Easy Nachos and a smoothie

I haven't felt like cooking since it's so hot outside.  This happens every year.  The spring here is in the 90s.  In the next few days it's going to hit 100 degrees.  I always lose a little weight, which is great.  I end up eating cereal, yogurt, fruit, fat free pudding, fudge bars etc...  But i thought i better get on here so i'm just going to show you a little bit of what i've been eating.  Here are some of the things i've been maintaining myself on:

Easy Nachos
2 big handfulls of crispy Tortilla Chips
3 slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese ( or 5 slices American or a couple handfuls of 3 cheese Mexican shredded cheese or jarred cheese dip)
 Refried Beans
Pico de Gallo (see recipe a few pgs back)
Light Sour Cream 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put a sheet of tin foil on a baking sheet.  Spray it with cooking spray.  (Don't want to clean up in a hot kitchen either!)  Put the handfuls of chips in a pile with no stragglers - ie: make sure all the chips are touching one another.

Take small tsps of either homemade or canned refried beans and put a little on just about every chip.  This is a little tedious but worth the effort.  Then sprinkle the whole with the Pico de Gallo.  Arrange pieces of cheese or a handful of cheese or pour on some cheese sauce so that all the chips have some on them - you really can't over-do on cheese.  LOL.  Then Bake at 400 for 13 minutes.  And ENJOY!!
You may want to add some tobasco or hot taco sauce on top.  And put some dallops of sour cream on top!

If you're going to make a dinner out of it, i suggest adding some meat:

Easy Nacho Beef
1 Lb 85% lean Ground Beef

2 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Cumin Powder
s n p
1/2 cup Water

But the Beef into a frying pan (needn't add oil, there's enough fat in the meat).  Put temp on high and brown the meat while breaking it up into little pieces (easy to do with a wooden spoon - or oddly a potato masher)..  Add the Cumin and Chili Powder and as much s n p as you like.  Add the water and bring to a boil and boil until the water is evaporated and the meat is now frying again (this ensures all the meat gets covered and that the flavors blend), taste for seasoning and if it needs more s n p add that now and if it needs a kick add some Tobasco or other Hot Taco Sauce, mix around a bit and then turn off the heat.  Add the meat to the nachos, after you add the Refried Beans, using a slotted spoon - sprinkle liberally (you may have some leftover meat to add to a burrito tomorrow).   This will be more satisfying for a hungry crowd while the other was really just designed for one and for lunch.

It's nice if you have some things to add for people who have different tastes.  For instance put some Hot Sauce, sliced avocado, light Sour Cream, radishes, lime slices, extra Pico de Gallo and some jarred jalepenos and spicy vegetables on the table. 

Here's a recipe for a good thing to go with your nachos or a drink in the morning

Strawberry, Banana Smoothie
1 Banana
1 cup Froaen Fruit
1 carton Yorut or Fat free Pudding
1 cup Ice
Milk

   

 
   Put the ice, frozen fruit, banana, yogurt or pudding and a 1/2 cup of milk in the blender and start blending with the top on.  The concoction will probably seize up pretty fast.  Take off the top and add milk a little bit at a time and push down on the top of the banana and pudding with a spoon (don't stick the spoon down into the bottom obviously) until the mixture starts moving and add milk a little bit at a time until it is the consistency you like.  I like mine thick so i will work with it pushing on the top and adding only a little bit of milk now and again until it will blend by itself.  And my blender is nothing fancy yet my smoothies come out pretty thick, so everyone should be able to do this.

 There really is enough for two but i always finish it like it's a meal, say for lunch or dinner even.
ENJOY!!!