Pumpkin Chili with Ground Beef

I'm still on my squash kick. Funny given that, aside from two or three days back in December, it has been neither cold nor "wintery" in la.

Of course this recipe is brought to you by the girl who made a special trip to Starbucks to get a pumpkin spice latte on this year's season opener. Even though that day was about 80 degrees and she had to get it over ice.

The same girl will also take any opportunity she can get to smoother something in cheese. So there you have it....pumpkin chili. With cheese.

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ground cumin1 tbsp chili pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cups beef stock
1 15oz can red kidney beans
2 15oz can black beans
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
2 14.5oz cans diced tomatos with juice
grated cheese for serving
low fat sour cream or greek yogurt for serving

Directions:
Heat a small amount of oil in a large heavy frying pan. Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the beef is well browned.
Add a little more oil to the frying pan, add diced onion and green bell pepper and cook 2-3 minutes, until the onion and pepper is just starting to soften. Add minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano and saute a couple minutes more. Set aside.
Drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. Add bean sto the mixture. Add canned pumpkin, diced tomatoes with juice & beef stock.
Stir the mixture to combine the ingredients, then return to heat. Once the mixture begins to simmer lower heat and cover. Cook for about one hour on low.
Serve hot, topped with grated cheese and sour cream if desired.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

If you follow my blog you know I love tortillas. So much so that I scoured the internet for a grain/gluten free recipe so I could continue to eat and cook with them. Of course you can use store bought tortillas which is much easier and requires less ingredients. They key here is the butternut squash (and the fact that they're meatless which vegetarians will appreciate:)
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup red enchilada sauce
1 tsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
10 oz can tomatoes + green chilies
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
8 medium flour tortillas


1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese
2 tbsp chopped scallions, for garnish
reduced-fat sour cream or greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add cubed butternut, tomatoes, black beans, water, cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.Place about a generous 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla and roll, place on the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake, covered with foil until hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with scallions and sour cream/greek yogurt.

The Year(s) in Fitness....

If it's possible to set a "PR" for fitness & athletic endeavors 2013 is definitely the year my record was set!

I started the year by becoming a group fitness instructor at a Los Angeles studio gym called Elliptifit and helped many reach their fitness goals (while having fun doing it:) I wish there were more locations so I could recommend a class but if you have access to a machine you can create your own elliptical workout.

I also became an active member of the LA Tri Club and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Never did I imagine I would wake up at the crack of dawn to swim in the freezing cold ocean or bike hill repeats until I was so exhausted I could hardly keep my bike upright (and one time failed to do so - oops). But these are activities I not only engaged in but looked forward to every week for weeks on end. Proof that a workout buddy or buddies can sometimes motivate you far more than you could have or would have motivated yourself. 

Other 2013 highlights included learning to stand up paddleboard, or, SUP (and eventually combining SUP with yoga), investing in a surfboard and improving my surf skills and (finally) learning to ride the toe edge of my snowboard. 

My immediate fitness goal for 2014 is to train for and race my longest triathlon to date - the Wildflower Long Course. I will be racing two legs of the course - the 1.5 mi swim and 13.1 mi run (and passing the baton to my dad for the 56 mi bike ride.) Beyond that I will look to the list below for inspiration and hope you will too:)

New sports/activities to try in 2014:

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) - if you don't live near the water combine this one with a vacation! California and Hawaii are two great SUP destinations.

Hiking - though the idea of hiking usually conjures images of dirt paths and babbling brooks this is one you can do almost anywhere from a hilly residential neighborhood to the stairs of a metropolitan city. I'm excited to try "urban hiking" as it has become increasingly popular Los Angeles. 

Surfing/ Snowboard - it's never too late to learn! There are adult lessons available for both sports. Beginner lessons are so easy you start by learning to keep your balance on the board (before the board is moving!)

Studio gyms - Large chain gyms can be overwhelming and intimidating. Instead try one of these small gyms that provide group instruction focusing on a particular activity such as kettlebell, TRX, or spin. I found this gym just before the new year and it's a killer ->

Racing - if you enjoy running, or even if you don't, consider training for a 5k. Races like mud runs, color runs, and electric runs are so fun that they will keep your mind off the fact that you're running three miles. If you are a seasoned runner consider adding a a second or third sport (duathlon/triathlon.) If the idea of an open water swim terrifies you start with a pool swim:)

Happy New Year! Hope you all achieve your fitness goals!