Must or Bust

I've decided to try another little "blog tradition" and see if it catches on.

We all probably know about the glory that is PINTEREST. If not, you're seriously missing out. I'll admit, though, at first I thought it was kinda dumb. But then I caught on and realized that it's an amazing way to learn new skills and broaden your horizons in many different ways.

It's also a time sucker. . .  which can be a good thing if you're stuck waiting in some boring place for hours on end. But on the other hand, you could easily spend 400 hours a day on Pinterest if you're not careful. And, let's face it, that's pretty impressive considering there are only 24 hours in a day. :)

So this little "tradition" of mine is to take a pin on Pinterest and try it out. One a week. I'll then share with you if it's a MUST {as in, "a keeper"} or a BUST {as in, "epic fail"}.

I'm pretty excited to shed some light on some of those pins I have floating around on my boards. You know you've thought "I wonder if that really works" about some of your pins at least once. Don't lie to yourself. And by the way, if you have a particular pin YOU have that you'd like me to try out, post a comment with a link and I'll give it a whirl just as soon as I can. But you should probably know I draw the line at training wild tigers to crochet and teaching blind monkey to weave baskets underwater.

This week's special guest is:



{drum roll please}



Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

{originally pinned HERE}


and because I'm super nice:

Yummy Homemade Taco Bowl Things

{originally pinned HERE}

. . . . . . . .


These things are amazing. I'm not even kidding you. My hubby, who has only given a "10" rating to one dish in our 2 years of marriage, gave these a "20".

Yeah.

They might seem a little intimidating because you have to dust off your blender in order to make homemade pesto, but I am here to tell you that it's worth it. And not scary at all.  

So go ahead. Give 'er a whirl. 

{Bonus: These can be made ahead and popped in the freezer. Yay for freezer meals!}
{Oh, and I have adapted the recipes a little. If you'd like the originals, just click on the link underneath the pictures. The taco bowls didn't come with instructions, so I made up my own. Because that's how I roll.}


Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

cooking spray for sauteing 
2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 t. garlic salt
1/2 c. cilantro lime pesto (recipe follows)
flour tortillas 
taco toppings (salsa, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, etc.)

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Cook until done. Stir pesto into diced chicken and serve with tortillas and desired taco toppings.

NOTES:  {just be careful not to overcook your chicken. It's already dead, I promise. No need to kill it further by turning it into dry jerky}.  

. . . . . . . . 

Cilantro Lime Pesto


1 c. fresh cilantro leaves {without stems}
2 1/2 T. canola oil {or olive oil}
2 T. sliced, toasted almonds {optional}
3 T minced garlic
1 1/2 t. lime juice
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese 
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. chicken broth

Using a blender, mix together all ingredients on a low speed for 2 minutes.

NOTES:  {I just used the Parmesan cheese from a container, but I'm sure fresh stuff would have been even better. And FYI, the original recipe called for Asiago cheese, but mentioned Romano as a substitute as well as Parmesan} 


. . . . . . . .
 

Taco Bowls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place 3 flour tortillas on the bottom of a muffin tin as shown in the picture above.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.

NOTES: I prefer flour tortillas, but corn work too {they're just too chewy for my family's liking} Be sure to check them at 8 minutes so they don't over-bake. They should be firm enough to hold their shape and lightly browned, not turned to charcoal. Also, I tried putting more than 3 in at a time, but they don't hold the cute shape that way. If you want just normal taco shells instead of bowls, you could do more than 3 at a time. I put my finished shells a tortilla warmer and then popped the thing in the microwave just to help keep the warm air circulating around it {no need to turn the microwave on!}