Homemade Mexican Rice

If there's one recipe online that's almost impossible to find, it's Mexican rice! No one can quite seem to get it done like the restaurants do. I've come up with a version that is pretty close, and easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice
1 14 oz can of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tsp of each: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, chile powder, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper.


Directions:

1) Add rice, chicken broth, spices and 2 cups of water to a small sauce pan. Cook according to rice instructions.  Serve, and enjoy!

Oven Baked Fish Tacos with a Light Lime Cream Sauce

Another Tuesday, another Mexican recipe! My fiance actually requested fish for dinner! It's a rare occasion, so I gladly obliged. He asked for fish tacos. I've made them a few times before using recipes I found online, and they've turned out good, but I was in the mood for something simple and delicious. I swear, sometimes recipes are made into such complicated events when really all you need is found in your fridge/pantry.

I bought tilapia, and used spices that I had on hand to marinate. Same with the sauce. Used a light sour cream, and seasoned with about the same spices. Stefan took one bite and growled out a YUM! I asked on a scale of 1 - 10, how good were they compared to the other fish tacos I've made...he said a '10 compared to all the fish tacos I've had'. That's always a good sign! I served these along with a side of pinto beans and my homemade Mexican rice. I'll post the recipe for that after.

Ingredients:

For the fish:

1 lb tilapia
1 lime
1 Tbsp olive oil
a sprinkling of the following spices: garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, chili powder, cayenne powder, paprika

For the sauce:

1/2 cup light sour cream
1 lime
a sprinkling of the same spices from above, to taste

Directions:

1) Sprinkle both sides of talapia with the spices above. Place into zip lock back and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and the olive oil. Place in the fridge for a couple hours to marinate.

2) Mix together all the spices and lime juice with the sour cream. Adjust spices to taste.

3) Pre-heat oven to 400F. Wrap up the fish filets in aluminum foil to create air tight pouches for them. Place them in the oven and back for 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and flaky. Remove the fish from the pouches and lay on paper towels to drain some of the juices.

4) Place the fish on top of favorite tortillas, top with the sauce and whatever other toppings you like. We used cabbage, guacamole and Tapatio. Delish!

Serves: about 2-3
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Baby It's Cold Outside...Let's Eat Chili!

It's been raining cats and dogs, err, pigs here in the Bay Area. It's much needed, and I love watching it come down, but it definitely puts you in the mood for warm, hot dinners. I love eating soups; lunch time, dinner time, whenever and all kinds. My fiance? not so much. I really wanted to make a soup last night, but he said "ehhh..how about a chili?" DONE.

I've made chili a few times before from different recipes online, and they never did turn out that tasty. Either too plain, too many tomatoes or beans, not of enough this or that. I went on a hunt to look up all different types of recipes to see if I could find something that would be good. My favorite homemade chili is one my future mother-in-law makes. They always make it and bring it up to Tahoe in the winter time and it's the perfect, warm you up from the inside, tastes exactly like a chili should taste like, chili. I e-mailed her asking for her recipe, but continued on browsing other recipes. Still, nothing looked too exciting. Until... Stefan sends me a chili recipe from Guy Fieri. OMG it had 100 ingredients and probably would've taken 2 hours just to prep everything, but it did look delicious. I laughed and said "yea, right. Maybe another time during a weekend when I have more time." But then, the more and more I looked at the recipe, I realized it had some great bones to it that I could take and make my own in a much more simpler way, but should still taste good! So I started jotting down ingredients and ideas using exactly what I'd want in my chili.

A little while later, Jeri sent me her recipe. It had a lot of the ingredients I already had written down. Plus she gave me a hint I didn't know! Stefan doesn't like chunks of onion in his chili, but he likes the flavor. So she's always grated the onion that goes in; I've never done that but sounds easy enough, right? Sure, it was easy, but it definitely got my eyes to cry more than just chopping. Owww.

So anyway, this chili came together very easily and quickly, didn't take too many ingredients from the store, a lot I had on hand, and I think it's the best homemade chili I've ever had (Stefan agreed), and I can't wait to eat it for lunch today! We've also saved a lot of it to make chili nachos with Frito scoops for football on Sunday. Yum-o!

INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil spray
1 4 oz can hot diced green chilies
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 14 oz can chicken broth
2 lb's ground beef, I used 93% fat
1 green bell pepper, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 small white onion, grated or diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp granulated onion powder
1 tsp granulated garlic powder
1- 2 tsp salt and pepper

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

shredded cheese
sour cream
chopped onion
avocado
tortilla chips
Frito scoops
sourdough bread bowl

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a large pot or dutch oven, spray some olive oil spray to coat the bottom. Brown the ground beef on medium high, break it up as it cooks. Season with some salt and pepper. Drain the juices from the beef and set aside.

2) Spray a little more cooking spray on the same pot. Add the chopped bell peppers and onions. Saute over medium for about 5 mins, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.

3) Add the drained beef back to the vegetables. Add in the beans and diced chilies. Stir to combine. Add in all the seasonings, stir again. Add in the chicken broth. Then check for seasonings. Maybe add some more salt if needed. Bring to a boil, then turn on low and simmer for 1-2 hours. The longer the simmer, the better the flavor. If the chili becomes too thick, add in a splash or two of water or more chicken broth.

4) Serve into bowls, top with whatever toppings you choose and enjoy!


Prep time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
Serves: About 8

Chicken and Black Bean Enchilangas

Enchilangas? Chimiladas? I wanted to use some leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken to make some enchiladas..but I had seen a quick video at Costco on their TV's, which is where we got the rotisserie, about making baked chimichangas. I liked the idea of having that crispy tortilla, but love enchilada sauce, so I decided to make a combination. I don't think it could've turned out any better. My future hubby said it was better than the Mexican taqueria we usually go to on Tuesday nights. That's always nice to hear!

This really did come together pretty quickly and cleanly for a week night meal. I cooked the filling while Stefan was still finishing up with work and getting ready for the gym. Then when we got back from the gym, all I had to do was stuff, roll and bake. I'm not sure I'll make enchiladas without the chimichanga part again.

Since there were beans in the enchilanga's, I didn't bother cooking a side of rice or beans. Just had some chips to dip into guacamole and salsa. By the way, I found the BEST new store bought fresh style salsa: Marcella Valladolid. I got this at Safeway; if you can find it, buy it.  The medium was pretty spicy, which we like. I also used this brand for flour tortillas. They seemed thin, like restaurant style, but puffed and crunched up nicely in the oven.  And when avocados' aren't ripe when you need them, Sabra brand or Wholly Guacamole are always good store bought guacs.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus a little more for brushing
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz shredded chicken breast
1 cup black beans
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup reduced fat shredded mexican blend cheese
6 taco sized tortillas
Enchilada sauce, I used Hatch brand, which I think is the best canned sauce

Optional toppings:

Guacamole
Sour cream
Salsa

Directions:

1) In a saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook about a minute more.

2) Stir in chicken, beans, broth, and tomato sauce. Add seasonings and stir until heated through. Turn off heat and allow mixture to cool a bit. (This is when I covered the lid and we went to the gym. You could always pour mixture into a bowl and set in fridge for a few minutes) Once cool, stir in cheese.

3) Pre-heat oven to 400F. Split the mixture into 6 part onto the tortillas. Fold in the top and bottom parts, then roll in the sides. Place seam side down onto a greased cooking sheet.

4) Lightly brush on olive oil onto the tortillas.

5) Bake Enchilangas for 20-25 mins, until the tortillas have a light brown crustyness to them.

6) Pour some enchilada sauce onto a plate to lightly cover. Place the enchilangas on the plate, then top them with your choice of toppings. Serve and enjoy!

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 6

Stove Top Pork Tenderloin Chile Verde

I know I already did a chilie verde recipe, but that was in the slow cooker. Last week I had a craving for chilie verde while I was at work, and didn't have the 8 hours needed to put it in the crock pot. So I did things a little differently, but it still turned out just as delicious. This meal fed us while watching game 6 of the World Series, so I needed quick and easy. 

I decided to serve these 'restaurant style,' served on a plate with beans and mexican style rice.(I cooked white rice with chicken broth, and added coriander, cumin, cayenne, chile powder and paprika) On the side with tortillas, sour cream, guacamole.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, fat trimmed and cubed into 1 inch chunks.

2 cups verde salsa, I used Herdez brand

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chile powder

2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1) Sprinkle the spices over the cubed pork, covering evenly.

2) Heat up the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Sautee the pork until all sides are browed, about 5 minutes. 

3) Add the verde salsa, enough to cover the pork, about 2 cups. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn on low to simmer for 1.5 hours.

4) Shed or keep cubed, serve and enjoy!

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ground Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini

Boy oh boy was last weekend full of so much fun! And also so much eating... After a good week of clean eating, it all went downhill fast. It all started with Friday..getting off early to watch the Giants play in their first NLDS game (they won, yay!) This whole day and night was spent celebrating. Saturday was a little calmer, but more Giants (they won, yay!) Then Sunday football (Raiders didn't lose, yay! but they didn't even play...) is always full of eating and drinking and watching TV. Then we find out Sunday night that we got tickets to the Giants game on Monday, which was amazing! (Giants lost, boo) but we had such a great day in SF with a lot more of eating and drinking. While we did get to the gym 2 of these 4 days, the amount of food and alcohol we consumed totally outweighed it. But instead of giving up, we turned it around. Starting with an hour at the gym Tuesday night, watching the Giants (They won the NLDS, yay! Onto to the NLCS!), and eating a light and delicious dinner.

Another Tuesday went by where we didn't feel like going to our favorite taqueria. We needed something lighter and healthier, but still delicious and easy to make for a work night.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2  yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
4 large zucchini's
1 packet taco seasoning
1 10oz can of enchilada sauce
3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend

Optional toppings:

Guacamole
Reduced fat sour cream
Salsa
Hot sauce

Directions:

1) Cut zucchini's in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and some flesh leaving room for filling. Microwave the zucchini's for 2 mins in the microwave. Pour enough enchilada sauce to lightly cover the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish. Place the zucchini's in the dish.

2) Heat up the oil on medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and onions until they just start to soften. Add in the turkey, breaking it up as it browns. Once browned, follow the instruction on the taco seasoning packet: add 3/4 cup water and seasoning to the pan, bring to a boil then simmer for 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce to the meat mixture.

3) Pre-heat oven to 375. Ladle the turkey mixture into the zucchini's filling up as much as you can. Sprinkle the top with cheese, then pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the zucchini's. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes.

4) Take out and plate, top with desired toppings and enjoy!


Serves: 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Lucky Fried Brown Rice

Day 3 completed! Haven't had any processed foods, no simple carbs or added sugars, and have been feeling great. I roasted up some fresh turkey last night so I'm looking forward to having some more great sandwiches. (And PIG is excited too! He sat in the kitchen and drooled while I was slicing it until I finally gave him some.)

Last night I cooked a recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers, Gina Homolka from Skinnytaste.com  I absolutely love her recipes. Her website helped me lose weight while keeping Stefan happy with the foods I was cooking. She's a major inspiration in how I now cook myself. You can still eat all your favorite foods and still be healthy by cooking things yourself and just making some minor changes here and there.

She just released her first cookbook this week and I was dying to try one of the recipes out. I made Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Broccolini; it was wonderful! I was going to just pair it with plain brown rice on the side, but decided to cook up a simple fried rice. Simple ingredients, not a lot of prep, and very tasty.

I'm calling this fried rice 'lucky' because as soon as we sat down to eat, Brandon Crawford hit a grand slam in the NL Wild Card game vs. the Pirates, which was the spark that led them to a win. Go Giants!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups cooked brown rice, cooled.
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup mixed frozen chopped vegetables; mine had peas, corn, carrots, beans
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the frozen veggies. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until heated through.

2) Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Scoot all the veggies towards the side of the pan. Scramble the 2 eggs on the other side of the pan. Once the eggs are cooked through, combine the veggies and eggs.

3) Add rice into pan and mix all together, cooking for another minute. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir, serve and enjoy!

Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins