Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Taco Bowls

Yield: 6 taco bowls
Prep time: 10 minutes
 Cook time: 5-6 hours on low, 3-4 hours on high

Ingredients:

• 6 tortilla taco bowls
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup taco blend cheese
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup taco sauce
• Optional: sour cream, jalapenos, lime quarters, cilantro, salsa

Instructions:

1. Spread diced tomatoes across bottom of slow-cooker.
2. Rinse quinoa according to package instructions. Then add quinoa to Crockpot. Stir diced tomatoes and quinoa until thoroughly.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place chicken breasts on top of the diced tomatoes/quinoa mixture in slow-cooker.
4. Add bell pepper, onion, black beans, corn, paprika, cayenne pepper to slow-cooker
5. Cover chicken with chicken broth then add taco sauce and cheese to mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients in the slow-cooker.
6. Set Crockpot to low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
7. About ten minutes before the chicken mixture is done, heat tortilla bowls according to directions.
8. Once cooking time is up, stir contents of the Crockpot. Chicken should be shredded and mixed well with the rest of the ingredients.
9. Scoop contents of slow-cooker into taco bowls. Add extra taco-blend cheese and taco sauce on top. Also add the optional ingredients listed above if desired.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata

A few months ago, I posted my recipe for one-pan lemon chicken piccata. Since then, I have discovered an even faster and easier way to cook this classic dish--in the Crockpot! Here is my recipe for delicious, creamy lemon chicken piccata  made in a slow-cooker.
P.S.-The side dishes are Parmesan  zucchini chips and herb and butter rice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pint sliced portabella mushrooms
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of one lemon
• One lemon sliced into quarters
• 2 teaspoons lemon and pepper seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Then place chicken at the bottom of the slow-cooker.
   
2. Place lemon quarters on top of chicken. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning over both.
3. Add garlic, onion, capers and mushrooms to the slow-cooker. 
   
4. Add cream of chicken on top. Season with salt and pepper.
   
5. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Southwestern Sweet Potato Salad

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium/large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 2 medium/large avocados, skinned and pitted, chopped into small pieces
• 1 red pepper. diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 white onions, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers (depending on desired spiciness), seeded and sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons Mexican chili powder
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 lime, sliced into quarters for garnishing
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro

Instructions:

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sweet potato chunks to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes and then flip the sweet potato chunks. Cook the other sided for another 8-10 minutes. During the last 3-4 minutes, add the black beans and corn to skillet. Then remove from heat and let the corn, black beans and sweet potato chunks cool to room temperature. Add all three to a large bowl.
2. Add red pepper, green pepper, onions, jalapeno pepper slices, avocado, Mexican chili powder and cilantro to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and stir until combined. Add lime quarters to top of salad as a garnish. Sprinkle more dried cilantro on top of the salad if desired.
4. Serve immediately or store salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Enjoy!

Southwestern Baked Sweet Potatoes

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 medium/large sweet potatoes,washed and dried
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeded
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
• Sliced lime quarters for garnishing

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
2. Using a sharp knife, pierce each sweet potato several times. 
3. Place prepared sweet potatoes on baking dish and bake for one hour.
4. Approximately 15 minutes before the potatoes are done baking, begin preparing the filling. Add olive oil to a large skillet. Then add the diced jalapeno peppers, red peppers, green peppers, diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Saute on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
5. Continue sauteing until onions and peppers are tender and garlic is flagrant. Then turn heat to low. 
6. Add black beans, garbanzo beans and corn to the skillet. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, cumin,paprika, salt and pepper on top. Mix to combine. Continue cooking on low for another 5 minutes while you prepare the potatoes.
7. Once potatoes are finished, remove them from the oven. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes. 
8. Trim the top off of each potato to create a boatlike shape.
9. Using a spoon, scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Be sure to leave enough potato in the skins so the shells do not rip apart.
10. Mash the potato filling using the back of  a spoon and then add it into your skillet, along with the lime juice.
11. Stir once more to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
12. Using a spoon,refill the shells with the potato mixture. Mash it down slightly using the back of the spoon 
13. Top potatoes with dried cilantro. Garnish with lime quarters. 
14. Serve immediately and enjoy!