Cinco de Mayo has long been one of my favorite holidays. What's not love about a holiday that involves tortilla chips, guacamole and margaritas? That's right, absolutely nothing. Also, I love tequila - which works well, especially for this holiday...and this recipe.


Unfortunately, this year instead of drinking margaritas and each far too many tortilla chips, I'll be in class taking a final. Sigh, the glorious life of a masters student. But the good news it, my last final of the semester is tomorrow, so I'll be saving my Cinco de Mayo celebrations for Seis de Mayo.


But yum, this chicken is delicious and so easy to make. So many good flavors packed into a healthy, colorful and festive meal (adapted from this recipe). Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Tequila Lime Chicken

Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup tequila

• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (3-4 limes)

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (1-2 oranges)

• 1/2 tsp. chili powder

• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 oz. each)

• 2 tomatoes diced

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

• 2 cups cilantro lime rice (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat a grill (or grill pan). Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. 
3. Remove chicken to a plate, cover tightly and allow to rest 5 minutes. 
4. Slice chicken and serve over cilantro lime rice. Top with diced tomatoes, cilantro and avocado slices.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice

• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)

• 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 tsp. cumin

• 1/4 tsp. tumeric

• 2 1/3 cups chicken broth

• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (1/2 lime)

• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a small amount of olive oil (enough to coat the pot). Add onion and garlic, cooking for 3-5 minutes or until onion is tender and translucent. Reduce heat to low and add rice. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly to make sure the rice doesn't burn. 
2. Add cumin, tumeric and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes or until rice is tender. 
3. Once cooked, stir in lime juice and cilantro.

I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I really don't like tomato sauce. Fresh tomatoes - yes. Ketchup - yes. Tomato sauce - nope. I'm sure your mind is buzzing with all the foods delicious foods that I rule out of my diet because they include tomato sauce: lasagna, pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, meatloaf...oh, the humanity!


Okay, but really, my dislike of tomato sauce doesn't affect my life negatively. I still eat more than enough white pizza and vegetarian lasagna, and I love pasta with garlic and olive oil. And I won't melt if I eat tomato sauce {I've matured since my youth}, but I really prefer to not do so. Meatloaf, however, is still off the table and one of my least favorite foods. Ever.


Anyway, back to the point - tomato sauce. This one is amazing. It's sweet. It's juicy. It's not a tomato sauce so much as it is a tomato topping. So maybe I should call this "Roasted Cherry Tomato Topping." Either way, it's good super delicious. Plus, it's good on everything! Aside from being the most delicious topping for pasta, it can be eaten warm or room temperature and it's great with crunchy bread or crackers, chicken, eggs - the possibilities are endless!


Oh and did I mention it's almost completely hands-off? Simply mix together the ingredients, pour them into an oven-safe dish, cook for an hour and voila! - deliciousness awaits! Mmm also, as I'm sitting here and eat the leftovers now, I can verify that it's still great (adapted from this recipe).

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Yield: 2 cups | Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 22 oz. cherry tomatoes (nearly 1.5 pounds)

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)

• 2 tsp. packed brown sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix together tomatoes and garlic in a 9x13-inch baking dish. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar and salt. Drizzle over tomato mixture.
3. Bake until tomatoes are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. 

Nutritional information per serving (1/2 cup per serving);
Calories: 260
Total fat: 26 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Weight Watchers points: 8

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

In my last post I wrote about the nice weather and the sun. I took a walk through the park near my house and explored some trails. All the deck furniture was reclaimed from the dust a cobwebs and placed out in the sun. Basically, I was pretending it was summertime.

I don't know how the weather is wherever you live, but it's sunny and almost 80 degrees today (which is more than 100 degrees warmer than it was 3 months ago - crazy, right?) As I'm writing this, I'm basking in the warmth of the sun as it spills through my window and pretending it's summertime.


Given the summer-like weather, I can't think of a better thing to eat than tzatziki sauce - the cool yogurt and cucumbers combine to make the perfect warm-weather dip. If you've ever eaten a Gyro, this is that creamy deliciousness that's inside. And like the infomercials say - but wait, there's more! The best part about this is its versatility. You can dip veggies or pita into this goodness, eat it on top of a sandwich, use it as a sauce with grilled chicken - endless possibilities!

Also, 1 serving of this is less than 65 calories. That means you can eat this creamy, delicious dip guilt-free! So go pick up some cucumbers on your way home from work and make this, you won't regret it!

Tzatziki Sauce

Yield: about 3.5 cups | Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 24 oz. plain greek yogurt

• 3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 lemon, juiced (2-3 Tbsp.)

• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

I like to pretend that I'm not a picky eater and that I enjoy all foods. Truth be told, while I'm not picky, there are some foods that I dislike. Growing up, I basically didn't like eating at all. I thought eat was something you just had to do so you could keep moving and dancing and playing. {I know, it's crazy, I don't know what I was thinking}

When I was about 16, I started realizing that food wasn't just something that your body converts into energy. Food was amazing and rich and complex, and I fell in love. I began everything I could get my hands on. I also developed a new rule for myself for anything that I "didn't like": I had to try at least 2 more times, prepared in different ways, before I drew any conclusions.

For example, I didn't like mushrooms as a kid. The idea of eating a fungus was too much for me. But 4th of July, 2010, my parents grilled giant portobello caps and, please believe me when I tell you this, it was one of the greatest things I've eaten in my life. It was so delicious and I wondered: why had I been missing out my whole life?! Today, mushrooms are one of my favorite things to eat.

And eggplant. I still don't love eggplant. It's a texture thing - the inside get soft and the skin stays taught and waxy. So I tried egg plant again: eggplant lasagna - not bad. Then again: eggplant parmesan - again, not bad. Then a third time: caponata of eggplant - THE BEST THING EVER.

Before you go thinking that I'm special...or strange, you should know there are certain foods I still don't like. For example, I don't like ground meat. I will occasionally dabble with ground turkey, but never ground beef. I also dislike tomato sauce. Fresh tomatoes, bruschetta, ketchup - all good in my book. But warm, oozy tomato sauce - ick. Oh and I can't eat spicy things. Like not even too much ground black pepper. Negative 18 on the spiciness scale. Now you know my Achilles heels.


So what does this mean - I was a strange kid. Instead of eating pizza or hamburgers, I had salads or fresh sandwiches. In fact, cooked spinach was one of my favorite things to eat as a kid. Today, I'll eat pizza with sauce but I much prefer white pizzas. And my least favorite foods of all time? Meat loaf (ground beef + tomato sauce) and chili (ground beef + tomato sauce + spice). But vegetarian chili is an entirely different story.

First of all, instead of ground beef, the soup's "meat" is a variety of delicious vegetables, black beans and brown rice. Second, the broth is about half tomato sauce and half vegetable broth giving it a good balance of flavors. Third, I added no spiciness to this chili. You, of course, can add chili powder and hot peppers until your eyeballs sweat, but I liked mine just the way it was! (adapted from this recipe)

I know spring is here and the cold is behind us {fingers crossed}, but this vegetarian chili is so good. I'm actually quite sad I didn't make a larger batch and freeze some for later. However, this isn't difficult or time consuming, so I'll just have to make another batch again soon.

Vegetarian Chili

Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

• 1 Tbsp. garlic

• 1 cup diced zucchini

• 1 cup corn kernels

• 8 oz. portobello mushrooms cubed

• 2 tsp. cumin

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper

• 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

• 1 cup black beans

• 2/3 cup tomato sauce

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1 cup cooked brown rice

• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese - optional

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a small amount of oil (enough to coat the pan). Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini, corn and mushrooms. Cook and stir vegetables until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add cumin, salt and pepper, and stir to evenly coat vegetables. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce and vegetable stock. Stir well and allow mixture to come to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. In a bowl, add 1/2 cup cooked brown rice and top with 2 cups of chili. Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro and 1 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese. 

I feel as if the line between breakfast and dessert is blurred. In fact, I feel like sometimes I accidentally cross over from breakfast to dessert. But you know what? I don't mind at all.

You've heard it before - breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If I can eat dessert for "breakfast" and say I'm doing something good for my body, I'm all about it. So let me present: pastelitos.


These treats literally translate to "little pastries" (pastel=pastry, ito=little). While pastelitos have a Cuban origin, you can find them in many Latin American bakeries today. Pastelitos are often filled with sweetened cream cheese and tropical fruit pulps. However, like empanadas, pastelitos can also be made with savory fillings like beef, chicken or ham and cheese.

When I was in a specialty store in Pittsburgh the other weekend, I found some guava paste {can you think of a more tropical fruit then guava?} and felt inspired to make these. Guava paste is more solid than guava jelly, so it doesn't tend to spread and leak from the pastries when baking. However, guava paste is more difficult to find and either one will work - so go with what is easiest for you.

I used frozen puff pastry to make these because making puff pastry from scratch is very time consuming and I just wanted to eat these as soon as possible. In fact, once these came out of the oven, I felt an overwhelming urge to eat them immediately even though I knew they were molten lava in the center. Needless to say I burn my tongue, but it was well worth it. These are that good.

Guava and Cheese Pastelitos

Yield: 20 pastries | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• 8 oz. guava paste

• 1 egg, whisked

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; set aside. Cut guava paste into thin 1-inch squares (about 1/2-inch thick); set aside.
3. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut puff pastry into 2 1/2-inch squares - this should yield about 20 squares. Place squares into prepared mini-muffin cups and gently shape puff pastry into the cups. 
4. Into each puff pastry cup, place 1 guava paste square and a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture. Brush the edges of the pastries with the whisked egg. Bake pastries in a preheated oven for 22-25 minutes. Allow pastries to cool before devouring (can be served warm or at room temperature).

Nutritional information per serving (4 pastries):
Calories: 200
Total fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Fiber: 1.5 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Weight Watchers points: 6

Enjoy and thanks for reading!