Recipes.... Sort of.

I say sort of because both of these dishes I had never made before but I was feeling optimistic, so I took notes (and pictures) when I was fixing them. Both were a big hit with my honey. And both are relatively low in fat and high in veggies.

Butternut Squash Quesadillas

First, I prepped the squash. I sliced the fleshy part (not the bulbous, seedy part) into thin discs about 1/4-1/2 inch thick and then sliced the peel off. I arranged them on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray, lightly salted, peppered, and Garlic & Herb Mrs Dash-ed them, and baked them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes until they were tender. 

While they were in the oven, I caramelized a medium sweet onion.

And sliced some cheese. We had some fancy cheese (Havarti) left over from a fancy party a couple days ago but I'm sure ANY cheese would be good. I mean, it's cheese.

Then I built them right on the grill.

When they were toasty and melty, we devoured them.

What you'll need:

medium butternut squash, prepped and cooked
2-3 oz fresh baby spinach
1 large sweet onion
2-3 oz sliced or shredded cheese
whole wheat tortillas

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I have seen versions of this one all over Pinterest lately so I decided to try a version based on my creative mind pantry.

I diced and sauteed an onion in a bit of olive oil until it was soft and fragrant. Then added some minced garlic.

In went a can of Mexicorn (drained) and a can of black beans (drained and rinsed).

Then cans of mild enchilada sauce, vegetable broth, and Rotel. I chopped and added a big handful of baby spinach and threw that in too just because I like sneaking it in wherever I can. I also stirred in about 1/4 cup of dry instant potato buds. I know they are kind of gross for making mashed potatoes but they are a great thickener and we like our soup thick so all the goodies you add on top don't sink. I seasoned with a bit of pepper and 1/2 tsp of Mrs Dash. With all the canned stuff, I figured more salt wasn't necessary, but you decide.

(This is when I took out my 2 servings.) Then added a big skinless boneless chicken breast, cooked and shredded. 

While the soup simmered a little, a sliced up 4 corn tortillas into thin small strips. I sprayed them with a little cooking spray and baked them at 400 degrees for about 10-14 minutes until they were golden brown and crunchy.

I topped the soup with a little shredded cheddar cheese, some chopped cilantro, a few tortilla strips, some sliced avocado, and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. 

Enchiladas with a spoon. Gotta love a one pot meal!

What you'll need:

1 onion, chopped

16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz can Mexicorn, drained

16 oz can vegatable or chicken stock

10.5 oz can mild enchilada sauce

10.5 oz can Rotel (for less of a kick, you could add a can of diced tomatoes instead)

8-12 oz cooked, shredded chicken
1/4 cup dry instant potato buds (for thickener, optional)

optional toppings:

tortilla strips or chips

shredded cheese

cilantro

avocado

plain Greek yogurt or sour cream