Taco Tuesday!

If any of you are lucky enough to live close to Juicy Cafe in Seattle, you may have had the chance to enjoy their taco bowl on Taco Tuesdays. I'm telling you: It's just about the best food on earth.  Since I couldn't make it to Juicy yesterday, I decided to just make a version of a taco bowl myself.  It wasn't the same thing but it was delicious nonetheless.  Here is a photo of the yumminess (LOL, I need some tips on food dressing; please share if you have some...):

The recipe, which is on the back of Trader Joe's Taco Mix seasoning packet and tweaked by me, is super easy.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, use any taco seasoning you fancy (you can usually find some already made in the seasoning aisles in grocery stores).  It takes about 45 minutes total to make and is a really great option for a weekday dinner. Makes 4 servings.

1 cup brown rice (not the instant kind; I like truRoots Germinated Brown Rice)
1 3/4 cups water
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cups chopped kale
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
6 tsp Trader Joe's Taco Mix seasoning
1 14-oz can low sodium tomato sauce
Guacamole and Pico de Gallo optional

First, get water boiling in a small saucepan and add the rice. Cover and lower heat; simmer for 25-30 minutes.  Let stand for about 10, still covered, so it can steam.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add kale and saute for about 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and seasoning and toss around for 5 minutes, until chicken is browned and almost cooked through.  Add in the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to your liking.

Serve over rice and garnish with guacamole and pico de gallo if you'd like. A little cilantro would also be a nice touch.

One serving has about 385 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, 50 grams of carbs and 32 grams of protein! If you choose to add this, two tbsp of guacamole or 30 grams of avocado = 50 more calories.

Enjoy!