Taqueria Style- Chili-Rubbed Chicken Super Burritos

This post is dedicated for my love of burritos. I crave them from this wonderful Taqueria down the street from us. The other day I asked them for calorie counts on my meal, and the man behind the counter looked at me quizzically and shook his head. Meaning no calculation.  That gave me a sense that all the deliciousness that goes in that wonderful burrito is unaccounted for.  Once in a while it would be okay to indulge, but tell that to my cravings!

I thought of an alternate way to enjoy my beloved burrito with a healthier twist.  Since, I have made this commitment to myself to eat better- I took it upon myself to make a copy-cat burrito to save a few calories, and a few dollars. 

The result was so, so yummy. I could eat this everyday... but I don't 

Ingredients- 

Per Burrito:

1 Large tortilla- I used a brown-rice tortilla

1/2 cup of Mexican rice

1/2 Small avocado cut

1/2 cup of Chili rubbed chicken

1/4 cup of canned pinto beans- mashed or refried beans

1/2 tablespoon low-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon salsa (your pick)

Chili-Rubbed Chicken-

• Prepare 2 chicken breasts on a plate or bowl
• Create a rub with 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, and coarse salt to taste. Mix together with 2 tablespoons of lime juice- rub onto chicken breast pieces. 
• Let marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator or cook immediately
• I pan-fried chicken breasts 5-7 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside. Cut into pieces

Mexican Rice-

• Puree in a blender one medium tomato, half yellow onion, and 1 jalapeno deseeded with 1 cup of water. 
• Place mixture in saucepan
• Add 1 cup of rice (I used long-grain) and 1 cup of water to the saucepan as well- stir 
• Let it come to a boil
• Simmer for 15-20 minutes

Directions- Assemble burrito, fold into shape and enjoy!

Calories- 650 calories per burrito ( Can vary depending on your ingredient quantities)

Herbed Spinach and Tomato Rice

In an effort to sneak vegetables into our diet, I concocted this dish. I was pleasantly surprised with the result. It takes a bit more effort than just plain rice, but the result is yummy and flavorful. In the end, you can't even tell there is spinach in the rice. Approvals were abound!

Ingredients:

2 cups of basmati or long-grain rice
1 cup of spinach leaves
1 roma tomato
1 half de-seeded jalapeno
1/2 cup of fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic

4 cups broth or water

2 tbs oil

Directions:

In a blender combine 1 cup of broth with spinach, tomato, parsley, garlic and blend until smooth. 

In a medium saucepan, heat oil and stir fry rice for 3ish minutes. Add blended mixture and broth into the pan. Add salt to taste. 

Bring to a boil. Place lid on and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Fluff as needed

Serve with entree or as is

Enjoy!

Beef and Cabbage Rice Pilaf

Yes, this does seem a little off the beaten path, but the result did not disappoint. I really liked the one-skillet aspect of it. Easy to make, and easy to eat! What else can you want in a dish? You can mix and match with a lot of ingredients in the fridge, especially leftover veggies, rice, etc.

Ingredients:

2 cups of leftover rice- brown or white

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup of extra lean ground beef

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 tablespoon soy sauce

salt to taste

Directions:

Heat a large skillet, add ground beef, soy sauce, ground black pepper. Cook until fragrant, and beef is no longer pink. 

Now add the shredded cabbage, saute until wilted

Add the rice and oil in. The oil will help coat the rice, and soften it

Stir-fry all together- until everything has melded together

Additions- try bell pepper, eggs, chili flakes, fish sauce, jalapenos, SO YUMMY

DONE!

See how quick that was?

The soy sauce seems out of place, but trust me, it tastes good in this dish.

Chocolate Coconut Protein Pancakes

Need a protein boost that's not boring as a protein shake? Try these out. I totally defiled mine by putting butter on them. These are pretty dense, but can be lightened up by subbing almond meal, or flour if desired. These babies have 20 grams of protein, 40 if you eat the whole batch. Again, it's is a very dense meal, so be careful with the coconut flour/protein powder ratios.

On to the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup of water/choice of milk
2 tablespoons coconut flakes
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Optimum Nutrition)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Heat griddle, or pan on medium low, about 200 degrees. These take a little bit to cook, so just be patient. 
Mix all ingredients for pancakes
Pour onto pan, wait until firm, then flip to cook other side

Top with your favorite toppings!

Simple Cheese Burgers

Everyone in our home loves cheeseburgers! We eat them once or twice a week. Instead of going out to enjoy them, we've been cutting calories, and making them at home. This recipe is super simple, and so easy to make. You can use ground turkey to cut down the fat even more! I just like the taste of beef in these, makes it that much heartier! Are these the healthiest on the planet? Hmmm probably not. But, they're wayyy better than what we used to eat, We would do take out instead of making them at home. You can get gluten-free buns, or even quinoa buns. The options are endless! 

Ok, so on the recipe:

Ingredients:

1lb of extra lean ground beef

4 hamburger buns

4 slices of cheese- we used cheddar

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings of choice: Lettuce, tomatoes, onion 

Directions:

Heat a medium to large fry pan. Form the ground beef into patties, place onto pan. Sprinkle side with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip the pattie, and again sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cook until desired doneness

Use another pan to warm the burger buns. Butter both sides of each bun, place down on fry ban until butter is melted into the bun, and slightly brown. 

See? so easy and simple

ENJOY!

Kadhai Paneer

I ate a dish like this at an Indian restaurant a few weeks ago, and LOVED IT! So much so that I asked the owner how she made it. Surprisingly, she shared the recipe! Not step by step, but just so I had an idea of what spices were going in. The other day I was craving Indian food, and had a block of paneer I had purchased, so decided to give this dish a whirl. OMG, it did not disappoint! This is a total keeper! Try it out tonight- Only takes a few ingredients to create a delicious dinner

Ingredients:

1 block of Paneer (any Indian store will have it)

1 green bell pepper- deseeded and cut into large pieces

1 yellow onion- cut into large pieces

2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon tandoori masala powder

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil 

Salt to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add yellow onion and fry lightly until onion is translucent but not brown. Now mix in ginger-garlic paste, chili powder,salt, cumin, and tandoori powder. Keep stirring while adding to avoid burning the spices. You can add splashes of water to keep the mixture from drying. Once the spices are incorporated, stir in the bell pepper. Let this cook for a few minutes before adding the paneer. The paneer doesn't need to cook for long. If it does, it will get gummy. So be sure to add the paneer after the bell peppers and onion mixture is well incorporated. Sprinkle fenugreek and lime juice, and remove from heat.

Enjoy!

Cherry-Pineapple Smoothie

I have a slight obsession with cherries these days. They are abundant this time of year, and so delicious! The tart and sweet combination just tickles my insides! Their complex flavor really adds to this smoothie recipe. My one-year old nodded her head in approval as she was slurping it up. Cherries are really healthy for the body too, so that's an added bonus. I like mine not as icey, so I just used frozen pineapple in place of ice.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of pitted bing cherries

1/4 cup of cut pineapple frozen or fresh

1/2 cup of orange juice (I freshly squeezed mine)

Ice as needed

Sweetener if desired

Directions:

Pour into a blender. Give it a whirl, and voila! Delish to the max

Healthy Chicken Curry

There are an infinite number of ways to make this recipe. I know because anyone I ask has a recipe of their own. Of course, the traditional version involves grilling the chicken pieces first, and adding it to a masala. This is a little hard to do in an apartment thus the need for modifications.
This is a super easy recipe that is healthy and delicious! I can usually get it on the table with some rice in about 30 minutes!

Ingredients-

1 lb of boneless chicken breast, cut into pieces

1 medium yellow onion

1 medium Roma tomato
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste

Marinade-

2 tablespoons greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon tandoori masala

Directions:

Marinate chicken for 2 hours or longer prior to cooking. Mix roughly chopped tomato, and onion, and ginger-garlic paste into a blender with 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth. Heat oil in large pan. Before it gets too hot, add in the blended mixture. Cook this on medium heat until mixture no longer looks crisp. This can take 10-15 minutes. Add in chicken pieces with the marinade. No need to discard it. This will add flavor to the curry. Stir in all the spices into mixture shortly after the chicken. Cook mixture on medium-high until chicken is cooked through, and the desired thickness for curry has been achieved. Reduce heat and cover. Let dish simmer for about 5-10 minutes on low heat. Serve with rice, naan, or roti

Enjoy!

Potato and Lentil Khichdi

This is one of humblest dishes that I used to like when I was younger but for some reason stopped enjoying it when I left for college, and hadn't had it in a few years- probably because my mom wasn't cooking it for me anymore.  I was feeling a little under the weather the other day, and called my mom asking her what to eat. She said chicken noodle soup or khichdi. It was a 109 degrees outside, so soup didn't feel appropriate for the weather. I asked for a recipe and decided to try it out. I was delighted by the results. The combination of rice with lentils makes for a nice comforting meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup of basmati rice

1/2 cup of yellow lentils

1 medium russet potato finely- diced

1 medium yellow onion diced
1/2 de-seeded jalapeno- finely diced
1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 and 1/2 cup of water

Salt to taste

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat canola oil. Stir fry diced potatoes and onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add in lentils and jalapeno, quickly moving around pan to not allow sticking to the pan. Cook for a few minutes before adding rice. After two minutes, add water, spices, and salt. Allow the entire mixture to come to a boil. Allow the boiling to continue until rice is fluffy, and water is almost just above the surface of the rice. Cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is soft.



Enjoy!

Masala Potatoes

I loved eating this dish growing up, and have since craved the comfort of it. It is so versatile as well, can be eaten alone, with rice, or with naan/roti. With a few tweaks to my mom's recipe, I have found a way to reduce the time without cutting on flavor.

Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes- cut into quarters, or sliced

1 roma tomato- diced

1/2 yellow onion- diced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves

3 tablespoons coconut oil
Water (for preventing sticking, as needed)

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan with a fitted lid on medium. Add onions and saute until onions are soft, and browning slightly, about 5 minutes. Add in tomatoes and all spices except fenugreek leaves. Saute until fragrant. Now, add in cut potatoes, saute some more. Adding a little water if the mixture is sticking to bottom of pan. Pan fry for 5 additional minutes until all is melded. Stir in the fenugreek leaves. Reduce heat to low. Cover pan with lid and let dish simmer for about 10 minutes. After this time, potatoes should be tender, but not mushy.


Enjoy!

Kabobs with Tri-color Bell Peppers

This is a two-step dish with delicious results. Kabobs come in all shapes and sizes. These are South-Asian style kabobs made with ground beef, shaped, and fried. Luckily, I have found a way to avoid the frying. I usually make the kabobs ahead of time, and freeze them to use whenever I am in a time crunch. You can enjoy with rice, naan, or even atop a salad. I love all three options!

Ingredients:

For the kabobs-
1lb lean ground beef
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions-

Combine spices into the beef, mix until well incorporated. Using your hands shape the beef into round pieces that resemble hamburger patties. Spray a large fry pan that has been heated to medium heat with non-stick cooking spray, and lay the patties into the pan.
Cook one side for about 4 minutes, and flip to other. These are now done and can be enjoyed as is

To create the above pictured dish- 

Cut half of a red, orange/yellow, and green bell pepper, respectively,  into slices. Cut 3-4 kabobs lengthwise into slices. Spray non-stick cooking spray on to a pan.
Heat the pan to medium-heat.
Stir-fry peppers for a minute
Add in kabob slices
Sprinkle black pepper to taste
Continue until all is heated through- about 2-3 minutes
Garnish with cucumber


Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Muffins with Chocolate PB2 topping

I've had many fails perfecting this recipe until now. I finally got it right! Healthy muffins!

 They are low in sugar, healthy, and almost guilt-free. They almost felt too good to be true! The PB2 cuts down on calories too! Have you tried it before? It's low calorie powdered peanut butter! You can make it as think or as thin as you want. Try these out when you want a healthy treat.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

2/3 cup of almond milk

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of chocolate chips 

For the topping:

1/4 cup of Chocolate PB2

Water to mix

Mix to desired consistency

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients, except chocolate chips. Mix in wet ingredients. With a spoon or whisk incorporate ingredients until wet. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake until golden at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. 

Easy Pizza Cupcakes

Want a simple and easy treat for dinner? I got the idea from Pinterest, they looked tempting to make! This literally took me 20 minutes. The crescent dough I used did not have any artificial ingredients. I got it from Safeway, and it was called Immaculate brand. Have any of you tried it? I thought it just as good as the popular brands.  I also love that you can make these as individuals to please everyone in the family!

Here's how my pizza cupcakes turned out-

Ingredients- 

1 can of crescent rolls, or refrigerated pizza dough

2 tablespoons pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought)

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

toppings as desired

Directions- 

Preheat oven per directions on can. Open container, and cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Press each piece into the bottom of a sprayed cupcake tin until almost flat. Add pizza sauce, mozzarella, and ingredients to each piece as desired. Bake until cooked through- mine took about 12 minutes. These were a hit, and so easy to make. Try them out!

Guilt-Free Banana Bread Muffins

Any type of muffin, cupcake or pastry is my weakness. I seriously get weak in the knees. But,  I have had to limit that kind of stuff lately. The other day, I had a few ripe bananas staring at my face just asking to be put to use, so I put them to work! They gladly participated in my quest to make the classic banana bread a little healthier. I substituted out the butter for coconut oil, and made some other changes to make these guilt-free muffins!

Ingredients-

1 cup wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar

1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted)

1 medium egg

1 large ripe banana- mashed

What to do-

- Preheat oven to 350 degress

- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix until all are incorporated, set aside

- In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the mashed banana, sugar, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until all is mixed together 

- Gradually add in the flour mixture- a little at a time,  until all is blended together

- Pour into muffin tins

-Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

Makes 4 large muffins

Calories- 240 per muffin

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

This is one of my absolute most favorite dishes in the world to eat. I could eat it every day if it wasn't a heavy carb and calorie laden meal. Now I stick to once in a while. 

We make it once every few weeks when I really feel like going all out. I have two sauce versions I use for this. I either use jarred Alfredo sauce if running low on time, or make the sauce myself. I prefer the homemade sauce. The sauce doesn't take very long to make, and it's super healthy when compared with the restaurant, or jarred sauce versions.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of fettucine noodles- boiled until al-dente

2 whole chicken breasts- Pan fried or grilled

1 teaspoon dried parsley

For the Sauce:

2 cups cauliflower florets- cut into small pieces

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon butter

Directions-

Boil the the cauliflower in the stock until tender about 15 minutes. Add in butter, and salt/pepper to taste. Puree in a blender until smooth. 

Mix in fettuccine noodles. Top with chicken breast, and sprinkle with dried parsley as desired. 

Serves: 2

Nana-Nectar Smoothie

Summer time means smoothie time, so I've been on a smoothie kick lately. I am doing a lot of experimenting around with the fruit I have at home. I have had some misses, but this was a hit! I am proud to announce that this was one of the yummiest smoothies I have had in a long time. 

Ingredients:

1 medium banana

1 nectarine

1 mango ( peeled and cut)

1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup of coconut water

1/2 cup of ice
Sweetener if desired

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth

Enjoy!

Scrumptious Chickpea Patties

While thinking I was opening a can of pinto beans, I accidentally opened a can of garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas). So here I was with an extra can of beans added to the menu for the week. I was planning on making ground chicken patties, but decided to use of my extra can of goodness to make chickpea patties instead! They are very easy to make, with great fiber and protein content.

Ingredients:

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 egg 

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon dried parsley

 1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

Oil for pan-frying

Directions- 

Combine all ingredients into a bowl except egg. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Now add in egg, and mix with a spoon. Shape into patties. Heat pan to medium, add oil. Place patties in pan without touching, pan-frying lightly. Turn often to prevent burning. Can omit egg if desired

Enjoy!

Black bean and Bell pepper Quesadilla

We've had a meatless Monday theme going on for a few weeks now. This is my way of incorporating those pesky vegetables ( per my husband) into our diets. These were a huge hit! So much so that I make them on a weekly basis.

Ingredients-

1/4 bell pepper diced

1/4 cup of corn 

1/2 cup of black beans

1 cup of shredded cheese ( I used Cheddar and Jack)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 10-inch tortillas (I used brown-rice tortillas)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl including the spices. Heat a large frying pan to medium-high. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Lay the tortilla into pan and arrange half of the mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Fold other end onto itself. You can do this on the stove, or before hand and place on the stove. I like to do it while on to avoid ingredient spillage. Just be careful! Cook until cheese has melted, flipping throughout. 

Note- This can be vegan by using dairy-free cheese

Serves:2- one quesadilla each

Calories- 389 per quesadilla

Spicy Avocado Turkey Sandwich

A classic with a spicy twist. I was craving a turkey sandwich the other day, but also wanted something with a little zing. The result was delicious!

Ingredients:

2 slices Sprouted bread (or bread of choice)

3 slices nitrate-free turkey breast deli meat

1 slice cheddar/jack cheese

1/2 avocado

Pinch of cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder - mash this into the avocado per taste

2 teaspoons spicy mayo
 (Mix mayo with chipotle peppers in a blender, or use your favorite store brand)

Directions:

Spread spicy mayo on both sides of toast. Arrange ingredients on toast, and cover with other piece of bread. I toasted the sandwich on the stove on low-medium heat for about 4 minutes each side. Once toasted, spread on avocado mixture

Enjoy!

Serves- 1
Calories- 475 per sandwich
(This can vary, depending on your ingredients)

Thai Red Curry

Thai curries are just delightfully delicious! Green, red, yellow, Panang, I love them all. The calories? those I do NOT love. This is a healthified version of my beloved red curry. Feel free to use any protein of choice.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast- slit horizontally, and sliced

2 teaspoons red curry paste ( I used Mae Ploy )

1 tablespoon rice-bran oil

1 tablespoon  organic coconut sugar

1 cup light coconut milk ( I used Trader Joe's)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/2 cup asparagus or eggplant ( I used eggplant)

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves- whole with trimmed stems (Thai basil is preferred)

 Salt (per taste)

Directions:

Heat deep fry pan to medium high heat. Stir-fry the curry paste with rice-bran oil for a few seconds, until fragrant.  Add in the coconut milk, and stir until well-blended.  Now, add in chicken and let cook for about a minute. Add in water, vegetables, sugar, and salt. Let all the flavors meld together as it comes to a boil. Remove from flame. Serve over rice, or enjoy as soup!