Roasted Mexican Zucchini

This is a great recipe to have for when the zucchini crop is bumpin: Roasted Mexican Zucchini. It's simple and full of great, earthy flavors. The lime juice and fresh cilantro add a pop of brightness.

I always have garlic powder, onion powder and cumin in my pantry. If you can't get fresh cilantro, just use fresh parsley. I omit the cheese, but I'm sure it's fab.

This is perfect for Mexican night at home! My son absolutely loves zucchini prepared this way.

Roasted Mexican Zucchini

From Isabel Eats

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch half moon

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4tsp.ground cumin

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. crumbled cojita cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add the diced zucchini, olive oil, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder and ground cumin. Toss until evenly coated.

3. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly in a single layer.

4. Roast for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until zucchini is fork tender.

5. Top with lime juice and fresh cilantro and cojito cheese (if using). Serve immediately.

Citrus Mexican Chicken

My Citrus Mexican Chicken is so delish. It lets you have a Mexican night without all of the extra calories from taco shells, nacho chips and sour cream. 

Made with fresh zest and juice from orange and lime, the marinade is packed with flavor. I grill the chicken so it cooks quickly! Serve with rice, beans, shredded lettuce, salsas and shredded cheese if you desire. Look at those colors!

You can totally use the chicken it to fill a taco shell, too. Ask my son. Ha.

He really loves this dish, and he requests it often. He says it is super yummy. Telling no lies.

The freshness of the citrus and the punch of the spices takes this marinade to the next level. It is better than anything from a packet or a jar. For reals.

For my black bean recipe, click here.

Citrus Mexican Chicken

Makes 5-6 servings

Zest and juice of half an orange

Zest and juice of 1 lime

2 Tbsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. Chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 pounds chicken tenders or thin chicken breasts

In a large glass bowl combine orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, canola oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, cilantro and salt and pepper. Whisk together. Add chicken. Massage marinade into chicken. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat grill pan over medium high heat. Cook chicken in batches, being sure to not overcrowd the pan. Thin chicken breast slices will cook 3 minutes per side. Chicken tenders will cook about 4-5 minutes per side. 

Remove to a covered dish and repeat until all chicken is cooked.

Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas

 Mexican Night is always a win at mi casa. While tacos are our standby, I decided to shake things up recently with Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas.

Gorgeous!

My marinade below makes enough for 2 pounds of protein. I did 1 pound chicken and 1 pound shrimp. The chicken can marinate from 1 to 6 hours, while the shrimp marinates for just 30 minutes. So plan accordingly!

Mexican Night is a great way to get your kids to try new things. Building their own tortilla gives them a sense of control,  and they get to see a table filled with different colors and textures which can really awaken a palate, no matter what age we are. I served beautiful fajitas with Goya yellow rice and my awesome black beans. Click here for the black bean recipe.

And now for the main event. This is so simple to make!

Fajitas

(Makes 8 servings)

1 lb. chicken breast cut into strips

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed

Fajita Marinade (see below)

1-2 red bell peppers, cut into strips

1-2 green bell peppers, cut into strips

1 large onion, cut into strips

1- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil for the veggies, depending on how many you cook

Salt and pepper to taste

To serve: flour tortillas, warmed; salsa fresca, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, chopped jalapenos, chopped scallions, and shredded cheese (not traditional, but I like cheese on mine!). I also have some shredded romaine on the topping list, since I love my leafy greens.

For the veggies:

Spread cut veggies on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. 

To cook veggies, heat a large grill pan over medium high heat. Grill the veggies until tender, stirring occasionally. Cook in batches if using 2 of each pepper. About 5-8 minutes.

Fajita Marinade (Makes enough for 1 lb. chicken and 1 lb. shrimp)

Juice from 3 limes, about 1/4 cup

2 scallions, chopped into 1-inch long pieces

4 garlic cloves

Handful of fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients into the bowl of a blender. Puree until smooth. Set aside until ready to marinate your protein. Divide into two equal portions: one for the chicken, one for the shrimp.

Pour half of the marinade over chicken. Toss and rub marinade into chicken.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours until ready to cook.

Pour the remaining half of marinade over shrimp. Toss shrimp to fully coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.

To cook the chicken, preheat the grill pan (I use the same one I use for the veggies) over medium high heat. Cook the chicken about 4-5 minutes per side. Your chicken should have beautiful grill marks. To achieve this, don't overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary.

To cook the shrimp, preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and marinade. Saute until opaque and pink. 

Serve on warmed tortillas with your favorite toppings. Suggestions are listed with the ingredients above. 

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

 Colorful. Flavorful. And Freezable.

Three words I love in soup.

I found this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup on the Pinterest. It is soooooo easy, and it's a healthy dish that is filling and full of veggies. 

The prep couldn't be easier. Just place ingredients in the crockpot and stir. Then shred the chicken before cooking for another thirty minutes. The recipe gives instructions for cooking on the low setting for 6 hours. I did it on the high setting for 4 hours, and it worked perfectly. If you want this to be more child friendly, you could use just plain chopped tomatoes to cut down on the spice factor. I used a nice fire-roasted. I also added a green bell pepper because I had one, and the more vedge the merrier in my opinion. 

Serve over rice, if you'd like. Top with cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips or strips. Avocado would be fab too, but I don't groove on that due to my food allergies. But you do you!

Sooo delish.

The recipe made a ton, so I froze a batch for later on in the winter. Yay for preparation!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

From Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons

Makes 12 servings

3 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet fajita seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans chopped tomatoes with chilies

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp., chopped cilantro for garnish

1 cup tortilla strips, for garnish

Serve with: Shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream

Add chicken, onion, chopped tomatoes, black beans, corn, bell pepper, broth, bay leaf and fajita seasoning to the slow cooker. Mix with a spoon.

Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred chicken. Cook an additional 20 minutes.

Serve with cilantro, tortilla chips or your favorite toppings like sour cream, avocado or shredded cheese.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses low-salt chicken broth. She added a green bell pepper and used fire-roasted tomatoes. She cooked this dish on high for 4 hours. After shredding the chicken, she added chopped cilantro and cooked on low for thirty minutes.

Fish Taco Fiesta

Mexican night is always a hit at my house. Especially when it's taco bar style. My son was obsessed with fish tacos when he was 4/5. I decided to resurrect them recently, even though our taco night has been chicken based in more recent years. My son loved them, once again. Yay!

The chipotle crema I serve with fish tacos is absolutely a must. Chipotle in adobo seems to last forever stored in the fridge. You can find a can of them in your Mexican aisle at the grocery. The crema adds so much flavor to the fish. I love it!

Any white fish will do, but we usually go with cod. I serve with a variety of toppings, black beans and rice. My black bean recipe is below. It's so delish!

Fish tacos:

Marinade:

(From closetcooking.com)

2 lbs. cod filets

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Juice of 1-2 limes

(Makes 8 servings)

Whisk chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, oil and lime juice together to make marinade. Rub all over cod filets. Marinate filets for 20 minutes.

Preheat grill pan over medium high heat. In batches, grill cod five minutes per side. Remove to a covered dish. Repeat until all of the cod is grilled. Using forks, flake the fish. 

Chipotle Crema:

(From mylifeasamrs.com)

2/3 cup 1/2 and 1/2

3 Tbsp. sour cream

1 chipotle in adobo sauce

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt and pepper

Add all ingredients into a blender. Puree on high until well combined. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

To serve and assemble:

Tortilla shells, soft or hard

Prepared fish (recipe above)

Chipotle Crema (recipe above)

Pico de Gallo salsa

Shredded lettuce

Chopped jalapeno

Chopped scallions

Mexican blend shredded cheese

Lime wedges

Place 1/3 cup fish on top of a warmed taco shell. Top with 1 Tbsp. crema and your favorite toppings and salsas. Serve with rice and beans. For my black bean recipe, see below.

Black Beans
1 1 lb., 13 oz. can of Goya black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime, optional

In a pan over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is heated, add jalapeno, garlic and onion. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about five more minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. Cook for another minute.

Dippy Trip

This is not the glammest of recipes to kick off the revitalization of the most amazing food blog to ever hit the blogosphere. But it will do. Especially since the Super Bowl is right around the corner. And you so need a rockin dip to serve to your gaggles of guests  - or your husband and kid since it is a school night. Let’s be real.

This 1-2-3 Mexican Dip is sans avocado and/or guac. I know. I’m so 1987. Avocado is only like THE super food of the decade. But you see,  avocado would force the Jersey Girl to haul her ass to an ER stat due to the food allergies that exist in my world. I think anaphylactic shock would be a MAJOR buzz kill in the midst of a football party, no?

This dip recipe was gifted to me in the form of a wedding present from my big sis Michele. She gave me a cookbook entitled: "Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook" as part of my bridal shower extravaganza, during which I was a nervous wreck, needing to throw up for hours and hyperventilating in the bathroom during it. Good times. I handle attention so well. Obvi.

Nonetheless, this cookbook has been a lasting addition to my collection.

There is no way in hell that this recipe is good for you or your diet. But if you are forced to watch football, I say, “Who the eff cares?”  And I say this while gazing lovingly into a gigantic glass of wine and shopping for shoes online trying to block out all NFL commentary, action, timeouts or shenanigans.

When you make this for a party you will not have a drop left. Trust.

Enjoy!

1-2-3 Mexican Dip

By: Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford

From "Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook"

Serves 10 to 12

1 can (16 ounces) refried beans

1 ½ medium salsa

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp. ground oregano

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

1 tsp. onion powder

1 small red pepper, seeded, deribbed and chopped

1 cup (2 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 fresh jalapeno chile, cut into rounds (about 20)

Tortilla chips for serving

Combine the refried beans, ¼ cup of the salsa, the chili powder, cumin and oregano in a medium bowl. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch round ceramic casserole dish (at least 2 inches deep) or an 8-by-8-by-2 ¼ -inch glass baking dish.

Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, red onion, cilantro and onion powder in a small bowl. Spread over the beans mixture.

Combine the bell pepper and the remaining 1 ¼ cups salsa in a small bowl. Gently spread over the sour cream mixture, being careful to not mix the layers. Top with the cheese and jalapeno and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Do Ahead: This dip can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

There's a Baby in my Belly

OMG. OMG. OMG. OMG. OMG.

The Jersey Girl is gonna be a Jersey Momma.

Holy bleepity bleepity bleep bleep bleep. Bleep.

Still freaking out and in shock and tearing up when writing/saying/telling these words:

I’m prego.

I’ve been DYING to tell all y’all. But, me and The Husband thought it best to wait ‘til we knew for sure that the bambino was all Kool and the Gang.

Of course, our fam and closest friends have known for a while. My sisters knew five seconds in. But, I’m really thrilled to tell my millions of devoted readers, since my pregnant situation has totally impacted my blogging, or I should say: lack of blogging.

And I do not like keeping secrets from my Internet peeps, all 25 of you. Ha.

It’s been a bit trippy since we found out. I’ve been spending most of my time reading about babies and pregnancy and all that while freaking out that I’m actually prego. I mean let’s be real, I deal with plenty of childrens day-to-day, but they come to me at age 5 and older. And my nieces and nephews, well there are a dozen of them, but when they get all stinky and snotty and whiny, I just hand them off to their respective Mom.

The good news is, my sister Monica and my Dad claim that I have uber patience and that’s a good trait for a Momma.

Yay, me.

Me and The Husband are still in La La Land regarding the bambino. It’s quite shocking, actually.

Because, no joke dear readers. It’s taken forever times forever plus forever. I was pretty much accepting the fact that aunt and piano teacher and godmother and perhaps mother of awesome adopted child were in my cards and that was that.

But I’m wrong. Woo-hoo!

Of course, it hasn’t been all peaches and cream, lilacs and roses.

Oh, no, no, no.

You all know about my asthma situation from a few weeks ago, and it’s still going on strong with the awesome pollen levels that are kicking my soon-to-be exceptionally wide bootie. And being in the first-trimester stage kind of thwarted my treatment options. Which, is probably why I was sick for forever and a day.

Then, of course there’s been the nausea. Oh, the nausea. Nausea is what tipped me off. I was minding my own bizness, getting my Jillian Michaels exercise on, when intense nausea made me bust out an EPT on a whim. It was negative. Of course, of course. Do you know how many negative pregnancy tests this gal has taken? About a million.

But two days later, I was still nauseous and still waiting on the monthly gift that ladies have the joy of getting and thought, “Hmmmmmm. What’s going on here?”

And voila, positive pregnancy test.

The Husband is just crazy ecstatic. And he’s so doting. OMG.

So, being prego is completely impacting my eating habits. First off, I’m always hungry. I mean ALWAYS HUNGRY. It’s crazy. I’m so used to going like hours upon hours without eating. So, this is a total change for moi.

And, I’ve been wanting food that I never want: Cheese steaks. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love a good cheese steak now and again, but I had two in a like a two-week time span. Good thing I live in South Jersey.

Also on the top of my food list are Fruit Loops (it’s like I’m 8 years old, people) and bagels with cream cheese. Fun fact: This was totally my diet in college, mixed with cheap vodka and Crystal Light.

I also eat strawberries, oranges and cinnamon toast like nobody’s business.

My other cravings include Indian food, which I so love and Mexican food, which I also completely and totally love. Fortunately, we live near two rockin’ restaurants that serve up these good ethnic eats. Coriander, located on Route 561 in Voorhees, has mac daddy Indian food. Love the lamb saagwala. And, Los Amigos on Route 73 in Berlin has fab Mexican food. The night we went there were three other obviously prego ladies in the house. I took that as a sign.

But, one night, I decided to do Mexican myself, and The Husband documented the results. So, I thought I’d share. I feel healthier when I cook the food I eat. My big sis Michele told me cooking would skeeve the bejesus out of me during the first trimester, but honestly, it hasn’t. I was just always tired and icky feeling and cranky pants, and hungry. Oy.

Word on the street is that you feel super awesome in the second trimester, which I’m officially entering, so hopefully I will be cooking and blogging more!

Chicken Soft Tacos
Makes 4 super big soft tacos

1 lb. ground chicken or pork
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped
½ large red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken. Brown for about five to six minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Push chicken to one side of the pan, leaving an empty space, add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Saute for a few minutes, then toss with the chicken. Cook for about two to three more minutes. Adjust seasonings.

Serve with warm corn tortillas, shredded lettuce, grated cheese and salsa. Guacamole would rock, too, but the Jersey Girl has a mad allergy to avocado.

Fiesta with Friends

Recently, the Husband and I threw a dinner party in the middle of the week.

The theme was Mexican meets Phillies lose to the Yankees in the World Series.

Thanks to the mac daddy slow cooker that my Aunt Lorraine gave me a few Christmases ago, I was able to cook a pork roast all day long while teaching my fab piano students. Then, I shredded the pork and we made awesome tacos out of them.

My friend Tom insists they were burritos.

Here’s what the reliable (sarcasm) source Wikipedia had to say about the matter:

A taco (pronounced /ˈtɑːkoʊ/) is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

A burrito (pronounced /bəˈriːdoʊ/ in the US but actually correctly pronounced /buˈriːtoʊ/), or taco de harina, is a type of food found in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. It consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans, Mexican rice, or meat are usually the only fillings and the tortilla is smaller in size. In the United States, however, fillings generally include a combination of ingredients such as Mexican rice, beans, lettuce, salsa, meat, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.

I’m no expert. All I know is the taco/burrito concoctions were delish.

My guests made their own taco/burritos. My toppings included salsa, cheese, shredded lettuce, scallions, diced red pepper and sour cream.

And Tom needed a bottle of freakin’ taco sauce. He’s lucky I let him in the house. He’s a Yankees fan. Need I say more?

Suprisingly, I actually had a bottle of taco sauce. It’s probably from 2004 or something. Tom is still alive so I guess it was OK.

Despite the Phillies’ loss, my peeps had a great time. I think. I hope. Well, I don’t really know, but usually if you’re hangin’ at Casa di Leiser you’re having fun. It’s part of the house rules.

I do have to say I’m proud of myself for staying so chill regarding the mid-week dinner party. I usually don’t host in the middle of week, because, well my husband and I work until like 9 p.m. every night. I mean, who wants to go to a dinner party at 9 p.m.?

No one, that’s who.

In addition, I am a bit Monica Gellar when throwing a soiree. I make a lot of lists; I cook way too much food; I clean my house about 20 times; I set everything up in advance; I make sure to empty the dishwasher; I lie awake at night making mental checklists. And, then I just drink a bottle of wine and leave the fun my guests surely will have up to Fate or God or whatever you believe in.

Below are some photos as well as my recipes for fresh salsa and Mexican pulled pork. The salsa recipe is from my sister, Michele. She makes awesome salsa. It is best to make the salsa in the middle of the summer when Jersey tomatoes rock and you can lounge by a pool with a cocktail, but I made due with the tomatoes I can get in November. They’re probably from Chile or Florida or a hothouse. I’m sure the slow cooking movement is judging me right now. Oh well.

And maybe you’ll get ’em next year, Philadelphia!

Yumminess on a plate: A pulled pork burrito with black beans.

The Jersey Girl's Husband Mark took it upon himself to handle party decor.

Matt and Nancy. So cute!

Tom and Lisa. Super cute and parents-to-be. Yay!

The Husband is full of optimism, Mexican food and beer.

The Cooking and Style Goddess, moi,

with my trusty slow cooker. Do not compare me

to Sandra Lee. Shudder.

The taco fixins.

The salsa was a hit.

Charlie Manuel looking pensive. Maybe he's contemplating

what to say at the press conference.

Salsa
2 lbs. tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
½ sweet or red onion, diced
4-5 scallions, sliced
3 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 2 to 4 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with your fav tortilla chips or with meat or chicken. Salsa also tastes great with eggs or on a burger.

Mexican Pulled Pork
1 6-pound boneless pork shoulder blade roast
12 big cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper
2 cups beef broth

To serve: Tortillas, shredded lettuce, scallions, red peppers, cheese, sour cream, salsa.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl to make a rub. Mix well. Once combined, rub mixture all over the roast.

Place roast in slow cooker.

Pour broth over roast. Put lid on slow cooker

Cook on high-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours.

Black Beans
1 1 lb., 13 oz. can of Goya black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime, optional

In a pan over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is heated, add jalapeno, garlic and onion. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about five more minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. Cook for another minute.