Light chicken taco salad

not my photo

This is a beal family special. Strange at first... And then terribly addicting! Even my kids will eat lettuce thanks to this recipe! A great way to sneak in a ton of veggies!

1/2
 head of lettuce chopped small
1/2 head cauliflower chopped small
2 diced tomatoes
2 carrots chopped small
1 large avocado diced
2 green onions sliced
I can olives sliced
1 can kidney beans
1 cup part skim mozzarella shredded cheese
2 chicken breasts
1 packet taco seasoning
Nacho Doritos
Light Ranch dressing

Cook and shred chicken. Add taco seasoning with 3/4 cups water and simmer briefly.
Combine chicken and all salad ingredients. Toss until well combined. Serve with crushed Doritos and light ranch dressing. Enjoy!

* feel free to sub ground beef or turkey or leave meat out completely!

Cafe Rio sweet Pork Burritos

Photo from here

Here is my easy "cheater version" of Cafe Rio pork. The original knock off recipe requires you to marinate the pork overnight. Aint nobody got time for that!!! This keeps things easy.

In the oven at 400 degrees bake:
salt and peppered 4 pounds of pork roast
2 chopped garlic cloves
Enough coke to almost cover the roasts in a 9x13 (probably 2-3 cans)

Bake for 3-4 hours or until pork starts to shred easily with a fork

Remove roasts and discard liquid.

Shred pork and put back in 9x13.

Make this sauce:
In a blender or with a hand blender combine:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups of coke
2 cans of green chiles
21 ounces of red enchilada sauce ( 1 1/2 small cans)

Cover shredded pork with sauce and bake at 350 for 2 more hours.
Serve with Cafe Rio rice, Cilantro ranch dressing, lettuce, cheese, black beans, or any other burrito toppings you like! (see recipes below)

I always side this with pioneer womans salsa, guac, and chips!

Cilantro Lime Rice (from here)

1 cup uncooked rice
1 T oil
1 tsp minced garlic (I use the jarred kind)
1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 cups water (or chicken broth – leave out bouillon)
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules (or 2 bouillon cubes)
1 T fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp sugar
3 T fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a bowl combine lime juice, sugar and chopped cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Cilantro Ranch Dressing:

1 hidden valley ranch packet

1 cup mayo

1 cup buttermilk

1 bunch cilantro

1 jalepeno (remove seeds)

blend in blender and serve!

Chicken ranch tacos

Photo from Here

                                               
I usually always have these ingredients In my pantry on hand. And I like these tacos. Because they are healthy, not spicy, and my kids and people who don't really like Mexican food always eat them.

Ingredients :
Chicken
Ranch dressing packet
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese

Salsa:
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 Roma tomatoes
1/4 diced yellow onion or 3 green onions
Cilantro
Lime

Bake and shred chicken. While hot sprinkle 1/2 the ranch packet on the chicken. Stir until chicken is coated and absorbs the powder.

Combine the second half of the ranch packet with 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup buttermilk. Shake in a jar and put in fridge.

To make salsa :
Combine corn, beans, onion, tomato , and chopped cilantro in a bowl. Juice 1 lime into the mix and stir.

To assemble:
Heat tortilla
Add chicken, cheese, lettuce, and salsa. Drizzle with a tablespoon or more of ranch dressing.
Enjoy!