Last weekend we went to the beach with some friends and stopped by LuLu's on the way home. I don't eat out a whole lot, because unless its one of the expensive restaurants (hum... the Wash House!) then I feel like I could just cook it better at home and save the money. I've been disappointed the last few times I've been out to dinner. But take me to the Wash House and I'm a happy girl! I need to recreate their Key Lime Bread Pudding. Its to die for! But I digress. When we were at LuLu's the Fish Tacos stood out to me. I've seen lots of recipes and I've been wanting to try them. But as soon as I saw you could substitute chicken, I was sucked in. Fish is not something I eat a lot of, and I was afraid once it was in front of me I wouldn't like it. I didn't want another bad eating out experience. So, I substituted chicken. They were fabulous! They had black beans, chipotle cream sauce and cabbage instead of lettuce. I was in Heaven. Publix had a lot of the key ingredients on sale this week making it a great time to recreate it at home! These were not easy to eat. If you make them for a guy or a girl that you're trying to impress, you might want to hold off until the third or fourth date. I've been married long enough, so Clay didn't care that I was eating like a child!
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I used 3)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup salsa
2/3 cup water
1 packet taco seasoning (use Old El Paso) (Coupon Here)
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (Coupon Here)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper in adobo, finely chopped (plus 1/2 teaspoon of the sauce)
8 small flour tortillas (I used fajita-size)
shredded cabbage (could substitute lettuce)
shredded cheese
avocados (optional...added mine after the picture)
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil. Saute chicken until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add black beans, taco seasoning and water (the Old El Pasa taco seasoning is worth the little bit of extra it costs. The McCormick taco seasoning was yucky. I've put the ones I bought in my donation bin!). Cook uncovered over medium heat about 5 minutes until thickened. Add salsa. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer over low heat about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise and sour cream. Remove the seeds from one pepper and finely chop. Add to the bowl. Add in about 1/2 teaspoon of the sauce from the can of peppers. This stuff is HOT! You could add more to your taste. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the peppers. Put the sauce in the fridge until you're ready to use.
Now its time to assemble the tacos. Put about 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla, top with the chipotle cream sauce, cabbage and shredded cheese. I also added avocado to mine after I took the picture. YUM! You can also add more salsa if you'd like. Mine was hot enough from the chipotle cream sauce! Dig in!
Enjoy!
(inspired by the Fish Tacos at LuLu's)
Ella playing on the beach before heading to LuLu's. I am devastated about the oil situation out in the Gulf! There are so many ways to get involved. Check with your local organizations to see how you can get involved if needed!
I made this right before Easter, but forgot to post it! I love taco salads, as you know, and this is a lot like one. Only this one is served with noodles instead of chips. My husband wasn't sure if he was going to like it. He loved it! Put this one in the dinner rotation!
1 box penne noodles (preferably whole wheat)
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet taco seasoning (I only had fajita seasoning)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheese
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and shopped
1/4 head iceberg lettuce or chopped romaine lettuce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet and brown the beef over medium heat. Cook until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. Add three-quarters of the onion, garlic and taco seasoning. Cook until the onion of softened, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the chicken broth.
Add the meat sauce to the pasta and toss. Spoon into a serving dish, top with the cheese and tent with foil to melt the cheese, about 1 minute. Top with the remaining onion, the tomatoes and lettuce. Add sour cream and olives like I did!
The only thing I regret is forgetting to put away the leftovers. I woke up to the pot still sitting on the stove! I was SO mad! UGH
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
I am on a roll this week! This was another hit at my house. It was super simple because it used the store-bought Wishbone dressing that was B1G1 this week at Publix. I served mine in lettuce cups and served my husband's over rice. So, this is perfect for those of you who are maybe watching the carbs. The dressing is a light one, and full of flavor! Yum-O!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips
1/4 cup bottled Light Asian Sesame & Ginger Dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
salt and pepper
1 head butterhead lettuce, leaves separated
Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a skillet. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the carrots and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Add the dressing and broth. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat the low.
Serve by filling the leaves with the chicken mixture. You can also serve it with rice or over egg noodles.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
I know we all stocked up on the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing while it was B1G1 this week. I also stocked up on the Pillsbury Biscuits, so when I saw this recipe in Taste of Home I knew I had to give it a whirl. Its the same basic concept as my other "taco" dishes, but I LOVED the idea of using the biscuits to make flatbread. It was so yummy!
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
1 lb. ground beef
1 15-oz can black beans (or pinto beans)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup salsa (or one can diced tomatoes, undrained)
1 tube large refrigerated biscuits (8)
Toppings:
Shredded Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Extra Salsa
Sliced Olives
Avacado with Lime (Yum)
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and ranch dressing. Chill until ready to serve.
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain off any excess fat. Add the beans (drained) salsa and taco seasoning. Heat through. Cover and simmer over low.
Meanwhile, roll out each biscuit into a 6-inch circle. In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook each biscuit for 30-60 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Work with these one at a time. Roll one out and put in the skillet. While that one is cooking roll the other one out. Roll them out as thin as you can. You want them to cover the bottom of your small skillet.
Yes, you are looking at that picture right. I, for some reason, do not own a rolling pin. I deconstruct my paper towel holder when I need to roll something out! It gets the job done!
To serve, spread each flatbread with 1 tablespoon ranch sour cream; top with 1/4 cup meat mixture. Sprinkle with desired toppings. You can even leave them flat and build almost like a pizza.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
My Mom and Dad got me started on these. This dinner is a staple in their house. It is so quick to pull together for a weeknight meal, and you only have the one pot to clean. It uses my recipe for Taco Meat that I used in the Corn and Black Bean Burritos. And don't forget to make a little extra to use for Taco Puffs another night! This week Publix has their Tostitos chips B1G1. I have the beans, meat and cheese leftover from previous weeks' sales. The corn I put in the meat was what I had leftover from the Corn Muffins last night. Buy ground beef when it is on sale and put it in the freezer in 1 lb. portions. I take mine out the freezer when I'm ready to cook. Place it in a skillet frozen, cover it with a lid and cook over medium. Flip occassionally and scrape off the meat as it browns. Crumble with the back of a wooden spoon. Works every time!
Taco Meat: (for 4-6 taco salads)
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 can corn, drained (optional)
3/4 cup salsa
Taco Salad:
Taco Meat
Tostitos Corn Chips
Shredded Cheese
Iceburg Lettuce, chopped
Sour Cream
Salsa
Avacado+ Lime (optional)
Brown the meat in a large skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat and return to pan. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Cook over medium heat about 3-5 minutes. Add in the beans, corn and salsa. Cook for another 3-5 minutes over medium heat, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes. This really allows the flavors to combine.
Take a handful of chips and put in the bottom of a plate or large pasta bowl and crush with your fingers. This makes the "bed" for the salad. Top with taco meat, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and then salsa. If you have avocado on hand, chop it up with a squeeze of lime juice and put on top of the salad. So good!
Enjoy!
Thanks Mom!
My friend, Alex, told me about this cool dinner idea one day at work. His wife, Amanda, makes them and I knew I had to try it one night. I've made them a couple of times, and they've been great each time. The best part about it is that I use my leftover taco meat. I always have some leftover from burritos and taco salads, and it always goes to waste in my fridge. This totally revamps it, and gives your leftovers a new spin! Of course, you don't have to use leftover taco meat. You could just half the recipe. But, I say make it all! Get a double-duty dinner out of this one! Pillsbury Grands Biscuits were 4/$5 this week at Publix. It fit in perfectly with my burrito sale items from last night. This week was meant for my Mexican dinners.
6 refrigerated biscuits3 cups taco meat (approx. 1/4 cup per puff)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese
lettuce (optional)
sour cream (optional)
salsa (optional)
olives (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Take 6 refrigerated biscuits and half them horizontally. Take each half and flatten out with your hands and press into 12 greased muffin cups to form "shells". Put approximately 1/4 cup taco meat in each cup (the Pampered Chef Large Scoop works great for this!) Top each puff with shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden around the edges. Let the puffs rest in the pan for atleast 5 minutes before removing. Top with desired toppings.
Thanks Alex and Amanda for sharing this with me! We really enjoy this in our house.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Amanda Patrick, Pensacola, FL)
I have been looking forward to this all day! The taco meat that I used for the burritos is going to do double-duty tomorrow night for the Taco Puffs. I also use this same meat base when I make taco salads. A great recipe to have, for sure. Right now Publix has their Ground Round $2.99 lb., but Winn Dixie has their Ground Beef $1.99 lb. Publix has the flour tortillas B1G1 and avocados for $.99, so its the perfect week to do burritos. I did get a can of corn at Publix also because they had canned Green Giant Veggies B1G1. Alright...enough about the sale. Here's the recipe:
Taco Meat:
1-1/2 lb. ground beef (remember, this is for two dinners)
1/3 cup taco seasoning (or 1-1/2 packets)
3/4 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
Brown the meat in a large skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat and return to pan. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Cook over medium heat about 3-5 minutes. Add in the beans, corn and salsa. Cook for another 3-5 minutes over medium heat, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes. This really allows the flavors to combine.
Corn and Black Bean Burritos:
Taco Meat from above recipe
1 package Mexican rice (I used Rice Pilaf Knorr Sides- its all I had)
4 flour tortillas- burrito size
Shredded Cheese
Lettuce
Avocado + Lime
Olives
Sour Cream
Extra Salsa
Cook the rice according to package directions. I only had the Rice Pilaf flavor tonight, and I think I actually liked it better than the Mexican rice. But, use whatever you have on hand.
Warm the flour tortillas on a plate under a damp paper towel in the microwave for 45 seconds. Put one on a plate and begin to assemble. Put 1/3 cup rice in center near the bottom (the tortilla package at Publix has a picture on the back that shows you how to roll it). Put 1/2 cup taco meat on the rice and top with shredded cheese. Fold the sides over and starting at the bottom, roll up. If you have a hard time, you can probably google "how to roll a burrito"!
Once its rolled you can top it with whatever toppings you like. My favorites- lettuce, diced avocado with a squeeze of lime juice and salt, sliced olives, sour cream, and salsa.
This totally hit the spot tonight. Save your leftovers for Taco Puffs tomorrow night!
Enjoy!
