ArcaMax

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Remember that jingle?

When the cravings get tough, I think some people DO scream!

The good news is there is a way to have your ice cream, eat it too, and not gain weight.

Food companies are getting a clue that we want to have it all, but we know we can’t eat it all. So, they are making smaller portions. Ice cream bar mini’s are multiplying in the grocery freezer section. Many of the manufacturers are using higher quality ingredients, too, and leaving out all the artificial stuff.

You can in fact have a dessert every day if you keep your total carbohydrate count for the day under 20% of your total intake. Follow this rule of thumb: 20 grams of carbs (or less) in your dessert. 15 grams or less is better, but I do make a couple of exceptions.

So read the back of the box. If the carb count is under 20 grams, eat one. One per day should be safe. Just keep an eye on the scale…and scale back if you start to go overboard.

I went to the grocery store recently and found all kinds of new options. I even taste-tested a few so I could report out...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Chicken "Chimichanga"

At first you’d think chimichangas would be high carb. The good news is they have low carb tortillas at the grocery store that taste the same as the traditional. Look for the low carb versions. Carb Balance and Carb Counter are two I reach for. The fabulous thing is they have so much fiber mixed in that they come in at about four grams of net carbs per tortilla. I still would not eat them often but once you are stabilized a couple times a month should be okay.

Servings: Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 cups of chicken. I used one package of tenderloins.
1 Tbl of your favorite chili powder (smoked is best)
½ tsp of cumin
¼ tsp of paprika (I use smoked for this too)
½ tsp of grated sea salt
½ cup of salsa. I found one in the fresh produce section. Fresh salsa would be best but jar salsa can work, too.
2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded
2 ounces of cream cheese, softened. You can also buy whipped cream cheese and just use the rest for something else.
3 – 4 green onions, cleaned, and chopped. White and green parts only.
½ of a 15 ounces can of traditional refried beans.
4 burrito-sized low carb tortillas
1 Tbl of olive oil
Sour cream as an optional garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spray chicken with olive oil spray and bake for about 20 minutes. Then cut up or shred the chicken after it cools down. Or, if you're in a hurry, you could use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe and shred it up.

In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, chili powder, cumin, paprika, sea salt, cheese, cream cheese and some of the green onion. Save the rest for garnish. Smoosh it around with a spatula or spoon until it’s well mixed. Your chicken mixture should taste smooth and mild. If you like your food spicier, adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Increase the oven heat to 400 degrees so it will be ready to bake the chimichangas.

To Assemble:

Spoon three to four tablespoons of refried beans onto your tortilla. Spread the beans around with a knife or the back of a spoon. Add about a half-cup of the meat mixture (maybe a bit more. I like mine STUFFED) into the center of the tortilla. Now fold it up. That means bring in the sides and hold those with your thumbs while you fold the tortilla from the front to the back to seal in all the stuffing. This can be a bit tricky but you’ll get the hang of it. Just don’t let go halfway through. If you have an issue, you can always unroll it and try again. Set them seam side down on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil. Do this four times so you have four chimichangas.

Brush the sides and top with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Now you have baked burritos. What makes them an authentic chimichanga is to fry them.

I used to think that meant deep fried, so I never made them at home. All it really means is to heat up the oil in a sauté pan and “fry” the chimichanga on both sides until they are lightly brown. I love mine a little crispy.

Garnish with salsa, a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle on some more onions. I love the contrast of the cold sour cream and the hot chimi so when I served mine, I gave myself a mountain of sour cream :)

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola