With the tacos I usually like to make at least one side dish that actually ends up being my taco filler as it’s usually bean based like Spicy Black Beans and Zucchini. Well last night was no different except I had a craving for crunchy chips dipped in salsa. So I decided to make a hearty salsa/taco filler with what I had on hand. This is what I came up with. . .

• 1 15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes (preferably petite but I didn’t have any)
• 1 7oz can corn drained
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 2 thinck slices of sweet onion diced
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp tabasco sauce
• 1 tbsp dried cilantro
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried cumin

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

We dipped baked scoops in it and used it as salsa on our tacos. Actually I used it as my taco filling. I didn’t even miss the meat. ;)

I loosely measured out 9 1/2 cups so I’m going to use that as a serving.

Well Saturday I was determined NOT to eat out again. So in the afternoon I pulled out the trusty crock pot and made up this quick meal. To my surprise the husband LOVED it. I was shocked as he normally hates slow cooker meals AND I tried a completely different spice combo, for us anyways.

Here’s what I did…

• 1 small sweet onion chopped
• 1 cup brown rice (180g)
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can of chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• Pork Loin (We used 2 about a pound each)

Put all ingredients in the crock pot.

Turn on high.

Wait 3 hours.

Eat.

Seriously, that was it. the rice was perfect. If it cooked any longer I think it would have been glue but the 3 hour mark was ideal.

If you want to make this on a day you will be away longer then 3 hours, I’d use a timer. I’m not sure of the time on low or how the rice would turn out. You Crock-pot veterans out there will have to chime in.

Here’s a little before and after cooking shot.

No nutritional info on this one. It will depend on your pork loin size. I got around 6 servings from it and enjoyed the leftovers at lunch today. :)

Oh and I have to add that the next day I made homeamde sauce and meatballs and today I have lean burgers cooking on the George Foreman. I’m on a roll! ;)

"Apparently all I had to do was shove a beer can up a chicken’s a$$ to get him excited about dinner!"

I may have been wrong. I’m not sure if it was the can of beer or the fact that I was serving him meat on a bone.

He was just as excited about tonight’s dinner and I even served couscous. You all know how much he hates couscous, right? lol

In all seriousness, he love it. Even asking me what spices I used. He NEVER asks me what spices I use. I don’t think he knows what spices are!

The toddler? Well, he ate with minimal complaint. A win in my book. :)

Here’s what I did. . .

Chicken Breasts

• 3 bone in chicken breasts
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Kosher Salt
• Ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl mix the cumin, coriander and onion powders.

Remove the skin from all or some of the breasts. I always remove mine. Why? Well let’s take a look. . .

Nutritional information from SparkPeople.

That’s almost half the calories simply by removing the skin. Not to mention the fat! Yikes!

Place the breasts in a baking dish and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the spice mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until internal temp is 165. Mine were perfect at 43 minutes. I pulled them out and let them sit for 5 minutes.

10 minutes before the chicken is done start the couscous. . .

Veggie Couscous

• 2-3 slices of a large sweet onion diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 1 small zucchini diced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (4oz)
• 1/2 cup whole grain couscous, dry (110g)

Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Spray with non stick cooking spray and cook the onion for a few minutes while dicing the carrots. Add the carrots, then celery, then zucchini.

Sprinkle with the cumin and coriander (subtle tie in with the chicken). Add the broth and bring to a boil.

Add the couscous, turn off the heat and cover. Fluff after 5 minutes.

I also served with some frozen broccoli. It was a perfect meal for the 3 of us with just enough leftover for a lunch. :)

For my Weight Watchers friends, I’d count this (1 breast and 1/4 of the couscous) as 8 WWP. That’s just my estimate, I don’t have it in me to post nutritional info this evening. Sorry. :(

Aaaa…. HA!

Simple breaded chicken! It’s a favorite of mine. There’s just something about "fried" breaded things dipped in ketchup. ALWAYS fun. :)

So these are pretty basic but I spiced them up a bit. For me there is just something utterly more satisfying with a bit of flavor. Of course you can use any of your favorite spices to change it up a bit.

• 1 boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces (about 8oz)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (30g)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp chili power
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 ground mustard seed

Place all the spices in a quart sized and mix together.

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Place in the bag and shake until well coated.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the chicken about 4 minutes a side. You may have to lower the heat to medium to prevent burning if the pan gets too hot .

Serve with a spat of ketchup! :) I’m counting the whole recipe as a serving because it’s all I ate but you can split it into two. Just half the nutrition info.

As for the corn muffin topping I used the Golden Corn VitaMix Corn muffin mix from Vitalicious. They send me products from time to time to try and review. This is one of my favorite VitaTops and the mix is just as good. I guess you can call this my "semi-homemade" idea. Of course you can make your own topping or use a different mix but the nutritional information may be different. Note: Vitalicious is a sponsor of my weight loss blog, Roni’s Weigh. If you want to try their products be sure to use RonisWeigh in the promo code field for 10% your order.

• 1 medium sweet onion chopped
• 8 oz lean ground turkey raw (99% lean the best)
• 1 jalapeno pepper diced small
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp dried cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 1 large red pepper chopped
• 1 medium sized zucchini chopped
• 1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes undrained
• 1 small can (6oz) tomato paste
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 egg whites
• 5 oz of water
• 1/2 package Golden Muffin VitaTop mix (185g of the mix)

Heat a medium-large pot over medium-high heat and spray with a bit of non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion with a bit of salt and pepper and cook until just turning transparent. Add the ground turkey and break apart while browning. Stir in the chili powder, cilantro, cumin and garlic powders. Lower the heat to medium.

While the turkey is cooking chop your veggies and add them to the pan as you finish. Once all the veggies are mixed in add the can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste and cocoa powder. Continue stirring to incorporate all the ingredients. It will be thick and may take a few minutes.

Once everything is well combined lower the heat to medium low and continue to cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.

While the chili is cooking prepare the mix. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites and water until just frothy. Weigh out half of the corn muffin mix (185g) and add it to the egg white mixture. Stir until just combined.

Pour the chili into a casserole dish, around 9×7 inches. Spread it evenly to fill the dish. Now plop the corn muffin batter on top of the chili spreading it like you would ice a cake. You should have just enough to cover the chili. Sprinkle with a bit of chili powder.

Now you can bake immediately but I actually made it ahead and baked about 2 hours later in a preheated 400 degree. Bake until the corn muffin mix is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

As for the nutritional information, I’m shocked! I had to double check it as the servings are a nice size but the calories are pretty low. If anyone wants to double check the numbers I’d appreciate, I’m a bit skeptical but excited! lol

Now I’m not going to claim I know anything about Moroccan food. I’m not even sure I could find Morocco on a map! All I know is the flavors of that recipe intrigued me. So I used what I had on hand and whipped this up in about 10 minutes. I’m not kidding, from pot to bowl in 10 and it was tasty! Different. But tasty all the same!

Toddler and husband wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole. However, little man was quite obsessed with my oranges.

So at least I got that in is belly while preparing the dish. Hey… every little bit counts. :)

• 8oz extra lean ground beef
• 1 small sweet onion chopped
• 3 gloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp dried cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cans (15oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 orange peeled and chopped (keep any juices)
• 2oz Whole Wheat Couscous
  (56g)
• 1 can Butter Beans (Large Lima Beans) drained and rinsed

In a medium-large pot brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. Add the cumin, oregano and cinnamon. Coat everything and let the flavors merge.

Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes (with juices) into the pot. Bring to a boil while peeling and chopping the orange.

Add the orange pieces. Bring back to a boil.

Stir in the couscous. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the Butter Beans and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes until ready to serve.

I knew I was only making it for me. The toddler has declared his hate of soup multiple times and if it ain’t Chicken Noodle or French Onion the husband won’t bother.

So I decided to REALLY make it only for me. Inspired by a bag of dry pinto beans that have been in my pantry for well over a year and some stock I recently made from a beer can chicken last week, I went to town.

I normally use canned beans but the dry are so much cheaper and they really aren’t that hard to work with if you’ll just be hibernating in the house on a cold Saturday. That being said you could easily replace the dry with a few cans. Remember, it’s just an idea so if it sounds good take it and run. :)

• 2 cups (1lb) dried pinto beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 large green bell pepper
• (If I had a jalapeno I think I would have added!)
• 1-2 tbsp dried cumin (I started with 1 and then added more to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp dried cilantro
• 1 can (15oz) stewed tomatoes ran throw the blender quick keeping some chunks
• 8 cups of your favorite broth (chicken, veggie, stock)

Soak the beans over night or do the quick boil method (what I always do as I never know I’m going to use beans the night before.) Bring the beans to a boil in a large pot. Boil for 5 minute. Then cover and simmer for 1 hour. —Go play with toddler. :)

Drain and rinse the cooked/soaked beans set aside.

In a large pot add the olive oil and onion. Cook until just soft. Add the green pepper and spices. Stir to coat everything. Add the blended stewed tomatoes. Stir. Add the broth and beans.

Bring everything to a boil then cover and simmer. Cook until beans are tender, at least 2 hours. If I was prepared I would have topped with green onion like Kalyn did on her version but I didn’t have any. Instead I used a bit of cheese and cilantro to make the picture a little better. :)

Now I stink on the Nutritional Info for soups and anything with beans in it. So this recipe scares the crap out of me! :) Here’s what I’m getting with my cup estimations. Just remember this is approximate and even if we’re off we’re still eating a healthy soup. :)

So as always, take the idea and run with it! :) I’m totally please with how it came out.

• 2 cups (or a 15oz can would work) of our favorite chicken broth or stock (I used some turkey stock I had frozen from thanksgiving)
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp lime juice
• 2oz (55g) whole wheat couscous (I buy RiceSelect Organic Whole Wheat Couscous)

Toppings

• 1 avocado cut into slices (about 25g for each serving)
• 3/4 oz fancy shredded mexican cheese blend (about 5g for each serving)

Place all the ingredients in a pot except avocado and cheese. Bring to a bowl. Then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minute until couscous is soft.

Scoop into 4 bowls (each about a cup) top with avocado slices and cheese.

Note: this is the first time I’ve eaten avocado like this and I have to admit it was AWESOME! Produce Pick coming soon on the awesome fruit I was avoiding for some reason. :)

Note x2: Here are two more pics. I couldn’t decide so I let the toddler. He picked the main was as the "best". :)

Note x3: Can you also tell I didn’t know what to call it?

My first experiment , Avocado Lime Dressing, was tasty but this idea takes the cake. Here’s the thought… I don’t like guacamole because of the texture but I like all the flavors that are in it. So why not use them and make something I do like?

Introducing the Guac Chicken Sandwich.

Let me just say… TASTY! and easy to make. I used a precooked chicken breast from Aldi’s (LOVE them by the way) but you could use leftovers or even a take this idea and run with it for a burger!

Here’s what I did…

• 1 cooked boneless chicken breast
• 1 whole wheat English Muffin
• about 1 tbsp avocado (15g)
• squirt of lime juice
• sprinkle of chili powder, cumin and dried cilantro
• 1/4 of a large green pepper
• handful of baby spinach leaves
• slice of tomato (or in my case a few cherrie ones – I was out)

Toast the English muffin.

On one side of the muffin smear the avocado. Splash the lime juice on and sprinkle with spices.

On the other side of the muffin, pile the spinach leaves, tomato and pepper (you may want to squash the pepper flat first).

Place the chicken on top of the pepper and put the avocado side on top.

Serve with a side of carrot sticks! :)

Here’s my 3 steps… now I’m off to make another one! (these pics were from yesterday)

The toddler actually was excited to eat it but he thought it was too spicy. I’ll have to use the regular diced tomatoes next time. The ones with green chilies have too much of a kick for him. I even used cream corn to try and curb the hotness with a bit of sweetness but it didn’t work.

As for the husband? He wasn’t home. Did you really think I’d try a meal like this if he was?! HA! I did have a friend over who enjoyed it, although he said he’d prefer the regular corn. Oh! and he added hot sauce. I thought it was perfect. It’s definitely going to be my new go to veggie chili. :)

• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn undrained (cream or regular)
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 small can (6oz) tomato paste
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 1 small onion diced
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp dried cilantro

Put all ingredients in the crock pot (slow cooker), stir and cook on low for 5 hours (3 on high should be fine.)

Seriously… how AWESOME are crock pots. :)

I topped mine with a bit of low fat cheddar and cilantro.

Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little but you get my point. I’m a fan. The problem is it’s so darn hard to find. At least in my area it is. And even If you are lucky enough to find it you have to be willing to drop 4-5 buck on a jar that tries to tell you 2 tablespoons is a serving. HA! My jar is normally gone in 2 sittings.

So because of all the reason listed above I set out to make my own. A few months ago I took my hand at some Black Bean dip, which is good but considering I don’t have a food processor right now and my blender broke (probably because I used it to make bean dip all the time) I set off for a quicker, easier bean dip fix.

So I present to you the fastest, easiest bean dip idea ever. I’ll tell you this, I have no plans on buying the jarred stuff again (except maybe Trader Joe’s Black Bean Dip, that stuff is sweet nectar from the gods!).

• 1 can (16 oz) fat free refried beans
• 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
• 1 tbsp lime juice, raw
• 1 tsp hot sauce (to taste)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• 2 tsp ground cumin

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a spoon. The dip will get nice and creamy.

Separate into 4 1/2 cup servings and dip away! You can share if you want but I don’t. The husband doesn’t like bean dip (*yesssss*)

My favorite Bean dip dippers… baked tortilla chop, soy crisps and carrot sticks. Oh! and pepper strips.

I am very happy with the result. It’s not exactly like the McDonald’s version but it’s close enough for me. Plus I had some ulterior motives while coming up with the recipe. I wanted to use ingredients in their whole forms, for example 1 can of corn. I mean who has 2 tbsp of black beans or 1 oz of green chilis hanging around the house. It’s just not realistic. However, because of this the recipe makes about 5 servings.

My goal was to create the salad “topper” that you can use on top of your favorite salad greens. I happened to eat mine over a mound of baby spinach, as it was all I had but you can use anything. A romaine lettuce blend would work best for mimicking McDonald’s version.

S0 here you go. I hope you like it, I know it cured my craving for a fast food salad I like the fact that I know EXACTLY what’s in it.

• 10oz cooked grilled chicken (happens to be the size of 1 short cuts bag ;~)
• 1 can (15.5oz) can of black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 small can (8.5oz) of yellow corn (rinsed and drained – I used no salt added)
• ½ red onion diced small
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 small can (4.5 oz) diced green chilies lightly drained
• 1 oz fancy shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp honey (42g)
• 1 tbsp Tabasco (may want to cut back if you don’t like spicy)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp ground cumin

Place the chicken, beans, corn, onion, tomatoes,green chilies and cheese in a large bowl.

Whisk the lime juice, honey, Tabasco, chili powder, and cumin. Pour over the chicken mixture and blend. Let sit until ready to serve. I didn’t wait long and it was good but it get’s better the longer it sits!

Scoop on top of your favorite salad greens!

Here’s another shot. I wasn’t too happy with any of them. For some reason I suck at photographing salads! But I did get a cute shot of the toddler helping me cut up the onion with one of those hand choppers.

As for the NI, I used a cup measure spoon and scooped it over the greens. Then I measured 4 more cups out, that’s how I came up with 5 servings.

Update: OK, I used some of the leftovers tonight to make nachos on baked tortilla chips. OH MY WORD! Sinfully good! I topped the chips with a few tablespoons, another 1 oz of cheese put it under the broiler and dipped in salsa. YUMMY!