Easy Chipotle Chicken Fold Overs -Super Fast Dinner!

I really enjoy easy, healthy food; especially when it fits my Trim Healthy Mama plan and the whole family likes it. This quick, chicken dish was mildly spicy, just add more chipotle peppers to boost the heat if you like. Mix it up, pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese and away we go!

Ingredients:
Flour tortillas or Joseph's Pitas (for THM) or a nice bed of lettuce
1/2 cup diced onions
2-4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons butter
2-5 tablespoons minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 chopped bell pepper, red, yellow, or red
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
Toppings:
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Fresh onions
Diced avocado or guacamole
Olives
Sour cream
Saute the onions in the butter.

Add the garlic after the onion is cooked; garlic scorches easily.

Then the chipotle pepper

and bell pepper.

After all the veggies are cooked through, then add the chicken.

Mix and continue to cook until all is hot throughout.

Chop the toppings while cooking and set aside.

Top the chicken with cheese and put under the broiler for 5 minutes or so. Keep checking so the cheese doesn't get too crisp.

Fill your tortilla, pita, or pile it on the lettuce.

Open wide! Enjoy.

Dilly Cucumber Salad

My neighbor is blessing my socks off with overflow from his garden, so how about a simple, easy, fresh cucumber salad.
Serves 4-6

I had dried dill on hand but fresh would be great. There are two choices for the mayo and the sour cream, one for my exceedingly healthy friends and the other with ingredients most people have on hand. 
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt (I like Celtic Sea Salt or Realsalt)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 cup mayo or Veganaise
14 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dried dill
2 tablespoons minced onion
Directions:
Mix everything, except the cucumbers in a bowl. 

Add the cucumbers, toss to coat. 

Chill, enjoy.

Now wasn't that simple?
I served this with chicken tonight but it is great to double or triple and take to a picnic or potluck/oneg.
Trim Healthy Mama --S

Bean and Rice Salad--Toss for fun!

I tossed this easy, healthy and tasty dinner together last night and my family was so happy. I think in the future I will use 2 cans of beans instead of one, maybe one black and one kidney. I should also mention that it has a lot of eye appeal, pretty food gets tried and eaten, with all the colors and textures it appears very festive.

I served this hot but it would be good chilled too. Or wrapped in a burrito. It was just good.
This is what I tossed in this time:
2 cups cooked rice, hot
1 can black beans, heated
1 cup corn
3/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
This is how I did it:
As soon as the rice is cooked and the beans heated through, set a large bowl to the side where you can keep adding the ingredients as you go. I used my favorite pasta bowl. Pretty.

I had to cut my corn off the cob but if you are using frozen corn just cook until tender and drain.

Add to the bowl with the onions,

garlic,

red pepper,

cilantro, chili powder, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Add the hot beans and rice.

Grab a couple large spoons and toss gently but thoroughly.

Try doing this and taking a photo. Actually, my daughter walked in and tossed while I snapped pics.

So pretty, and when the hot rice and beans hit the other ingredients the fragrance was incredible.
We ate this as our main dish sprinkled with cheese and served with corn bread but it would make a terrific side to grilled chicken.

Refreshing Quinoa Salad

This was really tasty, and packed with nutrition, low fat and mostly raw. Who can ask for more?

You can adjust the vegetables to different seasonal varieties or ethnic flavors, Greek, Italian, Tex-Mex, you choose the possibilities are as endless as the combinations of produce available to you.

The health benefits of quinoa are outstanding not only is it gluten free but it is a complete protein, loaded with magnesium, copper, manganese and fiber. Pair it with lots of fresh veggies and cheese, if you like, and it is one tasty bowl of goodness.

I started with one cup of dry quinoa.

Add 2 cups of water.

 Simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Now this looks interesting. My son wrinkled his nose.

Set this aside to cool.
 Chop the veggies, this is what I used this time.
1 cucumber
2 cloves garlic
2 small tomatoes
1 medium tomatilla
1 small onion
1 avocado
3-4 tablespoons cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil, more or less
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup feta, crumbled, optional

 

Put all in a bowl and toss.

Add the cooked, cooled quinoa.

Top with cheese if desired, cheese is always desired here. And maybe some olives.

Yum!
Next time I am going to try corn, tomato, garlic (always), onion and cheddar.
Good food, good for you!

Homemade Croutons

These beautiful onion buns were left over from dinner a couple nights ago.

I hate to throw good food away. So while I had a few minutes I made them into these tasty croutons to top the salad we were having for dinner.

You can use any bread for croutons, even corn bread but it gets a bit crumbly, stale bread is the best. 

Just cut the bread into cubes, these are about 1/2 inch square.

For 4 cups of cubes I would use 4-5 tablespoons melted butter. If you can't have butter then use good olive oil.

Place the cubes in a large bowl, toss with seasoning of your choice. I used a sprinkle of thyme, garlic, onion powder, oregano and basil this time, about 2 tablespoons total. Pour the melted butter in and toss to coat.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Distribute the cubes onto an ungreased sheet pan.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly toasted.

When completely cool, store in an airtight container, or eat immediately.

Now you just saved the bread from being wasted, and some big bucks over those store bought, packaged croutons! Hide these until dinner--kids love to snack on these!