Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are such a fun meal!  The peppers make such a cute, edible dish just waiting to serve up the yummy filling in it.  There are so many different things you can stuff them with and this chicken fajita mix is fabulous!  This filling is so great in fact, that I love to use it for other things as well.  It makes a great filling for tacos and burritos and even works as a stand alone side dish.  As is, the seasonings combine to make a wonderful flavor.  I like to keep my foods pretty mild but you could easily spice it up by adding in some jalapenos.  Be creative and make this pepper yours!

Ingredients
6 medium bell peppers, any color
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb chicken, shredded
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2/3 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.  Wash peppers, cut the tops off and remove all seeds.  Place open side down, on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  While peppers are baking, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until golden about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, transfer onion mixture to a plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil skillet, and add chicken, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, onion mixture, black beans, corn, cooked brown rice, remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until heated through.  When peppers are done, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375.  Generously fill each pepper with rice mixture and sprinkle tops evenly with cheese.  Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Serve warm, topped with more cilantro and Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), if desired.

One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

I love the idea of only getting only one pan dirty when I make dinner.  Who doesn't love minimal dinner clean up?  When I came across this One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies recipe, I knew we'd be good friends.  This is one of my most shared recipes and everybody that tries it, loves it!  Instead of pasta, this recipe uses vegetables as a base, so makes for a lighter meal.   The recipe calls for fresh asparagus but fresh green beans work well too.  I like a lot of sauce, so I actually doubled the sauce.  If you're a saucy kind of person, I recommend doubling it for lots of flavor.  This is a quick and easy to make and clean up.  Oh, and it tastes fabulous too!

Ingredients
1/3 cup light Italian salad dressing
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut into strips
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb fresh asparagus
1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
1 cup grape tomatoes

Directions
In a mixing bowl whisk together salad dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes, set aside.  Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then place chicken evenly in skillet. Cook about 6 - 7 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking, until chicken has cooked through.  Meanwhile, trim asparagus of tough ends and cut and tomatoes in half.  Add half the dressing mixture to skillet and rotate chicken to evenly coat. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add asparagus and carrots to skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp tender, about 4 minutes.  Put meat back in the skillet with the veggies.  Pour remaining dressing over meat and veggies.  Stir gently to coat and cook for another minute.  Remove from heat and serve warm.

Source:  Cooking Classy

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

I love a good salad, especially in the summer!  It's a perfect quick lunch or light dinner.  My friend passed this one along to me a few years ago and I still love to pull it out and serve it for a filling, but lighter meal.  This salad is packed full of amazing and the dressing has just a little zip that will leave you wanting more.

Ingredients:
Dressing
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chicken, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup avocado, diced
1/3 cup red onion, thin slices
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained*
1 cup corn

*kidney or pinto beans are also good

Directions:
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stir until well mixed.  To prepare salad, combine lettuce and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Optional topping - tortilla strips*. Serve immediately and enjoy!

* You can easily make 21 Day Fix tortilla strips by using corn tortillas.  Brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into thin strips.  Toast for a few minutes until lightly toasted.  2 corn tortillas count as one yellow.

Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

As a busy mom, I'm always on the look out for ways to make dinner prep quick and easy.  Like most of you, dinner time is the busiest time of the day at our house.  The big kids need help with homework, the little ones are getting tired and cranky and I'm trying to divide myself between meeting all of their needs, cooking dinner and trying to make the house look a little less like a tornado just hit.  Sound familiar?  I got together with some friends last week and we spent the morning putting together some meals.  Best. Thing. Ever. We all went home with six healthy, homemade dinners just waiting to be put in the oven.  It was amazing!!  Dinner time has been such a breeze.  I could totally get used to this.  Anyway, this recipe right here is one that my friend made.  If you aren't able to make it ahead of time, it still comes together fairly quickly and we all loved it!

Ingredients
4 very thin boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded*
1  cup broccoli, chopped into very small pieces
 Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika
1/2  tbsp olive oil
toothpicks

*If you are following the 21 Day Fix eating plan, use one blue container of cheese for each chicken breast.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish, make sure they are very thin.  Season chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over chicken breasts, save a little to add to the top after you fold them.  Place a scoop of chopped broccoli on top of the cheese. Fold your chicken breasts in half and secure with 2-3 toothpicks each.  Brush the tops of the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with additional seasoning.  Cover baking dish with tin foil and place in the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.  Remove tin foil and sprinkle chicken with the remaining cheese.  Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Source:  Dana Nicole Fitness

{skinny} Chicken Salad

I don't know about you, but I eat much healthier when I plan ahead.  If I'm hungry and grab whatever is quick and easy, it's usually not so healthy.  If I plan ahead and prepare some healthy snacks and meals to have on hand when hunger hits, it's much easier to stick to healthy eating habits.  This is one of my favorites.  The original recipe is from Jillian Michaels and makes 4 cups.  Each 1/2 cup serving only has 118 calories.  I like to make a double batch and keep the extras in the fridge to pull out for a quick lunch or snack.  You can serve it sandwich style on whole wheat bread, scoop it up with whole grain crackers, roll it up in a leaf of lettuce or eat it just plain.  So many options.  And speaking of options, this recipe is very versatile.  If you're not a fan of the grapes, just leave them out.  Not so fond of the celery?  Replace them with cucumbers.  Cashews are my favorite nut but you can switch them out for another kind if you have a different favorite.  I've listed some optional seasonings that I like to add in (not all at the same time though!).  Play around with it and find the seasonings that do it for you.  Make this salad yours and enjoy a yummy, guilt free, protein packed meal!

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/3 cup chopped cashews
1/3 cup non or low fat plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Optional seasonings and herbs:  chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, paprika, green onions, parsley, cilantro

Directions
Put the cubed chicken into a large bowl. Add the grapes and cashews and toss gently to mix the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, celery, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the chicken and stir gently to coat. Season to taste.  Store the salad in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Chicken Avocado Lime Soup

This soup is nothing short of amazing!  I've shared it with so many people now and everybody loves it!!  It combines some fairly basic ingredients to create a ligh, simple but bursting with flavor, kind of soup.  I usually reserve soup for the coller months, but this is one that I love to eat year round!

Ingredients
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves minced garlic
7 cups organic chicken broth
2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
Optional toppings - tortilla chips (I like to toast corn tortillas and cut into wedges), shredded cheese and plain Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream)

Directions
In a large pot heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add green onions and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper and shredded chicken.  Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Add avocados to soup just before serving (if you don't plan on serving the soup right away, I would recommend adding the avocados to each bowl individually, about 1/2 an avocado per serving). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and Greek yogurt, if desired.