Bulgur, Chicken and Salsa Verde Casserole

The next time you feel like cooking a cozy dinner without spending too much time in the kitchen, give this delicious casserole a try. Use an oven-proof skillet or frying pan if you’ve got one to save yourself some time when cleaning up!

Bulgur, Chicken and Salsa Verde Casserole 
1 cup dried bulgur
2 cups water
1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded
8 ounces canned diced green chiles
12 ounces salsa verde
2-3 cups shredded cheese (I used a mix of aged white cheddar and pepper jack)
Possible garnishes: avocado, cilantro, green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring water and bulgur to a boil in a pot. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Drain off any extra liquid.

While bulgur is cooking, combine combine chicken, salsa and chiles and in a skillet or frying pan. Warm the chicken mixture up over medium heat. Stir in cooked bulgur until everything is mixed. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to an ovenproof dish if needed. Top with shredded cheese, cover with aluminum foil or an oven-proof lid, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven, top with garnishes, and serve.

Barbecue Chicken Burritos with Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Dressing

Have you made barbecue chicken in your slow cooker yet? Why not? It’s super easy and mighty delicious. Put it on top of a baked potato, mix it up with some fresh veggies to make a great dinner bowl, or try it my new favorite way by rolling it up into a burrito with some tasty slaw.

Barbecue Chicken Burritos with Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Dressing 
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup barbecue sauce, plus extra for drizzling
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup avocado
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 cups shredded green cabbage (it’s about half a head of cabbage)
½ red onion, thinly sliced
4-6 burrito-sized tortillas

Place chicken in slow cooker, add barbecue sauce and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred with a knife and fork. Return chicken to the slow cooker and add pinto beans, stirring so everything is coated with sauce. Cook for an additional hour on low. Remove from heat. 

To make the dressing, add avocado, yogurt, cilantro, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, lime juice, water and white wine vinegar to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Make the slaw by tossing the cabbage and onions in a bowl with enough dressing to lightly coat everything. Add chicken and slaw to the middle of your tortillas, drizzle with extra barbecue sauce and avocado dressing, roll 'em up and enjoy!

Make-Fast Mondays: Mango Macadamia Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps are fresh, fast and packed with flavor!

Make-Fast Mondays: Mango Macadamia Chicken Lettuce Wraps 
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 pound cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded
1 cucumber, seeds removed, peeled and diced
1 mango, peeled, cored and diced
1 avocado, stoned and diced
¼ cup diced red onion
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
¼ cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Make dressing by blending first five ingredients in a blender until smooth. Combine chicken, cucumber, mango, avocado and red onion in a large bowl. Add dressing to the bowl and stir gently to mix. Spoon the chicken mixture onto lettuce leaves and sprinkle with macadamia nuts.

Make-Fast Mondays: Farro Salad with Shrimp and Corn

My local supermarket’s selling 5 ears of fresh corn for a dollar right now. What better time to take advantage of this seasonal favorite with a quick salad packed with chewy farro, succulent shrimp and sweet, summery corn?

Farro Salad with Shrimp and Corn 
Serves 6 

1 cup farro
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kernels from 2 ears of sweet corn
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 cup diced red onion
½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water and farro to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. While farro is simmering, make the dressing by blending 5 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, red wine vinegar, garlic and jalapeno in a blender until smooth. Set aside. Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Remove from heat and drizzle with remaining tablespoon lime juice. Drain the farro and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the shrimp, corn, pepper, onions, onion, cilantro and dressing. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Greens + Grains: Recipes for Deliciously Healthy Meals.

Make-Fast Mondays: Grilled Salmon with Black Bean Salad

Grilled salmon is so simple yet so tasty. Pair it with a quick salad packed with black beans and hearts of palm and you’ve got a fresh, delicious dinner in no time!

Grilled Salmon with Black Bean Salad 
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-ounce jar hearts of palm, drained and sliced
¼ cup sliced green onions
4 4-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and pepper

Make the dressing by blending first six ingredients in a blender until smooth. Reserve ¼ cup of the dressing.

To make the salad, put black beans, hearts of palm and green onions in a bowl and drizzle with the rest of the dressing, giving a quick stir so everything’s lightly coated with dressing.

Preheat the grill at medium-high heat. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place salmon, flesh side down, on a lightly oiled grill rack. Grill salmon for 8 minutes, flipping once.

Plate each salmon fillet with a scoop of the bean salad, drizzle with a little bit of dressing, and enjoy.

Shrimp Enchiladas with Spinach and Goat Cheese

There are days when I crave an enchilada oozing with melted cheddar and covered with red sauce. But then there are days (and enchiladas) like this, and they’re just as delicious.

Shrimp Enchiladas with Spinach and Goat Cheese 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 7-ounce can diced green chiles
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed, chopped
6 ounces baby spinach, chopped
1 28-ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
3 ounces chevre (soft goat cheese)
12 corn tortillas
2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, cumin and oregano and sauté until tender, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add shrimp and chiles and cook until shrimp are pink. Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Use a butter knife or spoon to crumble the chevre over the shrimp mixture.

Warm enchilada sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Ladle enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat the bottom of a 9-by-13 glass baking dish. To assemble each enchilada, dip a tortilla in sauce until lightly coated, add a scoop of the shrimp mixture to the center of the tortilla, roll the tortilla and place, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and grated Monterey jack, cover with foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Vegetarian? Swap out the shrimp for a pound of sliced cremini mushrooms!

Get these barbecue chicken bowls in your life

One of the many reasons why I love my slow cooker? Throw some meat in with a little sauce, simmer for a few hours and BAM! Shredded, meaty goodness. I recently revisited the barbecue chicken aspect of this recipe and crafted up some seriously delicious bowls.

Barbecue Chicken Bowls 
You’ll want the following ingredients per serving: 
1 cup shredded barbecue chicken
½ cup fresh, raw corn
½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup cooked pinto beans
Garnishes including finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro and sliced avocado

Combine ingredients in large salad bowl and enjoy!

Make-Fast Mondays: Creamy Cilantro and White Bean Soup

Want a thick, creamy soup without adding any dairy? My favorite trick in the past has been to purée some, if not all of my ingredients, with our trusty Vitamix after everything’s had a chance to simmer. However, scooping steamy soup into a pitcher can be a bit hot and messy, so with this recipe I opted to purée before cooking. Less mess, and tossing the whole onion into the blender meant less time chopping. Piece of cake.

Creamy Cilantro and White Bean Soup 
4 15-ounce cans white beans, drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 large white onion
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic 
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Equipment: Blender 

Put two cans of beans, broth, onion and cilantro in blender pitcher, add lid, and blend ingredients until smooth. Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium flame. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two, until aromatic. Pour contents of pitcher and remaining beans into pot. Stir in cumin. Increase heat and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat, cover pot with lid and let soup simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, as needed. Remove soup from heat and stir in the lime juice. Divide soup among four bowls and serve.

Make-Fast Mondays: Garden Fajita Veggies with Quinoa

I don’t know about you, but it seems like a lot of people I know are in for a bountiful summer of home-grown goodies. My Facebook and Instagram feeds are blowing up with lovely photos of herbs, fruits and vegetables grown in backyards and container gardens. Me? I’m about to bring in my first ripe Early Girl of the year and can’t wait to take a big bite out of that gorgeous red tomato. Use this recipe the next time you find yourself wondering what to do with a cornucopia of sun-ripened veggies from the garden (or just want a quick meat-free dinner idea). While I used zucchini, bell pepper and mushrooms, pretty much any mix of vegetables will work just fine.

Garden Fajita Vegetables with Quinoa
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
8 ounces sliced brown mushrooms
1 packet fajita seasoning

Possible garnishes: avocado slices, chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, hot sauce

Bring 6 cups water to boil in saucepan. Add quinoa and continue boiling for 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is soft. Remove saucepan from heat and drain. While quinoa is boiling, heat vegetable oil in frying pan or skillet over high heat. Add vegetables and cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender but not mushy. Reduce heat to low and add fajita seasoning and appropriate amount of water indicated on the packaging. Let simmer for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally so the veggies get a nice saucy coating. Scoop some quinoa into a couple bowls, top with veggies, garnish to your liking and enjoy!

Ready to dig into a satisfying salad?

While this Asian chicken salad recipe isn’t the most original idea I’ve had in the kitchen, it’s still pretty satisfying.

Sesame Chicken Slaw 
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons agave syrup
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 head green cabbage, shredded (about six cups)
2 cups diced chicken breast
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
⅓ cup chopped green onions
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

Whisk lemon juice, soy sauce, agave syrup, minced ginger and sesame oil together to create dressing. Combine remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl and drizzle with dressing. Use tongs to toss and serve salad.

A salad that talks back

This is not a quiet salad. Cabbage and pepitas give it plenty of satisfying crunch, and the shrimp possess a nice kick thanks to garlic, cayenne, cumin and lime juice.

Snappy Shrimp and Cabbage Salad 
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
1 tablespoon agave syrup
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lime juice
¾ pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup pepitas
1 cup black beans
1 avocado, sliced

Create salad dressing by whisking 2 tablespoons lime juice, agave syrup, salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil and cilantro in a bowl; set aside. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan and sauté until fragrant, just a minute or so. Add shrimp to pan with cumin, cayenne pepper and lime juice. Cook shrimp for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until pink. Build salads by equally divide shredded cabbage, beans, shrimp, avocado and pepitas between two large dishes or bowls. Top with salad dressing and enjoy.

Summer’s not going anywhere

I know the first day of fall’s right around the corner, but we Californians still have plenty of time to enjoy warm-weather favorites. This salad is a nice, quick fix for those days you’d rather be outside soaking up the sun than spending time in the kitchen.

Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes and Corn 
1 cup uncooked quinoa (red, white, mixed … pick your favorite!)
2 cups water
1 ½ cups tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes, halved)
1 cup white corn
½ cup green onion, chopped
½ cup cilantro
1 avocado, cubed
½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Combine quinoa and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil before covering and simmering until quinoa is cooked, somewhere between 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk olive oil, orange juice, rice wine vinegar and lime juice together in a bowl. Add tomatoes, corn, green onion, cilantro, cotija and dressing to quinoa, tossing well to coat. Top with avocado chunks before serving.

A lot more to these bowls than just rice

One of my favorite casual eateries, Sacramento’s Tako Korean BBQ, makes a great rice bowl packed with tons of meat (spicy chicken’s my favorite), rice, slaw and all kinds of other goodies. This recipe is inspired by the meal I’ve devoured quite a few times!

Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls
Serves 2

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
¾ pound chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 cups cooked brown rice, divided
2 cups shredded green cabbage, divided
2 cups bean sprouts, divided
½ cup diced red bell pepper, divided

Garnishes: Sriracha, peanut sauce, cilantro, sliced green onion, toasted peanuts

Combine first four ingredients in bowl and whisk to blend. Cook chicken in frying pan (lightly coated with a teaspoon or two of oil if you’re not going the non-stick route) over medium-high heat until meat is done, which should only take a few minutes. Add sauce to pan and stir until meat is evenly coated before removing from heat. Build each bowl with one cup each of rice, cabbage and sprouts. Add half the chicken and top with ¼ cup diced red bell pepper. Customize your bowl with desired garnishes and dig in.

Putting whatever I want on a pizza

When I was a kid, I always wanted to try taco pizza. Mom and dad, in an attempt to get everyone to eat their dinner, went the classic route when ordering pizza, opting for more family-friendly toppings like pepperoni and mushrooms. Tough times, I know.

Recently seeing a friend’s Instagram photo of a black-bean pizza reignited my interest in this combination of two of my favorite foods, and here’s what I came up with. Not necessarily original, but quite delicious!

Taco Pizza 
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ pound ground chicken
1 cup red enchilada sauce
White pizza dough (I buy it at Trader Joe’s)
1 cup refried beans (I used black refried beans)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 cup medium black olives
1 red bell pepper, diced
Green onion and cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Warm olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring occasionally, for a minute or two before adding ground chicken. Once the ground chicken is thoroughly cooked, stir in enchilada sauce and remove from heat.

Evenly coat pizza pan with a little kitchen spray so the dough won’t stick. Roll out dough to desired thickness and place on pizza pan. Bake dough on its own for 8-10 minutes (I like to do this to help crisp up the crust). Spread refried beans all over the dough before adding meat and sauce. Top with grated cheese, olives and bell pepper, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until cheese is nice and melty. Garnish with green onion and cilantro.

Noodle salad fresh and festive

‘Tis the season to overindulge. Give this salad a try if you want something quick and fresh to balance out all the ridiculously rich goodies you’ve enjoyed at Christmas cocktail parties, family feasts and other holiday festivities. This recipe is similar to the Thai Beef Noodle Salad I made a couple summers back, and the ingredients taste just as great with shrimp as they do with flank steak.

Shrimp Noodle Salad
1 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
3 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 6-ounce package mung bean noodles
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, torn
⅓ cup crushed unsalted peanuts

Make dressing by whisking 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoons garlic in a bowl with soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, jalapeño and rice wine vinegar. Set aside. Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain using a colander, and rinse in cold water before placing in a large bowl with bell pepper, carrot, cilantro and dressing. Heat remaining teaspoon sesame oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two, until aromatic, before adding shrimp. Cook shrimp for a couple minutes on each side until shrimp are fully cooked. Toss shrimp with noodles and vegetables. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts.

May 26 Salad

This is the Ahi Salad at 3 Fires Lounge. You’ve got sliced ahi, shredded red and green cabbage, grated carrots and cilantro vinaigrette. Not too shabby!

May 3 Salad: My first mango

 

Can you believe it took me 30 years before I purchased my very first fresh mango? Sure, I’ve eaten and enjoyed mangoes before, but someone else always did the work. Pretty ridiculous, eh?

Well, thankfully the weekly grocery ads inspired me to put a mango in my shopping basket, because this fruit was a key component of a pretty fantastic salad. This dinner-sized salad features a couple butter lettuce leaves (washed and patted dry), half of a diced mango, half an avocado (sliced), a dozen large cooked shrimp (give ‘em a quick squirt of fresh lime juice) and some cilantro vinaigrette from my May 1 salad. The end result was sweet, snappy, rich and refreshing all at once.

31 days of salad

It’s time for a dietary overhaul of sorts.

The weather’s warming up and pretty soon it’ll be too hot in Sacramento to even look at the stove, let alone fire up the burners. After a long winter of slow cooking and plenty of gooey casseroles, I’m ready for a change. With that in mind, I’m declaring May One More Taste’s Salad Month.

Here are a handful of reasons why now is as good a time as any for me to ingest a whole lotta lettuce:

1. I entered the lottery for the Nike Women’s Marathon a few weeks ago and (very exciting!) recently found out that I got in. I hit the brakes pretty hard after finishing the California International Marathon in December, and can basically count my post-CIM runs on one hand. I have until October to get my body back into marathon shape.

2. I’m headed to Palm Springs for my good friend Katie’s bachelorette party next month. Best start planning for some serious pool time. Too bad salads don’t give you a tan too…

3. I’m totally over bottled salad dressing and want to start making my own.

4. The produce section of the supermarket is becoming more fun to visit thanks to all kinds of seasonal goodies.

AND

5. Fresh fruits and veggies are delicious!

The self-imposed rules aren’t too strict — I aim to eat some sort of salad for one meal per day through the month of May. The majority of each salad’s ingredients must be vegetables and/or fruit. I will also make my own salad dressing as much as possible.

I’ll check in via blog post with notes, photos and recipes so readers can chart my progress throughout the month. I’d love some input too — tell me about your favorite salad dressings, which fresh produce you’re digging these days, and the like.

May 1 Salad

The goods:
Baby greens
Cooked shrimp (about eight shrimp per salad)
Diced red bell pepper
Corn kernels
Pinto beans, drained and rinsed

The dressing: Cilantro Vinaigrette (drizzled over ingredients to your liking)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ cup cleaned chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons honey
½ cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients in blender except olive oil. Puree ingredients and then, while blender is still on, slowly pour olive oil into blender.

Celebrating the start of summer with a sassy salad

I thought we’d celebrate the first day of summer with something fresh and flavorful.

I’ve had steak on the brain the past few days, as well as Thai food, so this is the end result of some different cravings, with a little inspiration from this recipe I found online.

This dish will definitely make its way back to the dinner table once Sacramento starts hitting triple digits, both because it tastes great but also because it requires minimal cooking.

Thai Beef Noodle Salad
2 pounds flank steak
1 ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ cup honey
6 tablespoons and two teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Serrano chile, seeds removed and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons minced ginger
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 6-ounce package mung bean noodles
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cucumber, cut into chunks
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup green onion, sliced

Whisk honey, 1 cup soy sauce, 6 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, half the serrano, 3 cloves garlic and 3 tablespoons ginger in bowl; add steak. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes. Heat grill to medium-high and cook steaks 4-5 minutes on each side, until medium. Let cool and slice thin.

Mix remaining soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, Serrano, garlic and ginger in bowl with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Cover and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain using colander and rinse in cold water before placing in a bowl.Place colander over noodle bowl and pour dressing into colander. Discard leftover Serrano, garlic and ginger left in the colander.

Toss noodles with bell pepper, cucumber, sprouts, cilantro and green onion. Scoop noodle salad onto plates and top with a few slices of steak.