The key to a making any food enjoyable is by adding the right spices. I know I have said this many times before but it should be the primary focus when cooking. Instead of consuming the typical American diet, which primarily uses calorie dense condiments, opt for condiments that add few calories while adding lots of flavor. You can quickly take a meal that will not only cause weight gain but could also pose a risk to your health, as is the case with margarine and other trans fats, and make a healthy meal that anyone can enjoy.

People who say they are bad cooks are either lazy or they have never tried. I understand that cooking a meal worthy of a five-star restaurant may take skill and practice, but making an edible meal that tastes good and is healthy isn’t all that hard. My advice is to stop trying to find excuses right now and just make and effort. George Foreman couldn’t have made it much easier for you. If he is able to cook, I’m sure anyone can.

There are hundreds of sites on the internet with endless recipes for any kind of food you could imagine. Again a little effort and I’m sure you can find something to cook. One of my favorite sites to use is www.allrecipes.com, there is a link on the sidebar. Go onto the site and type in any combination of foods that sound good and you may be surprised what you come up with.

Ever since I was a child I loved cinnamon. The smell and the taste bring back lots of fond memories. So one day I was in the mood for some Mexican style food. The thought of cinnamon also sounded good. So a simple search on cinnamon Mexican food resulted in the perfect, quick and easy recipe.

Once you find the general recipe you are interested in you can then learn to make minor adjustments to fit your personal tastes and make the recipe a little healthier. The first ingredient that I always switch is butter or the oil in a recipe. If the recipe calls to cook the food in butter or another oil besides olive oil, I immediately switch it. Extra virgin olive oil is the only thing I use to cook in. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids makes it much healthier than the majority of other oils. Another good oil to try is coconut oil. Personally I have never tried it, but it is just as healthy as olive oil. Those are the only two oils I would ever consider.

The next ingredient I will always change is the grain. If I ever see flour, rice, pasta, or potatoes I will find a variety that has more nutritional value. In this case I replaced the traditional white baking potatoes with sweet potatoes. I actually like the taste of sweet potatoes more and they are much healthier. Replace white rice with quinoa, flour with a whole grain variety, and traditional pasta with a whole wheat version. Ezekial brand makes pasta that is much better for you.

On top of changing certain ingredients you can also choose to add a few others to add a little more flavor. Or you can just change the amounts of the ingredients already listed. Personally I love cinnamon so I added it liberally. I also added a little cayenne pepper to add a little more spice to the chicken while it cooked. This is the part where you can have fun and experiment. Go crazy and try different things, that’s how award winning recipes are made.

Cinnamon and Lime Chicken Fajitas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers

1 lime, juiced

12 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with about 1/2 the oil, and season with salt. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.

3. Meanwhile, season chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a separate baking dish, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool and shred.

4. Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, jalapeno, and lime juice. Cook until heated through. 5. Serve the chicken and potatoes in warmed tortillas.

Makes 6 serving

Per Serving: 399 calories, 12.6g fat, 1296mg sodium, 50.9g carbohydrates, 7.1g fiber, 22.3g protein

ENJOY!

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