Category: Dinner

Chicken Taco Salad

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Since my sister’s bathroom was being renovated last week, she ended up staying with me all week. As much as I love living alone, it was really nice to have her with me for the week. I wouldn’t want a friend staying with me for the week (sorry, no offense!), but there’s something different about a sister staying with you… especially when you’ve lived together for a number of years.

As a thank you, she went shopping and got ingredients to make us taco salads. I ended up cooking since I was home from work a lot earlier than she was, but I appreciated the fact that I didn’t have to go out and buy the food!

We used ground chicken, sautéed veggies and I even made my own taco seasoning! I was talking to a coworker and she said she makes her own since the ingredients in those packets are less than stellar. And, you know what?! It was so easy and so good… and I liked that I knew exactly what I was putting into the seasoning. I adapted a recipe from Iowa Girl Eats and can now never go back to store bought seasoning packets.

To help cut back on calories and carbs, we decided to serve the meat and veggies atop spinach (with a little quinoa/rice mixture). But, let’s be honest, I only did this so I could justify having extra chips on the side 😉 Regardless, the “mix” that I came up with would be good atop a salad, in a wrap or even on it’s own. It was a quick and easy weeknight meal.

chicken taco salad

Ingredients

  • 1lb. ground chicken
  • 1-2 cups of cooked quinoa or rice (we used a bag of the Uncle Ben’s 90 second rice things)
  • 1/2-1 cups green pepper and red pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 cup corn (I used frozen)
  • 1 cup black beans (rinsed)
  • Romaine lettuce/spinach
  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • salt, pepper, other herbs/seasonings of your choice (and wine- I always sautee veggies in wine)

Seasoning Ingredients (from Iowa Girl Eats)

  • 2-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika– I didn’t have this so I skipped it
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder– I didn’t have this so I skipped it
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Cut up your peppers and onion. Heat a pan with 1-2 tbsp EVOO and add in the pepper and onion and minced garlic. Add in herbs/seasoning/wine as desired. Additionally, cook the quinoa or rice according to the package.

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2. While the veggies are cooking, prepare the seasoning and set aside. Once the veggies are done, remove from the pan and brown the chicken. Once the chicken is almost fully browned, add in the seasoning mixture. Mix well and then add in the cooked peppers and onions, as well as the rinsed black beans and corn. Sautee until everything is warm.

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3. Put a serving of quinoa or rice atop a bed of spinach and then place the taco mixture on top of that. You can also serve it in a wrap or taco if you wish. I topped mine with a little cheese because, well, cheese makes everything better 😉

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We were so happy with the results of this quick and easy weeknight meal! It was so flavorful and healthy- a win, win (side note: I originally typed in “wine” instead of win… is that a problem?) in my book.

We both enjoyed leftovers throughout the week- she made a wrap for dinner and I ended up having another salad exactly like this!

Questions for you: Do you like to eat taco salads, wraps or plain ol’ tacos? Have you ever made your own taco seasoning?

 

 

 

Creamy, Cheesy, Sauteed Veggies

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I don’t know about you, but I get bored with basic sautéed veggies. Sure, sometimes I’ll add wine or change up my seasonings, but for the most part, they’re usually the same. The other night, though, I switched things up and ended up making the most delicious sautéed veggies! They were creamy, cheesy and the perfect side dish addition to my meal.

Creamy, Cheesy Veggies

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • ~1/2 cup chopped zucchini
  • ~1/2 cup chopped summer squash
  • ~1/2 cup chopped onions
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • Seasonings of your choice
  • Big handful of spinach
  • 1-2 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges (I used the garlic & herb ones!)
  • 1-2 tbsp. water/milk/almond milk/soy milk (I used soy because that’s what I had)

Directions

1. Chop up your veggies. Heat a pan with EVOO and add in the onions, minced garlic and herbs/seasonings of your choice.

2. Once the onions are translucent, add in the summer squash and zucchini. When those veggies are mostly cooked, add in the spinach. Add in your Laughing Cow cheese wedge(s) and milk/water once the spinach starts to wilt. Keep mixing/stirring until the cheese wedge has melted completely.

3. Serve and enjoy!

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I was seriously surprised at how flavorful those little 35 calorie cheese wedges made these veggies! It was like a party in my mouth. I also had baked chicken and quinoa, but kind of wished I was eating a bigger serving of these veggies.

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I think these would be great atop a salad- a nice change from the usual boring raw veggies, right?!

The best part of this dish was the fact that it didn’t take a long time to put together! And, you can pick whatever veggies you have on hand… asparagus would be a great addition to this dish!

Questions for you: What’s your favorite way to eat veggies? Sautéed? Baked? Raw? Do you like Laughing Cow Cheese?

 

 

Boston Day of Fun, Pat Green Concert & Easter Weekend in Maine {Recap}

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, there’s nothing like the feeling of spending a weekend home in Maine. I come back to the city feeling totally re-charged. I love the fast-paced, city life style 95% of the time, but after weeks and weeks of that, it feels really great to come home to Maine for a slower-paced, less busy weekend.

I cannot tell you how amazing it was to have Friday off. I don’t know what my problem was last week, but I had ZERO desire to work. I managed to get through it, but it wasn’t fun! Friday started off with a much-needed hair cut, followed by a sushi lunch with the guy. We had planned to have a “day of fun” in the city since I had the day off and he had a half day.

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After lunch, we headed to Copley and did some shopping. I got my watch fixed and he scored big time at J. Crew. We finished the day at The Salty Pig, which would have been better if it wasn’t Good Friday (meaning we could eat meat). But! They had Gluten Free beers and a great music selection, so it was the perfect way to end our day.

That night, I had plans to go to the Pat Green concert at the House of Blues with my sister and some friends. Danielle surprised me with tickets for my birthday and even though I had never heard of him, I was excited to go to a country concert with a fun group of people!

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After a very sweaty (per usual) and still fairly packed kickboxing class on Saturday morning, Danielle and I headed north for the rest of the weekend. We met our mom in Kennebunkport for lunch at Federal Jacks, which was delicious! I got the beef and barley soup (so random, but it sounded so good) and the strawberry and goat cheese salad. I knew I had to go try on clothes after lunch so I wanted to keep it on the lighter side.

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After shopping around at PJ’s Unique Peek for an outfit to wear in the fashion show next weekend, we headed home to finally see dad! He and I prepped veggies and meat for the BBQ- I cannot tell you how excited I was to have a BBQ!

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Danielle and I were in bed and asleep before 10pm… and didn’t wake up until 8:45 on Sunday morning. I haven’t slept that long in who knows when and it was amazing!!! We did Easter baskets, church, brunch and then helped dad clean up the wood on the lawn (for the winter months) Mom and I went for a nice 40 minute walk and then we all had a bonfire until it was time to cook dinner.

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We had an absolutely wonderful meal… so good that I think I need to share it with you soon 😉

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All in all, it was such a good weekend! From the time I woke up on Friday, to the time I went to bed on Sunday (ahhh, the joys of having a flexible job that allows me to work from home in Maine!), I pretty much had a non-stop smile on. I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life- both family and friends, and getting some solid, uninterrupted family time over the weekend was exactly what I needed after a very hectic March and April.

I hope all of you had a nice Easter celebration (if you celebrate it)!

Questions for you: Have you heard of Pat Green? Do you like going to concerts? What did you do for Easter- was it a small celebration or a big family thing? Were you able to enjoy the nice weather?

Quick and Easy Asian Stir Fry with a Spicy Almond Sauce

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On Sunday’s where I don’t have a lot of time, but still want to make a healthy and tasty meal, I usually turn to stir fry’s. I like them because the only thing that takes any real time is cutting up the veggies and letting them cook. If you want to make it really quick, you can always buy a bag of frozen stir fry veggies 😉

Last week, a stir fry was just what I was craving, along with red meat, oddly enough. I decided to make a beef and veggie stir fry with a spicy almond butter sauce. Almond butter, you ask? I have been on a huge almond butter kick so I decided to see if I could make a peanut sauce with almond butter instead of peanut butter.  The verdict? It was great!

Asian Stir Fry w/ a Spicy Almond Sauce

Ingredients

Stir Fry

  • Sliced red pepper
  • Sliced green pepper
  • Sliced onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots- thinly sliced
  • Chopped broccoli
  • Steak- I don’t remember what kind I used, but I feel like it was a thin-sliced piece of meat that was good for stir fry’s
  • Asian noodles

Spicy Almond Butter Sauce

  • 1/4 cup almond butter- I used smooth, but crunchy would have been good!
  • 3-4 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
  • Few shakes of Red Hot
  • 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4-6 tbsp. hot water

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Directions

1. Cut up your veggies. Add them to a pan and cook until they have softened. I added garlic and other spices. Remove from pan and set aside.

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2. Bring a pot of water to boil. While the water is heating, cook your steak and make the sauce.

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3. Once the water is boiling, add in the noodles. When the steak is almost fully cooked, add back in the veggies and the almond butter sauce. Stir to combine.

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4. Serve yourself some noodles and top with the steak/veggie/almond butter mixture and enjoy!

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As you can see, I didn’t list out specific amounts for the veggies or steak. I cooked up a bunch of everything and saved some veggies to use later in the week without the sauce. Since I was cooking, I felt like I might as well make up a big enough batch  to use throughout the week!

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This meal turned out better than I had hoped! The sauce had just enough kick to heat me up and I loved all the other flavors and textures as well. This meal was enjoyed throughout the week and I even used the leftover steak and veggies in a quesadilla which was delicious.

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I hope you like this as much as I did!

Questions for you: Do you like Almond Butter? What’s your favorite easy meal? Do you like to use frozen veggies for stir fry’s or fresh veggies?

Weekending: Lots of dining out {again}, girl time, date night & finally taking time to breathe

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This past weekend was another whirl-wind, but it was all super fun stuff so I can’t really complain 🙂

On Friday, my upstairs neighbor, Lisa, and I went into the city for drinks and dinner at Sip Wine Bar.

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I had been once before, but not in a few years, so I was excited to go back! We had to wait a bit for seats at the bar to open up, but that was fine, we had cocktails and lots of catching up to do to pass the time.

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I love Sip because you can have a “sip” of wine, a half glass, whole glass or bottle. After my bubbly, I did a white wine sampler.

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Yummy 🙂 We shared the Ahi Tuna Tacos and the Mushroom Flatbread, both of which were delicious! Seriously, I don’t know if it was the truffle oil on the pizza or what, but I could’ve eaten the whole thing on my own.

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Thanks for such a fun night, Lisa!

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After my going to Pursuit on Saturday morning, I met up with some college friends for lunch at Margarita’s in Medford. Sheila and I were both craving Mexican, so it was the perfect place to go… my wine headache needed chips and salsa. Like, needed them. A margarita didn’t hurt, either 😉

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When I got home, I whipped up a batch of the most delicious gluten free, dairy free oatmeal chocolate coconut pecan no-bake bars!

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Saturday night was date night! We went to Eastern Standard, which is one of my favorite restaurants/bars in Boston. I got all dolled up and even wore contacts- it’s so weird when I don’t wear glasses. I feel like I don’t look like myself at all!

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We scored seats at the bar and enjoyed some cocktails before finally ordering some food. We ordered some shrimp cocktail to start, and I wound up getting the cheese burger. Say, what?! Yeah, I was just graving red meat, but not in the form of steak, so the burger was a great option- it was so good.

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Such a fun night! Sorry I missed you, Steph and Alice 😦

Sunday morning started with much needed yoga, followed by a day to myself. Between my crazy weekends and week days, I really, REALLY needed/wanted a day to myself to catch up on life. Yoga, grocery shopping, meal prep, blogging, workout prep, cleaning and laundry… may not sound that exciting, but it was perfect for me!

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And that about sums it up! This past weekend was a better balance of fun things and relaxing things- I needed that.

Questions for you: Have you been to Sip or Eastern Standard? What was something fun that you did over the weekend? Truffle oil- are you a sucker for it like I am?