Turkey Meatballs

My boyfriend and I love our pasta! Of course he can eat more the me but it is a meal we always enjoy. He likes his Italian sausage and I’m not really a fan of it. I mean 1 sausage link is almost 300 calories! I can eat a lot more food compared to 1 sausage link. I had lean ground turkey breast in the freezer and decided I will enjoy my baked pasta with turkey meatballs. For my boyfriend’s dish I was inspired by this recipe from The Foodie and The Family, Farfalle with Spicy Sausage and Spinach. I ended up using mostacholi shaped pasta, my homemade red sauce and nixing the heavy cream. I topped his pasta dish with 2 slices of mozzarella and 2 slices of provolone. He was able to enjoy his dish with Italian sausage and I ended up enjoying my dish with turkey meatballs.

The cooked sausage with the spinach tossed in.

I used a cast iron skillet to bake his pasta, it was perfect!!

I’ve made turkey meatballs and shared them on the blog before but I’ve never shared this recipe for turkey meatballs. Back when I was counting calories religiously, this was a recipe I enjoyed because it was a big meal that clocked in around 300 calories, and allowed you to have 2 meatballs and 1 1/3 cups of pasta and sauce. When I mentioned turkey meatballs to my boyfriend he gave me that “look.” Turkey is known to be dry and rather tasteless but I kept telling him this recipe is great! It produces super moist turkey and the flavor is delicious. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly but I used some different ingredients and used my food processor to finely grate my carrots, onion and garlic. Who really measures exactly when cooking?? The more vegetables the better, IMO!

Turkey Meatballs

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

Cooking Spray

1 pound ground lean turkey breast

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (whole wheat is a nice substitute)

3 tablespoons grated parmesan

1/2 cup finely grated carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned

1 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Direction

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a food processor, add 2-3 handfuls of baby carrots and pulse till broken down.  Then add in chunks of half an onion and the garlic cloves. Pulse until combined but not pureed. This releases all the juices and makes for an extra moist meatball.

Combine the turkey with all the other ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 2 1/2- inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 7 minutes or until browned and cooked thoroughly. Remove from oven and let cool. Continue to leave the oven on to finish baking up the pasta dish.

 

Makes a great meatball sandwich or as a pita pizza topping!  

To make baked pasta with turkey meatballs

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta till tender but still firm. It will continue to cook in the oven or else you will end up with mushy pasta. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add tomato sauce, handful of spinach and 2 chopped up meatballs. Mix till combined and add to a baking dish. Top with cheese and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes. (This is the pasta I also baked up for my boyfriend’s dish, I used 3/4 a box of pasta.)

 

I used about 1 cup of pasta as a single serving for myself. I ended up making 2 meals out of this for myself! I used fontina cheese on top of my dish. I love this cheese when it melts, very nutty and creamy. The only default was we were sweating while eating this meal, I guess it’s going to start to get too hot for baked pasta dishes! Oh and my boyfriend tried a meatball from me and said not bad. ;)

Buon Appetito,

Fallon

Weight Gain Vs. Me

I try not to talk much about my personal problems on my blog because I want this to be a happy and positive place. I just feel at this time I need to write down how I feel. Being out in a new state is exciting but hard at the same time. I live with my boyfriend and he doesn’t always “get” female things, he is still learning as I teach him. ;) I don’t have any true girlfriends out here to hang out with, go shopping with and to talk about girl things! I keep in touch with my best friend in Las Vegas as much as I can. I’m always texting my mom and calling at home least once a week. As an honest person I don’t like to make people I love worry. I know after this post is published they will read this and will feel concerned, especially my mom! Rest assure I’m okay, I’m happy where I am at and just getting use to all the new changes!

Exercise is VERY important to me. It has been almost 5 years since I’ve lost 35 pounds and have kept it off. Give or take a few pounds here and there. I use to religiously count calories, workout twice a day, seclude myself from the world and wasn’t happy. I had to make changes because I realized this was not normal and I couldn’t maintain 1,200 calories for the rest of my life. I wanted to be normal, I wanted to have fun and be able to eat whatever everyone else was eating. During those years I learned a lot about food and learned nutrition is key.

Today I eat my fruits and vegetables, proteins, whole grains, non-dairy milk and healthy fats. I can say my diet is pretty healthy with the occasional dessert. Okay well that is my problem. After dinner I always have a sweet tooth. I give into that sweet tooth in the form of fruit, chocolate, ice cream, cookie, whatever. I don’t overindulge, I know what a reasonable portion is and I’m good after that. I also find that since I don’t track my calories religiously anymore, I may eat more then usual, bigger portions or munch more frequently.

Lately my problem has been figuring out my mornings. Work starts at 10am and I know I want to get a workout in before work. So I’ve been going to a 6am spin or body pump class. I wake up an hour before to eat half an energy bar, fresh fruit or a medjool date with a little almond butter. Then I come home at 7am and I would love to eat breakfast but then I’d get hungry by the time I have to be at work. I’ll try to eat something light like protein powder mixed with non-dairy milk or a smoothie blended with banana and spinach or fruit with dry cereal. Then around 9am I’ll make breakfast before work which is usually oatmeal or toast with almond butter, dried coconut and fresh fruit. I know my lunch is around noon so I’ll pack half a sandwich or a salad, with sides in the form of fruit, bell peppers and/or tortilla chips. I’ll throw in the occasional dark chocolate square for a little sweet something.

At noon I’m still not that hungry but that is my lunch time and if I don’t eat, I know by 1pm I’ll be hungry. I get another break around 3pm and that is when I eat a granola bar or dried fruit and nuts. I work till 5 and when I get home I’m feeling hungry again so I usually eat some fruit or veggies with hummus. I prep dinner, make lunches for the next day and then cook dinner. In the middle of all this I’ll snack on some raw veggies I’m cutting up and/or have a slice of salami that I use for Mike’s sandwich. Dinner is done around 7pm and we eat. My portion is always smaller and sometimes not the same thing as mike’s dinner. Afterwards I’ll clean up and I’m ready for my sweet thing.

All in all I feel this routine is making me pack on a few pounds. I’m eating more food then I need to. I think it is due to stress and it comes out in eating. If I don’t eat after 4 hours I tend to get really shaky and nervous, so I think I’m trying to fill that void by eating small snacks. I haven’t given up exercise at all. So far this week I’ve done 2 yoga sessions, 2 spin classes and 2 body pump classes. I’m glad that I’ve maintained that habit because I know how wonderful it makes me feel afterwards.

Something else that I haven’t told anyone because I don’t want to panic anyone, is in the last 3 weeks at work I’ve had 3 people ask if I’m pregnant or when I am due. This question isn’t new to me because back in Las Vegas when I worked, I was ALWAYS asked this question. It is very hurtful and makes me very upset. If only these people knew how hard I work to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The girls at work can’t believe people would ask if I’m pregnant because I don’t even look pregnant. Trust me if I was pregnant I’d be eating Ben and Jerry’s like no tomorrow and not enjoying the morning sickness. Plus I think I’d scare Mike if I started dipping pickles into ice cream! He feels bad for me and doesn’t understand it either. He tells me to not listen to those people and just move on.

I see myself in the mirror as not myself and very insecure due to those comments. It is not the best feeling at all and I want to get back to my happy point. My happy point of exercise, healthy eating, fun and confidence. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. I already started tracking down my meals and “estimated” calories to make sure I’m not eating 600 calories within 3-4 hours at a time. I’m a 6 small meals a day kind of girl, so I like to keep my meals around 400 and snacks around 150-200. Don’t worry I’m not compulsive to the whole 1,200 calorie restriction thing, that was the worst experience ever! When I feel like I do now, seeing what I’m eating and when I’m eating, gives me that frame of reference and realization of where I’m going wrong. I’m glad I’ve started somewhere and I can’t wait to get to my happy point any day now! I can already see where I’m getting extra calories from by adding a little here and there, this is good for my eyes to see.

Writing this out has made me feel a bit better now that I’m not holding it in. I can feel the weight already coming off! Thank you for listening to me. I don’t want to bring anyone down about this because I’m still staying positive! Maybe you will be able to relate to me or found inspiration in this. All in all I’ll get back to my happy point. As soon as I do I’ll let you know!

Now back to my regular schedule, the kitchen. I’m going to be baking up some granola/protein bars this weekend and if they turn out good, I’ll be posting about it!

Always,

Fallon

Top Chef: Just Desserts Chocolate Chip Cookies (with lots of good goof ups!)

I’ve been in the mood for chocolate chip cookies a lot lately. I’ve been buying vegan ones from Earthfare that are extremely delicious. I think I like them better then the ones from Wholefoods. I also noticed I haven’t baked many chocolate chip cookies or shared any on my blog. That is about to change because I’ve been missing out. This classic cookie is popular and a favorite by many. I know my boyfriend appreciates coming home from work and smelling fresh cookies just baked. I stick them in his lunches for work to make for an easy snack. Win win!

 

In May, I had to find a recipe on Tessa’s blog The Cookin’ Chemist to share for The Secret Recipe Club. I was literally bookmarking recipes I had to try for the future! One of them was the chocolate chip cookie featured on the Top Chef: Just Desserts. Eric Wolitzky’s chocolate chip cookie had many rave reviews after it was featured on the show. Which is simple because his cookies bake up rather large that are soft and chewy!

Everyone that has tried these cookies loved them. Although I did make 2 minor goof ups. The full recipe makes a lot of cookies. It calls for 3 sticks of butter, HELLO! I decided to halve the recipe and I still made 3 dozen cookies out of it. I must admit I was lazy and used a full bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips from Guittard, but I should of listen to Anna when she said these cookies need the chunks! Oh and since I halved the recipe I was doing so well when it came to cutting the ingredients in half until I added a full tablespoon of salt. OOPS! It was already in the bowl when I realized I just added the full serving of salt. But in the end they still tasted extra delicious regardless of my minor goof ups! I promise next time when I make these I will do it right! Oh yeah, Tessa also mentioned if you have extra dough, roll into balls and freeze. I froze a few extra for those just in case moments. ;)

(OMG, so as I’m typing this out I just realized I had another goof up. THE EGGS! I never halved them and ending up using 2 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks.)

Top Chef: Just Desserts Chocolate Chip Cookies (half recipe)

By Eric Wolitzky, Adapted from The Cookin’ Chemist 

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks of butter (170 grams)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)

1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed (200 grams)

10.5 ounces flour

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 (12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Direction

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Melt the butter on the stove in a small saucepan. Allow to cool slightly. Beat sugars and melted butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Add the dry to the wet until just combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

Roll balls into a tablespoon sized for larger cookies or use a cookie scoop. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.

 

Despite my goof ups, which turned out to still make a good cookie this is a great recipe. My new fellow associates I work with loved the cookies so much, they keep asking me when I’ll bring in more cookies. Perhaps next week? We will just have to wait and see. If you want to try my goof ups, follow the above recipe except make sure to add 1 tablespoon salt, 2 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks. Chocolate chunks work best for this cookie but if you are lazy like me the chocolate chips will do just fine!

I’m SO GLAD it is Friday. This has been a very long week for me, work wise!

Have a Happy Memorial Day weekend as well!

Fallon

My First Foodzie Tasting Box

I randomly discovered Foodzie one day, probably through a food blog and I spent hours looking at all the delicious, specialty food items this site has to offer. If money wasn’t an issue then I would constantly be getting new deliveries from Foodzie. Alas money doesn’t grow on trees and all I can do is dream! Until recently, I was offered a free month of the Foodzie Tasting Box. This was a good way to see if I’d want to continue receiving a tasting box. My box came and I was really impressed with the selection of May.

I received some healthy snacks like dried pineapple and seaweed snacks. Some delicious sweets like biscotti and dulce cookies. I liked the variety because these are items I’d normally not think to purchase.

    

Since I was very impressed with my tasting box I wanted to just give a shoot out to Foodzie for the wonderful company they are. Their customer service was very friendly and they made purchasing very easy/hassle free. I’m going to continue with my Foodzie membership so I can try something new each month. It even had my boyfriend excited to see what was in the box! Thanks for being a great company and offering such awesome products!

Fallon

PS: I wasn’t asked to write up about Foodzie but decided to do it for personal reasons. When I really like something, I think they deserve a little shout out!

Baked Beef Ribs with Dry Rub

There is something you definitely don’t know about me... just yet. I really enjoy BBQ food. I love the smokiness, sweet and spicy and delicious BBQ sauce that smothers your entire dish. One of my favorite BBQ items is beef ribs. Yes, beef ribs. I like a HUGE rack smothered in sauce, lots of meat and I enjoy part of the fattiness because that is where all the flavor is. Now if I ate these all the time, I’d be in trouble. Since it is a once in a while event, I enjoy every little bit of it! My hands get dirty, sauce on my shirt until they bring me a bib, and I enjoy every bit of it. I love cleaning that bone dry. ;)

It has been almost 4 months since I’ve had some beef ribs and I was starting to get that itch. Yes, I get an itch when I’m craving something. Don’t you?

Living in an apartment we could use their local grills but how clean are they really? Plus who wants to lug all the cooking tools and meats to the grill? Not me! I did some online research and saw you could bake beef ribs. I could definitely do that and that I did. I found a rub in a free Sam’s Club cookbook but tweaked it with the spices I had on hand. It made SO MUCH I have leftovers of this rub. I’m sure it will be good on some chicken breast cooked on my cast iron skillet.

Surprisingly this meal was very easy to put together. I rubbed my ribs the night before and wrapped them in foil and placed them in a glass baking dish, so all that had to be done the next day was to place them in the oven. I was working till 5pm and was afraid we wouldn’t eat dinner till almost 8pm if I put them in the oven after 5pm. So I gave my boyfriend strict orders. Preheat the oven at 4pm at 350 degrees F. By 4:15pm place the ribs in the oven. Once I came home, I started to glaze my ribs with BBQ sauce. I did this about every 20 minutes, until they were done at around 7pm. Sweet potato fries and corn bread muffins baked, dinner was done!

The outcome? For baked beef ribs, they were actually really good. Moist and tender. I was worried they would be dry but that was not a problem at all. We both missed the charred/ smoky flavor from the grill but for our current situation it does the trick. I might of rubbed my ribs with a little bit too much rub, so I’d use less next time. We have a favorite sauce we buy from the store but homemade sauces are always better. As for the dry rub, it was really tasty. It had a little spice, little sweet and boldness all around.  I would definitely leave the cumin out next time because it was too overpowering for us.

BBQ Dry Rib

Adapted from Fresh, Fast and Fabulous

Ingredients

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup garlic salt

1/4 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup sweet paprika

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin (optional or go 1/2 tbsp)

1 tbsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp salt

Direction

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Rub ribs, steaks, chicken or pork. Store leftover dry rub in a glass or mason jar.

So now you know something new about me. I love beef ribs. :)
Fallon

PS: That is probably one of the best free cookbooks ever.

       

With my dad sporting a bib! This was probably taken summer 2009!

Sand Art!

Doesn’t this look so pretty?? Only it isn’t sand, it is a BBQ dry rub. Recipe coming tomorrow!

Have a great Sunday,

Fallon

Red Sauce

I am here today to share my red sauce recipe with you. It still needs tweaking but my boyfriend told me it isn’t a bad start. Score! His mother makes one of the best red sauces. He always tells me that it has to have Italian sausage and beef ribs. That is how you get the flavor and to make a great red sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, parmigiana etc. I then told him I’m not his mother and It won’t ever taste exactly like hers but I will do my best. I made sure to make plenty, so I’d have enough for several meals. I made so much I ended up putting some in the freezer!

     

Mason jars work beautifully for homemade sauces. I used a smaller jar for the sauce in the freezer.

I had a hard time finding beef ribs at the store and didn’t feel like driving all over the place. I decided to just go with the Italian sausage. As for sauce making I had exchanged emails with the Proud Italian Cook. Her food always looks so wonderful, fresh and vibrant. She knows her Italian cooking and she gave me a simple guideline to follow. Many people will add carrots and celery to their sauces but she kept it very simple with the use of onion, garlic, San Marzano whole tomatoes, olive oil and salt.

I know next time to get the sauce just right with the addition of beef ribs and I finally was able to find them at the supermarket! Until then we have plenty of red sauce for several more meals! Who wants to come over for dinner? ;)

Fallon’s Red Sauce

Ingredients (I had almost 7 lbs of tomatoes, so I’m not going to list actual amounts since I kept adding more)

Italian sausages

Garlic (I used a whole bulb for 7 lbs tomatoes)

Sweet onion (Approx. 1 1/2 onions chopped)

San Marzano tomatoes

Dried oregano

Salt (For every 28oz San Marzano tomatoes add 1 tsp salt)

Black pepper

Sugar (optional)

Olive Oil

Direction

In your largest pot, add olive oil on a medium heat setting. Add the sausages to the warm pot and cook up till nicely seared and releases any extra fat. Have a large plate with a paper towel ready to set semi-cooked sausages on.

In the mean time, chop your onion and garlic. Once the sausages are browned, place on paper towel plate and add in half your garlic and all the onion. Add more olive oil and sauté till onions are translucent. Lower heat to medium- low and add the tomatoes. Squeeze each tomato into the pot and remove access stems/seeds. Then add the remaining liquid from the can. Turn up the heat to medium- high and stir. Once the mixture starts to bubble add in the remaining garlic (I threw some whole cloves in), oregano and salt. Stir and wait till it boils. Next put the Italian sausage back into the sauce and cook on low/simmer. Keep covered with a lid to avoid splattering and stir every 10-15 minutes.

Don’t worry about keeping your kitchen clean, I had tomatoes everywhere!

Taste the sauce, too acidic add a little sugar. Balance the flavors out with salt and pepper. I added red pepper flakes to add a little heat to the sauce. Cook for at least 2.5- 3 hours before serving and making sure the sausages are fully cooked. Otherwise cook all day to really let the flavors marry into each other.

Nothing like a big plate of pasta and a green salad on the side!

How do you make your red sauce?

Buon Appetito,

Fallon

Telluride Trail Bars

As I’m typing this up I’m having one of these amazing granola bars as my dessert after dinner. I came upon these bars through the blog Family Fresh Cooking. Marla has a really nice blog all about fresh and healthy cooking. We both can relate to that. I was actually in the market for some homemade granola bars because I’d like to limit my intake from store bought bars. In reality it is cheaper to make your own bars and you can use all natural ingredients. These bars are suppose to mimic one of my favorites, sweet/salty peanut butter pretzel Clif Mojo bars. Which is also one of Marla’s favorites as well! Marla’s Telluride Trail Bars were inspired by their many trips to Telluride, CO. I’ve never been to Colorado but by her photos, it looks like a beautiful state!

The bars have pretzels and peanuts, with peanut butter and banana being the binder/sweetener. No refined sugar is added to these bars. A touch of honey or maple syrup would be nice but I really don’t think it is necessary. They bake up beautifully and are great snacks. I’ve enjoyed mine like Marla and her family does by making little sandwiches with them or adding it to some plain kefir with a drizzle of peanut butter. I tweaked the bars a little bit by adding in some pepita and sunflower seeds, chocolate chips and chia seeds on top! Also instead of plain peanuts I added some honey roasted peanuts (these will contain refined sugar).They make a great dessert like I mentioned earlier or a pre/post workout snack. I totally recommend peanut butter on top!

  

Telluride Trail Bars

Adapted from Family Fresh Cooking

Ingredients

2 cups toasted old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped

2 tablespoons raw pepita seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds, toasted

4 mashes very ripe bananas

1 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup whole grain or spelt pretzels

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons chia seeds

Optional: natural sweetener to taste

Direction

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle. Lay peanuts, seeds and oats in a 9 x 13” baking dish in a single layer. Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown. When you can start to smell the oats, peanuts and seeds, that means they are done. Set aside and let cool in a medium bowl.

Keep the oven heated to 350 degrees. Line the 9 x 13” baking dish with parchment paper. Heat up peanut butter and mashed bananas in microwave or over the stove and stir well to combine. Let cool a few minutes. In the medium bowl with the toasted oat mixture add in the peanut and banana mixture. Fold in the pretzels and 1/8 cup of the chocolate chips. The chocolate will melt into the mixture. Taste granola and add any sweetener if desired. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish and top with remaining chocolate chips and chia seeds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The granola bars are done when the top is golden brown and the edges are a bit crispy. Let them cool so they are easy to handle, gently transfer to a cutting surface removing parchment paper and cut with a serrated knife or pizza cutter.

Plain kefir, go lean crunch cereal, crumbled up telluride bars, and peanut butter drizzle.

TRY THIS!

Enjoy,

Fallon

Baked Chicken Taquitos

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for way too long. Luckily Cinco de Mayo came around and I had an excuse to make some Mexican food. I’ve made beef taquitos in the past, but never with chicken. No matter how many times I will make taquitos the corn tortillas always crack. I’ve tried the microwave version with damp paper towels and in the oven covered in tin foil. Crack, crack, crack. This recipe had a different version of softening the tortillas. By dipping them in warm chicken broth for 1 to 2 seconds. I know this method is used for enchiladas but with oil instead. I liked the idea but do you think it worked? No! The tortillas actually broke in the broth and I had to fish them out. Baked taquitos are delicious but you have to put a lot of toppings on top to cover their cracked mess. ;)

I needed one of these to relieve the stress of cracked tortillas!

The best guacamole ever.

My boyfriend and I enjoyed these taquitos with a loads of homemade guacamole, plain Greek yogurt, salsa and spinach. He is not a fan of those store bought roasted chickens but when time is limited they are great to pick up. I love using them in recipes like this because it makes the meal come together quickly. The additional seasonings added to the chicken enhanced the flavor for a more inspired Mexican dish. I had extra seasoned chicken left over and it worked great as a salad topper that I took to work during the week. (I only ended up baking 9 taquitos, but the recipe does make 12 whole taquitos.)

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Adapted from Wholefoods

Ingredients

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped sweet onions

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

Dash of ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (makes the dish)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I had vegetable broth on hand instead)

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese or crumbled queso fresco

Toppings: chopped spinach, homemade guacamole, plain Greek yogurt, green onions, chopped tomatoes, salsa and/or hot sauce.

Direction

Preheat oven to 425 degree F and oil a 13x8 glass baking dish. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion and cook until starting to soften and turn translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir to combine and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, until fragrant. Take from heat and stir in cilantro and chicken. Set aside.

My little work station, right to left. Apartment kitchens can be so complicated sometimes!

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a skillet or pot wide enough to hold tortillas. When broth simmers, dip tortillas briefly, one at a time, just to soften, 1 to 2 seconds. Lay tortilla on a work surface and spread 2 or 3 tablespoons chicken mixture over bottom third. Top with a tablespoon of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spray or brush tortillas lightly with oil and bake until crisp and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Enjoy,

Fallon

TSRC: Lime Chicken Tacos

I’ve been holding a secret for a few weeks now and today I’m going to tell you what it is. I’m now a member of The Secret Recipe Club! Our wonderful host Amanda from Amanda’s Cookin came up with this idea to be assigned a blog, you can cook/bake any recipe from the assigned blog and then on a certain date reveal the blog that was given to us and the recipe we made. The catch is we can’t share with anyone who’s blog we have, it has to remain a secret. I like how simple the system is and figured it be a good fit for my first “blog club.” If you’d like to become a member of The Secret Recipe Club click this link and fill out the form.

My first secret blog comes from a very talented lady, Tessa from The Cookin’ Chemist. Let’s just say I had a hard time choosing which recipe I wanted to make. Everything looked so delicious and I will be trying out more recipes. I went with Tessa’s Lime Chicken Tacos because #1 they sounded good and #2 it comes together quickly. I’m back to work and my boyfriend likes a good dinner each night, I knew this would be the perfect meal. I don’t mind spending extra time in the kitchen on a day off but when I’ve been working all day and being on my feet the whole time, I want to be in and out of the kitchen quickly!

I made several substitutes to the recipe. I actually didn’t have sugar (don’t worry I picked up some the following day after I made these tacos) and used this Stevia as a substitute. You couldn’t even tell the difference.



Instead of shredded lettuce, jack cheese and sour cream, I used shredded baby spinach, avocado and plain Greek yogurt. I also added a bunch of fresh cilantro to the chicken.


Lime Chicken Tacos
From The Cookin’ Chemist

Ingredients
1- 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 lime juiced
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
10 (6 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded baby spinach
1/2 avocado, diced
Salsa, Hot sauce
Plain Greek yogurt

In a medium sized bowl combine vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onions, garlic, cilantro and oregano, Set aside. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat add a little oil and cook chicken until done.

Next, add the liquid lime mixture to sauté pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Warm tortillas and add chicken mixture evenly to each one. Top with avocado, tomato, salsa, spinach and Greek yogurt.

I served my tacos with a side of cilantro lime rice.

 

Delicious meal. My boyfriend enjoyed it a lot. He said he never had chicken tacos with so much flavor and juiciness! I enjoyed the leftover chicken on top of salads for work lunch. I will definitely keep this in rotation with weeknight dinners.

Can’t wait to see what everyone else will be posting. I wonder who has my blog this month? :)

Fallon