Southwest Chipotle Salmon Salad

Pin It It's summer and that means cool lunches.  This is a healthy lunch that packs a ton of veggies.  I made this with salmon because I had a lone salmon fillet in my freezer, but feel free to substitute chicken or shrimp.  I enjoyed this on top of a bed of lettuce for a fancy salad, but you could easily eat it as a complete light meal.  Enjoy!

Southwest Chipotle Salmon Salad
**serves 2 for a light lunch
Dressing:
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 Tbsp ground chipotle (or to taste, can be spicy!)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground corriander
juice of 1/2 a lime

Salad:
1 salmon fillet, grilled and diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 avocado, diced
1 cup southwest blend frozen veggies (corn, black beans, onions and peppers)
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/3 cup queso fresco, crumbled

Lettuce of your choice, chopped (optional)

1. Mix all dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine tomatoes, avocado, veggies, pepper.  Stir in salmon and cilantro.  Squeeze lime juice on top.
3. Pour dressing over veggie mixture and stir gently.  Crumble cheese on top.
4. Serve over lettuce or alone.  Sprinkle with extra cilantro and cheese if needed.

Crock Pot Dr. Pepper Tacos

Pin It Another crock pot gem.  We just got back from a trip to Mexico and had lots of delicious, authentic mexican food.  Now these are in no way authentic, but they are at least a step up from regular ground beef tacos (which I also love).  Don't be fooled by the title, these puppies are SPICY!  Slow cooked beef in a savory, spicy sauce.  These tacos are great with my Mexican beans.

Crock Pot Dr. Pepper Tacos
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
2 lbs beef stew meat or a 2-3 lb roast
1 can Dr. Pepper soda
1/2 white onion, sliced
2 whole chipotles in adobo (adjust amount depending on how spicy you want your meat)
garlic, salt, pepper

1. Season beef liberally with garlic, salt and pepper.  Put meat in a lined crock pot. 
2. Add onions and chipotles.  Pour soda over the top.  Cover and cook 7-8 hours on low or 4-5 on high.  You will know it is done with the meat can be shredded easily.
3. Shred meat and return to juices.  Serve as tacos or burritos with your choice of toppings.

My favorite toppings:
shredded cabbage
peach salsa
queso fresco (mexican crumbly cheese)
sour cream