Red Chile Chicken with Rice and Black Beans

I saw this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe and it looked pretty good. And I always like meals that are one pot. Less dishes are always a good thing.


It turned out really good and even warmed up great for lunch the next day. A little sour cream and homemade guacamole on the side topped it off great. Go here for the full recipe.

Coconut Crunch Fudge

I was recipe blog hopping the other day and came across this. I honestly can't remember where I found it and the odds of me finding it again are slim to none. So I give credit where credit is due, I just don't know where it is due.

I love coconut. I'm not sure love is a strong enough word.

And I love fudge. So putting the two together was nothing short of amazing.

Here is the recipe that I found on the blog. I actually used my mom's fudge recipe instead, but still used the coconut idea and it turned out perfect!

11.5 oz chocolate, semi sweet or milk chocolate (I used semi-sweet)

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp coconut extract (I used a generous tsp)

1 T butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup toasted coconut, plus some for topping (I used way more, but it was so good)

1/4 cup crumbled graham crackers, plus some for topping

Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a small sauce pot and turn on med heat. Add the chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted. Add the butter and extract and mix til creamy.

Take chocolater mixture off the heat and stir in the toasted coconut and graham cracker pieces.

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment or plastic and pour in chocolate mixture (I just buttered mine) Decorate with extra toasted coconut and graham crackers. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

*The directions can vary depending on which fudge recipe you use.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Kev's grandma made this for us one Sunday dinner, and it was divine. The kids devoured it, okay, except the green pepper, who are we kidding. But I've been making it since then and it is one of our favorites. I usually make it in the morning when the kids are happy and the baby is napping and then keep it in the fridge until it's time to bake it.

Here are my chicken tenders all breaded and browned, although the lighting isn't helping much.

Slice a green pepper, open a can of pineapple slices and layer with the chicken.

Mix up the sauce and boil until it thickens up a bit. Then pour it over the chicken layered in the pan and bake it.


Serve over rice.

Mmmm.

Recipe:

5-6 chicken breasts, or tenders (a few more of those)

1/3 c oil

1/2 c flour

salt and pepper and season salt

Heat oil in frying pan. Coat chicken in flour, shaking off any excess, then season with salt and pepper and season salt. Brown both sides in oil.

1 16oz can of pineapple slices

1 green pepper, sliced thinly, reserving juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauce:

1 1/4 c pineapple juice, adding water if you don't have quite enough

1 c sugar

3/4 c cider vinegar

1 T soy sauce

1 tsp chicken bouillon or base

2 T cornstarch

Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan, then add other ingredients. Bring to a boil stirring constantly until thickened.

Layer in 9x13 chicken, green pepper slice and pineapple slice. Repeat. Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. If you use tenders they will cook quite a bit while browning, so you will only need 1/2 hour or til chicken is cooked through.

Serve over rice.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

This is a pretty basic chicken salad recipe that you could use and embelish any way you like. I like it simple, so that's the way we eat it.

First you boil your chicken. How much depends on how much chicken salad you want. Sorry no real precise measurements in this recipe.

Dice some celery and green onions.
(If you are one of those that likes grapes in your chicken salad, dice those too)
Sliced almonds would be good too!

When you chicken is done, cool it down in cold water and then shred it in a bowl.

Add as many veggies as you'd like and then some mayo. Sprinkle some garlic powder on the mayo, it'll mix in easier. But go light on both the mayo and the garlic, you can always add more.

Mix it all up just how you like it. I don't love loads of mayo, but if you do, go ahead and throw more in.

Then taste it. Make sure the seasonings are right.

Then assemble. We top ours with lettuce, tomato, cheese and pickles.

This works great on any bun, bread or even a fresh tortilla, wrap style.