Our Go-To Busy Day Recipe

We discovered this recipe when we were first married and it has become a staple in our household.  I was searching for slow cooker recipes to try out our lovely new crockpot.  I adore Mexican food and was shocked when I discovered it was possible to make tacos in the crockpot!  This takes honestly 2 minutes to prepare the slow cooker and 5 minutes of prep to take it from the slow cooker into tacos.  After you make it the first time, you won't even need the recipe again - it's that easy!!  We've shared this many times with friends because it delicious, easy, and can be made pretty healthy, too!



Crockpot Tacos
Serves 4

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cup salsa
Small or medium sized tortillas
Optional:  lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, peppers and onions, or other taco toppings of your choosing

1.  Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Mix the salsa, corn, and beans and place overtop of the chicken (I skip mixing them and just pour half of each, then repeat).
2.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-3 hours (I recommend low - we tried it on high once, but the flavors did not infuse into the chicken as well).  When it is finished, shred the chicken (I just use a fork - it should come apart very easily).
4.  Warm tortillas according to package directions or place them directly on the oven racks at 250 degrees for just a couple of minutes until warmed but not crisp.
3.  Assemble your tacos.  Place a large spoonful of the chicken mixture on the tortilla, then add your favorite toppings.  (We took the suggestion from the original recipe I saw and use lettuce, cheese, and ranch, but if you want a healthier version, skip the cheese and dressing and opt for veggies and hot sauce instead.)

Tip: The Perfect Hardboiled Egg

I love making hard boiled eggs - they are super easy, can be pre-made and kept in the fridge for quick snacks, and can be used in many different meals.  Some of my favorite ways to use them are sliced on an english muffin with a slice of cheese & added to a salad.  When I started cooking them, I was afraid of them being under or over cooked (especially under - the gooey orange stuff is not so hot in my opinion).  No one wants orange goo or a grayish-greenish edge to their egg yolks.  Well, luckily, I have never had either of these happen by following these simple steps to boiling eggs:

1.  Place any amount of eggs (no more than will fit comfortably in a single layer - I normally do 1-6) in a saucepan.  Cover with cold water to about 1" above the eggs.
2.  Add a pinch of salt to the water and bring to a boil over high heat.  When water comes to a roiling boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to boil for about 13 minutes.
3.  Turn off heat but allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for an additional 2 minutes.
4.  Rinse under cold water and place in an ice bath.
5.  Peel when they have reached room temperature for best results.


**** Update:
I have a different method now that works just as well:

1.  Place any amount of eggs (no more than will fit comfortably in a single layer - I normally do 1-6) in a saucepan.  Cover with cold water to about 1" above the eggs.
2.  Add a pinch of salt to the water and bring to a boil over med-high heat.
3.  When water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and cover.  Allow to sit for 11 minutes.
4.  Rinse under cold water and place in an ice bath.
5.  Peel when they have reached room temperature for best results.

Avocado Chicken Salad

I do not like mayonnaise.  Thus, I normally am not a big fan of mayo-based salads (pasta salad, potato salad, chicken salad); however, there have been a few chicken salad dishes I've liked in my life (especially Jenny Craig - weird, I know, but it's tasty).  Anyway, I came across the idea of making an avocado chicken salad and from making the Zucchini Enchilada Boats, I needed a way to use up some of the same ingredients anyway.  Bonus - it's pretty healthy!  I replaced any mayo with a bit of greek yogurt.  Avocado is a little fattening, but it's good MUFAs and the chiles help speed your metabolism!  As you know, I don't really measure, but I'll try to give approximate amounts.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked shredded chicken*
1 avocado, flesh removed and smashed
2 serrano chiles, finely diced**
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp green onion, chopped
2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
juice of 2 small limes***
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.

Serving Options:
The first time, I ate it in a wrap - sundried tomato tortilla, the chicken salad, mixed baby greens, a sprinkle of feta cheese, crushed red pepper, and a dab of pesto (my recent obsession) - just because that's what I had on hand.

I think it would be great it a whole wheat wrap with the addition of diced tomatoes and red onion.

It could also be served with pita or regular corn chips for a party.

Toss on top of a green salad with a hard crumbled cheese and cherry tomatoes.


__________
*I place chicken breasts, frozen or thawed/fresh, into the crockpot with some chicken stock and let cook 6-8 hours on low; then shred.
** Use less or omit if you are not a spicy fan
***I would probably normally just say 1 normal lime, but because of the current Mexican lime shortage, they are tiny right now!

Mini Pizzas in No Time!

My best friend introduced me to these wonderful English Muffin Pizzas.  They are super easy to make on a night when you don't have much time or energy.  They are completely customizable and perfect for those days your kid brings some unexpected friends over!  I've added a few extra steps if you would like to make them taste a little better than basic kid food pizza - but they're great no matter what.  I also buy "light" versions of some of the ingredients to make it a little healthier.  This is one of those things I just make on the fly without a recipe - so feel free to tweak it to your liking.  Hope you enjoy!

English Muffin Pizzas
Makes 12

1 pkg 6 English muffins
1 jar (8-12oz) Pizza sauce
1 pkg shredded mozzarella cheese (you will not use the entire package)
1 pkg pepperoni (you will not use the entire package)
Optional: Other pizza toppings of your choice
Optional: Garlic salt or garlic powder and Italian seasoning

1.  Slice muffins and lay each slice face up on a baking sheet.  (I recommend to line it with parchment paper for easier clean up from the melted cheese.)  Optional:  Sprinkle seasonings on each muffin.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes to lightly toast the tops of the muffins.  (This helps prevent the sauce from making the muffins soggy.)
2.  Optional:  Place pepperonis in a single layer on either a broiler pan or crinkled foil on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes to help heat and crisp them.
3.  To assemble pizzas, first spread about one tablespoon of sauce evenly on each muffin.  Place a small handful of cheese on top.  Then place 3-5 pepperonis and/or other toppings of your choosing.
4.  Cook in the  preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and the muffins are toasted.

Higher-class American

Yard House

Yard House is a modern restaurant in the heart of Old Town Pasadena with new twists on traditional family and steakhouse style foods.  I have been twice now for special evenings.  It is a bit on the pricey side, but they can charge more because of their location - they are always packed full!  Their food is of a slightly higher class than those of a similar genre - take for example their truffle fries or lobster-artichoke dip.  The menu has many unique and diverse options.  Most of the dishes I've tried are pretty decent, but nothing has blown me away.  The service is a bit slow - yes they are always busy, but since they are always busy they should have learned how to accommodate that trend.  The atmosphere is nice - very lively to fit with its location, but also quite noisy.  If you can afford it, it's a great place to go try something new and unique, but if you're looking for a special date night location to really wow you, I think there are better options.

Eat Fresh!

Saladish

Last Sunday, our church group headed into Old Town, but found it difficult to find a cheap restaurant open on Sunday, a holiday, with enough seating for all of us, since people were already filling the streets for the upcoming Rose Parade.  We walked past a place called Saladish that was completely empty.  I popped my head in to check the prices and it seemed decent so we entered.  The have wraps, salads, and potatoes.  Most of my friends loved their wraps; however, I wasn't the biggest fan of my Greek wrap with chicken.  It lacked much sauce, so I ended up adding hot sauce to the wrap.  They have several good-looking options, so I think I just might have preferred something different.  It was a decent price, since I was able to save half for another meal.  Unfortunately, the biggest downside to Saladish was that you cannot substitute items.  You can switch which type of leafy green is in your meal, but if you want to change anything else you must pay.  They have every item listed under an amount (from 50 cents on up), but you cannot even change between items at price point.  To me, that doesn't seem like great service or a great business plan for today's society.  I might return if I want something light, quick, and cheap in the area, but because of the no-substitution policy, it would not be my first choice.  If you will eat things however they are put together, you would certainly be fine - I'm just a bit too picky.  The ingredients themselves were decent though, and the greens were all very fresh, which is important at a place like this.  The manager who took our orders was very friendly - he even knew what I wanted before I ordered because he overheard me saying it to my friends :)

My Favorite Pasadena Restaurant!

Louise's Trattoria

Louise's Trattoria in Old Town Pasadena (with other SoCal locations) has fabulous food at great prices!  It has a romantic, but not overly fancy, atmosphere.  They start you off with terrific, warm rosemary focaccia bread served with a balsamic-oil-herb dipping sauce.  I could just eat that and be satisfied!  They did recently change their menu and took off one of my favorite dishes, which was disappointing, but I'd find it hard to order a bad dish at Louise's.  My current favorite dish is the "chicken balsamico"- which comes with a great spinach side dish and I substitute the veggies for potatoes - delish!!  I have taken many friends there who are now big fans also!  The service has generally been great (just a little slow for our large group on New Years Eve, but that is to be expected).  I don't like to head into Old Town much because of parking issues, but this place is worth it!  What I like best is that for the quality of the food and portion sizes compared to the prices - it's really a great deal compared to similar Italian restaurants.  (The first time I went, my pasta - the one that's no longer available - lasted me 3 meals!)  If you're in the area looking for good food and a good value - Louise's is the place!  The only real downside for me is the dessert menu - nothing really to my tastes, but there is a fabulous gelato shop right next door!  Louise's is my go-to local restaurant whenever I want great food at a good price!

Our friends after the meal :)