Chicken Burrito Salad

It is more important than ever for my family to eat healthy.  I have been working almost daily to find winning dishes that satisfy all of the needs and picky taste buds.

Ingredients:
Chicken Burrito Salad:
3-4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Taco Seasoning (I use my own you can find here.)
Green Leaf Lettuce (You can use your favorite lettuce.)
Roma Tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Favorite Salsa

Dressing:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
Juice of One Lime
2 Tbsp. Favorite Salsa


Directions:
Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and toss into a pan with the olive oil over medium-high heat.  After the chicken starts to cook, add in the taco seasoning.  I don't measure the taco seasoning.  I season to taste.  Stir around the chicken regularly until almost done.  Add in some of your favorite salsa. Cook until chicken is done and most of the water has cooked out of the salsa.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad bed.  I used green leaf lettuce because that is my favorite.  Tear it into bite sized pieces and dice up a tomato.  Add the chicken on top.

For the dressing, stir together all ingredients and pour the desired amount over the chicken and salad.

Taco Salad/Lettuce Wraps

Here is a healthier version of an easy family favorite.

Ingredients:
Romaine Lettuce (I've also used Green Leaf Lettuce)
1 lb. ground beef
4½ tsp. taco seasoning (I use mine which you can find HERE)
Preferred taco toppings (shredded cheese, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole)
Chicken stock (approximately 2 cups)

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown turkey with about one cup of the chicken stock.  The stock helps to break the turkey down to a fine texture.  When the turkey is cooked through (it will be white if you use the ground white turkey, not brown), stir in the taco seasoning and about another cup of chicken stock.  While the turkey is cooking, wash and prep the lettuce and toppings such as diced tomatoes.  We have done this as lettuce wraps with the meat and toppings wrapped in the lettuce.  J really liked it like that.  I prefer the lettuce torn up and mixed in like a salad.  When the meat is done, it all of the liquid should be cooked out.  Now, scoop some in your lettuce and add your toppings.  Enjoy!

Our family loves tacos and this is a healthier version.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

The beauty of this recipe is that it can easily be halved or doubled.  I halved it for just the three of us because L just doesn't eat much yet so I shared a chicken breast with her.  I don't need a whole one to fill me up.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or about 15 tenders
olive oil
salt and pepper
¼ cup chicken broth (watch ingredients)
½ cup canned coconut milk
Dijon mustard (The original recipe called for 2 Tbsp. but as I've said before, I don't measure.  I just added until it tasted right.  But if you measure, this is a good measurement to start with.  Also, with this ingredient, it isn't corn-free and possibly not gluten-free unless you have made a homemade version.  I am working on one of these.)

Directions:
First, I pounded down my chicken breasts.  When chicken breasts are cooked in a skillet, they cook more evenly and easily when they are thinner.  Next add oil to a large skillet and start heating.  Season chicken with salt and pepper to your taste.  Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked thoroughly.  Now the original recipe said to wait to make the sauce until the chicken is done and make it in the same skillet.  I didn't do this because I multitask to get it done.  My family works best on a bit of a schedule and I don't have time to cook in the kitchen all day, so if I can save time I do.  But this is up to you.  While my chicken was cooking, I made the sauce in a separate saucepan.  Pour chicken broth into the pan and start warming.  Then whisk in milk, then mustard, then I added a little bit of pepper.  You can add salt but be careful because between the salt on the chicken and the salt in the sauce, they may not taste salty separately, but they will taste salty together.  So salt sparingly.  Taste the sauce as soon as it gets warm to see if you need anything else.  When the chicken is done, pour the sauce over the chicken or put it on the side for dipping.  I poured mine over the chicken but put J's to the side.  He is pickier about sauces but he liked this one.

Note:  The original recipe called for oregano or terragon in the sauce but I thought those herbs were too strong because the sauce was already very flavorful.  You can find the original recipe HERE.

I served this with a side salad using my homemade buttermilk ranch from my previous post.  You can find that HERE.  I also added a mashed potato for the toddler who is teething so she wouldn't eat much unless it was soft.  She did like the ranch though, and licked it off of the carrots.

And of course, I have pictures.  The first picture is of the toddler plate.  The other one is of the adult plates.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Yes, I know there are tons of recipes for this stuff online.  Especially on Pinterest.  But this is my recipe.  I started with a recipe I found on Pinterest but it was extremely bland so I just figured it out on my own.  And now, I'm sharing it with you.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup sour cream (you could use coconut yogurt here to make this dairy-free)

1 1/2 cup canned coconut milk

1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried chives

2 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (leave this out for corn-free and dairy-free)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together well.  Pour into air tight containers and chill before using.  Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Makes 2 pints/1 quart

I put mine in two pint sized mason jars.  One went in the fridge and one went in the freezer.  Note:  Make sure you get freezer safe jars.

This is what it looks like:

Note:  Watch the ingredients of sour cream if you are watching corn.  Some have sodium citrate as a preservative ingredient.