Chicken Tacos with Thick Black Bean Salsa

I am definitely the kind of cook who wants to eat something that tastes fabulous but doesn't want to spend all day in the kitchen to get there. Of course I will put in the time if it is absolutely necessary... [insert Raspberry Ribbon Pie here] but it is absolutely not my personal preference.

Insert Tacos! Who doesn't love a good taco? I certainly love tacos and I don't mind getting quite messy to eat them up. My cute hubster is more conservative in the packing of his tacos but I love mine busting at the guts.

I have made this recipe SEVERAL times and, once again, I will apologize for my complete lack of photography skills. There is really only so much that you can do with a camera phone at night. So... it is what it is!

CHICKEN TACOS WITH THICK BLACK BEANS SALSA
A Shayla Original
Serves 2-4 (depending on the hunger level of those you are serving!)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into chunks
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, but amazing)

1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups salsa (whatever kind is your favorite)
1 tsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch if you aren't worried about gluten free)

Leafy topping of choice! I am very preferential to purple cabbage
Cheese topping of choice! Love love love the pepperjack
8 small corn tortillas

Turn on the broil option on your oven. I do high broil but you gotta keep a close eye on your tortillas if you do!

In a nonstick skillet mix together your chicken and seasonings. Cook thoroughly until no longer pink. I don't use any nonstick spray or oil to cook my chicken but you can if you must.

In the meantime, heat another nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add your onion slices and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add in your black beans and heat just briefly before adding in your salsa. You can cook it for a few minutes and leave it more runny or you can do what I do and add in a bit of arrowroot powder to thicken it up. It sticks together wonderfully and stays in the tortilla shell better. If you add in the arrowroot, turn your heat to medium and cook until salsa reaches your desired amount of thickness. (About 5 minutes for me).

Place your tortillas on a cookie sheet. Place in the preheated oven and just heat the things until you reach your level of desired crispness. You can let them go longer and eat these tostada style or just warm them so they are flexible.

Serve by topping a tortilla with the thick salsa, chicken, leafy topping of choice and cheese of choice.

YUMMMMMMM delicious!

On Sacrifice and Self Mastery

I am a Christian woman and although my personal denomination doesn't specifically celebrate the season of Lent I have been struck by its significance.

What is Lent? (Courtesy of About.com)

"Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count)."

"Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting,repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection." 

Since all of the purposes of Lent fall in line with things I believe and feel strongly about I have decided to participate in its recognition this year. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (which just happens to be tomorrow) and ends on Holy Saturday (March 30th). For that time period I have chosen to focus on the physical goal of not eating food after 7:00 pm in the evening. I do so well at being moderate and aware of what I am consuming throughout the day and then the evening hits and suddenly all self control seems to go out the window. Now, I feel like I need to add a minute exception to this... sometimes with my work and school schedule dinner is out of my control. If I have no possibility of getting dinner before 7:00 in the evening I am not just going to skip it. It is just as important to health and wellness to not skip meals as it is to be moderate within our meals. But I am going to make every effort to plan and organize so that I can commit to this goal.

Photo source here

Not going to lie... this is going to be hard for me. My cute hubster and I spend our time together at night when the kiddies go to bed at 7:00 pm. Food is a way of bringing people together and bonding and we like to snack together. But I know that it is something that I could do better on and something that I believe will help me to control the urges that seem to penetrate my mind each evening.

Something else that I would like to focus on for Lent would be a subject of emotional health. Fitness and health of the body is not just physical - it is very much emotional and spiritual too. For me, that means that I need to try and clear my mind of worry. 

Photo source here

Worrying is something that I spend way too much energy on and something that robs me of peace and stability. The effects of high cortisol levels on the body have been studied extensively and I am literally doing physical damage to my body when I allow myself to get in that state of panic and distress.

So when I find myself overly worrying I am going to pray. I am going to meditate. I am going to write. I am going to do whatever I need to in order to calm myself down. And then the next time something happens I am going to work hard to not stress myself out in the first place. 

Photo source here

I believe in total body fitness. I want to incorporate health and nutrition into as many parts of my life as possible. I am grateful for Lent and for the opportunity at this time to take a look at myself and really ask, "How am I doing?"

QUESTION FOR MY READERS: Do you observe Lent? What goals are you hoping to focus on this year?

Loves...Shayla

Chocolate Spinach Protein Smoothie

I have a reason for not having a picture of this most decadent and delicious of smoothie recipes. I was thinking about photographing it and looked at it and thought, "Wow... this is kind of a sickly pea green color." I felt like Linguini on Ratatouille, "Why do they call it that? If you're going to name a food it should sound delicious! Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like rat, and patootie. Ratpatootie! Which does NOT sound delicious!"

I don't want to turn you guys away with a picture of sickly pea green substance in an awful orange colored cup. Yeah... not a good idea.

This color. In a cup. Not kidding.

But, seriously, this is my favorite smoothie of all time. It is smooth, delicious and VERY filling.

I buy organic spinach in the tubs at Sam's Club. ($4.39/lb for the organic baby spinach). It is cheaper if you can get it at Costco but only slightly ($3.99). The tub is pretty big and lasts quite a while. I also get my almonds at Sam's club. At $10.89 for a 3 lb bag you just can't find them cheaper ANYWHERE.

The xanthan and guar gums are optional. The smoothie works without them but they lend a creaminess that you can't beat. It makes the smoothie take on more of a soft serve ice cream texture. You can find them online or at a local store that carries spices in bulk. (Like Winco).

CHOCOLATE SPINACH PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

A Shayla Original

Serves 2 (or 1 if you are really hungry)

See bottom of recipe for substitution options

12 ounces unsweetened almond milk 

1/4 tsp Saigon cinnamon

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large banana (very ripe)

1 huge handful baby spinach

1/8 tsp each xanthan and guar gum

2-3 cups ice

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

If you have a BLENDTEC or other high powered blender you can make your own almond milk very easily. Just put 12 ounces cold water in the jar, add 1/3 cup whole, nonsalted, nonroasted almonds, cinnamon, protein powder and the cocoa powder. Blend on WHOLE JUICE. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on SMOOTHIE.

I, personally, LOVE saigon cinnamon. You can get it at Costco or other bulk food places. If you are using normal cinnamon you might want to use a bit more since saigon cinnamon is a little bit stronger.

You can also make this without protein powder. Since I can't do sugar it is hard for me to find a protein powder that fits my needs. The only one I have found so far is Jillian Michael's Vanilla Cream Whey Protein Powder:

It is naturally sweetened with fructose and a little bit with stevia. I don't have problems with either of those so this is the ideal protein powder for me. However, they recently stopped carrying it at Sam's Club so until I can find it for a good price elsewhere or find a suitable replacement I have been making my smoothie without it. Since the protein powder lends an amount of sweetness to the smoothie on its own when I eliminate it I add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 heaping Tbsp stevia powder to my smoothie mix. If my banana isn't very ripe I add a little bit more stevia. It is wonderful either way.

This is the stevia that I use. If you use it be careful... the more you add the more of a bitter aftertaste it will have. A little bit goes a long way!

I made this smoothie this morning and gave some to my babies. My girl [A] said to me, "Mom, thank you for making this oh so delicious smoothie!" 

Happy blending!

All opinions on products listed this post are my own based on personal experience. I was not contacted by any of these companies to provide these opinions or compensated in any way. All pictures were obtained via Google Image Search on the web and Shayla's Kitchen makes no personal claim to them. 

QUESTION FOR MY READERS: Do you have a favorite protein powder? Send me a link to your favorite smoothie recipe or just send me the recipe itself!

Loves... Shayla

Supper-Time "Sunday?"

So, I'm back. I know, I know. It has been a long time. But I have been evaluating and figuring out what I want to do.

I don't want to be solely a food blogger or solely a family blogger. I love health, fitness, nutrition, religion, everything. So you are going to get a little bit of everything here. I will continue to report on my family on our family blog (http://jacobshayla.blogspot.com) but here will be my more personal space where I get to share with you what I love.

So what have I been loving lately? Well for starters....

WENDY'S PROTEIN FROSTY

Recipe + photo courtesy of Janetha over at Meals & Moves

I will always be a smoothie lover. Do I realize that we just had the coldest January Utah has seen in many many years? 19 degree average temperature? Yes. Did that stop me from having a smoothie probably 4 or 5 times a week? Uhhh... no. It just didn't. I sit in bed with my heating pad on high on my stomach, under the covers, delightfully sipping away at my smoothie. 

This particular smoothie is one that I have made for the cute hubster and I a few times while we watch endless episodes of The Mentalist. Love the show? Hate it? Favorite character? Of course, we love Jane but there is just something about Cho that you have to absolutely adore. Love love love.

Anyways, back to smoothie talk. Does it taste like a Wendy's Frosty? Yeah, it is pretty close although you will need to add sweetener if you want it to be close-er. The biggest issue we had with it is that this puppy is THICK. Like, super super super trying to suck a pillow through a straw thick. 

Recommendations? Load up on the ice and go carefully on the xanthan and guar gums. They are necessary but you want an icy/creamy texture not a jaw workout. 

I will post later about my classic go-to protein smoothie. It has cute hubster approval and everything.

________________________________________________

Not enough of a satisfy for your sweet tooth? Well...

CHOCOLATE PB-FUDGE

Recipe + picture courtesy of Katie over at Chocolate-Covered Katie

You can be into health and fitness and nutrition and I can guarantee you are still going to want something sweet now and again. I have a sweet-tooth, no doubt. Is that complicated when I am restricted by a gluten-free/refined sugar-free diet? Oh yeah. That is why people like me RELY on people like Chocolate-Covered Katie to get our sweet-tooth satisfaction.

This fudge was everything that fudge should be. Rich, decadent, with seriously the perfect flavor. Did I change anything in the recipe intentionally? Well, no. Did I not exactly measure things out perfectly precisely? Lol... yes... but it still turned out amazing! We didn't wait to refrigerate ours. We smeared it on strawberries and enjoyed ourselves. However, cute hubster and I both agreed that we liked it better plain. 

And sometimes a spoonful of health-ier fudge is JUST what is needed at the end of the day. 

QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: What are your favorite health-ier desserts? Do you watch The Mentalist?

Loves...Shayla

The 4-Minute Miracle

TABATA

What is it? From Wikipedia:

Tabata method

A popular regimen, based on a 1996 study^[6] by Professor Izumi Tabata (田畑　泉) et al initially involving Olympic speedskaters^[7], uses 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise (at an intensity of about 170% of VO₂max) followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuously for 4 minutes (8 cycles). Tabata called this the IE1 protocol.^[8] In the original study, athletes using this method trained 4 times per week, plus another day of steady-state training, and obtained gains similar to a group of athletes who did steady state (70% VO₂max) training 5 times per week. The steady state group had a higher VO₂max at the end (from 52 to 57 ml/kg/min), but the Tabata group had started lower and gained more overall (from 48 to 55 ml/kg/min). Also, only the Tabata group had gained anaerobic capacity benefits.

I have had a lot of experience with this "miracle" from my various classes but I will admit that every time the instructor says the word I inwardly groan a little. 

Tabata is HARD. There is no doubt about it. But it is very effective and fast. AND it is only as hard as you decide that it is going to be. You only have a few minutes for a workout? Great! 1 Tabata round only takes 4 minutes. That means that you can fit in FIVE of these rounds in a mere 20 minutes. And, believe me, that 20 minutes will feel like plenty. 

This morning we did push-ups, split lunges, burpees, mountain climbers, jump spins and scissor kicks each in the full 8 round, 4 minutes each tabata fashion. 

Would I personally choose to do it every day? No, not really. But it is a great way to mix up your workouts. And, better still, it is a no equipment required kind of workout. So why not pant and grunt and sweat and groan right from the privacy of your own bedroom? Give it a try and see if you like it!

Sample workout from Fitsugar.com:

QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Have you ever done a tabata workout? What is your favorite (love to hate) tabata combination? 

Loves... Shayla

Resurrection

I am seriously thinking about resurrecting this blog. I am thinking about keeping up Supper-Time Sunday to give you a review of what we have been eating and trying from the blogosphere but also starting to post more about health in general, fitness, and meals that I come up with myself. I am no good at photography so this will be a learning experience but I hope that you will bear with me as I work through making time for everything.

Loves... Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

Sorry for the hiatus. Between mid terms at school, race season and plans for our anniversary vacation things have been incredibly busy around here. I am trying to get things back in order and get on top of life again. Visit my Pinterest Board "Tried and True Recipes" in the meantime!