i <3 tacos.

who doesn’t <3 tacos?

if you know someone who doesn’t <3 tacos, please fill me in on who and WHY?! i’d love to meet such a unique individual.

tacos are undeniably wonderful and they are one of my favorite make at home meals. i love all shapes and sizes. soft taco, crispy shells, corn or flour tortillas. they are all golden. but why not lighten it up and mix it up with some lettuce tacos. lately i’ve been loving crisp, crunchy, refreshing iceberg lettuce cups and they are a a great taco vehicle.

chicken + mushroom tacos

serves: 4

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 20 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 1 lb chicken tenders. 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, diced. 4 green onions, white & green parts thinly sliced. 1 lime, sliced into 8 wedges. 3 tbs olive oil. 1 cumin. 1 tsp chili powder. .5 tsp paprika. .5 tsp dried oregano. .25 tsp cayenne pepper. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp ground pepper. 1 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed and leaves washed and dried. .25 cup tequila. 1 cup fresh pico de gallo or your favorite fresh salsa. optional: 1 avocado, diced. 1 cup mexican cheese blend. handful of cilantro sprigs.

start by blending the cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne, half the salt and all the pepper. place all your chicken in a bowl, drizzle it with the olive oil and season with your spice blend.

squeeze half the lime, into the mix, stir well and set aside. reserve the rest of the limes for serving. heat a large, heavy pan over medium heat.

when the pan is nice and hot add in your chicken in an even layer. don’t crowed the pan or the chicken won’t get a nice brown. if you need to cook the chicken in two batches to not over crowed the pan, do so.

cook the chicken till browned on each side and just cooked through. about 4 minutes a side. remove the chicken and set it aside to rest.

add the mushrooms, the white and light green parts of the green onion and the rest of the salt to the pan.

cook until the mushrooms have released all their moisture. about 7 minutes. pour in the tequila to deglaze the pan. use the liquid to scrape up any little brown flavor bits from the pan. cook until almost all the liquid has cooked off. about 3 minutes. while the tequila cooks down, chop up your chicken.

add the chopped chicken and all it’s juices back into the pan.

stir in half the salsa and stir well to combine. cook for 2 minutes till everything is nice and hot and then turn off the heat.

to serve, fill your lettuce cups with a couple spoon fulls of your chicken mixture.

top with the dark green parts of the green onion, some cilantro sprigs, avocado, some salsa and cheese.

serve with a lime wedge and enjoy.

xo, a

chicken + mushroom tacos

serves: 4

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 20 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 1 lb chicken tenders. 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, diced. 4 green onions, white & green parts thinly sliced. 1 lime, sliced into 8 wedges. 3 tbs olive oil. 1 cumin. 1 tsp chili powder. .5 tsp paprika. .5 tsp dried oregano. .25 tsp cayenne pepper. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp ground pepper. 1 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed and leaves washed and dried. .25 cup tequila. 1 cup fresh pico de gallo or your favorite fresh salsa. optional: 1 avocado, diced. 1 cup mexican cheese blend. handful of cilantro sprigs.

start by blending the cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne, half the salt and all the pepper. place all your chicken in a bowl, drizzle it with the olive oil and season with your spice blend. squeeze half the lime, into the mix, stir well and set aside. reserve the rest of the limes for serving. heat a large, heavy pan over medium heat. when the pan is nice and hot add in your chicken in an even layer. don’t crowed the pan or the chicken won’t get a nice brown. if you need to cook the chicken in two batches to not over crowed the pan, do so. cook the chicken till browned on each side and just cooked through. about 4 minutes a side. remove the chicken and set it aside to rest. add the mushrooms, the white and light green parts of the green onion and the rest of the salt to the pan. cook until the mushrooms have released all their moisture. about 7 minutes. pour in the tequila to deglaze the pan. use the liquid to scrape up any little brown flavor bits from the pan. cook until almost all the liquid has cooked off. about 3 minutes. while the tequila cooks down, chop up your chicken. add the chopped chicken and all it’s juices back into the pan. stir in half the salsa and stir well to combine. cook for 2 minutes till everything is nice and hot and then turn off the heat. to serve, fill your lettuce cups with a couple spoon fulls of your chicken mixture. top with the dark green parts of the green onion, some cilantro sprigs, avocado, some salsa and cheese. serve with a lime wedge and enjoy.

even though we are only on the third day of twenty-seventeen, i feel like so much has already happened. 

i've never really been someone who is good at "relaxing." maybe that's why i like yoga so much. even in my relaxed state i like to move around. unless my butt is parked in the sand somewhere, i'm terrible at sitting still. so after two days off at home, celebrating our anniversary and a new year, i was ready to attack. 

in two days i've already filled january's calendar. i picked up a few more yoga classes and a couple more spin classes as well as a cooking demo. and somehow i still found the time to cook and shoot this tasty salad as i prepped and planned for two collaborative photo shoots today. and i topped it off this morning by teaching my first class of this week's 13 classes i'm teaching. 

basically, i'm going for it this year. when planning to start our own business, we always knew that the first couple of years would be intense. and here we are. in the middle of it all. and i'm embracing it. 

i've declared this the year of growth. growth in my personal life, my yoga practice, my cooking, my business, my family. growth in everything. and the first things i'm working on are more quick, easy and satisfying dishes. gone are the days where i get to spend all day barefoot in my kitchen making stews and all day sauces. i need low work, high impact here people! and i'm starting out with a bang. this shrimp packs a huge flavor punch, is healthy and quick and easy to prepare. triple threat. 

spiced shrimp salad
serves: 1
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 12 minutes
ingredients: 5 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (4 oz if you need to get another size). 2 cups mixed greens. handful of cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 tsp cumin. 1 tsp paprika. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 handful seasoned croutons. 

start by mixing half your salt and pepper, all the cumin, paprika and mustard together in a small bowl. 

whisk in 2 tbs of the olive oil until it makes a paste. 

pat your shrimp dry and remove the tails. you can easily remove the tails by pinching the base of the tail, lightly squeezing and then pulling it away. 

discard the tails and rub the shrimp down with the spice rub. 

in a pan, combine the shallot, 1 tbs of the olive oil and a pinch of remaining salt and pepper over medium heat. cook the shallots until they are starting to brown. stirring every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes. 

while your shallots are cooking, make your dressing. in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and whisk to combine. set aside. 

in a salad bowl, combine your lettuce, croutons and tomatoes. drizzle with dressing and toss well to combine. 

when your shallots are cooked, add in your spiced shrimp and cook till pink and cooked through, flipping once. about 3 minutes total. 

top your salad with shrimp and salad and serve warm. 

xo, a

spiced shrimp salad
serves: 1
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 12 minutes
ingredients: 5 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (4 oz if you need to get another size). 2 cups mixed greens. handful of cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 tsp cumin. 1 tsp paprika. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 handful seasoned croutons.
start by mixing half your salt and pepper, all the cumin, paprika and mustard together in a small bowl. whisk in 2 tbs of the olive oil until it makes a paste.
pat your shrimp dry and remove the tails. you can easily remove the tails by pinching the base of the tail, lightly squeezing and then pulling it away.
discard the tails and rub the shrimp down with the spice rub.
in a pan, combine the shallot, 1 tbs of the olive oil and a pinch of remaining salt and pepper over medium heat. cook the shallots until they are starting to brown. stirring every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes.
while your shallots are cooking, make your dressing. in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and whisk to combine. set aside.
in a salad bowl, combine your lettuce, croutons and tomatoes. drizzle with dressing and toss well to combine.
when your shallots are cooked, add in your spiced shrimp and cook till pink and cooked through, flipping once. about 3 minutes total.
top your salad with shrimp and salad and serve warm.