A Healthier Version of a Childhood Classic

As a child, certain things stick with you and end up tagging along throughout your life. It can be a song you learned when you were 8 and at 28 you can still sing every word; or a movie you watched when you were 6 still brings up the same feels it did back then (The Little Princess *sniff*). The same works for food. Your parents had no idea that by feeding you macaroni and cheese almost every day one summer, you would always associate it with Unsolved Mysteries... or that by cutting your hot dogs into bite size pieces, they'd forever ruin you for a street cart wiener. As a child my mom tried to feed us healthy. We would have have our well rounded meals every day but it was the 90's... there was no spotlight on "gluten-free," vegetarians mostly lived in Boulder and we begged for Squeeze-Its to be the primary drink of the home. Times were different... thoughts on health were different. So today I wanted to put a quick spotlight on my favorite food as a kid. My mom would have it waiting for me when I got home from school or would make it when I was feeling down. To this day it puts a smile on my face... the ever simple, peanut butter and jelly! But today I'm going to put a twist on it. I'm going to give you my current favorite version... a much healthier option (and more adult of course *cough*).

All you need is...

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread... use your favorite!
• 2 tablespoons of organic peanut butter (for a nice change, exchange peanut butter for cashew butter!)
• 2 tablespoons of honey!

I'm sure you know the drill by now. Mix the honey in with the peanut butter and make sure to lick the spoon as you go! If you like yours a bit sweeter, add a bit more. If it's too sweet... well, we can't be friends, ha! Just kidding... just lessen the amount or add more peanut butter until you get the desired sweetness, Sweetheart! Now just slather it on the bread, slap em together and you've got yourself a healthier version! 

If you miss the fruity flavor of the jelly, a great homemade preserve would be a wonderful addition or substitute (hint: harvest time is just around the corner, stay tuned to get some great info on making your own jams and jellies!)

Let me know if you try it. I would love to hear what you guys think of this twist. 

How to Eat Green Chile

I posted a recipe for green chile earlier and here is the list of the best ways to eat it [or at least my faves]!

In a bowl.

Simple as that… it’s the best way to eat it! Throw some cheese on top and you’ve got my favorite meal! Add some fresh made pinto beans and it’s a hearty, delicious rainy day dinner.

Smothered on a burrito.

Any kind of burrito! Just spoon it over it, as much or as little as you’d like. Add cheese and boom… amazing!

   On a cheeseburger.

This is a classic. You can get green chile cheeseburgers almost anywhere in New Mexico. Hell, even McDonald’s serves them! [Chew on that Denver!] Also, check out Bobby Flay’s Throwdown at the Buckhorn in New Mexico. The chef makes the best green chile cheeseburger in the state!

Mixed with red chile… in New Mexico it’s called Christmas.

[red and green, get it?]

With a fried egg.

Not the healthiest meal option but damn… its sooooo good.

Don’t let these limit you! Green chile is great on anything… meatloaf, chicken, pork chops… you name it, it can probably work. 

Green Chile Recipe!

In my huge Hispanic family, food has always been the center of our activity. We gathered for every holiday and made sure to have the best food! We would grill during the summer, have pig roasts during the fall and early spring, and usually made even the smallest holidays chalk full of delicious meats, salads and desserts. A staple of our family meals is green chile. There has been some hype about it recently because of Denver trying to claim it as theirs, but the truth is, green chile belongs to New Mexico and always will! Alright, with that said, I’ve decided to provide you with my favorite recipe… Green Chile!

What you will need:

1.       Roasted Green Chile [6-10 pods]

2.       Pork Roast

3.       Vegetable oil

4.       Minced garlic [1/2 tablespoon]

5.       Flour [3 Tablespoons]

6.       Water [4 cups]

7.       Oregano [1 teaspoon]

8.       Salt [2 teaspoons + to taste]

Cube the pork roast and brown it in some vegetable oil. Throw in the minced garlic and let it flavor your meat. You will want oil remaining in the pan so that once the meat is almost done, you can add the flour.  You will want to brown the flour, much like you would do if you were making a roux or gravy. Once it is a nice golden color, add the chopped green chile. Mix it around a bit coating the chile and then pour in the water. Add the oregano and the salt, cover and let it simmer. I’d recommend leaving it to simmer for a while, the longer you leave it, the better the flavors meld. You will want to taste it and add salt until the outstanding, almost sweet flavor of the chile is predominant.

Stay tuned for a top five list of my favorite ways to eat this recipe!