Chicken Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa

These tacos were so easy to make, and really good - perfect for a weeknight meal. And the salsa was great - I'd even make it on it's own to eat with tortilla chips.

Chicken Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa

Cooking Light

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used 1/8 teaspoon)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced peeled mango
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper (I removed seeds)
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine first 4 ingredients; stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Rub over chicken. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

While chicken cooks, combine mango and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeño); stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Heat tortillas according to package directions; top with chicken and salsa.

4 servings

Pasta with Roasted Pepper Pesto

This was so good! The combination of smoky roasted red peppers and sweet sun-dried tomatoes, with just the teeniest hint of spice from the cayenne, worked so well together. We all loved it, and the kids want to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow :)

The only change I made was to use regular pasta because I did not have multigrain.

Multigrain Pasta with Roasted Pepper Pesto

Kosher by Design Lightens Up, Susie Fishbein

1 small head roasted garlic (see note at bottom)

3 red bell peppers

6 sun-dried tomato halves

2 teaspoons pine nuts

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (14.5-ounce box multigrain rotini pasta (such as Barilla Plus)

Preheat broiler.

Cut peppers in half and discard the seeds. Place on a jelly-roll pan, skin-side-up, and broil until skin is blackened. Place in a sealed zip-top bag. When cool enough to handle, remove from bag and slip the skins off.

Place the prepared peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, olive oil, vinegar, water, basil, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to form a thick sauce.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and immediately transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the pesto and toss to combine. Serve hot or at room temperature.

6 servings

*To roast garlic: Slice off top 3/4 inch of a head of garlic to expose the cloves. Spray with cooking spray, or drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and bake at 350F until golden, fragrant and soft, about 45-60 minutes.

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Flank Steak with Garlic-Chive Mashed Potatoes

I've made this recipe several times, always to rave reviews. It's great to make when you want something that tastes special, but doesn't take long to make.

This time I just made garlic mashed potatoes to serve alongside, but the potatoes in the recipe are really good. I served the meat on top of baby greens.

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Flank Steak with Garlic-Chive Mashed Potatoes

Cooking Light

Steak:
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Potatoes:
3 pounds small red potatoes
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Garnish:
8 fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces

To prepare steak, combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add steak. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.

Prepare grill.

Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Combine reserved marinade and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

To prepare potatoes, place potatoes and garlic in a large Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Return potatoes and garlic to pan, and place over medium heat. Add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mash potato mixture to desired consistency with a potato masher. Stir in chopped chives. Mound 3/4 cup potatoes on each of 8 plates; arrange 3 ounces steak around each serving of potatoes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon sauce on each plate; sprinkle with chive pieces, if desired.

8 servings

Bourbon Chicken

This sauce from this was excellent! However, next time I would use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because the chicken breasts got a little dry.

I did cut back on the crushed red pepper for the kids - I just used a little sprinkle. And no, there is no bourbon in this recipe :)

Bourbon Chicken

recipezaar.com, recipe #45809

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ginger

3/4 crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup apple juice

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken.

Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve over hot rice.

4 servings

Quick Meat Loaf

This is going to be my new go-to recipe for meat loaf. It is so good - incredibly moist, and it cooks in half the time of a regular meat loaf. And I love how the sweet ketchup plays off the slightly spicy meat.

Quick Meat Loaf

Cooking Light

1/3 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons ketchup, divided
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; add 1/4 cup ketchup. Mix beef mixture with hands just until combined. Shape beef mixture into a 9 x 4–inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Brush top of meat loaf with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup. Bake 7 additional minutes or until done. Slice loaf into 8 equal pieces.

4 servings

Beer Bread

I love this stuff! I don't make it very often (because I really can't eat just one piece of this!), but it is definitely a favorite recipe here. I don't have a loaf pan, so I baked it in an 8x8-inch baking dish.

I've only ever made it plain, but there is a list of mix-ins at the end of the recipe.

Beer Bread

The Pastry Queen, Rebecca Rather

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer or ale

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pour in the beer and stir until just incorporated. (The dough will be sticky and heavy.) Pour half the melted butter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon in the bread dough and pour the remaining butter on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the bumpy top is golden brown. Remove from the pan.

This bread is best served warm, but it is still good cooled.

10 servings (yeah, right, sure!)

Mix-ins:

Chopped chives

Chopped chile peppers (such as jalapenos)

Chopped green onions

Any grated cheese

Vine-Ripened Tomato Salad with Parsley Vinaigrette

This salad is AWESOME!!! Make sure to have plenty of good crusty bread to dip into the juices - it's quite addicting!

Vine-Ripened Tomato Salad with Parsley Vinaigrette

Vegan Italiano, Donna Klein

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove, fiely chopped

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

6 small vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper; stir in the parsley. Let stand about 5 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve. Add the tomatoes and toss gently yet thoroughly to combine. Let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Toss again and serve. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours, or overnight, and serve chilled or return to room temperature.

4 servings