ArcaMax

When I was a young girl of 12, I became obsessed with weight. Twiggy was the super model at the time and she was rail thin. I thought I needed to be like that. I wasn’t obese by any means. Turns out I was a normal 12 year old, but I was worried I was too fat to be in my sister’s wedding so I started trying to diet.

The first thing I did was go buy a tiny book that listed the number of calories in various foods. They sold these little pocket versions by the checkout at the grocery store. I bought one of those books and rather than carry it around with me, I set out to memorize it.

I did memorize it.

I did such a good job that as I grew older I could still recite what was in that little manual. I knew the calorie count for all my favorite things.

I knew a hard boiled egg was 75 calories.
I knew an 8 oz glass of whole milk was 140.
I knew a tablespoon of peanut butter was 90.

I memorized pages of items that I wanted to be able to eat. I was told it was all about counting calories. I was good at math.

Trouble is, that wasn’t really what I needed to learn. That was the conventional wisdom at the time, but even though I counted calories like a maven, I gained weight.

What I know now is different...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Beef Enchiladas

This version of our enchilada offerings does include a tortilla. It’s not a large one and we over-stuff it so we keep the carbs down. It should fill you up. If you do a few taco chips and salsa and guacamole, one enchilada should be enough for your meal.

Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of ground beef 1 cup of chopped onion (You can use yellow, white, or even red)
1/2 of a 15 oz can of pinto beans (Mild, medium, or hot. Your choice.)
4 8” tortillas (Mission brand makes one that’s called Carb Balance. Only 4 grams net of carbs.)
3 cups of Mexican cheese blend (Grated)
1 small can of red enchilada sauce (You’ll use about half of the can)

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a nine-by-nine-inch oven-proof pan with cooking spray. Spray a large sauté pan. Put in your beef and begin to cook it on medium-high. Continually break it up so it turns into bite sized pieces or maybe a little smaller. Half way through the cooking time you can add the onion. Continue cooking on medium until there is no pink left in the beef.

Stir in the beans and cook a few minutes more; just until the beans are heated. Add one-quarter cup of the enchilada sauce and take the pan off the heat. Stir it all up.

To assemble the enchiladas, set up a little prep line. Take a tortilla. Set it on your cutting board. Spread two or three teaspoons of the enchilada sauce from the can across the tortilla. Add a quarter of the beef/bean mixture. Keep that spread in the middle. Put a small handful (one-third of a cup) of the grated cheese across the beef mixture. Carefully roll up the tortilla and then place it seam-side down in your prepared oven-proof pan. Repeat the process with the other three tortillas. You might need to squeeze the over-stuffed rolls into the pan.

Drizzle a few more tablespoons of the enchilada sauce across the prepared enchiladas. Sprinkle on the rest of your cheese. Place in your oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take them out and carefully plate them. And serve!

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola