Staying fit is mostly about being prepared, for example, preparing good and healthy food. Seventy percent of your results have to do with what you put into your body. Choose good nutritious foods or make them. You don't have to spend all day cooking! Get kitchen accessories that save you time, an instapot and/or a chopper can cut your prep and cooking time in half. I'm Latina, so I love delicious Mexican food. I spend most nights remaking comfort foods, and with this Seattle weather, I've been into soups. Growing up, we didn't eat much meat but the food was still delicious! During fitness competition seasons, we over did it in the protein department. Now my focus is somewhere in the middle, with more veggies! They are not just fillers! They have so micronutrients the boost our health. For instance, peppers help improve digestion and they contain a natural compound called capsaicin, which helps alleviate pain because of the amount of neuropeptides released. Any kind of peppers, bell or hot peppers, fight inflammation and increase your metabolism and circulation.  Bring on the peppers! The challenging part can be sticking to the serving size- just remind yourself that you will eat again in a couple hours.

This hearty guiso is one of my favorites on a cozy day.
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion
4 garlic clove
1 carrot
14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes
1 cup of cherry tomatoes 
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper 
7 oz can salsa verde 
5 small Yukon papas (not the baby ones but bigger you a also measure 5 cups)
1 cup of green beans chopped and cleaned
Salt pepper to taste
1 lb of turkey or lean beef (My favorite is bison as well)
1 cup of chicken broth 

Instructions 
1. Satay chopped onion to translucence. Add garlic for 1 min, then add papas. Let cook while you chop other veggies. 
2. Add veggies to the pan along with green salsa. Add meat then cook for 5 min. 
3. Add broth and let cook for another 15 min… so good! Enjoy!

Nutritional Value:
Calories: 256
Carbs: 34 grams
Protein: 17.8 grams
Fat: 5.2 grams

I'm all about health and self-care. This week, self-care started with delicious, healthy food. My nephews and I made an event out of cooking burritos. This is probably the recipe I am asked about most often. People love these burritos, love that they use up all the leftovers in the fridge, and love that you can make a giant batch and freeze them for a quick meal later!

I love spending time with my family in the kitchen, and this was a fun way to connect with my nephews. We all have busy lives, but we all need to eat! Dividing the work among 3 of us made for light work. Getting to share a meal together was the cherry on top.

Find this recipe on the Health Blog, and search for other meal and snack recipes.

​Quick easy recipe that serves 8
Ingredient:
4 Zucchini or Eggplant Medium size or 4 Asian eggplans ½- 1 inch thick
24 ounce of Jar of Marinara Sauce (or make your own). I used Costco Kirkland brand without added sugar 
1/2c.  mozzarella cheese
1/3c. parmesan or Romano cheese
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lbs. of turkey, bison, chicken  or ground beef *optional 


Preheat oven to 375 degrees

 Instructions:
1. Sautée 1/2 a large onion and 2 garlic cloves in 2 tsp of olive oil until translucent, then cook the meat if using. I also added mushrooms and fire roasted veggies, use whatever you have on hand. 
2. Coat baking sheet with olive oil (used a 8x8 for a thicker lasagna, 9x13 works). Arrange sliced zucchini first the top with marinara sauce next, then ground turkey and grated mozzarella and  parmesan cheese next.  Repeat for 3 layers.  Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake for 30 min. 
​3. Remove from oven and serve with greens.  It is delicious!  You don’t need a ton of cheese if it’s a good kind.  
​
Nutrition Facts:
Total Calories 180 per serving: 7.6 g of carbs, 10.2g of Fat, and 15.6 grams of protein

This for all the people that ask me about my seasoning for taco meat as well as enchiladas.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of Olive oil
1 med finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
 For the seasoning:
(most times I will make a 3x batch of this and label it Mexican seasonings and use a lot with different meats)
2 tbsp of chili powder (if I make enchiladas I'll do the pods)
2 tbsp of smoked paprika
2 tsp of cumin
2 tsp of onion powder 
2 tsp of garlic powder 
1 pinche oregano 
1 pinch thyme
1 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. In an iron skillet or sauce pan over med-high heat, add olive oil and saute onions until translucent. Then add garlic. 
2. Add beef, bison or turkey (I like ground chicken), followed by the rest of the seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes and it should be ready to go.
3. Serve in corn tortillas with lettuce tomatoes and cilantro.

We enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day  with rice and beans or on top of sweet potatoes- all are delicious! For more veggie combos, I added red, grean, and yellow peppers, zucchini, or chayote. It is a good go-to recipe we enjoy every week.