Shredded Beef Verde Tacos

 Every time that I have Mexican food, I remember how much I love it! I came up with a weeknight taco recipe so that when I came home I could indulge in some delicious shredded beef tacos!

Ingredients: (This recipe is just for the beef taco filling, make sure to also purchase taco shells and other various toppings!)

3-5 lb pot roast
1/2 purple onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/8 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 jar of salsa verde

Directions:

Chop up the purple onion and garlic.

Place the pot roast in the crock pot. Top with the garlic.

Then top with the purple onion, salsa verde and top with the cilantro.

Place the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.

Take the beef out of the crock pot and shred with a fork. Throw away any fat.

Now here is the fun part! Use the beef as your taco filling and top with your favorite ingredients! I used my left over taco meat for taco salads the next night! Yummy and easy!

Mexican Pasta salad

Pasta salad has always been one of those sides that you can easily throw together with what ever you have in your pantry. I always make sure to keep a few boxes of pasta laying around for those last minute sides or party dishes. I had my first ever ladies night at my new place recently and had a tiered buffet server for 5 appetizers. I only had 4 on hand and thought that a pasta salad would be a great fifth addition. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of chipotle ranch (if you cant find this, take 2 tablespoons of regular ranch and add 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning.)

1 box of pasta

1 bunch of green onions

5 eggs

1 tomato

1/2 white onion raw

2 celery sticks

*Feel free to add black beans, corn or other ingredient in this! I was just using what I had on hand

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, fill half way with water and place on high so you get a boil. While your water for your pasta is boiling, begin cooking your hard boiled eggs. There are many techniques for cooking hard boiled eggs. If you do not know how to hard boil eggs, here is a link on how to hard boil eggs. While you are waiting for the water to boil for the pasta, begin chopping your other ingredients to your desired size. Chop the green onion, white onion, tomato and celery and place in a mixing bowl. By now, your water should be boiling so go ahead and add the pasta to the boiling water and stir well. Also keep an eye on your hard boiled eggs. Next, mix together the mayonnaise and the chipolte ranch in a mixing bowl. Cover the chopped vegetables with this mix. Once your eggs are done boiling, chop them up and add to the mix as well. Lastly, when the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to the mix and stir well. Let this sit in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours covered.The pasta might absorb some of the mayonnaise mixture so if it is too dry, add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the chipotle ranch to coat the mixture. Stir well and serve with a garnish of green onion.

Taco Pizza!

I love tacos and I love pizza so this recipe is the perfect combination of the two!

Ingredients:

1 pizza shell
1 can of queso cheese
1 lb of ground hamburg
1 package of taco seasoning
2 tomatoes
shredded lettuce
1 avocado
1/2 cup of sour cream


Directions:

In a medium pan, fry up the ground hamburg. When it is done cooking, add 1/2 cup of water and half of the taco seasoning packet. Place on high heat until it starts to boil, then reduce to low heat stirring occasionally. Place your oven on 350. Chop up the tomato and slice the avocado. Take the pizza shell and place an even amount of the queso on it. Make sure there is a smooth even layer. Next, sprinkle the taco meat evenly on top. Place this in the oven for about 12 minutes or until the crust is crispy. While your pizza is cooking, mix the other half of the taco seasoning with the sour cream (this will be your drizzle topping.) When the crust is crispy, take it out of the oven. Now for the toppings part, I find it easiest to cut the pizza first then "dress it." This is nice if someone doesn't like a certain ingredient or would like extra of another ingredient. I want to also add that if you plan on saving some as leftovers, it's best to not dress it until you are ready to eat it - that way the toppings won't get soggy. The way that I "dress up my pizza" is tomatoes, lettuce, avacado and drizzle on top. For the drizzle, I just took the sour cream and taco seasoning mixture that we made earlier, placed it in a ziplock bag, cut the end and applied pressure for it to come out. Feel free to be creative and add other ingredients such as beans, onions, salsa, etc!

Low Calorie Mexican Quesadillas!

Mexican is by far, one of my favorite comfort foods. Cheese and salt – yes please! My friend and I have ladies night every Tuesday night. We  go for a walk, catch up, watch chick shows,  drink wine and cook dinner. We take turns cooking and tonight is my night. We are both on a path of living a healthier lifestyle so we always cook healthy meals. Last Tuesday, she cooked one of my favorites – Hungry Girl Mexican Chicken! This week we still have a craving for Mexican, so I figured who doesn’t love quesadillas? They’re filling and easy to make! The best part about quesadillas is that there are endless options, so feel free to be creative and have fun!

Ingredients:

•           4oz of chicken
•          1/3 cup of shredded taco blend cheese
•          2 white corn tortillas (I bought the smaller ones for lower calories)
•          ¼ cup of black beans
•           2 tablespoons of mild salsa
•           ¼ of a Vidalia onion
•          PAM or non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Cook up the chicken according to instructions on package and cut it up into bite size pieces (I use a George Foreman Grill because it’s quick and easy.) Slice the onion to desired size and fry up in a medium frying pan with non-stick spray. Open the can of black beans and rinse them well. Now here comes the cool part. I have a Quesadilla maker which can be found at target for about $20. It makes it quick and easy with minimal clean up. If you do not have a quesadilla maker, use a large frying pan. Spray one of the tortillas with non-stick spray and place face down on your frying pan or quesadilla maker. Sprinkle your cheese, cut up chicken, beans, salsa and onion. Cover with the remaining tortilla and spray the top with non-stick spray. If you have the quesadilla maker, secure it shut at this point and let it cook until the edges are crispy and light brown. If you are using a frying pan, flip like a pancake once the bottom is light brown and the cheese is melty. Let the other side brown and get crispy and it’s finished. Cut it up like a pizza and serve! I like to garnish mine with light sour cream and guacamole – sometimes even salsa!

Nutrition Information – (This recipe makes 1 serving – does not include garnish of sour cream and guacamole)

Calories: 470

Carbs: 37

Fat: 14

Protein: 38

Sodium: 495

Fiber: 7

Taco Chicken Salad - 227 Calories!

I am finally back! Since graduating I haven't been able to find the time to update my blog, but I have been doing a lot of cooking so there are lots of recipes to be added! I made this meal as a post workout meal and it was delicious!

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup of chopped fresh tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of canned corn (rinsed)
- 1/4 cup of black beans (rinsed)
- 1/2 cup of shredded lettuce
- 3 slices of avocado
- 2 teaspoons of low sodium taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- (2) 4oz chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup of fat free shredded cheese for topping

Directions:

Cook up the chicken and chop up into bite sized pieces. In a small mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise and taco seasoning until smooth. In a larger mixing bowl, add the chicken, tomatoes, corn, beans and mayonnaise mixture and mix well. ***If you are making this and will be eating it right away, add the lettuce and avocado and sprinkle the cheese on top. ***If you are making this for the future, hold off on adding the lettuce avocado and cheese and don't add until you are ready to eat it.

Nutrition Facts - (This makes 2 servings. Nutrition information is for 1/2 of the recipe - 1 serving)

Calories - 227
Carbs - 11
Fat - 9
Protein - 27
Sodium - 579
Fiber - 4

Mexican Meat Bake

So never in my life have I liked meatloaf. Sorry Mom and Dad but whenever I've ever had meatloaf at home it has always been so plain and dry and tasted like it sounded... meatloaf. Even the word I don't like. So i'm recalling it "meat bake." Ehh, not much better but the word bake seems to fit better. I went over a friends house last night and he made meatloaf for dinner. To be honest I was a little skeptical. To my surprise it was actually really good. It had flavor and taste. Not what I was used to. I asked what his secret was and he said Goya Adobo seasoning. He made his with carrots and peas but I mixed mine up a little bit. It is a very versatile meal since you can use ultimately any vegetable.

Ingredients:

- 1.5 pounds of ground meat (you can try this with ground trukey too)
- 10 reduced fat ritz crackers
- 2 teaspoons of goya adobo seasoning
- 1/2 green pepper chopped and par cooked
- 1/2 onion chopped and par cooked
- 2 table spoons of bbq sauce (I used sweet baby Ray's)
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop up the onion and pepper and lightly stir fry to begin the cooking process. Once they are partially cooked, combine in a bowl with the ground beef, BBQ sauce and adobo seasoning. Take the crackers and crush them up finely. Sprinkle on top of mixture. Mix well with your hands. Take your meatloaf casserole dish and spray well with PAM. Combine mixture in dish and place it in the oven. Let it cook for about an hour or until cooked through. Serve!

Nutrition for 1 serving of meat bake (this recipe should make 6 servings)

Calories - 291
Carbs - 25
Fat - 9
Protein - 24
Sodium - 833
Fiber - 1

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog for more weekly healthy recipes! Up next: Suck on what to do with all of your apples from apple picking and don't want to waste your calories? How about some all natural homemade warm apple sauce? Stay tuned!

Hungry Girl Mexican Chicken

I made this with a friend of mine based off of a Hungry Girl recipe. It was absolutely amazing and filled my craving for cheesy mexican food. Not only was it simple, but really cheap to make and didn't take much time out of my busy night - leaving plenty of time for girls night!

Ingredients:

- 4 pieces of chicken (1 per serving, alter this based on how many servings you are making)
- 1 can of fat free re-fried beans
- 4 wedges of laughing cow cheese (I used the queso kind)
- 1/4-1/2 package of taco seasoning
- about 5 natural corn chips
- Fat free shredded cheese for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix beans and laughing cow cheese, melt if you need to. In a plastic ziplock bag, place tortilla chips and taco seasoning. Hit the bag with your hand in order to crush the chips into little pieces and mix around with the taco seasoning. Pound out the chicken breasts until they are thin. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Stuff the chicken with the rice and cheese mixture and fold in half. Spray a cookie sheet with pam and place the stuffed chicken on the sheet. Once the oven is ready, place the cookie sheet with the chicken in it. Let the chicken cook for about 15 minutes. When the chicken is almost done, sprinkle the top with the crushed chips and taco seasoning. Sprinkle the fat free cheese on top. Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. I served mine with Spanish near east rice pilaf. For less sodium and calories, try steamed veggies.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 stuffed chicken)

Calories - 329
Carbs - 21
Fat - 7
Protein - 45
Sodium - 896
Fiber - 6

For more Healthy Mexican Meals , check out the Mexican link on the left hand panel.

Southwestern Salsa

I think it's time for some salsa to go with that under 100 calorie margarita! This is a really easy recipe since all you need to do is chop and mix.

Ingredients:

- 1 onion
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 1/2 green pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 cup of canned corn (Rinsed)
- 1/2 cup of black beans (Rinsed)
- 1 lime
- Splash of vinegar

Directions:

Chop up the onion, pepper, garlic, and tomatoes to your desired size (if you want chunky salsa, cut them  large) Combine the onion, pepper, garlic, and tomatoes with the rinsed corn and beans. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juices into the mixture. Splash the mixture with vinegar. Take a potato masher and lightly press down on the mixture causing some of the juices to come out. How easy was that?!

Nutrition Facts for 1/4 cup - this recipe should make around 8 servings.

Calories - 23
Carbs - 4
Fat - 0
Protein - 1
Sodium - 42
Fiber - 1

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Under 100 Calorie Margarita!

Inspired by the holiday, I thought it would be nice to put up a recipe for some low calorie goodness! What better than to celebrate with a margarita? Not only does this taste delicious, but it's also full of vitamins (25% of your daily needed vitamin c) and it's made with real fruit! What's the secret you ask? Edy's no sugar added fruit bars. The  best part is each box comes with 3 flavors - lime, strawberry, and wildberry. 3 perfect flavors for margaritas!

Ingredients:

- 1-2 Edy's no sugar added fruit bars (I used wild berry - use 2 if you want a lot of flavor. Nutrition is for margarita with 1 bar.)

- 1 oz of your desired tequila

- 6 ice cubes

- lime wedge for garnish

- salt or sweetener for the rim

Directions:

In a blender, combine the fruit bar(s), tequila, and ice cubes. Blend until it is to your desired consistency. I added a few drops of water to help it blend easier. Take your margarita glass and wet the rim. On a plate lay out either salt or sweetener (I used truvia.) Roll the rim around the sweetener so that it sticks to the edges. Pour the margarita into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Enjoy the holiday!

Nutrition facts for 1 margarita

Calories - 94

Carbs - 6

Fat  - 0

Protein - 0

Sodium - 0

Fiber - 1

Another good substitute for a margarita is the Skinny Girl brand margarita. They sell it at most liquor stores and at some restaurants. It's a good substitute if you're going out and don't want to waste your calories on liquor. They come pre-made so it's a good drink for those of you that don't have the time. At 130 calories per glass, not bad!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I’m in the mood for a meat free dish tonight, so what’s better than stuffed peppers? They’re full of fiber and protein which will make you fuller longer, and this recipe has no fat! I wouldn’t exactly call this a recipe, since I just threw together things that I like, so you can modify it with virtually anything.

Ingredients:

- 5 large green peppers

- 1 package of Zataran’s Black Beans and Rice

- 1 cup of broccoli

- I onion

- 1 cup of mushrooms

-3/4 cup fat free shredded cheese (I used kraft fat free cheddar)

-Parmesan cheese grated

- 1 cup of fat free refried beans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the black beans and rice as instructed on the package and set aside. Dice up the broccoli, onion, and mushrooms and stir fry them until the onions are transparent. Mix the black beans and rice, cooked vegetables, cheese, and refried beans in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Take the peppers and cut off the tops and take out all of the seeds. Fill a large pot with water and place on high, adding the peppers to it. Boil the peppers for about 5 minutes to soften them. Take the boiled peppers and place them on a pam sprayed cookie sheet. Fill them with the filling. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, and serve!

Nutrition  facts for 1 stuffed pepper (This recipe makes 5 peppers total.)

Calories – 238

Carbs – 46

Fat – 0

Protein – 15

Sodium – 1165

Fiber - 9

Southwestern Crockpot Chili

Do you love Chili, but think it takes to long to make? Well I have a great fast recipe that will save you time and money, all while pleasing your appetite.

Ingredients:
- 1 onion diced
- 1 lb of ground hamburg or ground turkey
- 1 can of white kidney beans
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 can of whole corn
- 4 cups of crushed tomatoes
-1/2 of a packet of chili seasoning

Directions:

Stir fry the ground beef and chopped onions in a frying pan on medium. While that is cooking, turn the crockpot on high and place in 4 cups of crushed tomatoes, 1/2 of a packet of chili seasoning, both cans of beans and the can of  corn(be sure to rinse them first.) Once the ground beef and onion mixture is cooked through, combine to the crockpot. Cook on high for about 2-3 hours (if your crockpot cooks quickly, place it on low. If it is bubbling, it is on too high.) That's it!

Nutrition Information for 1 cup. (There should be around 8 servings per batch.)

Calories - 269
Carbs - 33
Fat - 5
Protein - 19
Sodium - 679
Fiber - 10