Chicken Tacos

This is actually a dish that came from my mom. It is the dinner I remember the most from when I was a kid. I'm busy all of the time and some days my prep time for meals is very limited so I am a big fan of quick and easy. So here is what you'll need:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 head of cabbage finely chopped
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 cups of sweet teriyaki cooking sauce (I prefer to use Yoshida's original.)
• Small flour tortillas
• Vegetable oil 

Start by mixing together the cabbage and mayonnaise in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover and put in the fridge while you begin cooking everything else. 

Cut chicken into 1" pieces, toss it into a skillet with the Yoshida's, and cook over medium heat.

In a separate skillet pour just enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom and heat.

After the oil is heated start by laying the tortilla out flat to get what will be the inside of the shell crispy (but not so much that when you try to shape the shell it breaks in two on you).

This is where the fancy fork work comes in (tongs are handy too, if you have them).  Flip the tortilla over. I take one fork and put it in the middle of the shell, then use the other fork to fold it over into shape. Fry it on each side poking the air bubbles down as you go along. Drain excess off and set aside on a plate as you repeat this process for as many shells you need to prepare. I usually make 8.

Afterwards fill the bottom of the shells with the cabbage mixture, then chicken, top with sour cream and your favorite taco/hot sauce.

Stuffed portobellos

Okay, so one of my biggest food weaknesses is stuffed mushrooms. Not just any mushrooms, big portobello mushrooms. I make them in my house often. They are fast, easy, versatile, and delicious. I change the filling up all the time but this recipe is by far my favorite, so here goes!

• 4-5 large portobello mushrooms rinsed and stems pulled
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 5 slices turkey bacon cut into thin slices
• 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 8 oz cream cheese
• feta and cheddar to top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute mushrooms on medium heat, turning occasionally. In a separate skillet cook turkey bacon. Then add artichoke hearts, garlic, bell pepper, and spinach until tender. Add cream cheese to mixture and when mushrooms are tender, transfer to a baking sheet. Fill mushrooms with mix, top with feta and cheddar, and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

These mushrooms are pretty rich so I usually just pair mine up with a salad and am more than satisfied with that.

Rosemary walnut butternut squash

I made this to pair up with a chicken dish I made a few weeks ago, and it was the perfect cure for my winter blues. 

You will need:

• 3 butternut squash (on the smaller side) seeded, peeled, and cubed into 1/2" pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts
• generous amount of fresh rosemary sprigs
• Salt & pepper to taste 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add in the fresh rosemary and cubed squash. In a separate skillet toast walnuts stirring frequently until fragrant. Combine walnuts to dish and continue to cook over medium high heat until the squash is tender throughout. Salt and pepper to taste and  enjoy!