My Mexican Concoction

A couple nights ago I was talking to Mike and the girls about a dish at a local Mexican restaurant that seems to be a fan favorite. If I remember right it's called the Steven Special. It's rice, chicken and cheese sauce. Mike said he gets this same thing at another spot and it's called the Emily Special. I told him that I was sure I could make my own version and tonight I was on a mission to make the Chrissy Special.

I'm not a huge fan of the Spanish Rice that you make out of the box, but I thought it needed to be a little more seasoned than just regular old white or brown rice. So I whipped up my own rice, bought a rotisserie chicken and made some queso and I gotta say, the whole family loved it. Here's what I did:

For the rice:

2 Cups Brown (or white) Instant Rice - cooked according to box
Then stir in the following:

Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1-2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Garlic Powder

I then took the skin off a rotisserie chicken and used the white meat, chopped/shredded it up and placed it on top of the rice bowls.

For the queso, I bought the new White Velveeta cheese and used 16 oz. and 1 can of Rotel, heated them through and topped the rice bowls with a couple spoonfuls of the cheese sauce.

My husband heated up some soft taco shells and filled them with the mixture, I ate mine just as a rice bowl and had chips and queso on the side and my girls used tortilla chips to scoop up their mixture. All great options and I think this will be something we put in a regular rotation! So good and much healthier than what you get at the restaurants!

Summer Spinach Salad

If you are like me, salads and summertime just go together. They are light, cool and refreshing on those hot nights that you just don't feel like turning on the oven. This recipe is from a sweet lady that I workout with - she brought it to a potluck and it was a huge hit. It would be great alone for a simple lunch or dinner or as a side with a big meal.

Summer Spinach Salad

1 bag or tub of fresh baby spinach
Fresh Mushrooms, chopped (how ever much you prefer)
6 slices of bacon, crumbled (I used the fully cooked kind that you just have to heat through for a minute or two in the microwave)
Red Onion, finely diced

Dressing:

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Dry Mustard
Dash pepper

Mix dressing, shake well and chill for several hours. When ready to serve, combine salad ingredients, pour dressing over and toss well.