Mother’s Day Mexican feast

Todd’s parents are in town visiting us for a few days, and while they’re here we’re celebrating Mother’s Day (today) as well as their 50th wedding anniversary (tomorrow).

Today’s been a tough day for me…so many reminders that Addison is not here with us. She’d be about 15 months old by now. So hard to believe. So, it’s been really helpful that Todd’s parents came in town. Lots of fun time with them to distract me from the sadness.

Tonight Todd and I made a slightly modified version of Gwyneth Paltrow’s fajitas, roasted tomato + chipotle salsa, and guacamole (Todd has recently mastered the art of making the perfect guac!)

When we had the fajitas for the first time a couple of weeks ago they were really messy, so tonight we served the fajita mixture over rice instead of in tortillas.  It was not only much less messy, but really good!

mother's day fajitas 2013 3

Chicken fajitas over rice
Serves 4
A delicious chicken and vegetable fajita mixture served over rice.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
230 calories
6 g
73 g
10 g
28 g
2 g
164 g
138 g
2 g
0 g
8 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
164g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 230
Calories from Fat 91
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g
16%
Saturated Fat 2g
9%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 73mg
24%
Sodium 138mg
6%
Total Carbohydrates 6g
2%
Dietary Fiber 2g
8%
Sugars 2g
Protein 28g
Vitamin A
15%
Vitamin C
45%
Calcium
3%
Iron
8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
Coarse sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds discarded, thinly sliced
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Your favorite rice, cooked
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the chicken with large pinch of salt, the black pepper, the chili powder and the cumin. Set the chicken aside while you get your vegetables started.
Heat the olive oil over high heat in the largest nonstick skillet you’ve got. Add the peppers and onion, and cook, stirring now and then, until they’re beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan and cook on medium heat, stirring now and then, until the chicken and vegetables are cooked though and nicely browned, 15 minutes,
Meanwhile, cook the rice.
Serve topped with the chicken and vegetable mixture, and all the toppings (we served with salsa, guac, and organic sour cream) and let everyone mix and match.
beta
calories
230
fat
10g
protein
28g
carbs
6g
more
Adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Good
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/
Fresh + easy guacamole
Serves 6
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
116 calories
8 g
0 g
10 g
2 g
1 g
103 g
32 g
1 g
0 g
8 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
103g
Servings
6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116
Calories from Fat 83
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g
15%
Saturated Fat 1g
7%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 32mg
1%
Total Carbohydrates 8g
3%
Dietary Fiber 5g
20%
Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
6%
Vitamin C
22%
Calcium
1%
Iron
3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons diced white onion
3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
1 lime
1 vine tomato with seeds removed, diced
Coarse sea salt
Instructions
Cut each avocado in half, remove and discard the pits, and score the flesh inside the shells. Scoop the avocado into a mixing bowl and mash gently with a fork - you don’t want it to be completely smooth. Stir in the onion, tomato, and cilantro. Cut the lime in half and squeeze in the juice, cut side up so as to prevent any seeds from falling in. Season the guacamole to taste with salt, and serve!
beta
calories
116
fat
10g
protein
2g
carbs
8g
more
Adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Good
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/
Gwyneth Paltrow's roasted tomato + chipotle salsa
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
25 min
62 calories
7 g
0 g
4 g
1 g
1 g
156 g
47 g
4 g
0 g
3 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
156g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 62
Calories from Fat 32
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g
6%
Saturated Fat 1g
3%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 47mg
2%
Total Carbohydrates 7g
2%
Dietary Fiber 2g
8%
Sugars 4g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A
22%
Vitamin C
38%
Calcium
2%
Iron
2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
4 vine ripe tomatoes, cores removed and roughly chopped
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 chipotle pepper (or more or less, depending on your heat tolerance - a whole pepper makes this salsa quite hot!) from a can of chipotles packed in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Coarse sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the broiler to high, placing the rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and toss, directly on the sheet, the tomatoes and onion with the olive oil. Broil, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes have collapsed and the onions have softened a bit and everything is slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Place the tomatoes and onions in a food processor with the chipotle, cilantro and lime juice, and blitz until everything is puréed. Remove the salsa to a bowl and season to taste with salt.
Adapted from It's All Good
beta
calories
62
fat
4g
protein
1g
carbs
7g
more
Adapted from It's All Good
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/

Stephanie’s no-mayo chicken salad

chicken salad 051013

No-mayo chicken salad
Serves 4
A light, healthy, and delicious chicken salad made without mayo!
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
224 calories
4 g
95 g
8 g
32 g
2 g
183 g
184 g
2 g
0 g
5 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
183g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 224
Calories from Fat 76
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g
13%
Saturated Fat 2g
12%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 95mg
32%
Sodium 184mg
8%
Total Carbohydrates 4g
1%
Dietary Fiber 1g
5%
Sugars 2g
Protein 32g
Vitamin A
5%
Vitamin C
21%
Calcium
6%
Iron
8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
3 cups shredded chicken, cooked (you can use leftover rotisserie or other chicken)
the juice of one lemon
1 T organic dijon mustard
1/4 C plain greek yogurt
1/2 C organic Vegenaise
1 t onion powder
4 celery stalks, chopped
Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and enjoy!
beta
calories
224
fat
8g
protein
32g
carbs
4g
more
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/

Balsamic chicken + asparagus

So this was tonight’s glorious dinner…

balsamic chicken and asparagus 050613This is one of the easiest and most delicious meals we have made in quite a while, and honestly, I really didn’t change up the recipe much at all. 

I will tell you, though, as I was shopping for groceries today I kept thinking that fresh goat cheese might be better in this recipe than the mozzarella. BUT, uncharacteristically, I stuck to the recipe and bought fresh mozzarella.

Next time, I’m going with either goat cheese or feta . ;-)

Balsamic chicken + asparagus
Serves 4
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
35 min
489 calories
21 g
107 g
27 g
41 g
8 g
491 g
353 g
14 g
0 g
17 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
491g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 489
Calories from Fat 235
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 27g
41%
Saturated Fat 8g
42%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 14g
Cholesterol 107mg
36%
Sodium 353mg
15%
Total Carbohydrates 21g
7%
Dietary Fiber 5g
20%
Sugars 14g
Protein 41g
Vitamin A
55%
Vitamin C
53%
Calcium
29%
Iron
26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch asparagus
6 tomatoes on the vine, sliced thick then quartered
6 oz fresh mozzarella
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoon garlic powder
S + P to taste
Instructions
Combine balsamic, olive oil, garlic powder and pepper in a ziploc bag. Add in raw chicken breasts and marinate anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.
After marinating, grill chicken. [I did it on our grill pan - preheated to medium heat and then about 5 minutes per side. Perfect!]
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the end of asparagus (bend asparagus until it breaks, this is where you should be cutting off the ends). Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Arrange asparagus in one layer on the cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place on top rack of oven for 8-9 minutes.
In a skillet preheated to low-medium heat, place cut tomatoes in a little olive oil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Cook for 5-6 minutes until tomatoes start to soften slightly.
Plate chicken and asparagus, and top with tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with extra balsamic mixture from the tomatoes.
Adapted from Maggie's Bites
beta
calories
489
fat
27g
protein
41g
carbs
21g
more
Adapted from Maggie's Bites
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/

Stephanie’s easy, slow-cooking pasta sauce

Why anyone would ever use pasta sauce from a jar I will never know.

Well, ok, I guess I know…I used to use it because I didn’t know any better. Now that we’ve started making our own, I will never use that jarred crap – full of nasty GMOs, chemicals, and preservatives – again!

You know how I love Pinterest as a resource for recipes, and today I stumbled across this one. As I always do, I made some changes in order to make it my own.

As a result, this is what is simmering on the stove right now and I simply cannot wait until it’s ready. It’s so simple, fresh, and delicious!

fresh pasta sauce 1 050113

 

Stephanie's slow-cooking pasta sauce
Serves 8
A fresh + easy slow-cooking spaghetti sauce
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 30 min
363 calories
41 g
53 g
12 g
22 g
4 g
233 g
161 g
6 g
1 g
6 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
233g
Servings
8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 363
Calories from Fat 110
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g
19%
Saturated Fat 4g
21%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 53mg
18%
Sodium 161mg
7%
Total Carbohydrates 41g
14%
Dietary Fiber 3g
13%
Sugars 6g
Protein 22g
Vitamin A
8%
Vitamin C
21%
Calcium
6%
Iron
20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
12 oz. pasta
1.5 lb. organic, grass-fed ground beef
6 T minced garlic
2 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
32 oz. organic crushed tomatoes
6 oz. organic tomato paste
8 oz. water
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 bunch organic basil, chopped
Pinch of italian seasoning or oregano
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
S + P to taste
Instructions
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil, onion, and garlic on medium heat for several minutes...until onion softens.
Add ground beef and brown thoroughly.
Add all other ingredients and combine thoroughly.
Bring to a slight boil then simmer on low for a minimum of 2 hours. Serve over your choice of pasta cooked to al dente' and enjoy!
Adapted from Table for Two
beta
calories
363
fat
12g
protein
22g
carbs
41g
more
Adapted from Table for Two
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/

 fresh pasta sauce 2 050113

Stephanie’s white bean hummus

hummus 042313

We made our own hummus for the first time today! It took all of 5 minutes and was fresh and delicious. I used our food processor but you can definitely do this in a blender, as well.

Stephanie's white bean hummus
Serves 6
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Prep Time
15 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Total Time
15 min
17 calories
3 g
0 g
1 g
0 g
0 g
33 g
27 g
1 g
0 g
1 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
33g
Servings
6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 17
Calories from Fat 8
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g
1%
Saturated Fat 0g
1%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 27mg
1%
Total Carbohydrates 3g
1%
Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A
4%
Vitamin C
25%
Calcium
1%
Iron
1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
2 cans (organic) white beans, drained + rinsed
The juice of 2 lemons (squeeze cut side up so the seeds don't fall in)
2 T minced garlic
1 T olive oil
2 T water
1 T cumin
1 T paprika
Salt + fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
In a food processor or blender mix the beans or chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and water until smooth. Stream the olive oil in as you are pulsing/mixing. Add S + P to taste.
Transfer to your serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika and cumin. Serve with fresh cut vegetables and/or pita bread or crackers.
Notes
Optional: 1-2 T tahini
This is a basic hummus and you can add in anything you'd like: roasted peppers, pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes; just about anything depending on your preferences.
Enjoy!
beta
calories
17
fat
1g
protein
0g
carbs
3g
more
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/

Fusilli with spinach + asiago cheese

I made this tonight for the first time and we absolutely loved it!

fusilli with asiago and spinach

As much as I liked the pasta with fresh tomato sauce we made last week, I like this much, much better. It tastes just as fresh (well, it is) and it has a lot more flavor.

Here is a link to the original recipe, and below is my modified (recommended) version:

Fusili with spinach + asiago cheese
Serves 8
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
30 min
401 calories
49 g
21 g
15 g
19 g
5 g
224 g
703 g
4 g
0 g
8 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
224g
Servings
8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 401
Calories from Fat 130
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g
23%
Saturated Fat 5g
26%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 21mg
7%
Sodium 703mg
29%
Total Carbohydrates 49g
16%
Dietary Fiber 4g
16%
Sugars 4g
Protein 19g
Vitamin A
99%
Vitamin C
41%
Calcium
33%
Iron
13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
1 pound Jovial GF fusilli pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
6 tomatoes on the vine, sliced in half, then quartered
5 ounces grated asiago
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon ground sea salt (or whatever you have on-hand)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente' (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 7-8 minutes.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 more minutes.
Add tomatoes, then the cooked pasta, and toss.
Add the grated parm and half the asiago, the salt, pepper, and the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine.
Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and serve, topped with the remaining asiago.
beta
calories
401
fat
15g
protein
19g
carbs
49g
more
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis, The Food Network
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/
 

Recipe makeover | Chicken enchilada skillet

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it looks and sounds good, but there are a couple of things I don’t like about it.

chicken enchilada skillet

I plan to make this but I refuse to use Ro-tel as it contains HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). My answer to this is to substitute a can of organic diced tomatoes along with 4 oz. diced green chiles.

I will also sub a can of organic tomato sauce for the Hunt’s brand.

Finally, I’ve tried putting corn tortillas in recipes like this and I hate how soggy they turn out. Instead I’ll probably serve this over rice.

Stephanie's chicken enchilada skillet
Serves 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
245 calories
9 g
79 g
11 g
27 g
5 g
233 g
625 g
6 g
0 g
5 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
233g
Servings
6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 245
Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11g
17%
Saturated Fat 5g
25%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 79mg
26%
Sodium 625mg
26%
Total Carbohydrates 9g
3%
Dietary Fiber 2g
9%
Sugars 6g
Protein 27g
Vitamin A
21%
Vitamin C
24%
Calcium
16%
Iron
11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
10 oz organic diced tomatoes
4 oz diced green chiles
10 oz red enchilada sauce
8 oz organic tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheeses, divided
Instructions
Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add tortilla pieces and chicken; mix well.
Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until hot, stirring frequently.
Pour undrained tomatoes, green chiles, enchilada, and tomato sauces over chicken mixture in skillet. Mix well.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over chicken mixture. Cover skillet; cook 5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Serve immediately; over rice if preferred.
Adapted from Ro-tel recipes
beta
calories
245
fat
11g
protein
27g
carbs
9g
more
Adapted from Ro-tel recipes
Only the Good Notes http://www.onlythegoodnotes.com/
We’ll try this soon and share our results!

Our first married Easter!

We are settling in here nicely. After two weeks of getting organized in the house, we’re finally ready to get out and enjoy our new neighborhood. :-)  So, we are going to brunch at Kaleidoscope tomorrow…perfect for Easter brunch.

And, we’ve decided to get back to enjoying Meatless Mondays, and this week we’ll be trying this recipe for the first time: pasta with fresh tomato sauce. I have a feeling this will become a new staple for us…can’t wait to try it.

pasta w:fresh tomato sauce

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

We’ll let you know how it turns out!