oh hey...

oh hey. remember that time when i blogged about healthier food choices and weight loss? not sure why i stopped exactly, except that my weight loss had plateaued for so long that the blog had become rather boring and irrelevant. i've reach about 10 pounds lost now, which is super exciting, and i feel pretty great!  BUT i'm still stuck. haven't gained or lost in ages. (although, let's just be honest, it's nothing short of a miracle that i didn't gain weight over thanksgiving! so i'm not necessarily complaining...) my goal is to lose another 15 pounds, though, so it's time to get serious about this again. 

a few friends had mentioned to me that they missed my recipe reviews. and i was thinking, hey, i can still do that whether i'm actively losing weight or not. after all, it's not just about weight loss -- it's about making healthy choices and filling my body with good things. so maybe i'll post a few recipe reviews here and there. if there is one thing i can do well, it is certainly to eat and to talk about it. :-)

so here's a few tasty dishes that we've tried over the past few weeks. one recipe is even a beth lougee original! enjoy, friends.

• sweet and spicy sriracha baked salmon
• baked teriyaki chicken meatballs
• sausage and quinoa stuffed acorn squash
• roasted cauliflower and mushroom carbonara
• chicken tacos with roasted southwestern veggies

sweet and spicy sriracha baked salmon
this meal was a big hit. had the perfect blend of sweet and heat. steve gobbled it up, and isla only fussed a little. :-) (that's considered a win in our house!) of course, i made sure to give her a piece without any added sriracha -- that stuff has some serious kick!  i've made this recipe a few times now, and i continue to love it.

baked teriyaki chicken meatballs
this recipe was recommended to me by a few friends... and for good reason! it was great. i'm generally not a big teriyaki fan, but i just can't resist a good meatball recipe. loved the addition of crushed pineapples to the meat. would have been a little better with toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top, but i was (sadly) out of them.

sausage and quinoa stuffed acorn squash
this recipe called to me for so many reasons -- sausage, quinoa, apples, and cranberries all in a cute little acorn squash?! more than anything, i think it appealed my passion for autumnal beauty. truthfully, i don't love most squashes, but i love the idea of loving them since they represent fall. makes perfect sense, right? :-) anyway, this was a good, solid recipe, though it didn't blow my mind. needs a little tweaking. my mom made acorn squash when i was a kid, and it was always filled with delicious butter and brown sugar. so in my mind, acorn squash = sweet. but despite the added apples and cranberries, this was not a sweet recipe. i think if i make it again, i'll roast the squash with a bit of brown sugar (or maybe maple syrup?) to amp up the sweetness. it just needed... something. you know?

for the record, meat-and-potato loving husbands and picky children will likely not eat this recipe, so keep some chicken nuggets or something on hand when preparing it. ;-)

roasted cauliflower and mushroom carbonara

here's a recipe that i want to tell everyone -- EVERYONE -- about. it was so unique. i am obsessed with basically any type of roasted vegetable to begin with, but then to add it to fettuccine and bacon and parmesean? and to somehow keep it under 400 calories? yes. just yes. i only wish my photo could better represent how amazing this was!

steve loved it! i loved it! isla threw a gigantic fit over it and ended up in time-out at least three times, but eh. what can ya do? this recipe was a winner, and i can't wait to make it again!

chicken tacos with roasted southwestern veggies
and finally, my very own chicken tacos with roasted southwestern veggies. this recipe came together in my mind after trying a few variations of chicken tacos and adding in my love of roasted vegetables. and to make things even better, the chicken is prepared in the crockpot (easy!) and the roasted vegetables are straight from the freezer (no prep = awesome!).

2 large chicken breasts
1 packet taco seasoning mix
2 cups chicken broth
1 bag frozen southwestern veggies (corn, black beans, peppers)

garlic salt
pepper

corn tortillas (you could also use taco shells or flour tortillas, but i like the corn tortillas best)
mexican cheese blend
sour cream and salsa (if desired)

1. put chicken breasts in the crockpot (mine were frozen). mix taco seasoning with the chicken broth and pour over the chicken. cook on low for about 8 hours.

 

2. when chicken is finished, remove from crockpot and shred the breasts with two forks. then return the shredded chicken to the juices in the crockpot.

 

3. meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. dump the frozen veggies on a rimmed baking sheet. either spray with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil. sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. roast in oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. i like my veggies really crispy, so i tend to leave them in for a while. sometimes i even put them directly under the broiler to get them nice and dark.

 

4. while the veggies are cooking, heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan to medium heat. one by one, cook the corn tortillas until golden brown on each side. (it goes pretty quickly... maybe 30-60 seconds per side. you'll have to add a little more olive oil as you go.) the corn tortillas will get a little crunchy but will still be pliable.

 

5. serve tortillas with shredded chicken, roasted veggies, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.