Versatile Mexican Chicken

Creamy Chicken Tacos
I got this from a ward recipe night (Shannon Sorensen) and I really liked it.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (boiled and shredded)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 sm can green chilies
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 fresh tomato, diced
Flour tortillas


Directions:

In a large saucepan add cream cheese, green chilies, and taco seasoning. Let the cream cheese melt and simmer and stir it all together. While that is simmering, shred chicken into the pan then add the diced tomato.

In addition to tacos, you can use this in quesadillas or burittos, on tostadas, or as a creamy dip for chips.

It's fast, easy, and flavorful. I used mine in toasted quesadillas and the kids gobbled it up! I did find that an entire package of taco seasoning was a bit overpowering for one pkg of cream cheese. I added another 1/2 package, but would still probably cut back a bit on the taco seasoning, esp when making for kids.

A Yummy Alternative Quiche

Pesto-Quinoa-Spinach Quiche

Pillsbury

Prep Time: 20 Min

Total Time: 1 Hr 5 Min

Makes: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

4 oz provolone cheese, shredded (1 cup) (I substituted Swiss cheese)

1 cup water

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed, well drained

1/4 cup basil pesto (I used some sun-dried tomato pesto and I really liked it)

1/4 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Pine Nuts, toasted* (Substituted toasted chopped walnuts)

1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain

1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

4 EGGLAND’S BEST eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Place pie crust in 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie; flute edge. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle provolone cheese over partially baked crust. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat water to boiling over high heat. Stir in quinoa; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with fork. Stir in pesto, pine nuts, spinach and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

• In large bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper with wire whisk until well blended. Gently fold quinoa mixture into eggs. Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

• Bake at 350°F 30 to 35 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and edge of crust is golden brown (I needed more like 45 minutes to set). Sprinkle with basil. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I was a little surprised at how much we all liked this. Even the kids ate it really well. It has a ton of flavor and the texture of the Quinoa compliments it nicely. No one missed the meat and it's a great source of protein. Delicious!

Fresh and Delicious

Spinach Pesto
BH&G

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups torn fresh spinach, firmly packed
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds (I prefer using toasted walnuts)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil or cooking oil (may add a little more as needed)


Directions:

In a blender container or food processor combine spinach, basil, Parmesan cheese, nuts, garlic, and salt. Cover and blend or process with several on-off turns till a paste forms, stopping the machine several times and scraping the sides.

With the machine running slowly, gradually add olive oil and blend or process to the consistency of soft butter.

Serve over your favorite pasta. Also great on soup, toasted french bread, or meats.

I love the freshness of this pesto and it is much cheaper to make when you sub in spinach and walnuts for the traditional basil and pine nuts. I even love to eat it on scrambled eggs!

Italian Pasta

Extra-Crusty Baked Rigatoni with Beef Ragu

Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. rigatoni
• 2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef (Next time I plan to sub in Italian sausage for 1/2 lb)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. dried oregano
• 1 large can (28 oz.) peeled and chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream (I used regular cream)
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb. whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup grated Parmesan or aged Asiago cheese

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

Bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni, stir well and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 15 minutes or according to the package instructions. Drain the rigatoni, place in a large bowl and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

In the same pot, heat the 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until no pink remains, about 10 minutes. Drain off any fat. Add the parsley, oregano and tomatoes and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes break down and the flavors have melded, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, raise the heat and return to a boil. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Return the rigatoni to the pot with the sauce and toss to coat well.

Oil the bottom of a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Spread half of the pasta mixture in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Top with the remaining pasta, the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is crusty and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for about 5 minutes and serve.

Serves 6.

I found this recipe to be filling and easy. Perhaps a bit time-intensive, but overall a good Italian dinner that even the kids enjoyed.

Yummy Crispy Eggplant

Eggplant Croquettes

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tlbs dried parsley
2 Tlbs chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt (I added a little more S&P to taste)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Place eggplant in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on med-high for 3 minutes. Turn eggplant over and microwave another 2 minutes. The eggplant should be tender cook another 2 minutes if not tender. Drain any liquid from the eggplants and mash. (In my microwave I ended up cooking 3minutes, stir, 3 more minutes, stir, 3 more minutes, mash and drain)

Combine cheese, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, onion, garlic and salt with the mashed eggplant. Mix well.

Shape the eggplant mixture into patties. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop eggplant patties one at a time into skillet. Fry each side of the patties until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Patties can be frozen before frying and cooked later.

These were delicious! I think even someone who doesn't care for eggplant might enjoy them. They have a great crunchy golden exterior with a slightly chunky eggplant filling (like a crab cake). I could eat these alone, on a salad, or as an appetizer. You can be creative with sauces too.

Easy Marinade

Asian Barbecue Steak

1 beef top round steak, cut 3/4 in thick (about 1 lb) (I used a 2-3lb London Broil)
Salt & Pepper
Sliced green onions (optional)

Marinade:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp minced fresh ginger

Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Remove and refrigerate 1/2 cup for sauce. (Since I used a larger cut of meat I used the entire sauce to marinade and made a little extra to serve with it when we ate.)

Place beef steak and marinade in a Ziploc bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in a refrigerator 6 hrs or overnight, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Grill, uncovered, 9-11 minutes over medium heat, for medium rare doneness, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, pour reserved marinade into small microwave-safe dish; cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until heated through, stirring every 30 seconds.

Carve steak into thin slices; season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with sauce and green onions, if desired.

Serves 4

Easy Chinese

Mindless Mu Shu Chicken

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2)
1 bunch green onions (about 1 cup chopped)
5 tsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 (16 oz) package coleslaw mix
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup sherry or white wine (or white grape juice)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used normal)
1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
8 small (8 in) flour tortillas
Hoisin sauce or plum sauce, to taste

Directions:

Begin heating the vegetable oil in an extra-deep 12 inch skillet over medium heat.

Slice the green onions, using all of the whites and enough of the green tops to make 1 cup. Immediately add the onion, coleslaw and mushrooms to the skillet. Raise the heat to medium-high and begin to cook, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken through its width (the short way) into 1/4 inch wide strips, add the chicken to the skillet as you slice. Continue to stir and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch into the sherry (grape juice) in a small jar that has a lid. Shake well to combine and set aside. When the chicken is done, shake the sherry mixture again and add it to the skillet along with the soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil. Stir well and cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Place the tortillas between two paper towels, and microwave, uncovered, until warmed through, about 1 minute. To serve, spread Hoisin sauce to taste on each tortilla and spoon approx 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in the middle of each tortilla. Roll up, burrito style, and serve.

These were so easy to make and I thought they had great flavor. I wasn't sure about the tortilla at first (not the most authentic) but I actually found I liked the added chewy texture. Even good as leftovers.

Alternative Side Dish

Barley Pilaf with Chickpeas and Artichoke Hearts
Cooking Light

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tlb commercial pesto
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (or you can substitute cannellini beans if you wish)
1 Tlb fresh lemon juice
1 Tlb olive oil
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup (2 oz) pre-shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Combine the first 2 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until barely is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in pesto and chickpeas; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in lemon juice.

While barley cooks, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and artichokes; saute 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Place 1 cup barley mixture into each of the 4 bowls, and then top each serving with 1/4 cup artichoke mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 2 Tlb of cheese. (I mixed the artichokes in and served it family style with cheese on the side so people could use it as wanted.)

Healthy and Delicious

Barley, Bacon, and Avocado Salad With Roasted Chicken

Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings 10

Dressing:

4 Tlb cider vinegar
3 Tlb olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Salad:

6 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
1 cup quick-cook barley
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 cups frozen corn kernals, thawed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
2-3 lb rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat removed and shredded (4-5 cups)
2 med tomatoes, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 small avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

Directions:

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the salad, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp about 8 minutes. What a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Discard the fat from the saucepan. (I cooked my bacon in the microwave.)

Add the barely to the same saucepan with salt and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover the pan and cook barely until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, pressing out any excess moisture with the back of a spoon. Transfer to a large serving bowl to cool.

Add the corn, onion, reserved bacon, shredded chicken and dressing. Toss well. Then add the tomatoes and avocados and toss gently.

I really liked this, but felt that it could have used a bit more flavor. I added more salt and pepper and that helped, but I still might play around with it next time.

Use Your Zucchini!

Summer Squash Bake
Kraft

prep time: 10 min

total time: 50 min

makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 small Zucchini, thinly sliced

1 small Yellow squash, thinly sliced (Didn't have so I substituted mushrooms)

4 Eggs

1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing (I used light Mayo)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup finely Shredded Italian Five Cheese Blend

1 small Onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green peppers

1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

Directions:

HEAT oven to 375°F.

HEAT large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender.

BEAT eggs and dressing in large bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in Parmesan. Add zucchini mixture and all remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish. (I covered the top with more of the Italian cheese mix)

BAKE 35 to 40 min. or until center is set and edges are lightly browned. (Mine took more like 45 minutes)