Showing posts with label Cinco de Mayo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cinco de Mayo. Show all posts
Monday, May 12, 2014
Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
This is my go-to turkey taco recipe. It's delicious and light – On nights I want to go low-carb, I forgo the taco shells and use lettuce wraps instead!
This is an oldie from the archives, but since I make this so often I thought I would update the photos just in time for taco Tuesday! It's naturally gluten-free, low-carb, and paleo & dairy-free without the cheese and sour cream. I find the outer leaves of Iceberg lettuce makes the best wraps, it's crisp and pliable and the leaves are large enough to make decent size wraps.
Add your favorite taco fixins such as shredded cheddar, light sour cream, chives, black olives, jalapeno, tomatoes or whatever you like on your tacos. The portions are generous, and if you're kids want shells, you can easily bake a few for them and use the same filling.
Making your own taco seasoning is a healthier alternative to buying packaged taco seasoning, and uses less sodium, no sugar, no preservatives and no msg. It also saves you money if you are on a budget. If you prefer to use the package seasoning, simply replace it with the spices listed here.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Picadillo Quesadillas
One word... YUM!
I make Crock Pot Picadillo all the time in my house (Madison's number one request), and because it makes so much I like to get creative with my leftovers. I came up with this for lunch one day and my husband said I should put it on the blog, so I thought with Cinco De Mayo coming, it would be fun to do some Cuban-Mexi fusion.
I made a really quick & easy Pico de Gallo to add along with the cheddar jack cheese, the results – delicious!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Cilantro and lime make this simple shrimp dish outstanding – and it takes just minutes to make!
This is an oldie but goodie, a regular in my home. I was making it for dinner the other night and felt the need to re-shoot it. We serve it over rice or with a big avocado and lettuce salad. Enjoy!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas
Cheesy meatless enchiladas filled with zucchini and cheese, topped with my homemade enchilada sauce –so delicious whether you are vegetarian or not.
While zucchini is still in season, I'm sharing this recipe from the archives. You all know how much I love enchiladas, well these zucchini enchiladas are huge and filling, and one of my favorite meals in the summer. Perfect topped with chopped cilantro, scallions or jalapeños.
For more enchiladas recipes try; chicken enchiladas, chicken and white bean enchiladas with salsa verde, and turkey and black bean enchiladas. This meatless recipe is also a favorite, and since it has no meat I can splurge a little more on the cheese –yum!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Skinny Chicken Fajitas
Lean strips of chicken breast, bell peppers and onions served sizzling hot with warm tortillas and shredded cheese. If this is your idea of delicious, you are not alone!
My husband Tommy is a creature of habit; anytime we go out for Mexican he always orders chicken fajitas. In fact when we went to Mexico a few years ago, he may have ordered them almost every night! I find that amusing because I get really bored of eating the same thing twice, and tend to always take a chance and try something completely new to me.
But chicken fajitas are a regular in my home, we make them at least once a month and the whole family enjoys them. My younger daughter Madison likes her bell peppers raw, so I chop some up and just set them aside for her and cut up the chicken. You can make the whole thing outside on the grill using a cast iron skillet to cook the peppers and onions as we usually do in the summer, or you can cook this indoors in a skillet. Enjoy!
This recipe was from the archives, but I made some minor changes to the original, and found those cute fajita cast iron skillets and tortilla warmers at Target by Imusa (a brand I love for Latin cookware), which was the perfect excuse for a new photo. They really make you feel like you're having a fiesta!!! I may need to buy this tortilla press next!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Friday, May 3, 2013
Mexican "Unfried" Ice Cream
A skinnier fried ice cream with a sweet crunchy cinnamon topping. Oh-my-word, I can't tell you how good this is!
If you've ever had the Mexican fried ice cream at Chi Chi's, you'll understand this recipe. I always loved the concept of fried ice cream, as a kid I remember ordering it and always found it fascinating that the ice cream didn't melt.
This recipe is a much lighter, healthy version of the original fried version. This isn't fried at all, but it still has that same great taste with the crunchy cinnamon topping, and cold creamy vanilla ice cream (well, actually frozen yogurt) in the center.
This idea came from a fan. She actually made something like this for a party and layered everything in a square pan which is a great idea if you want to serve a crowd, but for portion control, I thought making them in individual servings was better.
To make it light, I bought my favorite fat free vanilla frozen yogurt: Gotta Have Vanilla from Stonyfield; that stuff is sooo good, I actually prefer it over their other brand Oikos. Then I perused the cereal aisle and decided on using crushed Special K as my crust mixed tossed with some cinnamon. If you are gluten free, I would use a gluten free cereal instead. Enjoy your weekend and have a happy Cinco De Mayo!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas
Chicken tenders are slow cooked in the crock pot with salsa verde, then served on a crispy corn tostada and topped with melted cheese, jalapeño and a simple cabbage slaw made with red cabbage, lime juice, cilantro and salt. I could eat these everyday!!
Yesterday I posted the Easiest Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken recipe and promised to post the tostadas today. I made these for lunch and everyone in my home loved them (even my husband doesn't care for cabbage). The cabbage adds just the right amount of texture and freshness with a hint of acidity that just works, and he loved it! One was enough to fill me up for lunch, but if you want this for dinner, I would go with two.
The crock pot chicken actually makes enough for 9 tostadas, but I only made 6 tostadas for sake of calculating to keep it an even number. It's really not spicy at all, which is why I added jalapenos. If your family doesn't like spicy food, leave them out. If you don't have plans for Cinco De Mayo, I suggest you give these a try!! If you can't find tostada shells, you can follow the same recipe with corn taco shells instead.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Easiest Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
Chicken tenders are simmered in salsa verde with cumin and spices for the easiest chicken ever!
Cinco De Mayo is right around the corner, which always gets me excited, I LOVE Mexican food! While I was shopping at Target the other day, I picked up a jar of Archer Farm's Roasted Salsa Verde with no real plans on what to do with it.
My slow cooker is always sitting on my counter staring at me, so I figured let's see what happens when you cook chicken with salsa verde.
Two hours later, what emerged was a delicious aroma and tender chicken. That night I made chicken tostadas for dinner, but I know this would be wonderful so many ways; over rice, in tacos, as a filling for enchiladas, whatever! Tomorrow I am posting my chicken verde tostada recipe, but for today I'm just posting the chicken so you can use it any way you wish.
By the way, I have so many Mexican recipes, I created an entire Skinny Cinco De Mayo Pinterest Board with all the recipes to quickly browse if you are a visual person like me. Enjoy!!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Monday, April 29, 2013
Southwestern Black Bean Salad
I love making this colorful, salad when the weather warms, it makes enough to feed a crowd and makes a great side dish or appetizer if served with chips. It's also great as a topping for taco salads or served with grilled meat and fresh tortillas.
And BONUS, this salad is low in saturated fat and loaded with antioxidants. A perfect summer side dish for grilled meat, fish or chicken. It's best when you use sweet fresh roasted corn, but if corn is not in season, frozen, thawed corn will work just fine in it's place.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Huevos Rancheros
Golden egg yolks mingle with tomatoes, green chiles and cheese over a crispy corn tortilla for breakfast... what can be better! Low fat, naturally gluten-free and vegetarian (perfect for meatless mondays).
With Cinco de Mayo on the Horizon, I thought I would share this easy recipe, that I love to make for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
My friend Deysi taught me how to make this savory authentic Mexican recipe, and I'm glad she did because it was such a wonderful change from the usual egg dishes and it's really easy to make. You can also serve this with sliced avocados on the side. Buen Provecho!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Mexican Adobo Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin
A lean pork tenderloin, rubbed with Mexican adobo and grilled or broiled to give you a great tasting, smoky, tender piece of meat.
Pork tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork, in fact it's just as lean as a skinless chicken breast, and it doesn't take long to cook, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights. If you're tired of making the same 'ole thing for dinner, this is the answer (and bonus, it's totally man-friendly).
I was really in the mood for some Cilantro Lime Rice, and I thought it was the perfect compliment; I used some lime wedges to squeeze over the pork - delish! I was craving white rice, but I often use brown rice too as a whole grain option. For an even healthier side, last week's Fiesta Bean Salad would also be fabulous!
This recipe is from the cookbook Simple Food, Big Flavor, by Aarón Sánchez (you may know him as one of the judges on Chopped). Yesterday I made a batch of Aaron's Adobo with full intentions of making this pork dish. I still have a lot of adobo left, so I'm going to use the rest to grill some pork chops this weekend. It was pretty chilly yesterday, so rather than making this on my grill, I used my broiler instead.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Aaron's Mexican Dry Adobo Seasoning
A fusion of Mexican and American spices – a dry rub that combines the flavors of Mexico using dried pasilla and ancho chiles, with spices commonly used in dry rubs across the American South. Make a batch and it will keep for months if stores in an airtight container.
I don't watch much TV, but one show I am pretty addicted to is Chopped on the Food Network. I love seeing what mystery ingredients the contestants will get, and love seeing what the chefs come up with under pressure. But what really gets me watching is the judges, at times they can be a bit harsh, which makes me thankful I'm not on that show. If you watch Chopped, then you probably recognize Aaron Sanchez, chef from Centrico in NYC. This adobo recipe is from his new cookbook, Simple Food, Big Flavor. I actually quartered the recipe and it still made a lot, and used it to make a delicious pork tenderloin from his book (recipe coming next), but thought this should live on a page of it's own.
This can be used as a rub, for seasoning chili, stews, black bean soup and more.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Crock Pot Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup
If you love a slow cooker recipe that requires no pre-cooking, then you'll love this spicy black bean soup. Spicy black bean and chicken soup with tomatoes, chiles, peppers and spices is delicious served with cool avocado and a touch of sour cream. Top it with cilantro for freshness and your taste buds will want to do a mariachi dance.
This month I asked my facebook fans what kind of recipes they wanted to see more of in 2013 and Slow Cooker recipes topped the charts! Second place was main dish meals, so I've been keeping my slow cooker on my counter and have been keeping my promise!
I must confess, it's harder to develop recipes in the crock pot. First, I have to wait at least 4 hours to find out if it's even good and second, not everything works out as imagined. Take this recipe for example, first attempt went right in the trash. Not the first time I dumped a crock pot creation in the trash but one things for sure, they all had onions in the recipe.
I first made this with sauteed onions and there is no doubt in my mind it ruined the soup. Something about onions and crock pots just don't work together, and this is not the first time. Second attempt I did everything the same but replaced the onions with onion powder and it was perfect, delicious, even. Even better for all of you because there's no pre-cooking anything, so it's easy!
This makes a nice amount of soup, perfect for freezing and reheating for a second night, or for lunch on the go. I love this topped with avocado and sour cream to mellow the heat, but it would also be great with a little cheese on top why not!
It's mildly spicy, not over the top. If you want it milder you can leave the ancho chile powder out. I pureed one of the cans of beans to thicken the soup, and left the second can whole for texture. Next time I may even add some sweet corn! A filling, wholesome, high-fiber meal for only 300 calories, or Weight Watchers 6 points plus. Freezer friendly, and gluten-free.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Friday, January 18, 2013
Guacamole
Guacamole is one of my favorite appetizers, and my husband is usually the one who makes it. It's flavorful, clean, and healthy, but we eat it because we love it. His recipe is simple, but simple is good! He has converted many non-avocado lovers with this recipe.
The trick is to a good guacamole is leave large chunks of avocado; don't mash them thoroughly and having a perfect balance of lime juice, red onion and salt is essential. If you like it hot, you can certainly add some diced jalapeño, some people also like to add diced tomato which is fine, but we like it just like this!
I posted this recipe a while back, but the photos needed some updating so I figured I'd re-post in time for the Superbowl.
Avocados may be high in fat, but they have the good essential healthy fats which we should consume every day. They are also high in fiber, rich in vitamin B, E and K and have 60 percent more potassium than bananas. I love avocado so much I created an entire Avocado Obsessed Pinterest board in their honor.
Guacamole is great with baked tortilla chips, lentil chips, baked plantain chips, chicken fajitas, or even on a wrap in place of mayonnaise. Sometimes we even make guacamole turkey burgers, I'll have to share the recipe when the weather warms up.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Tacos
This easy taco recipe requires no pre-cooking, just throw it all in the crock pot and you'll have a delicious weeknight meal. Black beans and chicken breast, simmered in the slow cooker make the perfect filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or even a burrito bowl and it's loaded with fiber.
Personally, I love this served in crunchy corn taco shells. I make a quick red cabbage slaw which adds a little acidity and crunch, and it's a healthier option than iceberg. Add some spicy pico de gallo for freshness and avocados, and I am one happy gal! So good you won't even miss the cheese!
I often make my own pico de gallo, but when I'm pressed for time, I have no problem buying it. There are lots of great options in the refrigerated produce section of the supermarket, Nature's Promise is usually my go-to, is organic and has just the right amount of kick.
Avocado is so good on tacos, and loaded with heart healthy fats. It's creamy and delicious and I totally skip the sour cream, but if you rather save on calories and leave it out, fat free Greek yogurt works fine in it's place.
As for my slow cooker, believe it or not, I've had many bad experiences with crock pots cooking to hot and turning out strange tasting food... until I bought my current Slow Cooker, the Hamilton Beach Set and Forget 6 Quart Slow Cooker. Love it and I've been using it for over a year with great results every time! As part of my week of Target giveaways, I wanted to give away the same exact one, but couldn't find the same exact model. I did find one very similar, without the probe (which I never used anyway) so today on Skinny Bits, if you want to take a chance at winning this wonderful prize, click HERE and leave a comment on Skinny Bits for a chance to win. (Please do not leave your comments here on Skinnytaste, they wont count.)
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Grilled Flank Steak with Black Beans Corn and Tomatoes
This steak dish has a fiesta of flavors, the flank steak is seasoned with cumin and garlic and grilled to perfection, then topped with a fresh black bean, corn and tomato salad for a quick and tasty family friendly weeknight meal.
I love topping grilled meats with fresh salad, a few successful examples of this: Grilled Flank with Tomatoes Red Onion and Balsamic, and Grilled Chicken Bruschetta.
In this Tex Mex version, the flavors can be easily tweaked to suit your family's taste, make it spicy with some chopped jalapenõs, or swap out an ingredient for those picky kids. Enjoy!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Skinnytaste Citrus Margarita Spritzer
A lighter fresh take on a margarita! Fresh squeezed citrus juice and a splash of seltzer makes this fresh and lighter, with no added sugars! So go ahead, enjoy your margarita (or two) this Cinco de Mayo!!
To make a simple lime salt for the rim of the glass, grate a little lime zest and combine it with a coarse salt. Then use a lime wedge to wet the rim of the glass, then dip it in the salt. This is completely optional!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Monday, April 30, 2012
Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken
What happens when you combine Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers with chicken??
Oh yeah baby!! Cheesy stuffed chicken breast stuffed with diced jalapeño, cream cheese, cheddar jack cheese, scallions and bacon!
I basically deconstructed my jalapeño poppers and stuffed them into chicken and the results where mouth watering!! I used bread crumbs because I was out of panko, but I think seasoned panko would give these a wonderful crunch like I used on my Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers.
I made the serving size a generous two pieces, so a simple vegetable, fiesta lime rice, or a salad on the side would make this a complete meal. Trust me, you won't want to stop at just one!
And those of you on Pinterest, if you want some Skinny Cinco De Mayo inspiration, check out my Cinco De Mayo board!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Skinny Buffalo Burger Quesadilla
100% grass-fed buffalo burgers with melted cheddar jack cheese and pico de gallo wedged in between two whole wheat tortillas.
This was inspired by a lunch I had at Applebee's, although this sandwich is far leaner! Sure, you can make this with lean beef, turkey or even use veggie burgers, but I wanted a fun way to introduce my first buffalo recipe on Skinnytaste.
Did you know that 100% grass-fed meat is leaner than grain-fed meat? The benefits of eating wild buffalo are that it's hormone-free and antibiotic-free, it tastes just like beef only sweeter and it's much leaner. Because the meat is so lean, you have to cook it for less time than you would a fattier ground beef burger or it will become dry and overcooked.
You can make the pico de gallo yourself, but I cheated and used a pre-made organic brand for convenience. Look for small fajita sized whole wheat tortillas, I used La Banderita which were 2 points plus for two tortillas and I actually took a scissor and trimmed it a bit smaller to fit my burger better, but that's totally optional!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Skinny Shrimp Salsa
Shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and lime are combined to create a zesty protein rich salsa. Bring this to a party and watch it disappear!
I love making salsa, and often combine whatever I have on hand to make an appetizer no one can resist. This shrimp salsa is low-fat, gluten-free and perfect for low-carb diets, but you can switch it up and add black beans to boost the fiber, or roasted corn to add a touch of sweetness, and even avocado to add some healthy fats. Add more jalapeño to make it spicier and adjust the lime, cilantro and salt to suit your taste. You see where I'm going with this.... the possibilities are endless!
I found these great black bean chips called Beanitos that are high in fiber which makes you feel full longer, low-glycemic, gluten-free and are high in protein, 10 chips are 3 points plus. My husband and daughter love them with guacamole or salsa.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...
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