Lime Chicken Tacos

Have I ever mentioned how much I like easy dinners? Because I really, really do. Especially since Summer started teething again and Brian has been putting in long hours at the school. Seriously, if this keeps on much longer I don't know what I'm going to do. Brian "diagnosed" me with late stage mommy disease this morning, and I informed him that my body was starting to shut down. It's been a rough go.

But, on a brighter note, recipes like these allow me to conserve energy and put good food on the table. And I can never resist a good taco. So if you're low on energy but needing something yummy, try this.

Lime Chicken Tacos
Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbs chili powder
2 cups corn
1 cup chunky salsa
shredded cheese
tortillas
optional: sour cream, cilantro

Directions:
Throw the chicken breasts, lime juice, and chili powder into a crock pot. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 10 hours.

After it's cooked, shred the chicken with 2 forks. It should shred really easily if the chicken is cooked enough. Add the salsa and corn and cook for another 30 minutes.

Once everything is heated through, serve on tortillas topped with cheese.

Top with cilantro and sour cream and enjoy!

Tzatziki

I've been trying to branch out lately and try new things. I'm a little afraid of greek food. Not entirely sure why, I just feel like Greek and I don't mesh. But Brian loves greek food so I thought I'd give something a try. I chose chicken gyros. They seemed relatively safe. They actually turned out really yummy and have given me the confidence to maybe try some more greek food in the future. But my favorite part of the gyro experience was the homemade Tzatziki that I made along with them. We had quite a bit leftover from our dinner so I bought some pita chips to dip and have been snacking on this all week. The garlic gives it a little kick, but it is so cool and refreshing. I'll probably be whipping some more up this summer when it is %100 humidity and 100 degrees. 

Tzatziki

Source: Tide and Thyme

Ingredients:

1 (32 oz.) container of plain yogurt (preferably NOT fat-free)

2 regular cucumbers, peeled & seeded

3 cloves garlic, crushed (I usually use a microplane for this)
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
salt and a little pepper
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth over a bowl (if you don’t have that, a strainer lined with a coffee filter will work) for several hours or overnight to get out as much moisture as possible.

Shred or grate the cucumbers, place them in a clean kitchen towel, and then squeeze to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible.

Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, so flavors can meld.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the top before serving.

Tropicolada Fiesta

The Newell household is going green. Well trying to, at least. Logan loves smoothies so it's a great way to start off his day healthy. And with a toddler that is always difficult. The biggest issue I've had with green smoothies is making them yummy enough for Logan to actually drink it. And then I signed up on the Simple Green Smoothie e-mail list. They are having a 30-day green smoothie challenge in April and I have considered joining them. I just need an extra little energy boost to get my though the day with my crazy boy. They e-mailed me a pdf with this gem in it. It was green, but it was so yummy! I have been wanting to make it again all week but keep forgetting to pick up pineapple at the store. I would drink this as a dessert, and it is healthy for you! One tip Brian did give me when I made this was to make sure the pineapple was ripe. An unripe pineapple can really ruin a smoothie.

Tropicolada Fiesta

Source: Simple Green Smoothies

Ingredients:

2 cups raw spinach

1 cup coconut water (not milk)

1 cup water

1 banana

1 pineapple

1.5 cups mango

1 tbs lime

Directions:

Blend spinach (loosely packed), coconut water, and water together first. Once creamy, add the remaining ingredients and blend for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Tip: Freeze your coconut water in ice cube trays, for an extra chilly smoothie.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

I am back! We are officially moved in to our new house and have internet again. The past 3 weeks have been a blur of constant "go, go, go" and I totally neglected my blogging and my cooking. Moving has caused me to cook easy go-to recipes, use up my collection of frozen meals, and eat out a ton! But we are moved in now and everything that needed to be done asap is almost done so I am trying to chill out and pick up my spatula again (or any other utensil I might use). We are currently ripping out all the old floor and putting in new floor in almost every room of the house. Brian finished the bedroom yesterday and we had our new (king sized!!!) bed delivered last night, so I am on my beautiful new bed in my wonderful master bedroom taking some me time. The only room in the house where I can relax and not look at the disaster that we call home.
Since I haven't made anything new and blogworthy lately, I will post the Homemade Pizza Rolls recipe that I promised when I reviewed the Easy Calzones. My Mum and I have made these at several parties and they are always a big hit. The recipe calls for pre-made pizza dough but you could always use home made as well. I have tried both ways and they both turn out yummy. I also spread a little bit of pizza sauce on the dough before putting on the toppings, and had the sauce for dipping as well. I like things extra saucy. And obviously you can use toppings other than pepperoni if you want to switch it up. These are 5 stars, hands down. Go down to your kitchen and make them right now! You won't regret it.

Home Made Pizza Rolls

Source: Tidy Mom

Ingredients:

2 cans refrigerated pizza dough

Garlic salt

Italian seasoning

1 cup sliced and chopped pepperoni

1 cup cheese (anything you like, I use mozzarella)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Pizza sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Dust a large cutting board or piece of wax paper with flour and roll out each pizza crust. Season each crust with garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Top with cheese and meat.

Starting with a short end, roll crust into a tight log. Slice into 1 inch sections. Place on lightly greased pan and bake for 10-12 mins. Serve with pizza or pasta sauce, for dipping

Waldorf Salad

Brian and I went to California this summer to visit his family and while we were there we ate at the California Pizza Kitchen. I usually order something more substantial than a salad but a California summer + a pregnant me had me craving something light and cold. In walks the Waldorf Salad. And ever since I had it this summer I have been in love. Although the CPK version is a bit different than a traditional Waldorf Salad. Instead of mayo as dressing it uses a Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette. So. Good! It also adds grapes and candied walnuts, both highly recommended additions. And I also substituted chicken for the turkey, but either forms of protein work just fine here. I know I am supposed to be reviewing the salad below, but I just couldn't help sharing my favorite version of the salad. I did make the salad below, but I couldn't bring myself to cover it in mayo. I am an avid mayo eater, so that should tell you how good the Balsamic Vinaigrette is. But if you enjoy a classic Waldorf Salad then you can't go wrong with this recipe. I really can't rate the recipe below because I changed it a bit, but if you use my alterations you will make (and hopefully eat) a 5 star salad.

Waldorf Salad

Source: Disney Family

Ingredients:

2 cups diced apple

2 cups diced cooked turkey

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mayonnaise

Salt to taste

Directions:

Combine apples, turkey, walnuts, celery, and cranberries. Bind with mayonnaise to taste. Mix well.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I am proud to announce another 5 star recipe. The 5 star recipes have been few and far between with this series so needless to say I'm pretty excited about this one. I made this while my sister was in town and she seriously could not stop talking about it. They really were good and we had absolutely no leftovers after. I couldn't find a teriyaki-flavored rotisserie chicken (do they sell those in normal grocery stores?) so I bought a normal rotisserie chicken, took all the meat off the chicken, then made some teriyaki sauce and coated the chicken with it. It turned out pretty yummy and I had extra teriyaki sauce that I could put on the wraps if I wanted to. For those of you who have never tried it before, making teriyaki sauce is really easy. You just combine 

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 soy sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch. 

Bring it to a boil while stirring, then reduce heat and let simmer. It will eventually thicken up.

Or if you don't want to make it, buying a bottle of teriyaki sauce is an easy alternative. Any way you decide to make these lettuce wraps, they turn out great. This will definitely be making another appearance in our home again soon.

And just a little side note, I am skipping the Chicken and Pepper Egg Rolls. I made them while I was sick and didn't make them properly. They were a big flop and I don't feel like I can give them a proper review. Maybe I'll try making them again one day when the sting of failure has worn off a little bit!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Source: Disney Family

Ingredients:

1 teriyaki-flavored rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup red pepper, diced small
1/4 cup water chestnuts, diced small
1/4 cup bamboo shoots, diced small*
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic - minced
8-12 lettuce leaves, depending on size*

Directions:

Remove meat only from rotisserie chicken and dice small. This should give you about 2 cups of diced chicken.

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and remaining ingredients. Cook until heated through -- about 5 minutes.

Serve with lettuce leaves for wrapping.

*Ingredient Tips
Tender bamboo shoots can be found canned in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. Soft, round-leafed lettuce like butter or bib works best, but will iceberg also do.

Hot Corn Dip

I need to interrupt the "15 for $1.50" series to include this little gem. I made this Hot Corn Dip for a Super Bowl party and it was definitely a success! The caption for this dip on pinterest claimed it was the best hot corn dip ever, and although I haven't ever tried a hot corn dip before, I think I believe it. So yummy! So easy! Everyone was enjoying it. I had no leftovers to bring home after. With all that said I am giving this dish, yes you guessed it, 5 stars! Next time you have a party to go to, bring this dish. I wasn't sure how much this would make so I bought enough to double the recipe, and since I didn't end up doubling the recipe I might have to make this for a snack sometime soon.

Hot Corn Dip

Source: Gina Marie's Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chedder cheese
1 cup shredded Montery Jack
2 tbs chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced small
1 small can (4oz) diced green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup Mayo
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 11oz can of corn, drained
1 small tomato
2 tbs cilantro, chopped

2 tbs green onions, sliced thin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cheeses, chiptole and green peppers, mayo, garlic powder and corn together. Pour into an oven safe dish. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly

Top with diced tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera

5 stars, 5 stars, 5 stars! The first 5 star dish from the 15 dinners under $1.50 pin. This was really yummy. I did use fresh carrots and broccoli instead of frozen, but I'm sure this recipe would still be great with frozen veggies as well. It's the sauce that makes it great, and the sauce is so easy. Cream cheese, milk, and italian dressing just mixed together and stirred into the pasta and vegetables. Honestly, when I find a dish this yummy that is this easy I get really excited. I did add a little extra cream cheese and italian dressing because I wanted it to be a bit saucier, but I just poured random amounts in until it looked good. And remember, if you decide to use fresh veggies instead of frozen, cook the vegetable before you add them to the rest of it. I've made recipes before where I've substituted fresh for frozen and forgot to cook them. 

Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera

Source: Disney Family

Ingredients:
1/2 pound dry rotini

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - cubed
1 pound frozen vegetable mix - thawed
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup lite Italian dressing
1/2 cup 2% fat milk

Directions:

Cook rotini per package directions to desired doneness. Drain well and keep warm.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and cook until no longer pink.

Combine cream cheese, dressing and milk and whisk until smooth.

Add thawed frozen vegetables to chicken along with sauce mixture. Stir well and heat through - about 5 minutes. Serve.

Beef Samosas

I always like it when a recipe I make looks exactly like the picture they show. My samosas turned out just like the picture and they tasted fabulous. I think Brian is enjoying this blog of mine. I made these for dinner and while we were eating he told me he would give these 5 stars. He even went as far as to say they were better than the samosas at my favorite Indian restaurant. And I'd have to agree with him. Definitely a 5 star recipe. They were great for dinner, even Logan ate them, we had no leftovers. They would also be a great appy to bring to a party. Super easy to make, too. That's always a bonus.

I served them with Patak's Sweet Mango Chutney; I just found it in the international isle at Kroger. But, of course, you could serve it with any flavored chutney and could even make your own if you want. This was really yummy though, I would recommend it.

Beef Samosas

Source: Taste.com.au

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 medium brown onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

200 g beef mince

1 cup beef stock

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

Instructions:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add cumin and coriander. Cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Increase heat to high. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add stock. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until stock is absorbed. Add garam masala and peas. Cook for 1 minute or until peas are heated through. Season with salt. Remove from heat. Allow to cool.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Using a 12cm round pastry cutter, cut 8 rounds from the pastry. Cut each circle in half. Fold over and pinch together the straight edge of one pastry half to make a cone shape. Spoon 2 heaped teaspoons of mince mixture into cone. Pinch top together to enclose filling. Place on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining pastry halves and mince mixture.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Bake samosas for 20 minutes or until golden and puffed. 

Pioneer Woman My Favorite Meatloaf

Another Pioneer Woman recipe this week, this time with a raving review. My Mum didn't make Meatloaf very often growing up so I don't have much to compare this to, but this meatloaf was great. The bacon wrapped around it was so mouthwateringly good. I love bacon. The sauce was really great also. Instead of just having it on top next time (yes, there will definitely be a next time) I would mix it in with the rest of the meatloaf along with having it on top. If you do this then the recipe will be 5 stars for sure. Meatloaf gets a bad rap, probably because of the name. Who really wants to eat something called Meatloaf? But this recipe is sure to change anyone's view on Meatloaf to a positive one, unless you are a vegetarian and then maybe still it might tempt you.

My Favorite Meatloaf

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:
1 cup Whole Milk
6 slices White Bread
2 pounds Ground Beef
1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
3/4 teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
4 whole Eggs, Beaten
10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
Sauce:
1-1/2 cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
Tabasco To Taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Serve with mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo

I am giving this recipe 5 stars. I have been obsessed with goat cheese lately so any half decent recipe with goat cheese is going to get a high review from me. I also love roasted red peppers. This recipe is just a winner in my eyes. Every time I see the picture on my pinterest board I think "I have to make this this week!" Just writing about it makes me hungry. It is just so good and so fatty. The fatty stuff is always the best stuff. I justify my eating this by remembering that it has red peppers in it. Red peppers cancel out all the fat, right? The only thing I changed about this recipe was that I left out the artichoke hearts. Not because I don't like artichokes, just because I was too lazy to put them in.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo

Source: Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:

2 whole red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fat free half & half
4 oz. garlic & herb goat cheese
2/3 cup grated parigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup artichoke hearts (optional)
1/2 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place red peppers on baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until peppers are charred. Remove from oven and cover with foil 10 minutes.
In the mean time, saute onions and garlic in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.

Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat. Pour sauce into food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender. Place back into hot pan and toss with cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with more parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and parsley, if desired.

Pizza Quesadillas

I love quesadillas. So when I saw this recipe I was instantly excited. The marriage of italian and mexican food would have to be good, right? I am happy to report that it was and this recipe was a resounding success! Even Logan ate it without me having to coax/bribe/feed him myself. For anyone who wants a kid friendly and yummy recipe, make this. I didn't fry the pepperoni before hand and I just baked the Quesadillas in the oven instead of a pan and they still turned out great. This is a 5 star recipe for sure.

Pizza Quesadillas

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

8 flour tortillas

8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese

6 ounces sliced pepperoni

1 (16-ounce) jar of pizza sauce
butter for pan

Instructions:

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and fry the pepperoni until crisp. Transfer onto a paper towel to drain. Brush each tortilla with a thin layer of pizza sauce. You want the layer so thin that if you turned it over, none would drip. Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce on the bottom tortilla. Top with pepperoni and other toppings, if desired. Sprinkle with another layer of cheese and place the other tortilla on top (sauce side in).

Preheat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little butter if desired and melt. Gently place quesadilla in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy. Slice into quarters and serve with a little bowl of warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Brian and I really like this salad. Logan does not. Some kids might like it but Logan has done nothing but turn his nose up at it. I think the texture of the quinoa throws him off, because he has no problem with southwestern flavors. Brian suggested I double the dressing recipe and I agree. It makes it that much better. I also noticed that the salad tasted better the next day. All the flavors had a chance to soak in to the quinoa and marinate together. I love when a dish I make gets better with time. It makes me excited for leftovers! This salad is a nice, fresh, summer salad that is perfect to take on picnics or to barbecues. It's a nice healthy dish that tastes yummy, I give it 5 stars.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Source: Kalyn's Kitchen

Salad Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa (rinsed if needed, check the package)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 red bell pepper, chopped into small dice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing Ingredients:
2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional but highly recommended)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground Ancho chile pepper (or use regular chile powder if you don't have Ancho)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:
Check the quinoa package to see if it needs to be rinsed (it often does) and rinse in a fine-mesh strainer if needed. Combine quinoa, water, and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it cool while you prep other ingredients.

Drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears. Let beans drain until they are quite dry (or pat dry with paper towels if you want to speed it up.)

Cut out the stem and remove seeds from the red bell pepper and cut into very small dice (about the size of the black beans.) Slice the green onions into thin slices and wash, dry, and chop the cilantro.

When the quinoa is fairly cool, combine quinoa, black beans, diced red bell pepper, and sliced green onion in a bowl. Add enough dressing to moisten all the ingredients. (You probably won't need all the dressing, but save the extra to stir into any leftover salad that's been in the fridge.) Gently stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

This keeps very well in the fridge for several days. The salad absorbs the dressing when it's refrigerated, so it's best with a little more dressing stirred in when you're eating the leftover salad.