Tag Archives: mexican food

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Natalie K

Healthy Dinner Menu for the Week Featuring Homemade Comfort Foods

When it comes to the what’s for dinner? question, the struggle is real folks! We’re taking most of the guess work out with our new weekly meal plans! Turn Sunday in to Plan Day and you’ll be set right on through the weekend. We’ll even thrown in a few goodies, like a new side dish to try and expand those culinary horizons. And you’ll find something to settle your sweet tooth, a reward for all your effort! Be sure to use our FREE MEAL PLANNER WORKSHEETS to keep you on track.

From all of us at DietsInReview.com … have a delicious week!

MONDAY — Black and Mushroom Quesadillas with Chunky Serrano Guacamole

TUESDAY — BBQ Pork Sliders with Homemade Coleslaw with Side to Try Sriracha Oven Fries

WEDNESDAY — Creamy Parmesan White Wine & Chicken Pasta. Use this Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing for a salad on the side.

THURSDAY — Crispy Pork Wontons with DIY Trader Joe’s Bistro Salad

FRIDAY — Trashcan Nachos with a Jalapeno Watermelon Mojito

SOMETHING SWEET — Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Protein Balls

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Natalie K

Clean Eating Breakfast: Vegan Southwest Chickpea Breakfast Scramble

Have you ever used beans as an oil replacement or meat substitute in vegan cooking? As my diet has evolved from the vegetarian who didn’t eat vegetables to the clean eating personal trainer I am today, I’ve learned that beans are for more than just chili.

Black beans can add moisture to brownies, muffins and pancakes, or make a great burger. Chickpeas can be a great stand-in for chicken in a deli-style salad, or they can take the place of eggs in scrambles and breakfast tacos. (more…)

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Pamela

To Die For Goat Cheese Black Bean Enchiladas for Summer Vegetarian Grilling

I’ve been craving goat cheese lately. I can’t get enough! If someone will put it on a salad, sandwich, or just scoop it directly in my mouth, I’m gonna eat it.

Goat cheese is such a great cheese for summer — light, sweet, and flowery. On those nights it’s just too hot to cook, it can be the center piece of a charcuterie and cheese board dinner alongside fresh berries, honey, olives, salami, and a really nice bread.

When a recent craving for Mexican was hard to ignore in the face of my on-going need for as much goat cheese as possible, these Goat Cheese Black Bean Enchiladas were born. I knew they’d be good, but OH MY!! I ooohed and ahhed through our entire meal. They were absolutely to die for!

I started by adding some great smokey flavor with the serrano pepper and corn tortillas. I fire toasted both of them over the open flame on my grill (this works over a gas stove burner too). Either way, be careful! The serrano blackened and sizzled in a couple of short minutes. I love this pepper because it’s warm with great flavor without torching your mouth, especially after removing the seeds. I typically put a couple in my homemade guacamole and even my toddler daughter isn’t alarmed by their presence. (more…)

Posted on July 28, 2024 by Natalie K

A Full Day of Cinco de Mayo-Inspired Recipes, from Breakfast to Margaritas

Diets in Review has been covering healthy Cinco de Mayo celebrations for 7 years! This year, rather than create yet another new recipe for good-for-you-guacamole, we’ve put together our hit list for a healthy Cinco de Mayo celebration. Because we’re pretty sure we already nailed it.

For Breakfast:
Start your day with a Fajita Breakfast Burrito. This spin on the classic gets its flavor from sausage and green peppers with a little cumin, soy sauce, and vinegar for good measure. It tastes great, and the healthy helping of protein, fat, fiber, and carbs will keep you full for hours.

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Posted on May 5, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Dip and Devour! The Cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Corn Dip That Saved My Party

I have this bad habit of casually inviting people to my house for any number of reasons — most recently the big NFL bowl game — and not keeping any sort of track. So when Sunday morning rolled around for a recent football game, and texts and tweets confirming attendance started popping up, I panicked.

Of course I had no idea how many people I’d actually invited. In surveying the food I would serve, I was absolutely certain we’d all starve, everyone would go home hungry, and I’d be remembered for throwing the worst party ever.

I was in no mood to face the grocery store one more time that weekend, especially a couple of hours before kick-off. Certainly I had enough things on hand to whip up something… anything. This Cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Corn Dip was the result. I have made it three more times since then and am of the belief that I could solely eat this, and only this, for the rest of my days and I wouldn’t be mad at it.

I poured through my kitchen staples for something tasty, hearty, crowd-pleasing, and easy. This was so simple it only required that I crack open a can, rip open a bag, stir, bake, and eat. (more…)

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Natalie K

Cumin Scrambled Egg Breakfast Tacos Save Your Morning with Taco Night Leftovers

Taco night is a favorite at our house, but there is always more cilantro than we can use. While I have a few other recipes that call for it as garnish, my favorite use is adding it to cumin scrambled eggs in the morning. This breakfast recipe is great for any taco leftover you might have or just for a different take on eggs. The cumin adds a warm flavor to breakfast which is wonderful, especially on snowy winter mornings.

If you have fresh onion and garlic, cook it in a skillet with a bit of avocado oil or lard until soft; your kitchen will smell fantastic. I have used onion powder and garlic powder in the eggs as well, but nothing beats fresh if it is still on hand after your previous night’s taco dinner.

Prep scrambled eggs for your family, adding a dash of paprika and approximately half a teaspoon of cumin per egg to the whisked egg and (almond) milk. If you don’t have fresh, don’t forget to add onion powder and garlic powder as well. I also enjoy a dash of red pepper, but my son finds it too spicy; I just add mine right before serving. (more…)

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

This Pile of Trashcan Nachos is Not Yo Average Plate of Melty Cheese and Chips

My husband has the completely normal sweet tooth. I, on the otherhand, have what he lovingly refers to as a grease tooth. Keep your cookies and candies, I’ll take the chips, and fries, and the cheese. The hotter and meltier on that cheese, the better, please!

One of my favorite guiltiest indulgences is nachos. This is not the plate of tortilla chips and cheddar cheese nuked until crispy of our youth. These are grown up nachos. These are my trashcan nachos, and they come piled high with all the meat, beans, peppers, and, of course, cheese.

These are light, gooey, crispy nachos. These are big and bad on flavor like any nacho worth its weight in salsa should be, but they are leaner and lighter.

Fully loaded, these nachos don’t skimp. I start with blue corn tortilla chips. These tend to be sturdier and don’t get mushy when they cook (read: I don’t need as many). I get an organic variety that’s unsalted.

Then, we fill ’em with fiber. Fresh bell peppers, juicy Roma tomatoes, and creamy black beans get tossed across the chips. Each bite is more filling than a chip and cheese, plus, it’s one of those easy, sneaky ways to add some extra veggies to my day.

We really trim the fat by using ground turkey instead of ground beef. I season the turkey the same as I would any other taco meat – green chilis, sauteed onions, cumin, coriander, ancho chili powder. You can season yours however you like! (more…)

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Natalie K

Spice Up Fall with a Chicken Taco Soup Recipe That’s Simple and Satisfying

It is the crunchy season, aka fall, and that means it’s soup and stew season, too. Woohoo!

I love fall. Like lovvvve fall.

Not such a fan of the soups though. I’m more of a stew and chili kind of girl, if I have to be. But a few years ago, I found a compromise in my Crock Pot and it has become my family’s single most favorite meal of fall and winter.

I used simple, healthy Mexican ingredients — a food genre I swear I could eat every single day — stirred them up, and started filling bowls with Taco Soup.

It’s one of those slow cooker meals that fills the house with intoxicating smells for hours until you’re so hungry you’ll risk third degree burns on your tongue just to get that first taste! (more…)

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Natalie K

35 Quick and Healthy School Night Dinners Your Kids Will Actually Eat

What’s for dinner is the most impossible question to answer on our best nights, but during the chaos and rush of back to school it feels nearly hopeless. Adjusting to new schedules and adding extracurriculars to an already crammed-tight calendar and you’ve got a recipe for another drive-through dinner.

This year, don’t sweat it. Put prioritizing dinner on your back to school list. Any of these dinners can be thrown together and in the mouths of your hungry family in 30 minutes or less. They’re also healthier meals you can feel good about serving. And in many cases you can eat them on the run.

We may not change how you see dinner as a necessary evil, but we can certainly take the devil out of the details!

Mexican and Southwest

Black Bean and Mushroom Quesadillas

For meatless Monday or exclusive vegetarians, hearty black beans and mushrooms melted together with cheese is simple and satisfying.

BBQ Chicken Tacos with Avocado Coleslaw

Fire up the grill and you’re only 30 minutes away from the best tacos ever! Buy pre-shredded coleslaw to really save prep time.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers – Barr and Table

These peppers use protein-rich quinoa instead of rice and can be prepped and served in just 30 minutes with on-hand ingredients.

Chorizo Nachos

Biggest Loser has a homemade chorizo recipe that tastes and looks like the real deal but is much better for you (just make it in advance).

Apple Sausage Quesadillas

The kids can practically make these themselves and will love every last comforting bite.

Classic Comforts

Meatloaf in a Mug – My Recipes

Individual meatloaves are made in minutes in the microwave. Not only are they adorable, but they practically make themselves.

Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders

This drive-thru favorite is better than ever when you use panko to get that crispy crunch the kids crave.

BBQ Pork Sliders

It takes only 30 minutes to roast a tenderloin, which you can then shred, toss in your favorite BBQ sauce, and serve!

Turkey Meatball Subs

The sandwich shop has nothing on our effortless meatball subs, made lighter with ground turkey. Serve in hot dog buns for tiny hands.

Pumpkin Chili

Chili in 30 minutes is possible. The pumpkin adds delicious nutrition without influencing the flavor much at all.

Sandwiches

Mediterranean Chicken, Pear, and Arugula Stuffed Pitas – Fit Bottomed Eats

Our original recipe for FBE starts with a store-bought rotisserie chicken for the ultimate in hand-held, get-out-the-door meals.

Best Club Sandwich Ever

We use Applegate Farms ham, turkey, and bacon to craft a cleaner sandwich that’s finished with avocados and veggies.

Oprah’s Love Sandwich

This grilled panini sandwich presses turkey and cheese together for a super-quick, hot and ready dinner.

Almond Butter Banana Crazy

It doesn’t get any easier – we fold almond butter with banana slices and sprinkle a few dried cranberries.

Super Sloppy Joes – Meal Makeover Moms

This family favorite is made lighter with ground turkey and always gets two messy thumbs up from the kids.

Meals On a Stick

Maple Ginger Chicken on a Stick – Green Lite Bites

Make the marinade in the morning and dinner is literally minutes away when you get home. Roni says kids will eat anything on a stick!

Bayou Kabobs

Shrimp, sausages, and peppers take less than 15 minutes on the grill.

Fancy Fish Sticks

A Jillian Michaels creation that is super family friendly and way better than any frozen fish stick in a box.

Jalapeno Cheddar Burger Bite Kabobs

Hand-held burgers without the bun are stuffed with gooey cheddar cheese and a bit of jalapeno pepper for big flavor.

Stuffed Almond Butter and Jam French Toast Kabobs – Nibbles by Nic

It’s breakfast for dinner in a whole new way! You could even add bites of ham to the kabobs if you’re looking for more protein.

Pasta and Noodles

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

An Abra Pappa original that uses less, but higher quality cheese and a butternut squash puree for a kid-approved mac!

Creamy Avocado Pasta – In Good Taste

One of our very favorite 15-minute dinners. Prepare it meatless or top with shrimp.

Tomato Basil Alphabet Soup

A super simple homemade soup that easily fills thermoses for feel-good brown bag lunches all week long!

Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

It’s a no-noodle pasta dish and they’ll never know the difference! More nutritious and just as fast as a heap of spaghetti.

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli – Picky Eater Blog

Turn a package of store-bought ravioli in to a quick and easy feel good dinner the kids will rave about!

Breakfast for Dinner

Prosciutto and Apple Waffle Paninis – HelloGiggles

If you’ve made the waffles in advance, or have frozen available, the prep time on these is dramatically reduced!

Pigs in Comforters

Biggest Loser’s Chef Devin Alexanders rolls all-beef hot dogs in buttermilk biscuits.

Cornbread Waffles – Edible Perspective

Prepare these heartier waffles with our oven-baked chicken tenders for a better take on chicken and waffles!

Egg and Kielbasa Sausage Pizza – Kid Friendly Home

The eggs form a breadless crust that holds kielbasa sausage, fresh herbs, and both cheddar and parmesan cheeses.

Carrot Cake Pancakes – Grimmway Farms

We crafted these using Grimmway’s famous baby carrots. Topped with cream cheese and walnuts, they’re quite satisfying.

Mediterr-Asian

Black Eyed Pea Hummus

Our “new year” hummus will bring good luck to your pupils. Serve with warm pita and fresh veggies for an easy, filling dinner.

Crispy Pork Wontons

Another winner of a dinner from Chef Devin, these wontons bake up in minutes and are easily eaten on the go.

Mediterranean Fish Tacos – Food Network

A Rachael Ray original that takes only 30 minutes to prep and serve and offers a lighter, cooler meal for those hot and busy nights.

Chinese Potstickers with Turkey – Super Healthy Kids

If you’ve got about 20 minutes, a food processor, and a pot of boiling water, you’ve got time to make a super lean take-out-inspired meal!

Caprese Grilled Cheese

The grilled cheese is all grown up! We make it better with real mozzarella, fresh basil, and juicy tomatoes.

Keep it all organized! Download our FREE meal planner worksheets HERE!

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Natalie K

Chipotle is Going GMO-Free Because “People Have the Right to Know What’s in Their Food”

Food costs at a restaurant are the most critical to the business’ bottom line. That’s why many restaurants cut corners and you’ll often find their kitchens piled high with nameless, low-quality ingredients to ensure they can mass produce meals at a value while still turning a profit. That’s not how it works at Chipotle though, where they say it’s “worth it to spend a little bit more.”

We spoke with Chris Arnold, PR director for Chipotle Mexican Grill, who told us Chipotle has some of the highest food costs in the restaurant industry. Even still, they are able to “invest more in quality food and still be very profitable.”

Chipotle just became the first American restaurant to work toward clearing its menu of all GMO foods, something that will equally drive food costs while improving quality. The company knows there will be cost implications, exactly how much at this time they can’t say, but it’s not uncharted territory for them. “Making decisions that result in higher food costs is nothing new to us,” said Arnold.

The brand was a supporter of Prop 37 last year, the California bill that aimed to require labeling of GMO ingredients on all foods sold in the U.S. It was then that the brand started to hold itself to the same standard it was asking of others. Arnold explained that their first move was purely disclosure, to let their customers know which foods had GMOs.

“We think people have the right to know what’s in their food,” said Arnold. (more…)

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Natalie K