Wild West Sizzlin' Chicken Tacos

Here is a new recipe from Betty Crocker. This is a recipe that sounded a little strange, but one thing that I have learned about cooking is that sometimes 'different' ingredients go well together. These little Bad Boys had great reviews from everyone in my family. AND, they are so easy to prepare and there is not a huge mess in the kitchen.


Wild West Sizzlin’ Chicken Tacos
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS:
2 C. Cooked Chicken Strips
½ tsp. Ground Cumin
½ tsp. Ground Paprika
4 Stand ‘N Stuff Taco Shells
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, Cut Into Thin Strips
1 C. BBQ Baked Beans
1 C. Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
4 Slices Bacon, Crispy Cooked, Crumbled
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat oven to 400°F. In small bowl, toss chicken strips with cumin and paprika to coat. In 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish, stand taco shells side by side.
Fill each shell evenly with seasoned chicken. Divide pepper strips evenly over chicken. Top each with 1/4 cup baked beans and 1/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle with bacon. Bake 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. If desired, garnish with grape tomatoes.

Creamy Rice and Mediterranean Chicken

So this recipe was inspired by the Chicken Mediterranean Pizza from Papa Murphy's. I just love it. I thought that I could create something with similar ingredients and this is what I came up with.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS:
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
1 C. Arborio Rice
1 C. White Cooking Wine
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
4 Chicken Breasts Cut into Strips
3 Cloves Garlic, Sliced
¼ tsp. Thyme
½ tsp. Basil
1 Pint Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 C. Fresh Baby Spinach
Feta Cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the rice and wine and cook, stirring until the wine is absorbed. Add 2 cups water and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, over low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large pan, add 2 tsp olive oil, chicken, and garlic. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Season with thyme and basil; Add the sun dried tomatoes with their oil. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Serve over the rice and top with Feta Cheese.

Chicken and Cabbage

So here is a supper easy recipe that my whole family has enjoyed. We were at some friends on Sunday and they served this yummy dinner. My family all really liked it so I made it yesterday because it is so easy and it was baseball. I am not a huge cabbage fan, but I really liked this meal and I liked that it was healthy.

Chicken and Cabbage
Chicken Thighs (I used the boneless skinless from Sam's club)
1 Bottle Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce
Cooked Rice (Jasmine or Cal Rose)
Thinly sliced Purple and Green Cabbage

INSTRUCTIONS:
Marinade chicken for the day in 1/2 of the Teriyaki Sauce. Place a Tbs. Olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. Cook chicken on high heat for couple minutes on both sides. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and simmer on low for about 20 - 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Place cabbage in individual bowls. Top with hot rice and then the chicken. Spoon some of the hot Teriyaki Sauce over the top. Enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie

I was looking through my food pictures and I found this picture:

I had a really hard time figuring out what it was of. I went to my dinner calendar to figure out what it was. I realized that it was the start to an amazing pot pie. Sorry - no more pictures. I realized that my camera battery died and my kids were so eagar to eat that I didn't get a picture of the finished product. Take my word, it was yummy. My husband doesn't like any kind of por pie. He was out of town for a week and so the kids and I had a kitchen party and had pot pie. I thought that I was going to have left overs for the next night, but the ate it right up. Here is the recipe:
Chicken Pot Pie
2 Sheets Pastry Puff
1 Med. Potato, Cubed
1 Lg. Carrot, Cubed
5 oz. Fresh Broccoli
1 Tbs. Oil
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
1 Red Pepper, Cubed
3 Tbs. Butter
1 Tbs. Flour
1 ½ C. Milk
1 C. Grated Cheddar Cheese
2 Egg Yolks
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to 415. Place oil in a pan. Add onion and red pepper. Cook until soft. Meanwhile, steam remaining veggies. Spray an 8 X 8 pan with cooking spray. Combine veggies. In a saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add flour and stir over low heat until lightly golden. Add milk gradually, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until boils. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and cool slightly. Add cheese and egg yolks. Stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine with veggies and stir. Top with pastry puff. Can mix 1 egg with 1 tsp. poppy seeds and brush over pastry puff. Bake for 30 minutes.
COMMENTS: I use 1 container of Cressant rolls. I lattice them across the top. Omit the egg and the poppy seed. Cook as directed.

Southwest Chicken Breasts

This is a great summer time recipe. It is one of our favorites. Enjoy!

Southwest Chicken Breasts

6 Medium Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 ½ C. Italian Dressing
2 Avocados, seeded, peeled, and chopped
2 Green Onions, Chopped
1 Tbs. Chopped Jalapeno Pepper
1 Tbs. Honey
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1 clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tomatoes, Chopped
Place Chicken in plastic bag with Italian dressing. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine avocados, tomatoes, green onions, pepper, honey, lemon juice, and garlic. Cover and chill up to 2 hours.
Drain chicken and grill uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes or till tender and no longer pink. Serve chicken with avocado mixture and, if desired, lettuce leaves.

Freezer Meal Recipes

Cranberry Chicken
10 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
15 oz. Whole Cranberry Sauce
1 Envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix
8 oz. Catalina Dressing
¼ C. Dried Cranberries Fresh Rosemary
Preheat Oven to 350. Mix onion soup, whole cranberry sauce and Catalina dressing together in a bowl. Place chicken in the bottom of the baking dish and pour the cranberry mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle a little fresh rosemary and dries cranberries over the chicken. Cover the dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

To Freeze: Follow the recipe. Do not bake. Wrap up and stick in the freezer. When you are ready to eat just take the meal out of the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator for a day. Cook as follows.

**We like this chicken with mashed potatoes. The sauce makes a yummy gravy.

One Pot Wonder!

This was a good recipe that I haven't made in awhile. It was nice to only dirty one pot. It had everything needed for a meal. Add some garlic bread and you will be set.

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry
8 Ounces Uncooked Bowtie Pasta
1 Sm. Yellow Squash, cut lengthwise and sliced
2 Lg. Carrots, Peeled and Sliced (1 Cup)
1 Sm. Red Bell Pepper, Cut into ¼ - inch Strips
½ Pound Asparagus, Trimmed and Cut into 1-inch lengths (about 1 ½ Cups)
1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut into 1-inch Strips
2 tsp. Vegetable Oil, divided
¾ C. Water
2 Tbs. Lemon Juice
¼ C. Fresh Parmesan Cheese – grated
1 Envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm in a casserole dish. . Meanwhile, using Crinkle Cutter, Slice yellow squash in half lengthwise; cut squash and carrots into ¼ inch thick slices. Cut bell pepper into ¼ inch strips, asparagus into 1-inch lengths and chicken into 1-inch strips. Heat 1 Tbs. Of the oil in skillet over medium heat until hot. Add chicken; stir-fry 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and transfer to casserole dish with cooked pasta; cover and keep warm. Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Add carrots and bell pepper; stir-fry 2-3 minutes. Add asparagus and squash and stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Whisk water, lemon juice and soup mix in small bowl; add sauce mixture to vegetables. Reduce heat to low, simmer, covered, 5 minutes or until sauce in thickened. Add pasta and chicken to skillet and toss to coat. Grate Parmesan cheese over pasta. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Coconut Chicken (Opor Ayam Chicken – Indonesian)

INGREDEINTS FOR 4 SERVINGS:
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Lb. Chicken Breast Tenders
1 Tbs. Chicken Broth
1 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ tsp. Dried Cilantro
1 tsp. Fresh Grated Ginger
1 tsp. Finely Grated Lemon Peel
1/8 tsp. Ground Cumin
Pinch Ground Turmeric
1 C. Coconut Milk
2 Tbs. Macadamia Nuts, Finely Ground
2 Tbs. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Ground Red Pepper
1 Tbs. Curry Paste
2 tsp. Water
Chopped Scallion, for Garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until browned and no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Heat the broth in the same skillet. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, ginger, lemon peel, cumin, and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender but not browned. Stir in the coconut milk, nuts, sugar, and red pepper. Combine the water and curry paste and add to the sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and top with the sauce. Garnish with the scallions.