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Taco Night Popcorn

June 4, 2014
Shannon
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appetizer, popcorn, snacks, taco, vegetarian

Who doesn’t love a really simple snack recipe? Popcorn, in general, is a simple and low calorie snack but sometimes it can just be so stinking boring. I go in waves with popcorn where I’ll eat a portion-controlled bag each and every night and then when I run out, I’ll buy another box that will sit, unopened, in my cabinet and go well past the expiration date. Sometimes it tastes good and sometimes I can’t fathom the thought of it. But I came across a bunch of recipes for flavored popcorn and decided I had everything to make this Taco Night Popcorn. With a frosty beer and a good movie, this is an addicting and not boring popcorn snack.

Olive oil, chili powder, lime zest, cumin and garlic powder are mixed together and tossed over basic microwaved popcorn and pieces of tortilla chips (I used these chips – my favorite!) making this a flavorful snack that really does make you think of tacos. I combined the oil and spices together and dumped the mixture into a zip-top storage bag then added the popcorn and chips and shook it all up. It really seemed to coat the popcorn well, without too much of any oil or spices ending up in random clumps. I know adding olive oil to a healthy snack like popcorn isn’t necessary what you want to do when you are trying to be good but a little goes a long way and this is a great snack for those nights when you just can’t have plain old popcorn yet again.

Like this? Also check out Chili and Spice Popcorn and Buffalo Popcorn!

Mix olive oil, chili powder, grated lime peel, cumin, and garlic powder; toss with 1 bag microwave popcorn, popped, and tortilla chip pieces.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Good Housekeeping magazine

Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I hope your weekend was a little better than mine! The sky was perfectly blue and sunny and all I wanted was to enjoy the beautiful weather by either going to the beach or a baseball game. Instead, I spent my entire weekend indoors at my house because I had car problems and didn’t do much of anything but sit home alone watching several baseball games go into extra innings on Friday, and again on Saturday, and again on Sunday. Luckily, on Sunday morning I was able to get to the grocery store because I was really looking forward to making these Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps all weekend.

An Asian-inspired sauce made up of soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar and sherry is added to garlic, ginger, rotisserie chicken and packaged coleslaw and heated briefly before being spooned into lettuce cups and topped with scallions and nuts. I used broccoli slaw instead of regular coleslaw which stayed pretty crunchy even after being heated and the scallions add a fresh mild onion flavor. I also used peanuts instead of cashews because I had peanuts on hand but any nut will work or you can leave it out altogether. Because this dish uses precooked chicken, it comes together really quickly making this an easy weeknight dinner. If you are looking for something light, fast, low-carb and very tasty, this is a dish for you.

Combine soy sauce, sherry, hoisin, and rice vinegar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic and ginger to pan; sauté 30 seconds.

Add soy sauce mixture and coleslaw; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add chicken and 1/4 cup onions to pan; cook 1 minute or until coleslaw just begins to wilt.

Divide chicken mixture evenly among lettuce leaves; sprinkle evenly with remaining scallions and nuts.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Boston lettuce
Broccoli slaw
Peanuts

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Just the word “casserole” reminds me of Sundays at my Grandma’s or weird microwavable leftovers that would be eaten f0r days. But in Central Illinois where I grew up, casseroles were pretty commonplace with the more mayonnaise the better. They were pretty much invented as a catch-all of whatever was left in the fridge, with leftover meat and possibly questionable vegetables hidden in mayo, cheese and/or some kind of creamy soup. Plus, they were cheap and quick. For a working mom pinching pennies, casseroles were life savers. This Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole takes me back to being young in Illinois when my mom was still around and eating dinner meant the TV was off.

Onion and mushrooms are cooked until soft, thickened with flour and milk and mixed with broccoli florets and precooked chicken. A combination of fat-free plain yogurt and mayonnaise (I used low-fat) are added off the heat which really thickens up the casserole while keeping it low in calories. Finally, a topping of cheddar (again, I used low-fat) and parmesan cheeses are added and the dish is broiled until melted and golden. You are left with a one-pot dish that doesn’t require any baking. This is such a quick and easy casserole to make and really could be used with any meat or vegetable – just the way a casserole should be. So turn the TV off and enjoy an old classic.

Preheat broiler. Prepare broccoli in microwave according to package directions. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook 12 minutes or until mushrooms brown and liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.