Healthy Mexican Skillet

This recipe has always looked amazing to me. Now that spring and summer are approaching quickly, I'm all about integrating the fresh veggies and fruits back into my diet. I've missed them oh so much! Therefore, this healthy mexican skillet was perfect for a weeknight dinner. It was relatively quick to throw together too. :)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Canola Oil
1-1/2 cups quartered lengthwise, sliced zucchini
1-1/2 cups sliced squash (yellow)
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (I used about 1 cup)
1 can (15 oz each) Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed - (I used less..probably 1 cups worth...I'm not a big fan of beans)
1 can (14.5 oz each) Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
3/4 cup water
1 cup instant white rice (substituted brown instant rice)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 small can of green chilis
1 packet of taco seasoning or similar seasoning blend...(garlic, cumin, salt/pepper)
3/4 cup of sliced onion (white)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, bell pepper, squash, and onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, undrained tomatoes, chilis and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
Add rice (make sure rice is cooked ahead of time if not instant...I still cooked my rice ahead of time and added it in); stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese. *We added lettuce, LF sour cream, and avocado as side dishes to this...very tasty!

(yum, peppers, onions, zucchini and squash...cookin' away!)

Veggies minus the rice

All together!

I added cheese, low fat sour cream, some smushed up ripe avacado seasoned with cilantro, salt and pepper, and whole wheat/white tortillas (Austin eats white, I eat wheat...we're still a divided household!)

We had lots of left overs which makes for a great lunch for work tomorrow! The end product was delicious! The fresh veggies are so good and leaves you feeling full but not overstuffed. Great quick, healthy meal!

Paula Deen's Pulled BBQ Chicken N' Coleslaw - A Little Southern Lovin'

I'm a sucker for Paula Deen. I freakin' love that lady and her deep southern accent and belly laugh. Watching her show reminds me of my summers going down to Tennesee and seeing my grandpa's family and eating at my family's favorite country bbq dive in TN, Lefty's! ;)

So, inpsired by my pin board I decided to make this pulled bbq chicken recipe. I'm always looking for ways to spice up chicken (a) b/c chicken is cheap and (b) b/c chicken is healthy (c) chicken is delicious!

So here it is!

Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 breasts for just Austin and I)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped (used about 1/3 c. onion)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or couple TB of garlic seasoning
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
½ cup water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls (used slimwhich buns...don't recommend since they're so thin they can't handle the juicy meat on them...found this out the hard way.)
Coleslaw, optional - recommend it! Its tasty!
Add In: 1/2 cup favorite bbq sauce 20 minutes into cooking process

Paula's Directions
Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium high heat. Once it shimmers, add the chicken thighs and sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in apple cider vinegar; using a wooden spoon stir up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pan as well as any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Turn heat to low, cover and cook for 40 minutes.
Once chicken is cooked, shred the meat with a fork in the skillet. Toss the meat through the sauce so it’s covered. Divide the pulled meat between 6 hamburger buns. Serve alongside with some coleslaw, if desired.

Julianne's Directions
Instead of all the fuss on the stove, I'm a devout crock pot user. I got my mini crockpot out and simmered garlic and onions on high in there for about 15 minutes...meanwhile at 375 degrees I cooked my two chicken breasts in the oven for about 40 minutes on a cookie sheet. When the chicken is just about fully cooked, take it out and pull apart with fork and knife. Place chicken in the crock pot with onions and garlic. Add in the rest of the ingredients. I would add in about a half cup of your favorite bbq sauce about 20 minutes into the cooking process in the crockpot. The sauce Paula makes, is good but not thick enough. Simmer on high in crock pot for about an hour or until cooked thoroughly and flavors have blended together.

If you can't make it to your favorite southern dive, this hits the spot! Happy Cooking! :)