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Posts Tagged ‘Mexican’

Avocado Enchiladas

Posted in Enchiladas, Main Dish, Mexican, Vegetarian, tagged , , on July 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Enchiladas are a favorite meal in our house, and I have a feeling these avocado enchiladas are going to become a part of our regular recipe rotation. I made these for dinner tonight, and we couldn’t stop raving about how good they are. Plus, they are the easiest enchiladas I’ve ever made, which is important since dinner prep time is crazy around here lately.

Most weeknights I need to do most of the cooking before Brad gets home if we’re going to eat dinner at a reasonable time. Luckily, William is a happy and content baby most of the time, and he already enjoys watching me cook from his bouncy seat (sometimes- he is still a not-quite-three-month-old baby, after all). I never know what to expect from Julia recently; sometimes she’s great at playing independently while I cook, sometimes she helps me in the kitchen, and sometimes she decides that cooking time is a great time to demand my attention. Needless to say, cooking dinner is rarely stress-free.

I think I was overly ambitious when planning this week’s menu. As I began making these enchiladas, I was wondering if I should just be making something super simple like scrambled eggs and pancakes from the freezer instead. The enchiladas ended up taking me maybe 45 minutes to get together, which is not bad for enchiladas, especially while trying to keep two kiddos entertained at the same time. We enjoyed eating these so much that it was totally worth the time. I hope you’ll try them and enjoy them as much as we did!

One year ago:  Grilled Chicken with Peach Watermelon Salsa

Avocado Enchiladas

Printable Recipe

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

  • 1 tsp. canola oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 bottle of beer
  • 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

For the enchiladas:

  • 3 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 10 corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

  1. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Add garlic, sugar, cumin, and oregano; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add beer, tomatoes, and water and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place avocados, cilantro, salt, red onion, and lime juice in a bowl and stir gently to combine. Spread 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Dip tortillas in remaining sauce and spoon 3 tablespoons of filling onto each. Sprinkle a little grated cheese in each tortilla and roll up. Arrange, seam side down, in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 2-5 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Source: Adapted from Fitness Magazine, September 2008.

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Bean Burritos

Posted in Burritos, Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, Mexican, Vegetarian, tagged , , , on July 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Having a new baby and a three year old doesn’t allow for complicated or time-consuming dinner preparations most nights. That doesn’t mean that I want to sacrifice on taste, though. These bean burritos are a great balance between simplicity of preparation and great flavor. I’ve made them for dinner two weeks in a row now, and we’ve gotten two meals out of them each time. Normally I would eat the leftovers for lunch, but this time we’ve eaten them for dinner the following night. That way, I have a night off of cooking, where I don’t have to balance the baby’s feeding schedule with giving Julia some attention with cooking dinner.

I know that bean burritos are not a novel meal idea, but I’m excited to share this recipe because it’s more than just throwing some beans and cheese in a tortilla and calling it dinner (which I have done, in a pinch, and there’s nothing wrong with that, either!). I start by sauteing some onion and then add garlic and seasonings to give a little spice to the bean mixture. When serving, I add plenty of avocado, cheese, salsa, and Greek yogurt (it tastes just like sour cream in the burritos, but it’s much healthier!). Serving some fresh fruit with the burritos is an easy and nutritious way to complete the meal.

One year ago:  Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

Bean Burritos

Printable Recipe

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 large tortillas

For serving:

  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • lettuce, chopped
  • 1-2 avocados, mashed
  • Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
  • Salsa

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and saute, about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and cayenne and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the beans and 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. To serve, warm the tortillas between two paper towels in the microwave, 30-60 seconds. To assemble the burritos, place some of the bean mixture, cheese, lettuce, avocado, yogurt, and salsa down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Serve immediately.

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen original

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Mexican Lasagna

Posted in Main Dish, Mexican, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , on June 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

You just have to try this lasagna. I know at first the concept of Mexican lasagna might sound a bit strange, but trust me this meal really works. Seasoned black beans, corn, green onions, cheese, and tomatoes are layered between sheets of lasagna noodles. Using no boil noodles means that no cooking is required in prepping the lasagna, other than baking the assembled dish. Add to that very minimal chopping, and you have a meal that is so easy to put together.

We like to have meatless meals at least a few times each week and this lasagna is a perfect option. I recommend serving the lasagna with a big green salad, for a healthy and satisfying dinner.

One year ago:  Chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella

Mexican Lasagna

Printable Recipe

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:

  • 9 ounces no boil lasagna noodles
  • 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
  • 4-5 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 8 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Place the black beans, corn, green onions, cilantro (reserve a little for garnish), oregano, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine.
  3. Spread a thin layer of tomatoes on the bottom of a 9 x 9 square baking dish. Place one layer of noodles on top of the tomatoes. (Don’t worry if a little bit of space remains between the noodles and the edge of the pan, this will make it easier to serve the lasagna.)
  4. On top of the noodles, spread half of the bean and corn mixture, then a layer of tomatoes, and then 1/3 of the cheese.
  5. Repeat the layers with the remaining noodles, filling, tomatoes, and cheese. On the top layer of noodles, spread the rest of the tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese.
  6. Cover with aluminum foil that you’ve sprayed with a little cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking. Bake for about 45 minutes, then uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more until the cheese is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with the reserved cilantro and serve.

Source: Adapted from A Couple Cooks.

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Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Posted in Appetizers, Chicken, Main Dish, Meat, Mexican, Tacos, tagged , , on January 17, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This recipe has appeared on a number of my favorite food blogs, and for a while now I’ve been meaning to try it myself. For one reason or another, though, it never made it onto my weekly meal plan- until now. If I had known how much we would enjoy these taquitos, I would have made them much, much sooner.

The taquitos are surprisingly easy to put together, especially if you have leftover cooked chicken from the previous night’s dinner. Plus, they freeze really well so you can make a double batch and have a few more delicious, homemade meals on the table in minutes. Directions for freezing the unbaked taquitos follow the recipe below.

As I’ve mentioned recently, more and more Julia is enjoying helping me in the kitchen. I’m finding that the more involved she can be in the preparation of a meal, the more likely she is to want to eat it once we’re at the dinner table. For these taquitos, Julia helped me scoop the filling onto the tortillas before rolling them up. And when dinner time came, she took a bite of her taquito without hesitation and proceeded to eat it up and even ask for seconds!

One year ago:  Baked Falafel Sandwiches with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Chicken Pot Pie

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 taquitos

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp. sliced green onions
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
  • 12 small flour or corn tortillas
  • kosher salt
  • cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly. (If you decide to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)
  3. Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20-30 seconds).
  4. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.
  5. Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

*Note: To freeze taquitos, before baking, flash freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. and bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe from Pennies on a Platter, who adapted it from Our Best Bites

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Chicken Enchiladas

Posted in Chicken, Enchiladas, Main Dish, Mexican, tagged , , on August 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Chicken Enchiladas

We usually eat some variation of Mexican food for dinner once a week, whether it be tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. I’ve tried a number of delicious enchilada recipes over the years, but was surprised to realize that I haven’t ever made chicken enchiladas with red sauce. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find a recipe that you love, but that was not the case with these enchiladas- this recipe was perfect as is and is going straight into my recipe binder.

Enchiladas are a dish that I think of as taking a good amount of time to put together, so I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was able to make these. I cooked my chicken breasts earlier in the day, so they were all ready to go when it came time to make the enchiladas. I was able to complete the rest of the enchilada prep, including making the sauce, in 45 minutes (excluding the time it then took to bake the enchiladas). If you want to save even more time, you can also prepare the sauce a day ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to assemble the enchiladas.

These chicken enchiladas have just the right balance of chicken, sauce, and cheese in the filling. I like to serve them with a side of black beans.

Chicken Enchiladas

Printable Recipe

Makes 8 enchiladas

Ingredients:

For the enchilada sauce*:

  • 1 tsp. canola oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce, or 1 (15-ounce) can
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Salt and pepper

For the enchilada filling:

  • 1 tsp. canola oil
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 8 (7-inch) whole wheat tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory brand)
  • chopped scallions or cilantro for topping

Directions:

  1. Make the enchilada sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Make the enchiladas: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tsp. canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until soft, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add cooked chicken, salt, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, and chicken broth, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. To the chicken mixture, add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
  5. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a paper towel. Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla and tightly roll up; place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
  6. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas. (I didn’t use all of the sauce.) Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
  7. Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until heated through. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
  8. Serve topped with chopped scallions or cilantro.

*Red Enchilada Sauce recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Enchilada sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Sauce recipe from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

Enchilada recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, via Pink Parsley, and Skinnytaste.

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Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Posted in Easy Weeknight Meals, Enchiladas, Main Dish, Mexican, tagged , , on January 4, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verde

For Christmas, I received the cookbook, Perfect One-Dish Dinners, by Pam Anderson. I had seen recipes from this cookbook featured on some of the blogs that I read, and have had it on my wish list for a few months now. As I was first flipping through the book, this enchilada recipe was the first one that caught my eye. I put it on our New Year’s Eve menu, and Brad ended up giving me a night off from cooking because he made the enchiladas! They turned out great, and we even ate leftovers the next night (I think they tasted even better the second day, as things often do.)

We purchased a rotisserie chicken to use in the enchiladas, and it was a nice time-saver. Since the chicken was already cooked, there was no cooking required before assembling the enchiladas. This dish is fairly spicy due to the salsa verde, but I think the flavor was just right. If you prefer less spice, you could always reduce the amount of salsa that you use. (We did use less than what was called for in the original recipe, and the recipe below shows the amount we used.)

The next time you have an enchilada craving, I recommend making these easy and flavorful chicken enchiladas.

Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Printable recipe

Serves 5

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (we used a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
  • 2 cups (16 oz.) store-bought salsa verde, divided
  • 8 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 corn tortillas
  • Cooking Spray
  • 1/4 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • Sour cream (if desired for topping)

Directions:

  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix chicken with 2/3 cup salsa verde, 1 1/2 cups cheese, scant 1/4 cup cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread 1 cup salsa in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
  3. Wrap tortillas in two damp paper towels and microwave on high power until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken filling into a tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas. Drizzle enchiladas with remaining 1/3 cup salsa and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spray a large sheet of foil with cooking spray. Cover baking dish with foil, oiled side down, and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with onion slices, and bake for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro, let stand for a few minutes, and serve with sour cream, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Perfect One-Dish Dinners by Pam Anderson

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“Swiss” Enchiladas

Posted in Chicken, Enchiladas, Main Dish, Meat, Mexican, tagged , , , , , on October 20, 2010 | 2 Comments »

“Swiss” Enchiladas

I have made this recipe at least 10 times, because it is fairly easy to put together, and it makes a really tasty meal. The original recipe calls for Swiss cheese, but for some reason, the first time I made these I used Monterey jack cheese, and I’ve been using Monterey jack ever since. Sometime I’ll have to try using Swiss, since I’m sure it would be delicious too.

These enchiladas are pretty simple to put together, but it’s definitely much easier if you have some cooked chicken ready to use before beginning. Sometimes I’ll cook some chicken breasts earlier in the day to save myself a step later on, or sometimes I’ll use leftover grilled chicken from the night before. You could also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken if you’re really in a hurry.

Most often, I serve these with a side of black beans, and they are delicious topped with some chopped tomatoes and avocado. I recommend making enough enchiladas so that you can have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day- you’ll be glad you did!

“Swiss” Enchiladas

Makes 6 enchiladas

Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 cups chopped cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 2 breasts)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 or 2 cans (4.5 ounces each) diced green chiles, undrained
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey jack or Swiss cheese, divided

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken, garlic, green chiles, and tomatoes. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook about 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add the milk and cook about 5 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in salt.
  4. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture and a few tablespoons cheese down the center of each tortilla, roll up. Place tortillas in baking dish, seam side down. Spoon milk mixture over tortillas (I usually don’t use quite all of the milk mixture). Top with remaining cheese.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Turn on broiler and broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, May 2006

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Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Posted in Chicken, Main Dish, Meat, Salads, tagged , , on April 26, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

We made this taco salad for the second time the other night. We really enjoyed the flavor combination of the salad ingredients. The dressing has a little spice to it, and complements the salad perfectly. If you are not a fan of creamy dressings, you could serve the salad with just a bit of salsa instead.

Tortilla chips make a good accompaniment.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light: Cook Smart Eat Well

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup light sour cream
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Salad Ingredients:

  • 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  • 2 cups chopped cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped peeled avocado
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (8 3/4- ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. Combine all dressing ingredients and stir well.

2. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

4 Servings

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Baked chicken, rice, and black bean burritos

Posted in Burritos, Chicken, Main Dish, Meat, Mexican, tagged , , , on April 18, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Baked Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Burritos

I created this recipe to use up the leftover chicken and tortillas that I had after making Chicken Tacos with Cucumber-Avocado Salsa. They actually turned out more like baked tacos than burritos, because the white corn tortillas that I had on hand were too small to roll up. The next time I make these I will use larger flour tortillas.

This meal was an easy way to use up my leftover ingredients, and the brown rice, veges, black beans, and chicken make it healthy and filling.

The second time I served the burritos, I served some of the leftover rice mixture on the side and topped them with avocado. Fresh guacamole would also be a great topping!

Baked Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

  • 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1 14oz. can low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)- I used half red and half orange
  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 4-6 oz. grated monterey jack cheese
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 1 Tbs. butter, melted

Directions:

  1. Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add brown rice, chili powder, and cumin. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 35 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. (Check rice package directions for cooking time.)
  2. Saute bell pepper and red onion over medium heat in a small amount of olive oil, until tender.
  3. Combine cooked rice, bell pepper and onion, and black beans.
  4. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  5. To assemble burritos, place rice mixture, chicken, and cheese inside one tortilla at a time. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish. Continue with remaining tortillas.
  6. Brush tops of burritos with melted butter.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tortillas just begin to brown.

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Chicken Tacos with Cucumber-Avocado Salsa

Posted in Chicken, Main Dish, Meat, Mexican, Tacos, tagged , , on April 12, 2010 | 4 Comments »


Chicken Tacos with Cucumber-Avocado Salsa

This recipe is quickly becoming a family favorite. The original recipe calls for using steak instead of chicken. I have made the tacos twice, once with steak and once with chicken, and enjoyed both equally well. We followed a recipe for grilled chicken fajitas to marinate the chicken before grilling.

The cucumber-avocado salsa is the best part of this meal. The red onion and jalapeno give the salsa a little kick, which is balanced by the cool cucumber and avocado.

Chicken Tacos with Cucumber-Avocado Salsa

Marinade recipe from Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorites: Chicken

Salsa recipe from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, by Ellie Krieger

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper (we used a bit less)
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salsa Ingredients:

  • 1 medium English cucumber, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
  • 2 medium firm-ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped, or to taste (we used 2 peppers)

Other Ingredients:

  • 1 can of black beans
  • 12 corn tortillas

Directions:

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken in a large ziploc bag and add marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.
  2. Grill chicken until cooked through. Let rest for a few minutes and then slice.
  3. While the chicken cooks, prepare the salsa. Combine all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl and toss gently to combine. Serve within an hour of preparing.
  4. Heat black beans and tortillas. Let diners assemble their own tacos using the tortillas, chicken, salsa, and black beans.

Makes 6 servings

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