Shrimp Avocado Salsa

Adapted from Skinnytaste Blog

I have been on the hunt for healthy food items, especially for lunch. I usually love to rely on leftovers, but sometimes we eat it all (oops).  I can thank my new obsession, Pinterest, for this recipe idea. I stumbled across it and it just sounded so refreshing and delicious. The main changes I made were that I scaled it down (just wanted a portion for myself), eyeballed everything, left out the jalapeno because I didn't have any, and added avocado (just because it's so yummy and it's healthy)! I highly recommend this recipe, especially during the spring and summer!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (I took tails off)
1 tomato (I actually used about 4 cherry tomatoes), diced
1/4 red onion, diced
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 limes (depends on your preference for lime - I love it)
1/2 avocado, chopped into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
splash of olive oil

Directions:
Toss the shrimp in a bowl with the zest and juice of half a lime, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet over aluminum foil and bake/roast at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Once the shrimp are out of the oven and cooled, dice and add to the salsa mixture. Add the juice of the other half of lime. Stir together and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. I did mine overnight. The next morning (this morning), I cut up half an avocado and threw that in along with the juice of another half lime. At lunch time, it was fantastic!

Mexican Eggs, Two Ways!

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I have a few days off between jobs, so I figured I'd take advantage and make a new breakfast! I had two different ideas, so I decided to make both. I think my favorite was the baked egg cup, but I definitely enjoyed both...and yes, I ate both! I'm kind of on vacation after all :) Both use the same ingredients; they are just prepared differently. Feel free to get creative with the toppings!

Ingredients
1 egg (you can make as many as you wish)
1 corn tortilla (or flour, whichever you prefer)
Cooking spray
1 tb shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or whichever cheese you prefer)
1/2 avocado (sliced for skillet egg, diced for baked egg)
1-2 tb fresh salsa (I used my homemade salsa)
1-2 leaves of cilantro, for garnish

 
Baked Mexican Egg Cup
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (only the cups you plan on making). Cut the corn tortilla to fit in the base of the tin. Beware: these tear easily. Crack the egg into the muffin tin on top of the tortilla. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Top with the cheese the last few minutes. Remove from the oven when the egg is cooked to your liking - personally, I like to let the white set and have the yolk still runny. Top with the avocado and salsa. Top with cilantro if desired.

Skillet Mexican Eggs
Spray the skillet with cooking spray. Crack the egg into the skillet and cook to your liking. I cooked mine on one side until almost set and then flipped to the other side and cooked a couple more minutes so that the yolk was still runny. Top with the cheese for the last minute or two. Throw the tortilla over the eye of the stove over low heat just until browned on each side. Top the tortilla with the egg, avocado, and salsa. Top with cilantro if desired.

   

Grilled Mexican Chicken

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

A group of friends and I hit the town Saturday night to celebrate my 30th birthday. I didn't want to eat too heavy of a meal, so I decided to go with grilled chicken! I had some salsa and avocado on hand, so this is what I came up with! It was easy, light, and delicious :)

- 2 chicken breasts (pound out if too thick)
- 1 tb olive oil
- dash of salt and pepper
- dash of Adobo Seasoning (I used without pepper)
- 1 avocado, sliced and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 lime, juiced (save about 1 tbsp for avocado topping)

Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle  both sides with salt, pepper and Adobo seasoning. Place in a bowl and let marinate in lime juice for 30 minutes (or however long you can). Grill one minute on each side over medium heat to brown. Reduce heat to medium low and cook each side for approximately 6 minutes per side (depends on the thickness of the chicken). Cook until 170 degrees. Mix the avocado, tomatoes, and a few squeezes of lime juice. Plate the chicken and top with salsa and avocado mixture. Yum :)

Beef Tacos, Nachos, and Burrito Bol? Yes, please!

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

 Nick had his eye on the ground beef in the fridge and suggested tacos for dinner tonight. My response, "I concur." I knew I had all of the ingredients at home, and you can't beat that! After making the tacos and running out of corn tortillas, I came up with two other ways to finish off the ground beef/meal. Nick wanted to involve chips, so I made him nachos. As for me, I must say, I'm a religious follower of Chipotle and their burrito bol. I gotta say that this was a pretty close combination and will definitely suffice if I'm ever in a pinch and can't get to Chipotle! I suggest making this and then letting everyone decide how they would like to eat their meal: tacos, nachos, burrito bol, all of the above? YES.

Ingredients
*1 pound ground beef
*half of a yellow onion, diced
*1 large clove of garlic, minced
*few dashes of salt, pepper, ground cayenne pepper, paprika, dried oregano, cumin (I was out of cumin)
***I apologize for the "few dashes" instruction, but I literally just tossed some in of each and did some taste testing.
*approximately 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (I prefer them a bit more crushed)
*juice of half a lime
*corn tortillas (however many you prefer)
*chopped lettuce (for toppings and the burrito bol)
*shredded mexican blend cheese (for toppings)
*sour cream (for toppings)
*homemade salsa (recipe previously posted on blog -- for toppings)
*tortilla chips (for nachos)

Ground Beef
In a skillet, brown about a pound of lean ground beef (I get 90/10) with the garlic and onion, over medium to medium-high heat. Once the ground beef browns, toss in the spices, as well as the tomatoes and lime juice. Mix together and stir over low heat to keep warm. This meat was lean enough to where you did not need to drain it, or add any water. This may need to be adjusted depending on the ground beef you use.


Tacos
Toast the tortillas on both sides over a low open flame if possible. Top with ground beef mixture, lettuce, salsa, cheese and sour cream.

Nachos
Top tortilla chips with the ground beef mixture and cheese. Melt in the microwave for about 1 minute. Top with salsa and sour cream.

Burrito Bol
Top shredded lettuce with the ground beef mixture, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. I actually prefer to then mix this together with a fork, but that's personal preference :)

SALSA!

This is one of my favorite things to make, and it always gets rave reviews! I can thank my previous, wonderful roommate Kim for this. I adapted it from her. I don't use exact measurements, so definitely taste test as you go along and determine how you want it...for example, I like a lot of lime juice and not a ton of onion. Anddddd go!


Toss approximately 2 handfuls of fresh cilantro (I take out stems), 3 cloves of garlic, and half a red onion into the food processor. Blend for a hot minute. Quarter 2 large or 3 small tomatoes (I use Roma or Hot House and take the seeds out) and toss into the food processor, along with 2 cans of drained Mild Rotel and half a can of drained Original Rotel. I juice two limes and add salt as well. Combine everything together. Season however else you desire. I tend to sometimes need to add more salt. For a spicier salsa, you can add the entire can of the Original Rotel.

Beware: this goes FAST!