What We've Been Eating Lately

It's been awhile since I've shared a new recipe. That doesn't mean I'm not trying out new things in the kitchen; quite the opposite really. I get bored of our meal rotation and aim to try at least one new recipe a week. Sometimes more if I have the time. Here are a few meals we've had recently that all three of us have enjoyed.

Chicken, Black Bean & Quinoa Enchiladas

I love making Mexican food at home. These enchiladas were delicious. I don't like enchiladas that are weighed down with sauce and spice and that have a pound of cheese. Peppers, black beans, and tomatoes go into the filling, along with quinoa (I didn't have any on hand so I used brown rice) which makes these enchiladas a healthier version than the original. Definitely a keeper!

Brown Sugar Crusted Salmon

We went a while without eating salmon because I got bored of making it the same way. I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and figured I'd give it a try. It's SO easy there's really no excuse not to make it. The first time we tried it we couldn't believe it. So simple, so tasty. Another meal I'll be adding to our rotation, seeing as I've already made it like six times since. 

Mustard & Herb Marinated Chicken

I apologize for the crappy iPhone picture. I've got to get back into the habit of taking pictures of our food with the real camera. Anyway. Now that it's hot out, we've been grilling a lot. Mostly chicken and sausage. This is my favorite summer marinade and I make it so often that I think it might be time for me to find a new one before we get sick of it. Any recommendations?

Baked Pork Chops with Herb & Cheese Breadcrumbs

I saw Rachael Ray make this on her show a few weeks ago and it looked so good. She made it using chicken breasts; I thought it would be just as good with bone-in pork chops. Delicious! The dijon mustard coating is something I never would have thought of and pan frying it first then putting it into the oven is a great way to prevent the meat from drying out. Loved it!

I'm always looking for more things to try, so please tell me, if there's been something new you've made recently that you enjoyed!

What We've Been Eating Lately

I don't know about you, but I love seeing what other people are eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's probably why I love Instagram so much, an endless stream of good eats and inspiration. I get stuck in food ruts all the time. We're currently in one right now with breakfast. Miss A is refusing to eat eggs, oatmeal (not like she ever did before), and yogurt. She'll only eat toast or waffles right now. And blueberries by the carton. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of our recent eats with you in case you're looking for something new to eat!

Breakfast- toast, peanut butter, and banana is still one of my go-to's. I also like to add a drizzle of honey or agave with granola.

Lunch- lettuce wraps! A few weeks ago I was on a huge lettuce wrap kick and was stuffing them with roasted turkey, dried cranberries, sliced carrots, and mozzarella cheese. On the side I'd have a chopped cucumber, tomato, and feta salad, lightly tossed in olive oil and lemon juice. 

Dinner- This is one of my favorite dinners we had recently. Sweet and sour chicken over fried brown rice, mixed with chopped carrots, frozen peas, corn, scrambled egg, and diced red pepper. I sauteed all the veggies first in some sesame seed oil, added cold day old rice, an egg, and scrambled it all up. Then I dosed it with soy sauce and topped the whole thing with diced green onions. It was delicious! 

Another favorite is Alaskan Baked Salmon with lemon risotto and sauteed zucchini. This is how I usually make salmon. It's super easy and fast to put together. The oven does all the work for you and I love the crunchy topping. 

Not the best picture, but these potato nachos were a lot of fun to make and a new thing for us to try. I sliced up idaho potatoes very thin, tossed them in some olive oil, salt and pepper and placed them on a wire rack on to of a baking sheet. Then I added cheddar cheese, black beans, tomatoes, and green onions. 

Hope you find something new to try!

Inside-Out Burrito

If you follow me on Instagram, then you've seen me share this a million times. I've had many questions as to what it is and how I make it, so today, I'm going to tell you all about it! I struggle with what to call this. I toyed with "burrito on a plate" or "burrito bowls" (I love to serve this in large bowls) and "inside-out burrito". I thought that was a good fit, hence the title of my post. Whatever you want to call it, this is one my favorite meals. I'm obsessed with it. I'll make it for lunch or dinner, at least once a week! It's my fall back to those nights I don't want to make anything on my menu or don't have much left in the house at the end of the week.

The great thing about this is there isn't really a recipe for it, and you can customize it however you like it. Don't like red onions? Leave them out. A regular onion works just fine. Want it to be spicy? Add some jalapeno peppers, crank up the cumin, or add some red pepper flakes to the mix. You can even leave out the chicken and just have the beans, which I do ALL the time, for a meatless meal. Really, anything goes!

This particular night, I had a red onion, lettuce, black beans, cheddar cheese, and chopped chicken. You could also use:

Red/Green Peppers

Jalapeno Peppers

Yellow Onions

Tomatoes

Corn

Spinach

Shrimp

Here's how I make it:

Step 1. Start the rice first (we only eat brown rice in our house, but it would certainly be delicious with white rice).

Step 2. Season the chicken with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. I spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook the chicken for five-seven minutes, on both sides. Once it's cool enough to handle I chop it up.

Step 3. Layer the rice in a bowl or on a plate, then add the chicken, and whatever veggies you're using. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream and salsa. Serve and enjoy!