Creamy Key Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food.  I really do.  But let’s face it, it’s tough to make that gooey, cheesy goodness healthy.  This recipe, however, finds a way.  I've been eyeing this recipe since it came through my inbox at least a week ago, but with a husband on an antibiotic, dairy around mealtime was off limits.  So the minute he popped that last horse pill, cheesy Mexican we were having!  I put this puppy together on Tuesday night, so all the hubs had to do last night while I was at the gym was pop it in the oven.

This enchilada recipe combines all those things we love about Mexican food – cheese, chiles, tortillas, sauce – and puts a sweet and creamy twist into it with a container of key lime yogurt.  Now, don’t turn your nose just yet.  The flavor of the yogurt blends in perfectly to add a little hint of sweetness to an otherwise, mildly spicy dish.  Seriously – don’t knock it ‘til you try it!

Creamy Key Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy Key Lime Chicken Enchiladas

What You Need:

• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 can diced mild green chiles
• 2 c chopped cooked chicken
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 1 container key lime yogurt
• Juice of one lime
• 8 whole grain tortillas
• 1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese

How You Do It:

1. Sauté onion and green chiles until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in chicken and mix to combine.
2. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lime juice, and ½ c enchilada sauce.  Add in onion/chile/chicken mixture and mix to combine.
3. Scoop ¼ c mixture on one end of tortilla and roll up.  Place in 9x13 baking dish.  Continue with remaining tortillas.
4. Cover tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes until heated through and cheese melts.

Creamy Key Lime Chicken Enchilada recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

Meatless Monday was in full effect in our house last night.  I whipped together this little doozy of a pasta dish, loaded with sautéed veggies of my favorite sorts, and a creamy tomato sauce.  I got home from the gym and in the amount of time it took to boil the water and cook the pasta, this puppy was a go! 

A quick, easy, and veggie-packed pasta dish ready in no time!

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

HG Veggie-Loaded Pasta Amore

What You Need:

• 8 oz. uncooked thin spaghetti
• 1 c creamy tomato soup 
• 1/2 c light sour cream
• 1/3 c chopped fresh basil
• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 2/3 c frozen peas, 
• 1 roasted red pepper, drained and chopped

How You Do It:

1. In a medium-large pot, cook pasta per package instructions.
2. In a medium bowl, mix tomato soup with sour cream until uniform. Stir in basil and Italian seasoning.
3. While the pasta cooks, bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and zucchini. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low. Add peas, chopped roasted red peppers, and soup mixture. Cook and stir until hot and well mixed, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add cooked pasta, and toss to coat.

HG Loaded-Veggie Pasta Amore recipe adapted from HungryGirl.

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef

Last night was one of those nights where I was ever-so-thankful for my slow cooker.  The night before, I had prepped dinner so I could get up, set the timer, and forget about preparing dinner when we got home from the gym.  And, when we walked in the door at 8:45p, I was even more thankful.  The slow cooker did all the work – I simply had to make some rice (which I set in my rice cooker before heading to the gym) and BAM, dinner was ready.

Three Thanksgivings ago my now-sister-in-law made the most amazing beef short ribs in her slow cooker.  This shredded beef recipe reminded me a lot of that recipe.  Five-spice, garlic, soy, honey – all the same flavors that go into her short ribs recipe – and the sauce was just about the same (maybe because we got the recipes off the same site?).

This was great over rice – would be amazing over potatoes.  A different twist on your standard pulled beef.

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef

Asian Shredded Beef

What You Need:

• 3 ½ lbs. boneless beef roast
• 2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c  soy sauce
• 1/2 c  hoisin sauce
• 6 tbsp ketchup
• 6 tbsp honey

How You Do It:

1. Place beef in bottom of slow cooker insert.
2. Sprinkle with five-spice powder.
3. Top with minced garlic.
4. In small bowl, combine honey, ketchup, soy, and hoisin.  Pour over beef.
5. Cook on low 8-9 hours.  Shred with tongs.

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef recipe adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Over the weekend we were chilling at some friends’ house watching the Packers beat the Vikings (WOO!).  When we hang out, we almost always have dinner together.  We usually order a chicken marsala pizza (oh so good, but oh so bad) and make a huge salad, but since we’re all on a healthy kick-start to 2013, we decided to make dinner instead.  Usually I bring the recipe and handful of not-so-common ingredients, and we whip something up together.

I dug out of the first Pinterest recipes finds I tried and we got to it.  We chopped some veggies, sliced some chicken, tossed it in a large Ziploc bag with some seasonings, and let it sit for an hour or two.  When ready, we dumped the contents, liquid and all, into a baking dish, popped it in the oven, and 30 minutes later, had an awesome meal.

I’m telling you – this is the way to do it!   And… another Green Bay WIN!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Before & After:
Baked Chicken Fajitas

What You Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 bell peppers (I used orange and yellow)
• 1 large onion
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• Toppings such as tortillas, rice, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.

How You Do It:

1. In large Ziploc bag, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano.  Shake to mix.
2. Thinly slice chicken, peppers, onion, and add to bag. 
3. Drain tomatoes and green chilies and add to bag.  Shake to combine.
4. Let mixture sit in refrigerator to marinate, 1 hour to overnight.
5. Dump mixture into baking dish and bake 350* 30 minutes.

Baked Chicken Fajitas recipe adapted from RealMomKitchen.com.

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Have you heard of Hungry Girl?  She makes awesome, guilty-pleasures, healthy - and they taste just as good, if not better!  So when I came across a mac & cheese recipe that was actually healthy, I went for it.  Now, I'm usually no fan of homemade mac & cheese, but this one - I can't get enough of!

Maybe because of the cheesy cauliflower goodness or the three wedges of Laughing Cow cheese, and the pasta, while not much, is just enough.

This is one mac & cheese recipe I don't feel guilty eating!

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

What You Need:

• 3 boxes frozen cauliflower with cheese sauce
• 2 cups uncooked pasta
• 3 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss

That's it!

How You Do It:

1. In a large pot, cook pasta as directed.
2. While the pasta cooks, empty the frozen cauliflower in to microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave 10 minutes, stir, and continue cooking until hot.
3. Unwrap cheese wedges and in a small microwave-safe bowl, heat for 10 seconds.  Stir into cauliflower mixture.
4. Once pasta cooks, drain and fold into cauliflower/cheese mixture.

Roasted Salmon and Sweet Pepper Coulis with Parmesan and Pea Baked Risotto

Every so often, the husband and I decide to have an in-house date night.  We light some candles, put on something nice, I attempt to stay awake for an entire movie, and of course, I make a nice dinner.  And last night was one of those nights.

Now, I don't love roasted red peppers.  I often will pick them off my plate and let the hubs enjoy them.  However, tonight's salmon recipe featured a red pepper sauce I actually liked.  The sweetness of the peppers was pretty muted out and was accompanied by fresh basil, really was a delicious, and surprisingly light sauce.  The salmon was melt-in-your-mouth tender and really paired well with the sauce.

As a side dish, I went for a risotto.  I know everyone shies away from risotto because of how long it takes to cook and how much stirring is involved, but this one was baked!  Rice and broth in my magic pot, and into the oven it went.  45 minutes later, out it came and in went the cheese and peas.  Easy-peasy.

The best thing about this meal, other than how delicious it really was, is that it was SO easy to make.  Nothing to putz with - few ingredients and not much clean up.  And, to top off the night, the hubs came home mid-afternoon with dark chocolate covered strawberries and oreos!  A successful night in!

Roasted Salmon with Sweet Pepper Coulis

Roasted Salmon and Sweet Pepper Coulis
with Baked Parmesan and Pea Risotto

What You Need:

• 2 roasted red peppers
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 2 tbsp julienned fresh basil
• 2 6-oz salmon fillets
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

How You Do It:

1. In blender, puree roasted red peppers.  Slowing add in olive oil and puree until smooth.  Transfer to small sauce pan.
2. Heat vegetable oil and butter in oven-safe pan.  Add salmon and bake  at 425* for 5 minutes.  Flip salmon and bake an additional 5 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
3. While salmon bakes, slowly heat red pepper sauce.  Once heated through, stir in basil.
4. To plate, spoon sauce on plate, top with salmon, and drizzle with remaining sauce.

Baked Parmesan and Pea Risotto

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 c arborio rice
• 4 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1 c grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp butter, cut into cubes

How You Do It:

1. In a deep, covered 10-cup baking dish, mix rice and broth.  
2. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and stir in butter, parmesan, and peas.
4. Cover, and let sit until peas are heated through.

Roasted Salmon with Sweet Pepper Coulis and Baked Parmesan and Pea Risotto recipes adapted from EzraPoundCake.com.

Salmon with Toasted Couscous

Last night’s dinner was one of those meals I love to prepare: a one-pot wonder.  I used a cutting board, chef’s knife, liquid measuring cup (only used for water, so no washing necessary!), a spatula, and a deep covered skillet.  That’s it!

And this one-pot wonder didn't even require an extra vegetable or side dish – it was all in there!  Toasted couscous with veggies cooked right in, and the salmon steamed right on top, it really was one of the easier salmon dishes I've made in a while.  And other than lacking garlic, which I will add to the couscous next time, this really had a great, light flavor.

Salmon with Toasted Couscous

Salmon with Toasted Couscous

What You Need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ bell pepper, chopped
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/3 c pistachios
• 1 cup dried Israeli Couscous
• 1 ½ c water
• Dried oregano and parsley, to taste
• 4 6-oz salmon filets
• Black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges, optional

How You Do It:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add couscous, bell pepper, pistachios, and shallot.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the couscous is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in dried oregano and parsley to taste. (I used about five shakes each)
3. Place salmon on top of the couscous, reducing the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until salmon is cooked through and the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
4. Serve salmon on top of couscous with a lemon wedge.

Salmon with Toasted Couscous recipe adapted from EatingWell.com.