Chipotle Chicken & Cilantro-Lime Rice

If you ask most people that know me, I'm either at school, home, or Chipotle. It is my favorite restaurant and I have probably have spent a years earnings there already. It dawned on me not too long ago that since I love it so much, why not make it all at home? It saves a bunch of money & now I don't have to limit myself to one bowl! I googled & experimented until I finally came to my favorite copy cat recipe. In the past month, I have probably made this at least 3 times!
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Ingredients:
Chicken

• 6 chicken tenderloins (I buy the frozen kind from Costco)
• 2 tbls. Chili Powder
• 1/8 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/8 cup Worshire Sauce
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 2 tsp. White pepper
• 1 tsp. dried Italian Herbs
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Rice

• 6 cups of Cooked White rice (directions & measurements vary per brand)
• 3 small juiced Limes
• 1/4 cup Diced Cilantro (usually about 1/2 a stock)

Steps:

1. Combine all ingredients for Chicken marinade into a large gallon size Ziploc. Place chicken inside and keep in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
2. Once the Chicken is done marinading, cook the rice in a large pot. Juice all the limes completely into a small bowl and pour over cooked rice. Be sure to use all of the juice! Dice the Cilantro very finely and stir into the rice. 
3. Turn grill or skillet on a med-high setting. Allow chicken to cook for at least 7 minutes on each side. To make it easier, you can cut the tenderloins in half. This will allow the center to cook a lot faster! 
4. Once the chicken is done, cut the pieces into small cubes. Chipotle always seems to have perfectly cubed chicken.
5. Serve! I turn it into a Mexican bar just like the resturant, along with my favorite salsa, can of pinto beans, cheese, sour cream & lettuce!

 Enjoy!

Pesto Shrimp Linguine

So my parents admit to me being only partially Italian but I totally deny that due to my love of pasta and naturally tan skin. Mostly the pasta part though... I enjoy nothing more than a good plate of carbs for dinner so why not post my favorite recipe? It's super simple and oh so delicious!
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Ingredients:

• 1 package of uncooked Linguine pasta
• 1 lb. Shrimp (cooked or uncooked)
• 1/2 Cup Pesto sauce
• 1 tsp. Basil
• 1/2 Pepper

Steps: 

1. Depending on whether you have cooked shrimp or uncooked shrimp, this will be your first step. I usually use pre-cooked shrimp and then just heat it up in a pan because it's easier but some people have a preference. If your shrimp is uncooked, then cook it first before you boil the pasta. Place shrimp in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. It just depends on how big the shrimp is.
2. Fill a large pot halfway with water and boil. (I always add a tsp. of oil and salt to my water)
3. Once the water is at a boil, add pasta. It'll take at least 10 minutes to boil because of the thickness but I would just follow the instructions on the box. 
4. While cooking pasta, if you have already cooked shrimp, place in a pan on a medium temperature for about 3 minutes to heat up. Sprinkle Basil on the shrimp.
5. Drain pasta, then place back in the large pot. Add the shrimp on top. It is very important that you do not heat up the Pesto before adding to the Shrimp and Pasta because it'll warm up once you add to the pot. It can also separate the ingredients in the sauce.
6. Season with Pepper and Serve!!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Alright so Super Bowl Sunday is coming up and there's nothing better than snacking during the big game. My mom brought this yummy recipe into the family years ago and it's turned into an every week thing! I absolutely love it and could eat it all day. It's pretty simple and only requires a few steps. This can either be done in a small crock-pot or in a circular/ rectangular pan in the oven. My family has a cute little football crock-pot so I usually use that but both ways work perfect. If you're going for more of a fancier look, use the pan.
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Ingredients:

• 8 oz. (1 package) Cream Cheese
• 16 oz. can of Artichoke hearts
• 8 oz. (1 box) Frozen chopped Spinach
• 1 small can Diced Chiles
• 1 cup of shredded Cheese
• Sprinkle of dried chopped onion

 Steps: 

1. If using the crock-pot, turn it on a low setting. If using a pan, pre-heat the oven to 375*f.
2. If the cream cheese is coming straight from the fridge, place in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften before using. With the pan, spray the bottom with Pam then line with the cream cheese. For the crock-pot, you are just going to combine all the ingredients at once so just place inside. 
3.  Place the frozen spinach in a strainer, then in the microwave over a plate for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Be sure to drain all the excess moisture. Place over the cream cheese evenly in the pan or just add to the crock-pot. 
4. Drain the Artichoke hearts, then chop very small. Combine the artichokes with the drained diced chiles and add over the Spinach or to the crock-pot.
5. Before placing the cheese on, sprinkle chopped onion on top. Be careful not to use too much!! I never use more than a few tablespoons. Afterwards, line the top with shredded cheese or throw in the pot. 
6. If you're using the crock-pot, be sure to really stir all the ingredients up. Cook in the pot for     1 1/2 - 2 hours (checking every once and a while). For the pan, place in the oven for about an hour, or until cheese starts to bubble on top. 
7. Enjoy!!! I usually serve with tortilla chips, but crackers are also delicious too.