Mango-Tango Tacos

I'm just gonna skip right over the fact that I've been on a tiiiny bit of a new recipe hiatus since starting my new job and get straight to the good stuff. This recipe is my own invention made up of bits and pieces from a couple different recipes I found on good ol' Pinterest. Funnily enough, they were recipes I found when looking for slow cooker recipes (as I recently purchased one but had no idea what to actually use it for), and I didn't even end up using it to make it. If you're hoping for a run-of-the-mill, traditional Mexican taco recipe, you may be disappointed. But I urge to keep an open mind and keep reading, 'cuz while this ain't your average taco, it was CRAZY good, and simple to make too. They're the perfect fresh, light meal.

Yes, they are as delicious as they look. For my Mango-Tango Tacos, you will need...
- chicken breasts (I got pre-cooked, a little bit for the sake of convenience, but mostly out of my lack of experience cooking chicken and fear of giving myself salmonella, so two-birds really)
- Kraft's mango-chipotle dressing/marinade
- tortilla or soft-taco shells
- red cabbage
- sour cream (I like to use light)
- lime juice
- cilantro
- avocado
- mango
- red onion
- chipotle chili powder
- paprika

How to make it:
1. Prepare your chicken: Marinade your chicken breasts in Kraft's mango-chipotle dressing/marinade (and if using raw chicken, cook it however you like). I only marinaded mine for about 15 minutes because I didn't prepare ahead of time and was impatient, but the longer it marinades the more it soaks up the flavour. When finished, shred the chicken with forks.
2. Prepare your sauce: Mix sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chili powder and paprika together in a bowl to taste.
3. Prepare your mango-avocado salsa: Dice up your mango and avocado, finely chop your red onion and cilantro, and mix together in a bowl with lime juice.
4. Chop up your red cabbage.
5. Heat your tortillas in either the oven or the microwave. Load them up with chicken, salsa and cabbage, and top with sauce and a bit of cilantro.

Flavor explosion. Mind blown.

Butternut-Apple Soup

We've all heard that old saying that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", but eating an apple by itself is just so blah. Apples by themselves just don't do it for me. But recently I came across a recipe for butternut-apple soup and I thought, apples in soup?! Well that's just crazy! But what an interesting twist on a fall classic. I LOVE butternut squash soup (and anything with butternut squash really) but have never tried to make it myself before. So I thought what better way to start than with this extra-special apple version? I couldn't wait to see (or taste, rather) how the apples would affect it, now after having tried it I think that all butternut squash soup should include apples!

Adapted from this recipe, my soup consists of...
- butternut squash
- granny smith apples
- light cream (you could also try a non-dairy cream substitute if you are so inclined)
- water
- curry powder
- chipotle powder
- ginger
- salt
- pepper
- cinnamon
- chives

How to make it:
1. Cut up your butternut squash and apples into small chunks.
2. In a big pot, bring about 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, 1 3/4 cups apple chunks and about 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Then turn heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Put squash and apple mixture into a blender and puree.
4. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of curry, a pinch of chipotle, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and 3/4 cup of cream and blend together.
5. Finish it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some chives.

A variation:
Instead of chives, try topping off your soup with a sprinkle of goat cheese!

1 tablespoon of mild sweet curry powder
¼ teaspoon of ground chipotle powder (optional)
2-3 teaspoons pureed organic ginger in a jar (or fresh finely zested with a microplane)
Pinch of ground clove
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1½ cups (350 ML) unsweetened almond and cashew MimicCreme  (see their website for stores or buy online at this link)
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives (optional garnish) - See more at: http://afoodcentriclife.com/healthy-butternut-apple-soup/#sthash.H97GHnbJ.dpuf

Fried Honey Bananas

I've never really liked bananas much, except when used in desserts. Maybe that's why this particular banana recipe caught my attention. It is the perfect snack to satisfy your sweet tooth, and a very guilt-free dessert. Only a few healthy ingredients (and a frying pan) and you're good to go!

I usually like to try to put my own little twist on the recipes I find, but for this one I basically just followed it to a tee. The original can be found here. It consists of...
- a banana
- water
- honey
- cinnamon
- olive oil

How to make it:
1. Slice up a banana into fairly thick slices (the first time I made it I made my slices a little thin and found they were harder to flip).
2. In a frying pan over medium heat, coat pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Arrange your banana slices and let each side cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
3. Combine 1 tablespoon of honey with 1 tablespoon of water. Remove frying pan from heat and pour honey mixture over banana slices.
4. Remove banana slices from the frying pan and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Pesto and Arugula-Apple Salad Pizza

This is a bit of a different spin on what we would traditionally think of as pizza but it is equally (if not even more) delicious! Not being a fan of anything tomato, I definitely prefer the pesto to traditional tomato sauce, and covering it in a fresh, healthy salad rather than smothering it with cheese is a sweet and refreshing change. It makes the perfect light meal and can be ready in 15 minutes or less. I wish I had thought of this sooner!

Inspired by this recipe, my own version consists of...
- pita bread (I used whole wheat) or any other form of pizza crust
- pesto sauce
- goat cheese
- baby arugula
- red onion
- pecans
- apple slices
- balsamic vinaigrette dressing

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and place your crust on a baking sheet (I used a pita but you could also use naan bread or traditional pizza crust).
2. Cover your crust with pesto sauce leaving however much crust you want. Use as much or as little as you like, trying to distribute it evenly.
3. Sprinkle pizza with a little bit of goat cheese and baby arugula.
4. Slice up your apple and red onion, and add to your pizza with some pecan bits.
5. Finish with another light sprinkling of goat cheese and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes.
6. Remove your pizza from the oven and drizzle with a little balsamic vinaigrette.

Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower

I can't say I've ever really been a big cauliflower fan, or even really eaten it much, but for some reason this recipe caught my attention. Maybe it's because it made me think of my Grandma, whose favourite meal is chicken paprika (a traditional Hungarian dish). Not only is this recipe awesome because of the many health benefits of cauliflower, but it is so low on ingredients and so easy to make (not to mention vegan and gluten-free)! Makes a super healthy and hearty side-dish for any meal. It's also pretty tasty.

Slightly adapted from this recipe, my Paprika popcorn cauliflower consists of...
- a head of cauliflower
- olive oil
- paprika
- seasoning salt
- pepper

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and cut your cauliflower into florets.
2. In a bowl, combine cauliflower, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of paprika, and a sprinkling of seasoning salt and some pepper.
3. Spread out onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until florets become brown around the edges.

A Variation: For an added kick, try adding chili pepper or a hint of Tabasco!

Fruit and Nut Quinoatmeal

I thought I had posted this one a while ago... oops! Anyhow, I'm starting to realize just how versatile quinoa really is. It's like the chameleon of foods, it can disguise itself as almost anything, including oatmeal! If you never thought of quinoa as a breakfast food before, then try a bowl of Fruit and Nut Quinoatmeal, it might just blow your mind.

My version was inspired by this recipe, however you can use almost any combination of fruits and nuts that you heart desires, and I'm sure it would be delicious. My bowl consists of...
- quinoa
- milk
- water
- blackberries
- walnuts
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- honey

How to make it:
1. Put equal parts quinoa, water, and milk into a big pot, and bring it to a boil. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is mostly absorbed (for this recipe you want it to be a little moist).
2. Stir in your blackberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg (or whatever you choose to use).
3. Top with a drizzle of honey.

So simple, yet so genius.

Tropical Cucumber Salad

This is a salad that I would definitely recommend trying before the summer is over. Not only is it brightly coloured, but it's so tangy and refreshing that you'll feel like you're on a tropical island vacation! Who would have known that crunchy cucumber, melt-in-your-mouth mango, and creamy avocado complemented each other so nicely (and deliciously)?! I'm sold!

Makes a great light lunch or a perfect side dish to any meal! The original recipe can be viewed here, and my adaptation consists of...
- cucumber
- mango
- avocado
- cilantro
- lime juice
- fish sauce
- canola oil
- vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
- brown sugar
- chili flakes

How to make it:
1. Chop up about half a cucumber, a whole mango and a whole avocado into cubes, and combine in a bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. fish sauce, 1 tbsp. lime juice, half a tbsp. canola oil, 1 tsp. brown sugar, half a tsp. vinegar, some chopped cilantro and a few shakes of chili flakes.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.