Chicken Kebabs & Mango Salsa

Has anyone been couponing lately?  I started to attempt a little bit of it on my own from the persuasion of a friend. She let me know some of the rules at a local supermarket and so I signed up to get the Sunday paper - complete with so many coupons and deals I can barely keep them all straight. I wouldn't say I'm anything like the "extreme couponers" but it is interesting how a little time and effort can go a long way. Today, our bill at Farm Fresh came to $60, after coupons - $45. At CVS - our bill was $30 - after coupons - $15. Altogether, we only spent $60, instead of $90 - not bad for an hour or so of work.  Let me know if you've had any luck lately - I'm sure some of you are a lot better than me!

Now, sometimes summer puts me in a mood to eat healthier. I feel like over the winter, we hibernate, want comfort foods, and tend to spend a little more time in the kitchen than the summer. We've started to try and eat healthier in our household lately - so here's a new one from Cooking Light that you'll love - not only do you get the fresh salsa on top, but this is a light & tasty meal that is bursting with flavor!

A little bit of chopping for this one - but it's definitely worth it!

What You'll Need:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 24 (2-inch) pieces
• 1 large red onion, cut into 32 (2-inch) pieces
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups diced mango
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado

Cooking Light says to prepare in a broiler, so if you'd prefer to do that, see the link below. They also used nectarines instead of mango. We just chopped up the chicken and onion and placed on skewers for the grill. For grilling recipe, see below:

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a ziploc bag; let marinate in fridge for an hour minimum.
2. Thread 4 onion pieces and 3 chicken pieces alternately onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill with cooking spray. Grill 12 minutes or until chicken & onions are done, turning occasionally.
3.  Combine mango and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a bowl. Gently stir in avocado.

Serve with couscous, rice, or another light side if you wish. ENJOY!

Link to Originial Recipe - Cooking Light Chicken Kebabas and Nectarine Salsa

Mexican Fiesta! Chipotle Bean Burritos

Is it just me or are there really never enough hours in the day? When you have days like today that are crazy busy, anything MEXICAN usually works - burritos, tacos, quesadillas, etc - they are usually quick and easy meals that everyone loves and are simple to make.

Today's Feature is Chipotle Bean Burritos (with re-fried beans and mexican rice)!

What You'll Need:

1 tablespoon extra virgin oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

3 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa (or even taco sauce) 

6 (10-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato

1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

6 tablespoons light sour cream

1.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.
3. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Cooking Light suggests you can add guacamole and chips, but we added rice and beans :) They didn't have ripe avocados at the store, but I can imagine avocado would be great added to the roll ups as well. Happy Tuesday!

Cooking Light Bean Burrito Recipe

Blackened Tilapia w/ Avocado & Salsa

I was searching through an old folder of random recipes and found a half sheet of paper with this great blackened tilapia recipe. I changed up a few things to make it my own.  Always feel free to switch up things the way you'd like - because I truly feel that cooking is all about experimenting, using recipes as guidelines, and being creative. Sometimes the best meals are the ones you least expect - so get in the kitchen and try something new!

What You'll Need:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 6 oz tilapia filets, skinless and boneless
3 tsp taco seasoning or cajun spices
2 tbsp peach mango salsa ( I made fresh salsa with onions, mangos, and green peppers with oil and white vinegar)
1 avocado - sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 lime to sqeeze over dish

1) Sprinkle the taco seasoning or cajun spices on both sides of the fillets. In a nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil to medium high heat.
2) Once the skillet is hot, add the fillets.
3) While fish is cooking, chop the avocado and cherry tomatoes.
4) Turn the fish after 3 minutes, and cook until flaky and opaque.
5) Squeeze the lime over the fish, then spoon the salsa on top.

I served the fish over rice - couscous would be another good alternative. Let me know what you think!

10-minute Tuna Salad Cold Plate with Country French Vinaigrette

My birthday was the middle of May and my brother, Mike, and sister-in-law, Debbie, gave me a gift certificate to Crate 'n Barrel. I ordered 4 restaurant style pasta bowls that turn out to be great for salads, too! I absolutely love them and am proudly showing one off in today's post.  They were only $10 each and are versatile and gorgeous if you're wanting to purchase anything new to inspire you in the kitchen.

I have been busy cooking lately and have lots of new recipes to share with everyone. I hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend and dedicated at least one day to grilling out one of my recipes and hanging out by the beach!

I pulled ingredients together for this next meal one afternoon as I was experimenting with a few different foods that I was craving for lunch - hard boiled eggs, salad dressing, tuna, etc. If you ever want to throw together a great lunch for friends that looks like a million bucks and takes 10 minutes, here's your "go-to" post.

What You'll Need (serves 2 - double if having guests over)
2 cans tuna fish, in water, drained, prepare according to directions
3 hard boiled eggs, halved
2 cups spring greens mix
1 vine ripened tomato, chopped
Penzey's Country French Vinagrette Dressing base (or any oil and vinegar based dressing)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
crackers for tuna

How to Prepare
Equally divide the first 4 ingredients and place into 2 medium sized bowls.
Prepare Country French Vinagrette according to directions (2 tablespoons base, add in 2 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes, then add vinegar and EVOO).
Drizzle dressing over all 4 ingredients.
Add crackers to the side for scooping tuna.

As always, my goal is to help you prepare light, healthy, and simple meals that are delicious and quick to make. I don't want you spending all night in the kitchen - but there's no reason why a little bit of time, a few quick ingredients, and a little TLC can't produce a meal that won't break the bank.

Stay tuned this week for more great recipes - I have a fabulous tilapia recipe, grilled pork 'n peaches, and mexican fiesta dishes coming your way!

And as always - don't forget to email me any recipes you'd like featured in the Sunday Spotlight!