Street Tacos

The taco.  For me, the best variation of a sandwich ever created.  You have your tortilla stuffed with some form of protein, if you're a carnivore like myself, then topped with various Mexican condiments.  A traditional "Street Taco" though, is modest at best; it normally consists of a corn tortilla, grilled meat, with a garnishing of cilantro y cebolla (shout out to Mrs. Greppi, my Spanish I teacher), that's it that's all.  Since Mexican is always my go to meal, whether homemade or ordered out, I decided to prepare this quick and easy meal for tonight's dinner.  I pan seared chicken thighs and breasts that had marinated in Adobo y Sazon, granulated  Garlic, Lime Juice, and Olive Oil until a nice crust developed on each side, and set them aside while I cut the cilantro and onion.  Once all of the condiments were prepped I diced the chicken into cubes and put it back into the pan in order to create a more uniform crusting while adding Cumin as a finishing touch.  As you will see in the picture, I also used Crema, or Mexican Sour Cream; sour cream is a condiment that I cannot do without, we go through so much in my household so it's only natural that it made a cameo tonight.  The best thing about this dish is it only topped out at 520 calories for 3 tacos!  Enjoy!

 

Beijing "Sticky" Wingz

As we all know yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday (did your favorite team win?), and I was invited to a Super Bowl party.  Of course I couldn't go empty handed so I decided to reference my handy dandy Cook This Not That book to see what appetizer recipes I could choose from to prepare for the occasion.  I chose their Beijing Wing recipe and adapted it to make it my own, hence the name Beijing "Sticky" Wingz.  These wings are great for any type of casual gathering (recipe can be doubled) or for a nice laid back meal at home.  Judging by all the bare bones lying on empty plates, I'd say the wings were a hit!  What were some of your favorite Super Bowl snacks?

Beijing "Sticky" Wingz

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low-sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh Ginger
• 2 lbs Chicken Wings
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha
• 1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 Tbsp dried Parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine the soy sauce, half the brown sugar, the garlic, and ginger in a sealable plastic bag.  Add the wings, mix to coat, and seal the bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 8.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Remove the wings from the marinade and lay out on a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil, making sure they're evenly spaced.  Roast for about 15 minutes, until the meat firms up and is cooked through and the skin begins to caramelize and crisp up.
3. Heat the butter, sriracha, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, and the remaining brown sugar in a large nonstick skillet.  When the butter has melted, add the wings and saute' for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce clings lightly to the chicken.  Garnish with the dried parsley.

*Makes 4 servings

*290 cals, 10g fat (4.5 saturated), 890mg sodium

*Cost per serving: $1.94

Compare to: Outback Kookaburra Wings, 1,377 cals, 100g fat (31g saturated), 3,819mg sodium, $7.95

Margarita Chicken

Right here right now, I'm going to proclaim that this is not only the best dish I've made from Cook This Not That  but it is the best dish I have EVER cooked!  When I took my first bite the flavors began to do the Cuban Shuffle all around my mouth, can you tell I've taken Zumba, lol?.  Mexican/Hispanic cuisine has been a long time favorite of mine but never have I tasted anything like this where the flavors just came alive.  Being that I'm a "spice snob" when it comes to recipes I tend to add a little something extra.  First, I seasoned the chicken with granulated garlic, sea salt, and a Latino spice blend of Adobo y Sazon and let it marinate in a little bit of lime juice and olive oil; this has got to be the reason the chicken ended up perfectly tender.  Oh, and did I mention how easy this dish is to prepare?  I can see myself cooking Margarita Chicken at least 3 times a month!  What are some of your favorite foods?

Margarita Chicken


Ingredients

• 1/2 can (14-16oz) Black Beans drained
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• Juice of 1 Lime
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp Canola/Olive Oil
• 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (6oz each)
• 1 cup prepared salsa, preferably Salsa Verde
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• Chopped fresh Cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Combine the black beans and cumin in a saucepan and heat all the way through.  Squeeze in the lime juice and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat, but warm before serving.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and sear in the hot pan for 3-4 minutes on the first side, until a nice crust develops, then flip.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes, then spoon salsa over meat, top with the cheese, and place in the oven.  Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is fully melted and bubbling, no more than 5 minutes.  Divide the beans among 4 plates, top with chicken, and garnish with cilantro.

*Makes 4 servings

*330 cals, 12g fat (4.5 saturated), 480mg sodium

*Cost per serving: $2.49

Compare to: TGIFriday's Sizzling Chicken & Cheese, 1,200 cals, $11.49

"This is what Mexican food should taste like"-Rachel

Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Sandwich

I'm a lover of sandwiches--hot and cold, and luckily for me Cook This Not That  has an entire section dedicated to the sandwich.  Being that I'm such a sucker for a good sandwich, I decided every week I will pick a sandwich from the book to make for dinner (last week was the A1 Swiss Burger).  This week's winner is the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich!  Who knew that Buffalo Chicken could be such a healthy meal?

PS- The Blue Cheese dip is to DIE!  From now on, it will be a staple in my kitchen! 

Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup crumbled Blue Cheese
• 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
• Juice of half a Lemon
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 4 Chicken Breasts (6 oz each)
• 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 3 Tbsp favorite Hot Sauce (Frank's Red Hot works best here)
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, melted in the microwave for 20 seconds
• 4 large Romaine Lettuce leaves
• 4 sesame buns, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat grill or grill pan.  While it's heating, combine the blue cheese, yogurt, and lemon juice, plus a pinch of salt & pepper.  Stir to combine, set aside.
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and the chili powder.  Add the chicken to the hot grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side, then flip.  Add the onions to the perimeter of the grill (if using grill pan, you'll need to wait until you remove the chicken to grill the onions).  Cook the chicken until firm and springy to the touch, another 4-5 minutes.  Remove, along with the grilled onions
3. Combine the hot sauce and butter and brush all over the chicken after removing from the grill.  Place one large leaf of romaine on the base of each bun.  Top with a chicken breast, the blue cheese sauce, grilled onions and top half of  the bun.

*I adapted the recipe using a Wheat bun instead of Sesame and Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce instead of Frank's Red Hot, feel free to adapt it to your liking.

*Makes 4 servings

*387 cals, 15g fat (5g saturated), 912mg sodium
*Cost per serving: $3.81
*Compare to: Chili's Buffalo Chicken Ranch Sandwich, 1,560 cals, 86g fat (14g saturated), 4,010mg sodium, $8.79

Chicken Adobo

Keeping in line with my new healthier lifestyle, I have started to cook more meals from the Cook This Not That book that I own.  Many of you have probably heard of the "Eat This Not That" book which gives you healthier restaurant menu alternatives, Cook This Not That is the same concept except they provide healthier versions of menu items from popular restaurants for you to prepare at home.  I love the fact that it allows me to eat many of the things I loved eating before without taking in all the calories; the items in this book range from 200-400 calories.

Last night I prepared Chicken Adobo.  Adobo, a dish that is native to the Philippines, is created when vinegar and soy sauce is reduced to a thick syrup.  While you can add any protein, I used chicken since the recipe called for it.  Below is the recipe along with the calories per serving, enjoy!

Chicken Adobo

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
• 4 Cloves Garlic, peeled & crushed
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp coarsely ground Black Pepper
• 1lb skinless Chicken Thighs
• 2 cups prepared Brown Rice

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients.  Bring to a bare simmer, cover, cook doe 20-25 minutes, until chicken in very tender and cooked all the way through.
2. Remove the chicken from the pot and bring mixture to a vigorous boil.  Continue to boil for about 10 minutes, until the cooking liquid reduces by half and is thick enough to cling easily to the back of a spoon.
3. Return the chicken to the pot and heat through. Discard bay leaves.  Serve the chicken with the rice and the reduced sauce.

*Makes 4 serving

*230 cals/serving, 2g fat (.5 saturated), 880mg sodium

*Coat per serving: $1.46

*Compare to: PF Chang's chicken w/ Black Bean Sauce, 900 cal/serving, 48g fat (6g saturated), 5,550mg sodium

A special weekend

A couple of weekends ago my best friend came to visit me from Chicago.  This particular visit was extra special because it was her birthday weekend.  The weekend was full of fun-filled activities and of course, a ton of cooking!  During that weekend I invited a few people over and I prepared a Mediterranean inspired meal. 

The dishes included: Grilled Lamb Burgers w/ sauteed red pepper, Tandoori Chicken,  Watermelon Salad w/ green tomatoes, feta, and mint, and Saffron Rice.  I provided diced cucumbers, fresh Baby Spinach, Pita Bread, Ciabatta rolls, Tzatziki Sauce, and an array of delicious relishes from Harry and David to be used as accompaniments.  I also made an amazing caramel glaze for the cake my girlfriend made.  Don't worry, I had the drinks covered as well; I made a Whiskey Sour slush from a recipe a coworker gave me (uber easy) and a fresh Watermelon-Cucumber Mojito!

During the course of this blog, I will be posting separate posts detailing recipes for some of the dishes.