Clean Eating, Mexican Style

I LOVE Mexican food! It is my absolute favorite, but I rarely eat it because it's loaded with fat and sodium. Last time I ate at a Mexican restaraunt, I overindulged just a little, and I certainly paid for it. My stomach hurt for hours, and I got terrible heartburn. I am challenging myself to make a tasty, healthy, Mexican-style dinner.

The process of preparing this meal took a few days. I am only willing to spend a few minutes at a time in the kitchen, so I started planning when I still had food left from my last cooking experience.

One evening I cleaned dried pinto beans, and let them soak overnight. The next morning, I tossed them into my crock pot with the recommended amount of water, and let them simmer throughout the day. That evening I chopped fresh cilantro, onions, and peeled garlic, and put that, along with the cooked pinto beans, in the fridge for the next day.

During my lunch break the following day, I sauteed the veggies, and added chili powder and cumin to the pan. I cut all visible fat from a family size pack of boneless, skinless chicken breast, and placed it in the crock pot. I then added the veggies and seasonings, and turned the crock pot on low to cook while I went back to the gym for my afternoon clients and classes.

When I arrived home, everything was almost done! I decided I would make some corn tortillas from Maseca corn flour, and followed the directions on the bag. They were relatively easy to make, but I didn't have a tortilla press recommended by the instructions, so I made due with a rolling pin. They didn't turn out perfectly circular or consistent throughout, but they tasted fantastic!

I reheated the beans and topped them with a little Mexican crumbling cheese. I added the beans and cheese, chicken, and some all natural prepared pico de gallo to the tortillas, and I have to say, this is the absolute best meal I have ever cooked! I am no chef, but this turned out way better than I expected. I could eat this every day!

There's still room for improvement though. Next time I will season the beans a little more. I didn't put anything in them, so they were a tad bland, but all the other tastes certainly compensated! The best thing about this Mexican style dish is that the only fat comes from a miniscule amount in the cheese, olive oil, and corn flour, and the only salt is from the tiny bit in the prepared pico de gallo.

I just had the tortillas as a treat today. Although delicious, they are also high in calories, most from carbohydrates. I consumed 440 calories worth of just tortillas at one meal, so I shouldn't eat them all the time. They sure were delicious with the rest of the meal, but I am pretty sure I can do without them next time.