Southwest Pasta Salad

Found this recpie on ourbestbites.com Made this without chicken for a side dish.  It was yummy! Really good dressing. It would be great with chicken for a meal (if only Jack would eat cold pasta).  I added pumpkin seeds becasue I love them.  It might also be good with diced avocado.

Ingredients
1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (make sure to drain them very well!)
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (this is fantastic)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)

Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro

Directions

To prepare dressing place Boil pasta in salted water until cooked.  While it’s cooking, prepare dressing.

First zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.

Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender.  (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil)  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.  Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn),  and chicken if desired.  Toss with dressing.  Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce

yum!  I loved these. The sauce is delish too.  I served with rice (I would recommend Cafe Rio lime rice) but the chicken and sauce would be really good in a taco too.

chicken skewer ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts ( about 5 medium breasts)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, minced
• 1 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• nonstick cooking spray

dipping sauce ingredients

• 3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup lime juice, from 2 to 3 limes
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  

  Directions

  1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Slice the chicken breasts across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick strips (you should have about 30 strips). In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the flavors meld, about 30 minutes. (The chicken, covered, can be refrigerated for up to 1 day before cooking.).
  2. FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE: In a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the flavors meld, about 30 minutes. (The dipping sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Season with additional lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste before serving.).
  3. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler. Line a broiler pan bottom with foil and top with a slotted broiler pan top; spray the broiler pan top with nonstick cooking spray. Weave each piece of chicken onto individual bamboo skewers; lay half of the skewers on the broiler pan top and cover the skewer ends with foil, making sure not to cover the chicken. Broil until the meat is lightly browned and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes, flipping the skewers over halfway through. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and serve immediately with half the dipping sauce. Repeat, broiling the remaining skewers and serving with the remaining dipping sauce.

Spicy Shredded Chicken - Cafe Rio Style

Cook Time:
5 minutes to put together,
All Day to Cook

Ingredients:
7 (more or less) Chicken Breasts (Thawed or Frozen)
2 Cans rotel Brand Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 dash Tobasco sauce
Lime Juice to Taste

Preparation:
Place all ingredients (except lime juice in crock pot.  Cook on low all day, or if you don't have all day, cook on high for a few hours then turn down to low until done.

Shred Chicken with forks and place back in crock-pot to absorb juice throughout the meat.

Squeeze lime juice over meat and serve in burritos, tacos, or on a salad, etc...

Image via

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing (Aka Cafe Rio Dressing)

Everyone already has this recipe, but thought I'd post it here to make it easy to find:

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
ignore directions on the packet
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa*
hot sauce

This is tough folks. Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend ‘er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

San Diego Style Fish Tacos - AKA BEST FISH TACOS EVER

So I made these last night and Jack and I both thought they were the BEST fish tacos we've ever had.  Normally I don't fry things beacause a) it is unhealthy and b) I always get burned and make a mess.  But this really didn't make a mess OR burn me, it was really easy.  Ok maybe it is still unhealthy, but every once in awhile it is WORTH it.  I skipped the queso fresco cause it was so darn expensive at Dan's.  I also used halibut instead of cod because it was cheaper.

San Diego-Style Fish Tacos

1 c. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 c. beer (non-alcoholic beer works great)
1 lb. cod fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 1-2 oz. strips
Corn tortillas (as many as you have pieces of fish)
Pico de Gallo (and/or Mango Pico de Gallo) (just use your favorite recipe)
Shredded cabbage (packaged coleslaw mix works great)
Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing (aka Cafe Rio Dressing)
Crumbled Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco
Fresh lime wedges and sea salt for serving

Preheat oven to 170 (or lowest setting on your oven).
Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk an egg and then whisk in the beer. Add the beer mixture to the flour mixture.
Heat about 1 quart (3-4 inches) of canola oil to 375 degrees (use a candy or frying thermometer) in a heavy cooking pot. Lightly dredge each piece of fish in flour and then dip in beer batter. Gently drop into the hot oil and cook for about 7-8 minutes or until the coating is dark golden-brown and a test piece flakes easily with a fork. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate; stick the plate in the preheated oven to keep warm while you cook your tortillas.
Place tortillas, 1-2 at a time, in the hot oil and cook 1-2 minutes or until they start to get crispy but are still bendable. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Assemble each taco with a piece of fish, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, crumbled Cotija cheese (or Queso Fresco), and a drizzling of Lime-Cilantro Ranch.

Tinga

This is an authentic dish from Mexico.  I had it at school a few weeks ago and it was prepared by a cute girl whose husband is from the area of Mexico where this dish is prepared (Northern Mexico City).  I am usually not a big fan of Mexican food, but this was really good!  This isn't her exact recipe (I need to get it from her), but I found this one online which got great reviews.

Servings: Plenty for 8 Adults and a handful of toddlers
Cook Time: 4 hrs
Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves (you can use beef or pork if you'd rather)
• 6 medium onions, 3 thinly sliced and 3 chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 medium tomatoes
• 1 (7 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Optional:

• Cilantro
• Limes
• Avocado
• Shredded Lettuce
• Refried Beans
• Sour Cream
• Tostado Shells (or Tortilla Chips if you want to use chicken as a dip)
• Shredded Cheese

Preparation:

Place the chicken into crockpot. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 3 onions that were sliced and garlic, and sautee until transparent. Add to crockpot.

Place the tomatoes, 1-2  chipotle peppers and a little bit of the adobe sauce (SPICY! so add as many peppers and as much sauce as you think you can handle), 3 chopped onions, chicken bouillon into a blender or large food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour this mixture into crockpot.

Cook for 3.5 minutes.  Take out chicken and shred into fine pieces with fork.  Put back in crockpot for an additional 30 minutes.

To serve, each person spreads some refried beans on their tostada shell, and top with a spoonful of the chicken, sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, shredded lettuce, cheese, and a squirt of lime.

It seems like there are a lot of onions and tomatoes, so we will probably have to mess around with this recipe until we get it right.

Picture Via
Recipe Via

Chile and Lime Veggie Bowls

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1-2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup shelled edamame

1 medium avocado sliced

large cabbage/iceberg or boston lettuce (I’m not a huge fan of cabbage)

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

lime wedges (optional)

Directions

~ Make Dressing; set aside *if you remember make it the night before

Yogurt-Lime Dressing

In small bowl combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 2 TBS lime juice, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS chili powder, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1TBS chopped chives.  Salt & Pepper to Taste. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil until well combined.

~ In a zip lock bag combine diced potatoes, soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and olive oil; add diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Roast at 425° for 30-40 minutes on a foiled cookie sheet or until done.

~ Divide potatoes, beans, tomatoes, edamame, and avocado among cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

Drizzle with the dressing and wrap it all up!

You can add grilled chicken if you want to it be heartier. 

Slow Cooker Tacos

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 hours or 3.5-4 hours
Serving: 8

Ingredients:

• 4 frozen chicken breasts
• 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 2 handfuls frozen corn
• 15 oz jar salsa
• 1 cube cream cheese (8 oz)
• tortillas
• shredded cheese (optional)

Preparation:

Put first 4 ingredients in crockpot.  Cook on high for 3.5hrs.  Take out chicken and shred with fork.  Put back in crockpot.  Turn crockpot to low and add 1 cube of cream cheese for remaining 30 minutes.  Serve in tortillas and top with shredded cheese (optional) and whatever else you like on tacos.

These tacos are amazing!

Lime Salsa

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1 large tomato

1/4 c. lime juice

1/3 c. cilantro

2 Tbsp. canola oil

2 tsp sugar

1/2 ts. salt

1 can corn (drained)

1 large purple onion

Instructions:

Mix all ingredient together.  Serve with tortilla chips or on grilled chicken sandwiches.

Picture Courtesy For the Love of Cooking

Chevy's Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
2 c. (1 lb) tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. white onion, diced
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 Tbsp minced jalapeno
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, mix well.  Serve chilled.

Picture Courtesy of Gluten Free Mommy

Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips

A Yummy Summer Treat

Fruit Salsa & Cinnamon Chips
INGREDIENTS:

* 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
* 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
* 8 ounces raspberries
* 1 pound strawberries
* (You can substitute whatever fruit you like, I have used diced bananas and blueberries as well)
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
*
* 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
* butter flavored cooking spray
* 2 cups cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture

Picture Courtesy of: Real Mom Kitchen