Mexican Lasagna

This was delicious and really satisfied my craving for enchiladas. It also freezes and re-heats well.  I adapted it from http://rxforhealthyliving.com

Mexican Lasagna
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 red and 1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound lean ground or grassfeed beef
1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup refried beans
2 small cans diced green chilies
6 corn tortillas
2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook peppers and onions until tender.  Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Brown beef in the skillet until almost done.  Add chilies and finish cooking through. Add peppers and onions along with taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
4. Line the bottom of the pan with corn tortillas.
5. Spread the refried beans on the tortillas.
6. Spread the meat mixture on top of the beans.
7. Top evenly with cheese.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

NOTE: If you are following the 21 Day Fix, your measurements are: 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green, 1 Blue

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

This is an easy way to make fajitas without having to stand over the stove.  They turned out really tender and delicious!  I ate them in a large lettuce leaf topped with spinach, tomato, and salsa, but they would be equally good with corn or flour tortillas and your choice of toppings.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 large onion, sliced into thin strips
2 small red peppers, sliced into thin strips
1 large green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 pound chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix all the spices in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the onion and peppers into a 9x13 glass dish and top with the sliced chicken.
4. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken and veggies.
5. Drizzle the olive oil over everything.  Mix with your hands, if needed, to make sure everything is covered.
6. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, stirring everything once halfway through.

Pan Fried Zucchini Noodles

I was looking for something different to do with zucchini besides roasting it in the oven and got inspired by something I saw on Pinterest. I bet you could also do this with low-sodium soy sauce instead of the balsamic vinegar and it would taste just as yummy!

Pan Fried Zucchini Noodles
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

3-4 zucchini
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions:

1. Using a mandolin or vegetable spiralizer, turn the zucchini into noodles.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.
3. Add the noodles, stir, and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and cook until the noodles are beginning to brown and are softened.

Healthier Lasagna

When I started to make this recipe, I fully intended to make Skinnytaste's Zucchini Lasagna.  However, I managed to get home from the store without the zucchini, so I had to adapt the recipe for what I had on hand.  It turned out great, and it froze and reheated really well!

Healthier Lasagna
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb 93% lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh basil
15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
8 ounces brown rice pasta

Instructions:

1. Brown the meat in a saucepan and season with salt and pepper. At the same time, boil water for the brown rice pasta.  Follow the directions on the package to cook the pasta and then drain.
2. Remove meat from the pan. 
3. Add olive oil to the pan and saute the garlic and onions for about 2 minutes.
4. Return the meat to the pan and add tomatoes and basil.
5. Simmer on low for 30-40 minutes, covered.  The sauce should thicken.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Mix the drained pasta with the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses.
8. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
9. Spread some of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to cover.
8. Layer the pasta and cheese mixture with the sauce mixture.
9. Top with the mozzarella cheese and cover baking dish with foil.
10. Bake 45 minutes covered, then uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

NOTE: If you are following the 21 Day Fix, your measurements are: 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Blue

Chicken Enchiladas

When my Crockpot Chicken Tacos recipe made way more than I could eat in a few meals, I decided to freeze a portion to use to make Chicken Enchiladas.  I defrosted the chicken in the fridge and reheated it on low in a skillet, and it was ready to go into the enchiladas.  They turned out great!

Chicken Enchiladas
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded chicken
2 cups enchilada sauce (use canned or see recipe below)
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray a 9x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Mix the chicken with 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce.
4. Put 1/4 of the chicken mixture into a tortilla, roll it up, and place seam side down in the baking dish.
5. Repeat with each tortilla.
6. Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
7. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.
8. Uncover and bake 5 minutes more.

Enchilada Sauce
From The Skinnytaste Cookbook

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon Mexican-style chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash ground black pepper

Instructions:

Heat a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, chipotle chile, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the flavors blend, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately, or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or keep frozen for up to 3 months.

NOTE:  If you are doing the 21 Day Fix, your portions are: 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1/4 Purple

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

I've seen many friends post recipes for cauliflower rice and viewed a lot of recipes online before deciding to finally try it for myself.  I put together this Mexican cauliflower rice from several recipes, and it was delicious.  I used a blender, but I think it would work better to rice the cauliflower in a food processor.

Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower
2 teaspoons olive oil or coconut oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 large tomato, chopped

Instructions:

1. Chop the cauliflower into florets.  In small batches, pulse a few florets at a time in a blender or food processor. The pieces should be the size and shape of rice.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add the cauliflower to the pan.  Add the spices to the pan and stir to combine.  Cook 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste, cilantro, and tomato and stir to combine.  Cook another 2-3 minutes.
5. Adjust the seasonings to taste.  Sprinkle more cilantro for serving.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I love using my crockpot and recently got a new one, so I decided to test it out with this yummy recipe for chicken taco meat.  This recipe makes a lot, and freezes and reheats well.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
3 tablespoons taco seasoning (I used the 21 Day Fix southwestern seasoning, see below)
3/4 cup diced onion
1 14.5 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 4.5 ounce can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Corn tortillas
Toppings - cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, etc.

Instructions:

1. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot.  Sprinkle taco seasoning evenly over the chicken.
2. Top with diced onion and then pour tomatoes over the top.
3. Top with the undrained green chilies.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
5. Remove lid from crockpot and shred the chicken with two forks.
6. Add cilantro and mix to combine.
7. Warm tortillas in the microwave.  Add chicken and top with your choice of toppings.

21 Day Fix Southwestern Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt