Eat: Father's Day Cilantro Lime Chicken

Yesterday, we hosted a casual Father's Day lunch at my house. Everyone pitched in, so we enjoyed a quite a large spread of Mexican-style fare. We are a clan of varied tastes, so I opted for two different entrees – one for the picky eaters and another for the more adventurous. I also made not one but two cakes! Both desserts were big hits that I'm excited to share in upcoming posts. The day was filled with the usual hectic energy of bigger family gatherings. Fortunately, the weather was nice so we were able to burn some calories outside. My favorite part of the day was the entire group walking together to a nearby park where we played around until dessert time. Matt and I go there at least once a week during the warmer seasons, so we were glad to share it with the family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myself, my dad, and my sister!

For the traditional half of the crowd, we had regular ground beef tacos with homemade seasoning. I highly recommend making your own taco seasoning. Not only do you avoid the artificial and processed "extras" found in many of the store-bought mixes but you also get to experiment to find just the right seasoning blend for your family's preferences. You can find countless examples online. The other dish I made is one of my absolute favorite slow cooker recipes: Cilantro Lime Chicken with Black Beans and Corn. I have made this more often than any other dinner recipe in my arsenal. I originally got it from Mama & Baby Love, which offers tons of other healthy dishes worth trying. Aside from being flavorful, it is a simple recipe with quick and easy preparation. I also love that it has black beans and corn in it, adding a bit more substance to the dish.

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
Serve 6

1.5 lbs chicken breasts
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup fresh cilantro OR several hearty dashes of dried
1 (15oz) can of corn, drained
2 tablespoons of garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can of black beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt/Pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on LOW 8 hours or HIGH 4 hours. Prior to serving, remove the chicken, shred it, then stir it back into the slow cooker blend. Add some additional cumin, salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste.

***

I hope you all had a great Father's Day!