Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
1 jar of Trader Joe's Salsa Verde
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season all chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin.

2. Place chopped onion on the bottom of the Crock Pot. Add the seasoned chicken on top.

3. Pour a whole jar of Trader Joe's salsa verde on top of the chicken. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.

4. Shred the chicken with a fork and continue to cook on LOW for 1 hour. Adjust seasonings if needed.

5. Serve alongside brown rice, beans, vegetables, or on a taco with shredded cabbage. Enjoy!

Caribbean Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (about 1/2 pound) dried black beans
12 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, mined
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and black pepper to taste
olive oil

Directions:

1.Put the beans in a large saucepan, add the water and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Set aside, covered, for 1 hour.

2. Return the beans to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cook uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

4. Add the onion mixture to the beans and continue simmering until the beans are very tender and the liquid has thickened, about 1 1/2 hours more.

5. Season with salt and pepper and serve with rice.

Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp
whole wheat tortillas
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 bunch scallions, diced
salsa
chili powder, salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a pan, saute the onions and pepper together until they become soft. Add the garlic and spices and continue cooking for about 5 minutes on medium high heat. Add the corn and black beans and continue to cook.

2. In a separate pan, saute the shrimp on high heat until they are pink and cooked throughout. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.

3. Put a whole wheat tortilla on a plate and top with the corn and bean mixture. Add some shrimp on top, and then complete the dish with salsa and some scallions. Enjoy!

Turkey Fajitas

Ingredients:

2 turkey cutlets, cut into thin slices
1 tbsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
whole wheat tortillas
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 jar of salsa
any kind of cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Saute the turkey in a saucepan until the turkey is cooked through. Season with chili powder.

2. In a separate saucepan, saute the onions and bell peppers until the vegetables are soft. Towards the end, add the garlic. Season with salt, pepper and chili powder.

3. In the microwave, warm the black beans and rice together.

4. Assemble the fajita in the tortilla, starting with the black beans and rice topped with the turkey and vegetables. Add salsa and grated cheese on top. Sour cream and guacamole are optional. Enjoy!

Mexican Pizza

Ingredients:

whole wheat pizza dough
1 can sweet corn
1 can fat free refried beans
1 large onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 jar salsa
1 bunch green onions
1 cup grated monterey jack or cheddar cheese
Chili powder, salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a pan, saute the onions and bell peppers together until soft. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.

2. Cut the dough in half and roll out two large thin crust pizzas.

3. Top pizza with layer of refried beans. Then make a layer of salsa. Top with sauteed onions and peppers. Then add the corn evenly on top. Finish the pizza with the cheese and green onions. Add a little more chili powder to the top of the pizza.

4. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

Sweet Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss together pineapple, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, corn, black beans, onions, tomatoes, orange juice, and cilantro. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Perfect Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados
1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Directions:

1 Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.

2 Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.

3 Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.

4 Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

Mexican Fiesta Bowl

Ingredients:

1 can corn kernels
1 can black beans
1 lb ground meat
1 cup brown rice
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chedder or monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1 avocado, sliced
Chili powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté ground meat, onions and garlic together in a skillet.

2. Add salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste

3. Boil brown rice in separate pot.

4. Add corn and beans to cooked rice and mix until warmed throughout.

5. Add ground meat mixture to rice and bean mixture.

5. Serve and garnish with cheese, chopped tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream.