The Weekend Meal: Chicken Taco Salad

This has to be one of the easiest meals to make, and I'd like to think it's pretty healthy. I like making my own version of pico de gallo, but you can also use store bought stuff too.

Serves 4-6

1.5 lbs of chicken breast, cut into bit sized pieces
1 package of taco seasoning (anything from Ortega or Old El Paso)
1 head of romaine lettuce
1 8 oz package of mixed cheese
1 package of sour cream, big or small depending on your love of the stuff

Pico de Gallo
5 medium sized plum tomatoes
2-3 jalapeno peppers
1 medium white onion
1 clove of garlic
kosher salt to taste

Brown the chicken in a pan and prepare the taco seasoning according to directions. Once the chicken is browned, add the sauce to the pan and let simmer while you prepare the pico.


Bring out your trust food processor and pulse the salt, garlic, onion and jalapenos until roughly chopped.

Add the tomatoes last, so they don't get mushy. Pulse all ingredients 4 or 5 times and you're done.
Combine all the ingredients for your salad. Yum-cheap and easy.

The Weekend Meal: BBQ Ribs

I will be the first to say that this meal is not the healthiest or the cheapest option, but it is one of the tastiest. It's pretty time consuming as it needs some time in the slow cooker as well as the oven. The two cooking methods ensure tender yet crispy ribs. However, it's a pretty serious meal and it shows that you don't need some fancy kitchen with "counters" to make a meal.

serves 4-6

• 4-5 lbs of pork spare ribs
• 1 18 oz bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup of dry rub
  

Cut, separate and wash the ribs. Use the rub evenly on all pieces and place them in the slow cooker on high for 6 hours.

About half way through the cooking time, drain a bit of the fat and liquid from the cooker. Preheat the oven to 375. Cook for the remaining time.

When time's up, take the ribs out and spread about 1/2 the bottle over the ribs. For ease, I placed the ribs in a container and shook to cover them, as I don't have a meat brush. Lay the ribs out on a broiler pan covered in lightly greased foil. You can also use any other any flat baking pan.
You can keep the ribs in the oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them.

You can serve this with the extra sauce, some corn bread, plain white rice, or your favorite starch.

The Weekend Meal: Quick Quiche

This isn't one of the healthiest recipes, but who doesn't love a little cheese and mayo baked into a quiche? While this recipe only calls for one deep dish pie shell, I like to use two regular shells as I don't like my quiche to be too filled. It's up to you.

Serves 4-6

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/3 cup minced onions
• Salt and garlic powder
• 8 ounces shredded Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 deep unbaked pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Hand whip eggs, half-and-half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients.

Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

If you're feeling guilty about this dish, serve it with a simple side salad with some honey vinaigrette.