Chicken & Spinach Quesadilla

I tried a new recipe last night that I cannot get over! It's been on my 'Food & Baking' pinterest board forever now and I'm mad at myself for not trying it sooner.

It's a super easy recipe and the filling is to die for. The writer of the blog where I got the recipe said her husband ate his share without even putting it in a tortilla...I can totally see why. I tossed my left over filling on top of some baby romaine and spinach this morning to bring for lunch. Boy was that a good idea! I can't decide if I liked it better last night when it was warm and in a tortilla or now when it is cold and on top of a fresh bed of greens.

Give it a try...I highly highly recommend it!

Find the recipe on 'The Other Side of Fifty' or see it below:

Chicken, Spinach And Cannellini Bean Quesadillas



1 1/2 -2 cups seasoned, cooked and diced chicken breast meat
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 banana pepper, diced
a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (heaping) TBSP all purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
4 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Cooking spray
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, cheddar or a combination of the two works well here)
Avocados, diced
Fat free sour cream

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper and banana peppers. Season with the crushed red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Saute until veggies have softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Cook while stirring for several minutes so that the flour loses its raw taste. Whisk in the chicken broth and stir until bubbly and smooth. Add the baby spinach and continue cooking for another minute or two or until spinach has wilted. Stir in the cooked chicken and cannellini beans and remove from heat.

Spray a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Heat over medium to medium-high heat. Place one tortilla on griddle and spread cheese over tortilla. Spread chicken, bean and spinach mixture over one half of the tortilla. Check underside of tortilla and when browned a bit, flip the half with just cheese over the half with the chicken. Remove from heat and cut into slices. Top with diced avocado and sour cream, if desired.



*Recipe and photo credit to 'The Other Side of Fifty' Blog

Gettin' Rollin'

The HealthysELF challenge started on Monday. I also decided that Monday was the day to really kick healthy eating and working out into gear. All or nothing right?

Yesterday I began a 12 week fitness program I found on www.bodybuilding.com that looks very doable for me. They have a variety of programs that you can follow as well as all kinds of exercises you can pull from to create your own program. I also love that their website has such a variety of resources that relate to overall fitness. The name is a little deceiving when you really look at what the site has to offer, there is material there for everyone from body builders to fitness activists to someone who has never worked out before.

I'm following the Live-Fit program designed by trainer Jamie Eason. It includes a diet portion but I've decided to just use the workouts and tips. I've spent a good bit of time learning about eating right so I think I can handle that part of it on my own with a little more flexablity than her menu offers.

The Tricep & Chest workout yesterday was great. When I left the gym I definitely felt it in my arms but the entire thing was very doable. Tough but doable.

I also made a healthy version of taco salad last night that turned out really good. I used ground turkey, much less taco seasoning than normal, left the sour cream out of my guacamole, skipped the cheese, crumbled a couple tortilla chips instead of a tortilla bowl and significantly cut down on my dressing, as well as using a lite red pepper dressing rather than regular ranch. Yumo!

Tonight will be the Bicep & Back workout...I will admit it's been a slow day at work which is making me want to just go home and lounge, but I won't. I won't. I won't! This time is for real and I know I can do it :)