Category Archives: mexican

Baja Quinoa Salad for Two

Posted in 30 minute meals, bbq, brunch, dairy-free, entertaining, gluten free, keto, low-carb, meatless protien, mexican, salad, side dish, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegan, vegetarian by

Baja Quinoa Salad

yield: 2 PEOPLE prep time: 30-40 MINUTES

Great for a healthy and refreshing lunch!  I sometimes, double or triple it for an outdoor barbecue with friends and family.  This is a festive south of the border twist on a traditional quinoa salad.  It’s also great served with grilled sliced chicken tossed in. 

INGREDIENTS

CUMIN-LIME VINAIGRETTE

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1  tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1  tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1-2 garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

SALAD

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (optional)
  • 1/2 red pepper, 1/4 inch diced
  • 2 green onions, sliced (white and about 1/2 of the green part)
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (plus a few sprigs for garnish)
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
  • lime wedges for spritzing
  • salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

CUMIN LIME VINAIGRETTE

  • In a blender or food processor, combine all the dressing ingredients.
  • Blend until combined and smooth.

This recipe makes almost 1 cup of dressing so you will have extra. Leftover dressing stays great in the fridge for a few days! Store it in a sealed container.

SALAD

  • Cook the quinoa and allow to cool*
  • Add the chopped ingredients (and shredded chicken if including)
  • Drizzle with 2-4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss. Taste and add a little more as you like.
  • Refrigerate the salad for 15-20 minutes if you can, as this allows the flavors to meld together.
  • Serve the salad on small plates or in bowls.
  • Top with the sliced avocados and fresh cilantro sprig.
  • Garnish with a lime wedge. 

Enjoy!

*   One cup of dry quinoa yields about three cups of cooked quinoa.  I often make more than I need as it stores well in the fridge for several days and can be added to other recipes to add additional protein and fiber.

SP’s Taco Seasoning Mix

Posted in AP's Favorites, mexican, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, Weeknight Meal by

This recipe can be used to season 1 1b of ground protein of your choice. I make 3-4 batches at a time and put it into it’s own container to speed up the dinner preparation process. It’s so much healthier than grabbing a pre-packaged taco seasoning from the grocery store as they often include large amounts of salt and other ingredients like sugar and cornstarch. I use 3-4 T of the mixed seasoning for 1 lb. of ground beef or chicken.

Ingredients

2 T chili powder (some stores offer chili powder blends but I recommend the pure form for this recipe)

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a ziplock plastic bag and shake until thoroughly mixed. To make taco meat, cook the ground meat (chicken, turkey or beef) until almost fully cooked. Add seasoning mix and cook for a minute or two more or until desired consistency.

Arroz con Pollo

Posted in AP's Favorites, chicken, comfort food, main meal, mexican, Weeknight Meal by

Arroz Con Pollo in a Dutch Oven

Ingredients

For chicken:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon dried Greek oregano

For dish:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or ½ stick unsalted butter)
1 medium onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups long grain rice like Mahatma brand
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
½ cup pitted green olives
½ cup roasted red pepper strips

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnish: chopped cilantro or parsley leaves

Preparation

Put chicken thighs in a nonreactive bowl and season with a pinch of salt, a grind or two of black pepper and the olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano. Let marinate while you’re organizing the rest of your ingredients, no more than half an hour.

Melt butter or heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large lid pot then sauté onion over medium heat until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook just until you can smell its characteristic aroma and it turns opaque. Add the rice and stir well so the grains are coated with the fat. Let it sauté for a minute. Add the tomato paste and the broth. Stir well to mix. Add the remaining condiments (olives, capers and roasted peppers). Taste the liquid. It should have a piquancy from the capers and olives. Add salt now if you think you need it (maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp).

Nestle the chicken thighs into the rice, adding any reserved marinade or juices. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot and cook either on top of the stove over low heat or in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the liquid and chicken is cooked through. Taste for seasoning.

Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley leaves.

Serves 4-6.

Spicy Southwestern Salad

Posted in 30 minute meals, low-carb, mexican, salad, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegetarian, weight loss ideas by

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spicy southwestern salad with avocado dressing

  • creds: pinch of yum
  • prep time: 15 mins
  • cook time: 20 mins
  • total time: 35 minutes
  • yield: 4 large salads

DESCRIPTION

This easy to prepare Spicy Southwestern Salad recipe has roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, lettuce, and creamy avocado dressing! You can also make the dressing and the sweet potatoes the night before.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SALAD

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 heaping teaspoon each cumin and chili powder (plus a sprinkle of cayenne if you like it hot)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14-ounce can sweet corn* , rinsed and drained (or use shredded carrots if you are eliminating corn from your diet)
  • a handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 avocado (optional)
  • 1/2 a head of romaine lettuce, chopped

FOR THE CILANTRO DRESSING:

  • half an avocado
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (optional)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
  • a squeeze of lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into bite-sized pieces. Mix the olive oil, cumin, and chili powder together in a small bowl. Brush mixture on sweet potatoes. Roast for 10 minutes. Stir or shake the pan. Turn heat up to 425, and roast for another 10-15 minutes. The sweet potatoes should be just barely roasty-brown on the outside.  cook another minute or two if needed.  Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Meanwhile, pulse all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until mostly smooth.
  3. Toss the beans, corn, lettuce, and sweet potatoes with the dressing. Serve with the other half of the avocado!

* a yummy alternative to canned corn is either fresh cut right off the cobb or roasted corn (It’s found in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s. Just rinse and thaw it in a colander before adding to salad).

img_8108

Favorite Salsa Verde Chicken

Posted in 30 minute meals, AP's Favorites, chicken, comfort food, main meal, mexican, trader joes by

This 30-Minute One-Pan Salsa Verde Chicken is perfect for a busy weeknight.  It’s healthy, tasty, and super easy.

This Salsa Verde Chicken needs only a few basic ingredients and a casserole dish.

I always keep a jar of my favorite salsa verde from Sprouts in my pantry.  Trader Joe’s has a yummy version too, but I prefer the Sprouts version as it has a little more kick (from Jalapenos).

You can use either bone-in chicken thighs (my favorite) or boneless skinless chicken thighs works too.

Perfect over rice, tortillas, or chips.

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PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 20-40 minutes
TOTAL TIME 30-40 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 lbs.  chicken thighs (bone in or skinless & boneless)
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin’
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 jar (16oz) salsa verde
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Wash and chop the garlic, onion and red pepper.
  3. Wash and towel dry the chicken and then season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Lightly brush the top of each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with the minced garlic. Set aside.
  4. Pour the jar of salsa verde in a casserole dish.
  5. Place the chicken pieces in the casserole dish next and add the onion and peppers to the dish and position around the chicken pieces.
  6. Roast for 20-40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. (Larger chicken pieces will take longer).  Do not overcook.
  7. Serve over rice (or with tortillas) and garnish with cilantro and lime.

Spicy Mexican White Chicken Chili

Posted in AP's Favorites, comfort food, mexican, soup by
mexican chicken chiliGrowing up as a kid, the definition of chili was both a  small pepper with a very hot flavor and a spicy stew of ground beef usually with beans too. Both meant yummy goodness.  Now chili in our family seems to be synonymous with Monday Night Football.  Our version is a chicken variety with savory mexican spices.  It’s always a hit, even when our team doesn’t win.

Spicy Mexican White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2-3 cups shredded chicken (I use rotisserie chicken from the deli section at Sprouts)
2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans navy beans
2 cups roasted corn (I use frozen from Trader Joe’s)
1-2 ounces taco seasoning mix (I use part of the envelope from Trader Joe’s)
1 (7 1/2 ounce) can of chopped green chilies (use less if you like a milder chili)
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (14 ounce) can low sodium chicken broth

TOPPINGS

1/2 cup sour cream
chopped green onion (optional)
Monterey jack cheese (optional)

Directions:

Pour beans, corn and chicken in large pot.

In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning, chiles, condensed soup, and chicken broth.

Pour over top of ingredients and stir together over medium heat.

Simmer for 15-30 minutes.

Serve topped with green onions, sour cream, and jack cheese, if desired.

Ina’s Mexican Chicken Soup

Posted in chicken, cut calories, mexican, soup by

Ina's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ina’s Mexican Chicken Soup

(Serves 6 to 8 )

Ingredients

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2½ quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

Directions

Continue reading →

Corn Salad with Feta and Toasted Pecans

Posted in mexican, salad, side dish, vegetarian by

corn salad with feta and pecans

Corn Salad with Feta and Pecans

 

Ingredients

1 cup pecans (or walnuts)
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 ears), raw or cooked
2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled Feta (2 ounces)

Directions

Continue reading →

YUMMY CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Posted in chicken, main meal, mexican by

Image

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Pinch of Yum-inspired version

Serves: 10-12

INGREDIENTS

1 rotiserie-roasted chicken, cooled and shredded (make ahead if desired, I buy from local market)
1 large can (28 ounces) medium red or green enchilada sauce. (I use La Palma)
3 cups shredded cheese (I use combination of monterey jack and mozzarella)
12-15 small flour tortillas
1 ½ cans refried beans
sliced green onions or cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS Continue reading →

Skinny Fiesta Bean Salad

Posted in low-carb, mexican, salad, side dish, vegan, vegetarian by

low-carb and delicious

low-carb and delicious

Skinny Fiesta Bean Salad

 Prep time: 10 minutes   Fridge time: 1-2 hours

Yield: 10-12 servings     Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. can yellow sweet corn (optional), drained
½ cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 small pint red cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves
¼ cup green onions, finely sliced (white & green parts)
1 medium avocado, diced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
2-3 cloves minced garlic
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp salt

Instructions Continue reading →