Recipe: Burrito Bowls

For those of you that don't know me and Nate used to live in San Diego and we often miss Mexican treats. So from time to time I love to make some Mexican inspired meals  to fulfill our cravings. Burrito bowls is super yummy easy dinner that I will for sure make again!

You'll want to prep a few of the toppings the night before to make for a quick dinner prep the next day. I make my own homemade guacamole and salsa but you could for sure go store bought and not have to worry about the the night before prep. Though I think homemade tastes so much better and is much healthier of course.

Ingredients
Rice:
2 cup cooked brown rice (I prefer brown but you can for sure use white)
2 limes juiced
1 handful of chopped cilantro
1 stalk green onion chopped
1/4 t. chile powder
1/8 t. cumin
Salt to taste

Toppings:
1 chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces and cooked
Black beans
Chopped red and yellow peppers
Shredded cheese of choice
Plain greek yogurt (sour cream if you prefer)
Guacamole
Salsa

Stir lime juice, green onion, and parsley into the cooked rice. Season with  chile powder cumin and salt to taste salt and set aside.

Divide rice into serving bowls, and toppings and enjoy!

Adventures In Slowcooking: Chicken Enchilada Soup

So as I told you guys I have been missing Mexican food soooo bad and at the same time trying only to use my slowcooker during these heat waves. I found a recipe for Chiken Enchilada Soup and felt a strong need to get it in my mouth!

This one was super easy, makes a lot of soup and was soooo tasty! Here is the recipe for you guys

Chicken Enchilada Soup

 Initial ingredients to cook chicken in:
3 large chicken breast halves
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2/3 cup chunky salsa (I used my own homemade salsa)
1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp chili powder ( I would cut this down to 1 tbsp the next time I make it)
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder




Ingredients to add in after having cooked chicken:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Masa Harina ( substitute with corn meal you won't find this in most places)
2 cups milk
2 cups frozen corn ( I used freshly cooked corn from husks)
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
2/3 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

For Serving (all optional):
Additional shredded Cheddar and Monterrey Jack Cheese
Diced avocados
Sour Cream
Chopped cilantro ( this one is such a great addition to the flavours)
Chopped green onions
Tortilla Chips or stripsn (in my mind a must to have with the soup)

Directions:
Place chicken in a slow cooker (mine was half frozen so don't wory about that part).  Pour chicken broth, tomato sauce, salsa and zesty italian dressing over chicken.  Sprinkle in chili powder, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder. Give a good little stir and then ensure chicken is resting on bottom of slowcooker again.  Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 6 hours.  

Once cooked, remove chicken from slow cooker and set aside.

 Prepare a roux in a saucepan by heating olive oil over medium heat then stirring in Masa Harina (mixture will be thick), slowly pour in milk.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick and it reaches a gentle boil (it should be like the consistency of a porridge). 

 Pour mixture into slow cooker and whisk until smooth.  
Add in corn, Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Cheddar Cheese and Monterrey Jack Cheese.  Shred chicken and stir into soup. 

 Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to cook about 10 minutes until all ingredients are heated through. 

 Serve warm garnished with additional shredded cheese, diced avocados, sour cream, cilantro, green onions or  tortilla chips.

Hope this heat wave isn't getting to anyone to bad!

 

Adventures In Slowcooking: Barbacoa Beef

So after living down in SanDiego I grew a possibly unhealthy addiction to Mexican food. Mexican food the likes of which you CAN NOT find in Canada. With the awesome summer weather here I have been craving real mexican food more and more! SOOOOO I decided to take it into my own hands and try my hand at some epic mexican treats.

I found a recipe for slowcooker Barbacoa Beef to use for tacos and burritos. I made the beef yesterday so we could have it for lunch today. WOW was the recipe ever spot on! The meat is delish tender and so flavourful! Here is the recipe I used with my own little changes and suggestions

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef 

(original recipe and link here)

1 jar of Tomatillo salsa (presidents choice has a great one)
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed well and chopped
1 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 head garlic, peeled and cloves smashed
5 dry bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Juice of 4 limes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
5 to 7 pounds beef brisket
4 to 6 cups beef or chicken stock

Stir together Jar of tomatillo salasa , cilantro, red onion, garlic, clove, salt, lime juice, and cider vinegar in the insert of a slow cooker. Place the brisket on top of this mixture.  Add stock to cover the meat and place bay leaves on top. (if meat isn't fully covered cut brisket in half and replace in pot).

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Once finished, turn crock pot to WARM and let sit for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove meat from slow cooker and place on rimmed baking sheet. Use two forks to pull the meat apart.

Place shredded beef in large bowl and ladle cooking liquid over the top a few scoops at a time. You want the meat to hold the liquid but not swim in it.

I kept all the cooking liquid and frozer it to make a stew in the fall because it was so rich and seemed like a waste to toss out!

Here is my end results ( I made fresh salsa to go with them HERE is my recipe for salsa fresca)

 They were delish and this is for sure a recipe we will be making again in the future!
Hope everyones week is off to a great start!