Fish Taco

I love shrimp tacos and have never had a fish taco before, but I suspected I would like, and I did! I decided a good cilantro/lime flavoring would really give good flavor and keep it light and fresh tasting. Coupled with some very light tasting condiments, the meal was light and flavorful and the perfect combination of tart and fresh.
ingredients:
4 pieces of any whitefish, orange roughy, tilapia
2 limes
1/4 cup cilantro packed
medium onion chopped
2 medium tomatos diced
optional avacodo, sourcream, salsa

in a bowl squeeze contents of lime and mix with cilantro and salt and pepper
marinate fish for a few minutes
in baking pan or skillet cook fish, making sure to include all the marinade
if baking, bake at 350 in preheated oven for about 10 minutes
flake the fish with a fork when done cooking
fill 8 taco shells with fish
top each with tomato and onion
add sourcream or salsa if desired and enjoy!

Lime-Honey Glazed Salmon w/ Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad

Barbara - I scream ... can you believe this - so many many many of our favorite foods in this salad of Rachel Ray's. Straight outta her 365: No Repeats. We repeat for you a lime/honey salmon, our fav mix of black beans and corn, and then we throw it in a salad. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? OMG so awesome for us. I am super stoked for this tonight - and I can't wait to try it warm. Haven't had the corn/beans mixture warm, but I'm betting it will be perfect for this cold night!

4 tbsp evoo
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp crushd red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
salt/pepper to taste
juice of 2 limes
3 tbsp (gobs) honey
1 tsp chili powder
4 6-oz fillets salmon
1 red pepper, chopped
1 10 oz pkg frozen corn, defrosted, or 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
6 cups baby spinach (romaine would work if you're short on spinach)

In a shallow dish combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder - add the salmon fillets to this and toss to coat thoroughly.

preheat medium skillet and warm 2 tbsp evoo. Add onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for three minutes.

heat another skillet over medium heat with the other 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the seasoned salmon from above to the HOT skillet and cook just until cooked through - roughly 3 minutes on each side.

Now, to the first skillet the one with the onions and spices - add the bell peppers, defrosted or rinsed corn, and cook 1 minute. Ad the chicken stock and cook another 2 minutes. Add the black beans and cook unti they are heated thru. Remove from heat and add the juice of the second lime, cilantro and spinach. Just barely wilt the spinach then plate on four plates. Top with the lime/honey glazed salmon!

serve it up.

Spinach and Cheese Quesadilla with Corn and Blackbean Salsa

Kim and I love the combo of blackbean, Corn and Tomato so much we are always trying to find different ways to use them together in meals since this is a no repeat recipe year. This time we have incoropated spinach into the mix and cheese which just adds to the already nutritious trifecta. Spinach adds vitamin K and calcium and tons of other nutrients and cheese of course tons of calcium and protein. This is one healthy and easy meal.
give yourself about 10 minutes and you will be done in no time.
Ingredients and directions
preheat oven to 350

8 flour or corn tortillas
1 cup black beans
1 cup corn canned or thawed out frozen
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 tsp cilantro(optional)
1 tsp cumin(optional)
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
about 40 fresh spinach leaves or 1 1/2 cup frozen spinach thawed
1 cup shredded cheese(cheddar or a mexican blend)
mix beans, corn, diced tomato in its sauce, cilantro, cumin and taco seasoning
lay out 4 tortillas on baking sheet, top each with salsa, spinach leaves(about 10 leaves per) or frozen -1/4 cup each and shredded cheese(1/4 cup each)
sandwhich each tortilla and topping with the other tortilla and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until tortilla top slightly brown and cheese is melted.

Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)

My college roommate made this for my bridal shower about 13 years ago - and I loved it!  And periodically I break down and make it - and for weeks after I wonder why I don't do it more often.  Other than the trip to the grocery store (as opposed to Aldi's) - or in my case SuperWalmart (horrors!) for the special tomatillos this is a total NO WORK salsa that is so yummy and delicious - and unlike store bought salsa - it's sodium free - and can be sugar free!  I love it on chips, salad, chicken, nachos, you name it!  So what's to it you ask?

1 pound green tomatillos (freshest when the green/brown skin is still tight

about 1/2 jalapeno pepper (seeded)

1/2 cup white onion

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro

juice of 1/2 medium lime

1/4 tsp sugar - optional - I usually omit

place tomatillos in a pot of boiling water - boil additional 5 minutes - skins will loosen

drain, cool to touch, remove skins and core.

Place everything in a food processor or blender - do your magic until it's the consistency desired.  Some like it runnier, some chunkier - it's your salsa!

We served on top of chicken nachos (diced chicken, tortilla chips, colby-jack cheese broiled for about 4 minutes).  Black olives would have been added, but we were out - and of course the sour cream goes in last!

Here's my reduced carb version - no chips for me, just a huge ole' salad with tons of salsa as dressing!

Sprimp Quesadilla with Avacodo and Tomato Salsa

We got this recipe from foodie website Skinnytaste.com. I love this blog because the blogger Gina calculates all the weight watcher points for each meal. The big surprise about this meal was my son ate his serving and asked for more twice, not even noticing or caring there was something green inside the tortilla. Thats a good cooking day for me. I loved these quesadillas, however, my camera did not. It just didnt do the meal justice. Im going to have to make them again, and reshoot the picture, darn:)

Ingredients
20 medium cooked shrimp, sliced in half
1 medium tomato diced
1 medium avocado diced
1/4 medium onion diced
1 lime
1 tablespoon cilantro
salt and pepper, cumin optional
8 flour tortillas
4 slices cheese(monteray jack, mozarella- your choice) I used a spicy pepper jack
cooking spray

turn oven to 350 season sprimp with salt, pepper and cumin
place on baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes
in meantime mix together tomato, avocado, onion, lime, cilantro
on two baking pans lay out two tortilla's on each
evenly spread salsa and shrimp, top with slices of cheese and close with other tortilla
bake in oven for 1o minutes or until cheese is melted
remove from oven and slice in quarters

I think next time a make these I am going to make them on my panini maker, I know Ill be making them for lunch soon, since they were such a hit!!

Green Chili!

Oh, this is so good.  I made it for the first time about a year ago and froze extras in 1 cup containers - then I hid them from Joe so I could have it!  Is that bad?  Don't tell him :-)  Really, I do love this chicken based chili and have been waiting a long time to share it with you.

I know you will find this hard to believe, but really, I did find Hominy in a 28 ounce can AT ALDI a few weeks back!  I hope you were able to find it too!  It was only like 90 cents or something, which makes me EVEN HAPPIER!  I do hope you enjoy this soup/chili as much as I do!

8 cups chicken broth
1 onionk finely chopped
2 lbs chicken breast (approx)
2 cans green chilies
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin (or more :-) )
1 28 ounce can white hominy, drained

1 cup Aldi's fresh salsa - or a cup of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sour cream

in a large pot, combine chicken broth, onion and chicken breasts.  Heat to boiling over high heat - reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink - about 20 minutes (this is called poaching!).  Remove chicken from broth with a couple forks or something - you're saving the juice!  Set the breasts aside to cool.

Add chilies, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and hominy.  Heat over low heat - simmering for a while!

when the chicken is cool, shred it by pulling two forks across the meat.  Add the meat back to the broth and simmer for about 40 minutes longer.

Spoon a portion of soup/chili into a bowl - a portion is about 1 1/4 cups.  Top with 2 Tbsp salsa or diced tomatoes and 1 Tbsp sour cream.

If you want some add'l carbs, serve a corn or flour tortilla alongside.  you can also make "chips" of the tortilla and dip them.  
MMMMM.

Taco Scoops - KID FAV $4.88

A fun twist on taco bar, this is really just a different shell for tacos - but your kids won't know that unless they can read this blog or you tell them. Tostitos brand scoops are super for this dinner. Barbara and I have also served them at a party with just a squirt of sour cream in the bottom of the scoop and a spoonful of salsa (preferrably a corn and bean salsa) on top of the sour cream. Tonight we're doing the scoop as dinner!

Taco Scoops $1.20
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese $1.00
1 to 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (or beef - turkey's cheaper) $2.29
1 package taco seasoning (or 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin and 2 tsp garlic powder - and a dash of salt) .39

taco fixings of choice - we went with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa. This platter just shows sc oop tacos with meat & cheese - that's how I put them all on the table and then all the "fixings" along side so each person can make their own to taste. It's a bit messy of a supper, but it's a lot of fun, and the kids seem a bit more talkative about their day when we're having a fun supper!

Flank Steak Tacos with (grilled) Pineapple Salsa

This idea came directly from my Jillian Michaels e-mail - but, the original has chipotle, and I do not like that flavor.  You might have noticed I like cumin, chili powder and maybe even cayenne pepper - but not the smokey chipotle. SO...of course I'll change it.  Otherwise, it sounds DANG good! 

I am so into pineapple on the grill.  It's just so sweet when heated over the flames.  (and for those of you who've read ahead where I talk about the "clean 15", pineapple is the 4th "cleanest" food in terms of pesticide avoidance.)  We've made several pineapple salsa recipes this year on this blog ... this is the first with grilled pineapple.  Don't think for a second it will be the last.  The grilled sweetness is beyond compare in the salsa!

Flank Steak Tacos With Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

• 12 soft corn tortillas
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound flank steak beef, trimmed of fat

• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to high. Stack tortillas and wrap in heavy-duty foil. Combine chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and salt in a small dish - remove about one and one half teaspoons, add the teaspoon of olive oil and make a "rub" or paste. Rub mixture into both sides of steak. Place the tortilla stack on the coolest part of the grill or upper warming rack, if possible, and heat, flipping once, until warmed through and very pliable.

2. Meanwhile, grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness. Grill pineapple rings 2 to 4 minutes per side (okay to blacken then a bit). Remove the tortillas, steak, and pineapple from the grill. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing very thinly crosswise into strips.

3. Meanwhile, dice the pineapple and transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, cilantro, vinegar, the remaining teaspoon of spices; toss to combine. Serve the sliced steak in the warm tortillas with the pineapple salsa.

Makes 6 servings.

Bean Enchilladas

Found this recipe in an old cookbook of mine about low-fat eating. It was a revolutionary cookbook 20 year ago... I think this recipe sounds interesting, though WE'LL be tweaking it as we roll!

Bean Enchiladas
1 14 oz can black beans
1 14 oz can pinto beans
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

1 cup cheese - montery jack or mexican blend would be great

8 flour tortillas

place beans in mixing bowl and mash coarsely with a potato masher (you could use a food processor, Barbara!), Add the spices
Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 45 seconds to make them easy to bend. Divide the bean mixture onto the tortillas and then the cheese. Roll closed, place seam side down into a sprayed 9 by 13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 ddegrees for 20 minutes.

I'm planning to top these with salsa as they come out of the oven. You could also cover with an enchilada sauce prior to baking if desired. Probably not green enchilada sauce, however.

Pork Tacos With Pineapple Salsa

These are the pork tacos that I RAVED about after having them with my Forever Friend in Iowa last week.  I wonder if it's ironic to anyone else that we had pork in Iowa :-).  Anyway, these are fairly simple, and the cooking time of the pork is dramatically reduced because you slice the tenderloin before you grill it.  WoW!  Rocket Science, No, but a GREAT time saver for this meal!

Made in three separate steps, the ingredients are as follows:

Dressing:

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tbsp pineapple juice

1 dash salt

1 dash pepper (or a grind of fresh!)

3 TBSP olive oil

2 tbsp chopped cilantro (more if you like!!)

Salsa:

2 cups drained diced pineapple chunks

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

Pork:

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/4 pounds, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 package small corn tortillas

Mix dressing ingredients first (add cilantro after the other ingredients are well blended or shaken) -

Next mix salsa ingredients AND 2 or so Tbsp of the dressing - let sit to flavor

Combine remaining dressing and sliced pork in bowl or bag to marinate (refrigerated) for 15 or so minutes.

Heat Grill, then place the sliced pork on the grill and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes

Remove meat from grill, slice into strips and serve on heated corn tortillas (corn tortillas should be heated for about one minute under a wet papertowl to improve their pliability)

Serve Taco or Fajita style, piling a few strips of meat and a generous serving of salsa onto your own corn tortilla.

I'm not usually a fan of corn tortillas, but with this dish, they really go well!  Besides, most corn tortillas are pretty naturally made - corn, lime, and water.  Pretty simple recipe.  There must be something to the pork and corn and Iowa thing!  :-)

Chicken Taco $10.25

I have a neice who every once in a while says "zia Barbara, will you make me a chicken taco?" Since this was not part of our weekly menu, I told her I could make the taco, but some ingredients would be missing, she was ok with that as long as the taco contained chicken. :) So as it turns out, the only item missing from her taco was the shredded lettuce. I used a can of diced tomato to make a tomato and corn salsa, a handful of shredded chedder cheese, a small dolup of sourcream, and I was in the the taco business. yeah!
Leftover salsa going to be used for a side next week with salmon or crabcakes.
1 box taco shells .99(ten taco shells)
2 chicken breasts $2.25
1 cup shredded cheese .80
1 10 oz can diced tomato .69
1 cup frozen corn .25
2 tsp salt .02

1 tablespoon taco seasoning .20
1 tablespoon parsley .10
1 tsp hot sauce .15
1/2 cup sour cream .60

total $ 5.06 yields 10 hefty tacos
for salsa
combine corn(drained) and tomatos(keeping all the tomato sauce) add salt, parsleyand hot sauce 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
mix well
in bowl combine chunked can chicken and salsa
to build your taco, there is really no correct order I think
chicken salsa combo on the bottom
then layer of cheese and finally layer of sourcream

Fish Tacos $7.93

mmm... it's 86 degrees here in Chicagoland - time for something a bit out of the ordinary for us. I've only ever encountered Fish Tacos one time- in San Diego, so for me fish tacos on the hottest day of the year so far - by far - seems appropriate for the weather when I first met them. Oh, and might I add I only saw them there, I've never tried them. Barbara has, of course, so together we'll start from this...

1 Tbsp olive oil .20
4 limes .80
5 cloves garlic .20
2 tsp cumin .10
1 to 1 1/2 lb Swordfish or other thick, chunky white fish $3.99
1 avocado, diced .99
1/4 red onion .10
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced, finely .80
2 Tbsp fresh Cilantro .15
8 tortillas .40
Romaine Lettuce Leaves .20

First, make a quick marinade for the fish:
In a zipper style bag, combine olive oil, juice of 3 of the limes, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cumin.
Add fish, marinade for 15 minutes at room temperature
While fish is marinading,
Mix juice of other lime, rest of the garlic & cumin, and the diced avocado, minced onion, jalapeno, and roughly chopped cilantro.

Cook fish by either broiling, grilling or pan frying - cook until opaque throughout.
Allow fish to cool, then slice into this strips (1/3 inch)

To serve, place a tortilla on a plate, place shredded romaine on half of the tortilla, add some meat, some tangy avocado salsa, fold in half, then EAT!

Chicken Enchiladas - Corn tortillas $5.95

Chicken Enchiladas are so easy to make, yummy, - and really, quite healthy if you can exercise portion control. Now yummy and portion control don't necessarily go hand in hand - so be careful!

Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb pre-cooked chicken breast, shredded $2.10

1/2 cup chopped onion .25

1 28 oz can green enchilada sauce $2.79

1 package (12) corn tortillas (small size).31

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese .50

saute onion in cooking spray heated in a frying pan over medium heat. When soft, add shredded chicken then ABOUT 1/2 the enchilada sauce. Be a bit generous with the sauce.

Spray a 9 X 13 baking pan lightly with cooking spray. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl. Dip the tortillas in the remaining sauce, put 1/12th of the meat into a line along the middle of the tortilla - roll, and place, seam side down, into the baking pan. Repeat until all are filled. Cover LOOSELY with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove foil, top with cheese, return to oven to melt cheese.

Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce if desired.

A bit on the cost of this meal. The sauce is about $2.79 ... Aldi just started carrying a red version - but Joe picked up a few of these when they were on sale at the Jewel for $1.99. The chicken I used was left over from the roaster that we did on Monday - no cost (remember, the chicken was a free chicken I got with coupon for buying ham (with a $9 off coupon) in December and froze until Sunday). The tortillas were corn, which are incredibly cheap - $.31 ... thirty one cents ... here in Chicagoland. If I add a quarter for the onion and fifty cents for the cheese I'm up to $3.05 ... that's $.76 per person!

Shrimp Fajitas $7.46

mmm were these tasty. So Barbara found the idea, and I was totally pumped about it - it's such a nice, light meal ... WITH THE RIGHT TORTILLAS (I didn't have healthy tortillas:-(

here's what we whipped together - it was so easy too!

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rinsed $2.99
1 red pepper - sliced in thin strips $1.10
1 yellow pepper - sliced in thin strips $1.10
1 medium white or yellow onion .20
2 Tbsp cilantro (optional) .10
1 avocado (optional) $1.10
4 flour or whole grain tortillas.40

Marinade
juice of one lime .20
2 Tbsp olive oil .20
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cumin .05
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.02

Mix lime juice etc. into a marinade - toss peppers and onions into marinade, cover equally, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove veggies to a hot frying pan - toss raw shrimp into marinade. Allow peppers and onions to saute on low heat for about 20 minutes ... soften the veggies up really well!
Heat a separate frying pan over medium heat for 45 seconds or so, then strain shrimp from marinade and toss with 2 Tbsp cilantro in frying pan - allow to cook for 3 minutes, flip 'em over and repeat. Try not to overcook - just make the little shrimp pink.

Assemble into a burrito/enchilada type food and eat!

I have to include this picture just to show you that the Herons and the D'Egidios were on the EXACT same wave length last night! I just didn't mash the avocado as it wasn't ripe enought for guac, and it was really yummy this way.

Chilies Rellenos Bake $3.21

So I have no idea when I stumbled upon this recipe, but I know I've made it more than a time or two.  There are two versions...both of which I've included herein.  It's pretty much straight outta Betty Crocker, so it's hardly rocket science for Barbara or I, but never the less, we present... Chili Rellenos Bake

Chilies Rellenos Bake
4 large Eggs .32
1/2 cup sour cream .25
1/8 tsp salt
1 drop red pepper sauce .05
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz).56
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz).56
1 can chopped green chilies, undrained.49

Heat oven to 350 - spray a 8 X 8 pan
Beat eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper sauce in large bowl with wire whisk.  Stir in cheeses and chillies, Pour into prepared baking dish
Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or util golden brown and set in center

Meanwhile, prepare
1 cup salsa .50
2 tbsp chopped cilantro.15
1/2 cup black beans (drained/rinsed).18
1/2 cup corn..15

When chilies rellenos bake is done, top with the salsa and serve.

A "Lighter Chilies Rellenos Bake" is presented in the cookbook...
it allows for 1 cup Egg Beaters and 1 cup of cooked rice instead of the cup of Monterey Jack cheese.  It also recommends using low fat versions of sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Breakfast Burrito $2.27

a SUPER easy dinner that is oh so healthy... and yummy.  Really, the only part that gives this the "breakfast burrito" title is a) the recipe book (Eating For Life) that I borrowed it from, and B) the views of Americans that Eggs are for Breakfast...get over that misnomer and ENJOY!

4 Breakfast Burrito
4 (8 inch) tortillas .40
4 whole eggs .32
8 egg whites.40
some lettuce .10
8 Tbsp (1/2cup) black beans (can be "refried").30
4 Tbsp cheddar cheese shredded .35
1 cup Salsa.40
$2.27

Whisk the egg and egg whites together - pour into a large warm (med-low heat) skillet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray - stir gently and occasionally until "set".

While the eggs are cooking, place lettuce on the tortillas, followed by 2 Tbsp black beans, then, when finished, top with cooked eggs, shredded cheddar and 2 Tbsp of salsa on each tortilla.  Roll up, top with a small amount of sour cream if desired and share the rest of the salsa amongst your family.

try some of that left over cilantro you have from Sunday night too!  See you next time!

Wednesday Refried Black Beans & tortillas $3.45

Today is Ash Wednesday - for the Catholic friends among us, it's a day of both fasting and abstaining... fasting from food is currently practiced as 2 small simple meals and 1 small dinner. All with the objective of fulfilling your minimalist food needs, not satisfying your every hunger. Abstaining is what most non-Catholics observe us doing - not eating meat on Fridays... well, we also do it on Ash Wednesday, and throughout the triduim (commonly known as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, the three days after lent comes to a close but before Easter Sunday) - many folks fast througout the Triduim as well.

Enough about the religious practices of the Catholics among us - let's get on to the food...

Refried Black Beans

1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil .10

1 Tbsp. Garlic .05

1 can Black Beans, undrained .59

2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning Mix .10

heat oil to hot, add garlic - heat until savory - about one minute, then add black beans and taco seasoning mix. Mash the beans with a wooden spoon or potato masher until the consistency desired - heat to desired temp (water from beans will both evaporate and soak into the bean "mash").

Top with thick salsa (1/2 cup) and cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) and heat (covered) without stirring until cheese melts - you may place in broiler or oven if your pan is oven proof (no plastic handles!)

Homemade Tortilla Chips

1 package flour or corn tortillas (like for quesadillas or soft shell tacos) .98

olive oil spray .10

salt

using pizza cutter or scissors or knife, cut the tortillas into either wide strips (1") or triangles, whatever you prefer... place on a baking sheet without touching - spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray, then salt to taste. Place in 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes, remove, flip chips, and return to oven for another 5-8 minutes until desired browness is acheived. They will crisp up outside the oven, so do not over cook!

I'm also making a spanish rice type of dish - just for fun since I'm already messing up the kitchen.
I've added:

1 8-oz can tomato sauce .49
2-3 Tbsp. diced mild green chilis (from a little can) depending on taste .39
1 cup rice .40
2 cups water
1 tsp garlic salt .10
1/2 tsp cumin .10
1 tsp. sugar .05
Total $3.45
mix all ingredients in a medium covered sauce pan, heat over medium high heat to a boil, reduce heat to low simmer - simmer covered for at least 20 minutes until rice is plump.

Tuesday's Chipotle Beef $9.66

Tonight's Biggest Loser night ... let's get ready to see our friend Jillian by spicing things up with this super easy crock pot cooking meal!  Adapted from Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels.

Chipotle Beef

2.5 to 3 lbs beef chuck roast$ 3.99

1 tsp salt (or less).

1-2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 can low sodium beef broth (or 1 boullion cube & 1.5 cups water).69

1-7oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce $ 2.49

lettuce salad of your choosing
$2.49
grand total: $ 9.66

Salt/Pepper meat, place in hot non-stick skillet and brown meat on all sides.

Put meat, beef flavoring (broth or boullion) and peppers in crockpot.  Put on low for all day or high for four hours.

Remove from spicy sauce, cool slightly, and slice against the grain into thin strips.

"Serve over lettuce for a delicious spicy salad that doesn't need dressing".
     ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~
This is a spicy dish - if you are serving someone with spice aversions, like kids, you can use half a can of peppers, or you can serve the salad with either lowfat sour cream or ranch dressing on the meat.  We've enjoyed both!  Hope you do too!

K

Monday Taco $7.46

Tacos are a huge fan favorite at our house.  My kids love the independence afforded them by "taco bar"!  We've done this for birthday parties, kid pick night, and pretty much anytime I "needed" a quick fill in for dinner.

The recipe is pretty self explanatory, and most of you "know" how to make tacos... so here goes the cost breakout/recipe demo.

1 package Fit & Active Lean Ground Turkey ($2.49)

1 package Aldi's Taco Seasoning (.33)
water per directions on taco seasoning ($0.00)

4 taco shells - $.99 for a whole box of 10 shells (.40)

4 soft tortilla shells - $.89 for 10 (.36)

1 cup lettuce $.50 (1/2 heart from pkg of 3 romaine hrts)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($1.15)
salsa ($.50 - 1/4 of newly bought container)
sour cream (1/4 of .89 container = .22)
black olives (1/8 of $1.19 can already open) $.15

These tacos cost about $6.10 for a fun family night around the table with everyone feeling like they owned the creation of their own meal!  And, my kids are so much more likely to eat their own creations without coersing.
~~~

As an added treat tonight, we're having guacamole.  This can get a touch pricey if avocados are $1.69 each and you use a $.99 seasoning package, but Aldi had them on sale for .89 yesterday - so Joe and I will enjoy a huge bowl of guac (kids won't touch it) for $.94...  here's my recipe

1 avocado, soft and ripe

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp seasoning salt (like Lawry)
1/8 tsp garlic pwdr or 1/4 tsp garlic salt

Aldi's Blue Chips ... 1.69 ... we'll use 1/4 bag (.42)

cut open avocado, use spoon to grab all the yummy delicousness inside, season, and mash well.  Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes if possible to marry the flavors.  Some friends say that if you put the avocado stone in your guac it won't turn brown.  I've also read that if you use a wooden spoon to remove the flesh from the skins it will help.  The brown that sometimes sits into guacamole is oxidation ... if you eat your guac fast enough it won't happen.  That's my solution!

Now, some folks like their guac with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, or sour cream.  I would certainly use leftover cilantro from the Southwest salad, but I gave it to Barbara (nice cost savings for her :-) ), and sometimes I add REALLY finely chopped onion, but Joe prefers it just avocado and spices. 

In reality, if you have blue taco chips at my house we'll eat far fewer taco shells, and eat the blue chips instead.  Blue chips are a real treat for us because we usually eat the whole bag in one sitting.
Aldi also has great black beans... they're $.59 per can (not making this up, folks!).  Mash, and heat for a great healthy refried beans alternative.

In total... a rather expensive meal by the standards we've set so far... but WELL under the $10 threshhold.
$7.46 for blue chips, guacamole, and fully stuffed adult sized tacos.

Southwest Chicken Salad $6.19

AHHH... time for a really refreshing salad.
This salad comes from the Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolism start up diet ... it's in the book.  It's so so so yummy that that fact shouldn't scare off the non-Jillian fans or those not thinking in any way of dieting.  But, since Barbara and I are fit, fast and frugal foodies, we're concerned about what you're eating, and this is a great choice!

Southwest Chicken Salad

1/2 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tsp chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 medium boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1-15 oz. can black beans, drained
4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup chopped scallions, green onions or regular onion

4 or more cups romaine lettuce, washed.

Place the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, chile powder and cumin in a small bowl - whisk to blend well - add tomatoes to mixture to "marinate". 
Saute the chicken in a grill pan, on the grill outdoors, or in a frying pan - whatever you got.  You could even use the pre-made chicken from the store, though it can be salty.  Slice into 1 inch strips when done.  Then mix beans, chicken and scallions.

Place lettuce equally in four serving plates or bowls - top with chicken/beans mix, then spoon the tomato mixture over the top.  Serve. 

So yummy - and the cumin/chile powder combo is delish!!  ENJOY! - Some people might add another slice of bread of choice, but with the beans and tomatoes, there really are enough carbs in this dish to fill you up without the added bread.