what's for dinner tonight {mexican quinoa casserole}.

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i love quinoa.  have you ever tried it?  if you haven't, you should.  it's considered to be a whole grain like rice and barley, but it's actually a seed.  it's easy to cook (very similar to rice) and tastes great plus it provides all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein.  super healthy, gluten free and absolutely delicious.

quinoa is very versatile; you can use it in breakfast dishes, salads and even baked goods!

are you convinced yet??

so, the other day my aunt told me she was making "mexican quinoa casserole" for dinner.  immediately i said "i need the recipe!!!" and grabbed my stuff to head to the grocery.

{i needed to get groceries anyway, but i definitely knew i needed to make this right away.  and i did; for dinner that same night}

oh.my.goodness, yall.  i'm so glad i did.  this is definitely one of our new favs and will probably make it into our nearly-weekly dinner rotation.  it's so healthy but doesn't compromise any flavor or delciousness.  i used to make mexican lasagna all the time, and this tasted almost exactly like it except way healthier!

still not convinced?

our ultra-picky-turns-her-nose-up-at-almost-every-vegetable-three-year-old was eating it by the spoonful... nosily.  "mmmmm...mmmmm, mama this is so yummy.  i really like it, i really, really do!"

enough said.

mexican quinoa casserole

* 1 c. dry quinoa
* 2 c. water
* 1/2 t. salt
* 2 T. olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 can of corn
* 3 bell peppers (any color), diced
* 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (i left this out because honestly, i'm a wimp!)
* 1 T. cumin
* 1 t. chili powder
* 1 T. fresh lime juice
* 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped (discovered mine had gone bad, so i just used about a cup of salsa)
* 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 c. plus 2 T. (for garnish) fresh cilantro
* 1/4 c. plus 1/4 c. green onions, sliced
* 1/4 c. black olives, sliced
* 1 c. shredded cheese

- combine water, quinoa and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  then reduce heat to simmer, cover and allow to cook until all liquid is absorbed (approx. fifteen to twenty mintues).  fluff with a fork, set aside.
- over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic to skillet and saute for twenty seconds.  add corn, bell peppers, jalapeno, cumin and chili powder and saute for three minutes.
- add lime juice and tomatoes (or salsa) and saute for another three minutes.  transfer to mixing bowl with cooked quinoa.
- combine quinoa mixture with black beans, cilantro, green onions and black olives.  spread into a greased 8x8 baking dish, top with cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

we topped ours with sour cream, salsa and diced avocado!  very yummy with tortilla chips; this is a great, gluten free, vegetarian, healthy option as a tasty dip or dish for the superbowl!

enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {corn & onion chilaquiles}.

for the record, i have no idea how to pronounce the name of this dish.  after living in texas for seven years and seeing it on many a breakfast menu, i still have no clue.  nevertheless, it's delicious.

we eat breakfast for dinner at least once a week.  it's quick, it's easy and it's inexpensive.  what's not to like, really?  my mom gave me several martha stewart mags the other day, and while i was browsing through them (courtesy of naptime), i came across this recipe.  our cupboards were pretty much bare since we had just returned from vacation, but we happened to have everything on hand to make this unpronounceable dish.

thanks, martha.

i had never made chilaquiles before but it was a big hit in our house.  so much so that i think it's on the menu for tonight, too.  hey, i have a 32 ounce bag of trader joes tortilla chips that need to be eaten.  i tweaked it a bit, and you could add or subtract anything you'd like.  that's what's great about egg dishes like this one.  so many options!  get creative with your chilaquiles.  and if you figure out how to say it, please help a girl out.

corn & onion chilaquiles

* 1 T. butter
* 1/4 onion, chopped finely
* 2 1/2 c. corn (i used trader joe's corn and chile salsa...yum)
* 1 t. salt
* 12 eggs
*  2 1/2 c. tortilla chips, broken
*  1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
*  avocado, sour cream and tomatoes for garnish

- preheat broiler with rack in the top third of the oven.
- melt butter in skillet over medium high heat.  add onions and cook until translucent.
- add corn and salt.  stir and cook for one minute.
- in a large bowl, whisk eggs and gently fold in broken tortilla chips.  add to skillet with onion and corn, stirring, until bottom starts to set but mixture is still wet.
- transfer to a greased oven-safe casserole dish (i used an 8x8) and broil until set, or approximately two minutes.  sprinkle with cheese and allow to stand for ten minutes before serving.  garnish with sour cream, avocado and tomatoes.

enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {avocado&chicken enchiladas}.

avocados are one of my favorite things of all time.  seriously.  anything with that creamy, green goodness in it is a winner in my book.  both of my girls hate it, but they are seriously lacking any type of palette at this point, so i'm waiting for the day when they, too, will realize all of it's divine deliciousness.

come on, girls.  get with it.

i made this recipe for dinner the other night and while the girls chowed down, they definitely ate around the avocado.  still, it got major approval from both nick&i (and the girls, sans the avocado).  so, so good.

we love mexican food in our house (thanks to nick's texan blood!) and eat some variation of it at least once a week.  i love making enchiladas.  easy, delicious and we usually only eat half a pan, which means lunch is set for the next day.

win, win, win.

i think this is our favorite enchilada recipe to date.  it combines my favorite (sour cream chicken enchiladas) with two of my other favs: salsa verde and avocado.  really.  you can't go wrong.

avocado&chicken enchiladas

enchilada sauce:
* 1 T. butter
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 T. flour
* 1 c. chicken stock
* 2 t. cumin
* 1/4 t. salt
* 1/4 t. pepper
* 1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped (you can leave it out if you're not a cilantro fan)
* 1 c. salsa verde (trader joe's has the BEST if you can get your hands on theirs!)
* 1/2 c. sour cream

for the enchiladas:
* 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
* 2 c. cheese, shredded (i used less)
* 2 avocados, sliced
* 8-10 tortillas

- preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- in a medium saucepan, cook garlic in butter for about one minute over medium heat.  stir in flour and let it cook for two more minutes.
- add chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer until thickened.  remove from heat and stir in cilantro, sour cream and salsa verde.
- spray a 9x13 with cooking spray and pour half of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.
- take your tortilla and line shredded chicken, a slice of avocado and some cheese (use as much or as little as you want) along the bottom and roll.  place seam-side down in your pan.  repeat until finished.
- pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
- bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.

we garnished ours with sour cream and diced avocado and tomato.  soooo good!  enjoy!

*note: for my chicken, i put three raw chicken breasts in the crockpot in the morning, along with a cup of chicken broth, lime juice and some spices (cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper).  i cooked it for a few hours on low, and just shredded with a fork.  super easy!!

now will someone please convince my children that avocados are amazing?

what's for dinner tonight {chicken tortilla soup}.

my mother-in-law makes the best chicken tortilla soup.  it's so so good.  while we spent the holidays in dallas, she whipped some up and i'd been craving it again ever since.  i have her recipe tucked away somewhere, but couldn't remember where i put it.  and in a hurry to get dinner on the table, i started looking up clean eating tortilla soup recipes and found this one.  super easy and super delish.

we have been having some exceptionally cold weather here in new england.  we're talking single digits, people... single digits!  when the weather is cold and snowy, i especially crave comfort food.  i love finding easy, delicious recipes that warm and fill our bellies, but are healthy, too.  this is just the dish to fit my healthified comfort food cravings.

chicken tortilla soup

* 1 T. olive oil
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 1 (7 oz) can of green chiles, drained
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 lbs of chicken, cooked and shredded
* 2 c. chicken broth (i used homemade; you can find my recipe here)
* 2 c. water
* 2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
* 1 (14.5 oz) can of corn, drained
* 1 (14.5 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
* chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste
* 1 lime, quartered
* 1 avocado, sliced
* 2 whole wheat tortillas, quartered or sliced into strips
* bunch of cilantro, chopped
* shredded cheese and plain greek yogurt for garnish

- add first four ingredients over medium heat in a large stockpot.  cook until onion is tender.
- add chicken broth, water and tomatoes (with liquid).  cover and bring to a boil, turn heat down to low.  add chicken, beans, corn and spices and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
- place sliced tortillas on a greased cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray.  bake at 350 until crisp and golden.
- ladle soup into bowls and top with sliced avocado, cilantro, cheese, greek yogurt and lime.

still not as good as my mother-in-laws chicken tortilla goodness, but a quick and easy substitute.

enjoy :)

what's for dinner tonight {homemade clean eating tortillas}.

in this house, we love our mexican food.  definitely one of the food-related-things we miss most about not living in dallas anymore.  because of our obsession with some good tex-mex, i decided i needed to try my hand at making homemade tortillas that would go along with our clean eating ways.

i found this recipe, and decided to re-make it a bit to fit our needs.  i switched out the flour to use all whole wheat, and i also cut the recipe in half.  the original recipe made 18, so i halved it to make only 8-9 so they wouldn't dry out in my fridge if we didn't eat all of them.  i used most of the tortillas to make a mexican lasagna (will post recipe soon!  it's one of our favs) but next time i make these, i'll keep them in our fridge for easy tortilla pizzas for bella, or for rollup sandwiches.

these babies were suuuuper duper easy and so delicious.

clean eating tortillas

* 2 c. whole wheat flour
* 3/4 t. salt
* 3/4 t. baking powder
* 1 T. canola oil
* 1/2 c. + a bit more if needed, warm water

- mix dry ingredients, and then add oil and water and combine until dough forms a ball (add additional water if needed).  knead 5 times; cover with a towel and allow to rest for five minutes.
- divide dough up into 8 or 9 pieces.  wet hands, shake off access water and roll each piece into a ball.  you may need to wet your hands a few times during this process; don't let dough become dry.
- place each ball on a cookie sheet so they are not touching one another.  cover with a towel, allow dough to rest for five minutes.
- on a floured surface, roll each ball.  you'll flip, roll, flip and roll until you have a thin, circular tortilla.  keep each ball covered with a towel until it's time to roll.  cook tortillas in a dry skillet over medium-medium high heat for 30 seconds on each side, or until you see bubbles form.
- use tortillas immediately, or allow them to cool fully (i kept mine covered with a towel) and then store in a ziploc bag in the fridge for up to a week.

*note: to reheat, wet and wring out a paper towel and wrap around tortilla.  heat in the microwave until warm.

see?  easy peasy.  and totally worth the effort.
they're delish.

what's for dinner tonight {baked chicken taquitos with cilantro lime rice}.

this combo has become a new family fav. another pinterest find.

so, so good.

we are constantly missing mexican food from when we lived in texas. sure, new england thrives on all things lobster, but food south of the border? not so much. after all, we are closer to canada than we are mexico.

i saw one of my college bff's had made this meal and posted it on her facebook page. it looked super delish, and she said it was easy, so off i went to pin it for myself. wow, am i glad i did. thank you, leah.

the chicken taquitos are creamy and full of flavor, and the rice is a copycat recipe of chipotle (which we don't have here, either. i know. feel sorry for us). aaaand it's from skinnytaste.com which is pretty much one of my fav sites now when searching for recipes in light of my quest to shed some post-baby-poundage. i also made some swaps in the taquitos to make them lower in fat and calories.

and now, for the good stuff. here are the recipes:

baked chicken taquitos

* 12 corn tortillas (i've used flour too... corn have less calories; both are good)
* 1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped/shredded
* 4 oz. fat free or light cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
* 1/4 c. fat free or light sour cream
* juice from 1/2 a lime
* 1/4 t. garlic powder, salt, cumin
* 1/8 t. chili powder, pepper

- combine all ingredients (minus the tortillas) in a medium bowl. if you're using corn tortillas, heat three tortillas at a time for about twenty seconds; this will keep your tortillas pliable and less likely to tear.
- spoon approximately 2 T. of chicken filling into each tortilla and roll tightly. secure with a toothpick.
- place taquitos on a greased cookie sheet. spray tops lightly with cooking spray.
- bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. watch them closely; these babies crisp up fast!
{weight watchers plus points= 6 pts for 3 taquitos}

cilantro lime rice

* 1 c. long grain or basmati rice
* 2 c. water
* 1 t. salt
* 3 t. canola oil
* juice of 1/2 a lime
* 3 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

- combine rice, water, salt and 1 t. of canola oil in a medium saucepan. boil on high until water skims the top of the rice.
- reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- take rice off heat and allow it to sit for an additional 5 minutes.
- combine rice, 2 remaining t. of oil, lime juice and cilantro.
{weight watchers plus points= 5 pts for 3/4 c. rice}

you will love this combo. seriously. so good. nick said he wants this meal once a week. and look at bella:

a meal she loves just as much as us? awesome.

what's for dinner tonight {white chicken enchiladas}.

one of the things i miss most about living in texas is the amazingly delicious mexican food. i mean... it's so good. homemade tortillas. warm, salted chips and the best salsa. and of course puckeringly (is that even a word? probably not) sweet maragaritas to wash everything down. life doesn't get much better than that, folks. new england has many things we love, however its selection of mexican restaurants is not one of them.

sad, sad.

a favorite dish of mine to order at mexican restaurants in dallas was white chicken enchiladas... shredded chicken wrapped in tortillas and doused with a creamy white sour cream sauce topped with cheese. do i have your attention yet? seriously delicious. as i was wasting time browsing through pinterest one afternoon, i came across a recipe that has forever saved my mexican-food-deprived-life. not even exaggerating.

enter: white chicken enchiladas.

you need to try these. amazingly delicious. restaurant quality. enough to satisfy the cravings of this pregnant mama. and that says a whole lot. living in dallas for seven years made me a tough mexican food critic.

white chicken enchiladas

* 10 soft flour tortillas
* 2 c. cooked chicken, shredded
* 2 c. monterey jack cheese, shredded
* 3 T. butter
* 3 T. flour
* 2 c. chicken broth
* 1 c. sour cream
* 1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chilies, drained

- preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan.
- combine chicken and 1 c. of the cheese. roll up in tortillas and place seam-side down in pan.
- in a medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. cook one minute. add broth and whisk until smooth. cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
- stir in sour cream and chilies... however do not bring to a boil! you do not want to curdle your sour cream!
- pour sauce over enchiladas, top with remaining cheese. cook approximately 20-25 minutes.

note: i seasoned my sauce with about 1/8 t. each of garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder and ground cumin for some extra spice.

so, so good. we like to serve this dish with corn muffins and brown rice... and we totally get excited about having the leftovers for lunch the next day, let me tell ya.

enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {crockpot fajitas}.

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i've been on a mexican food kick these days... with frequent runs to taco bell, i decided i needed a healthier alternative to help aid my mexican food pregnancy cravings.

healthy + crockpot cooking = my dream come true.

not even joking. how could it get any better than this combo?? i have fallen into the pinterest trap... but it is a wonderful place for me to gather many ideas and inspiration sources, especially recipes. so when i found this crockpot fajita recipe, i knew i had to try it. and soon.

here it is. SUPER delish.

crockpot fajitas

* 3 chicken breasts, sliced into strips

* 1 lb. thinly sliced steak, sliced into strips

* 1 yellow onion, sliced into half circles

* 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

* 1 green pepper, sliced into strips

* 2 t. chili powder

* 1 t. ground cumin

* 1/4 t. salt

* 1/2 c. chicken stock

* 3 T. lime juice

- prepare meat and veggies. place in crockpot. sprinkle with spices, top with chicken stock and lime juice.

- cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 6-7 hrs.

- serve with your favorite fajita fixings:

* flour tortillas

* refried beans

* shredded cheese

* guacamole

* salsa

* sour cream

super yum, healthy, and extremely easy. a winner all around, i say. and a perfect sunday night meal for watching football with your man on the couch :)

what's for dinner tonight {good-for-you chicken enchiladas}.

who loves mexican food? this girl. i have never had so much mexican food before in my whole life before i moved to texas almost seven years ago. but hey... i'm not complaining. and with our upcoming move to new england just about a month away, i am mourning the fact that we will be without the texas gem of good... really good... mexican food.

there will be lobster, clam chowdah and seafood a-plenty, yesssss. but i will miss tacos, enchiladas and good {really good} chips&salsa.

i'm always looking for delicious, healthy recipes. this one hit the spot. combining my love for enchiladas + cutting fat and calories and making something you can feel good about eating? right. up. my. alley.

i bought this book eating for life when i had graduated from college and was living on my own for the first time. no more mom's cooking, no more cafeteria food, no more "runs for the border" (aka taco bell) at midnight. okay... only occasionally. anyway. this book is full of great, healthy recipes and their really basic... no weird ingredients that you can't pronounce let alone find in the aisles of your grocery store.

here is eating for life's version of chicken enchiladas (named by me) YUM.

good-for-you chicken enchiladas

* 4 portions of chicken breast (approx. 1 lb)

* 4 green onions, sliced

* 2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

* 3 10 oz. cans of green enchilada sauce

* 1 c. reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded

* 2 c. lettuce, shredded

* 1/2 c. salsa

* 1/2 c. light sour cream

* 1 tomato, diced

* 1 2 oz can ripe black olives, sliced

- preheat oven to 350. lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

- place chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with water. bring to a boil over high heat. reduce heat to medium and simmer until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. drain and cool. shred cooked chicken by pulling apart with 2 forks. set aside.

- lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. add green onion and cilantro; saute for about two minutes. add shredded chicken and 1 can of enchilada sauce. cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through; about five minutes.

- pour the 2 remaining cans of enchilada sauce in a medium bowl and microwave until warm, about two minutes. dip each tortilla in the heated sauce and fill with about 1/8 of the chicken mixture. roll up and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

- pour remaining heated sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, about fifteen minutes.

- divide lettuce onto four plates and place two enchiladas on top of each. top with a spoonful. of salsa, a dollop of sour cream, tomato and olives. serve and enjoy!

well thank you, eating for life. enjoy, i will.

this recipe is super delish, your whole family will love it! nick likes it so much he made it for dinner one night when i was working late, and i came home to it on the table :) eat up!

what's for dinner tonight {enchilada crockpot chicken}.

this is a *super* easy and yummy (and relatively healthy) recipe that a friend gave to me a couple of months ago. it is so simple, but seriously delish. and inexpensive. and a crockpot meal. triple yes, please.

enchilada crockpot chicken

*4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (if frozen, thawed)
*1 c. salsa
*1 envelope of taco seasoning
*1 can of reduced fat cream of chicken soup
*1/2 c. light sour cream

- place chicken in crockpot, sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- pour salsa and soup over chicken.
- cook on low for 4 hrs (may have to adjust cooking time depending on your crockpot)
- i take 2 forks and shred chicken after it's cooked... it literally just falls apart. mmmmmm.
- turn off heat, stir in sour cream.

i serve over brown rice and with a side of veggies. husbands totally dig this meal too... and it's kid friendly. have i said enough? seriously. go make it.

what's for dinner tonight {shrimp tacos}.

nick&i love to eat healthy and i always have to be creative to keep this something that is not only good for us, but enjoyable. we love eating seafood too, so i created this recipe for shrimp tacos... i took part of a recipe on allrecipes.com (my fav cooking companion) and then modified it for us. i don't usually really measure when i create things in the kitchen... i go by what tastes good and usually lose track of how much of what i put in... but here is my best "recipe" for this creation.

shrimp tacos

*20 raw medium size shrimp, peeled and devined

*1 t. + a few sprinkles cumin

*garlic salt

*cooking spray

*2 c. shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

*2 T. honey

*1/3 c. fresh lime juice

*1/4 c. mayonnaise (i use the kraft reduced fat made with olive oil)

*1 avocado

*salsa

*salt and pepper to taste

*4 tortillas

- whisk together lime juice, honey, 1 t. cumin and mayo. add cabbage and coat with dressing.

- in a nonstick skillet, spray with cooking spray and put on medium to medium-high heat. sprinkle shrimp with cumin and garlic salt to taste and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through (be careful to not overcook or else they will be chewy!)

- wet a paper towel and wrap the tortillas with paper towel. place in the microwave and cook on high for about 35 seconds, or until warmed through. place 5 shrimp in each tortilla, top with coleslaw, slices of avocado and salsa.

this is a very easy recipe and you'll have leftover coleslaw for more tacos... tilapia or other white fish works great in these as well. we buy big bags of shrimp when they are on sale at walmart. we can use them in these tacos, or with pasta and lemon and garlic, or just grilled with veggies. it's important when eating healthy to buy versatile ingredients that work well in many dishes. we serve these tacos with a green salad with tomatoes and bell peppers. but you can also serve with rice and black beans or any other healthy side dish of your choice.

enjoy!