Mexican Breakfast - THM Style

Hello there friends from all over the world! Today I bring to you a traditional dish from the North East of Mexico... If you think you know Mexican food but you've never lived there then you don't really know it... actually, even many of us, Mexicans born and raised in Mexico still have a lot to learn about our traditional Mexican cuisine... learning about all the dishes could take a lifetime! As every state and even probably every city in Mexico has its very own traditional dishes (or variations).

"Huevos" (eggs) are a staple in any good Mexican breakfast,  and it makes me so happy because they are an amazingly good source of great protein and fat, perfect for an "S" Meal! The only thing is that of course, a Mexican like me... will have to miss the delicious, just made corn tortillas to go with it... but that's ok... I can handle it! The dish by itself is really satisfying and filling.

The Name of the dish is "Guayin" - pronounced (close pronunciation): goo-ah-yeen and I would say it is like a "stuffed Omelette".

There are a few different versions of this dish ... today I will tell you how to make the two most common ones... 1 for a perfect S, the other for an S-helper (or even a healthy and yummy crossover).



Guayin Tamaulipeco   (Stuffed Mexican Omelette)
 (Tamaulipeco means that is from Tamaulipas, the state where I was raised)

Note: Please forgive the picture, I made it in such a hurry and ate it so fast I didn't even take the time to get a better shot, as soon as I get a good one I will change the pic.

Ingredients:

(Yield 1 serving)

• 1 tbsp. butter (grass-fed preferably)
• 3 whole eggs (preferably room temperature, just because this helps the egg cook faster at a lower temperature and it creates a more tender result)
• 1 National Hebrew All Beef Frank
• 2-3 tbsp. of Salsa (No sugar added) ... I use Pace or a "Private Selection" chipotle/habanero salsa (yummy!)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (feel free to add to your taste!)
• Salt to taste
• OPTIONAL - Fat free Refried Beans (I use and love ROSARITA beans, from the Hispanic Aisle) - You would use about 2 tbsp. for S-helper or more if you don't mind going into crossover territory... BEANS are a MUST in any good Mexican guayin but if you want to keep it an S don't include them, it will still be yummy!

Directions:

• Cut your Beef Frank in half length wise (you can completely separate the halves or just "butterfly" it)

• In a hot skillet (slightly greased) cook your frank until it has a beautiful darker (not burnt) color and it should be "bending" (like an arch) from the heat. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

• In two separate bowls microwave (you could also do this on the top stove) your salsa and refried beans (if using) -covered with a paper towel or you'll get a mess in your microwave- so that these ingredients are hot.

• In a glass bowl gently mix your eggs with a fork (don't over mix, this should be gentle to prevent too many air bubbles from forming), season with salt to taste (don't add too much, try adding a pinch only and then once you taste it when it's ready you will know if you need more, remember the frank and cheese will also add salt to it).

•  Heat your pan at medium/high heat, add the butter and once it's melted and hot pour the egg mixture (you are basically making an omelette)... if you've never made an omelette Alton Brown has great directions on how to make one... click here if you need them

• Once you've cooked your egg mixture on both sides (and before folding your omelette) remove the omelette from the heat, spread the refried beans (not all the way to the edges) and place your beef frank in there, add some shredded cheese, fold in half (like a quesadilla), add your salsa on top and sprinkle with more cheddar cheese. You can eat this for breakfast or dinner, with a salad on the side... Sliced avocado sprinkled with salt goes great with it too!

Enjoy!


© Paloma K.

Quinoa Salad! - E or Crossover

Hello friends! Today is the 5 Day of the 30 Day Challenge  I started on Facebook... Hopefully you'll join us! It is a quick routine of exercises to tone some muscles and I am definitely starting to feel it! It is great to have somebody else to do it with me (Thanks Karen) as it is helping me stay accountable!

Now... of course exercises are great but we need to also watch what we eat ... I am making all the right choices and eating until I am satisfied (or a little more, yeah... that's me) and I am starting to see the scale slowly (oh so slowly) go down again! It's been a while since it did that for ME so I am ecstatic (even if it's an ounce... we're headed in the right direction!)

If you already know the Trim Healthy Mama Plan then you know what I talk about when I mention "E meals or Crossovers"... if you're not on the plan you can also enjoy the recipes I share because they're healthy, yummy and nothing like your "typical Diet Food" ...

So... today I am going to share with you an amazingly delicious (and easy to make) Quinoa Salad, which you can eat in an "E" setting or as a crossover if you're at that point where you incorporate healthy crossovers to your menu.

Here it goes:

You can see it with avocado here, it is a yummy crossover!

 Quinoa Salad (E)
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of cooked red quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked)   I use this one
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 medium zucchini (or yellow squash) - cubed-
- 1 medium red tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- the juice of 1/2 a lime 
- about 1 tbsp. of olive oil (you can add this if you keep it to only 1 serving and do not incorporate any other fat in your meal, it would still be an "E")
- 1 clove of garlic (very finely chopped)
- salt to taste
- 1 avocado -cubed- (ONLY FOR CROSSOVER, omit if you want to keep it an "E")
- Add 1/2 a fresh serrano or jalapeño pepper (chopped) if you can handle the heat, (you can seed it if you want to tame the heat down a bit), this will add a bit of a quick and give it more of a "Mexican flare" to it.
 
Directions:

Mix the quinoa, cilantro, zucchini, tomato, onion (and avocado if using it) in a big bowl, separately whisk together the lime, olive oil and garlic, drizzle over the quinoa mixture, season to taste and let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors "mingle". Serve at room temperature (or even cold), this salad is a great accompaniment to any meat (keep your meats lean for the "E" setting).

I soooo can see it served in this salad set... I am going to add it to my Christmas List! 


 Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. All the recommendations and suggestions are entirely my opinion.

Zucchini/Poblano Frittata - Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

Good day everybody! It is not very common for me to write a post on Saturdays but I couldn't wait any longer to share this recipe with you... If you celebrate Halloween (or if your children came home with bags of candy from school) then you probably gave in to a piece (or more) of candy... Do not let guilt keep you down because that doesn't help at all... Instead... Have a delicious and very satisfying meal that will not only will leave your stomach satisfied but will also give you the boost you need to know YOU CAN DO THIS! And on top of it all... you'll lose weight with the healthy fats that your body craves so much!

 So... I present to you my very favorite thing to have for breakfast! But it's so delicious that you can even have it for lunch or dinner:

This is the more "plain" version without the cheddar cheese....

Zucchini/PoblanoFrittata - S

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. of grass fed butter or extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 small/firm zucchini (grated) (or use 1/2 of a medium one) - for more Mexican flavors you can roast 1-2 poblano peppers (peeled and seeded) and finely chop it, use it instead or along with the zucchini -if you don't like "heat" just use zucchini... it's still amazingly delicious!
• 2-3 whole eggs (don't be afraid of eggs, they're super healthy for you, if you're still doubtful I highly recommend one of my favorite books: The Good Fat Cookbook )
• 1 oz. of 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese
• 2-3 tbsp. of just shredded Cheddar (or mozzarella) cheese, grate it (about 2-3 tbsp.) -optional-
• Sea salt to taste
• Seasonings like some garlic or onion powder (optional, I don't use those often)

Note: To learn how to roast peppers in the oven... I shared step by step on my FB Page: here

Directions:
In a bowl place all of the ingredients together -except butter- (make sure you add the cream cheese in small pieces). Whisk or mix with a fork (the cream cheese shouldn't completely incorporate, you should have small clumps of cream cheese floating around, that's part of the deliciousness!!-

Melt butter (or coconut oil) in a small-medium skillet on medium/low heat, put all the ingredients in the pan and cover, for a "crispier/more golden version" increase the heat to medium and flip your frittata half-way through so it cooks well on both sides, for a creamier version (my favorite) just cover with a lid (on medium-low heat) and let it cook all the way through without flipping it (about 4 min). Serve immediately and to make it even more Mexican make sure you accompany it with a couple of slices of avocado, top with a bit more shredded cheddar cheese if desired (remember to not overdo cheese but... I guess once in a while it's not too bad)

Enjoy with a delicious cup of coffee (or a trimmaccino!) and let me know how you liked it.

Here is a picture of the "crispier" version topped with cheddar cheese

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

© Paloma K.

Trim Healthy Mama - Mexican Style! S, E or FP

When people ask me: "Do you cook Mexican all the time?" I must admit that I don't always know what to say so I usually say "I guess" ... I am a Mexican, born and raised there, so whatever I cook I guess has the "Mexican flare" to it... it doesn't mean that I always cook what American people consider Mexican, it doesn't mean that I am always eating "chimichangas" (which by the way I've never had one) or "burritos" (which, I always considered "American food" growing up), it doesn't mean that I am always making "taco soup" or "taco salad" (I came to know those existed when I moved to the USA... I've never made them, btw, I should try those!) so, I guess that's why I don't know what to respond. I am always cooking rice, chicken, beef, "meatloaf" (pastel de carne), etc. Yes I do make "tostadas and tacos" but I also cook "guisados" (like casserole dishes I guess), pasta, etc... and even when I have indeed introduced other foods that I never ate while growing up in Mexico (like barley, which I LOVE!) and I do use some other seasonings that I never used to before (like Italian seasoning) I guess my food can always be considered "Mexican" because, well... that's what I am.

So... now that I am on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, I've been seeing a lot of dishes and recipes but not many of them entirely "satisfy my Mexican palate", I thought I would cook the "way I know to" just making sure I combine the ingredients the right way, the THM way, to make sure I stay on plan... and I am going to share one of my dishes with you... This one can be easily modified and used as FP, S or E... Here it goes:

Picture taken by Rhonda from the Trim Healthy Mama Team

Note: The picture is NOW great!!! Thank you Rhonda! It is beautiful!

Get your own Mexican style placemat here

Chicken with Zucchini THM dish - Mexican style
Original dish is naturally Gluten Free
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 big chicken breasts (or 3-4 smaller ones)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 white onion (chopped)
• 1 big clove of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped, discard the seeds)
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (make sure there's no added sugar)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 3 zucchinis (cubed) (I even used 2 zucchinis and 1 yellow squash)
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Place the chicken, water, onion, garlic and salt in a large skillet, cover with a tight lid and let it cook in medium/low heat until the chicken is cooked through (about 30 mins).
• Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet, let them cool a little bit, while they cool add the tomato sauce, cumin and bell pepper to the water (add a bit more liquid if necessary, there should be enough sauce up to 1/2" high in the pan).
• Cover the pan with the lid and let the sauce simmer in low heat while you shred the chicken breasts with two forks (or with your fingers if it's cool enough to handle).
• Return the shredded chicken to the pan and incorporate the zucchini, cover and let it all cook together until the zucchini is cooked through (about 10 more minutes), taste and add a bit more salt to taste if needed. Serve immediately.

FOR FP:

Serve and top with some 0% Greek yogurt next to a big green salad dressed with some balsamic vinegar. You can sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro on top of your chicken dish.

FOR S:

You can substitute chicken breast for chicken thighs, you can serve with a side of avocado sprinkled with salt or if you're not a purist you can even eat it in 2 low carb (3 net carb) mission flour tortillas topped with sour cream (Don't forget your avocado), iceberg lettuce and cucumbers are a great accompaniment for these flavors! Make a good side salad.

FOR E:

You can serve it with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (don't add any oil to it) and even go for 1/4 cup of refried beans (fat free, Rosarita has great fat free beans) to go with it. Hopefully you'll make a side salad as well.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family enjoys it! As you can see... I guess I do cook Mexican all the time, it's awesome to be able to stay on plan.

ETA 11/1/2014: This recipe will be promoted by the Trim Healthy Mama Team, Jessica Myers (Admin from the THM FB Group ) sent it to Pearl (one of the sisters that created this amazing Plan) and they were so interested in it that they prepared it and took the beautiful picture I am sharing with my recipe... I am honored and thankful!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

Chile Relleno Casserole

Hello everybody! I know you're used to me sharing desserts... After all I just love baking... What you probably don't know is that I barely ever even taste what I bake... I have this love/hate relationship with food and I used to be focused in a very (VERY) low calorie/low fat/low sugar diet... or so I thought...now I realize how many foods I was eating that were high sugar and I had no idea... yes they were low calories but no they were not low in sugars... and now... I am in a COMPLETELY sugar-free eating plan now... so again... Desserts seem off-limits but it turns out that this new way of eating (The Trim Healthy Mama way) includes a wide variety of desserts that are on plan and allow you to still lose weight... No sugar but yes other natural sweeteners (no Splenda here!) that do not affect your glycemic index and do not make you insulin resistant as sugar would.The Trim Healthy Mama plan just teaches you to not combine fuels when you eat (you pretty much can eat protein and fat OR protein and carbs but never mix fats and carbs as sometimes we do) ... it is not a low carb diet as you can eat up to 45 grams of carbs when eating "E" type meals  (Energizing Meals = protein+carbs and very low fat) and you can eat up to 10 grams of carbs when eating "S" type meals (Satisfying Meals = protein+fats and very low carbs).

I know it might seem complicated at first but even when I've been on the plan for only about 3 1/2 weeks I am starting to get it... and even when I have thyroid issues I am starting to see some weight loss! This is great because with hypo-thyroidism I am just amazed to be able to eat and not gain weight! I find it miraculous if I can even lose! even if ever so slowly!

So... you will be seeing me around more as I share the foods I eat with the world... For now... I will share with you the recipe to make a delicious "Chile Relleno Casserole" ... The Trim Healthy Mama Book has a recipe for this dish but I decided to make my own with a "more Mexican flare" of course! I am pleased with the results! Hubby loved it and I think you will love it too! Whether you're trying to eat healthier or not this is a YUMMY dish that your family will enjoy.

Disclaimer: this is obviously not an "Authentic Mexican Dish" but it is not deep fried! Which is a better option... You can choose to add more poblano pepper if you can handle the heat. Most of the heat is in the seeds/veins of the pepper anyway and those are discarded. Customize it to your taste.

Chile Relleno Casserole
Trim Healthy Mama - S Meal
Yield: 4 generous servings

Ingredients: 

• 7 egg whites + 2 egg yolks (you can use about 1/2 cup of liquid egg-whites from a carton)
• 6-7  Poblano Peppers (Roasted, Peeled, seeded and sliced into about 1"x0.5" pieces) - to learn how to roast/peel/seed them click here
• 1.5 lb. (or 3 heaping cups) of cooked chicken (cubed or shredded, I prefer cubed) - you can use leftover skinless rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup part skim mozzarella cheese (You can omit the mozzarella and just add about 1/3 of an 8oz. block of cream cheese, in small "pieces")
• 1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes (drain if canned or chop your own fresh tomatoes)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Garlic and onion powder are optional and to taste (they do add a great deal of flavor)

Directions:

• Preheat oven at 350F. Grease an 8x8 (or 9x9) baking dish with some butter, EVOO or coconut oil.

• In a bowl mix the egg whites and egg yolks with a fork or whisk, season with the garlic/onion powders, salt and pepper, mix, add rest of the ingredients to the bowl and gently fold all the ingredients together until they're all incorporated. Season with some more salt and pepper (careful with the salt especially if using pre-seasoned chicken like the rotisserie kind). 
• Add the mix of ingredients into baking dish and smooth with a spoon or spatula. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. 

(Update 3/15/15: I reduced the amounts of cheese in the ingredients but you can add more to your taste if desired, I think this is a good amount though)

 The first time we had this I served it to hubby with some sliced avocado and a spring mix salad. The second time I gave him a whole wheat tortilla as well to enjoy. If you're following the Trim Healthy Mama Plan remember you can have up to 6 grams of store-bought carbs from breads. with this "S Type Meal"

Enjoy!

Check out this Pyrex 10-Piece Set, Clear with Blue Lids - Perfect for storage and for baking! I love mine!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.