Pumpkin Craisin Granola Bars

Instead of wastefully composting the small freebie from our Lemos Farm field trip, I decided to revamp my Oatmeal Raisin Bars. This is my first stab at doing anything with pumpkin other than carving jack-o-lanterns, so I'm pretty happy with the healthy results! Pumpkins are extremely rich in Vitamin A and also contain Vitamin C and potassium.

Yield: 8 bars

1 small pumpkin (1 cup and 1 tbsp roasted pumpkin, pureed)

1 tbsp water

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar (1/2 cup if you like it sweet)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup craisins

1/3 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350. 

Wash and remove the stem off 1 small pumpkin. Slice in half, scoop out seeds and fibers, and place flesh side down on a baking sheet covered with tin foil. Add 1 tbsp of water to the pan, then roast for 40 minutes, or until fork pierces through skin. Let cool before scooping the flesh out with a spoon and processing in a blender/magic bullet to puree. Half of my pumpkin yielded 1 cup and 1 tbsp of pureed pumpkin, so this is the amount I used. 

Combine pureed pumpkin with all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with a spoon until dry ingredients are moist.

Spread mixture in pan (will likely fit an 8x8 pan, but if your pan is larger like mine, spread over half the pan only so that mixture sits about an inch high). Bake at 350 for 25min (or until golden - my oven will burn the craisins if baked for 30min, so adjust baking time accordingly). 

Let cool completely before cutting. I like to saran wrap each bar individually so they are easy on-the-go snacks. Otherwise, store in an airtight container. 

Craisin Quinoa Salad with Grilled Balsamic Basil Chicken

Time to shake up our usual quinoa salads with something a little sweeter and citrusy for the summer. 

Makes 2 dinners with chicken and 2 leftover vegetarian lunches for the next day. 

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper (a few shakes or grinds)
• 1 1/4 cups quinoa
• 2 1/4 vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 ear of corn
• 1 1/3 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 5oz (142 gr) package craisins (50% reduced sugar is best!)
• Dressing: 
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh basil
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil (I used a Mediterranean blend of extra virgin olive oil, canola & grapeseed)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

A few hours in advance (or overnight), trim any fat off chicken breast and place in a bowl. Add all marinade ingredients, mixing well to coat. Set aside in fridge to allow marinade to soak in.

The quinoa should also be prepared in advance to allow time for it to cool. Add vegetable broth/water, salt and cumin to quinoa in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and set a timer for 15min. Let cool completely after it has cooked, then set aside in fridge. 

De-husk the corn, then take a sharp knife to slice the kernels off in swaths. I prefer laying the corn flat on a large chopping board instead of holding it vertically so the kernels don't fall everywhere. Place kernels in a large salad bowl. 

Slice the celery and cucumber lengthwise into thin strips before dicing. If the cucumber has a lot of mushy wet seeds in the center, take a small spoon to carve out the seeds in the center after slicking the cuke in half before slicing and dicing. Add diced veg to the salad bowl. 

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Slice lengthwise into 8 strips and remove the peel. Give the peeled avocado a quick cold water bath to prevent them from turning brown. Remove from water and dice into bite size pieces. Add to salad bowl along with the craisins and cooked, cold quinoa, tossing well. 

Put all dressing ingredients into a jar, then shake/stir to mix. Pour over quinoa salad, mixing well to combine. 

To cook the chicken, I use a 2-sided grill (ie. George Foreman). Once the grill has pre-heated, place chicken breast in the center and set timer for 8min. Slice and arrange over salad. 

Tabbouleh with Quinoa

Summer salad time! Parsley is seriously overlooked because it's an herb and usually only used as garnish. Nutrition-wise however, parsley is an amazingly healthy green, rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins (A, B, C, E and K), dietary fiber, essential volatile oils, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and folates. Wow, that was a long list of goodness! So here's a way to get a whole lot of good in you, fast: tabbouleh!

This parsley salad makes a great starter or side for two, but sometimes I demolish the entire recipe as a main. Because I'm hungry. And it's completely guilt free.

I've used quinoa instead of the traditional bulgur, and lime instead of lemon. Also opting out of cucumber. Bonus is that I got to use our homegrown tomatoes - yay! 

Yield: 2 sides or 1 main

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 small, ripe tomatoes (or 1 medium)
• 2 green onion
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• juice of 1 lime (approx 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp sumac
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the quinoa in advance to allow time for it to cool. Add water, cumin, and salt to quinoa in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and set a timer for 15min. Let cool completely after it has cooked. 

Wash all vegetables thoroughly, and dry parsley in salad spinner. 

Mince garlic, dice tomatoes, and thinly slice the green onion and parsley. Use all leafy parts of the parsley, and discard parsley stems or save for some other use (I keep the stems to make vegetable broth).

Juice the lime. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl, along with the lime juice, olive oil and seasonings. Let marinate for 10min before serving. Enjoy! 

Avocado Cheddar Scramble

$2 for a sack of 11 peewee avocados? Sold! California rocks. 
And these mini avocados are the perfect size for a lunchtime scrambler. 

Yield: Lunch for one

• 1 pee wee avocado
• 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp skim milk
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• dash of paprika

Peel, pit and slice the avocado into small, bite-sized pieces. 

Grate cheese (feel free to grate more or less than 1/3 cup, according to your preference). 

Beat eggs, milk, parley, salt and pepper in a small bowl with a fork for one minute. Add half of the grated cheese to eggs and beat to incorporate. 

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan at medium. Pour egg mixture into pan. When you see the edges of the egg begin to set, start stirring with a spatula. Stir for one minute, then add remaining cheese. Stir for another minute, then add chopped avocado. Continue stirring for another 5 minutes, increasing heat to high for the final minute (I like my eggs hot). 

Serve with a sprinkle of paprika. 

Thin, Herbed Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I was at my Child Development course last week and as the prof was discussing the uniqueness of each child's development within the context of universal trends, cultural experience and individual growth, she announced, "We are all pizzas!" Mmm pizza. Wait, what? Prof explained we're all pizzas because we all start with the same base but develop differently as we design our own toppings... and something deep and adorable about pizzas except all I could think about at this point was making and eating pizza. 

But like she said, we all start with the same base. So here's my recipe for pizza crust, and the rest, I'll leave up to you. Get creative! We typically make a meat-lovers and I like to add thinly sliced zucchini and spinach to the mix. I tried something different for my parents a few weeks ago, which turned out pretty delish... smoked oysters, mushroom and avocado. When it comes to cheese, you really can't go wrong, whether it's cheddar, mozza, jack, or whatever's in the fridge, just use lots of it. Try BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce. Add personality!! (I always translate personality to an excessive dose of spices and herbs). Have fun! 

Oh, and my pizzas aren't round... My round, pizza-shaped baking pan seems smaller... and we're hungry people, so this recipe fits the next largest pan in the house which happens to be a 15.25 x 10.25 x 0.75 inch baking sheet. 

Smoked oyster, mushroom, avocado & cheese please.

Yield: 1 large pizza crust (fit to a 15.25 x 10.25 x 0.75 inch baking sheet)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt (or regular salt)
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano*
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley*
• 1/2 tsp dried basil*
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro*
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp skim milk

* Crush the herbs between your fingers. This helps release volatile oils and increase the herb's flavor.

Preheat the oven to 410.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients (water, olive oil & skim milk). Fold in with a rubber spatula until everything is combined (all dry ingredients moistened). 

Meat lovers version with ham, pastrami, turkey pepperoni & mozza

Turn over into baking sheet. You can use a rolling pin here, but I don't enjoy dough sticking to the rolling pin, so wash your hands all clean before getting them dirty in the next couple minutes! I smoosh the dough flat with my palms at the center of the pan, and work the dough outwards with my palms until it is more or less evenly spread out and covers the entire pan. 

Bake crust for 10min. Remove from oven and let cool before adding sauce and toppings of your choice. Once you've designed your pie, bake at 425 for 12-14min. Let cool before slicing and serving. 

{  Remember, this is a thin crust recipe, so it won't seem like there's enough dough, but trust me, there is!! Sure, my smooshing method doesn't produce uniformity in pizza crust thickness, but it really won't affect the taste of your pizza and won't be noticeable after you load it up with toppings. Call it rustic if that feels trendier :) }

Loquat Discovery

I'd been wondering for a while now just what these bundles of fruit hanging from the tree in our new front yard were... They resembled crab apples, and yet not quite. It just so happened that while I was at my volunteer job this week, one of the ladies brought in a few bunches of this same fruit from her yard to share with us at the office. She explained they were loquats, or asian plums, which I'd never heard of before. 

Taste? Delightful! Like citrusy peach-plums. They are also an excellent source of Vitamin A and dietary fiber. Can't wait to start adding these to salads and baked goods - Successful recipes to follow! 

Mac & Cheese

I've made a few attempts at health-ifying the amazingness that is mac & cheese (whole wheat pasta, low-fat milk & garlic), but there are times when it's just smarter not to mess too much with life staples.

Serves 1-2 (depends how mac & cheese hungry you are...)

• 1 1/4 cups uncooked whole wheat macaroni
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp margarine
• 1/2-3/4 cup low-fat milk (as needed)
• 1 tsp parmesan
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• dash of hot sauce (ie. Franks)
• topping: 
• 1 tsp parmesan
• generous shake of paprika
• salt & pep, to taste

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook macaroni per package instructions. 

Meanwhile, mince 2 cloves of garlic and grate the cheese.

In a medium non-stick pan, melt the margarine over med-high and add minced garlic. Let cook for a few minutes til the garlic turns golden. 

Add 1/2 cup milk, increasing by up to another 1/4 cup, as needed.  Add parmesan, salt, pepper, paprika and hot sauce. Once things start bubbling, reduce to medium heat and add grated cheese. Stir frequently until the cheese melts and the sauce gets smooth.

By this time, the macaroni should be ready.  Add strained pasta to the pan, and mix well to incorporate cheesy sauce.

Sprinkle with toppings, cover with lid, reduce heat to the lowest setting, and let simmer for 5-10 min or until any remaining liquid is absorbed. Enjoy. 

Two Cupcakes for One

Kiddie birthday party? Nope. Sweet treats for my fully grown manchild who whines about the lack of cupcaking in our home due to my salt tooth. 

The whining reached an all time high in recent weeks so I decided to waste a ridiculous amount of oven power and bake just two cupcakes - one non-fat with applesauce, and one full-fat with margarine - to satisfy his craving. The full-fat one won out, of course, but both were inhaled within minutes. 

(Just a pic - No recipe posted since I cheated with store-bought frosting)

Avocado Toast

Sometimes the odds and ends in your fridge come together as deliciousness. This is one such delight that has me taking care to stock the fridge deliberately with the same ingredients to ensure it all gets into my mouth again soon.

It's a simple and very filling snack... or a light meal. 

Serves 1

• 1 slice of multigrain bread (I love Milton's original healthy multi-grain because it's almost completely fat-free, and there's 3 grams of fiber in each slice!)
• Monterey Jill cheese (which is a reduced fat version of Monterey Jack, or any cheese you have on hand would work)
• 1/2 avocado
• seasoning salt, to taste
• paprika, to taste

Place a slice of bread on a non-stick pan over medium-high heat (no need to oil the pan).  

Meanwhile, thinly slice as much cheese as you like. 

Flip the bread over once the side facing down is lightly toasted.  Place sliced cheese on the toasted side and allow the other side to toast while the cheese melts.  Placing a lid over the pan will speed up the cheese melting.  Reduce heat if it is toasting too quickly. 

Smush up half an avocado with a fork while you wait.  Once the cheese has melted, spread the avocado over top.  Sprinkle generously with seasoning salt and paprika. 

Avocado Greens Smoothie

With the avocado capital of the world right here in California, I'm fortunate enough to have almost more avocado than I know what to do with! ALMOST. Because there are always amazing ways to incorporate this buttery fruit packed full of fiber, potassium and vitamins! This time, I've magic bulleted it into the creamiest smoothie ever. Yum. 

This recipe also calls for a scoop of Greens+ powder, which has spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, and all sorts of healthy stuff in an all-natural energy enhancing citrus blend. Greens+ is the brand I'm most used to, but I'm sure any of the other superfood greens powder mixes out there will do the trick for an extra nutritional boost. 

You will need a magic bullet or blender for this recipe.

Serves 1 

• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup fresh washed spinach, fresh
• 1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 scoop (13.6 gr) greens+ extra energy powder
• 1/3-1/2 cup cold water (less water for a thicker smoothie, more for a runny one)

This recipe is extra convenient when you double it. If not, you can freeze the other half of the banana for next time, and give the other half of the avocado a quick cold water rinse so it doesn't brown as easily before storing it in the fridge in an airtight container for your next smoothie. 

Slice up half of the banana into smaller chunks and scoop out half of the avocado and place into blender along with all other ingredients. 

Blend for a few minutes until smooth. Feel free to adjust water amount to desired consistency. 

Bombay Chicken Curry with Cauliflower and Potato

Apparently I think I'm Indian these days... Because here's another Indian recipe! I just can't help it. I follow my cravings, and these days, they are kickin things up an Indian notch. 

This yellow curry is coconut milk based and features my favorite Bombay curry powder from Market Spice.  Ginger, garlic, onion, and cauliflower top the list of this recipe's antioxidant-rich, cancer-fighting, detoxifying and vitamin-full ingredients. 

 Serves 4

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 

• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Bombay curry powder (or any Indian curry powder like vindaloo, madras, etc.)
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
• dash cayenne
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 inch section fresh ginger
• 1 fresh serrano chili pepper
• 1 dried red chili pepper
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2 tsp Bombay curry powder (or any Indian curry powder)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cup basmati or jasmine rice
• 3 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion
• 1 Roma tomato
• 1 medium potato
• 2 cups cauliflower
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• more fresh cilantro, garnish

Trim any fat off chicken breast and cut into bite-size pieces. Add marinade ingredients to chicken, mix, and refrigerate. Marinade a few hours in advance or overnight to allow time for flavors to sink in. 

Mince garlic, ginger, serrano and dried chili peppers (seeds included for extra heat). Heat a small amount of olive oil to a frying pan over med-high. Add garlic, ginger and chilis. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, til fragrant and the edges of the garlic turn golden brown.  

Empty the can of coconut milk into a large pot over med-low heat. Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, bay leaf, and the fried garlic, ginger and chilis to the pot and stir well to mix. Cover with lid. 

Set rice, water and bay leaves in a rice cooker if you have one, or cook on stove per package instructions.

Add small amount of olive oil to same frying pan used for the garlic mix, and cook chicken over high for a few minutes, browning all sides. Transfer chicken from frying pan to pot. Cover. 

Thinly slice the onion, then pan fry for a few minutes over med-high heat without adding any more oil. While the onion is cooking, finely dice the tomato, peel and cut the potato into bite-size cubes, slice cauliflower into small florets, and chop fresh cilantro.  

Add diced tomato to the onion in the pan and fry for another few minutes, stirring.  Transfer onion and tomatoes from pan to pot. 

Add potato, cauliflower and cilantro to pot. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Increase heat to medium, cover, and let simmer for 5min. The pot will start to bubble furiously - stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom. Reduce heat to low-med, cover, and let simmer for 25-30min, or until vegetables reach desired tenderness (30min gets you potatoes that melt in your mouth mmm...)

Serve with rice. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Palak Saag (Curried Spinach)

We were at a baby shower that was held at a beautiful Indian restaurant in downtown San Francisco on the weekend. One of the many amazing delights served was a perfect palak saag. For some insane reason, B isn't a fan of any palak (spinach)-based Indian dishes, so I created my version/attempt of palak saag on a night when he already had dinner plans (aka mystery meat in a bun at some sports arena). 

Note 1: I prefer the spinach not schloppy (pureed), so I've left it in its original cooked form. 

Note 2: This vegetarian recipe makes enough for one large dinner portion, or two smaller lunch portions. Though it would also pair well with a Chicken tikka masala (recipe: here) for a heartier meal. 

Yields 1 large dinner portion, or 2 smaller lunches. 

• 1 cup basmati rice (2 cups water)
• 1 9oz bag of fresh, washed spinach
• 2 inch section fresh ginger
• 6-8 cloves garlic
• 1 green serrano chili pepper
• 1 green onion
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 tsp paprika (heaping!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 roma tomato
• 1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup skim milk

Cook basmati in a rice cooker if you have one, or on the stove per package instructions.

Add about 3 fingers of water to a medium sized pot and heat til boiling (not too much water required as the spinach will shrink). Once the water has reached boiling, add the 9oz bag of washed spinach and blanch for about a minute. Strain in a colander and allow excess liquid to continue to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

Mince the ginger, garlic and serrano chili together. Mince as finely as possible. 

Dice green and yellow onion. 

Heat small amount (about 1tsp) of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over med-high. Add ginger, garlic, serrano, green and yellow onions. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. Reduce heat to medium, then add paprika, salt, cumin, and turmeric and continue stirring for another minute or two. 

Meanwhile, dice the tomato and chop the cilantro. Add both to the spiced mixture in pan and stir for a few minutes.

Squeeze any excess liquid from the blanched spinach, then add to the frying pan, along with 1/2 cup of skim milk. Reduce heat to med-low, stirring well to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and let simmer for 5-10min.

The rice should be ready by this point. Serve alongside palak saag. Enjoy :)

Mexi-style Quinoa Salad, Chipotle-Lime Dressing

I've decided this deserves a post even though it's pretty similar to my other post for Grilled Chicken over Quinoa Salad, Cilantro-Lime Dressing because it's a meatless version that incorporates the best part of the chicken into the salad - the chipotle peppers of course!

We went to a Mexican themed potluck this weekend, and this salad, with a slight chipotle kick, got a lot of love!

Serves 4-6

• 1 1/3 cup quinoa
• 2 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• Dressing
• Juice squeezed from 1 lime
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1 1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 hothouse cucumber 
• top half of a bunch of green onion
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 ripe avocado

Quinoa should be cooked in advance so it has time to cool. Add quinoa, water, salt, cumin and bay leaf to a medium pot over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to low and cover with lid. Set timer for 15min. Remove from heat, let stand 5min. Discard bay leaf. Fluff and set aside to cool to room temperature (or refrigerate if making well in advance).

Drain and rinse black beans in a colander. Measure out frozen corn and place in colander with black beans. 

Mince the chipotle peppers with a little bit of adobo sauce. Store remaining peppers in airtight container. Add all dressing ingredients to a cup/jar, stirring well to incorporate. Set aside.

Dice cucumber. Chop green onion and cilantro.

Remove pit from avocado. Slice lengthwise into 8 strips and remove the peel. Give the peeled avocado a quick cold water bath to prevent them from turning brown. Remove from water and dice into bite size pieces. 

Place cooled quinoa, beans and vegetables in a large salad bowl and toss well with dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.

Shredded Chicken Soft Tacos

There are days when I don't get asked "what's for sups?" so much as I get told what's for sups. This recipe came from one such decisive day. The request was for soft tacos, specifically with shredded chicken if possible, so I tried my best to deliver on this demand. As it turned out, the tacos were a hit and B now wants this meal added to the list of regulars on our dinner rotation!

Yields approx 6 soft tacos (depending on how heavily or lightly you stuff them)

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 

• 1 1/2 tbsp coke (the carbonation & chemicals in coke work great to tenderize meat)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp cajun powder
• pinch red chili flakes
• 1 cup tomato sauce (or spicy pasta sauce!)
• 1 package whole wheat/multigrain 6-inch soft tortillas (I like the Mission brand pictured below as they are high in fibre)
• 1/2 hothouse cucumber
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup skim mozzarella (or low-fat cheese of your choosing)
• optional: taco sauce or hot sauce, to taste

Start by marinating the chicken well in advance (a couple hours up to overnight). Trim any fat off the chicken breast, slice in half to maximize the surface area being coated in saucy goodness. Add all marinade ingredients, mixing well to coat evenly. Cover and set aside in fridge til closer to serving time. 

  

Heat a small amount of olive oil (~1tsp) in a small non-stick pan over med-high heat. Add chicken breast halves, including any excess marinade. Cook for 3min, flip, then cook the other side for another 3min. Pour the tomato/pasta sauce over the chicken, reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and let simmer for 20min (or til chicken is no longer pink inside).

While the chicken is simmering, wash and prepare the taco fixins: Slice cucumber and spinach into thin strips. Chop cilantro. Grate mozzarella. Set aside on a serving plate, keeping refrigerated until the chicken is ready.

Preheat the oven to 350. Wrap tortillas in tin foil, and warm in preheated oven for 5-7min.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from pan, and shred with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back in the pan, stirring to coat in the remaining sauce, cover, and continue simmering for another 10-15min. 

Once the tortillas are warm and the shredded chicken is ready, I set up a build-your-own-adventure style taco station on the kitchen counter or at the dinner table. I put a bottle of taco sauce and hot sauce out as well.