Posts Tagged ‘Real Simple’


Turkey-Chorizo Tacos

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Nearly every Tuesday without fail, I’ve noticed a Facebook friend of mine will update his status to say “It’s Taco Tuesday!”. And every Tuesday without fail, I crave tacos. Now, I don’t know if he actually has tacos every Tuesday, but something tells me he does. And this week I needed to participate in the festivities and make my own tacos. Even if it was a Wednesday.

As I was reading the newest edition of Real Simple, I saw a recipe for Turkey-Chorizo Tacos. I’m a huge (HUGE) fan of Portuguese meats so I almost immediately hopped in my car to head to the grocery store to get the few ingredients needed for this recipe. For my birthdays growing up, my mom would make us a birthday dinner. Nearly every year I’d request she make linguica with rice. I really don’t need fancy things so long as they taste delicious! And since my birthday is in August, she would grill loads of linguica and I would eat it for days. That’s actually probably a lie. It don’t think it lasted for days. My feelings for chorizo are equal to those of linguica. And toss either of the two into a taco and I’ll be “that girl” sitting in the corner by herself gnawing on said taco.

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Turkey Chorizo Tacos (makes 8 tacos)
Real Simple
Print this Recipe!

• 1 chopped onion
• 4 ounces chopped Spanish chorizo
• Canola oil
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• salt and pepper to taste
• Corn tortillas
• plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream, whichever you prefer)
• Avocado
• Salsa of your choice
• Cilantro

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Begin by heating canola oil in a large skillet. Add onion and chorizo until slightly browned.

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Incorporate turkey and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until turkey has cooked through.

Split the mixture up and serve in warmed tortillas. Top with avocado, salsa, cilantro, and sour cream or Greek yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt always trumps sour cream, in my book.

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For a meal that I whipped up in about 15-20 minutes, this was phenomenal. The chorizo has so much salty and spicy flavor so you don’t need to use any additional seasonings. Or that little bag of taco seasoning that comes in taco kits, hehe. This is the real unpackaged deal. Plus, the crunchy whole wheat taco shell and smooth avocado provided a nice balance texture-wise. It was kind of my perfect quick weeknight dinner. Salty, crunchy, and spicy! I think I’ve said this before but my mom calls me “Crunchy” sometimes since 9 times out of 10 when I’m on the phone with her I’m munching on chips, carrots, or anything else that makes obnoxious crunch sounds over the phone. Nearly every phone conversation I have with my sister one of us winds up yelling “WHAT ARE YOU EATING!?” whenever there’s a slight “crunch” coming through the line. The funny thing is… I ate one of these tacos while on the phone with my sister tonight and she didn’t even realize it. Ohhh, weird family fun ;)

I have a ton of design work going on this week so making a speedy dinner was really the only option. And will probably remain my only option for the next few weeks. All I’ve eaten for dinner this week is salads that I’ve whipped up quickly so it’s such a bonus to be able to whip up dinners that actually taste special! Even though the leftovers from these tacos will probably wind up on a salad for tomorrow’s lunch.

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What’s your go-to quick dinner when you’re having a crazy week?

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If you haven’t already heard, there’s an interview with us (and a couple of recipes!) in this season’s Exhale Lifestyle Magazine for Women! The magazines are all around Boston, Metro West, and even Providence, so be sure to pick up a copy. We’re thrilled to be in an issue with such fantastic women!

[Chels]

Some of my favorite cleaning products… just in time for Spring Cleaning! and a GIVEAWAY!

Since it’s officially Spring (hooray!) and officially April, I thought now would be a great time to share some of my favorite cleaning supplies (and give them to one lucky reader!). First, let me admit, being a graphic designer I’m a huge sucker for nice packaging, which sadly (or lucky for the companies!) was originally a big part of me initially buying these products. But luckily, they did me no wrong and they actually work really well and not to mention are extremely well priced, often times less expensive than the huge brands. The best news is, I buy all of these products at Target… another reason why it’s the best store ever.


The first time I used Mrs. Meyer’s Countertop Spray I honestly whispered to myself several times “Geesh, I love this stuff!” I literally walked around my apartment and sprayed it on multiple surfaces just to continue using it. Although it’s called Counter Spray, you can use it on all non-porous surfaces such as finished wood, tiled floors, countertops, walls, porcelain, and bathroom fixtures. Pretty sure I’ve tried it on all. I love the way it makes my kitchen counters and bathroom shine! And the lemon verbena scent is unbelievable! It leaves my apartment smelling so so clean and fresh.  This is also a really gentle product, so for me and my allergies, I can appreciate that. For additional bonus points, all of Mrs. Meyer’s products are cruelty free and not tested on animals.


So if you’re ever in a rush and don’t have enough time to really scrub some surfaces, I recommend J.R. Watkins’ All Purpose Wipes. These wipes are perfect for fixtures in the kitchen. I like using them on the hardware on my kitchen cabinets and the faucet in my kitchen since they’re all stainless steel and the wipes won’t scratch like a sponge might. This is another great smelling product and very light, Aloe & Green Tea, and it contains natural coconut oil… yum! I’m not big into really strong scents or products that literally smell like harsh chemicals. Cleaning is a chore enough, no need to get a headache while doing it!


Eucalyptus Mint Le Scrub is a great abrasive cleaner for showers, tubs, and sinks. This is also another non-toxic, environmentally friendly product (as are all of methods products, yet another reason to love them). The bottle of Le Scrub reads “…le scrub, powered by finely milled marble, gently yet effectively wipes out tough stains, soap scum and grime, to reveal the tub you love.” Yup yup… can’t argue with that, smells lovely too!
Daily Shower Spray (natural no-scrub spray cleaner) works best on a clean shower, so use this only after you give your shower a good scrubbin’. After you’re done showering, just spray a light mist of the daily shower spray in the tub (you can use it on shower doors and curtains too) and it will keep your shower nice and clean since it protects your precious shower against soap scum. Don’t get me wrong now, good scrubbins of the shower are of course still in order, but this spray will get you through those busy work weeks when you don’t have tons of time on your hands.

Wood for Good (non toxic squeaky greenTM wood surface wipes) are one of my all time favorites. Almond scented and lovely, these wipes leave my black bedroom furniture looking brand new. They fit perfectly in your hand so you can get in between all the little grooves that your furniture has. These wipes are made from bamboo and other renewable natural fibers so not only are they easy on your possessions, they’re better for the environment than similar products.
Another great thing about method is all of their perfectly designed packaging is easily recyclable which makes recycling that much easier. To learn more about method and the two buddies behind the environmentally friendly home cleaning products, here’s a great article that was featured on grist.org last year.
Since all of the products I love, love, love are non-toxic and environmentally friendly, now would be a good time to mention that Down:2:Earth an Exploration into Sustainable Living is being held in Boston this weekend, April 3, 4 and, 5, at the Hynes Convention Center. Be sure to check out the wide range of exhibitors ranging from home products, to fashion and beauty, to food and wine. All of the companies attending are hoping to get consumers to be a little more conscious of their purchases! Good stuff, of course.
Now for the GIVEAWAY! I’ve put together a basket of all of my favorite cleaning products, this months issue of Real Simple (which has a great section on the basics of cleaning), and a pair of my favorite o-cel-o sponges, which fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. Leave a comment by Sunday, April 5th at 11:59pm EST telling me what your favorite cleaning products are. I’ll randomly select a winner for the basket and announce it next week! Good Luck!
[Chels]