Salsa Verde Enchiladas

Ok, so I take no credit for these. I got these, again, from my mother-in-law, who got them from a neighbor. But they are so easy and so good that they deserve another shout out. Plus, the blog needed something! My oldest son started kindergarten, which I didn't realize would take over my life, and then I've battled a not so awesome three + months of pregnancy which has made trying new recipes not a great idea.

So I'm passing along one of our go-tos! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

http://afoodieinutah.blogspot.com/2010/11/salsa-verde-chicken-enchiladas.html

I have found that the brand of salsa makes a big difference. Not a better/worse, but you'll need to decide what you like!

Serve with this...

http://afoodieinutah.blogspot.com/2010/08/cilantro-lime-rice.html

or a packet of Lipton Rice- Taco flavor! SO GOOD!

A Good Summertime Go-To

I love trying new foods, especially when they come from a reliable source and know they'll be good. Here's the newest one I love!

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Crema

We made these with chicken, cause I had that on hand, and they were awesome! I will try tilapia next.

I also grilled the chicken instead of baking, to save ourselves from the summertime heat and it worked perfect.

Let me know what you think and give me any new good recipes to try!

Chicken with Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

This is another from the Grandma Naylor collection. She is an excellent cook and I love collecting recipes from her.

Sorry for the picture, the lighting is all wrong, but I can't do much about the time of day or the light that comes in my window.

This is so easy, so quick and is a crock pot meal. All great qualities in a recipe.

Recipe:
4 chicken breasts - I used about 8 chicken tenders
onion and garlic powder
salt and pepper
4-6 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into about 1/4" slices
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c sour cream
*You can use the low or non-fat versions of both the soup and sour cream to lighten this meal up. And if you're like me and like things with lots of sauce, double this!
Season the chicken with the onion and garlic powder and salt and pepper. Brown both sides in about 2 T heated oil. Set aside. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Mix the soup and sour cream. Place a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot and lightly season with salt and pepper. Spread a thin layer of the soup mixture over the the potatoes. Continue with all the potatoes, then place the chicken on the top and spread the remaining soup mixture on top. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Best-Ever BBQ Chicken

I got this recipe in the mail from "CookingMyWay". The picture looked good, so we gave it a whirl.
The kids devoured it! It was just me and the kids and they polished every piece of chicken I cooked and I had even tossed in a few extra tenders just to finish off the pack. Served with mashed potatoes and gravy (even if it was just a cheap packet mix) and corn, this was a hit!

Since I was husbandless, we chose to broil the chicken instead of grill, which worked just fine. If you choose that route, put foil on your pan. I did and was glad I did. The extra sauce that dripped down burns quite a bit with the heat from the broiler and it made clean-up easy!

When we have this again, because the kids said they would be sure to remind me to make it again, I want to try it grilled. Grilling would make this a great summer-time meal.

Oh, and don't bother making extra for dipping. I did and it wasn't very good. It has a very strong ketchup flavor and really needs the heat to carmelize the brown sugar. Let me know what you think!

Recipe:
1/4 c ketchup
3 T cider vinegar
1 T worcestire sauce
2 tsp brown sugar-firmly packed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper (my kids thought this was too much, I'd do a dash)
3 skinless chicken thighs
3 skinless chicken legs (I bagged both and just use tenders)

Preheat grill to medium heat or turn on broiler. Place a rack 3 inches from the heat.
Combine all sauce ingredients, except pepper, in small sauce pan. Mix well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, until thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add in pepper.
Brush some sauce on one side of the chicken. Place the chicken sauce side down on the grill or sauce side up under the broiler. Grill or broil, turning and basting with remaining sauce until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear, about 6-8 min on each side.

Chicken and Rice

I think everyone has a version of this and most of them are good. This one is one of those really quick and easy dinners that you almost always have the ingredients for in your pantry and fridge. I grew up with this meal and it proved itself again in my home. Not on my 'healthiest dinners' list, but we all need a few meals that are fast, delicious and a hit with the kids. A great meal when you don't want to think about dinner.


Chicken and Rice
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of celery
1 can of water
1 cup uncooked minute rice
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter or margarine
salt and pepper
chicken breasts or tenders

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken, seasoning with the salt and pepper (you can always add more later, don't over do it). Pour the soup mixture into a 9x3 and then settle the chicken into the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, uncovering for the last 10 minutes.


Another great thing about this dish is it's easy to play with. The regular recipe isn't quite enough for my family and leftovers for my husband's lunch the next day. So I thrown in an extra can or two of the soups I have and maybe another cup of rice and can of water. Only put as much meat as you'll need, and if you want to stretch your dollar, cut the chicken into bite size pieces and mix it in with the soup.


Serve with a green salad or a whatever veggies you have. Enjoy!

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

I tried this recipe out of a magazine and it turned out really good!

I made some changes of my own and they did not disappoint.

You start by cooking bacon. Not a bad way to start.

Cook your chicken in the bacon drippings.
(The original recipe calls for pork chops, but I had chicken, so that's what I used)

Make your mustard cream sauce and finish cooking your meat in all the good flavor.

Top your veggies (they wanted brussel sprouts, my kids eat beans) with the bacon and enjoy your chicken, or pork chops, with or without rice.

**When I make this again, and I will make it again, I will maybe double the sauce. We liked the chicken with rice, and the sauce adds good flavor over the rice.**

Recipe:

Cook 4 slices of bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain bacon on a paper towel and reserve drippings in pan.

Season 4 (3/4 inch thick) boneless pork chops (or use chicken, I used tenders) with pepper and kosher salt. Lightly dust with flour. Cook in bacon drippings over medium heat for about 7 minutes, turning once, or until nicely browned.

Remove meat to a plate; add 1 minced shallot (I diced green onions and added some minced garlic) and saute 30 seconds.

Deglaze skillet with 1/2 cup white wine (I used apple juice), then whisk in 2/3 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp Dijon mustard; let sauce reduce by half. Return meat into skillet and simmer until cooked through (about 3-5 min).

Serve with veggies topped with crisp bacon bits.

Fajita Tostadas

I realize I've posted about tostadas before, but this is a twist on the original. Delicious and easy, and that's my biggest goal in cooking, so why not?!

I actually got this from a friend's blog and she got it from her friend, that I don't know. I've made my own adjustments and have loved this meal every time I've made it.

You start by roasting the veggies and chicken with some corn and salsa.

Then melt some cheese and brown up your tostada shells

Then assemble with all the fixings.

It really is as good as it looks.
Not judging by the photography of course.

This time around I forgot that I didn't have any chicken and didn't have time to go to the store. So we skipped out on chicken and I just added beans to the veggies when I roasted them. I also tossed my onion and pepper in a marinade for an hour or so before hand. Both changes worked out beautifully!

Recipe:

1 med onion- sliced

1 bell pepper- sliced (we love red or yellow the best)

1 box of frozen corn or one can of corn, drained

about 1 cup prepared salsa- you can use jarred or bottled, but fresh, like pico de gallo, is best

olive oil

1-2 cups cooked and shredded chicken, depends on how meaty you like your meal, we like less so the veggies can shine

6 corn tortillas or tostada shells

1 c cheese, cheddar or pepper jack are good choices for this

Move rack to highest setting, under the broiler and preheat the oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with foil and put your onion, pepper, corn, and about 1/2 cup of salsa on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss together. Roast veggies, tossing occasionally until tender and lightly browned. That takes about 15-20 minutes. Add the chicken, toss and roast an additional five minutes. Transfer all that into a bowl and discard foil.

Now you can use tostada shells and sprinkle with grated cheese and toast. Or you can use tortillas. Brush them with olive oil. Bake until lightly toasted, then sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the cheese melts.

Then top the tostadas with the chicken and veggies and then top like you would a fajita. Lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and your remaining salsa. So good!

Simmered Chinese Chicken

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Jenny, and she got it from her mother-in-law, Mary, and I don't know where she got it from. We took a family trip to visit them in Oregon, and Jenny made this for us. It was really good, and goes together really quickly. The original recipe calls for chicken thighs. I rarely cook recipes that serve each person a full piece of chicken. It's less expensive to cut up a few breasts or tenders. So if I can adjust the recipe, I do, and that's what I did here. The thighs are delicious, but take a little longer to cook. The pieces brown up and cook in just a few minutes. You could do either, they are both good!Recipe:
-1 T oil
-chicken thighs, enough for your family, or a couple chicken breasts or tenders, diced into bite size pieces
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c water
1 T ketchup
1/4 c apple juice
dash of red pepper
1 clove of crushed garlic
2 T cornstarch mixed into 2 T water (if using thighs, wait to add this until the end)
If using thighs, skin and trim them if needed. Heat oil in skillet. Brown chicken in oil, on both sides.
Mix all the other ingredients and pour over chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 35-45 min for thighs, turning the chicken twice. For pieces, leave uncovered and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.
If using thighs, remove the chicken and add cornstarch mixture to thicken juices, then pour over chicken. If you did pieces and mixed it in the beginning, the juices will have already thickened.
Top with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

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.

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.