give your label a peak before you buy them from the grocery store. Personally, my sandwich life has been changed by Grillo's fresh dill pickles from Whole Foods. Amazing!
Stay tuned for two more ideas next week and please share these with your mom friends. Let me know if you try the enchilada skillet out this week, too.
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Wishing you a healthy week!
Meredith