Fish Tacos

I LOVE these in the summer cause they're quick, easy, and don't take a lot of cooking, so you're not sweating in the kitchen. Also, the lime flavor throughout goes great with a Corona or Margarita!

FISH
2-3 fish fillets (there's so much flavor that using the cheap ones is fine -- I generally go for Tilapia, but any white fish is fine)
1 lemon
2 tbs olive oil
3-4 limes
3-4 cloves of garlic
6-8 jalapeno slices (or to taste)

PICO DE GALLO (salsa)
1 tomato
1/2 onion
1 large handful cilantro
jalapenos (optional)
lime juice
salt
pepper

CREAM SALSA
mayo (i use the light kind)
sour cream
jalapenos
a few pinches of chopped cilantro
a shake or two of mexican hot sauce (Tapatio is a brand I like)
lime juice
salt
pepper

Marinate fish for at least 30 min in a ziplock bag with lemon juice, juice from 3 limes, olive oil, chopped garlic, diced jalapenos, and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Chop cilantro, tomato, onion, jalapenos. In a small bowl, mix 2 parts sour cream to 1 part mayo and juice from 1/2 lime. Add in a pinch of diced jalapenos, flavor with hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.

In another bowl, combine tomato, onion, remaining jalapenos and cilantro. Add juice from 1/2 lime, season with salt & pepper.

Grill fish in an oiled skillet, cooking on both sides -- it's okay if fish fall apart a bit as you cook, since you'll be piling them into the taco anyways. Set aside.

Warm tortillas (MICROWAVE: stack 4 on a paper towel and microwave for 1 minute), (OVEN: wrap 4-6 in aluminum foil and bake at 300 for 5 min), (SKILLET: toss tortillas into oiled skillet individually, flipping to make sure both sides are warmed).

Compile taco: Spoon fish, Pico de Gallo salsa, and top with Cream salsa.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Fajita Quesadillas

So tasty and super easy with Trader Joe's frozen shrimp!

3-4 cloves of Garlic (diced)
1-2 Lemons (juiced)
2-3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
4-5 diced jalapenos (optional)
1/4 cup rough chopped cilantro (optional)

1 bag medium cooked frozen shrimp
Large flour tortillas
1 bag shredded cheese
1-2 bell peppers
1/2 spanish onion

Defrost shrimp by tossing into a colander and running with cold water for 3-5 minutes or until chilled but unfrozen.

Marinate shrimp for a minimum of 30 minutes in 1 gallon ziplock bag with lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper and optional ingredients (if desired). Strain marinade and cook in a skillet with oil until bright pink and heated through. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.

Chop bell peppers and onion. Toss in heated skillet with oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, continuing to toss the mix until onions are translucent and peppers are softened. Add cooked shrimp. Set aside.

Spray skillet with oil spray and heat large tortilla on both sides. Add cheese liberally, fold in half. Cook each side for 30 seconds until tortilla is slightly browned and cheese is well melted. Remove from skillet and place on place. Open tortilla and spoon shrimp/onion/pepper mixture inside. Close tortilla back up.

Enjoy!

Variations:
- Shrimp can be cooked alone and served over couscous or rice.
- Shrimp Fajitas ~ Omit the cheese and instead merely spoon shrimp/onion/pepper mix into heated tortillas

Arroz con Pollo

Want flavorful stewed chicken in 30 minutes? Try it this way -- no bones or skin involved!



2 boneless chicken breasts
1 pack Goya Sazon seasoning (con azafran)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 can tomato paste
1/4 cup tomato sauce
Goya sofrito seasoning
capers
olive oil
water

Chop garlic and onion and saute in a few tablespoons of garlic until soft. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sofrito.
Cube chicken and brown with garlic and onion mixture.
Scoop in tomato paste, tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup of water, sprinkle 2 packets of Sazon and a spoonful of capers, stir until mixed.
Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes checking that the pan doesn't boil over. Cook until mixture thickens, may need to remove from heat and let sit before serving.

For an easy serving option, cook with Goya yellow rice (follow instructions on box). Serve with avocado slices.

Mexican 2-in-1: Chipotle Chicken

Trader Joe's is really a godsend with all their super easy, convenient, healthy options and for me they are the go-to place for easy flavorful Mexican options.

Here's how I use their superflavorful Chipotle salsa to spice up two recipes (careful, it's hot)

Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

2 cans Trader Joe's canned chicken (in water)
1 jar Trader Joe's Chipotle Salsa
1 bag shredded cheese (cheddar & jack)
1 pack of quesadillas

Sour cream, salsa, guacamole

To keep the taste up and the fat down, I use the Trader Joe's lean canned chicken (drained) and mix to taste with Chipotle salsa. Be mindful of how much salsa you use as it can get quite spicy. The chicken comes packed in a can like tuna, but by mashing with a fork, flakes into some fine shredded chicken (no cooking or shredding required).

From this tasty mix, you can go for a delicious and easy quesadilla by spreading the mix on a tortilla, topping with cheese, and another tortilla and grilling until cheese melts. This rivals the options on basically every menu from Applebee's to Dos Caminos, really kicking up the flavor.


Top with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole!

Easy Frozen Burritos

Want an even more convenient (and healthier option!) how about frozen burritos!?
Seriously, you know those freezer aisle frozen burritos that taste stale and yet pack thousands of calories, well what if you constantly had these tasty go-to options in your fridge?

Chipotle chicken mixture (2 cans chicken, jar of salsa)
1 pack tortillas (8)
1 jar Trader Joe's Fat Free Black Bean Dip
1 cup frozen corn (defrosted)
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)



I use the Chipotle Chicken mix (above), which with 100% fat free salsa, and lean chicken is super-lowfat. Then I mix in some scoops of TJ's Fat Free Black Bean Dip (yum) and mix that in until the mixture forms a nice, smooth paste. For flavor I sometimes mix in cheese, or keep it low fat with some sweet roasted corn.

Then, take a pile of tortillas (you can use whole-wheat) and pop a stack in the microwave until soft. Spread a bit of the filling into each tortilla, fold in the sides, then roll into a burrito. You can wrap these individually or pop them into a freezer bag and freeze.

Microwave for approx 2 min to defrost (careful, they can get hot inside) and serve with a dollup of non-fat sour cream. Yum!