Caesar Chicken Wraps

This is an easy meal I often throw together on those nights we have a lot going on after work and school. It's easy to make and eat quickly, or bring along if we are heading out somewhere. Often I will have a rotisserie chicken that I have deboned in the fridge, or some precooked, chopped chicken that I just throw in. Sometime I also have a Caesar salad kit, that has the dressing, croutons and cheese in it, and it's that much faster and easier. 

Tortillas

1 cup cooked chicken, diced

1/3 cup Caesar Salad dressing

2-3 cups Romaine lettuce, cut

1 cup croutons

2-3 Tb. shredded parmesan cheese

Simply, mix all the salad ingredients together and toss in the dressing. Then spoon the salad onto several tortillas and roll them up. 

Massaman Curry

Dear internet world, I am quite disappointed that there is a total lack of good Thai massaman curry recipes out there. This post, therefore, is part of the solution. 

One of our favorite Thai curries is Massaman curry - but I tried too many lengthy recipes that did not taste like the massaman we have come to love. Finally I got this recipe from a friend, who told me where to get the curry paste. If you have an ethnic food store nearby that sells Thai ingredients, you might find the curry paste there. The brand of paste is Mae Ploy - you might be able to buy it somewhere online. 

1-2 chicken breasts, diced 
3-5 potatoes, diced 
2-3 carrots, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tb. Massaman curry paste
1 Can coconut milk
1 Tb peanut butter
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water or milk

Dice chicken and veggies and stir-fry in a little bit of oil. Mix remaining ingredients and add to pan. Heat and simmer 15 min. Serve over rice. 

Chicken and Sweet Potato Pot Pie

I made a pot pie recently with sweet potatoes, and now there is no going back!

1 rotisserie chicken 

1 packages pie crust

2-3 sweet potatoes

2 Tb butter or oil

3-4 carrots

1 can chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup frozen peas

2 Tb. cornstarch

1/3 cup water

Remove chicken from the bone, and chop into chunks. Peel the carrots and sweet potatoes and chop. In saucepan, sauté potatoes and carrots for several minutes, then add broth and bring to boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Add chicken, corn and peas. Mix cornstarch in water, and add to saucepan. Stir till it thickens. If it does thicken within a few minutes, add more cornstarch/water mixture a little bit at a time. 

Place pie crust in pan, pour in filling, and top with remaining pie crust. Slit the top, and cook at 400º for about 40 min, or until crust is golden. 

Chicken Fajitas

We have been craving Mexican again. We crave Mexican a lot! I've tried those little fajita packets a couple of times, and never really liked them, and tried a few recipes online without much success. So, now whenever I make fajitas I never follow a recipe, I just throw in whatever sounds good at the time. These turned out fantastic so I thought I'd post how I made them so I can duplicate it and share it with others. 

2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 bell peppers, thinly sliced ( I like to use two peppers of different colors)

2 small onions, thinly sliced (or one very large onion)

1 pkg. corn or flour tortillas

1 lime, quartered

Marinade:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeño finely diced

1 serrano pepper finely diced

1 Tb. hot sauce (like Cholula)

1 Tb. olive oil

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. dried cilantro

Toppings: 

Shredded cheese - cheddar, colby jack, or queso fresco

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Salsa

Dice up chicken, peppers and onions. Mix all ingredients for marinade in bowl or plastic bag. Add the chicken and let sit for 15-20 min. Pour into hot pan/skillet and sauté for a few minutes. Add the peppers and onions and cook until tender, but not too soft. Squeeze lime over top. Place a few tortillas in plastic bag and microwave for several seconds to warm, or warm tortillas on hot pan for a few seconds. Serve fajita filling in warm tortillas with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa. 

Dutch Oven Chicken with Bacon and Veggies

Dutch oven dinners are always a fun twist on a 
summer barbecue. One of the best things about Dutch ovens are their versatility and ability to cook indoors and outdoors with them. We use our dutch oven year round, not just in the summer. This is an easy recipe my husband grew up eating, but one I was unfamiliar with, but have come to love!

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

1-2 large onions, chopped

2 chicken breasts, diced 

3-4 carrots, chopped

3-4 large potatoes, chopped

2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup grated cheese

seasoning salt

flour

Heat the dutch oven on the stovetop, and fry the bacon till half way done. Add onion and sauté slightly. (No need to drain bacon grease). Shake the chicken with some flour and seasoning salt till covered, and add to pot, and sauté chicken till cooked through. Add carrots and potatoes, and place lid on pot. Cook 30 min, at 400 in oven. Add broccoli and cheese, and replace lid. Cook for 10 more min. This fills a large dutch oven, so you may want to cut the recipe, or just invite the neighbors over. 

Vivint Salad and Dressing

Salad

Romaine lettuce / Spring mix / Spinach

Grilled Chicken

Candied Walnuts

Craisins

Red Onion

Blue Cheese

Balsamic Vinigarette

1 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups olive oil
3 Tb. cold water
2 1/2 Tb minced garlic
1/3 bunch fresh basil
1/4 bunch fresh oregano
4 Tb. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. dijon mustard

Pasole

In photo, bowl of Pasole, some sopapillas, and jalepeño poppers.

This is a delicious Mexican soup that we love! Naturally, it has a little bit of spice to it. If you want a mild soup, which I personally don't encourage, use only 2-3 chilis, or substitute the chilies with a can of chopped green chilies, which are a lot milder. Check the Mexican isle of your grocery store for the Mexican items.

2 lbs. chicken, chopped

2 lbs. pork, chopped

1 tsp. oil

1 head of garlic- I used about 8 cloves- minced

6 cans chicken broth, or use 6 cups water and 6 chicken bouillon cubes.

10-15 dried Guajillo or New Mexico chilies (It's the skinny little red, dried chilies shown in the picture.)

1 medium onion

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1 30 oz can white hominy, drained, rinsed- don't worry- it's good, trust me!

1 tsp. lime juice

Optional Toppings:

Sliced cabbage

Sliced onions

Cilantro

Sliced radishes

Chopped avocado

In a large pot, saute the chopped chicken and pork, till browned. Add the onion and stir for a few minutes, till soft, then add the broth and garlic and bring to a boil. Place the Mexican oregano in your palm, over the pot, and rub your hands together, and let it fall into the soup. Let the soup boil for about 30 minutes. Remove the stem and shake out the seeds from the dried chilies. Spoon out some of the hot broth into a bowl, and add the dried chilies, and let rehydrate for 10 minutes. Blend or mash the chilies into the broth, then, strain the juice from the chili skins. Try adding a tablespoon at a time to the soup, stir and taste, until you reach your desired temperature. I think I only added 2 - 3 tablespoons to my soup, and it had some heat! Add the hominy to the pot, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Add the lemon juice before serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and add any of the desired toppings, although I don't usually top mine with much. I prefer just some avocado.

Coq Au Vin

I like to dabble in French cooking once in a while, and this is one dish that was on the "must do" list. We consulted several recipes, and most of them are almost identical to this one. One small difference that I liked was to reserve half the bacon during the cooking portion and add it just before serving, or sprinkled on top so you keep the nice crispy texture you worked so hard to get. 

I added a picture of the cute stubby carrots I pulled out of the garden that went into the dish - they give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Maybe they do the same for you. 

4-6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

1 whole chicken, separated, skin on

1 onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Burgundy Wine 

   - (or red grape juice and a dash of vinegar)
a few sprigs of thyme

2 cups chicken broth

2 Tb. Butter

1 cup mushrooms, diced

cooked pasta or mashed potatoes

3 Tb. butter
2-3 Tb. flour

salt and pepper, to taste

I like to use a cast iron pan, but any big pot will work. Render the bacon in the pan, scoop out the bacon and leave the fat. Salt the chicken and place skin side down and brown on both sides. Remove chicken and toss in veggies and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion turns translucent. Add the wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the broth, chicken, half the bacon, and the thyme. Cover and cook for 1 hour at 350. 

Cook your pasta or mashed potatoes, and sauté the mushrooms. Take the dish out of the oven and remove the thyme sprigs. Toss in the mushrooms and remaining bacon. Mix the butter and flour into a paste and add to the pot to thicken the sauce. Salt lightly. Cook over medium heat until sauce thickens. Serve over pasta or potatoes. 

(One other way to change the sauce slightly is to add 1-2 Tb. tomato paste in with the broth.)

Happy cooking!

And eating!

Chicken Enchiladas and Tomatillo Salsa

I've been looking for a good chicken enchilada recipe and hadn't been able to find one that I was really excited about. Then my sister had this recipe that was super good. I also really like this recipe for tomatillo salsa that I got from our last cooking group on Latin foods.

Red or Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

2 chicken breasts, cubed

2 Tb. butter

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can milk (from soup can)

1 can diced green chili

1 onion

shredded cheddar cheese

1 can green or red enchilada sauce

Saute chicken in butter. Add green chili and onion and cook till onion is tender. Add soup and milk. Warm tortillas. Layer tortillas, chicken and sauce in casserole pan. Bake for 30 min. at 350•.

Tomatillo Salsa

15 tomatillos, skins removed

2-4 serrano peppers

1 avocado

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

handful of cilantro

1 lime, juiced

salt to taste

Boil tomatillos and peppers until soft (about 10 minutes). In the meantime, put rest of ingredients in blender. Add peeled tomatillos and peppers and blend until creamy. (Remove seeds and vein from serranos if you want a mild salsa, leave seeds in if you prefer hot salsa). Add more salt to taste if needed.

Chinese Jalepeno Chicken

I had some of this at a little place in China Town when I was in New York. So I looked up a recipe and tried it. It was pretty close. So here it is:

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs, boneless/skinless, cut into thin pieces

1 onion, finely sliced

1 green pepper, cut into pieces

1-2 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (to taste)

2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, you can use fresh grated

pinch of sugar, to taste

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2-3 tablespoons Chinese fermented black bean sauce

2 tablespoons peanut oil (or any oil)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a wok or a large deep frying pan. Add the chicken, onion, peppers, chilli, garlic, and ginger. Fry for about 5 minutes on high heat. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and continue cooking about 10-15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken has cooked through. Serve with rice or Chinese noodles.

Curried Chicken with Apples

Mmmm, this recipe was good. If you like Indian curry, you'll love this. (tasteofhome.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the chicken, onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Stir in the apples, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro; heat through. Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings.

Coconut Shrimp and Chicken Soup

serves 4 1 T vegetable oil
1 T grated peeled ginger
2 cloves garlic cloves, minced or grated
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
3 carrots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 can coconut milk
1 T cornstarch
4~6 oz rice noodles
3/4 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3/4 lb chicken breast, sliced
2 C low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 C water
1 T fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
cilantro, finely chopped

1. Fill a large bowl with hot water and add the noodles. Let sit until softened (about 10~15 minutes), drain, and set aside.
   
2. In a 3.5 quart or larger saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken on both sides until almost cooked through and lightly browned. Add carrots and cook until they start to wilt. Add ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, and water. In a small bowl combine corn starch and 2 T water; add to the pot, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add shrimp; stir until shrimp is opaque, about 1 minutes. Add noodles, remove from heat and add lime juice; season with salt. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Cashew Chicken

Serves 4
1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 T cornstarch
salt and pepper
2 T vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced (NOT grated this time)
8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1 inch pieces
2 T rice vinegar
3 T hoisin sauce
3/4 C raw cashews, toasted; or roasted salted cashews (much cheaper option, usually)
white rice, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with some salt, pepper, and the cornstarch until coated.
2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 T of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook half of the chicken, tossing often, until bronwed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to plate.
3. Add the remaining chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Cook, tossing often, until the chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Add the vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 3 seconds.
4. Add the hoisin sauce and 1/4 C water; cook tossing, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens and cashews. Serve with white rice.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

makes 10-12 enchiladas
Enchiladas:
10-12 small (6-8 inch) tortillas (I use flour but the recipe I used calls for corn, so either way)
3 C shredded cooked chicken (I always just buy a rotisserie chicken and use about 2/3 of it)
12 oz shredded cheddar (or other shredded cheese you want to use such as Monterey Jack)
2-1/2 C enchilada sauce
1 to 2 (4 oz) cans of chopped green chiles, drained
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, combine chicken. 2 C cheese, 1/2 C enchilada sauce, and chiles. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. If the tortillas are stiff (if you're using corn tortillas especially), place the tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for a about a minute to get them pliable.
3. Place 1/3 C of the chicken mixture in one tortilla and roll it up. Place it on a 9x13 inch baking pan, lightly sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Repeat with all 10-12. If you're making 12, you'll need to make 2 layers. If you're making 10 you should be able to fit them all in on layer.
4. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top, making sure to coat the enchiladas thoroughly, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until they are warmed through. Take the foil off and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Serve with Homemade Salsa, avocados, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Homemade Salsa:
1/2 vidalia onion, diced small
7-8 small sweet tomatoes or 1 container of grape/cherry tomatoes, diced small
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped fine
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl:)

Cilantro Chicken Kabobs

This is definitely one of my favorite recipes. Mmmm, I could eat them every day.

1/3 c. hot water
1/4 c. BBQ sauce
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
2 T. dijon mustard (I use honey mustard)
1 lb boneless chicken, cut in strips

Mix all but chicken together with a whisk. Pour half of mixture into gallon size ziplock bag. Add chicken. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. Put on soaked skewers and grill. Serve with the rest of sauce for dipping. Goes great served on rice or mashed potatoes.

Amazing Dutch Oven Mesquite Chicken!

A friend of ours is a great chef, and has written a few books. We bought one of his new ones, called The Cast Iron Chef, which has a lot of really good recipes to use with a Dutch Oven. The first recipe we tried was his Mesquite Chicken. It turned out really good!

2 lb. chicken breasts

2 Tb. oil

1 pkg. McCormick's dry mesquite marinade

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 red bell pepper, veined, seeded and chopped

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 Tb. butter

3 Tb. liquid smoke

1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce

Brown the chicken in the oil on both sides in the bottom of your Dutch Oven. (We used ours on the stovetop). Sprinkle the marinade package over the chicken; add the garlic, peppers, onions, butter, and liquid smoke. Don't stir. Cover and roast for 15 minutes at 300º. Add the worcestershire sauce and roast another 7 min. Check to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through, and serve with rice and beans.

Turkey Tetrazzini

This is a great way to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. And with that little hint of cinnamon, it's really festive. 

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

1-2 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Cup Whipping Cream

1 package Angel hair pasta

2 Cups Cubed Chicken or Turkey

1 3oz can Mushrooms

1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

slivered almonds

Cook noodles, drain and set aside. While noodle are cooking you can work on the sauce. Melt butter and whisk in flour, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Cook over med. heat it will make a thick paste, then add the chicken broth and cream, heat to a boil, stirring while it thickens. Then add the chicken and mushrooms. Put the pasta in a 9x13 pan and pour sauce over, mix a little and let the sauce spread through the pasta. Add the Cheese and bake at 350 for 30 min uncovered. Serve with grated parmesan and a scoop of slivered almonds. Enjoy with a salad and some garlic bread!

Aglio E Olio and Lemon Chicken

Serves 4



For the pasta:

6 T extra-virgin Olive Oil
12 garlic cloves, minced (4 T)
1 lb spaghetti
3 T minced fresh parsley
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/2 t lemon zest
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper
grated Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Boil pasta to al dente. Reserve 1/2 C pasta water and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook 3 T garlic and 3 T olive oil and 1/2 t salt in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Stir often and cook until garlic is light brown and sticky. (If the garlic turns a weird blus-ish color for a few minutes there, don't be afraid. It will still work!) This will take about 10-12 minutes.
3. Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with cooked garlic mixture, 2 T pasta water, parsely, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, remaining 1 T garlic, and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.


For the chicken:

4 small chicken breasts, patted dry and trimmed of excess fat and tendons
1 lemon, sliced
2 T chicken broth
salt and pepper
2 t fresh lemon juice
2 T fresh parsley, minced
vegetable oil for the pan

1. Heat a skillet to medium/medium-high with about 1 T vegetable oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place on hot skillet. Cook one side until lightly browned and flip over. Add lemon slices to the pan and continue to cook. Once browned, add chicken broth and cover.
2. Check the chicken periodically to make sure the chicken isn't burning, but just getting a nice dark crust on it. Once the lemon slices are dark brown and the chicken is completely cooked through, take off the pan and sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with minced parsley on top.

Nordstrom Lime Chicken Salad

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs chipotle pepper puree'
3 Tbs honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 bunch cilantro
3/4 cup canola oil

In a blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chipotle, honey, salt, and cilantro. Blend together well. Then slowly add the oil to the blender as it is blending until it is fully emulsified. Remove from the blender and taste for seasoning. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Whisk well before tossing with the salad.

Salad Ingredients: romaine lettuce, mixed greens, shredded pepper-jack cheese, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, corn, and roasted pumpkin seeds. I roasted corn and red peppers in a saucepan. Grill chicken tenders basted with dressing; cut into slices. Assemble all ingredients and top with cilantro/lime dressing. Enjoy!

Lime Cilantro Soup

2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic Minced
1 Tbs. Chili Powder
2 Chicken Breasts Cubed
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Frozen Corn
½ Bunch Cilantro Sprigs
½ Cup Chopped Cilantro
¼ Cup Lime Juice

Mix Olive oil, onion, garlic and chili powder to make a paste then add chicken and cook until done. Add chicken broth and sprigs then let come to a boil. Add Corn and lime juice, remove sprigs and add chopped cilantro. Cook another 6 min. Serve over corn chips and top with fresh tomato, avocado, cheese and sour cream.
This is a great soup we really like it and it is great to cook in the crockpot, on a busy day. Hope that you enjoy