My husband and I are serious DIY house project folks. We've done a LOT of projects in our home and are still working on finishing a few things off. Today my amazing husband powered out the last bit of tiling we needed to do in the kitchen. We had a patch of backsplash that had been just painted, and now it's covered in lovely white subway tiles! Yay husband! As awesome as house projects are, kitchen projects tend to leave you sans fully functional kitchen for some lengths of time. Today I cooked in a corner just the size of my Crockpot.
This is a super easy Crockpot recipe, great for dinner and perfect for cooking ahead for weekday lunches. This chicken makes great tacos, burritos, and salads. I'll be eating this for lunch salads most of next week.
Shredded Salsa Chicken
Makes 6 servings
For the Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 cup salsa (I used mild this time so my toddler will eat it)
1 15oz can black beans
1 cup frozen corn kernals
1 tablespoon oil
Salt and Pepper
For toppings
Sour cream
Chopped red onion
Chopped cilantro
Avocados
Salsa
Place chicken and 1 cup of salsa in a crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours. Turn down to low and cook 1 more hour.
When the chicken is 20 minutes shy of done, drain and rinse a can of black beans and set aside. Heat a pan to very hot and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add corn kernels to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly charred.
Add corn and black beans to the chicken and cook for the last 20 minutes. Shred chicken with forks and enjoy in tacos, burritos or on salad! I like to top my salad with sour cream, chopped onions, avocado slices, cilantro, more salsa and some hot sauce. Delicious!
Things made this time last year...
Dutch Baby
Chicken Cacciatore
I have never taken off time during Spring Break, but this year I did and it was great!! I went home-home and had an awesome reunion with some women I grew up with, our kiddos and our mamas. It was wonderful - time filled with scooters, wading pools, lots and lots of rock throwing (my mom's driveway is pebbled and my son LOVES to throw rocks at her fence. It's awesome) and delicious food! While sitting around watching the babies play, one of the grammies got an All Recipes email and we all had to have the featured Black Bean and Quinoa Salad. The minute I got home I had to make it again... it's the taste of vacation!
Black Bean and Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette - from All Recipes
For the Salad
1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups water
10 oz halved cherry tomatoes - about 2 cups
15 oz rinsed black beans - 1 can
5 green onions, chopped - about 1 cup
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 limes, juiced - about 3/4 cup
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper
First cook the quinoa. Boil the quinoa in the water, cover and turn down to a simmer. Simmer covered for 25 minutes, or until tender and the little "tails" are released from the grain.
Next chop tomatoes and green onion and drain beans. Add these to a large bowl. Chop the cilantro, and set it aside.
When the quinoa is done cooking, spread it on a plate to help cool it. This salad is great served at room temperature, so no need to chill the quinoa, but if it's really hot, it will wilt the veggies.
While the quinoa cools, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper (I used about an 1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper and just a dash of salt.)
Add the cooled quinoa to the veggies in the large bowl and stir to combine. Add in the cilantro and stir a bit more to combine.
Eat at room temp, or chill and serve cold. Both are delicious and the left overs are wonderful! I think this vinaigrette would make a great marinade for lighter meats, or as a dressing for fish tacos.
Here are a couple of my other favorite quinoa salads...
Ginger Miso Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Tabbouleh
