Delicious Shredded Beef Tacos

I haven't been posting any of our new favorite recipes because I have been lazy about taking pictures, but then when I want to make them again I am frustrated that I have to search and find them...so I'm just borrowing other people's pictures and getting some posted!

(picture from Jennifer Cooks)

First up is this delicious new recipe I found for shredded beef. I adjusted things a bit from one I found on allrecipes.com and I really loved! Flavorful and juicy and absolutely heavenly when served in freshly fried corn tortilla shells!

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin rings

1 (2 pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomato salsa

1/2 cup beef broth

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Layer half the onion rings into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place chuck roast on top of onions.

Pour diced tomatoes, beef broth, and coffee into the cooker over the roast; stir in diced green chiles, jalapeno peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. 

Spread remaining onion rings over the mixture.

Cover the cooker and cook on Low until beef is very tender, 6 to 10 hours.

Transfer chuck roast to a bowl and shred meat. Return meat to sauce. 

Remove onions and serve with meat.

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

We were having company so I decided to make some yummy rice to go along with our usual sides for the steak fajitas we are currently obsessed with. My kids don't love rice, but I do, so I don't make it that often because I end up eating literally the entire batch haha! But even the kids liked this new version! I was pretty impressed with how legit it tasted I must admit. Maybe a tad too much tomato taste, but really on the whole it was quite authentic. I found the recipe, and the first picture, on Fabulously Delicious and we will definitely make it whenever we are having people over for a Mexican-type meal!

Ingredients
1 cup white rice
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced and seeds reserved
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 bouillon cube (I use vegetable but chicken is fine, too), chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch black pepper

Directions
Heat up olive oil in a pan on medium/high. Add in rice and bell pepper seeds. Stir frequently and cook until rice starts to lightly brown; about 5 minutes.
Add in tomato sauce, and 2 cans of water. Stir. Add in salt, garlic salt, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, black pepper and chopped bullion cube. Stir. Add in bell pepper slices. Bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 40 minutes (mine only took 30 minutes). Remove bell pepper slices prior to serving.

The Best Steak Fajitas!

We have made these steak fajitas from Mel's Kitchen Cafe a few times already since discovering them only a couple weeks ago! My grocery store sells "stir-fry steak" that is already cut into thin strips so it makes this the easiest and most flavorful meal! I get the meat marinading the day before and then we grill them up right before meal time and the flavor is out of this world. I haven't even ever made the chipotle sour cream that she included in the original recipe. I sautee some onion and peppers that have been cut into strips and we also top them with guacamole and cilantro (and a little cheese for some of the family). We have charro beans on the side with some chips and salsa and it has become my kids' favorite meal of the week!
(I provide corn and flour tortillas)

Ingredients:
Fajitas:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4-6 limes) – zest the limes before juicing; you’ll need the zest later
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
10 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce:
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce (more or less to adjust spiciness)
2 to 3 teaspoons adobo sauce (spooned from the can of chipotle chiles)
1 tablespoon fresh lime zest (from about 2 limes)
For Serving:
Tortillas and other toppings of choice, like tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, sautéed or grilled peppers, pickled onions

Directions:
For the fajitas, whisk together the oil, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, cumin, salt, paprika, and coriander. Place the steak in a dish (like a 9X13-inch pan) and pour the marinade over the top, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat grill to medium-high (I set my pellet grill to 375 degrees). Grill the steak until desired doneness; 4-6 minutes for medium rare (add time if needed for a more well-cooked piece of meat). Remove the steak from the grill and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the chipotle sour cream, stir all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate (can be made 2-3 days in advance).
Serve the steak slices on tortillas with the chipotle sour cream and any other favorite toppings or sautéed or grilled peppers and onions.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

I don't remember where I originally saw these enchiladas, but the recipe is from Yummy Mummy Kitchen. I only first tried butternut squash this last year and I have really grown to love it. Roasting it makes is crispy on the outside like a potato, but it still has a sweetness to it. The sweet is balanced out by the spicy salsa and creates a yummy enchilada that is filling despite the lack of meat. I ate all the leftovers of these over the course of a few days and never grew tired of them!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubed butternut squash (12-ounces, or about 1 small-medium peeled, seeded squash)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
15 ounces cooked or canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more cilantro for garnish
12 ounces jarred or fresh mild green salsa
1/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt (I used light sour cream)
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (I used 2% Mexi blend)
10 corn tortillas
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place cubed butternut squash on a large baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together roasted butternut squash, beans, chopped onion, and cilantro. In another medium bowl, stir together salsa and yogurt.

Pour a thin layer of the salsa sauce over the bottom of 10" x 7" casserole dish. The 10x7-inch dish is perfect for corn tortillas, but an 8-inch square baking dish would work as well. Place 1/3 cup of the squash and bean mixture into each tortilla. Top with 1 tablespoon of cheese and roll up. Place seam-side-down in the baking dish. Continue until all the squash mixture is used up. Pour the remaining salsa sauce over the top of enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese has melted and starting to brown in places, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with sour cream and avocado.

Calories per enchilada (based on my best calculations): 190

Southwestern Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Salad

This is another recipe from Eat, Live, Run and another picture as well. Food pictures taken with a flash just don't look appetizing. I am going to have to have our meals ready to eat by 5pm to get my own pictures and so far I am just not that on top of it!
I was excited to try spaghetti squash for the first time and had a lot of fun peeling it out after it was done baking...crazy how much it really looks like spaghetti! The salad was a surprise hit. I was pretty sure I would like it but even Mike raved about this one. The dressing is delish and it is a healthy yet filling meal. We will be making it again soon!

Ingredients:
for salad —
1 small spaghetti squash
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 orange or red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 bunch cilantro, minced
2 cups shredded green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced cooked chicken breast (I used 1 can chicken, drained)
avocado for serving
for zesty buttermilk dressing—
1/2 cup well shaken buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice your spaghetti squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on a greased sheet pan and bake for 40 minutes, until very tender. Let squash cool before using a fork to scoop out “spaghetti” and place in a bowl. You can do this step up to three days before you prepare the salad.
Next, make the dressing. Whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
To prepare the salad, place the cooled spaghetti squash in a large serving bowl. Top with black beans, chicken, bell pepper, shredded green cabbage, cilantro and jicama (I left out), if using. Toss all ingredients together well. Drizzle dressing over salad {you may not want/need to use all the dressing}.
Serve salad on plates topped with sliced avocado.

**Assembled salad will stay fresh, without dressing and avocado, for up to four days covered in the fridge. Dressing will stay fresh for up to a week and is also great served as a dip with raw veggies

Pork and Green Chile Stew - Crock Pot

You may have noticed I have not been posting as frequently here because it is my busy season with photography. Because of that we have been doing lots of old favorites, super simple stuff or take-out. I have still been trying to mix in a couple new things a week though, because I really do love to try new things, and I have been searching for healthy crock pot meals. Skinnytaste is always one of the first sites I visit and that is where I found this YUMMY stew. I absolutely loved the flavors! Definitely my favorite new recipe in a long time.

Ingredients:

2 lbs* boneless pork loin roast, lean, all fat trimmed off (I used the same amount pork loin chops)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)

3/4 cup diced onion
2 cans (4.25 oz each) whole green chiles, sliced into thick rounds (I used diced)
2 tbsp chopped jalapeño, or more to taste

10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies - Ro*Tel Mild
1/2 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste


Directions:
Cut pork into 2-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large non-stick skillet on high heat; when hot lightly spray the pan with oil and brown the pork over medium heat on all sides, about 3 - 4 minutes total. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour over pork and stir to cook 30 seconds, sprinkle remaining flour over pork and cook an additional 30 seconds.
Add browned pork to the crock pot, along with the remaining ingredients.
Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (if using a Dutch oven, cook on low heat for 3-4 hours). When done, adjust season, salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Makes about 5 cups.

*Weight after all fat is trimmed.

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: little over 3/4 cup •  Points+: 6 pts Calories: 253 • Fat: 9 g • Carbs: 5.5 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Protein: 33 g • Sugar: 1.5 g • Sodium: 836 mg (without salt)

Rice and Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

After one not-so-successful recipe attempt this week (the chili bean stuffed peppers were yucky :-(!), I was a little nervous about these enchiladas. They had potential to be a huge success but also a miserable failure. I L-O-V-E-D them! Rachael Ray recipes aren't always the healthiest but you can nearly always make some substitutions to help them out. I couldn't wait for lunch the next day to eat some more! And even my meat-loving husband had no complaints about these meatless enchiladas.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup long-grain white rice (I used brown rice)
1 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained
1 2/3 cups shredded monterey jack (I used 2% Pepper Jack, adding some nice heat)
2 scallions, sliced
1 3 ounce package cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used 1/3 fat version)
1 2/3 cups jarred salsa verde (I used green enchilada sauce)
2/3 cup heavy cream (I used FF half and half)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I heated mine in microwave, so no oil)
8 6 1/2 inches corn tortillas

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, the rice and 12 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a medium bowl to cool slightly. Add the beans, 1 cup Monterey jack, the scallions and cream cheese; stir gently.
Meanwhile, using a blender or food processor, blend the salsa verde, cream and 1/2 cup cilantro until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Using tongs, carefully place 1 tortilla at a time into the hot oil and fry, turning once, until softened, 5 to 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plates to drain. (I place 3 tortillas in a paper towel, wrap them up and micro for 30 seconds to get them soft)
Mound 12 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly, then place seam side down in a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup Monterey jack. Bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Top with more cilantro.

Santa Fe Chicken Rub

This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and we used it to make tacos. We grilled the chicken and sliced it up, sauteed some peppers and onions and made some fancy guacomole. They were De-Licious! A perfect summer dinner!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon packed light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine all the spices and brown sugar. Stir in the olive oil and mix until a crumbly, moist paste forms.
Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9X13-inch or similar size baking pan. Rub the chicken generously with the spice mixture on all sides. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 10 hours.
Grill the chicken over medium heat until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes per side, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips and serve. This chicken is delicious served as-is and is also wonderful served in soft tortillas with taco garnishes.

Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

When I browsing through my saved recipes while planning our meals last week I saw this one and realized it had been WAY too long since I made enchiladas. The rest of my family would have been happier with a more traditional version :-), but I loved these! Plus, as far as enchiladas go, these ones aren't too bad for you...especially if you make a couple substitutions like I did. I will definitely make them again! (recipe from Taste of Home magazine)

Ingredients:
* 1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, chopped (I only used 1/2 this because by accident, that's all I bought, but they were still fine!)
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth (I used white cooking wine)
* 12 ounces chopped fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, divided
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
* 1 tablespoon garlic powder
* 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream (I used light)
* 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
* 12 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed
* 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used 2% mexi-blend)
* Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:
* In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender; add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Set aside half of the mushroom mixture for sauce.
* Add wine to remaining vegetables; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add spinach and 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt; cook until spinach is wilted and liquid is evaporated.
* In a large saucepan, bring the water, lime juice, chicken bouillon, garlic powder and remaining seasoned salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve bouillon. Stir in the sour cream, cilantro and reserved mushroom mixture; heat through.
* Place a scant 3 tablespoons spinach mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spoon sauce over top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 14-18 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with pepper flakes, if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts (of original recipe): 2 enchiladas equals 427 calories, 24 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 879 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 16 g protein.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (a new one)

image via

It was dark both times I was eating my soup, so I never got a picture of my own, but it was delicious enough to share the recipe anyway!
A friend from church recently had a baby and was telling me about some yummy tortilla soup that someone brought in for her. Since tortilla soup is one of my all-time favorite meals, and I am always ready to try a new one I tracked down the recipe. She originally got the recipe from Seasoned with the Sun cookbook and then made some adjustments from it. It was super easy, super yummy and had the perfect amount of spice to it. I loved it and Mike really loved it too. Thanks for sharing Denise!

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 4-ounce can of chopped green chile
1 can Rotel
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons oil
1 can of beef broth
1 can of chicken broth
1 ½ cups each of tomato juice and water
1 teaspoon each of cumin, chile powder and salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons bottle steak sauce (like A-1)
1 cup cubed cooked chicken (I used 1 can chicken)
3 tortillas, cut into ½ inch strips (we used crushed tortilla chips)
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
sliced avocado
sprigs of fresh cilantro
squeeze of fresh lime juice

Directions:
Saute onion, chile and garlic in oil until soft. Add tomatoes, bouillon, chicken broth, water, tomato juice, cumin, chile powder, salt, pepper and sauces. Bring soup to boil; lower heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. Add tortillas and cheese and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Serve garnished with avocado slices and a sprig of cilantro if desired. Add a squeeze of lime juice and you will think you have died and gone to heaven!

Jane Foxs Famous Tortilla Soup

This soup was in a recent issue of Rachael Ray's magazine and I am in love with it. We tried it for the first time last week and I actually put it back on the menu for this week again because I loved it so much! We had it last night and it was delicious once again. I am such a tortilla soup fan and the tortillas in this one make it a little extra special.

Ingredients
* 12 corn tortillas, 6 sliced lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips and 6 cut into 1 1/2 squares
* Vegetable cooking spray
* Salt and pepper
* 1/4 corn oil
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 2 - 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* A handful cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped.
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 tablespoons mild to medium chili powder (about a couple scant palmfuls)
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin (about a palmful)
* 6 cups chicken stock
* 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
* 2 rotisserie chicken breasts, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded or diced
* 2 avocados
* 2 limes, cut into wedges
* 1 small red onion, finely chopped
* 2 large jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and chopped
* Crumbled queso fresco and sour cream, for topping

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Arrange the tortilla strips on a baking sheet in a single layer; spray with cooking spray. Bake until deep golden, about 15 minutes. Season with salt.
2. Meanwhile, in a soup pot or dutch oven, heat 3 tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add the tortilla squares and cook, stirring, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tbsp. oil, the yellow onion, garlic, cilantro, bay leaves, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the spices are toasted and the onion is softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and lower the heat to a simmer until ready to serve.
3. Peel, seed and dice the avocados. Place some at the bottom of each soup bowl and douse with a healthy squeeze of lime juice. Pour the soup into the bowls. At the table, top with the red onion, baked tortilla strips, jalapenos, queso fresco and sour cream. Serve with the remaining lime wedges.

Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

I have tried a couple recipes lately that I was disappointed in, which is never fun. You feel like you have wasted time and money on the ingredients, not to mention not getting to enjoy a yummy dinner! Well, this was just the change I needed to get me wanting cook again. I saw this recipe on The Sister's Cafe and couldn't wait to try it. It is perfect for lunch with girlfriends and for dinner too (I grilled some chicken to go with it for dinner). I will definitely be making it again soon and I loved my addition of the black beans because it made it a little more filling. SOOO good!!!

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked Quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions
5 ears of corn, husk removed, brush with olive oil and grilled, remove corn with sharp knife (I put under broiler in oven for a bit)
2 avocados, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
2 cups tomatoes, red and yellow cherry variety or equivalent
1 small red onion, finely diced (I'll just use 1/2 next time)
¾ cups feta cheese, crumbled
1 ½ cups english cucumber, skin on and chopped small dice
(I added one can black beans, rinsed and drained)
2 TB of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Add to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cilantro Vinaigrette
6 T. Olive oil
2 T. Sherry vinegar
1 tsp. Garlic powder
2 T. Fresh cilantro, minced
½ tsp. Salt
10 Grinds of fresh ground pepper
Add all of the above ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid. Shake really well. Taste and adjust seasoning as you desire.
When ready to serve salad, add the dressing and gently toss.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

A couple weeks ago when I was at Sams Club I saw the Cooking Light Best One-Dish meals special edition magazine and I couldn't resist it. I have marked probably 3/4 of the recipes to try and this was the first one I actaully made. It was super flavorful, pretty spicy and warm and cheesy like I love...but without all the guilt :). I can't wait to try more!

Ingredients:
* 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (I used 1 can chicken)
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
* 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 cups chopped onion, divided
* 6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
* 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
* 2/3 cup salsa verde
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper
* 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used 2%)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.
3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.
4. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water, and jalapeño in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a blender; add 2 tablespoons cilantro. Process until smooth.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.
6. Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro.

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups * Calories: 371 * Fat: 12.4g * Saturated fat: 5g * Protein: 23.1g * Carbohydrate: 45.3g * Fiber: 5.4g * Cholesterol: 80mg * Sodium: 759mg

Vegetable Tacos

I was a little nervous about whether or not I would really like these tacos, but I actually LOVED them! The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens and will be especially delicious this summer when the produce is all fresh. I can't wait to make them again!

Ingredients:
* 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips (I left out)
* 1 cup bottled green salsa
* 4 ounces fingerling potatoes
* 2 ears sweet corn, uncooked
* 12 8-inches whole wheat tortillas, heated (I used corn)
* 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (I used cilantro)
* 2 red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, coarsely chopped
* 2 small zucchini, cut in thin wedges

Directions:
1. In microwave-safe bowl combine chicken and 1/2 cup salsa. Microcook, covered, on 100 percent power (high) 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once, until no pink remains. Remove with slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm. (I skipped this step)
2. In medium microwave-safe bowl combine potatoes and 1 tablespoon water. Cover with plastic wrap and microcook on 100 per cent power (high) 3 to 4 minutes or until tender, tossing once. Carefully open corner of plastic to let steam escape. Cool briefly. Cut in chunks; lightly sprinkle with salt. Cut uncooked corn from cobs.
3. On each tortilla place chicken, corn, tomatoes, parsley, sweet pepper, potatoes, zucchini, and remaining salsa. Serve immediately. Makes 12 tacos.
(I was a little confused about whether the zucchini was supposed to be served without cooking, which it seemed from the recipe. I roasted mine in a little olive oil with some salt and pepper)

(I thought this seemed high per taco considering there is mostly veggies in each one?)
Serving: 1 taco *Calories 311 * Protein 24g * Carbohydrate 24g * Fat total 14g * Cholesterol 67mg * Saturated fat 4g * Dietary Fiber 12g * Sodium 925mg

Chicken Carne Asada Tacos with Pickled Onions (and Spicy Black Beans)

I've been looking back through old recipes I have saved from magazine and have been finding some great ones! This one was in a 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine and they were SO good! The pickled onions were easy to make and added such a nice dimension to the flavor. The combination of it all was just perfect! We ate these last week and typing this up now is really making me want some more!

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
* 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 medium red onion, thinly vertically sliced
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into thin strips (I used chicken breasts)
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Cooking spray
* 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1 cup diced peeled avocado (about 1 avocado)
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Cotija cheese (I couldn't find and used queso fresco instead)
* Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place onion in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; drain and plunge onion in ice water. Drain onion; add to juice mixture. Chill until ready to serve.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned and done, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide chicken evenly among tortillas. Drain onion; divide evenly among tortillas. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons avocado and 1 tablespoon cheese; fold over. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Serving Size: 2 tacos * Calories: 413 * Fat: 17.1g * Saturated fat: 5.2g * Monounsaturated fat: 7.1g * Polyunsaturated fat: 2.7g * Protein: 33.4g * Carbohydrate: 33.6g * Fiber: 4.9g * Cholesterol: 123mg * Iron: 3.2mg * Sodium: 825mg * Calcium: 237mg

For Spicy Black Beans:
1. Remove 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from 1 can chiptole chiles in adobo sauce; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use.
2. Combine 1 teaspoon adobo sauce; 1/4 c low-sodium chicken broth and 1 (15 oz) can drained black beans in saucepan; bring to a boil.
3. Mash bean mixture. Sprinkle with 1 T chopped fresh cilantro.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

This recipe comes from Our Recipe Box and made for some delicious lunches for me last week! A couple days I ate it plain and one day I melted some cheese on top...it was delicious both ways. I like to have something healthy and tasty ready to eat at lunch time and this was a perfect solution!

Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water (I used chicken broth)
1-2 Limes
Cilantro
Olive Oil
Salt

Lettuce or Spinach
Avocado, diced
Red or Green Peppers, diced
Tomatoes, diced
Black Beans, rinsed

Directions:
Rinse quinoa well under cold, running water. You'll need a fine, mesh strainer for this or you can place a paper towel in a colander. Quinoa has to be rinsed because it has this funny taste/scent if you don't. (the quinoa I use comes rinsed already so I skipped this step)
Pour rinsed quinoa into 2 cups of boiling water and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes and then turn off the heat and let it sit. When you turn off the heat it might look oatmeally, but give it 15+ minutes and it will become light and fluffy. Transfer quinoa to a large salad bowl.
Chop cilantro and throw into quinoa. Squeeze fresh lime into quinoa mixture. Add salt and olive oil to taste.
The rest of the ingredients can be thrown into the quinoa, according to personal preference. (I added 1 red pepper, tomatoes, ` can black beans and avocado)

Mexican Chicken Stuffed Peppers

I knew I would love these when I saw them on Cassie Craves! Initially I was also excited about the fact that it was also a crock pot meal, but then the day I had this on the menu got crazy and I forgot about it. So, I ended up using 1 can of chicken instead and mixing the other ingredients in a saucepan. They still turned out delicious!

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 package taco seasoning
4 cups salsa, divided
4 large bell peppers, any color
Shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Directions:
1. Put chicken breasts, black beans, corn, taco seasoning and 2 cups salsa in the Crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and mix well.
2. Using a sharp knife, halve peppers and pull out all the seeds and ribs. Stuff each pepper half with chicken mixture.
3. Spread 1 cup salsa on the bottom of a baking dish. Place peppers in dish and top with remaining 1 cup salsa. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until peppers are soft.
4. Top with shredded cheese and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Chipotle's Barbacoa Beef on Cilantro Lime Rice

This is another recipe from Skinnytaste...a new favorite recipe spot for me! Slow cooker meals are always a hit for me and this one was AMAZING! I love Chipotle and this definitely hit the spot. We served it on the Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe below) with the Corn Salsa on top, burrito bowl style. Delish!

Ingredients:
3 lbs beef eye of round or bottom round roast, all fat trimmed
5 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1/2 lime, juice
2-4 chiptoles in adobo sauce (to taste)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp ground cloves
salt and pepper
3 bay leaves
1 tsp oil
1 cup water

Directions:
Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chiptoles, cloves in a blender.
Trim all fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper and brown on high heat in 1 tsp oil. Add liquefied spices, water, bay leaves and simmer on low two hours in a pressure cooker. (If you are making this in a regular pot, you will have to double the cooking time to at least 4 hours or more, covered on low flame and add more water from time to time to make sure it doesn't dry out.)
Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot, adjust salt and cumin (you may need to add more) to taste and add some of the reserved liquid back. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to let the flavors penetrate.
For the Slow Cooker...
Sear meat on high heat in a pan with 1 tsp oil or oil spray. Place all ingredients in your crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes. Super easy!!

Cilantro Lime Rice
1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
1/2 lime, juice of
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
3 tsp vegetable oil

In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off flame and keep covered an additional 5 minute.
In a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed.

Chipotle Corn Salsa

This recipe from Skinnytaste is great plain with chips or as we had it, on top of their Barbacoa Beef.

Ingredients:
4 cups (20 oz) cooked sweet yellow corn, cut
2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 scallion, diced
1-2 jalapeños, diced (remove seeds unless you like it really spicy)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 limes, juice of
chipotle chili powder, to taste
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate for about an hour. Makes about 6 cups.

Tomatillo Chicken Soup

YUUUM!!! This is my new favorite! I recently re-organized my recipe binder (which was full of recipes ripped out of magazines) and added this one, from the Nov 2010 Better Homes and Gardens magazine) to our menu this week. Now when I went to make it at 5pm I realized it was a crock pot recipe, woops. I just sauteed the peppers, celery and onion in a large pot first and used a can of chicken. I let it all simmer about 20 minutes and it was still delicious, so I can only imagine it's even better in the crock pot. It was tangy with a little heat and sooo delicious! I was planning to eat out for lunch today but was so excited about these leftovers that I didn't...it's that good!

Ingredients:
* 6 medium tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
* 1-1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 1 32-oz. box chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
* 1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup chopped red onion
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
* 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
* 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced*
* 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
* 1 Tbsp. lime juice
* 2 tsp. chili powder
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1 tsp. ground black pepper
* Dairy sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped red sweet pepper, sliced jalapeño peppers, snipped fresh cilantro, and/or tortilla chips (we topped with monterrey jack cheese and tortilla strips)

Directions:
1. Chop three tomatillos. Place remaining tomatillos in blender. Cover; blend until smooth. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine pureed and chopped tomatillos, chicken, broth, sweet pepper, onion, celery, chiles, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and 1 tsp. each salt and pepper.
2. Cover; cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Remove chicken; let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken; return to soup. If desired, top with sour cream, additional chopped red sweet pepper or jalapeño peppers, snipped cilantro, and/or tortilla chips. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Servings Per Recipe 4, Calories 247, Protein 42g, Carbohydrate 10g, Fat total 4g, Cholesterol 101mg, Saturated fat 1g, Dietary Fiber, total 3g, Sugar total 4g