Lime-Cilantro Chicken Tacos

I absolutely LOVE the crock pot. It is a working woman's best friend (besides her loving husband of course :). But this dish is unlike any other crock pot meal; if you just ate these tacos, you would never believe me that it was done in a crock pot! Usually the crock pot yields a yummy warming stew or a moist roast, but these taste just like Mexican street tacos. Who'd of thunk it!

We love getting tacos in Mexico from the sketchy little carts on the side of the road. Just make sure you choose the ones that have the most people hovering around 'em. Lots of people means GOOD FOOD... and it also means that if it's everyone else's favorite, they haven't gotten sick there so you probably won't either :) But still- take a peek and make sure their food looks safe, their cart looks (at least somewhat) clean, and that no one is sticking fingers in the toppings or double dipping into salsa or anything. 

ANYWAY, these crock pot 'street tacos' taste JUST like the ones we get in Mexico or from our hole in the wall Taco Tuesday joints around here.  'Street taco' refers to the way your taco is dressed up- which typically means your meat is stuffed into a warmed corn tortilla with ONLY Cilantro y Cebolla ("Cilantro and Onions"). I added a few extra topping options to our taco night, but you can pick and choose what you like to personalize your own 'Taco Tuesday' party :)

Ingredients (makes about 18 little corn tacos):

• 4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
• 1 generous cup of Salsa
• 1 cup roughly chopped Cilantro
• 1 minced Jalapeno
• 2 Limes (or more if you like)
• 1 Tablespoon minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Mexican Seasoning Blend or Taco Seasoning or your own mix of Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin, etc.
• plus extra Chili Powder for seasoning the chicken breast
• about 18 little taco-sized Corn Tortillas
• Toppings!

In a bowl, mix together the salsa, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, mexican seasoning blend, and the juice of ONE lime:

Spray your crock pot with a nonstick spray and place your chicken inside. Sprinkle chicken with chili powder, flip and cover other side as well:

Top chicken breasts with your cilantro/lime/salsa mixture:

Cook on low for 6 hours (if it goes much longer you might need to add a little more liquid later- either a little bit of chicken broth, or a little extra salsa, or even just a little plain water)

After it has slow cooked all day, it will just FALL APART at the touch of your utensil:

Break up your all your chicken and mix together with all the sauce & flavors in the pot until your left with a big pot of beautiful and tasty pulled chicken. Now squeeze the juice of the second lime into your chicken and stir in until all the chicken is well coated.

Prepare your taco toppings. I have chopped cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and a smorgasborg of salsas and hot sauces:

Warm your corn tortillas, about 6 at a time, by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and warming in the microwave for about 30 seconds:

True street taco style is simply with 'cilantro y cebolla' (cilantro and onion):

I started with a street taco base, and added hot sauce and avocado to mine: 

Here, Peter is reminding you to not forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice into each taco... to die for! 

 ...aaaaand, Pete added some hot sauce and avocado to his too :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

*(Download the app "Tortilla Soup Surfer"...see story at bottom of this blog :)

When I made this big pot of soup, I served Peter a hot bowl and then ladled myself a bowl to photograph for this blog. I took my photo, but when I came back to sit with him he was already slurping up his last little bit! He headed over to the stove to fill his bowl again, and was quite excited to see that there was such a big pot for more servings. Needless to say, I think I scored points with him tonight :)

For the new year, Peter's work is offering a new company wellness campaign. Now Peter is actually going out of his way to count how many cups of fruits and veggies he is eating daily!!! I am so stoked- I have our produce bowls FULL of options for him :) In addition to being SO delicious, this tortilla soup has got a ton of good veggies for you too! It is definitely 'new year resolution approved' :)


I have been dying to make Chicken Tortilla Soup soup lately and this soup was absolutely what I was hoping it would be. It was so satisfying. This soup has it all; it's substantial yet light... it has got the hardy nutrition in all of it's ingredients yet it's all steeped in a light broth. Even though it's perfect to warm up with soup in the wintertime, this one would be appropriate no matter the season or the weather since it includes lots of refreshing elements as well. Lime juice, cilantro, and sweet corn inside the soup offer a light complement to the hardiness of the meat and beans, while the avocado, onion, and other toppings add additional coolness to contrast the warmth of the mexican flavors.


Ingredients (yields 5 big bowls):

• 1 Onion, diced 
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 Tablespoon minced Garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 4 Chicken Breasts (or about 3 cups shredded from a whole chicken)
• 6 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos, NOT drained
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 can low sodium whole kernel Corn, drained
• 1 can low sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup Lime Juice
• 5 corn tortillas, cut into little strips
• Olive Oil
• 3 teaspoons Mexican Seasoning (you can use my seasoning blend *(see below), or a Taco Seasoning Packet, or just plain Chili Powder or WHATEVER Mexican seasoning you like) 

Topping Ideas: 

• Chopped Cilantro, Diced Avocado, Diced Tomatoes, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Queso Fresco, Sour Cream (or NF Plain Greek Yogurt), Lime Wedges, Diced Red Onion, Crumbled Tortilla Chips

*My Mexican Seasoning Blend: 1 Tbsp Chili Powder, 1/4 tsp McCormicks Seasoning Salt, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Paprika, 1 tsp Cumin, 1/2 tsp Onion Powder, 1/8 tsp *Cayenne (*optional if you don't like spicy) 
...this will make enough for this recipe, plus some leftovers to use for tacos or for the next time you make this tortilla soup

(If you are using a whole cooked or rotisserie chicken, you can disregard this step and skip straight to sautéing the veggies).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag with a healthy drizzle of olive oil- seal bag and work with hands to coat chicken with oil. Use tongs to place chicken breasts out on a foil-covered baking pan. Sprinkle tops with 1 tsp seasoning. Bake 10 minutes, then flip chickens and sprinkle other side with 1 tsp seasoning- return to oven for another 10 minutes or until cooked through. Shred chicken with 2 forks- pulling with the grain of the chicken fibers.

Sauté Veggies: 

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat to sauté the onion, bell pepper and garlic until onion is translucent and slightly browned (about 5 minutes or so). Then add 1 tsp of seasoning, continue to sauté for another minute or so.

Add the seasoned shredded chicken breasts (or 1-2 tsps seasoning with shredded chicken from a whole cooked chicken). Stir together in pot.

Add 6 cups chicken broth, one can of tomatoes w/ jalapenos (plus all liquid from can), tomato paste, drained corn, and drained black beans. Stir and allow to simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

After your soup has simmered. Turn off heat, stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and tortilla strips.

Serve hot

And don't forget the toppings! 

The avocado adds a cool creaminess -both in texture and flavor- that is superb with the warmth of other flavors in this soup. A topping of cilantro adds a sharp freshness. A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt could also add some coolness to compliment this soup and could be stirred in with some cheese to make your bowl creamier and thicker if desired. Red onion would also add some fresh crispness, and crumbled crunchy tortilla chips are an absolute must!

'Tortilla Soup Surfer' story: 
I'm sure every boy who plays video games has dreamed up his own game. Well our friend, Trevor, actually got that dream to come to life. He works for a creative design & development company called 'JLoop'.  Recently, JLoop decided to develop their employee's dream into a real game. Trevor's game is called "Tortilla Soup Surfer". Search for it in the app store of your smartphone or iPad/tablet. The object of the game is for you to help the veggie 'surfers' in the bowl of tortilla soup to score as many points as possible before they have to escape from the bowl... or else they are slurped up for dinner!  :)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

THIS is the family favorite. My mom made this for our fam when we were growing up. It makes a large casserole, but there were hardly ever any leftovers. Even if there were a little bit of leftovers, they definitely didn't last past lunchtime the next day. To this day, this is the most requested birthday item from everyone in my family. 
In fact, this time that I made it, it was per request from my brother and sister-in-law when they came home from the hospital with their new baby boy. 


Rather than the traditional chicken enchilada which has individual rolled enchiladas, this one is a layered chicken enchilada casserole. I love casseroles because they are easy to assemble, all the flavor is trapped together in one dish, and they are great for feeding a crowd.  
This recipe makes a large 9x13 casserole, however I made two 8x8 casseroles this time; one for Peter and I, and one to take over to Cullen and Ashley's when they got home from the hospital.


For this enchilada, there are only 3 parts that get layered together: tortillas, chicken, and sauce:


The chicken is as easy as plain cooked chicken that is chopped or shredded. In a pinch, a rotisserie chicken works VERY well for this recipe. This time, I cooked a whole chicken and shredded all of its meat for this casserole.


Some enchiladas allow you to use corn or flour tortillas, but I would urge you NOT to use flour for this one. I've made it with flour tortillas once and I will never make that mistake again. It came out too soggy :( Besides, corn is healthier anyway :) For these enchiladas, just stick to corn tortillas.


Recipe (makes a large 9x13 casserole dish):

• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• one 24 oz jar Salsa, I use 'medium' spice (the 'La Victoria' style of salsa)
• 16 oz Shredded Cheddar, plus 8 oz Shredded Cheddar; divided
• 1/2 to 1 cup Milk (I use fat free)... not necessary for flavor, so if you don't have the milk, don't stress; it just helps to thin and stretch the sauce so that you have enough for the top (which is pretty important)
• 24 Corn Tortillas
• about 4 cups Chicken, cooked & shredded (4 large Chicken Breasts or the meat of one Whole Cooked Chicken)
• For serving: Sour Cream, or a healthier option- Guacamole!

First, mix together the can of Cream of Chicken soup, the can of Cream of Mushroom soup, the jar of Salsa (reserve a few spoonfuls for the bottom of the baking dish), and 16 oz shredded cheddar, and the milk. 

(The cup of milk does not affect the cooking or flavor of this dish, but if you have a cup of milk it helps to make this sauce stretch a little further; it's important that you have enough of this sauce as you layer because this needs to be the top layer covering the casserole.) 

It makes a great looking pink sauce... Peter always sneaks over with a bag of tortilla chips at this point and starts dipping into this sauce- until I whack him with my spoon :)

  

Now slice your tortillas into 1 inch strips (they already have lines baked into them, so I just pile a handful at a time and slice the stacks all at once along the guide lines.)

I roasted a whole chicken and shredded it for this dish, so I used some of the chicken broth juices from the roasting pan to cover the bottom of the enchilada dish. If you do not have the cooked chicken broth, then you can use a few spoonfuls of salsa, or even spread a bit of your cheesy-pink enchilada sauce. 

(If you do not put something down there, the dry tortilla strips might bake hard onto the casserole dish)

Lay out your tortilla strips to cover the bottom of the pan:

Then layer 1/3 of your shredded chicken:

Then 1/3 of your sauce:

Repeat, ENDING WITH THE SAUCE. This is important. If you end with a layer of tortillas or chicken, it will bake all hard and dried out. No es bueno!

Then cover the top layer of sauce with 8 ounces or so of shredded cheddar (my favorite part- the ooey gooey cheesy crust :)

Bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese bakes golden brown and bubbly (about 45 minutes): 

Let is sit for about 10-15 minutes before you cut into it. This will allow it to cool slightly, and to firm up. Otherwise, you will cut a serving and it will ooze off the spatula and all over the plate. It will taste great, but it won't look as appetizing. So let it sit for a little!

Delicious served with a healthy side of yummy guacamole!

This is one meal that gets even better the day after because all the flavors marry together even better as they sit. Unfortunately, leftovers (if any) hardly last long enough. 

...A good solution to this could actually be even easier for you; make it ahead of time! When you are ready to bake it, pull it from the fridge, bring it to room temp, and then pop it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. A flavorful, filling meal that's ready when you are! That's why I love casseroles :)

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is a quick and easy version of chicken enchiladas that packs a lot of flavor punch. I've seen recipes for 'creamy chicken enchiladas' that use either cream cheese or sour cream in the filling. To lower the calories and fat, I used nonfat plain greek yogurt instead of the other creamy ingredients that are higher in calories and fat. You still get all the cool, creamy refreshing flavor of the sour cream, but without the calories and fat. 
The nonfat, plain greek yogurt is one item that seems to always be on my grocery list nowadays. It substitutes SO WELL in place of sour cream in any recipe... it's unreal.

This recipe was a weeknight inspiration when I got home late from work and needed to whip up a quick dinner... before heading out again to see our new baby nephew that had just been born! Usually when these rushed evenings happen, I get a flood of 'oh crud' feelings and my adrenaline pumps, but some of my most creative and successful recipes come from those moments on the fly. On this particular night, I opened the fridge and saw a big bundle of cilantro. "That's it" I thought, "I'm going to use that cilantro and I'm going to use the greek yogurt to make quick, creamy, healthy mexican enchiladas". The rest of the ingredients I needed to make the enchiladas are just staples that I almost always have on hand (so you likely will too). It was a no brainer; boil the chicken. assemble enchiladas. bake. done. out the door. We even got to pack some up and take it to the hospital to share with the new parents!

Ingredients (makes one 9x13 casserole dish):

• 3 cups cooked Chicken, shredded or cubed
• 12 oz. plain, nonfat Greek Yogurt 
• 1/2 cup chopped Cilantro
• One 4-oz. can of diced Ortega Chiles, drained
• 2 cups shredded Cheese, divided (I used a 4 cheese mexican blend, but you can use mozzarella, pepperjack, anything you like)
• 1/2 cup diced Tomato, (or 1/4 cup Salsa)
• 8 medium sized Flour Tortillas, OR 10 small Corn Tortillas
• One 28-oz. can of Green Enchilada Sauce

Mix your 3 cups chicken, 12 oz. yogurt, 1/2 cup cilantro, ortega chiles, 1 cup cheese, and 1/2 cup tomatoes all together in a bowl.

In the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish, spread 1 large spoonful of the green sauce. This will keep the tortillas from baking onto to the dish.


Warm tortillas by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and steaming them in the microwave for a few minutes. This will make them pliable, so that they won't crack when you try to roll them up.


Stuff the warmed tortillas with as much of the creamy chicken filling mix as you can inside each tortilla. 

Roll them up and place seam side down in your sauced baking dish.

Once all your tortillas are rolled and nestled into the baking dish, pour the remainder of the green sauce over your little enchilada rolls.


Top with the other cup of shredded cheese (or more if you like) and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is golden brown and bubbly on top. 

You can add or omit any ingredients you please. You really can't mess these up. It can even be as simple as just a little cheese and the chicken inside the tortillas and it will still be delicious and filling! Cover anything with sauce and cheese and you can't go wrong :)

Huevos Rancheros

Peter absolutely LOVES huevos rancheros for breakfast. Luckily for me, they are super easy and fast to make. In fact, this is ready so fast that it is another one of those quick, weekday work-morning staples, just like our breakfast b-egg-les.


Huevos rancheros is a traditional Mexican dish served upon fried corn tortillas. However, in an attempt to make it healthier, I've found that toasting my tortillas under the broiler gives them that same traditional crisp but without those fried calories.


Shopping List: 

• Corn Tortillas
• Grated Cheddar Cheese
• Eggs
• Tapatio or hot sauce of your choice
• Pico de gallo Salsa
• fresh Cilantro
• *Other possible additions: Avocado slices, and Refried beans.

First I turn the broiler on in my oven. When the broiler is hot and ready, toss your corn tortillas directly onto the top rack (one tortilla for each huevo ranchero). 


While the tortillas are crisping, start the eggs:
Make sure the frying pan is nice and hot before the eggs are cracked into it; this will help the eggs firm up when they hit the pan and prevent them from running all over. We want each one in a nice little size that will fit on top of each tortilla nicely, so we can't have them running all over the pan. Use your spatula to corral each egg together if you need to.
When the eggs get white and opaque on the bottom, but still shiny and slightly runny on top, break the yolk into the top of the egg and turn off the stove top. Sprinkle a little grated cheddar on top; let the cheese melt and the the eggs continue to sit in the pan to cook through with the heat off.

While the eggs are finishing cooking, flip the tortillas so that they are nice and crispy on both sides. Then, gather together all the other ingredients. Sprinkle a bed of cheddar on top of the warm, crispy tortilla. This will act as a glue that will hold the egg in place on top of the tortilla. (Or you could opt for the more traditional 'glue' here; refried beans.)

Slide your soft cooked fried egg right on top of the cheddar melting on the tortilla. Then simply dress up the egg with your desired toppings. I like to adorn with a couple spoonfuls of fresh salsa, a few big shakes of Tapatio, and finally some freshly chopped cilantro. If I have avocados on hand, sometimes I will even place a few slices of avocado on top of this simple and flavorful breakfast. 

Pick 'em up like an open faced sandwich and eat with your hands :) but keep some napkins handy. 

Oh man, looking at these pics makes me want to cook up some more huevos rancheros right now!

Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

I know it's the middle of January, but we just had a few rogue, hot 'summer' days, so for dinner I made a fresh healthy salad to battle the heat. However, this recipe can also be appropriate for January because it follows the new year mindset of being 'healthy, wealthy, and wise'... I will show you how inexpensive, nutritious, and delicious this SUPER EASY lime-cilantro vinaigrette is over a simple southwestern salad.


Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup of packed fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice (I used 3 whole, hand squeezed limes)
1/4 cup orange juice (I used 1/2 large, hand squeezed orange)
1 clove of minced garlic (again, I used my handy dandy garlic 'zoom' toy -seen in previous post)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Simply pack all the ingredients at once into your food processor (or blender)...

...Let it spin for about 10 seconds or so...

...and you have a beautifully colorful, DELICIOUS, and flavorful vinaigrette made from fresh ingredients:

Now pour it over your salad of choice. I think this dressing goes great over a fresh southwestern salad.

 Of course, you can add or subtract any ingredients to your liking, but this is how I like to create my southwestern salad (I like to add lots of color; Typically, more color means more nutrients): 

Colorful Nutritious Salad:

-2 heads iceberg lettuce, chopped (I've tried it with Romaine lettuce before, but I found that the Romaine didn't quite compliment the tex-mex flavors in this salad)

-1 large tomato, diced (good source of Vitamins A & C, and Lycopene -a cancer fighting antioxidant)

-1 avocado, peeled and diced (high in GOOD monounsturated fats)

-1 red bell pepper, diced (high in Vitamin C)

-1 can black beans, drained (high in Protein and Fiber)

-1 can corn, drained (Whole Grain, and a good source of Fiber and Protein)

-1 handful of cilantro, chopped (helps remove trace heavy metals, and fights infections)

Salads are so easy to tailor to your own preferences. For example, I usually like to add either grilled chicken or ground turkey with taco seasonings to this salad, but if you are a vegetarian this can be a great vegetarian-friendly dish without the meat because it is already full of protein from the black beans and corn- and if you wish to add more protein you can even add in some kidney beans, or some cheese too!

And it's a money-saving meal too:

Salad:

2 heads Iceberg Lettuce	$1.98
1 large Tomato	$0.50
1 Avocado	$0.88
1 Red Bell Pepper	$1.00
1 can Black Beans	$0.59
1 can Corn	$0.44
handful Cilantro (1/2 bundle)	$0.50

Dressing:

Cilantro (1/2 bundle)	$0.50
¼ cup Lime Juice (3 limes)	$0.99
¼ cup OJ (1/2 Orange from Grandma Joanie’s yard)	$0.00
½ tsp Salt	$0.01
½ tsp Pepper	$0.01
1 clove Garlic	$0.05
½ cup EVOO	$0.71

------------------------------------------------------------------

Grand Total

$8.16

or 6 very generous servings of salad with dressing, which weigh in at  just $1.36 per serving