‘Mexican’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Cabot

September 26, 2019 · Narrative

Busy weeknight but you still need to get good food on the table fast? These Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas are perfect!

Between college tours and high school activities for my oldest, and a challenging competition cheer schedule for my youngest, and, well, just general life thrown in for good measure, our weeknights are CRAZY, and we usually don’t all sit down for a meal together until the weekend … and then I have to compete with their busy social calendar.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not cooking. I’ve been trying to prep a few meals and grab-and-go type things on the weekends, so when we’re all flying by each other during the week, the fridge is stocked with good food that we can quickly warm up and devour, and this recipe for Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas is one of them.

When Nick first tasted this recipe, his response was, “If you made chicken like this all the time, there would be no issues.”

TEENAGERS. Gotta love them.

He happens to LOVE Mexican and Spanish food, so I knew this one would score big with him. I love this recipe because of how simple it is and how forgiving it is. Mix the chicken with olive oil and spices, add sliced vegetables, and bake. Serve with a variety of toppings and add-ins, and you’ve got dinner. I usually serve it with tortillas to eat fajita-style, but you could also put the meal in between two tortillas and pan fry it as a quesadilla. Or after the chicken and vegetables have been cooked, wrap them up burrito style, put in a baking dish and add enchilada sauce and cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes. If you’re avoiding carbs, put the meat and vegetables on top of a bowl of lettuce. You are seriously only limited by your imagination and you just can’t screw this one up.

Just like a taco bar, the fun is in all the extra toppings. Add some extra ones and you’ve got the perfect party food – something super simple and a sure crowd pleaser.

Now, for the toppings … I like sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and cheese. ALL THE CHEESE PLEASE. Sometimes I’ll mix the sour cream in with salsa, to change it up, or sour cream with guacamole for an avocado crema.

And the cheese … of course, I used Cabot. But which one? I literally use them all, depends on my mood or who is coming. I like mixing sharp and mild together. But the Monterey Jack is perfect when you want something a bit milder and creamier. But the most important part? Hand grate your cheese! Don’t buy pre-shredded cheese. It takes only a few minutes to grate up what you need and it tastes SO MUCH BETTER.

It’s honestly such a challenge finding meals that all three of us like, that can be made easily when time is short, and that are still healthy and delicious – which means I’ll be making this one every other day until my kids get sick of it. Haha!

Enjoy!

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Recipe: One Pan Quinoa Bake

September 28, 2017 · Narrative

Are you on the fence about quinoa? This recipe for a One Pan Quinoa Bake just might change your mind. It worked for my kids.

I probably discovered, and fell in love with, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) some seven or eight years ago. I kind of use it the same way I use cous cous … as an add-in to a stir fry, casserole, salad, or something else along those lines that needs an ingredient to bulk it up a bit. Quinoa doesn’t have a ton of flavor on its own, but it soaks up the flavors of whatever it’s added to really nicely.

My kids, on the other hand, are not exactly fans, so I usually don’t mention it’s in a dish. It’s not like I’m trying to hide it or sneak it in … I just don’t call attention to it, and everyone is happy.

Because, to be honest, quinoa is one of those quiet super foods that is really good for you, so I want my family to be eating it more often, so if I have to add it into a delicious casserole bake with cheese … well, so be it. You can check out some of quinoa’s health benefits right here, but in a nut shell, it’s a grain that is high in protein, has been eaten for thousands of years (starting in South America), has been studied by NASA as a “suitable crop to be grown in outer space,” and 2013 was designated as the “International Year of Quinoa.” I mean, how do you ignore that type of pedigree?

A few months back, the folks at Pereg reached out and offered to send me samples of their quinoa line, so of course I said yes. Their product line has several different flavors, and are all super quick to prepare, and low-maintenance, and I used the roasted garlic version for this dish.

I am a huge fan of one pan meals because between a reasonably busy life and my cooking workshops, the less dishes I have to deal with, the better. I found this recipe from Veggie Balance, and it was on the table in under thirty minutes. Hello weeknight savior! I’m not gonna lie, my kids totally picked out the sweet potatoes and left them on the side of their plate but … hey! They ate quinoa! Small victories! And really with Mexican flavors and melted cheese, I knew it was going to be a winner from the start.

Hungry for more quinoa dishes?
This Asian Quinoa Salad makes for a healthy, delicious lunch.
These granola bars are a unique way to use quinoa and kept me snacking happily for a good week.
And if you’re sad to see summer go, you can hang on just a wee bit longer with this recipe.

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Recipe: Avocado Cream

August 13, 2015 · Narrative

A creamy twist on your usual guacamole recipe, this winner from Bon Appetit is worth having in your repertoire.

When it comes to guacamole, I’m a bit of a purist.

Avocado.

Cilantro.

Kosher salt.

Lemon juice.

THAT’S IT.

I’m all like naked chef about it, and really want the true flavors of the avocado to really come through.

No mucking around.

Which means it surprises no one more than me when I found myself trying a new recipe for guacamole.

With a significant bit of mucking around.

Nick is on a SERIOUS chips and salsa kick lately.

And chips and guacamole kick.

Thirteen year old growing boys and all that.

So this was a good one to get into rotation.

Bon Appetit calls it “lighter,” and I’m not exactly sure why, because adding sour cream to avocado doesn’t exactly make for a “light” guacamole, but whatevs.

I think the addition of the vinegar might make it last just a touch longer than usual, and adding in sour cream and olive oil definitely made for a super creamy rendition of guacamole.

And I pretty much want to spend the rest of my summer days diving into this bowl.

And you will too.

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Review: Jose Cuervo’s Teagarita

July 22, 2014 · Ad-Free, Narrative

A new cool refreshing drink. A glass filled to the brim with ice. Ahhh. Summer. It’s here.

When it comes to adult beverages, I’m pretty picky. I don’t like beer. I only like wine that doesn’t taste like wine. And for the most part, if I’m going to have a cocktail, I want the girliest kind possible. You know, like something along the lines of a Strawberry Colada. High maintenance, maybe, but I think I just know what I like and it seems to be drinks that don’t taste a lot like alcohol.

So when I heard about the new Teagarita from the folks at Jose Cuervo, I was, of course, a little intrigued. A new alcoholic beverage, with the addition of iced tea. It sounded pretty much up my alley.

And it was.

The first time I served it was at a recent dinner party. The icy cold drink was the perfect counterpart to a hot summer’s day. It has the unmistakeable tang of a margarita, and the punch of tequila, but with the sweetness of a glass of refreshing iced tea.

Which is to say, it goes down nice and easy.

And we finished the bottle.

For summertime entertaining, I like that you can serve up cocktails to friends without having to measure and mix and spend your night as a bartender. Less time mixing, more time catching up with friends.

Which is pretty much the best way to entertain.

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Recipe: Restaurant-Style Salsa

April 11, 2013 · Narrative

When it comes to snacking, I go straight for the salty variety. Always have, always will. Chips and dip? Yes, please. Homemade hummus and pretzel rods. No question. Fresh salsa? Without a doubt.

And so it was a given that when I saw this recipe for a restaurant-style version of salsa, I would be making it.

I mean, come on.

With our outside temperature flirting with 70 degrees lately, it’s the perfect motivation for a little spring cleaning in our yard, hanging up some flower baskets, and just downright enjoying the sunshine. And this salsa with a handful of chips or chopped vegetables? Outside on the deck? With the kids and friends?

A thousand times yes.

Although it looks like there are a lot of ingredients, you can make quick work of it because you just throw the entire list into the food processor, whirr it around, pour into a bowl … and dig in. It definitely has the consistency of restaurant-style salsa, with a subtle tang coming from the lime juice and that unmistakable taste of cilantro. Yum, for sure.

Once our Jersey tomatoes are at their peak and farmer’s market season begins, this is one of my favorite homemade salsas to make with the fresh produce.

You can’t go wrong either way.

Hungry for more Mexican food?
This Mexican Roast Chicken is a cinch to make and super juicy.
These simple spicy chicken wraps are a great go to (and oh! those little baby faces!)
Chicken Flautas from Sunny Anderson that were a cinch to make and deeeeelish.

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Recipe: Carnitas Salad

March 4, 2011 · Narrative

I have been to Chipotle exactly three times. Each time, I’ve ordered the exact same thing. Rut much? But when it’s so very good, why deviate, right? After the last time that my friend Beth and I went, I decided to get to work on recreating my favorite dish at home. After all, it really was just a combination of a few different components, packed with fresh ingredients and clean eating to the very last bite. Why shouldn’t I enjoy it at home?

When you order the salad at Chipotle, you start with the base of lettuce and build from there, deciding on your meat option, which salsa you want, whether you want red beans or black, rice or not, corn or not, guacamole, sour cream and so on down the line. When I’m ordering, I go with carnitas (pork), black beans, fresh salsa, cilantro lime rice and guacamole. Although it comes with dressing, I swear you don’t need it. All the other flavors mingle together to do a happy little dance in your mouth without it. The salad is filling, utterly satisfying and guilt-free.

As far as a recipe goes, the most important one you need is for the carnitas. It’s super simple since it just hangs out in your crockpot. The pork is insanely tender, coming apart with just the touch of your fork after it’s done.

To assemble your dish? When serving, I put out lettuce leaves in a big bowl, and then separate bowls for the pork, black beans, fresh salsa, guacamole (avocado, cilantro, sea salt and lemon juice, that’s it people), and cilantro lime rice (last weekend, I used my own made up version, but I have since found this copycat version, which I’ll be trying tomorrow night). This way, everyone could build their Carnitas Salad the way they see fit. And now with the recipe below, you can too, so hop to it. It’s so very good, especially when all put together … your only regret will be not having had it sooner.

Project 365
March 4, 2011, Photo #62
Went to a fundraiser tonight at a new (to me) gym, which is, by all accounts, more like a spa resort than a place to go sweat. Loved this poster on the way out.

Bonus picture from Thursday night. Jamie taught the kids the art of eating whipped cream from a can. As you can tell by the look of pure joy on Madeline’s face, she was fighting every second of it….