The Bachelor Dinner, Part 1

For the past year my friend Amie and I have made a routine out of "Bachelor Monday". Usually this place at her house with Amie making somesort of delicious meal and me supplying the wine. With this most recent season of The Bachelor and a change in my schedule, we are splitting the cooking and trying to get a little more creative in the process. I promise to post previous weeks as time permits but below please find last night's amazing meal.

Please note: We usually shop at Trader Joe's which helps make meal prep easy. If you find yourself in a part of the country that does not have a Trader Joe's, just substitute as needed (and also write them to request one in your neighborhood!).

Pulled Chicken Tacos (Makes Approximately 6 Tacos)

1 package Pulled Chicken Breast in Smokey BBQ Sauce

Blue Corn Tortillas (or your favorite)

Toppings

Purple Cabbage with Red Onions soaked in Rice Vinegar, Beets & Apple Juice (Note: This was a combo of items I picked up off of the Whole Food salad bar and mixed together. It could easily be recreated but I would recommend making in the morning or the night before so that the vinegar can do it's job. The onions had been soaking for awhile so they had that sweet yet tart flavor and the addition of the cabbage added the crunch.)

Peach Salsa

Blue Cheese

1. Prepare Pulled Chicken Breast per instructions on package.

2. Heat tortillas in skillet to warm but not crisp.

3. Top with cabbage mixture.

4. Add additional toppings from list above if desired.

Brussel Sprouts with Turkey Bacon

1 Package Steam In Pack Brussel Sprouts

4 Slices of Peppered Turkey Bacon

Parmesan, Romano, Asiago Cheese

1. Prepare Brussel Sprouts per instructions on package.

2. Cook 4 slices of Peppered Turkey Bacon in skillet.

3. Remove cooked turkey bacon and cut into bite-sized pieces.

4. Add brussel sprouts and bacon back to the skillet and toss until the brussel sprouts are a bit

browned and wilted from the bacon grease.

5. Sprinkle with cheese to taste.

Reduced Guilt Brownies

1 Package Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix (No-Pudge Brownies are the same and available in stores and online)

2/3 Cup Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt

Toppings

Low-fat Whipped Cream

Blueberries

1. Combine brownie mix and yogurt per instructions on package.

2. Bake per instructions on package.

3. Once cooled and sliced, garnish brownies with whipped cream and blueberries.

Note: Brownies were made the day before which made for easy preparation. There is also a recipe on the box for single serving if you are like me and cannot be trusted with an entire pan of brownies.

We enjoyed a bottle of Vinho Verde though I have also had a Spanish Granacha with the chicken before and it was amazing.