Carribean Jerk Tacos with Mango Salsa and Picked Red Onions, by Diane

This was one of the best lunches I've had in a long time! It uses one of my all time favorite go-to's, Crockpot Jerk Chicken, in an entirely new way. The pickled red onions, the best taco topper IMO, were so easy to make and I was excited that they were in this recipe. And the mango salsa gave it an extra island kick!

I made two changes to the original recipe here. The first is that I swapped out the yogurt sauce for some spiked coconut milk that I added into the chicken. The second is that I am allergic to peaches (the original recipe has a peach mango salsa) and so I bought my favorite mango salsa that Giant sells- less time = no complaints!

Original Recipe here: portandfin.com/jerk-chicken-tacos-with-peach-mango-salsa-pickled-red-onions/

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
10 peppercorns
5 medium garlic cloves, smashed
3 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, sliced into rounds

For the Salsa:

2 peaches, peeled and chopped
1 mango, peeled, cored and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 lime, juiced
⅛ tsp salt

For the Onions:

1 medium red onion, halved and sliced thinly
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
10 peppercorns
1 tbsp sugar
water

1 can coconut milk
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
Corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Combine the first 4 spices of the chicken ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the chicken all over with the rub and set in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the remaining chicken ingredients in a medium nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the chicken, cover, and cook on low, turning the chicken pieces every few hours, until the meat is falling off the bone, about 5 to 8 hours.
2. While the chicken cooks, place the onion ingredients into a mason jar through sugar, then add water until all the onions are covered. Set aside.
3. Chop all the salsa ingredients and combine in a bowl, set aside.
4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces (discarding the ginger) and place back in the slow cooker with the sauce until ready to serve. Combine the coconut milk, chili powder, and cumin in a bowl and add to the chicken. 
5. Place all ingredients into a corn tortilla and enjoy!

Pickled Red Onions, by Diane

This recipe accompanied my Caribbean Jerk Tacos. I am a huge fan of picked red onions, they make an awesome condiment with so many dishes. My favorite way to eat them is on a taco, which is one reason I was so excited about the taco recipe I found this week! They are easy to make, store well in the fridge, and can accompany anything!

Recipe from: portandfin.com/jerk-chicken-tacos-with-peach-mango-salsa-pickled-red-onions/

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
10 peppercorns
1 tbsp sugar
water


Directions:

1. Chop the red onion in half first, then into thin slices. Place onion slices into a large mason jar.

2. Add in the remaining ingredients through sugar, then add water until all the onions are covered.

3. The onions will need at least one hour until they are ready!

Halibut with Olive Tapenade, with roasted tomatoes and Israeli couscous, by Cheryl

This meal was awesome! I'm so excited to incorporate it into my dinner rotation. It's very easy, very healthy and very tasty! I ended up doubling the ingredients for the olive tapenade since I know that halibut is a very mild fish in flavor and because I also love olives :) The recipe comes from my Clean Eating magazine. Yum!

Ingredients (original recipe):

12 pitted kalamata or black olives
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp capers, drained
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
4 6-oz boneless, skinless halibut fillets
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) In a food processor, pulse olives, garlic, capers, and 2 tsp oil until coarsely chopped.

3) In a medium bowl, toss tomatoes with remaininf 1 tsp oil.

4) Arrange halibut and tomatoes in a pan and sprinkle both with salt and pepper. Divide olive mixture over top of halibut. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork and tomatoes are soft and collapsed.

5) Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and stir in parsley and lemon zest. Serve fish and tomatoes over couscous.

Fish Taco Bowls, by Diane

This recipe came from http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2014/07/fish-taco-cabbage-bowl.html and I loved the simplicity of it. Mexican food is one of my favorites, and this looked like a filling, less messy way to eat a fish taco and bonus- no tortilla! I switched up the sauce which I will post below as well since I didn't want to use a ton of mayo. I worked really hard to think up a good substitute for a fish taco sauce, which is always creamy and delicious. So I came up with coconut plain yogurt for a tang that was creamy and non-dairy, and combined it with canned adobo peppers and lime juice. I also added cholula hot sauce on top, because in my world that is a MUST on tacos! This wound up being a great, really delicious meal that I will definitely make again!!

Note: If using frozen filets, defrost in a large bowl of cold water in the packets for 20 min or until thawed.

Ingredients:

3 large or 4 small fillets Tilapia or other mild white fish
1 tbsp + cooking spray
Spice rub of your choice (I used Tony Chachere's creole seasoning)
1 medium head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 medium head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 chopped cilantro
Guacamole
Cholula

Dressing:
3/4 cup coconut yogurt, plain (or you can sub 1/2 cup mayo)
3 tbsp chipotle pepper liquid (you just want the liquid from the can, or if you really like spice you can add some of the peppers in as well!)
1/2 to 3/4 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Combine cabbages, onions, and cilantro in a large bowl, or several small bowls, and set aside.

3. Make the dressing and set aside.

4. Pat dry and coat both sides of the fish with the rub. Place the fish on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and flaky white.

5. Portion out the fish and top with the sauce and guacamole. This keeps really well for lunches if you store the fish in an airtight plastic baggie portioned out.

Whole Wheat Biscuits, by Cheryl

Hello, my name is Cheryl, and I'm a crescent rollaholic. That's right, the buttery and creamy "rolls" you pop out of a tin that go with just about every soup, stew, and meal? Well I'm cutting us off. This chemical concoction isn't doing it for me anymore and in my effort to lead a cleaner lifestyle (which coincides with our upcoming move since it's easier to discard of things in the kitchen) these have to go. I may not say goodbye forever, but I need to explore other options. This is where these biscuits come in! I got the recipe from 100 Days of Real Food and they were definitely different than my beloved crescent rolls. They were very easy to make and went well with our chili. They did taste a little bland though and Jon thought they had some weird after taste to them. Instead of butter I used Country Crock margarine (another thing I'm not buying after the move) so that may have altered the taste. Also, our whole wheat flour has been sitting out for a while (I bought it in Italy) so it just may not be the freshest. I think these would be really good with some cheese and herbs in them. I'm definitely going to make them again after the move and I'm really excited about all of the possibilities! Yum! *Edit: I made these again with fresher flour and they didn't taste weird at all!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup of milk (any kind)

Directions:

1) In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

2) Cut the half stick of butter into pea sized pieces, then mix the pieces into the flour mixture.

3) Using a fork, try to mash the butter pieces as you mix it together with the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. It's okay if the outcome looks just like pea sized pieces of butter covered with flour.

4) Pour in the milk and mix it all together. Knead the dough with your hands 8-10 times then turn  out onto a counter or cutting board. Pat it flat with your hands until the dough is a somewhat even 3/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle with flour if necessary.

5) Turn a drinking glass upside down and cut out biscuit rounds.

6) Put them on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Southwest Cilantro Lime Chicken Zoodles, by Diane

This recipe is a twist on a previous post, Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad. Lately I've been obsessed with summer squash, and the best way I've found to eat them is in the form of "zoodles," or zucchini noodles. Using an amazing gadget called a Veggeti, I can quickly turn any vegetable into fettuccine-shaped strands that can be cooked or eaten raw and combined with anything you'd normally put over pasta. Today, I decided to make a version of this delicious salad but with zoodles instead.

Ingredients:

4 zucchini, shaped into zoodles
4 grilled chicken breasts, shredded
2 red peppers
2 ears yellow corn
2 sprigs green onion, sliced
Raw pepitas
Guacamole

Dressing:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup cilantro


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 and place the red peppers whole onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning twice. Remove from oven and immediately cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and slice peppers, discarding stems ribs and seeds.

2. Grill corn on a outdoor/indoor grill or grill pan, turning occasionally until all sides are slightly charred. Cut kernels and set aside to cool.

3. To make the dressing, add ingredients through honey into a food processors and blend until honey is combined. Slowly add in oil while blending. Finally, add in cilantro and process until blended well.

4. Combine all ingredients together and toss with the dressing.

Superfood Soaked Oats, by Diane

Yet another recipe that is a daily staple- so daily and regular that it never occurred to me to post it until I made a particularly fabulous batch this morning! The beauty of this recipe is that it requires very minimal prep the night before and is ready and waiting for you all perfect and delicious in the morning. It is amazingly healthy for you as well. I love it for the warmer months because it's eaten chilled (although you can heat it up in the winter). Customize the toppings and milks any way you like (you can even sub grains or chia seeds for oats if you're trying to avoid those).

I use almond milk, oats, and a combo of whatever superfood or yummy ingredients I have on hand. I usually go to the bulk section at a organic grocer and get these ingredients, as they tend to get a bit pricey if you go for the packaged version.

Finally, the timing of the ingredients is what makes this dish. You want to soak the ingredients that you would want to be softened, like the oats, cacao nibs, and anything dried like dried berries. What you add in the next morning will stay hard to give your dish a crunch. This is all based on personal preference. For example, I like to soak my dried berries and cacao nibs overnight so they can become soft and absorb the flavor of the almond milk, but I like to add my nuts and seeds last so they give the dish a good crunch. This is especially important with chia seeds- if you soak them in with the oats overnight they will become gelatinous and the dish will have a pudding or custard like consistency in the morning which I don't personally like. But they are a great superfood so I sprinkle them on with my crunchy ingredients in the am.

Healthy and delicious and filling- this breakfast is awesome!!!

**TIP- if you haven't done this overnight and still want to enjoy them in the morning, a soaking time of 10-20 minutes should be enough to soften the oats, but the berries will still be hard. This will do in a pinch!**


Softened Ingredients:
1/4 irish steel cut oats
3/4 cup almond milk, vanilla, sweetened (I like there to be some liquid in the am, but if you want a thicker oatmeal consistency reduce this to 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tbsp raw cacao nibs
A few of each dried mulberries, golden berries, goji berries, sultanas, and golden/green/brown raisins
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp turmeric

Crunchy Ingredients:
A few each of raw unsalted cashews, almonds, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 tbsp chia seeds


Directions:

1. Add your softened ingredients to the bowl, cover and refrigerate. There should be a lot of standing liquid, like this:

2. The next morning, the liquid should have been mostly absorbed to soften the initial ingredients, so add in the dry ingredients and enjoy!

Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad, by Diane

This is a summer staple for any family or friend gathering. It's easy to make, and takes advantage of all sorts of awesome summer produce. I usually serve it with fresh buttermilk ranch on the side. I've also added in grilled corn and black beans to this too- either is a great addition, or it's amazing on it's own!


Ingredients:

20-30 small heirloom tomatoes, mulitcolored (or 3 of each color red, yellow, purple if you can only find large sized)
1 small red onion
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Salt and Pepper
3 ripe avocados
Buttermilk ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Quarter the tomatoes into bite size chunks, removing their seeds (this makes the salad too wet and makes the avocados gooey).

2. Chop the red onion into small pieces and add into the bowl.

3. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper and mix well.

4. Cube the avocados into bite size chunks, and add into the mix, stirring gently to avoid smashing them.

5. Serve immediately so everything doesn't get squishy! Add ranch dressing on top or on the side for dipping!