Baked Chicken Tacos

Here's the original blog I got this recipe from! I modified it a tad so now you have TWO ways to make Baked Chicken Tacos!

http://mommyimhungry.blogspot.com/2012/11/oven-tacos.html

Here's my version: 

Ingredients:

12 Hard Taco Shells

1 packet of Taco Seasoning

2 lbs Chicken

1 Onion

2 cups Pepper Jack Cheese

Additional toppings:

Salsa

Lettuce

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Cilantro

Salt and Pepper 

Directions:

1. Chop raw chicken and onion.

2. Sautee chicken, sliced onions, and taco seasoning in 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil for 7-8 minutes. 

 3. Line the pan with taco shells. Yes they will fall all over the place until you put the chicken in. 

4. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. 

Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.  

Holy-Moly Homemade Guacamole!

This is by far my favorite guacamole recipe I've ever had and it's not only because my boyfriend makes it! It's so simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

2 Limes

3 Avocados

1/2 Red Onion

12 Cherry Tomatos

Cilantro

3 Jalapenos 

3 Garlic Cloves 

Salt and Pepper

1. Fine chop all ingredients. Depending on desired spice level - remove all jalapeno seeds or leave some! It's up to you! 

2. Mix ingredients together in a bowl.

3. Cut avocado's in half and spoon into the bowl. Here's the key: use a fork to mix everything together so you have chunks of avocado in the guacamole. Add salt and pepper to taste!

4. Enjoy! 

Sweet and Spicy Brussel Sprouts

                                 

                                                           Ingredients: 


                          1 lb fresh Brussel sprouts, ends trimmed and  sliced in quarters

1 Tablespoon light cooking oil    

    (canola or vegetable is fine)

2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce (or Soyaki from Trader Joe's)

A few red pepper flakes

1/4 cup honey

Directions: 

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves.

Toss brussel sprouts in mixture and make sure they are coated! 

Spread a single layer on a baking pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees F. 

Honey-Lime Shrimp

Finally....the warm weather is here!!! Bring on the delicious summer salads!!

 

 

 

I wanted to try a new shrimp recipe so I went with this one because I already had all the ingredients!

 

Ingredients:

 

 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
 3 T honey
juice of one small lime, or half a large lime (2-3 T)
 1/2 tsp garlic salt
 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

 

Additions to add:
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (if you want it spicy)

2 cloves garlic, smashed (instead of the garlic salt)

 

Directions:

 

1.) In a large ziploc bag, combine all the marinade ingredients. When everything is well-combined, add the shrimp, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag, and close it up. Place it in the fridge.

 

2.) Let the shrimp marinate for 30-60 minutes, flipping the bag around once or twice during that time, so that all the shrimp stay evenly covered in the marinade.

 

3.) When you’re ready to cook, take the shrimp out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; there is no need to add any oil or butter to the pan, as the marinade has enough oil in it to keep the shrimp from sticking to the pan. (If you would prefer to use the grill for these, you can thread them onto skewers and toss them on the grill at this point.)

 

4.) Add your shrimp to the pan in a single layer, making sure they are not too crowded; you can always cook them in more than one batch. Let them cook on one side for about a minute, until they curl up and start to turn pink. Flip them over, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from the pan, and serve immediately over rice, salad, or by themselves!

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Salad

Two of my passions are cooking and blogging but my new obsession is substituting Greek yogurt for mayonnaise in recipes! Here's the first one that I've actually tried and I am a big fan!!

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Salad on top of lettuce 

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Salad on an avocado (not my picture but I plan to do this next time I eat it) 

Ingredients

1 - 1.5lbs chicken, cooked and cut into small pieces 

1/4 cup chives, sliced 

6 tsp lime juice 

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 sweet onion, diced 

2 pinches each: garlic powder, cumin, sea salt 

1-   6 oz. Low-Fat Greek Yogurt (plain)

1/5 cup fresh salsa 

Directions 

For the chicken, I used the white meat from a rotisserie chicken. 

Finely chop chicken, cilantro, chives, and onions. 

Combine chicken, scallions, lime juice, cilantro, onions, and salsa in a large bowl. Season with garlic powder, cumin, and salt.  Stir in Greek Yogurt until chicken salad is the desired consistency.  

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve on lettuce, avocado, or pita. 

No-Bake Protein Bites

Okay...this recipe is amazing and I will definitely be making these every week from now on to have as snacks when I'm on campus all day.

Power Protein Bites

Ingredients

I have to give Trader Joe's a shoutout! Everything came from there! 

1 cup oats

1/2 cup natural peanut butter 

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes ( I didn't use these this time but I will be using them next time)

1/2 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla 

Directions

Super easy...ready....MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER! 

Then...roll into balls! I didn't roll them in the coconut flakes but I will next time. The coconut adds extra flavor and makes them less sticky! 

Refrigerate. 

Healthy Portobello Pizza

Recipe #10 of 2013! 

Ingredients:

4 medium tomatoes
                                                  4 large portobello mushrooms
4 cloves of garlic
1 tbs lemon juice
1 leek
1 medium onion

 fresh basil leaves 
Goat cheese 
fresh parsley (about 7 sprigs fresh, or 1-2 tbs dry)
2 tbs olive oil 
pinch of salt

Directions

Heat up the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.

Chop up the onion into small pieces, then add it to the pan and stir until it's slightly brown. 

Dice up the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and leek, and add them to the pan with the onions. Saute until the ingredients are soft. 

Add a pinch of salt to the mixture and stir. Add the lemon juice and stir. 

Begin preheating the oven at 400 degrees. Chiffon the basil leaves (chop them up) and add to the pan. Stir.

Spray olive oil on a baking sheet and place the portobello mushrooms on the sheet, bottom side up with stems removed. 

Add the mixed ingredients form the sauce pan into each mushroom and top with the goat cheese. 

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Sprinkle the pizzas with the fresh (or dry) parsley.