Spaghetti Squash with Chili

Spaghetti Squash with Chili
Slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 spaghetti squash
8 ounces lean ground turkey  (93/7 % or 99/1%)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
14 ounce can Rotel (or equivalent), drained
15 ounce can corn, drained
8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste (if you don't have that's okay)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed

If you have never cooke spaghetti squash before, it's really not bad I promise.  You can either bake or microwave it.  I choose to bake mine because it could bake as I was making the chili.
To bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and middle (as you would a pumpkin).  Place the squash halves with the cut sides down and the rind side up on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.  Cook for ~30-45 minutes.  I set my timer for 30min and they were done.  Just poke with a fork to check.  Be careful when you turn them over because the trapped steam is what helps them cook.  Use a fork to softly scrap out the flesh, which comes out in string like strands.
To microwave: cut and clean in the same manner.  Place one half in a baking dish with ~1/4 cup water.  Cover and microwave for ~8-10 minutes.  Do the same for the second half.

For the chili:  In a medium saucepan cook ground turkey, onion, and garlic until meat is fully cooked and onion is tender.  Season with a little salt and pepper while cooking.  Drain off any fat.
Stir in Rotel, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and oregeno.  Simmer, unconvered, for 10 minutes or desired consistency.

Top spaghetti squash with chili.  Yum!  I liked it!  And I love being able to use spaghetti squash more in the fall and skip the pasta!

Spinach, Artichoke, & Mushroom Lasagna

Two things about me

1. I love lasagna. In fact, it was what I picked for my "birthday dinner" almost every year and what I used to always request when I went home from college.

2. My sister and I are "freebie followers" so we often sign up for free stuff, coupons, etc.

So I signed up to get this lasagna cookbook and when Corinne came in town this weekend we tried our version of one of the recipes. It was delicious! Here's our version...

Spinach, Artichoke, & Mushroom Lasagna

adapted from Precious Spinach, Artichoke, & Ricotta Lasagna

1 recipe Béchamel Sauce (recipe below)

1 jar marinara sauce of choice (or homemade red pasta sauce)

8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

15-oz container of low fat ricotta cheese

1.5 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

1 egg

Drizzle olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

6oz bag of baby spinach

1 cup sliced mushrooms (baby portabella or crimini)

1 box of no boil, oven ready lasagna noodles

1 large can of quartered artichoke hearts (in water, unflavored)

2 chicken breasts cooked & shredded (optional)

Béchamel Sauce:

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3.5 cups 2% milk

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg (or grated fresh)

-Melt butter on medium heat in large skillet

-Add onion & garlic, cook until soft and translucent

-Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes making sure not to brown

-Whisk in milk slowly and bring mixture to boil. Stir in nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

-Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking often

Lasagna directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2. Mix ricotta and egg in small bowl.

3. In a medium skillet saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil until soft and onions are translucent. Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread 13x9 inch casserole dish with 1/2 of béchamel sauce. Top with lasagna sheets to cover. Do not overlap lasagna noodles.

5. Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the spinach/mushroom mixture, 1/2 of the artichokes, 1/2 the chicken (if using), the remaining 1/2 of the béchamel sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and 1/3 of the parmesan

6. Layer with more lasagna noodles. Top with the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining spinach/mushroom mixture, the remaining artichokes, the remaining chicken (if using), 1/2 the jar of marinara sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and 1/3 of the parmesan.

7. Finish with the last layer of lasagna noodles. Top with a layer of marinara sauce then the remainder of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

8. Cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook until top is browned, ~10 minutes. Remove, allow lasagna to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

*If you prefer you can alternate the sauce béchamel/marinara/béchamel/marina instead of the above

Thai Green Curry

I looked at a lots of recipes to find a good green curry recipe...some easy, some complicated...and here is what I ended up doing. I kinda made up my own thing based on what I wanted so obviously you can change it around. I bought green beans and basil but forgot to put them in so maybe in my next batch! I also was going to use green onion but they didn't have any at Target (weird). I thought it ended up pretty good but it wasn't as sweet and flavorful as the restaurant so I ended up sprinkling a tiny amount of sugar and stirred it in. I think it might have to do with the fact I used light coconut milk instead of the regular since the light has a lot of water in it. I also brought it leftover for lunch today and it was good but needed a touch of salt.

Thai Green Curry

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

juice of 1 lime

1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips

1/4 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 small can bamboo shoots, thinly sliced

2-3 tablespoons green curry paste

1 14oz can light coconut milk

1-2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Pound chicken thin and cut into bite sized pieces. Cook in skillet with lime juice on medium heat until done.

2. Add bell pepper, onion, and bamboo shoots. Cook until soft (or desired consistency)

3. Add ~ 1 tablespoon green curry paste and stir to coat. Add coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Continue to add green curry paste until desired flavor/spiciness. Reduce heat to low-medium.

4. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with cold water. Add to skillet and stir. Continue cooking until sauce thickens. If needed, repeat cornstarch step again to thicken sauce.

5. Serve over rice

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

I forgot to post another recipe Corinne & I tried on our last visit. We didn't use olives because she doesn't like them. I liked this recipe because it didn't have pounds of butter like traditional shrimp scampi recipes.

Shrimp Scampi With Pasta, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes And Olives

Self Magazine, don't remember the issue

Ingredients:
2 ounces Whole-Grain Angel-Hair Pasta
2 tsp Extra Light Olive Oil
¾ pound Medium Shrimp, shelled
½ tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Black Olives
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach
4 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
¼ cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp White Wine (or use extra broth)
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Reduced-Fat Grated Parmesan

Directions:
For pasta
Cook pasta 1 minute less than directed on package; set aside.
For shrimp
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Cook shrimp until pink, 5 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate.
For vegetables
Reduce heat to medium; add olives, parsley and garlic. Cook until garlic becomes fragrant but does not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add spinach, tomatoes, broth, wine and lemon juice. Cover and cook until tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

468 calories per serving, 15.8 g fat (2.9 g saturated), 35.6 g carbs, 2.6 g fiber, 42.7 g protein

Raspberry-Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Here's a recipe Corinne & I tried this weekend. Not sure if it was the ginormous chicken breasts we had or what but the whole sauteing thing did not work at all. We ended up baking them at 425 until the chicken was cooked (not sure how long since they were partially cooked from the sauteing). It wasn't as amazing as I was daydreaming it was going to be but it ended up good and I think subtracting the drama we had with cooking it, I wouldn't mind making it again. And it was good cold the next day, would be good on a salad.

Raspberry-Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Women's Health, September 2010

Ingredients:
1 cup Fresh Or Unsweetened Frozen Raspberries
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, about 1 pound
½ cup Whole-Grain Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Coarsely Ground Pistachio Nuts
2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Parsley
dash Freshly Ground Pepper
pinch Sea Salt
2 tsp Olive Oil

Directions:
Combine the raspberries, mustard, and lemon juice in a small food processor or blender. Process until smooth.Transfer to a shallow pan, cover, and set aside.

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper and pound with a meat mallet to ½-inch thick. In another shallow pan, combine the bread crumbs, pistachios, parsley, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Dip each chicken breast in the sauce to coat both sides. Roll the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture to cover completely.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the chicken breasts over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is slightly browned, 5 minutes on each side.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This is a recipe I tried from www.ourbestbites.com and came out quite good. I ate mine with some homemade guacamole, yum! You can use less cheese if you want and you can use flour or corn tortillas.

Here are some things I love about this recipe:

1. I can make myself two taquitos and keep the remainder of the chicken mixture to make another single portion fresh when I need it instead of having to eat leftovers.

2. I know that they are baked and not fried

3. I know that they have breast meat with the fat cut off and not the gross mystery meat that a store bought taquito probably has (sorry personal bias)

4. Lets not forget it was quick and easy

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

3 ounces Cream Cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
⅓ cup Salsa Verde
½ Lime, juice of
1 tsp Chile Powder
½ tsp Ground Cumin
pinch Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp Onion Powder
3 cloves Garlic, minced
¼ cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
3 Tbsp Scallions, chopped
2 cups Chicken, cooked, shredded
½ cup Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cup Shredded Pepperjack Cheese
8-12 (6-inch) Corn Tortillas
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Cooking Spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and ¼ tsp kosher salt. Fold in the chicken and cheeses. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

Maple-Glazed Salmon

My friend Corinne made this recipe for me this weekend and I've been dreaming about having it again since! It's that perfect delicious combo of a little spice and a little sweet, and you can adjust it to being less or more spicy to taste too. Also, the spice rub is delicious to keep around for seasoning other items or to have on hand to make this a seriously quick and healthy dish. Of note, Corinne usually used honey instead of maple syrup since maple syrup is a little pricey. I'm not a honey fan but she says you can't really tell the honey taste. We tried the real deal this weekend and she does admit it is better with the maple syrup so up to you! It's only a couple of tablespoons so the bottle will last a while though!

(recipe from here)

Maple-Glazed Salmon

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 (6-ounce) Alaskan salmon fillets
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Combine first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over flesh side of fillets. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Brush fillets evenly with maple syrup; broil 1-2 more minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

352

Fat:

20g (sat 3.2g,mono 7g,poly 2.7g)

Protein:

34.6g

Carbohydrate:

8.6g

Fiber:

0.2g

Cholesterol:

104mg

Iron:

1.6mg

Sodium:

574mg

Calcium:

80mg

Meatballs with Peppers & Pineapple

(cooking on the stove, sauce hasn't thickened yet)

A friend posted on Facebook how much she loved this recipe and I finally got around to trying it. Its a recipe from The Pioneer Woman's cooking website (which I love!) I used ground turkey breast for my meatballs, whole wheat panko bread crumbs, and in place of sugar I used ~3 tablespoons of agave nectar (I don't use refined white sugar anymore). I also used a very small amount of oil to cook my meatballs. I wanted that crispy crust but you could bake them if you wanted to. I served it on sticky sushi rice & it paired like a charm. I LOVED LOVED this recipe!! And it was delicious a little spicy! It took a little longer than I thought to prepare but the end result was so worth it! YUM!!

Meatballs with Peppers & Pineapple (links to original recipe)

• 1-¼ pound Ground Beef
• ½ whole Onion, Diced Very Finely
• 1 whole Egg
• ½ cups Panko Bread Crumbs (or Regular Breadcrumbs)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper, More To Taste
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• Canola Oil, For Frying
• 2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Seeded And Diced Roughly
• 1-½ cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks
• 2 cups Beef Stock Or Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• ½ cups Sherry Or White Wine Vinegar
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• Salt To Taste
• Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste
• Extra Beef Stock If Needed

Combine ground beef, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and crushed red pepper. Mix with hands until combined. Roll meat mixture into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze on the pan for 15 minutes to firm.

Mix together beef stock, soy sauce, sherry (or vinegar), sugar, and cornstarch.

Heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Roll meatballs in flour, then fry in two batches until nice and brown, about two minutes per batch. Remove meatballs and set aside on a separate plate.

Pour off oil from pan and return pan to medium high heat. When pan is hot, throw in the chopped green peppers and cook for one minute. Add pineapple to pan and cook for one minute, stirring gently. Pour in stock/soy sauce mixture, then add meatballs. Stir gently to combine and allow to cook and bubble for a few minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Add salt and crushed red peppers to taste. (Hint: this dish is yummy if it’s a little spicy.)

Serve over cooked brown or white rice.

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world" -Desmond Tutu

Tuna Salad

Tuna Salad

-6 oz Albacore tuna

-2 green onions, sliced

-2 Tbsp kalamata olives, sliced/minced

-2 Tbsp flat leaf/Italian parsley, chopped

-zest & juice of 1 lemon

-2-3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

-dash of pepper

Mix tuna, green onions, olives, and parsley. In a seperate bowl wisk the olive oil into the lemon juice & zest until all mixed. Sprinkle pepper to taste (the olives should be salty enough that you don't need salt). Add to tuna and mix. Eat on a sandwhich, wrap, crackers, or plain like I did for lunch today (pic). As with all my recipes, change the proportions as desired! Easy, quick, healthy, light, yummy!

Three-Cheese Chicken Cannelloni

My friend Corinne came to visit me for the 4th of July weekend! We always love cooking dinner together and wanted to try a new recipe so we tried this Hungry Girl recipe. However in typical Heather fashion I changed things up to my liking! :) The recipe sounded yummy and I figured it'd be good but nothing exciting but let me just tell you....it ended up being sooo delicious!! It was super flavorful and the chicken was crazy moist. I made it again the next night because it was so good!! I'll address the "changes" I made below...

Three-Cheese Chicken Cannelloni PER SERVING (1 stuffed cutlet, 1/2 of recipe): 274 calories, 3.5g fat, 647mg sodium, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g sugars, 43g protein Pasta is passé (and starchy!). We like our cheesy filling rolled up in CHICKEN! And we know you will too. Ingredients: 1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach 1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms 1/3 cup fat-free ricotta cheese 2 tsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping 1 tsp. chopped garlic, divided Dash nutmeg Dash each salt and black pepper, or more to taste Two 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlets 3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes 1 tsp. dried minced onion 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning 1 stick light string cheese Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place spinach and mushrooms in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, until softened. Blot thoroughly, removing excess liquid. Add ricotta cheese, Parm-style topping, 1/2 tsp. garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside. Place one chicken cutlet in a large sealable plastic bag and, removing as much air as possible, seal bag. Carefully pound chicken through the bag with a meat mallet or heavy can, until uniformly about 1/3-inch thick. Repeat with second cutlet. Lay cutlets flat and spread evenly with veggie-cheese mixture. Starting with a longer side, roll up one cutlet (not too tightly or the filling will ooze!), and secure with toothpicks. Place in a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Repeat with second cutlet. Cover pan with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, Italian seasoning, and remaining 1/2 tsp. garlic. Mix well and set aside. Break string cheese into thirds and place in a food processor or blender -- blend at high speed until cheese takes on a shredded or grated consistency. (Or just tear string cheese into pieces and roughly chop.) Set aside. Remove pan from the oven, and carefully remove foil. Spoon seasoned tomatoes equally over chicken, and sprinkle shredded/grated string cheese evenly over tomatoes. Return to the oven (uncovered) and bake for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and cheese on top has melted. Remove toothpicks and enjoy! MAKES 2 SERVINGS

-Instead of using frozen spinach, I used fresh spinach. Microwave it with the mushrooms until the spinach is cooked and it worked great (I placed a touch of water in the bowl when I microwaved and it took ~2min)

-I used the minced garlic from a jar but I think fresh or jar would work. I just find it easier and actually really like how the flavor blends in the whole dish a little more

-I ALWAYS use shredded parmesan, never grated. I'm not a fan of parmesan powder! In fact in previous posts I think I've mentioned I use Kraft Shredded Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago

-Didn't use nutmeg because I didn't have it and wasn't going to buy it just for a "dash"

-Who needs to use minced onion when you can use SHALLOT! I'm pretty sure I've addressed my love [obsession] with shallot in my blog before. Instead of using the minced onion, I sauteed some diced shallot in a little of olive oil w/ just a sprinkle of kosher salt. I would use ~1/2 of a medium shallot for the recipe but I used 1 medium shallot since I made extra sauce

-I made some extra tomato sauce and we did cook up some whole wheat angel hair pasta on the side...I know the concept of the recipe was for no pasta but that's okay, everything in moderation! Although I will say the chicken serving was very large and I didn't need much pasta on the side to fill up. We also had a salad to start while the chicken was cooking (we were drooling and couldn't stand the wait!) The extra tomato sauce was perfect for the side of pasta and for the next night when I made the chicken again!

-We didn't put the string cheese in the food processor...we just tore it into strips and sprinkled some parmesan on the top as well. I already had string cheese so we just used that but you can use part skim mozzarella too

Fish in Papillote

I must admit I'm pretty happy with my meal planning this week, another good meal last night. I've been seeing in recipes and on the food network the idea for "Fish in Papillote" (or fish in parchment paper) so I finally decided to try it out. As with all my stuff use whatever combo of herbs, veggies, fish you'd like. Mine came out yummy but I'd love to try other combinations too.

Lemon Rosemary Fish in Papillote
-1 fillet tilapia per packet
-Rub with a light layer of olive oil on both sides of the fish
-Season with salt/pepper
-Place in a large piece of parchment paper
-Spread minced garlic on top of fish
-Place some sliced lemon and a spring of rosemary on both the top and underneath the fish
-Place some veggies on top and tuck some under the fish if you desire (I used sliced shallot, squash, artichoke quarters, and crimini mushrooms)

Close the parchment paper and roll the edges to create a tight seal to steam the fish in. Bake at 425 for 25min. Careful of steam when opening the packet.

Mojito Lime Shrimp

Have to share another yummy dinner from last night! I know these aren't "recipes" and I've never thought to post these before but then I realized that quick meal ideas are great to share as well. I marinated this while I was at the gym and I literally had dinner 10 minutes after I was home...it was so fast, easy, & delicious!

Mojito Lime Shrimp
-Make packet of McCormick Gill Mates Mojito Lime marinade (I used a little less oil then it called for. Also I used balsamic vinager instead of white/apple cider because that's what I had and it turned out great)
-Marinate shrimp (It says to marinate seafood no longer then 30 minutes, mine was closer to 2 hours and it was fine)
-Cook as desired (I used my Foreman grill, took 5 minutes to cook)

This marinade was soo yummy! It was a delicious mix of a touch of spice, a touch of sweet, and a touch of tang. I highly recommend! I also think this marinade would taste great in fish/shrimp tacos.

Parmesan Tilapia & Squash Veggie Packets

Dinner tonight was SO yummy (& easy), I had to share!

Parmesan Tilapia
-baste the tilapia fillet w/ a light coating of olive oil
-sprinkle Grill Mates Garlic Herb & Wine marinade seasoning on the top, pat the powder down so it sticks to the fish
-sprinkle w/ a light coating of shredded parmesan cheese (I use the Kraft shredded parmesan, romano, & asiago - my favorite!)

That's it! Bake as desired...I did 400 degrees until the fish was firm & flaky (~12 min)

Squash Veggie Packets
This recipe is my best friend's husband's recipe and these veggies are my favorite!! He does these on the grill but I do the oven version for my apartment and they came out great. Add any veggies you want! He usually uses onions also but I didn't have any on hand. The amount below is enough for 2 servings.

My veggie packet tonight consisted of:
1 zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
handful of crimini mushrooms, sliced
-place veggies in tin foil
-cover with Italian dressing (highly recommend Ken's Italian w/ Aged Romano, also don't use zesty Italian because it is too strong)
-close tin foil so the dressing will not leak and the veggies will steam (you might need to do 2 sheets in different directions)

-Grill if able or bake at 500 degrees for 20-30 min

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

This is a recipe my friend, Candace, made while I was visiting her and she shared the recipe with me. The flavor was AWESOME but it was actually too spicy for my taste so this recipe is for those spicy lovers out there. Candace's husband, Jerad, is a spicy lover & this was just right for his taste. It's also super easy to make!

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 tsp adobo sauce (found in Mexican food section)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
8 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat

1. Combine all ingredients (except pork) in a blender or small food processor. Blend until the chipotle is chopped and the mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add pork, and seal. Squeeze out extra air from bag. Make sure pork is coated in marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
2. Cook in roasting pan at 450 degrees for 20-35 minutes (until meat registers at 150 degrees on a cooking thermometer). Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition per serving: 139 calories, 4g fat, 1g sat fat, 2g mono fat, 63mg cholesterol, 2g carbs, 23g protein, 0g fiber, 165mg sodium, 374mg potassium

Cafe Rio Knock-off Recipes

Inspired by dinner at my friend Julie's house, my Dad [and I] decided to make a Cafe Rio inspired meal for people coming over to watch the football game this weekend. For those of you unfamiliar with Cafe Rio think Costa Vida or Chipotle + enchiladas. It is found primarily in Utah and is part of Utah culture. In fact, Julie's friend described it as the best food on the Earth. Not sure if I agree with that bold statement but it is good. (Shannon don't worry I'm still completely loyal to Chipotle!! Cafe Rio just offers some things that Chipotle doesn't plus no one understands Chipotle up here the way you & I do!)

Now I definitely wouldn't consider any of these restaurants to be particularly "healthy" BUT the healthy thing about preparing them yourself is you know exactly what you are using or putting in the recipe. And the most important factor that earns a seat on The Healthy Bite is that I believe in everything in moderation and portion control!

These recipes can be used to make burritos, salads, or whatever you want!

Cafe Rio Style Pork
2 pound pork (recipe calls for pork butt or boneless pork ribs, I think pork loin would work just fine)
3 cans Coke
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch garlic salt
1/4 cup water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (recipe did not say red or green, we used green)
1 cup brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziplock bag to marinade. Add a can and a half (18oz) of coke and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.
Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can Coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily but is not too dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot, shred pork.
In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke (6 oz), chilies, enchilada sauce, and remaining brown sugar (more or less to taste*)
Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours.

*I think Cafe Rio pork is too sweet. We actually doubled this recipe and I only used ~3/4 cup sugar in the final sauce so I would recommend being very conservative with the brown sugar at the end. The Coke adds lots of sweet.
-Other thoughts: this recipe specifically says not to use diet Coke but I've seen bloggers say diet works just fine...we used regular Coke but when I make this again I would try diet. Bloggers that used diet Coke also used the Splenda blend of brown sugar and said it came out fine too. Just a personal call on what you want to do!

Cafe Rio Style Chicken
1 (8oz) bottle of zesty Italian dressing
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 lbs chicken breasts

Cook all together in a crock pot of 4 hours on low. Shred meat. Cook 1 additional hour

*Super easy & it was a crowd favorite

Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 packet Traditional Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
2 large tomatillos (or 3 if they are small), roasted, husked, and diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
1 small jalapeno (keep seeds and veins in for spicy, remove for a smaller kick)

Roast the tomatillos with the husk on in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then mix all the ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate for the flavors to mix.

*I could drink this it is so good! Yum!! Also a crowd favorite. They also make a delicious cilantro-lime vinaigrette which we didn't make but I'll have to try it some other time.
*I don't ever use/buy mayo so I couldn't tell you off the top of my head which mayo is the healthiest but READ YOUR FOOD LABELS. In mayo you're looking for the lowest saturated and trans fat without added sugar. Looking online it looked like Reg mayo had 90 calories, 1.5g sat fat, 0g sugar; Light mayo had 50 calories, 0.8g sat fat, 0.6g sugar; and Olive Oil mayo had 45 calories, 0g sat fat, and 0g sugar. Looks like Olive Oil mayo would be the healthiest choice but always check your food labels! Confused or have any questions - just ask me!

Cafe Rio Style Cilantro Lime Rice
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 tsp butter/margarine (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp + 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
pinch of sugar (optional)
3 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp lime juice, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar, cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

*This rice (as with most homemade cilantro lime rice I've had) comes out sticky. I think the lime juice has a chemical reaction with the cooking of the rice. I think next time I might try to just add all the lime juice at the end although that might change the flavor. This rice was still delicious even though it was sticky! If you guys have any tricks or experience please share :)