Chicken Tostada Salad

Ingredients:
4 corn tortillas
3 t. olive oil
3/4 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 small red onion, diced small
1/2 t. chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
breast meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, torn into bite-size pieces
coarse salt and pepper
1 T. plus 1 t. fresh lime juice
1/2 head lettuce, shredded
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced small
fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with 2 t. oil and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 minutes. Divide cheese among the tortillas and return to oven. Bake until cheese is bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat 1 t. oil in a large skillet. Add half the red onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chili powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 c. water and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently, until chicken is warmed through and water is almost evaporated, 2 minutes. Stir in 1 t. lime juice and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine lettuce and 1 T. lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat and divide among tortillas. Top each tortilla with chicken mixture, tomato, avocado, remaining onion and cilantro.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 25 minutes.

Verdict:
So good. I am not just saying that because I love tostadas, because I do, but these taste similar to something that you would get in a Mexican restaurant. Except in a restaurant they are normally soggy from sauce. I liked these so much we are having them again next week. Perhaps I am just really loving Mexican food.

Chicken and Cheese Burritos

Ingredients:
2 t. olive oil
1 c. onion, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15oz)
2 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 T. ground cumin
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 T. lime zest, minced
2 T. lime juice
2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. kosher salt
1.4 t. pepper
6 whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
1 1/2 c. cheddar, shredded, divided

Directions:
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in beans.
Toss chicken with cumin to coat; add to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, jalapenos, zest, lime juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until tomato and jalapenos soften slightly, 5-8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; (if packaging for later let filling cool completely.)
Place tortillas flat on counter. Divide filling evenly among tortillas, placing about 3/4 c. filling on each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 1/4 c. cheddar. Fold in sides of one tortilla; bring the front of the tortilla (the side closest to you) over the filling. Continue rolling and tucking in the filling until it's completely enclosed. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Wrap each burrito in two layers of plastic wrap. Tightly seal wrapped tortillas inside freezer bags. Freeze burritos as long as 8 weeks.
To reheat: unwrap burrito; discard plastic wrap. Place burrito on a microwave safe plate. Heat frozen burrito in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.

Makes 6 burritos. Total time 40 minutes.

Verdict:
When ever a recipe calls for already cooked chicken I use a rotisserie chicken from Costco. It makes life so easy. We ate these for dinner and then froze the leftovers. Blake ate the leftovers at work and said that they were good.

Crockpot Chicken Chili Verde

Ingredients:
3 poblano chile peppers
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped, loosely packed
2 T. garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. sugar
1 lb. bone in chicken breasts, skin removed, chicken seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. lime juice
Crumbled queso fresco cheese

Directions:
Roast poblanos over gas burner until blackened. Transfer poblanos to a bowl; cover in plastic wrap. When poblanos are cool enough to handle, remove skin and seeds. Chop poblanos.
Layer poblanos, tomatillos, onion, 1/2 c. cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, and sugar in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Place chicken on top, meaty side down; add broth.
Cover; cook until chicken is tender, on low heat setting for 4-5 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker; allow it to cool slightly. Shred meat, discarding bones. Add chicken, lime juice, and remaining 1/2 c. cilantro to the slow cooker to high heat setting; cook 10 minutes. Serve chili with crumbled cheese.

Makes 4 servings. Total time: prep- 30 minutes. Cooking time 4-5 hours.

Verdict:
Slow cookers make life so easy. I never cook on low though. I guess I just don't have enough faith in my crockpot. So I cooked this for 3 hours on high. I was a little scared about the bone in chicken however it was really good. We ate this as a soup with tortillas on the side. I think as leftovers this would make some good enchiladas.

Tamale Corn Cakes With Carnitas

For the corn cakes:
3 cups water
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. masa harina
3 c. fresh corn kernels, pulsed in a food processor
1 c. Parmesan, grated
1/2 t. cayenne
salt to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten with 1 T. milk
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. vegetable oil

For the carnitas:
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. prepared yellow mustard
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. cayenne
3 c. leftover cooked meat (pork, rotisserie chicken)

For the corn cakes:
Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Simmer water in saucepan. Whisk cornmeal gradually into water then whisk in masa harina. Stir in the corn and cook until mixture is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add Parmesan, cayenne, and salt.
Spread mixture into prepared baking dish and chill for 1 hour. When firm, cut into cakes using a biscuit cutter.
Dip cakes into the egg mixture, then dust with flour. Fry in oil in a saute pan, browning on both sides. Transfer cakes to a paper lined plate and serve.

For the carnitas:
Simmer all ingredients (except meat) in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add meat; cook until hot.

Makes 10-12 corn cakes and 3 c. carnitas. Total time 1 hour + chilling.

Verdict:
When I made these I forgot to put the corn in the food processor. I also don't think I cooked them long enough so when I was cutting them they didn't hold their shape so I just molded them with my hands. It seemed to work out pretty well. When I was cooking these I expected them to be dense. When we ate them they were hollow in the middle. Blake and I both liked these. We were not really a fan of the carnitas. It was a little too sweet for our liking.

Black Bean Chorizo Chili With Cheddar Cornbread

For the chili:
2 t. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
12 oz. ground chorizo sausage
2 t. garlic, minced
12 oz. beef broth
3 cans black beans, rinsed, drained (14.5oz each)
1 can diced tomatoes (28oz)
2 t. ground cumin
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. lime juice

For the garnish:
1 avocado, chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 c. sour cream

For the cornbread:
1 c. flour
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted
3/4 c. sharp cheddar, diced

For the chili:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.
Cook bell pepper, onion and jalapeno in hot oil until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add chorizo and garlic. Cooked until chorizo is cooked though, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in beef broth. Reduce heat to med and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add beans, tomatoes, and ground cumin. Simmer 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
Serve with garnish and cornbread.

For the cornbread:Preheat oven to 425.
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Combine eggs and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in melted butter and cheddar into mixture just until combined.
Pour batter into a greased 9 inch cake pan. Bake until cornbread is lightly browned and top springs back when touched, 20-25 minutes.

Makes 8 servings. Total time 40 minutes.

Verdict:
Don't you just love chili on a cold day? Add a Mexican twist and you have some good grub. The cilantro and lime juice in the chili really made all the difference. I couldn't find uncooked chorizo so I used already cooked (it looked like sausage links). The cornbread was good too. We made some honey butter to have with it.

Tomatillo Chicken

Ingredients:
2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed, washed and halved
1 T. vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast
coarse salt and pepper
2 jalapenos, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 garlic, cloves, finely chopped
1 can hominy, drained
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Puree tomatillos in a blender.
In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot.
Cook until browned on both sides (don't cook through). Transfer to a plate.
Add jalapenos and onion in pot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Stir in tomatillo puree and hominy. Nestle chicken in sauce.
Cover pot and simmer until chicken is cooked though, 22-25 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
When I read this recipe it didn't say to take the seeds out of the jalapenos so I left them in. It gave it a good kick. This tastes like green salsa. We ate ours with rice. I think that you need to eat this with rice. If you don't want it as spicy I would take the seeds out of one jalapeno.

Sweet Corn and Bacon Empanadas

For the filling:
2 Anaheim Chile peppers
3 strips bacon, diced
2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 c. shredded white cheddar
1/2 c. green onions, diced

For the empanadas:
1 pkg. purchased pie dough
1 egg yolk
1 T. water
smoked paprika

Directions:
Roast chile peppers over gas burner or in oven at 400 degrees (about 20 minutes flipping once) until blacked and blistered. In a bowl covered with plastic wrap, steam chiles for 15 minutes. Peel chiles. Discard skin. slit chiles lengthwise, scrape out and discard seeds, remove stem, and dice chiles. Set aside.
Fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Discard all but 1 T. fat from pan.
Add corn and saute until edges of corn begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in bacon, chiles, cheddar, and green onions. Chill filling.
Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unroll 1 sheet of pie dough onto work surface, lightly floured if necessary. Using a 3 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut circles from dough. Arrange dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet.
Place 1 T. filing in the center of each round. Fold rounds in half, pinch and seal, then crimp edges with fork.
Blend egg yolk with water. Brush on empanadas. Sprinkle empanadas with smoked paprika then bake until golden, about 15-18 minutes.

Makes 16 empanadas. Total time 1 hour.

Verdict:
Not the best. Actually they were pretty Blah. Pass.

Shrimp Tacos With Jalapeno Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. pickled jalapeno peppers
2 Tbsp. red onion, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1 Tbsp. capers, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 c. green cabbage, shredded
1 c. red cabbage, shredded
3 Tbsp. olive oil
8 corn tortillas
24 shrimp, peeled and deveined
blackened seasoning (I like zatarans)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
In a food processor pulse together mayonnaise, jalapenos, onion, capers, and lime juice.
Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven for about 10 minutes.
Toss green and red cabbage together in bowl with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Season shrimp with seasoning. In a skillet heat remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil and cook shrimp until cooked through.
Serve shrimp inside a corn tortilla with cabbage and tartar sauce.

Makes 8 tacos. Total time 25 minutes.

Verdict:
I am pretty sure I have waxed strong on my love of fish tacos. I think I feel about the same about shrimp tacos. They were fast and good. Two things I like in a meal.

Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas

Ingredients:
4 burrito sized flour tortillas
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
2 zucchini, quartered length wise, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 c. sour cream
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Place tortillas on large baking sheets and brush with olive oil and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
Heat oil in large skillet.
Add zucchini and garlic, season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, until zucchini is crisp tender.
Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Stir in lime juice.
Spoon shrimp mixture over tortillas and top with sour cream and green onions.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 25 minutes.

Verdict:
I made the shrimp and zucchini part of this then realized that we didn't have any tortillas. Ooops. So we ate it plain with rolls on the side instead. I think it would be really good on some tortillas with cheese.

Fish Tacos

For the fish:

1 lb. tilapia fillets (or other firm white fish)

blackened seasoning (I like Zatarain's- you can find it at Walmart)

For the filling and sauce:

1/4 c. sour cream

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1/4 red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 c.)

4 green onions

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

8 flour tortillas

For the fish:

Coat fish in blackened seasoning. In a large skillet heat vegetable oil (about a half inch deep) and cook fish in oil until cooked through and slightly brown.

For the filling and sauce:

Combine in a small bowl sour cream and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Combine in a large bowl cabbage, green onions and jalapeno.

Add half of the sauce to cabbage mixture.

Warm tortillas over gas burner until blistered in spots.

Serve in tortillas with fish, cabbage and extra sauce if desired.

Serves 4. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:

I love fish tacos. Love them. They are tasty. Yum.

Fajitas

These are a staple at our house so you will see them intermixed every now and again.

For the fajitas:

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 onion, halved and sliced thinly

1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 packet of McCormick or Lawerys seasoning

Cook chicken in a little bit of vegetable oil and brown. Add seasoning and veggies and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender. Warm tortillas over a gas stove top (if you have it). Turning and browning around edges.

Makes about 8 tortillas full. Total time: 20 min.

Verdict:We always love fajitas.

Sweet and Hot Pepper Chicken with Salsa Mashed Potatoes

For the Chicken:
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. hot pepper spread
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese

For the Potatoes:
1 1/2 lb. small red potatoes, halved
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 one inch thick slices red onion
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. each ground cumin and coriander
salt and pepper to taste

For the Chicken:
Preheat grill.
Combine barbecue sauce and pepper spread in small saucepan cook until warmed threw and spread is melted.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. (I pounded the chicken flat but you don't have too.) Brush sauce on chicken.
Grill chicken turning and basting every 2 minutes. Cook chicken until done.
Top each piece of chicken with shredded cheese and allow to melt.

For the Potatoes:
Boil potatoes in water. (the recipe does not call for this but I have never had good luck with just cooking potatoes on the grill. They never seem to cook threw all the way so I boil them first.) After they are cooked about half way drain the water and then toss them with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill potatoes turning as needed until they are tender about 20 min. Grill onion until slightly caramelized. Remove from grill and dice.
Mash potatoes with remaining ingredients and serve.

Makes 4. Total time for Chicken 15-20 min. Total time for Potatoes 40 min. (with boiling)

Verdict:
Both Blake and I thought that this was OK. It is nothing to write home about but it was still good. The chicken wasn't too spicy it just had a little kick. I am not a big fan of mashed potatoes in general and neither is Blake. I thought that these were good as far as mashed potatoes go but I did have to add more salt. Laney seemed to like the mashed potatoes more than the chicken which is different for her. Gavin didn't like either but that is no big surprise considering that he really only likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Picture and recipe from Cuisine at Home grilling