Chicken Fajita Bowls

It's looking like a Mexican day for me. Chipotle for lunch. Chicken Fajita Bowls for dinner. Somehow I'm okay with this. Haha. If you actually know me, you really shouldn't be surprised by this. Rarely a week goes by where I don't eat some kind of Mexican dish...or two.

Chicken Fajita Bowls

Serves 4

2 Chicken Thighs (or Breasts)
Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced (or chopped)
1/2 Large Onion, sliced
Salt and Pepper
2 cups Cooked Brown Rice
1 Avocado
4 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt
4 Tbsp Queso Fresco
1 Jalapeño or a few drops of Hot Sauce

Preheat a grill (I used electric) and heat the oil in a skillet. Sprinkle the taco seasoning on the chicken and place on grill. While chicken is grilling, saute the bell pepper, onion, salt, and pepper in the skillet until soft and caramelized. When the chicken is done, slice or chop into bite-size pieces. Scoop 1/2 cup rice into each bowl. Top with 1/4 of the chicken, peppers and onions. Top that with 1/4 of the avocado, 1 Tbsp yogurt, 1 Tbsp Queso Fresco, and some jalapeño or hot sauce. Enjoy!

Frittata

This was my first attempt at a frittata! After making it I realized how versatile they are. I kept seeing them in my recipe books, but I wasn't really sure what they were. They sounded good, but seemed a bit complicated. As it turns out, they're not. Ms. Betty Crocker helped me create this one. Sorry there's no picture. Maybe next time. :)


Frittata
4 or 5 eggs
1/4 c mozzarella cheese
1 T butter
1 c chopped peppers (red or green)
1/2 c chopped onions
1 small red potato, thinly sliced
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Garlic powder
Dried dill


Beat eggs, pepper, and salt in a bowl until well blended. Stir in the mozzarella cheese and set aside. Melt butter in a oven safe skillet (we used a cast iron skillet) over medium heat on the stove. Saute peppers, onions, and potato sliced in melted butter. Season with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill. Once the onions and potatoes are tender, pour egg and cheese mixture over vegetables. Cover the skillet, and cook for 8-10 minutes. Turn oven to broiler setting with the rack set in the top position. Place skillet on rack and cook for 2 minutes, or until the top of the frittata is golden brown. Flip the frittata out of the pan and cut into pie slices. Serve immediately with ketchup or salsa, if desired.

Cheesy Chicken Skillet

One day I couldn't think of sometime to cook for dinner. I had to call three people to get an idea. One didn't answer. One said they were too busy at work to help me out. And then my sister said "make a cheesy chicken skillet." She's made it for me before, but I couldn't remember how to make it at all. It turns out that it is just chicken chunks and veggies sautéed in olive oil with a little cheese sprinkled on the top. Here was my version.

Cheesy Chicken Skillet
2 T olive oil
Two chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 cups broccoli
3/4 c shredded cheese
1/2 c dry bulgur

Season chicken if desired. Prepare bulgur according to package. Heat oil in a skillet. Saute chicken and veggies in the skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with cheese and cook for another minute or two, or until cheese is melted. Serve chicken and veggies over bulgur.

Vegetarian Lasagna

This one goes out to my vegetarian readers.  Just like the meaty lasagna, it's inspired by Gayle's recipe.  The basic ingredients are the same; however, this version is meatless and the sauce is made from scratch (we usually use a pre-made spaghetti sauce).

Vegetarian Lasagna

15 whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 (24 oz) container cottage cheese

1 (8 oz) bag shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (4 oz) bag of shredded Parmesan cheese

Tomato Sauce:

1 T olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 t. sea salt

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

1/2 c scotch 

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

6 oz water

2 green onions, sliced

1-2 T fresh basil, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a large skillet.  Once hot, saute the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini with sea salt and crushed red peppers for 2 minutes.  Add the scotch and diced tomatoes.  Simmer for 2 minutes.  Then add the tomato sauce, paste, and water.  Simmer for another 2 minutes.  Finally add the green onions, basil, and garlic.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9"x13" cake pan.  Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Start the first layer by placing a layer of lasagna noodles (5 noodles) on the sauce.  Spread cottage cheese on noodles.  Cover the cottage cheese with the tomato sauce.  Sprinkle some mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the sauce.  Repeat the layering process twice, for a total of three layers.

Once all three layers are made, bake the lasagna in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce through the noodles.  Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.   

Tabouleh

Tabouleh (in this picture, it's the salad stuff in the back) is the side dish I made to go along with Sufflaqe when Jess and David came to visit.  This particular recipe makes enough for 8 entree servings...not sure why I made the full batch since there was only 4 of us eating it as a side.  However, I actually liked having the leftovers for lunches since the flavors intermix even more each day.  In the future though, I'll probably make a smaller batch, especially since it's usually only Ryan and me.

Tabouleh:

• 2-1/4 c water
• 1-1/2 c bulger
• 1 medium bunch of fresh parsley
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1/4 of a red onion
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 small jalapeno
• 1 glove garlic
• 1/2 c fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1-1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper 

Measure bulger into a large bowl.  In a sauce pan bring water to a boil.  Once water begins to boil, pour over bulger.  Let bulger soak for 30 minutes to an hour, or until all water is absorbed.  While bulger is soaking, mince parsley leaves (they don't really have to be too small).  Set aside in a medium bowl.  For the next part, a food processor works great, but you can also just use a knife.  Dice tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber; add to the bowl of parsley.  Finely mince the jalapeno and garlic clove; place in a small bowl.  Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the small bowl.  Check to see if all of the water in the bulger is absorbed.  If so, stir in the parsley, and vegetables as if you were making a salad.  Pour the dressing (lemon juice mixture) over the salad.  Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so that the flavors can blend.  Also try adding chopped fresh spinach, feta cheese, red pepper, or olives.

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