Thrifty cooking!

I'm not usually one to post about food, but when it comes to being thrifty, cooking at home is a must. It isn't cheap to eat out constantly, and it isn't good for your health either! I'm trying to eat a little better and work out a little more, and it's a lot easier with delicious recipes.

I love eating Chipotle, specifically the chicken bowl. So when I saw this recipe for Chipotle Mexican Grill marinade, I had to try it! It was fun to make and turned out really yummy. And on top of that, it didn't take long to prepare, which is a must for me.

Chipotle Mexican Grill's Ancho Chile Marinade

Ingredients

2 oz dried ancho chiles or dried pepper of choice (I used dried chipotle peppers that I found at Safeway.)

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tbs fresh oregano, chopped

6 cloves garlic

1/2 red onion, quartered

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 cuts of meat of choice, such as chicken or steak (I used whole chicken breasts!)

Directions

1. Soak dry chiles in water overnight or until soft (I only soaked mine for about an hour and they were fine!). Discard water. Remove seeds.
2. Add all ingredients except meat in food processor. Puree until smooth.
3. Spread mixture over meat and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. (I soaked mine overnight and it turned out great! I do suggest saving some of the marinade to put on the chicken after it is cooked.)
4. Heat grill to about 400 degrees, or if cooking inside heat small amount of oil in skillet or grill pan over high heat (again, I cooked inside in a skillet and it cooked up wonderfully). Salt meat to taste. Grill meat about 4 minutes per side, depending upon thickness, until done.
5. Serve with rice, black beans or choice of side dish. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Or serve in a burrito. (I went ahead and made brown rice, guacamole, and cheese to make my very own burrito bowl! It is lasting me for lunches all week, and the entire serving is only 430 calories!)

Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted

2 tsp fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (I think this was a little much - 1 clove should be enough!)

2 large serrano chile seeded, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Using fork, mash avocado with lime juice in small bowl.
2. Add cilantro, chopped onion, chopped garlic, serrano chiles and salt.
3. Stir to combine, and enjoy!

xo

Amanda