Have you ever been to the fast casual restaurant Cubby's in Utah? It's seriously to die for. Fresh, healthy, good for you food with such great flavors. If you live near one, run there now. Seriously, what are you doing still reading this post? Go! 

I recently had Cubby's wild rice & kale salad. It's full of chicken, apples, and packed with savory flavors. I don't live within a days drive of a Cubby's, so figuring out how to make this salad on my own was a must. This salad isn't 100% up to the deliciousness they have created, but its darn near close. Make it today and your body and taste buds will thank you. 

Ingredients: 

Salad: 
1 head of kale, finely sliced into 1/8 of an inch strips
1 chicken breast, cooked, then diced
1 apple, diced
1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 cup wild rice, cooked
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 avocado, diced
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing: 
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lavender honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
sprinkling of fresh ground pepper

Directions: 

Once your kale is chopped, toss it with the lemon juice to allow it to soften. Cook your rice and while the rice is still hot, mix it with the kale to soften it further. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Add in your other salad ingredients, dress to your taste level, and toss. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 



Enjoy!

Sometimes when you invent a recipe, the food heavens align and everything turns out perfectly. That's how I felt the first time I made these enchiladas. They are creamy and full of unique delicious flavors. This recipe is actually incredibly healthy when it comes to most enchilada recipes I've seen; but it doesn't taste like a healthy recipe! The whole time we were eating my husband was like "Does this have cream in it? Does this have chicken in it? How much cheese did you use? It tastes like there is a rich mole on this! This recipe is a keeper! Best new recipe yet!" High praise. While this recipe doesn't have an expensive protein or unhealthy cream in it, it totally satisfies. I love meatless meals that my husband approves of! Plus it comes together in a snap, I love easy meals that my stomach approves of! 

Ingredients:

6 whole wheat tortillas 

1 can black beans, rinsed 

1 large onion 

1 garlic clove 

1 avacado

3 Roma tomatoes 

2 tsp chili powder 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon water

2 tsp oregano 

1 medium sweet potato, skinned & shred (should make about 1.5-2 cups) 

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper 

Heat oven to 450. 

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, avacado, chili powder, half the onion, 1 tablespoon veggie oil, water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon veggie oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the other 1/2 of the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes until soft. Add the black beans, sweet potato, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Cook stiring frequently until the sweet potatoes are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray. Fill your tortillas with the bean mixture and roll into enchilada shapes and fill pan. Cover rolled tortillas with blender sauce. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. 

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Serve and enjoy! 

A meatless meal that satisfies your craving for a stick to your ribs dish. Unique and flavorful combinations that your family won't soon forget. Easy on the waistline and pocketbook, a cinch to pull together, what's not to love? These are one of my favorite ways to eat enchiladas ever, you've gotta try them. You won't regret it. 

Bon Apetite!

My husband decided to call this dish a Southwestern Hay Stack. He said even though the name doesn't sound very gourmet, its a pretty descriptive way for you to picture what this meal is about. Its basically like a Hawaiian hay stack, but with more of a Mexican flair. 

This meal is something that is deeply satisfying and healthy at the same time. I love win win dishes like that. Its easy to whip up and a meal where you can do lots of the prep ahead of time. Again, a win win. Normally when I make this dish, I add shredded cheddar cheese to it. I forgot to do that today and guess what? It was just as good. So I'm leaving the cheese out of the recipe because if it doesn't need it, why add the expense or calories? Right? 

Ingredients: 

2 cups uncooked white rice 
2 chicken breasts
1//2 cup salsa + extra for garnish
2 tsp fajita seasoning 
2 ripe avacados
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 can black beans
1 can corn
2 tsp dried cilantro 
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

Place your chicken breasts, 1/2 cup of salsa, and fajita seasoning in a slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 3-4 hours or until your chicken breaks apart when cut. 

While your chicken is cooking, you can also cook your white rice in your rice cooker. 

When your chicken is almost ready, you can begin to cook your beans. Add your olive oil to a warm pan. Then add your onions, salt and pepper them. Let them sauté until they are translucent. Add your garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then add your beans, corn, cumin, and cilantro. Let those mix on low heat while you make your guacamole. 

Cut and mash your avocado in a small bowl. Add salt, pepper, and lime juice, stir together. 
Take your chicken out of the slow cooker and chop it into small pieces. 

Assemble your "haystacks" part by part. Rice, beans, chicken, guacamole, then add salsa on top as your garnish. 

My husband said I could make this meal once a week and he would be a happy man. He loves fresh tasting healthy recipes, but that also leave you feeling satisfied. Hopefully this will satisfy your family as well. 

Enjoy!

Tonight we stumbled upon a very satisfying and filling meal that came together in a snap. Quesadillas and wraps are so easy to put together, but they can get a little boring week after week. Tonight I made a BBQ chicken Mexican pizza for dinner. It was so easy to throw together but had some unique twists that made it a lot more fun than a boring old quesadilla. It is crispy, ooey gooey, and crunchy all at the same time. The individual layers in this pizza filled with Mexican flavored goodness are like a cinco de mayo party in your mouth, while still being simple enough for a weeknight meal. 

Ingredients:

3 whole wheat soft tortilla shells 

1 can pinto beans 

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

2 tsp olive oil 

1 small onion

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/2 of an avacado 

1/2 lrg cooked chicken breast, shredded

3 tablespoons BBQ sauce 

Cilantro for garnish 

Turn on oven to 350. Take a tortilla and place it on a baking sheet. Cover it will 1 cup of cheese and then place the 2nd tortilla on top of that. Bake for 5-7 minutes while you complete the next step. 

Warm your oil in a frying pan and cook your onion with your salt until translucent. Rinse and drain your beans and add them to the pan with your other spices. Heat through then mash with a potato masher so they have the consistency of refried beans. 

Take your tortillas out of the oven and top the 2nd layer with beans. Add your 3rd tortilla on top of that. Add your chicken, cheese, and drizzle with BBQ sauce. Put it back in the oven and bake until crispy and the cheese on top is bubbly. Remove from oven.

Cut your avacado and place that and the cilantro on top. Cut into wedges and serve pizza style. 

Feel free to switch up the chicken with whatever type of extra protein you have laying around your house. This would also work well with black beans too. Add chili powder if you love heat. This is the beauty of this type of me, you can clean out your fridge! Just don't leave off the BBQ sauce, it will give your Mexican pizza a lovely Kansas City sweetness and tang. Enjoy!