Green Chile Pork Enchiladas

You all should know by now that NOTHING makes me happier than a QUICK, EASY, HEALTHY meal.  And todays recipe fits in all 3 of those categories.  I actually got this recipe from my mother and was AMAZED when she told me the ingredients.

Yep! That's it! 

And honestly they are delicious! 

The meat is amazing and I've made tacos and nachos with the meat which is also quick and easy.

Here is the enchilada recipe!

Green Chile Pork Enchiladas

via

Ingredients:

1 package carnitas (precooked seasoned pork) can find this at Trader Joes or at *Fry's

1 bottle of 505 green chile sauce (I use medium and it isn't too spicy) found at Fry's

12 small white corn tortillas

Optional:

2 ounces Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Heat the pork according to package instructions

3. Shred meat in a medium sized bowl and add 1/2 bottle of the green chile sauce. Mix well

4. Warm tortillas 4 at a time in the microwave for 30 sec. - 1 min.  on a paper plate in between two damp paper towels.  This makes the tortillas pliable and easy to roll up without cracking. 

5. In a casserole dish or pan spray lightly with nonstick spray and coat bottom with a little bit of sauce.

6. Start filling enchiladas with shredded pork mixture and add a few sprinkles of cheese.  Fold and place in pan.

7.  Cover the enchiladas with the remainder of green chile sauce and top with a few sprinkles of cheese.

8. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min.

9. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with rice and beans!

* The Carnitas at Fry's are kinda hard to find so ask an employee if you can't find them! They are located near the deli but not in the typical meat section.

Nutritional Information: (includes the 2 oz of cheese)

Serving Size:  2 enchiladas

Calories:  318      Fat: 13.7 g     Carbs: 27.3 g      Protein: 23.5 g     Vitamin C 320%!

Crock-pot Chicken Tostada Mix

This recipe is one of my all time favorites! It's a crock pot recipe which is always delightful because of the convenience and minimal clean up.  This is the CLEANER version of the original recipe which calls for a whole lot of cream cheese and cheddar cheese. SO NOT NEEDED, this modified recipe is creamy and delicious and still easy on the calories! Check the bottom of this post for all the nutritional information!

*As usual, I always HALF this recipe, but if you like leftovers feel free the freeze the extras and 2 weeks down the road when you are craving them again... put it back in the crock pot and heat it up! SO EASY!

Chicken Tostada Mix

Yield: Enough for 20 tostadas!

Ingredients

2  lb. chicken breast

1  10oz can green enchilada sauce (I use MACAYO'S brand because it has 8 ingredients and I know what each of them are! Also watch out because most cans are 16 OUNCES! So you need to measure out 10oz)

1   4oz can diced green chilies

6oz reduced fat cream cheese

1 cup diced bell pepper (I buy red, orange, yellow, and green peppers and dice them ALL up and then put them in a bag in my freezer. When a recipe calls for them I just measure it out and throw them in! So easy! Also the variety of color makes this mix so beautiful!)

Directions

Place the first 3 ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for 4-5 hrs.)  

Once done, shred the chicken in the crockpot to incorporate the sauce evenly.  Then add remaining ingredients and cook an additional 30 minutes.  Stir well to combine and serve on top of tostada shells with a little shredded cheese on top!

Nutritional information for the chicken mixture (based on 20 servings)

Calories:   70

   Carbs:     2 grams

       Fat:     2 grams

 Protein:   10 grams

** I typically have 2 tostadas with shredded cheese on top which equates to 350 calories! Not bad for a delicious dinner that is filling, packed with protein, and easy to make!

Sante Fe Chicken {Crock-pot}

This recipe come from 

www.skinnytaste.com

which is a great website that has so many clean recipes

One of my personal favorites is the Sante Fe Chicken

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken 

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice.

{For the rice I usually cook 1 cup of rice with 1.5 cups of chicken broth and a dash of lime juice}

Amazing & Easy Taco Soup

I forget sometimes how much I love soup...

It's a cheap, healthy, quick meal that always provides leftovers.

My soup of choice this week was:

via

Taco Soup
I used grass fed beef and all organic beans for this soup and the
total cost for this meal was $12 for 10 servings

Ingredients:

3 cans of beans (I used kidney, black, and pinto)

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can corn kernels

1 can of water

1 small can diced green chilies

1/2 diced onion

1 lb. ground beef  (I used 1/2 lb and it was plenty!!!)

1 pkg reduced sodium taco seasoning

1 pkg ranch dressing mix 

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef and the diced onions in a large soup pot over medium high heat.

2. Open all 3 cans of beans and drain the liquid.  Rinse beans in a colander with water. Add beans to pot.
 ***Canned beans are LOADED with sodium, mostly contained in the liquid.  By draining and rinsing canned beans you DRASTICALLY lower the sodium content of your meal.


3. Add corn, water, and diced green chilies to the pot.  Before adding the stewed tomatoes, I drain the liquid in the pot and then dump the tomatoes on a large cutting board and dice them very small, then add them to the pot. I hate chunky tomatoes in my soup :)

4. Add taco and ranch seasoning packets and stir to combine.  Add extra water to create your desired soup consistency.

5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to lowest setting and let simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Enjoy with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips!

Shredded Chicken Tacos

The easiest way to add stress to your day is to

NOT

make a weekly dinner plan.

...I know this...

and somehow I ALWAYS fail to plan.

So I took inventory of what was in my fridge and tried to figure out what I could make for dinner tonight.

Here's what I had:

2 very ripe avocados

1 red onion

1 yellow onion

2 Trader Joe's flour tortillas

Some hard shell corn tortilla shells

A garden full of greens

3 frozen chicken breast tenders that I had set out in hopes of finding a recipe to use!

I hate cooking Chicken unless it is in a crock pot recipe. It always seems dry and bland.

But when looking on FOOD GAWKER I found a great recipe for Shredded Chicken Tacos

that called for POACHED chicken.

Poaching chicken is something I had never attempted before and I feel like I've been missing out on life. 

Poached Chicken Breasts (serves 2 or yields about 3-4 cups shredded chicken, depending on size)

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

5 cups water

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Bring water, onion, garlic and salt to a bowl. Add chicken breasts and oregano.

Turn down the heat and simmer, partially covered for 35-40 minutes.

When finished cooking, remove chicken with a slotted spoon, if using in another dish shred with two forks, if not, serve. Strain liquid and reserve for stock.

...So here is my recipe review...

It was 

FANTASTIC

Jess gave it 5 stars :)

We made mini tacos using the flour tortillas and also used the hard shells

I made my Favorite Guacamole and also homemade salsa to top it all off.

So fun just going in my backyard and harvesting the cilantro and jalapeño for the salsa!

Shredded Chicken Tacos (makes enough for 12-15 tacos)

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups shredded POACHED chicken
1/2 cup crushed tomato
1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions

In skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute.

Add chili powder, cumin, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano and cayenne pepper. Cook for another minute or until fragrant.

Turn down heat to low and add the chicken. Stir so that the chicken is covered in spices. It may take a few times to get chicken fully coated.

Add crushed tomato and chicken broth. Cook for a minute or until only a little liquid remains.

I will definitely be making these again and am so glad I discovered the process of POACHING!

**Recipes and Photos from http://www.livinglou.com

Product Favorites & Dinner Idea

Man, life just never slows down does it?

Sorry Kristen & I have been blog slackers lately (come on Kris!)

She has been enjoying her month off of teaching piano and I have been busy with my first month OF piano!

* But let's get back to business here *

Remember how Trader Joe's is my heaven on earth? Well here are a few of my current FAVORITES.

* 100% Pineapple Juice *

This stuff makes amazing smoothies! I find Jess drinking it straight from the can all the time :)

And seriously with the cans?? How stinkin cute are they?

* Unsweetened Coconut Milk *

Gluten/Dairy/Sugar Free and Smells so delicious

 4 oz coconut milk + 4 oz pineapple juice + frozen fruit + flaxmeal or flaxoil = Favorite Breakfast

 * Chocolate Icecream made w/ Coconut Milk *

Dairy Free and surprisingly addicting :) They also sell strawberry

* Chile Lime Chicken Burgers *

Find these in the frozen section! They are healthy with all REAL ingredients

 Now obviously this messy pile of goodness is no masterpiece but let me tell you it was phenomenal.

Chile Lime Chicken NACHOS!

(This recipe made enough for 2 adult servings. If you use ALL 4 burgers, double the RED ingredients)

Ingredients:

These ingredients in RED are optional but highly recommended!!!!

* 1 mexican grey squash (or a regular zucchini works too)

* 1/4 c. chopped onion

* 1 T. chopped cilantro

* 1 small garlic clove, minced

* 2 TJ's Chile Lime Chicken Burgers

* TJ's Reduced Guilt Tortilla Chips

* Extra Sharp Chedder Cheese

* Homemade CLEAN Guacamole

* Pico de Gallo

Directions: If you want to take the super simple route, heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame and add the 2 chicken burgers. Cook through, crumbling burgers into taco-style meat as you cook. Construct a layer of tortilla chips on your plate, add SMALL amount of *Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, top with chicken, guacamole, and pico.

This time around I used my mexican squash that I had gotten in my Bountiful Basket! Heat oil in a large skillet and add chopped mexican squash (or zucchini) & onion. Saute for 5 minutes or so until softened. Add cilantro and garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add 2 Chicken Burgers and cook thoroughly, crumbling into taco-style meat. Layer goodness and directed above :)

*p.s. Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese has a much stronger flavor and taste than regular cheddar cheese, so you can use LESS but still get MORE flavor. WIN WIN Situation.

Thanks for READING!

Madras Lentils - EASY, CLEAN, QUICK!

I think we can all agree that the PERFECT recipe is something EASY to make, contains CLEAN HEALTHY ingredients, and is QUICK to whip up and clean up. Well, here is EASY, CLEAN, & QUICK in a nutshell...

or in a yellow baggie :)

 MADRAS LENTILS!

Ingredients: Water, Tomatoes, Lentils, Red beans, onions, cream, butter, salt, sunflower oil, chilies, cumin.

I CAN PRONOUNCE ALL THE INGREDIENTS! And I know what they all are! That's a serious indication of a "good for you" quick meal. 

Other great things about this meal:

*Good amount of protein, high in fiber

*All natural

*Vegetarian

*Gluten Free

*No MSG

*No Preservatives

Jess and I just split the MADRAS LENTILS for lunch and put it on top of some leftover SPANISH RICE I had made earlier this week. (New recipe from Simplyrecipes.com)  So yummy with some Reduced Guilt Tortilla Chips from Trader Joes. With the rice already prepared this meal took 2 1/2 minutes to prepare.

*AWESOME*

I believe Sprouts carries this TASTY BITE brand in their store but I am not sure if they sell this specific meal. We get ours from COSTCO. They come 4 in a box and are somewhere between $8-$10 for the box. 

Spanish Rice

 

When Jess and I went vegan for 2 weeks, this recipe saved my life! Even if you aren't a vegan, having one vegan meal a week is a great change that always leaves me feeling healthier. When you take out meat and dairy... it's almost impossible to eat unhealthy! Rice doesn't always have to be a side dish, make this your main meal with some Clean Eating Guacamole  and Reduced Guilt tortilla Chips from Trader Joes on the side!

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:

* 1 T. Olive Oil

* 1 c. uncooked white rice

* 1 onion, chopped

* 1 clove garlic (minced)

* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

* 2 c. chicken broth

* 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

* 2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste

* 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper until onions are tender.

2. Add the uncooked rice and let it brown for a few minutes.

3. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Season with chili powder and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. 

4. After 30 minutes, remove skillet from burner and let sit for 5 minutes BEFORE taking off the lid. 

5. Remove lid, fluff rice, ENJOY! 

5 Layer Mexican Dip

This recipe comes from Ellie Krieger who has a cooking show on Food Network called "Healthy Appetite"

She is a registered dietitian and she tells you all the health benefits of the ingredients she cooks with!

This recipe is so delicious and tastes so fresh

Don't be put off by the long ingredient list, 5 layers of goodness requires lots of yummy ingredients!

Total Time: 23 min     Prep: 15 min       Cook: 8 min

Yield: 12 servings, serving size 1/2 cup

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo (I never use this)
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.
In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with baked chips.
Per Serving:
Calories 140; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 0.7 g) ; Protein 5g; Carb 16 g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 245 mg

Clean Eating Guacamole

This is my go-to recipe for guacamole. Instead of being loaded with fatty mayonnaise or sour cream, this recipe includes a few low fat changes to create a healthy, delicious garnish!

Ingredients:

- 3 ripe avocados

- Juice of 1/2 fresh lime

- 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

- 1/2 red or purple onion, minced well

- 1 clove garlic passed through a garlic press

- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut avocados in half.  Discard pit and scoop flesh into bowl. Place all ingredients in medium bowl and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. Enjoy with Trader Joe's reduced guilt tortilla chips or as a garnish on Chili Lime Chicken Tacos!

Mini Chili Lime Chicken Tacos

 These chicken tacos are so quick and easy and a nice change to the typical beef based taco meat. I made ultra clean guacamole to go on top and they were awesome! 

Recipe from Trader Joes

- 1 package TJ's Chili Lime Chicken Burgers (frozen section)

- 1 package corn tortilla or TJ's reduced guilt tortilla chips

- Optional Garnishes: Lettuce, Cheese, Salsa, Guacamole, etc

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame. Add the four chicken burgers and cook through, crumbling burgers into taco-style meat as you cook. Set aside and keep warm. In a separate skillet, heat additional oil and lightly sauté tortillas until soft, turning frequently. Or, wrap tortillas in paper towels and place them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Fill tortillas with crumbled chicken and top with your favorite garnishes.

*For taco salad lay a few tortilla chips on your plate and add chicken and topping!

TASTY tostadas

 Ingredients:

-1 pound all natural LEAN ground beef (grass fed beef is best)

- 1 can Rositas NO FAT refried beans

- Lettuce

- Tomatoes

- Cheese (oh so little amount)

- Trader Joe's PICO DE GALLO  or HOMEMADE PICO

- Tostada shells or corn tortillas

*Brown the ground beef, heat up the beans, chop your veggies, and make your pico or use Trader Joe's all natural pico de gallo. Top your tostada shells with all the goodness and a baby amount of cheese. NO sour cream or fatty guacamole needed here! 

**And if you want to be SUPER CLEAN you can pop a few corn tortillas in the oven at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes on each side, then let them cool for 10 minutes. They will harden as they cool and you will avoid the fatty process of frying the tortillas in vegetable oil :) 

Turkey Tacos

This recipe came from Jess's family.  For the longest time EVERY SUNDAY they would have tacos and ranch for dinner. It is a SERIOUS favorite in their household.  I had them many times over there when we were dating and was flabbergasted when i found out the ground meat was actually turkey! I didn't even know turkey came in any other form besides Thanksgiving style! I was hooked! So when we got married I was scared to say the least, that I would not be able to live up to his mother's tacos. So here is my version which Jess has grown to love even more :) 

Turkey Tacos

1 package of Jenny-O LEAN ground turkey (must be LEAN not EXTRA LEAN)

1/2 medium onion

1 package McCormick original Taco seasoning

3/4 c. water

2 T. granulated garlic 

1/2 or whole can refried beans (I've done both and they are both delicious, just depends how many you have to feed!)

3 T. milk

Toppings:

lettuce

tomatoes

mexican cheese blend

taco shells or soft white corn tortillas

*secret ingredient*- RANCH! (Buttermilk recipe)

Over medium heat add chopped onions and ground turkey and let it brown, stirring occasionally. (I always drain the pan of the excess oil before continuing on) Next, stir in seasoning mix and water. Add granulated garlic, stir thoroughly. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

While the meat is simmering, combine refried beans and milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat until beans are warm.  Add beans to meat mixture for the last 2 minutes of simmering. Make sure beans are fully mixed with the meat and you are ready to serve!!!

Choose your style of taco shell or tortilla and load on all your favorite toppings. But most importantly... do not forget to top it off with a few dollops of ranch. I promise you won't be disappointed

-Kim