Stuffed Avocados

I don't have much to say about this other than...it must be one of the best recipes ever! It is very easy and fast, which is a bonus. How come I never thought of this idea before? Ready? Stuffed avacados. They are to die for. (originally from http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/122112-the-end-of-the-world-stuffed-avocados/ but I tweaked it and you can can pretty much fill them up with your favorite fillings that would go well in them.)

Stuffed Avocados

3 Avocados from Mexico halved
1 large can of sweet corn kernels
6 strips of bacon
1 red and green pepper cut into small strips (I used a tomato instead of the red pepper)
1small bunch of green onions, chopped
2 large lemons
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp chili powder

 Preheat oven to 450
1. In a frying pan over medium heat, add the bacon until golden. Remove the strips and place on kitchen paper to absorb the remaining fat. Then cut it into pieces.
2. In the same pan, and using the bacon fat, add the peppers, (tomato if used), onions, corn, and spices. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until slightly tender.
3. To prevent darkening avocados, sprinkle with lemon juice. Add the mix inside each avocado where the seed was removed and bake for only 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

 I loved this recipe from http://beingcindykitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/mexican. I adjusted the recipe a little as well, and these were very tasty and healthy. I wasn't sure how the spinach would turn out as one of the ingredients, but it was actually really good!

 

Baked Chicken Fajitas

 

 

 

 

2 large chicken breasts

1/2 cup chicken broth

5 or 6 handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped or torn into smallish pieces

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp coarse salt (or about 3/4 tsp regular salt)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 small can diced chilis

Another 1/4 cup chicken broth

About 2 cups grated mozzarella or monterey jack cheese

10 8" soft taco sized flour tortillas (I'd also like to try this with my homemade tortillas, which are about 6")

Olive oil

Put chicken breasts and first 1/2 cup broth in a medium saucepan; fill with enough extra water to cover the chicken by about 2 inches. Boil for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Shred or dice the chicken pieces.

 

Add spices, bell pepper, onion, and chilis to the chicken. Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until heated through and peppers reach desired tenderness. This  helps all the flavors absorb together. Place in a bowl, allow to cool for a few mintutes.

Once chicken is cooked, preheat oven to 450. Grease a rimmed cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Cut tortillas in half if they are large, or keep them in their round shape if they are small or medium-sized. Once ingredients are a little cooler, add grated cheese and spinach, then mix to combine. Spoon a bit of the filling onto each tortilla half and top with cheese; roll them up starting from the flat side and tuck them together, roll-side down, on the cookie sheet. Brush tops with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes at 450, then use tongs to turn flautas over and cook for 10 more minutes on the other side (or until the exposed sides are a dark golden-brown). Serve hot, with salsa if desired.

 

 

Homemade Mini Taco Bowls

 Homemade mini taco bowls

These mini taco bowls are easy to make and add a different change to tacos. All you need to do:

 Preheat oven to 375.

Slice a tortilla in half (1 tortilla for every 2 bowls.)

Spray the bottom of a muffin tin with cooking spray

Carefully form each tortilla half in between each muffin cup. You can carefully fold the edges that protrude inside to help create the bowl shape.

Place muffin tin in oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Fill with prepared taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream, or whichever fillings you desire.

Slow Cooker Mango Salsa Chicken Salad

This recipe was absolutely tasty. I usually do not like eating left overs again and again, however, I ate this for dinner almost a week straight. It was sweet and flavorful with just enough zest. All you need to do is throw the 6 (I used 5) ingredients into the crock pot and allow to cook. I love to top this as part of a salad (Cafe Rio style), however, you can also roll it up with rice into a warm tortilla. You won't regret giving this a try! (This recipe is adapted from http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/02/healthy-meals-monday-slow-cooker-mango.html.) P.S. I only used 2 large chicken breasts, and it still turned out just fine.

Mango Salsa Chicken Salad

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (However, I didn't use beans because I really don't like them.)
3 cups mango salsa (This large jar was from Costco.)
Cumin to taste (1/2 to 1 tsp.)
Lemon Pepper to taste (1/2 to 1 tsp.) Or (what I did), about 1 tsp of lemon juice and 1/8 tsp pepper

Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour over chicken breasts and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

Garnish with cilantro or parsley, if desired.

Different ways to serve the chicken:
 with tortilla chips
over rice
as part of a salad (see below for details)
With rice rolled up inside a tortila.

For the salad:

Mix up romaine lettuce with green, leafy lettuce. Warm up a whole wheat tortilla. Serve the lettuce on top of the tortilla, then top about a 1/2 C rice, then the mango salsa chicken. If desired, shred Monterey Jack cheese on top for extra flavor. Sqeeze a dash of lemon juice on top. There is no need for dressing since the salsa from the chicken provides enough tender texture and flavor. Enjoy!!

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is one of my favorite recipes. These bell peppers are addicting, so be careful! I pulled this recipe from this page: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/01/southwest-stuffed-bell-peppers/ and honestly, they give a much better explanation on how to make these step by step with awesome pictures. So, if you so desire, you can take a glance at my blog and go to their link for a better explanation with a picture for each step. Even though this recipe has a longer list of ingredients and has a few more steps, I can promise you that these peppers are amazing!!!!

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1 Tbs salt
1/2 C white rice (or  brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 green onions, sliced
1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 1/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.
Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides.  Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt.   Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.  Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.
Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Place peppers in a baking dish.  Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro.  Stir to combine well and give it a taste.  Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking.  Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

Here is one of my favorite chicken enchilada recipes, which I learned how to make in a cooking class I took as a kid. They are very easy to make and a family favorite.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb chicken (boneless and skinless)
4 oz can green chilis
1 bunch green onions, chopped 
1 cup low-fat sour cream
8 oz cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
1 can enchilada sauce
6-8 flour tortillas (wheat are my favorite)
opt:
black olives--optional
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp minced onion
pepper
extra cheese

Cut chicken into small pieces (1/2 inch thick). Heat frying pan, then add a little oil and add the chicken. Stir until cooked through. Remove from heat and mix in a bowl with the chilies, grated cheese, and sour cream. Put a spoonfull on a tortilla and roll it up. Place in a greased baking dish, top with enchilada sauce as well as desired toppings such as green onions, cilantro, olives, tomatoes, and extra cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Taco Quesadillas

Today I wanted to use up some ingredients, and I couldn't decide between having tacos or quesadillas (oh the problems we face today). So then I had the idea...why not make a taco quesadilla? It worked! I am also picky about my food staying warm, and I get peeved when my tortilla is cold and the filling is hot, and if it's too soft it falls apart. In this case, you don't have to worry. The tortilla is both soft but with a little crisp.

All you need to do for a taco quesadilla is make the taco meat and chop the fillings as you normally would . I used a taco seasoning mix to keep it easy and filled up the quesadilla with tomatoes, cheese, green pepper (which I was unsure about at first, but it tasted great), and the hamburger inside a tortilla (I used whole wheat.)

Taco Quesadillas

Close it up and cook it on a skillet or a mini grill.

Serve it with desired sides, whether it be lettuce and tomato, sour cream, rice, guacamole...you name it. Call it a quick, easy meal (I had 2 because they were that good.)

Baked Chicken Fajitas

I saw this recipe and decided to try it out as well. It is full of nutrition as it consists of many fresh vegetables, chicken, and a few spices--not to mention it is delicious!

Adapted from this website:
http://eatinonthecheap.com/2011/03/24/my-thoughts-on-food-magazines-and-baked-chicken-fajitas/

Baked Chicken Fajitas

You will need:

(I forgot to include the green chili's in the picture, but it's in the fajita mixture)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I defrosted 2 large frozen chicken breasts.)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (or I used one fresh, large tomato, chopped up)
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I used half of a red and half of a green to add more flavor and variety)
2 T vegetable oil
2 t. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking dish. After slicing them, mix together uncooked chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.

 In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.

 Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Be aware that there will be quite a bit of juice at the bottom after it is done cooking, so drain the 13x9 and serve with warmed tortillas. Enjoy!!