Cilantro Lime Chicken

I'm back this week with yet another slow cooker recipe, hoping to make your weekday meal planning that much easier! I posted a photo on my Instagram last week of some chicken nachos I made with this Cilantro Lime Chicken and it was so tasty and only took me 10 minutes to throw together for dinner. Like I said last week with my Slow Cooker Carnitas, Crock Pot meals are SUCH a time saver for me during the week. 

The basic recipe of the Cilantro Lime Chicken does not differ much from the Carnitas. The end product is just as versatile as well. I love having this chicken on hand to throw on a salad, toss on top of nachos, to fill tacos, or even just eat on its own. 

I bring my lunch to work every single day. Mostly because I refuse to spend $15 on a salad, but also because I like to know exactly what I'm eating and ensure it is a healthy choice. I can't tell you how many times people have told me they could never plan as well as me or don't have the time to make lunches. Here is my secret: I don't have time either (shhh) so I make sure I have quick and easy options on hand at ALL times. It isn't rocket science! Crock pot meals take ZERO effort and can cook overnight. I mean come on, how much easier does it get?! No excuses!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6-8 hours

Servings: 6 (1 serving = 4 oz)

Ingredients

• 2 lb Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• Spice Blend
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Mix together spices in Spice Blend and set aside. Cut the chicken breast into smaller cubes (I aim for 3 pieces per breast). Toss the chicken with the spice blend to evenly coat all sides of the meat. Create a paste from the garlic and lime zest and next coat chicken with paste. 
2. Transfer the chicken to a Crock Pot and slowly pour the chicken stock and lime juice around the perimeter of the bowl. Try not to pour directly onto the meat - we don't want to rinse away the spices!
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Transfer chicken to a bowl and easily shred with a fork. Toss with chopped cilantro and serve. 

Nutritional info (1 serving = 4 oz cooked chicken)

145 Calories - 30 g Protein, 1 g Carbs, 2.4 g Fat

Avocado Lime Dressing

Don't be fooled - this isn't just a salad dressing. Oh no, this is so much more. Sure, it is a delicious tangy and creamy dressing for your salad, but it is also fantastic as a dip to accompany your crudités. Don't stop there, I also smothered this on my slow cooker carnitas for a sauce (the best). And with no shame, I even just ate a spoonful of this on its own...it is that good. 

I recently brought my fabulous picnic basket back from my home in Ohio with me to San Francisco. I was dying to use it so I broke it out this past weekend with an inaugural picnic in Golden Gate Park. I was scrambling for something to whip up to actually take in said picnic basket. I was craving salad and veggies but wanted something tastier and more exciting than a simple vinaigrette (my go-to dressing).

The "holy trinity" in Cajun cooking is onion, bell peppers, celery and garlic. I like to think my holy trinity is cilantro, lime, garlic and avocado - very rarely do I not have all of these ingredients on hand. I started throwing things in my blender and before I knew it I created the most versatile summer spread! This will without a doubt be my go-to for the remainder of these warm summer months. Please do yourself a favor and make a batch of this - if it is the one recipe you actually make from my blog! ;)

Avocado Lime Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 (1 serving = 2 tbsp, 1/2 cup of dressing total)

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado (3 oz)
• Juice of 2 limes (2.5 oz)
• 1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Throw everything into a blender and blend until fully pureed - that's it! I found that this works best with a single serve blender attachment or Magic Bullet type blender. 

Nutritional info (1 serving = 2 tbsp dressing)

55 Calories - 0.5 g Protein, 3 g Carbs, 4.5 g Fat

Mango Lime Shrimp

Yum

While the start to summer isn't technically for another month, Memorial Day always seems like the "unofficial start" to me. I'm also lucky enough to be heading to Mexico tomorrow morning (WOO!!)  so I'm definitely feeling the itch for summertime. This dish certainly gets me in the mood for some warm summer weather! 

I love the bright contrasting colors of this dish. It is served chilled and is light and flavorful. It could be served up on its own, on top of a bed of lettuce or with some tortilla chips, eaten like a salsa. I think this would be a great dish to bring to a summer cook out or pool party. 

This is so incredibly simple to make. I love it because you can either make it the night before (which I recommend to really let the flavors intensify) or if you are in a time crunch it can be made in only 15 minutes! 

You start by combining raw shrimp with a bit of coconut oil, lime juice and chili powder. While letting it sit to marinate, I chop up all the other ingredients - mango, red bell pepper, red onion and LOTS of cilantro! Throw the shrimp into a skillet over medium high heat to cook. This only takes 3-4 minutes so keep an eye on those shrimp. Continue to stir as they cook and once they are all pink remove from heat. 

Transfer shrimp from skillet to a large mixing bowl to cool, draining off the excess liquid. In a blender you combine remaining lime juice, cilantro, garlic cloves and salt to create the dressing for the salad. 

Give the shrimp a quick chop to cut into bite sized pieces. Combine with mangos, peppers, red onion and cilantro-lime dressing. Give this a good mix and you are all finished! Easy as that! 

Like I mentioned previously, the flavors are really best if you are able to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before eating. Eat this by itself or if you have leftovers (like I did) you can get creative and make shrimp tacos! 

Mango Lime Shrimp

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw shrimp
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 3 limes, juiced (divided - 1 lime for shrimp, 2 limes for cilantro-lime dressing)
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup mango, chopped
• 2/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Mix shrimp with juice of 1 lime, melted coconut oil and chili powder. Set aside to marinate.
2. Chop red onion, mango and red bell pepper while the shrimp is marinating. 
3. Over medium high heat, cook shrimp in a skillet for 3-4 minutes. They will cook up very quickly so be sure to remove from heat once they have turned pink. Transfer to a bowl to cool, draining the liquid from the shrimp and discarding. 
4. While the shrimp are cooling, in a blender combine the remaining juice of 2 limes, cilantro, garlic and salt. Blend until combine and the cilantro has been chopped. 
5. Give the cooled shrimp a rough chop to cut into smaller pieces. Combine shrimp with mango, red bell pepper, red onion and mix. Pour cilantro-lime dressing over top and stir to combine. 
6. Transfer mango shrimp to refrigerator to continue cooling and to allow flavors to intensify (recommended) or can be eaten immediately warm. 

Nutritional info (1 serving, approximately 1 cup)

187 Calories - 23.7 g Protein, 12.7 g Carbs, 4.6 g Fat

Enjoy!!