Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

Welp, it's been awhile since I last posted a recipe (story of this blog). Sorry about that. *guilty emoji face* But I'm going to make up for my recipe absence with enchiladas. Surely, that corrects all wrongs, right?? 

I don't know if you all have any Christmas food traditions, but I know several people whose families eat tamales at Christmas. Mexican fiesta? Yes, please, I'm down--especially if I can top everything with avocado. My family didn't do that growing up. Instead, our traditional favorites were things like tiger butter, ham dip, and white trash. Interesting names, delicious food. 

So with Christmas right around the corner, I figured you could honor your family tradition or tap into someone else's family tradition and eat Mexican food to celebrate the Christmas season. These enchiladas are filled with protein, veggies, and cheese and wrapped in a doughy tortilla <3. I used store-bought enchilada sauce, but you could definitely make your own. Also, they ended up being a bit spicy, so if you're not a big fan of heat, used a mild enchilada sauce or go easy on the sauce. You'll definitely want to top with sour cream, avocado, and some green onion and cilantro. We didn't have any green onions, hence why they aren't in the picture. 

I served mine with roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower because roasted veggies are my jam, but these would pair nicely with some Mexican rice or chips and salsa. I'd love to hear what you all have planned for Christmas and what your favorite Christmas food tradition is!! Comment below! :-D

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!!

Strawberry Mango Salsa

If only you could have seen my set-up for taking these pictures....I kid you not, I was laying on the floor with my pastry board on the carpet, a pair of boots holding up my white foam backboard, and scotch tape adhering a piece of foil onto the wall to reflect light. I'm not sure if I'm dedicated or just crazy. You have no idea how much I wish I had a legit set-up and camera!! 

But the hard work was worth it because this salsa is ahhhmazing!! (and I like how the pictures turned out) I learned how to make pineapple salsa one summer while working in a restaurant, and have found that the basic recipe works for pretty much any fruit. A fruit salsa adds SO much flavor to tacos, fish, chicken, pork, etc. If you're wanting to take your tacos or meats to the next level, definitely give this a try. I was planning on giving you my tropical shrimp taco recipe that this salsa pairs perfectly with, but I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand and I decided that trying to make the food and take pictures of it would be too difficult. I'll give you the recipe at some point--I promise!

So the reason my setup was so crazy for this recipe was because I was in OKC with my parents. New surroundings means finding where the good lighting is and such. I headed down there last Tuesday to vote for the presidential primaries. I've been out of the house for 7 years and have yet to change my voter's registration. I know, it's ridiculous. I'll get myself together at some point...

Since I was going home, I made a trip out of it. I got to spend one day decorating cookies with a special friend, had an incredibly encouraging lunch with my nana, spent an afternoon with one of the sweetest friends EVER, and counseled my first client.

Oh!! I haven't told you about that yet! So some of the biggest news as of lately is that I've decided to stop waiting on a job to come around, and instead create my own. I AM looking for a part-time position, but I've decided to pursue my passion of nutritional counseling by starting up my own private practice. Check out my new website by clicking the "Nutritional Counseling" tab above, or just click the link here.  

I just have such a strong desire to walk with people through their struggles in order to achieve their health and nutrition goals. And I have met and known so many people with food and weight issues. I want to help people find freedom in those areas. This is about so much more than having a job and making money... So my life has recently consisted of listening to podcasts, participating in nutrition-related webinars, and working on marketing/networking. I'll keep you updated on how it goes. 

In the meantime, make this salsa. You won't be able to get over how fresh it is, and how incredible is makes everything taste!

Author: Ashley Smith, RD

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Strawberry Mango Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup strawberries, diced
• 3 Tbsp red onion, diced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp jalapeno, finely diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp honey
• Lime juice from 1/2 lime
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and set in fridge for 15 minutes to chill and to allow flavors to meld.
2. If mangos or strawberries are unavailable, feel free to swap out fruits. You could do all mango, all strawberry, all pineapple, strawberries and blueberries, etc. Like I said earlier, the possibilities are endless!