superstitious

I’m superstitious about weird things. While playing hockey in high school and college I always wore the same pair of rainbow wool socks…they were my lucky hockey socks. Thing was, I never washed them because the luck may have washed out. After several (like…6) years of unwashed, sweaty, stinky sock-wearing, the things nearly disintegrated and they were no longer wearable. I still wear just one pair of socks to play hockey — they’re gray and yellow ski socks — but they occasionally get washed. Occasionally.

Well my latest superstitious fashion statement is my newest business suit. You see, I purchased a new suit before moving to Columbus and I really love this suit. However, I was dreading shopping for said suit because I wasn’t at a weight I was most comfortable at. You can read all about my suit shopping here. But I wore that suit today and Mid Ohio Nutrition Specialists knocked yesterday’s pitch OUT OF THE WATER!

In my infantile career I’ve learned one thing about doctors: don’t get your hopes up (no offense, docs!). Doctors are very busy, intelligent people that more often than not have an attitude to match their status, at least some degree. When we set up this pitch, my partners and I went in expecting the minimum — maybe 1 or 2 doctors show, maybe no one shows. Ends up, the whole practice showed, were totally engaged, and asked brilliant questions. My two business partners and I sat down with 2 office staff and 7 nephrologists and had an HOUR long conversation over the medical nutrition therapy we can offer to their practice to improve patient outcomes. If that isn’t rewarding, I don’t know what is. Cloud 9…that’s where I am 😀 Whether we get the account or not, we left feeling like we knocked it out of the park. Now, the waiting game.

And to complete a fabulous day, a fabulous dinner.

I’ve always heard that when you go out for Mexican you should order enchiladas because they are typically the most labor intensive Mexican dish to make. And while that is probably very true, I also find them to be the most delicious and nutritious. Has anyone else heard of this enchilada tip when dining out? Just curious!

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Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce adapted from Pink Parsley and Tide and Thyme, orginally from America’s Test Kitchen

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 tsp canola oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp sugar
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
1 cup Cabot 50% reduced fat white sharp cheddar, shredded
1 cup 2% monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
cooking spray
salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onin mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly..

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc. (not included in nutrition info). Yield: 6 servings (2 enchiladas each).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 391 calories; 12 g. fat; 67 mg. cholesterol; 919 mg. sodium; 34 g. carbohydrate; 4.3 g. fiber; 38 g. protein

Result: I give these a huge 2 thumbs up and an A++ rating — they are excellent! The peanut gallery gave them a B+ and ate 4. I think he’s a tough critic because clearly he enjoyed them. Be sure to use fresh corn tortillas so they don’t crumble as easily as mine did. Don’t let the directions scare you, these are very doable. You will need an 70 minutes from start-to-finish, and you will dirty some dishes…but isn’t that half the fun?! 😉 Regardless, these are worth it! The sodium content is high (I am seeing a trend here with heavy winter comfort foods that include lots of canned goods…you?), but the macronutrient is great — moderate carbohydrate, high protein. Enjoy!

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P.S. Enchiladas go along with crock pot creations in that while they are very, very good…they never quite photograph that way!

P.P.S. 6 countries and 33 states responded to yesterday’s roll call! That was awesome – thank you for all of your support! 🙂

Question: Are you superstitious about anything? Do you have a “lucky” anything?

TGIF!!!! 😀 I hear the treadmill calling my name…