Family Friendly Recipes : Mexican Night

Amy Chow, RD, CDE
Apr 14, 2016
3 min read

Many of my clients come to me having tried every other diets and believe that healthy eating can only consist of boring, bland foods such as chicken and salad - they say "anything that taste good is bad for you". This cannot be further from the truth, I LOVE cooking and eating healthy, but I love good tasting food MORE!

Make a change today - ditch the diet and allow yourself to truly enjoy food. We cannot sustain dieting, it is too restrictive (we always want what we can't have) and sadly just ends up in a viscious circle - but we can definitely learn and enjoy healthy eating lifelong! I hope my blog & recipes can inspire you to cook at home, try something new and bring you closer to your health goals.

We like to do theme nights at home once in a while - these two recipes are Mexican night inspired...Apple Bean Salad & Shrimp Quesadilla, they make a great light lunch or dinner, perfect for the warm weather!

Recipe: Apple Bean Salad - 4-6 servings

- 1 can Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed

- 2 cans Chickpea, drained & rinsed

- 1/2 Red Onion, finely chopped

- 1 Green Apple, shredded

- 1/2 Lemon, juiced

- 1/4 cup White Vinegar

- 2 teaspoon Sugar

- 3 tablespoon Cilantro, chopped

- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)

- 1/2 teaspoon Salt

- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 min. for the flavor to blend in. Enjoy cold!

Recipe: Shrimp Quesadilla - 4 servings

- 4 Flour Tortillas, whole wheat

- 2 cups Frozen Small Shrimp, thawed

- 1/2 Onion, sliced

- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced

- 1 Red Pepper, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon Canola Oil

- 2 tablespoon Ketchup

- 1 Tomato, chopped

- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1. Heat Oil in pan, saute Garlic and Onion until browned.

2. Add in Shrimp, Red Pepper, Tomato, Ketchup and cook until peppers are tender (about 2 mins).

3. *Heat panini press on medium-high setting - place tortilla on grill, then sprinkle with cheese, followed by shrimp & pepper (easy on the sauce), and finally top with more cheese (leave edges of a quarter inch.

4. Close the top lid (DO NOT press!), wait until cheese is melted and tortilla is toasted (about 3 minutes).

5. Sliced into wedges and serve immediately.

*Use a frying pan instead of panini press, carefully flip the quesadilla after one side is toasted.

Dietitian Tip of the Week :

Cooking and eating should be fun especially if you have little ones at home, use a little imagination and have theme nights at home once a week (Mexican Night, Pizza Friday, Pasta Monday, Make your own Salad Night)! Involving them in whichever way you can help them appreciate and develop a healthy relationship with food starting at a young age... Got a picky eater at home? Get them involved in menu planning, grocery shopping, food prep and cooking - wherever safe and age appropriate! Many kids LOVE to be involved in the kitchen, they get so excited and enthusiastic every time they get to help out making food. Theme nights are not only great for the little ones, they are also fun for the adults young at heart - It actually makes meal planning easier & a little less boring.

Beans, Beans, the Musical/Magical Fruit!

"Beans, beans, they're good for your heart The more you eat, the more you fart The more you fart, the happier/better you feel So let's eat beans with every meal!"

Every time we have beans at our house, this song comes up! and Hey, it is true - beans and legumes are truly magical! Beans are a part of the 'meat alternative' food group in Canada's Food Guide. They are high in protein and contain almost no fat. Beans are high in soluble fiber which may help improve cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and help you feel full longer. They are also a good source of non-heme iron which makes it a great first food for babies 6 months +, mash them a little bit with the back of a spoon and serve them with vitamin C rich foods (most fruits & vegetables) to help with iron absorption!