After a Diet Week 1 of eating healthy Asian foods… it was time for a change.  The farthest thing from Asian I could think of was MEXICAN!  Mom and I cooked up a do-it-yourself Mexican feast!

No mexican feast could be complete without some homemade guacamole.  This batch happened to be the BEST one I have ever made.  I couldn’t stop eating it!  Although avocados are very healthy, you do have to watch your portion control as they are high in fat and calories.

This batch of guacamole is a modification from a Paula Deen Recipe.  It is so easy.  All you have to do is cut the avocadoes in half and score them, making small squares still in the skin.  Scoop them out with a spoon and combine with the rest of the ingredients.  Stir it and season to taste.  That’s all!

Guacamole Ingredients

4 Ripe Avocadoes (How to Cut an Avocado)

¼ Cup finely diced Onion

¼ Cup diced Tomato or Cherry Tomatoes

1 teaspoon minced Garlic

1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Lime Juice

½ teaspoon Lemon Juice

You don’t even need to measure anything in this recipe… just stir it all together and make changes when you taste it.  The avocado will mush more when you add the citrus juice, but try not to mash it since it’s good to keep some of the pieces in there.

Best Guac ever!!!

These are the healthiest, best tasting tortilla chips out there. They can be more expensive but are totally worth it. 14 = 1 Serving!

see for yourself!

With the guacamole made, we had a nice snack while we cooked.  Mom and I took Extra Lean Ground Turkey and cooked it in a large pan with ½ a packet of Taco Seasoning and ½ a can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with chilies).  She also cooked up one green and one red Bell Pepper, one Poblano Pepper and an Onion which was sauteed on medium heat with just some Cooking Spray.

The ground turkey with Rotel

I also cooked up a pot of Trader Joe’s new Corn Penne Pasta.  This pasta is gluten free, and my best friend Julie (who is not only GF but dairy free among other things…) highly recommended this stuff… so I had to get it!  Julie did mention that you have to make sure you cook it long enough, or else it is very starchy and hard.  I cooked it for about 12-15 minutes or so.  While the pasta and the ground turkey were cooking up, we prepared the rest of the ingredients:  Corn, Pinto Beans, Sautéed Bell Peppers & Onions, and tortilla wraps for everyone else.

Check out that spread!

My meal ended up looking amazing!  I used the corn pasta, ground turkey, beans, corn, a dollop of light sour cream & guacamole (I already ate SO much while cooking), and finished it off with some taco sauce.  MMM!  Delish!

This was a wonderfully hearty and satisfying meal, which was a perfect follow-up to my amazing workout earlier in the evening.  I had to share that I ran THREE MILES for the second time in my life!  I am so proud of myself.

What have you been doing to get in better shape and stick with the January 2012 Healthy Lifestyle Challenge???