BBQ Chicken Tacos

Last night for dinner I wanted to make something quick, easy, and simple. I recently re-read my Rachel-Ray 30 minute meals cook book for the hundredth time and came across a pretty yummy sounding taco recipe. While I always make my own little spin on things (BBQ was my idea:)) I loved the spices she used to marinate her chicken and thought it sounded very appealing! A quick side of sautéed zucchini and squash medley was my side of choice and also pretty quick and easy..which we love!!! For this recipe you will need"

Four boneless skinless chicken breasts
two zucchini and two squash
cumin, cayenne, chili pepper
salt/pepper
BBQ sauce of your choice ( I use sweet baby rays)
one can of black beans
1/2 of a yellow onion chopped
tortillas ( I love the black bean tortillas from artisan!)


Directions:
** If you have a crockpot marinate your chicken the day before and pop them in the crock pot to let them cook all day. That way when you are ready for your dinner you only have a few steps to follow!

marinate your chicken with a little salt/pep, cumin, cayenne, and chili pepper, and BBQ sauce. Be sure and rub them really good so the spices settle in and really make your chicken tasty! Then pop those chicken in the crock pot and let them sit with a little chicken stock.  Cook for about 6-8 hours. Once the chicken is cooked you can take two forks and shred them...

NEXT

pour your beans (drained and rinsed) into a sauce pan with your chopped onions and let the onions cook with the beans. Add a couple of glugs of BBQ sauce to give them a smoky flavor! Once the beans are cooked, take your shredded chicken and add it to the beans and onions.. mix them all around until the chicken is coated with the beans and onions.. the spices from the chicken will marry with the BBQ flavors of the black beans and make for a great taco filling!!!!

Fill your tacos up with the mixture and top with fresh tomatoes and romaine lettuce!!!! YUM!


For the squash and zucchini medley

I simply sliced them in rounds then quartered them to make them into smaller bites.
Then I sautéed them in EVOO, salt and pepper and cooked until browned.

EASY!!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sweet Potato

Trust me when I say this is by far the easiest pulled pork recipe you will ever find! I had my neighbor and husband be my guinea pigs on this new little recipe and they devoured it.. seriously not even a scrap of pulled pork was left. That's when I know it's amazinggggggg!! I used to do pulled pork sandwiches in the little sweet hawaiian rolls however the Frankhouser's are on a health kick right now and those little buns will not be so cute for our little buns so sweet potato it is!

you will need:

A crockpot
salt/pepper
large pork shoulder
one can Dr. Pepper
one jug of BBQ sauce ( I love head country )
two sweet potatoes

THATS IT!

now for the cookin' part

Place your pork shoulder in the crock pot and season it with salt and pepper
pour one can of DP in the crock pot
add 1 1/2 cup BBQ sauce to the top of the pulled pork
place on low for about 8 hours until  pork slides off the bone

Sweet potato
drizzle with EVOO
salt and pepper it
place in the oven for 45 minutes

when the pulled pork is done cut open the sweet potato and stuff it in! Its seriously so good!!
Some of you probably think I am nuts for this Dr. Pepper tid bit as a part of this fabulous recipe but I promise its worth it. The enzymes in the Dr. P break down the meat until it is so moist that it just slides right on off that magnificent shoulder bone! 

Sunday morning Skinny Pancakes

MHMMM I said SKINNY pancakes!!!

I found this recipe off of the one and only Pinterest about a year ago and have been making these pancakes ever since. They are light and fluffy and easy to make. I made them for my family and husband who all said they were yummy! They taste exactly like pancakes with a banana twist.

Ingredients:

two ripened bananas ( I like them really ripe almost brown but spotty will work)
three eggs
cinnamon
organic maple syrup
almond butter
fruit ( I usually top them with blue berries or strawberries)

Directions:

smash the two ripened bananas in with the eggs and stir until the banana is completely smooth
add as much or as little cinnamon as you would like.
over a heated griddle pour the batter ( I use about the size of my palm ) and let it brown on both sides
make sure the banana is cooked through ( I test with a toothpick)
take off the griddle and top with almond butter, fruit, and syrup!