Eating Paleo/Whole30 when eating out

This post is especially for my husband, who is getting ready to try the Whole30 thang, and needing some Paleo-friendly lunch options. And as such, it focuses mostly on his tastes. So there may be a lot of other options out there, but this list caters to someone who's not crazy about chicken or salads. And its scope is also limited to restaurants on the west side of Wichita, KS. But there are a few national chains here, as well as guidelines for any Mexican restaurant, or any burger, so there should be help here, no matter your locale.

(Please note: this list may not be 100% Whole30 compliant; I was not able to track down which oil most things are fried in, for example. But it seeks to avoid grains, dairy, sugar, and legumes.)

Applebee's

Beef: The Ribeye and NY Strip are the only two steaks that aren’t cooked in soybean oil.

Seafood: Garlic Herb Salmon

Sides: steamed vegetables; or sweet potato fries??

Burger places, or any place that serves 'em

Bunless burger topped with grilled onions and mushrooms. Or grilled onions and jalapenos. Served on spinach? Or get a side of broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet potato, if available.

Chili's

Beef: Cajun Ribeye, Guiltless Carne Asada Steak, Flame Grilled Ribeye, or the Classic Sirloin – ask for no savory steak butter as this contains gluten. If you want a burger, the Bacon Burger or the Old time Burger (ask for no bun or onion strings) are good choices.

Seafood: Guiltless Grilled Salmon or the Salmon with Garlic & Herbs
Fajitas; skip the tortilla, sour cream and cheese.

Chipotle

Order two sides of steak or carnitas with guacamole, and any salsa you want, except for the one with corn and beans. Depending on how much food you want, you can order extra sides at $2.25 a pop.

Note: Occasionally you’ll get a new employee who might put the sides in a sides container. If they do this, ask them if they can put it in a bowl. If they do that, they’ll often realize it’s not actually that much meat and give you more for free.

Jason's Deli

Pollo Mexicano, without cheese and sour cream, - add guacamole; try to eat less of the white part of the potato

Mighty Wild Salmon Salad, without beans, with Italian dressing (NOT Leo's fat-free Italian)

Mexican places (go local, not chain)

Ask for no chips when you're seated. (If you order carryout, specify no chips.)

Fajitas; skip the tortilla, sour cream and cheese.

Order a tostada topped with meat of your choice, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, tomato, and/or onions. Eat everything but the tortilla.

Panera

Sorry, but there's nothing Paleo here that isn't chicken and/or salad...

Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad (this is on the "hidden menu"; just ask for it) - antibiotic-free chicken, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, ripe tomatoes, crisp apple-wood smoked bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, extra-virgin olive oil, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Chicken Cobb with Avocado - antibiotic-free chicken, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, applewood-smoked bacon, fresh avocado, Gorgonzola  and hard-boiled eggs are all tossed with herb vinaigrette; vinaigrette contains minute amounts of corn.

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General guidelines

Always ask for NO SEASONING SALT in restaurants. MSG is often added to this, as is sugar.

When you see the following adjectives on the menu, ask lots of questions and be prepared to take a pass on foods that don’t meet your standards:

• Deep fried
• Crispy
• Battered
• Coated
• Breaded
• Sauced
• Meatballs/Meatloaf/Croquettes (probably include breadcrumbs)
• Sausage
• Fritter
• Dumpling

Sources:
http://thepaleomama.com/2013/01/the-paleo-mamas-guide-to-dining-out-paleo-style/
http://fentresscrossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/FAST-FOOD-OPTIONS.pdf
http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2015/02/26/paleo-tips-eating-restaurants/
https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu-categories/salads.html
https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/articles/access-into-paneras-hidden-menu.html

Quick, easy buffalo chicken quesadillas with avocado

image and recipe inspiration from halfhourmeals.com

This is one of my go-to recipes when I realize too late in the day that I haven't planned dinner. (AND it's one my husband calls restaurant-worthy!) I love it because it's a few simple things you can throw together and have dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less. Also, there's very little measuring involved.

I pick up some grilled chicken from the grocery store deli, grab an avocado and some appropriate cheese if I don't already have some at home. Tortillas and hot sauce are usually in my fridge. Butter: always!

For the chicken, you can use any already-cooked chicken you have on hand or can easily obtain. Grilled, roasted, whatever! Tear it apart with your hands; this lets you find and dispose of any parts that are overdone and chewy. It also creates a nice, uneven surface for the sauce to cling to. Or you can use already shredded chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

Quick easy buffalo chicken quesadillas

two small chicken breasts and one thigh, already cooked
1 T. butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
3-4 T. hot sauce (I like Cholula Chipotle)
1/2 avocado
4 flour tortillas, fajita size (6 to 7")
4-5 oz. queso fresco or Monterrey Jack, shredded

Put the 1 T. butter and the hot sauce in a small skillet over medium-low heat. While it melts, tear the chicken apart and slice the half avocado thinly. Once the butter is melted, stir it around to mix in the hot sauce, then add the chicken to the pan and toss lightly to coat. If you still need to finish your prep, turn the heat under the chicken mixture a little lower.

Put a large skillet on another burner, and turn the heat to just-under-medium. Let this heat up while you assemble the quesadilla.

Lay one tortilla on a cutting board or edgeless cookie sheet. Sprinkle about one fourth of the cheese on it; top with half of the avocado slices (1/4 of the avocado), then scatter half of the chicken on top of that. Sprinkle over this another fourth of the cheese, and top with a second tortilla. Press it down lightly, and if any chicken bits fall out, tuck them back in.

Lightly coat the large skillet with butter -- just enough for the size tortilla you're using. Carefully slide the quesadilla onto the hot skillet, and cook for a few minutes, till the color on the underside is GBD. (Golden brown and delicious!) Turn it over and heat the second side likewise.

Remove to a cutting board, and repeat the process for the other half of the ingredients.

When both quesadillas are done, slice them into sixths. (A rolling pizza cutter works nicely.) Serve with sour cream (and/or plain yogurt) and salsa on the side.

Serves 3 to 4.

Here are the nutrition facts, based on 3 servings per recipe, via myfitnesspal.com:

Nutrition Facts
Servings 3.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 455
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23 g	35 %
Saturated Fat 11 g	56 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 89 mg	30 %
Sodium 871 mg	36 %
Potassium 294 mg	8 %
Total Carbohydrate 27 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 19 g	75 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 36 g	71 %

Based on this recipe from HalfHourMeals.

Grilled pork tenderloin with easy al pastor glaze and mango salsa

This sounds fancy-pants, but it was an easy weeknight dinner that I kinda threw together.

It started with an extra mango and some cilantro in the fridge, left over from fish tacos a couple days ago. What to do with that? A spicy and/or salty pork dish would be a nice counterpoint, so I picked up a couple pork tenderloins.

Mid-afternoon, I trimmed the pork and put both pieces in a baking dish, and slathered one of them with this impromptu glaze:

- a good bit (maybe 1/2 cup?) of some bottled "Tacos Al Pastor" sauce I had on hand (Target's "Archer Farms" brand)

- a sprinkle or two of cayenne (if you're not a spice wimp like me, you might want more)

- a scant 1/2 teaspoon of ancho chili

- a drizzle of honey (a teaspoon or more, maybe. want it sweet? use more!) 

(I seasoned the second tenderloin with cumin and a couple other things, to be made into Cuban sandwiches tomorrow night.)

So the tenderloins sat in the fridge for a few hours, covered and marinating in their glaze/rub. Forty minutes before dinner time, I took them out and let them sit at room temp for 20 minutes, before grilling till the interior temp was just over 140 F; then a few-minute rest. You could also cook them in the oven; find directions for that here.

While the pork was cooking, I chopped up the mango and a small handful of cilantro. Tossed that together with the juice of one lime wedge. 

Sliced the pork and topped with the mango mixture. (Roasted cauliflower for the side dish.) Verdict? The hubby said, "If I ordered this at a restaurant, I'd be very happy with it." Wow! 

How to eat healthi(er) at Jose Pepper's

(Oh, and a restaurant review.) 

Yes, it is possible to go to a Mexican restaurant and not blow your healthy eating, balanced-carbs plan. Here's my strategy:

1. Count how many chips you eat. Notice I'm not telling you how many to eat. In the past, I've always either decided ahead of time to eat no chips whatsoever (my rare approach), or decided ahead of time to not eat "too many," but then go ahead and do it anyway (my more common approach). Today, I decided I would just count chips as I ate them. I hadn't made up my mind what number I was going to stop at, but the mere mindfulness of counting slowed me down considerably. You might try this and see if it helps. YMMV.

2. Skip the white flour and white rice. I love their fish taco, but it's so packed with flavor, you really don't need the tortilla. (And picking it up to eat it is REALLY messy!) So I just remove the little taco prop that it comes served in, lay the tortilla out flat, and eat the content off it as if the tortilla were the dish. Neater, cleaner, saved some white carbs and some fat, with no sacrifice in flavor or enjoyment!

3. Get veggies instead of rice and beans. I love this about Jose Pepper's: that you can even get vegetables as a side is great, but these actually taste good! A mix of broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash and (tiny shreds of) carrots, they're generously seasoned and cooked just to crisp-tender.

4. And -- do I really need to say this? Skip the little ball of cornmeal and honey! That's nothing but a sugar bomb, and if you never taste it to begin with, you can do a head-fake on yourself and just imagine that it tastes really awful!

As to a review of the restaurant itself... The one we frequent is on 13th Street near the Warren Theater in east Wichita. We go there almost every Sunday for lunch, and although they're always busy, we rarely have to wait long for a table. The staff is always friendly and on top of things. They also have a gluten-free information sheet available on request.

Jose Pepper's website.

Places to eat in Kansas City: Mestizo

We've made two visits to Mestizo in the last month. That alone should say something. The first visit was actually mixed, but there was enough good to bring us back. And I'm glad, because the second visit was more positive.

This relatively new addition to the KC restaurant scene is located in Leawood at Park Place (a collection of shops, restaurants and condos at 117th and Nall, just north of the AMC Town Center). You'd have to go looking for it. Unless you just happen to be strolling around this chi-chi mecca of high-end consumerism, you wouldn't happen across it. And if you go in for appetizers, drinks, and a large meal, it's going to be pretty pricey. But we just went for a light late lunch both times, and so we got out for under $15 per person.

Let's start with the salsa. Our first visit there, we were quite underwhelmed by it. It was okay, but didn't taste garden-fresh, which is what you'd expect from the expectations set by the menu. It tasted like the bulk of the sauce came from canned tomatoes. But that was April, and maybe they were short on good local tomatoes so they resorted to canned. This time, however -- midway through May -- the salsa lived up to our original expectations. It had both a sweetness and a pleasant kick (mind you, this comment from me, the spice-wimp), and the sweetness tasted like it came from homegrown t'maters, not from Heinz, or added sugar. A salsa-dipped chip did benefit from a little extra salt added at the table, as the chips are served pretty much saltless. (But I'd much rather have a dish lack salt than be overly salty.)

Other than lacking salt, the chips are great. They somehow manage to be both thick and light -- perfectly crispy.

On our first visit, we ordered guacamole, but none of us (and there were four that time) were impressed. We didn't even finish it, even though it was fairly small. It had a strange note in it; almost tasted mustardy to me. ($9. Sheesh!)

On my first visit, I ordered the "chipotle chicken" -- a simple salad topped with glazed, grilled chicken breast and a tamarind vinaigrette. The chicken was a little over cooked but still enjoyable, and the salad dressing was unique, with a bright, citrusy flavor. ($10.)

On our first visit, the two guys ordered two different kinds of tacos: one ordered grilled mahi-mahi, and the other, crispy pork belly. On our second visit, my husband, having tasted both the first time, ordered a mixed serving of both. (Two tacos, $9.)

The fish tacos, served with avocado slices and mango salsa on top:

Pork belly may sound weird, but these were bite-sized chunks of tender pork with a pleasantly crispy exterior. They weren't strongly smoked, but there was a hint of bacon-y flavor to them.

My husband's assessment of the two: He likes them both, but prefers the pork belly. ("I like El Patron's fish tacos better by a long shot," he says.)

Both kinds of tacos were served with a side of "drunken beans." No one liked the beans. My sister's fiance thought there was an "off" taste to them; I thought they just tasted bland.

The star dish, in my opinion, was the pepita-crusted scallops. My sister ordered it on our first visit, and I ordered on our second. (Her serving had three scallops, mine, only two. Perhaps measured by weight?) The scallops were perfectly done, sweet and tender, and served atop a creamy corn picadillo. Dictionary.com says that picadillo is "a traditional Latin American and Spanish dish of ground meat, onions, tomatoes, raisins, olives, and spices," but this one had grilled corn, small pear tomatoes and bits of jalapeno in a creamy, sauce that tasted of ancho chile to me. The slightly spicy, slightly smoky sauce was a great counterpoint to the sweet scallops, was contrasted nicely with the salty, crispy crust of finely chopped pepitas on top. Nothing to criticize! ($12.)

Our one main complaint about Mestizo: the atmosphere is just a little too slick, a little too chic. (It should be noted that both of our visits were mid-afternoon. Perhaps the decor feels more right after dark.) My husband also was a bit put off by the sterile, styled-ness of the plating.

In a "Welcome" note at the top of the menu, owner Aaron Sanchez says that the menu was inspired, in part, by family meals "freshly prepared by my mother, Zarela." And that kind of love for the flavors and the food came through in the dishes we tried, but I wish it would have also come through in the decor. The restaurant shouts STYLE, and feels like a corporate concept, not a homespun gathering place.

Mestizo website.

Quick chipotle pork tacos

This is slightly adapted from Chipotle Pork Tacos by Our Best Bites. It's a great dish to prep earlier in the day -- or the night before -- then throw together just before dinner. Even the prep is pretty easy, but once everything's ready to go in the skillet, it cooks in minutes.

The original recipe calls for lime zest, lime juice and brown sugar. But to eliminate the sugar and still keep things tangy and sweet, I substituted orange for the lime. I think it tastes great, and it even got an enthusiastic thumbs up from the hubs, who usually isn't too fond of citrus in meat dishes.

Recipe: Quick Chipotle Pork Tacos

Serves 4.

3 boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4 to 1" thick (about 1 lb.)

1 ½ tsp grated orange zest

1 T. fresh orange juice

1/2 tsp dry oregano

1 - 2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp kosher salt

---

2 T. olive oil, divided

1 c. thinly sliced onions

4 large whole wheat tortillas

sour cream for topping

chopped red or green onion and chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

Zest the orange with a fine grater, so that you get just the orange zest, not the white pith.

Combine orange zest and juice, oregano, chipotles, garlic, and salt. Set aside. 

Trim the excess fat from the pork chops, then slice into strips about 1/2" wide. Cut the longer strips in half. 

Toss the pork strips with the orange juice mixture. At this point you can cover the pork and the onions with plastic wrap, and stick them in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 T olive oil. Add onions and sauté for four minutes or until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 T of olive oil to pan and add pork strips. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. I like to just leave them on one side until you see white creeping around the edges...

...and the first side is nicely browned, them flip them over. Be careful, though; you really don't want to cook them a total of more than about four minutes, or they get too tough and chewy. It might help to take the pan off the heat while you turn them over, then return to heat for a minute or two to finish the second side.

Add pork to onions if you'll serve from the table. At our house, everything goes back into the skillet, and we serve ourselves from there. 

Warm tortillas up with the method of your choice, and fill with pork mixture. Top with sour cream and the garnish of your choice. A great side dish or topper: slightly spicy slaw.

Low carb (or no carb) tacos

Okay, so the astute observer will recognize that this is just a slight twist on my previous post, Seven-layer dip as salad. Just add seasoned ground beef -- or another taco-appropos protein of your choice -- and ya got yourself a no-carb taco!

You might also like:
Make-ahead Tex-Mex salad
Homemade taco seasoning
Super-easy shredded chicken tacos

Seven-layer dip as salad

I love seven-layer dip -- sometimes called taco dip -- and the dip itself is a pretty low carb treat. Plus, it's got some decidedly healthy ingredients: avocado (15 grams of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and only 2 grams saturated fat, plus potassium and vitamins C and K); tomatoes (lycopene, vitamins A and C); and the beans are a good source of iron and fiber -- though they're often made with trans fats. But the chips for dipping are not healthy in any way!

So I thought this would be another great dish to make into a salad on a romaine spear. (Which I've done before. More than once.)

This isn't so much a recipe as it is a guideline. The base is a heart-of-romaine leaf, and you'll probably want two to four for each person. This makes a great "assemble yourself" meal, letting everyone customize their own.

Just lay the leaf on the serving plate and smear it with your choice of one or more items from this list:
- refried beans (or just used canned beans for a later layer)
- ready-made guacamole
- sour cream or Greek yogurt, plain or mixed with taco seasoning

Then top that with your choices of:
- canned beans, rinsed and drained; pinto and/or black
- shredded cheese: monterrey jack, cheddar, queso fresca, or a mix
- chopped tomatoes
- diced bell pepper
- sliced green onion or diced red onion
- sliced black olives
- minced cilantro

As you can see, this can end up being more than seven layers -- or less -- depending on your taste and/or what you have on hand.

Here's mine:

You might also like:
Make-ahead Tex-Mex salad
Chicken club salad with creamy balsamic vinaigrette
Ginger-peanut salad dressing for Asian salad

Make-ahead Tex-Mex salad

On days when I know I'm going to be busy the last few hours before dinner -- or on days when I'm not sure exactly when the hubs will get home, but I want to have dinner ready to go at a moment's notice -- I have several recipes that I can get all prepped earlier in the day, then throw together in a matter of minutes.

This is one of them: call it taco salad, or Tex-Mex salad, or easy ensalada... it's yummy in any language!

The first step is to chop the romaine. I use about 3/4 to one whole heart-of-romaine head for each person. And since I'm just prepping for two people, I go ahead and put the chopped romaine right into the bowls we'll be eating out of. (I'm just showing one bowl here, but I make two. Cross your eyes if you want to see two.)

Next I whip up the salad dressing. This is easy-peasy!

I put a big plop of sour cream or Greek yogurt in a small mixing bowl, then add an approximately equal amount of salsa. I don't measure it, I just eyeball it, but I'm guessing I probably use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of each. Then I add in a teaspoon or two of taco seasoning. (Try my recipe for taco seasoning.) Stir it all together; you're done!

Then all that's left is to rinse and drain a can of black beans, slice some red onion nice and thin, and set out a small bowl of pepitas (de-hulled pumpkin seeds that have been roasted and salted). If you're not watching carbs, you could use some tortilla chips, but I think the pepitas give a nice little crunch and saltiness while being a little healthier option.

I also take a couple of cooked chicken breasts and slice them up. Some days (if I've planned ahead), I'll use chicken that I've roasted or grilled. Some days (if I don't feel like so much cooking), I'll pick up a couple roasted chicken breasts at the deli counter at the grocery store.

Then I cover the perishables with cling wrap and stick them in the fridge.

And when it's time for dinner, pull everything out, pour some shredded cheddar-jack cheese in a bowl -- or if you're lazy like me, just set the package out -- and each person can assemble their salad as they like.

(The chicken was not present for picture day.)

Since this dressing is so thick, I like to put it on the greens first then turn it over a few times to coat all the leaves, just like you would a Caesar dressing.

Sorry; no pic of the finished salad. We were too hungry! Mmm-mm!

You might also like:
Ginger-peanut dressing
Chicken club salad with creamy balsamic vinaigrette

Places to eat in Kansas City: El Patron

El Patron Cocina and Bar is a locally-owned Mexican restaurant, but it's not your standard mexi-gringo fare. My sister is a local and she first clued us in to this gem; we've been back multiple times and are never disappointed.

It's definitely off the beaten track, as far as restaurants go. It's in a somewhat industrial area, and I would never have picked it out, just driving by. It's even a little hard to find when you are looking for it. (The gray arrow in the photo at left points to the El Patron awning.) But it's worth the hunt!

The interior is a refreshing break from the ubiquitous chunky-wood-painted-neon-colors you find in so many local cocinas. It feels more like a bistro, with exposed brick walls displaying original art.

My favorite -- and what I almost always order -- is the fish tacos. As you can see in the photo below, they have a much more generous serving of fish than Seasons 52. You can get them on corn or flour tortillas, topped with cabbage, avocado, and pico, and they come with a side of mango salsa. What I love about them is that the balance of all the flavors is just exactly right: you can taste the fish but it's not overwhelming, and you get just a small hit of the pico, without it dominating the dish.

But on this visit, my husband wanted the fish tacos, so I decided to order something different, and went with the tacos al pastor: tender chunks of pork, marinated in a "secret recipe." It's a very, very red sauce -- prepare to get messy! -- and though it contains pineapple and orange, don't expect anything like a teriyaki. It's a slightly sweet sauce with cinnamon being the most dominant note. It was nicely flavored; if I were a fan of cinnamon with meat, these would be fantastic. But I'm not, so I wasn't wild about them. Understand, though, that it is just this matter of personal taste that is my only complaint. They were still delicious!

My husband and son have also ordered steak and shrimp -- Arrachera con Camarones. It's a marinated skirt steak, served with sauteed shrimp and caramelized onions. Garnished with charred jalapeno, beans, rice and guacamole on the side, served with flour tortillas. They've both ordered it more than once, which tells you that it's good! (This photo is from the El Patron website; I didn't get a good shot of it.)

So if you're willing to venture beyond the Plaza and Westport, check this place out!

Located at: 2905 Southwest Blvd. (which is not the same as Southwest Trafficway)

Hours: open for lunch and dinner, M - Sat.; dinner only on Sun.

El Patron website.



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Places to eat in KC: Beer Kitchen

Recipe Roundup: Three by PW

So, you've heard of Pioneer Woman, right? Apart from having an entertaining writing style, fabulous photography, and thorough, encouraging instructions, her food is really, really good. Or, as my husband says, "The girl can cook!"

Here are three of her recipes we love. All photographs are hers. (The title of each section below is the link to the original recipe.)

Crash Hot Potatoes
I think this is the recipe that was my portal into PW's blog. I can't remember why I was looking for a potato recipe, but this one caught my eye. Red potatoes are boiled till tender, then coarsely smashed on a cookie sheet, drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with rosemary, salt and pepper, then baked briefly at high heat so they come out golden brown and crunchy around the edges. Hungry yet?

The thing that makes or breaks this dish is getting the salt right. I was a little too shy with the salt the first time; a mistake I won't make again.

By the way... Did you know that new (aka, red) potatoes are lower on the glycemic index than baking potatoes? And that boiling them keeps them lower than baking? Boiled new potatoes rank in the mid-50's; baked potatoes, 85.

Quesadilla de Camarones
This was our second PW dish.  Shrimp are briefly marinated in a fiery off-the-shelf sauce, then given a quick, hot saute, along with some peppers and onions. Put it all between two tortillas and slap 'em back in the pan till everything is toasty.

If you want to be healthy, use whole-wheat tortillas. If you really want to go hardcore PW, make her from-scratch tortillas. (How does that woman stay thin?) I have to confess: I don't make homemade tortillas -- but my dear daughter does, and I have to say, they rock! No comparison to grocery store tortillas. None! But here's a handy compromise: go by a local Mexican restaurant (not a chain) and get some tortillas to go.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp
This is frequently a birthday entree in our house. Not because it's difficult to make -- it's not. But you really don't get the full wham! of the dish unless you have some crusty French bread (or crescent rolls) to sop up the garlicky, slightly spicy, melty butter that the shrimp is swimming in after it comes out of the oven. And now that we're low carbers, white bread is a once-in-a-while treat. But this stuff is SO worth it!

The other thing that makes this party food is that it's roll-up-your-sleeves, dig-in-and-eat-with-your-hands kind of food. And after that, a lick-your-fingers kind of food. Yeah, you'll want every drop!

Super easy shredded chicken tacos

You gotta love a recipe that calls for throwing three ingredients in a crock pot and walking away for six hours!

The original recipe is sized for a family household plus leftovers. (The recipe on Tasty Kitchen also includes an easy recipe for Tortilla Soup.) I've sized it down for two. We had yummy tacos for dinner tonight, and plenty leftover for a couple more meals worth. We'll probably be having Chicken Taco Salad for lunch tomorrow!  :)

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. your favorite salsa (preferably sugar-free)
1 package taco seasoning;
        better yet, 5-6 t. homemade mix

Pour a bit of the salsa into a 2.5 qt. crock pot; just enough to thinly coat the bottom. Trim the fat off the chicken breasts and add them to the pot. Stir the taco seasoning into the remaining salsa, and pour that over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for four hours or low for six hours. Shred the chicken using two forks.

Serve in your choice of crispy or soft shells, top with your favorite taco toppings.

Oh, and here's a great side dish: Slightly spicy slaw.

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Quick easy lunch: Tex-Mex plate

I've worked from home since my kids were in preschool, and they're both in college now. If you think about all the days they were at school and the days since they left, that's a lot of lunches for one at home! And if you're not planning for that, the natural tendency is to gravitate to what's easy and comforting. Which I did. I ate a lot of mac and cheese! Corn chips with cheese dip also passed for lunch some days.

But once I started trying to cut white flour, sugar, and other super-processed foods out of my diet, I needed a new plan.

Whether you work at home or are just spending a lazy (or busy) weekend at home, being able to throw together a meal out of what you have on hand is a necessary skill if you're going to eat healthier. Since my old mac and cheese days, I've gotten pretty good at improvised lunches: opening the fridge and saying, "What do I have to work with here?"

Today was a good example. Looking in the fridge, the first leftover I spotted was a small container of black beans, left over from improvising on salsa verde chicken a couple nights ago. So I started with that.

Okay, what goes with black beans? Hey, there are a few leftover bell pepper chunks from the roasted vegetables we made Friday. And there's some leftover rice. (Converted rice, cooked in chicken broth. Still a white food, but a little lower glycemic than Minute Rice cooked in water.) It would be good to have a little protein with that... what's in the meat drawer? Canadian bacon; that'll work. So, black beans and rice, sounds sort of Tex-Mex... let's grab some salsa. And some sour cream, to make it creamy. Hmm, yogurt would be a little healthier; I'll use that instead.

So after a short pre-heat of my handy 8" non-stick skillet, I diced up a couple slices of Canadian bacon and threw that in the pan. While it was heating through, I sliced up the leftover peppers then added them to the pan.

Next I added two heaping spoonfuls of black beans and the same amount of rice. Part of making lunch quick and easy is not messing with measuring cups! Learn to just kind of wing it. Sure you might make a few mistakes along the way, but you might also have some accidental triumphs!

The "spoonful" here is not a teaspoon and not a huge serving spoon; it's the spoon size in between those.
Next was the salsa. I used two or three spoonfuls, but that's something you could modify according to your taste. Actually, all of this you could modify according to your taste! That's the beauty of it.

A quick stir to get everything mingling nicely, and about a minute on the heat to get everything heated through. Lastly, I sprinkled some shredded cheese on top. I like a cheddar-jack mix, but again, whatever cheese you like is okey-doke. Just leave it alone till the cheese is melted. If you put a lid on the pan, it will melt a little quicker, but even if you don't it'll just be a minute or two.

Once the cheese was nice and melty, I just slid it all out of the frying pan onto my plate, like you would an omelette. Topped it with some sour cream -- negating my earlier, healthier choice, but oh well -- and, for the sake of a prettier photo, a few sprinkles of parsley. Chives or green onions would be more in keeping with the Tex-Mexness of this dish, but I don't have those on hand. I do keep chopped parsley in my freezer, though. (Try it; it's so handy!)

Yummy, satisfying, quick and easy, and pretty healthy to boot!

Here's the recipe -- such as it is -- all in one place:

Easy Tex-Mex Plate

- 2 to 4 slices Canadian bacon, diced (or whatever leftover cooked meat you have on hand; chicken and pork would be great, too.)
- some leftover cooked bell pepper, diced
- 2 rounded spoonfuls of black beans
- 2 rounded spoonfuls of cooked rice
- 2 to 3 rounded spoonfuls of salsa
- 1 spoonful of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- a handful or so of shredded cheese
- optional: sour cream, Greek yogurt, chives and/or green onions for garnish

Preheat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the ingredients, up to and including the yogurt, in the order listed; stir gently. Once all is heated through, top with shredded cheese and keep on heat till cheese is melted. Slide onto a place and garnish if desired. Enjoy!

Serves 1.

Do you have an easy, improvised lunch recipe? Do tell!

Recipe review: Salsa Verde Chicken

Mmm... Made this for dinner tonight! The original recipe from simplyrecipes.com is super simple, but I wanted to get some vegetables and fiber in the meal without making a second dish, so I put one 10-oz. can of Rotel with Lime and Cilantro and part of a can of black beans in the pan before putting the chicken breasts in. It worked great! I placed the hot, cheesy chicken on the dinner plate first, then scooped out some of the saucy beans and tomatoes as a side dish. And all from one pan!

Oh, and I only used one 7 oz. can of salsa verde. Yeah, I'm a spice wimp!