Mexican Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

I was never a big fan of vegetables growing up, but as an adult I have forced myself to expand my veggie horizons, and discovered that most of them aren’t all that bad! Now I look to incorporate vegetables into as many meals as I can, since they are both low in calories and high in nutrients.

One of my favorite discoveries was bell peppers. I love them raw and cooked, in salads, fajitas, omelets...you name it, I enjoy it. Hence why I was so excited to try a recipe for stuffed bell peppers. 

I tried one basic stuffed pepper recipe, but it was a little bland, so I decided to create my own recipe with a Mexican twist. The taco seasoning gave it a nice kick, and it made a deliciously healthy, lower-carb alternative to Taco Tuesday. 

Two bell pepper halves made a complete (and very filling) dinner, but you can easily have just one half of a pepper as a side dish. And the leftovers tasted just as yummy after being microwaved the next day for lunch.

Mexican Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups chicken, cooked and shredded (I used the leftover shredded chicken from my chicken fried rice recipe)

1 cup cooked brown rice

3 red bell peppers

1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning

1 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese

¼ cup onions, diced

fat free sour cream, for serving

salsa, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Prepare the cooked chicken according to the instructions on the taco seasoning packet. 
3. Remove stems and seeds from the bell peppers, and cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise.  
4. In a large bowl, combine taco-seasoned chicken, rice, 1/2 cup of cheese, and onions.  
5. Spoon mixture evenly into bell peppers.  
6. Top with remaining cheese.  
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  
8. After it is finished baking, serve with a spoonful of salsa and a dollop of fat free sour cream. 

Makes 6 servings (or 3 dinner-size servings).

*Note - you can also add the salsa on top of the stuffed peppers before you bake them.

Light Chicken Fried Rice

I love Chinese food, but Chinese restaurants aren’t exactly known for their healthy options! However, I’ve found that it’s relatively easy to make some basic “healthified” Chinese dishes at home. I have made my fair share of stir fries, but last night I wanted to try making fried rice.

A few things that you should know about me and my cooking:

1. I often don’t start making dinner until I’m already starving, and I’m not the most patient person when I’m hungry, so I look for recipes that are quick to make.

2. My husband Rick hates doing dishes (and our agreement is that he cleans when I cook) so I try to find recipes that use a minimal number of pots and pans.

3. I try not to spend hundreds of dollars at the grocery store each week, so I seek out recipes that use ingredients I already have and/or could see myself using again in the near future.

Many of the fried rice recipes that I found used way too many dishes, took too long to make, or asked for ingredients that I didn’t have or want to buy. So when I came across this recipe, I jumped on it! I already had shredded chicken (I use this recipe to cook up large batches of shredded chicken and have it ready to go), popped some rice in the rice cooker, and the rest of the meal was prepared in one (pretty large) skillet. I did have to invest in sesame oil - I think it’s possible to make the recipe with a different kind of oil, but the sesame oil gave it just the right flavor. Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious - Rick and I happily ate it up!

Light Chicken Fried Rice

(Adapted from SkinnyMom)

Ingredients:

2 cups rice, prepared (I used brown rice, but white rice is also fine)
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken breast (I used this slow cooker shredded chicken)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/8 cup lite soy sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions to yield 2 cups of cooked rice.
2. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, peas and carrots and saute until the veggies are tender (approximately 5 minutes).
3. Crack egg into skillet and scramble, mixing with the vegetables.
4. Once the egg has scrambled, add rice, chicken, and soy sauce to skillet. Mix well.

*This made 3 servings of approximate 1 ¼ cups each. It can easily be doubled to make 6 servings.

Gran Electrica

Gran Electrica is a newer restaurant in a cute small space in DUMBO right under the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s next to the famous Grimaldi’s, which always has a long line. Why would you wait on a line when you can pop into Gran Electrica without waiting on a line and don't need a reservation? I would definitely say it is better than having a slice of pizza. It is a great place to stop in for a drink or a meal. The walls are adorned with black and white wallpaper, there is soft music playing in the background, and candles dimly lighting the perfect space. The bar is inviting, but we opted for a small table in one of the cozy rooms inside. There is also a cool garden space outside for a warmer day. We were greeted happily by a nice hostess who cheerfully led us to our table. Our waiter was nice enough and provided decent service throughout the meal.

However, the real reason to eat here is for the cocktails and the delicious food. The margaritas are unique with a wide range of options from the traditional style, the Margarita Electrica, that I had, to a spicy grapefruit variety, that Ryan tried, the Margarita de Toronja Picante. The guacamole with homemade corn chips is perfect along with a quartet of salsas that accompany the main dishes. I had the amazing Pescado Estilo Ensenada, fish tacos with cabbage, crema, avocado salsa, that were fried to perfection yet still delicate and delicious. Ryan ordered the Pozole Verde, a stew that was creative and came with a side dish of items to add to the spicy broth including avocado, chicharron, lime, and onions. The restaurant overall offers some great food, yummy cocktails, and a good atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a perfect date night out in Brooklyn. 

*Gran Electrica – 5 Front Street, Brooklyn, New York

Welcome!

Welcome to Four Foodies, Two Cities, and a Blog! Michelle and Jen have been friends for over a decade. Our friendship began in a freshman year statistics class in college, and has been sustained by a shared love of - among other things - bad tv shows, celebrity gossip, and food!

Michelle lives in NYC and takes full advantage of all that the city has to offer, including the amazing restaurants. Her husband, Ryan, is also quite the gourmet, with a particular love for fancy beer and all things pork-related. Together, they are eating their way through some of the best restaurants that Brooklyn and Manhattan have to offer.

Jen lives in DC with her husband, Rick, and loves cooking new recipes (especially ones she finds on Pinterest!). After losing over 40 pounds last year, Jen is on a mission to make easy, flavorful meals that are healthy but delicious. Rick is a very willing taste-tester, and as an amateur mixologist, regularly stirs up yummy after-dinner cocktails.

The four of us love to talk about food and drinks (perhaps a little too often, according to some family and friends!) and through this blog, we hope to share our love and enthusiasm for the topic, including reviews of some of our favorite restaurants and recipes. Enjoy!