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!

Zucchini Balls

Yield: approx 15 balls
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Difficulty level: easy

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini or 2 medium-sized zucchinis
• 3 eggs
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4 tablespoons mint, chopped
• 3/4 cup grated Gouda cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 and 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Remove ends from zucchini (s). Do not skin the zucchini.
3. Chop zucchini into very small cubes.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add zucchini cubes, eggs, garlic, cheese, salt, pepper, mint and bread crumbs. Using a spoon,combine ingredients to form a moist batter. Feel free to add a bit more bread crumbs if the matter seems too moist.
5. Form golf-sized balls using your hands.
6. Place each balls onto a greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until balls are golden and crispy.
8. Serve immediately with dip of your choice. Enjoy! 

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

I made the zucchini noodles using my brand-new Veggetti machine! The machine is super easy-to-use and can work with a wide variety of different foods. I highly recommend it. 

Ingredients:

• 3 medium zucchinis, cut into noodles
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or shrimp broth
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-n-half
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter or Smart Balance
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons lemon and pepper seasoning salt
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil on medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.
2. Add shrimp to skillet. Cook for approximately 2 minutes and then flip. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon and pepper seasoning salt and paprika to shrimp. Then cook for about 1 more minute before setting aside.
3. In the same skillet, add the white wine, heavy cream, chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes. 
4. Add zucchini noodles to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
5. Add shrimp and parsley to skillet. Gently toss until all ingredients are mixed well and then remove from heat.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Avocado Caprese Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 medium tomatoes-on-the-vine
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic dressing
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Rub seasoning onto both sides of the chicken breasts. 
2.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add butter and minced garlic. Cook for about thirty seconds or until garlic becomes flagrant.
3. Add chicken breasts to skillet. Cook on one side for about 4-6 minutes or until chicken is golden brown on bottom.
4. Flip chicken to the opposite side and cook for another 4-6 minutes. Chicken should reach nearly 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the center with a meat thermometer at this point.
5. Add two slices of mozzarella on top of each chicken breast, followed by half of the chopped avocado and 1 or 2 tomato slices. Then cover with a lid and cook for approximately 2 minutes longer. Cheese should be slightly melted and the chicken should register 165 degrees in the center.
6. Remove chicken breasts from skillet and place onto serving plates. Top with basil, additional pepper, and balsamic dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Makes about 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3-4 hours on high setting, 4-6 hours on low setting

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Three bell peppers (red, orange and green), julienned 
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 small (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Taco-blend cheese
• 3 teaspoons Mexican chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon Mccormick Southwest Sweet N' Smoky Seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• One package of flour tortillas
• Optional ingredients for serving: sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cilantro

Instructions:

1. Pour one can of the diced tomatoes into the slow cooker. Spread evenly across the bottom. 
   
2. Add half of the bell peppers and half of the onions on top. Sprinkle garlic in.
   
3. In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, coriander, Southwest Seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well. 
   
4. Rub seasoning onto both sides of the chicken breasts. Then place chicken in the slow cooker on top of the peppers and onions. 
   
5. Add the other can of diced tomatoes on top of the chicken breasts. Spread evenly. 
6. Sprinkle Taco-blend cheese over the tomatoes.
7. Top with remaining onions and peppers. Sprinkle extra seasoning on top if desired.
   
8. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours (If you want shredded chicken, cook more towards the longer suggested cooking time. If you want to slice the chicken into strips, keep towards the shorter time)
9. Remove chicken from slow-cooker. Cut into strips or shred.
10. Ladle out approximately 1 1/2 cups of watery broth from the slow-cooker(mostly tomato liquid) and discard.
11. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey. Add this mixture to the slow-cooker along with the shredded/sliced chicken breasts. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
12. Gently toss. Serve in warmed tortillas with optional sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, additional cheese and salsa. Enjoy!

I served the fajitas with spicy Mexican rice and a sweet corn and black beans salad. The recipe for the salad will be up on the blog shortly. There are a quite a few shared ingredients between this chicken fajita recipe and the salad, so it is an easy meal to plan. If you try out this recipe or have any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below! 

Travel Life

In Tampa right now. How is my hotel room already so messy?!

Below is a pic of the room service I just ordered. Portobello sandwich and fries with a glass (or two) of pinot grigio. It was pretty good, but I can't wait to get back to NYC tomorrow and cook up some of my own food!

I will update when I get back to the city!

xoxo,

Sam

Beef Tenderloin with Shrimp and Mushroom Sauce Instructional Video

Delicious Stuffed Flank Steak Recipe

I served this on a recent Sunday night and it was a big hit. I have not had much success in the past with stuffing meats (mainly due to lack of cooking string) but I managed to pull off this recipe without a hitch! I served this entrée with fettucini noodles and used the leftover spinach as a side dish. The steak paired well with a large glass of cabernet sauvignon from a local vineyard.

Ingredients:

• 1 flank steak (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
• 1 cup crumbled bleu cheese
• 1 package thawed frozen spinach
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons dried Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon thyme

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Lay steak on covered work surface. Starting at a long side, cut steak in half to opposite long side. DO NOT cut steak all the way through (I almost made this mistake). Proceed to open the steak like a book.
3. Pound steak down to desired thickness
4. Drain liquid from spinach. In a large bowl, combine spinach, peppers, bleu cheese, egg, bread crumbs, and half of the garlic salt and pepper.
5. Season steak with the other half of the garlic salt and pepper.
6. Stuff filling into steak. Leave at least one inch from the border to prevent overflowing while cooking.
7. Roll up steak to enclose filling.
8. Tie steak with cooking sting. There should be one tie per inch of steak.
9. Rub outside of steak with oil. Add more garlic salt and pepper to season.
10. Roast at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Then broil for ten minutes, turn once.
11. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Pair with merlot or cabernet sauvignon, and serve any leftover spinach as a side dish.