mexican Archives - Ari's Menu

Chili Cheese Breakfast Burritos

December 29, 2015 · by Ari · 2 Comments

Quick, easy, healthy, gluten-free and vegetarian chili cheese breakfast burritos only have a handful of ingredients, and come together in a snap. Say goodbye to greasy, time consuming breakfast burritos, and say hello to this new and improved version!

It has been SO LONG since I enjoyed a good breakfast burrito! Ever gone out to eat and found a healthy, gluten-free breakfast burrito? Yeah…I didn’t think so. Making my own breakfast burritos seemed like such a daunting task, so just never tried. Then one Sunday morning we had nothing going on and I figured…well, why not?

Turns out it wasn’t that daunting! The whole thing came together in just about half an hour, and it was really pretty easy. The secret is this: do not, I repeat DO NOT overstuff your burrito! Like, seriously. I love to eat, and I like to eat a LOT of food (hello, marathon training), but girrrrrrl, if you put even the amount you think will not be too much in this bad boy, it will be too much. Believe me when I say you want a thin line of the ingredients. I promise, it won’t be too skinny.

The other secret: use cheese as your glue! I put just a little pinch of extra cheese on the first folded part of the tortilla before placing the other half on top – the cheese melts and binds the two sides together like glue. Except more delicious. Magic, delicious cheese glue. Do it.

Chili Cheese Breakfast Burritos

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ small sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 medium yukon gold potato, chopped
generous pinch salt and pepper
generous pinch cumin
4 medium corn tortillas
2 eggs + 4 whites (I used Eggland's Best), scrambled
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup green chilis
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
Generous pinch chopped cilantro, optional

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and potatoes and season with salt, pepper and cumin. Stir until fragrant and slightly softened. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about an other 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Take out cooked veggies and set aside.
Increase heat to medium low and add eggs. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until desired doneness, stirring constantly.
Meanwhile, heat a large grill pan over medium heat. Place tortilla on your heated grill pan. Add a thin layer of veggies (cooked + raw bell pepper) and cooked eggs. Add cheese, green chilis and cilantro. Fold one half of the tortilla over and add a pinch more cheese to be your "glue". Fold the other side on top and hold down using a fork and light pressure until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve immediately.

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Eggland’s Best.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

April 16, 2015 · by Ari · 6 Comments

Fast, easy and cheesy chicken enchilada casserole has all your favorite flavors, but no rolling and stuffing–just stack and bake. It doesn’t get much simpler or much more delicious!

I never realized my Mexican food obsession was even a thing for most of my life. I live in Arizona. Mexican food is basically just food. Not to mention that most Mexican dishes include my favorite food group: CHEESE!

Did I ever tell you about in my “before” days I would go out to eat and then when I’d get full, I would pick all of the cheese off of my dish and leave the rest? I’m pretty sure it was something like #20 in this article. PS: I laughed out loud for so long. Maybe my favorite BuzzFeed article ever?

Anyway, I love enchiladas, but every time I make them, the rolling takes me forevvveeerrrrr, and then they never stay, and I just end up eating a mess of enchilada filling rather than actual enchiladas. So this time I took a different approach and stacked it all up. It stayed together perfectly. I don’t know if I will ever make regular enchiladas again.

This is like you ordered enchiladas, then mixed your whole plate of enchiladas and beans together making it even more awesome, and with practically no work!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 9-12

Ingredients

1½ pounds chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2½ cups enchilada sauce (I used this one, but green or red will work)
6 small corn tortillas
1 (14.5 ounce) can fat free re-fried beans, heated
½ cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever you like)
fresh cilantro, optional
thinly sliced green onions, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9" square pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine shredded chicken with 2 cups enchilada sauce. Line the bottom of prepared 9" pan with 3 tortillas, then add half the beans and half the chicken and enchilada sauce mixture. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beans and chicken. Add remaining ½ cup enchilada sauce on top, then top with shredded cheese.
Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro and green onions if desired. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

November 11, 2013 · by Ari · 30 Comments

Warm, bold, and flavorful enchilada soup made easily 100% in your crockpot. All the flavors you love about decadent chicken enchiladas in a simple, easy and healthy crockpot soup.

Is it just me, or does a long weekend make anyone else feel more tired? I feel like I spend the entire time trying to get more done, rather than taking it easy. I did have a super fun Saturday night, however. It included maple whiskey and cards against humanity. Obviously my kind of evening. 😉

I spend a lot of the weekend trying to meal plan/prep for the week, and grocery shopping. Ummm, grocery shopping takes me like 2 hours. It starts off like this wonderful, fun experience, then I realize I still have 3 more stores to go to in order to get all my favorite specialty items, and I am totally over the whole experience since I just slowly made my way through Sprouts for the last hour and a half.

Reason # 984058085 that I am in total, unconditional love with my crockpot. I can toss some ingredients in when I’m getting ready in the morning with little-no prep, and I come home to bold, delicious and flavorful chicken enchilada soup. The chicken comes out perfect every time–by the time you remove it to shred it, it is practically falling apart on it’s own.

This soup is so simple and easy, and it also provides that warm fall and winter comfort we all crave this time of year. Mexican food is kind of my go-to. It’s always full of flavor, and it never disappoints, and this soup is no exception!

Crockpot Enchilada Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours, 5 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Crockpot Enchilada Soup

Warm, bold, and flavorful enchilada soup made easily 100% in your crockpot. All the flavors you love about decadent chicken enchiladas in a simple, easy and healthy crockpot soup.

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts
32 oz enchilada sauce (make sure it's gf if necessary)
2 orange or red bell peppers, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
16 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (ribs are optional and will lead to a spicier soup)
1/2 tbsp cumin

For serving:

Plain Greek yogurt
Fresh cilantro
Freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions

Instructions

Place chicken, enchilada sauce, veggies, beans and seasonings into your crockpot. Be sure liquid is covering your chicken. If chicken is revealed, add more sauce. Cook on low for 5 hours.
Remove chicken and shred. Return to crockpot and stir back into soup. Serve topped with Greek yogurt, cilantro, green onions and shredded cheese. Leftovers may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

http://www.arismenu.com/crockpot-chicken-enchilada-soup/

Mexican Slaw

September 19, 2013 · by Ari · 15 Comments

You guys, life has been so busy lately. I don’t know how some people take all of these trips and still manage to get things done in life. I’ve been coming and going since June, and I’m just kind of ready to stay put for a little while. I mean, I wouldn’t trade any of my recent trips for the world, but I am tiiiiired. And I haven’t cooked real food in, like, 2 weeks.

I mean, I have 5 zillion recipes that literally only take a matter of minutes to prepare, but I just cannot get on the ball. I know that once I just force myself to make it happen, I will remember that I actually like cooking. Not to mention, I have soooo many fall recipes floating around in my head.

Until then, coleslaw counts as dinner, right? Okay, maybe not, but it certainly does count for an insanely easy side dish packed full of veggies and nutrients. I don’t think I really like the word nutrients. It sounds ugly to me. Is that weird? Have I ever told you about my friend who doesn’t like the word cube (miss you, John!)?

Anyway, this slaw…it is the easiest thing you will ever make, and it is insanely delicious. Bold and spicy Mexican flavors with some honey (or agave) for a touch of sweetness, and I am a firm believer that cumin and cilantro make everything better. You could top some delicious homemade tacos with this, add some grilled chicken or black beans to make it a full meal, or even just simply eat it as a snack or side dish.

Mexican Slaw

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: approx 10 servings

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Mexican Slaw

Simple., easy, spicy and bold Mexican coleslaw--the perfect side dish for some fajitas or great for topping your homemade tacos!

Ingredients

12 oz slaw mix
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (remove ribs for less spice)
Handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp honey (or agave)
pinch cumin
generous pinch each salt and pepper

Instructions

Add slaw mix, onion, jalapeno and cilantro to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice and honey. Add to your slaw mix and season with cumin, salt and pepper. Toss until fully coated. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an air tight container for 3-5 days.

Notes

Feel free to add in chopped red pepper, or any extra veggies you'd like.

http://www.arismenu.com/mexican-slaw/

10 Minute Taco Salad

April 24, 2013 · by Ari · 13 Comments

You know that go-to outfit that you can always count on when you don’t know what to wear? The one that always looks cute, is super comfortable, and always makes you feel like a million bucks? This salad is like that. Except, I wouldn’t wear it. That would be such a waste of so much deliciousness.

It doesn’t require much explanation. What I can tell you is I have made this more often than any other meal. Ever. I never thought to photograph and post it because it seems so simple and straight forward, but it’s easy to forget that it is those easy and straight forward recipes that I didn’t have back in the day, and those exact recipes that helped me finally be able to lose weight and kick my Taco Bell habit for good.

You can add/subtract whatever you want really. You can use a store bought taco seasoning or make your own, and you can include whichever fresh veggies make your heart happy. I always use romain hearts as the base for crunch, and add cucumber and tomatoes. A lot of times I add chopped carrots, and tons of extra cilantro. Some avocado pieces never hurt, either. Really, there’s no wrong way to make this salad.

Okay, there is ONE wrong way–inside a greasy, deep-fried taco shell. I mean, what is even the point of that thing??? Oh, and also, don’t omit the cinnamon. I know it sounds crazy, but it will take the flavor of your taco salad to the next level. It will become your taco salad secret weapon. Like a ninja. Okay, I’m done.

10 Minute Taco Salad

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

10 Minute Taco Salad

Ridiculously easy, healthy and delicious taco salad. My go-to meal that I continue to make over and over again.

Ingredients

1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
20 oz ground turkey breast (or 93% lean ground turkey, or 96% lean ground beef)
3 tbsp taco seasoning (preferably homemade, or at least reduced sodium variety)
pinch cinnamon
1/2-3/4 cup water
16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 romain hearts, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large or 2 persian cucumbers, sliced

Optional Toppings:

Reduced fat cheddar cheese
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Fresh cilantro
Sliced avocado
Salsa

Instructions

Heat onion, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until turkey is fully browned. Add taco seasoning and cinnamon. Slowly add water until the meat has reached your desired level of liquid (some will cook out, so add a little more than you'd think). Increase heat to bring liquid to a light boil, then reduce to simmer.
Meanwhile, heat beans in a small sauce pan over medium heat until fully warmed.
Place chopped romain in large serving bowls. Layer with cooked meat, beans and fresh veggies. Add any desired toppings.

http://www.arismenu.com/10-minute-taco-salad/

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

April 3, 2013 · by Ari · 11 Comments

For years, I have been buying enchilada sauce. Always green, although for years I was totally weirded out by green sauce. It was green, so obviously it was gross. Like vegetables, ew. Except now I am totally obsessed with almost all vegetables, and if offered the chance to be healthy, and never eat them, I would not accept.

I love veggies and cookies. But not together. Unless it’s carrot cake or zucchini bread flavored cookies, or sweet potato cookies, in which case SIGN ME UP!

Anyway, my college roomie/bestie Heather always made amazing enchiladas, and I stole her recipe and started making them all the time. Always with tons of bold and spicy green sauce.

I always kind of assumed that the sauce must be healthy because, well, it’s green–how bad could it be? I mean, the store bought kind isn’t terrible, but it totally includes all those things I can’t pronounce, which sucks, and it’s expensive! In fact, I made a quart and a half for probably about the amount I’d spend on one can at the grocery store!

It’s also incredibly easy. Like, ridiculous easy. I think it took me about 30 minutes start to finish, but that includes about 20 minutes of veggie roasting time in which I got important life things done, like emptying the dishwasher. Uggghhh, I HATE emptying the dishwasher. I have to do it while cookies are chilling, or food is in the oven so that I trick myself into believing it’s part of that task, not it’s own crappy task.

The sauce came out bold, slightly spicy (you can easily adjust the spice by adding extra chiles), and fantastically thick. I hate runny sauces. I feel like I can never soak them up and get the full flavor, but this is thick, almost like a well blended salsa. In fact, I could easily just eat it with a spoon.

I know it’s barely April, but Cinco de Mayo will be here before you know it, and trust me, you don’t want to buy the canned stuff at the last minute. This stuff will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks (that’s how long mine’s been going strong), or you can freeze it for much longer. I made a huge batch, so I will have my own on hand for a very long time.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Simple and easy homemade green chile enchilada sauce. Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
3 lbs tomatillos, husks and stems removed, halved
3 green chiles, ribs and seeds removed
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1/2 head garlic, peeled
2 jalapenos, stems removed (seeds and ribs are optional depending on how spicy you like it)
1 lime
1/2 bunch cilantro
Heavy pinch sea salt
Pinch black pepper
1 tbsp ground cumin

Instructions

Place tomatillos, chiles, onion, garlic and jalapeno in a large baking dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and broil until tender and lightly charred, about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it--if onion and garlic begin to cook faster, remove them first.
Transfer your cooked ingredients to your food processor or blender. Zest the lime into the mixture, then add the juice. Add cilantro and remaining seasonings and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds. Store in an airtight container refrigerated for 2 weeks, or freeze for months.

http://www.arismenu.com/green-chile-enchilada-sauce/

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

December 22, 2012 · by Ari · 14 Comments

OOOOMMMMMGGGGG it’s 3 days until Christmas!!!!

The other day I was teasing Nicole about being backed up on her recipe posting. “Are you even going to be able to post everything by Christmas???” I asked her. She responded with “I have to post every day.”

It was so funny until I started counting and realized that I do too…

You see, I may have gotten a little overzealous in my holiday baking this year. I’ve just been so excited! I didn’t realize how many holiday themed recipes I had to share with you until just now! Either that, or I’ve been in denial that it’s actually Christmastime, not just the time I like to call “Christmastime” that begins on Veteran’s Day…

Perhaps instead of spending my time blogging I should be out, you know, buying presents for the 700 people still on my list. But I already did all the hard work on the recipes. This is just like doing the wrapping, which I LOVE…obviously.

Actually, I wish I had 2 dozen more of these cookies to use for gift wrapping fuel right now. Sally always tells me I should use cookies for “fuel” and I’m beginning to think she’s onto something. How much more fun is sitting on the floor in a mess of wrapping paper, dollar store tape, and puppy hair when you have spicy, cinnamony chocolate cookies stuffed with melty, oozy chile dark chocolate to keep you warm and energized??

These cookies will keep you warm and cozy even if you live in a place that actually has winter. Pinky promise. And if the dough didn’t have enough bold spices, I’ve topped them off with a dusting of cinnamon powdered sugar for even more cinnamon sweetness. You will absolutely love with the way the cayenne and cinnamon pair with the sweet, rich dark chocolate. So much love.

And if you love it as much as I do, I have to give some love to some of the best cookies I’ve eaten. Ever. Oooooomg, make both batches at once and you will be so happy.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

yield approx 2.5 dozen

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp espresso powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
5 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup apple butter
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 chile dark chocolate bar, chopped into fairly large chunks (big enough so that each cookie only needs 1, small enough that a 1″ cookie dough ball can cover it completely)

For the powdered sugar topping:

1 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, baking powder, salt, and peppers. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together melted chocolate, sugar, apple butter, almond milk and vanilla, Slowly mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes (this is optional, but recommended).
Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 large baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into 1″ dough balls then press a chunk of chile dark chocolate in the center and re-roll the dough so it is covering the chocolate completely and drop onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes until set. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cinnamon, then lightly dust cookies with mixture.

Barrio Cafe

February 14, 2012 · by Ari · 6 Comments

When I told people that I was having a birthday dinner with my Starbucks friends, I definitely got some odd looks. I mean, everyone knows I have a coffee problem, but maybe they didn’t know they extent 😉 The truth is, I’m just a chatty person and I like to meet new people, so after 3 years of seeing the same baristas almost every day, having one of them officiate my wedding, and running a half marathon with an other, this group has become pretty important in my life.

I gave Kara a list of a few restaurants I’ve been wanting to try, and left the rest up to her. We ended up going to Barrio Cafe. As soon as we arrived, it was like love at first sight! It has a tiny, hole in the wall feel. There was live music, and the whole atmosphere seemed really authentic! There was a pretty significant wait, but we all sat outside and chatted, and the food definitely was worth the wait!

In addition to the Starbucks group, Nicole, Lance and Carolyn were also able to join us. It ended up being the perfect group! When we first sat down, we immediately ordered margaritas and took lots of pictures.

This is my super awesome friend Amelia who married us. She makes good faces, 🙂

Carolyn

Mona

Kara

Nicole & Lance

Charlie

I was a little surprised when the salsa came out with a bread basket instead of chips, but it was delicious!

The margaritas were also pretty amazing. Nice and tequila-y, and not super sweet. I hate a marg that tastes like sour mix!

We ordered the guacamole–they make it table side, and oh my gosh, it was absolutely incredible!!

I was totally skeptical of the pomegranite seeds because I usually don't like pomegranites, but it was such a perfect flavor combination! I must try putting fruit in my guac!

And look, we did end up getting chips also! But bread and salsa is a surprisingly delicious combination.

Then the food came and everything looked incredible.

Enchiliadas

Tacos--I had a little bit of food envy when these babies came out!

Steve and I split this steak dish that came in a sweet and spicy sauce with bleu cheese on top. It was ridiculously good. The steak was crunchy and slightly charred on the outside, while perfectly tender on the inside! YUM!

Every single item I tasted was absolutely delicious. I must admit, I was a little surprised at the prices when I first opened the menu, but the flavors were all unique and well worth the price.

After our dinner, we had cookie bar cake made by yours truly 🙂

Carolyn, I'm sorry I suck and never bake anything gluten free 🙁 Glad you enjoyed your plate anyhow.

And we resumed our photo session…

They even have a super awesome graffiti wall that we had fun in front of!

Me + Starbucks group

Oh no! Someone killed Carolyn! And apparently, rolled her over afterwards...

At least she looks happy about it.

Oh good! She came back to life! Hey Steve, I don't appreciate this whole from below angle that makes me look like I'm expecting. Let's work on that.

Okay, you picked me up, we're good again 😉

And then Nicole suggested we practice our jumping pictures….

Clearly, I don't need any practice.

We regularly pose for White Girls Can't Jump Weekly.

This was just one of those nights where everything is pretty much perfect. Perfect company, food and atmosphere. I was also super in love with our waitress who was hilarious and even tried a piece of the cookie bar cake! Ohhhh, and the band even sang me happy birthday! Pretty much, if you live in Phoenix and haven’t been to Barrio Cafe, that needs to change immediately. And if you’re ever visiting from out of town (like if your name is Mac and you will be here in a month), you cannot leave Phoenix without eating at the best Mexican restaurant I have ever been to.

Special thanks to Kara for organizing such an incredible night, and everyone who made the last couple of weeks super special for me 🙂

Mexican Egg Bake

December 27, 2011 · by Ari · 3 Comments

I made this recipe a long time ago, back when this blog was titled “Skinnified”, but recently made it again with a few changes, so I just wanted to give it an update with some better pictures. It is equally, if not more delicious, and so perfect for hosting brunch for a large group!

Mexican Egg Bake

yield 12 servings

1 8oz package Pillsbury seamless creations
12 egg whites
4 whole eggs
1 onion, diced
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 can green chilies
1/4 cup red fat sharp cheddar or goat cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 lb cooked turkey or soy sausage, chopped (I’ve made both and I love it both ways)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs ground cumin
dash chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
splash Chalulah
splash milk (I used 2%)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
Press Pillsbury dough into sprayed pan and cook about 12-15 minutes until golden.
Spray a large pan with nonstick spray. Over medium heat, saute garlic, onion and bell pepper until tender. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder.
When veggies are tender, add in sausage and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Whisk together egg whites and eggs. Add a splash of milk and a couple shakes of Chalulah.
Pour veggies and soy sausage on top of cooked dough. Add green chilies and egg mixture.
Top with cheeses and bake at 350 for about 45 min or until the center is set.