Mexican Chicken Chili

This is the easiest chili I've ever made. It only requires 6 ingredients and literally no effort to make.

What you need...

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts


• 1 16 oz jar of salsa


• 2 tsp garlic powder


• 1 tsp cumin


• 1 tsp chili powder


• 1 11oz can mexi-corn


• 1 15oz can pinto beans

How to make it...

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken & serve.

Some good optional toppings include low fat cheddar cheese, light sour cream, jalapeño slices, avocado, or all over the above! I'm a terrible food blogger and forgot to take a picture of the final product, so just use your imagination. K, byeeeeee.

Zucchini Creole.

Zucchini Creole was the first dish I made in my real adult life (meaning when I graduated college and joined the rest of the world in prison...I mean having a full-time job). It is very easy to make and continues to be one of my favorite dishes in my adult life.

What you need...

• 3 or 4 medium zucchini, sliced


• 2 tomatoes, chopped


• 1 onion, chopped


• 1 green pepper, chopped


• 3 tablespoons butter (I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^® Light)


• 3 tablespoons flour


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1 tablespoon brown sugar


• 2 cups grated cheese (I use Sargento^® Shredded Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Italian)

How to make it...

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Layer the sliced zucchini in the bottom of a casserole dish (I usually use a 9 x 13 pan, but sometimes you have to improvise). Melt the butter in a pan and stir in flour, onions, green pepper, and tomatoes. Add salt and brown sugar. Cook for 3-5 mins or until thick.

Pour the vegetable mixture on top of the zucchini slices (if you're using two dishes, distribute evenly). Bake for 30 mins.


Top with cheese and bake for an additional 10 minuets, or until cheese is brown and creole is bubbly.

Sidebar: I usually top the dish with cheese, cover it with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 mins. Then I uncover it and bake for an additional 10 mins. In this case, I didn't have foil, I added the cheese at the end, and it turned out just fine. Make it however you would like, either way, it will be delicious!

The best part (besides it being easy to make AND delicious) is how healthy it is! The dish makes 8 servings and, even smothered in cheese, each serving is only 145 calories!!! You could eat two servings (guilty of doing this) and still only consume 290 calories...crazy talk, I know. Guess you'll just have to give it a try...k, byeee!!

Tex-Mex Rice Bowl.

"I find myself when drinking in a constant state of desiring Mexican food. But to put that more accurately, you'd have to replace the word drinking with awake."

As I've said before, Mexican food is a staple in my diet. I appreciate all forms of Mexican food, but more often than not I end up eating an 800 calorie burrito bowl from Chipotle. While they are amazingly delicious, the habit is expensive and fattening. I recently came across a recipe for a Tex-Mex Rice bowl and thought it could be a perfect substitute for Chipotle. (Disclaimer: I am in NO WAY claiming that it is as satisfying as Chipolte - or even remotely tastes like it in any way - I'm simply pointing out that both dishes live in the same Meixcan food family.) This Tex-Mex Rice Bowl is super easy to make, so its perfect for a weeknight!

What you need...

• 1 (8.8-ounce) pouch precooked uncle ben's brown rice


• 8 ounces ground turkey or lean ground beef


• 1/4 cup water


• 1 1/2 tablespoons less-sodium taco seasoning


• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn


• 1 can organic black beans, rinsed and drained


• 1 cup fresh salsa


• 1 jalapeño pepper, diced


• chopped fresh cilantro

How to make it...

This is very complicated, so read carefully (obviously kidding)...squish the bag to break up the right, tear a slit in the top of the bag, and microwave for 90 seconds.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the turkey or beef. Cook until browned. Stir in 1/4 cup water and taco seasoning; bring to a simmer.

Stir in corn and beans; cook 1 minute or until heated. [If you're not too lazy to chop up some fresh vegetables, green peppers and onions would be great to add in here too.] Stir in rice.

Top with salsa and jalapeño. Sprinkle with cilantro.

This recipe yields 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup) and one serving  is only 306 calories and 7.6g fat. I added a few extra toppings for my boyfriend: Sargento Shredded Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Mexican Cheese and fat free sour cream - both for only an additional 50 calories! If you love Mexican food and hate cooking complicated/time-consuming meals, I suggest you give this a try! K, byeeee.