Chicken Burritos

• Can of Refried Beans
• Lipton Package of Spanish Rice
• Cheddar Cheese
• Tortillas
• Sour Cream, Guacamole, whatever you like!
  

Chicken Recipe:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• hot sauce to taste

1. Place chicken breasts and tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the salsa, seasoning, cumin, garlic and chili powder. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
2. With a fork, start pulling the chicken meat apart into thin strings. Keep cooking pulled chicken meat and sauce, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add hot sauce to taste and stir together (Note: You may need to add a bit of water if the mixture is cooked too high and gets too thick.)

Make the chicken, heat up the beans, make up the rice packet...layer beans, rice, chicken and cheese in a tortilla, top with sour cream or whatever you like. (Makes 4 BIG burritos...but you can likely get more if you're less of a pig than we are!)

Microwave Country Breakfast (for dinner)

When it's hot outside and you do not want to turn on that oven, here's a yummy and easy dinner choice. (Oh, yeah, and it works for breakfast too!)

Ingredients:

2 medium baked potatoes (cook them in the microwave!)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup jack cheese

Peel and slice cooled potatoes; set aside.
Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Beat.
Melt butter in a 9" baking dish (use microwave).
Cook green pepper and onion in butter in microwave until tender (3-4 minutes).
Add eggs and potatoes.
Cook in microwave on medium power 5-12 minutes (depends on the microwave). Stop and stir twice.
Eggs will be set when it's finished.
Cover with shredded cheese. The cheese will melt on it own but could be melted in the microwave if necessary.


Enjoy!

-Kristen

Joy's Pulled Pork Sandwiches

We are so behind in posting recipes! I just got this (with permission) from a friend's blog, and I believe she got this recipe from another friend (I haven't made it yet, but it looks so yummy!):

Ingredients:

pork roast
beer
garlic
bbq sauce
cole slaw mix
cilantro
good rolls like ciabatta


Place the pork roast in the crock pot with maybe 2 bottles of beer and some minced garlic. Cook it all day--I usually put the pork in about noon and it's definitely ready by 5ish.

Drain off the liquid and shred the pork; mix with bbq sauce--we like Mo's Sweet Carolina sauce. Cut the rolls in half, spread with a little butter and grill them in a pan (this extra step makes the sandwiches really yummy).

To the cole slaw add chopped cilantro, some olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt, pepper and cumin to taste. can serve this on the side or right on top of the pork.

Jenny Fugler's Chicken Enchiladas

I have a yummy recipe I want to share because it was so easy and SO yummy! A kinda different version of Chicken Enchiladas:

INGREDIENTS:
1 T butter
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies (I didn't have any, so I just used 1/2 t. chili powder)
1 (10.75 oz) can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. cubed cooked chicken breast meat
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
6 (12 in.) flour tortillas (I was only able to fit it into 4)
1/4 c. milk


DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3-4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chilies, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 3/4 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 1/2 c. of shredded Cheddar cheese. Stir together.
3. Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
4. In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 c. cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Enjoy!! It is so creamy and delicious! I only made four of these, but I'm sure you could double it for double the fun!

check out Jenny's Blog at http://travisjenny.blogspot.com/

Spicy Turkey Minestrone

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups potatoes, diced
2 cups celery, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin (this is spicy, put less for a milder soup)
9 cups of chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni (substitute your favorite pasta)
1 cup canned white kidney beans, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
2 cups of cooked turkey, diced (or chicken)

Heat oil to medium high in a heavy pot; saute carrots, potatoes, and celery for a few minutes until hot. Add broth, salt, pepper and cumin and bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni, beans and tomatoes; boil until pasta is almost tender. Add turkey and cook until turkey is heated through and pasta is tender.

Serves 6-8

I stole this recipe from Winn-Dixie and made a few modifications. Of all the soups I make, this one is Darin's favorite. I usually cut the recipe in half when I make it for just us.

PB&R Wraps

Ingredients:

peanut butter (or almond butter or???)
raisins
wheat tortillas

Spread peanut butter on a tortilla. (I only use a little bit of p.b., but use however much you like.)
Then sprinkle raisins in a row down the middle.
Heat in microwave about 15 seconds or so, then roll up and enjoy!


Sound weird? Trust me, it's yummy! I loved these growing up and still do!

I made this the other night. It was so easy and so gourmet tasting. If I didn't have to get up to do the dishes after dinner I would have thought I was at a fancy restaurant. =)

Ginger Mandarin Halibut and mashed potatoes

Fish:
Briannas Ginger Mandarin Salad Dressing
Four fillets of your favorite fish (Salmon, Tilapia, Halibut…)
Pappy’s Seafood Spice
1 tbsp butter or olive oil

Mashed Potatoes:
8 medium red potatoes
1 ½ cups milk
5 to 8 tbsp butter
Garlic powder
Dried basil
Salt
Pepper

Start by marinating the fish in a dish with a sprinkling of Pappy’s and drenched in the Ginger Mandarin Salad Dressing.

Then start the potatoes:
1. Wash them, cut out the bad spots and cut them into equal sized chunks. (I leave the skins on – you don’t have to). Bring to a boil in a big pot and boil until you can easily stick a fork through them.

(Make a salad while you’re waiting for the potatoes to boil – I did baby spinach, mixed greens, green onions, tomatoes and cucumber tossed lightly with the Ginger Mandarin Dressing.)

2. Drain the potatoes; put them back into the pot. Add butter and 1 cup of milk. Mash with a potato masher or a big serving fork. When they are all mashed add the rest of the milk and seasonings (garlic powder, dried basil, salt and pepper) to taste. Whip the potatoes with a fork for a minute or two. Put a lid on the pot to keep them warm.

Fish:
Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan. Place the fish in the pan and pour a little of the dressing over top. Cook fish on medium high heat for 3-4 min on each side until it’s cooked all the way through. Keep it moving so it won't stick. Serve!

Teriyaki Bowls

Susan and I had a delicious dinner last night. Super fast and it doesn't heat up the house. (We all want to keep it cool during the summer).

Bag of BBQ Chicken Teriyaki from Trader Joes
Brown rice (or any variety you like)
Veggies (we used peas, carrots, broccoli, and green beans)

I prepared the Chicken in a skillet (the bag says use the microwave).
Steam the veggies in the microwave.
Cook rice according to package directions.

Layer, serve and enjoy!

Suped Up Rice

Got boring white rice?


Ingredients:

1/2 cups cooked white rice, regular or instant (or brown)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
sliced almonds (raw or toasted/roasted)

Cook rice according to directions. In a skillet, sauté celery, bell pepper, and onion in butter until tender. Add almonds and sauté for 1 minute. Then add rice and sauté for 3-4 minutes (you may need to add more butter so the rice doesn't stick). Enjoy!


I made this up tonight because we were low on vegetables and I was making rice to go with a Chinese orange chicken (Costco!). It was so yummy, and the kids loved it!

marinated flank steak

this is a super easy meal to make. i usually get flank steak from costco because the price seems to be the most reasonable, although its still a bit pricey. the bonus from costco is that you get two flank steaks and can marinate the second one in a freezer bag, freeze it, and have it on hand for another night. the key to this dish is the "special sauce", although marinating it over night definitely helps. i made this yesterday and only let it marinade for 30 minutes, and it was still really yummy.

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce

mix the above ingredients, adjusting to taste. i've never actually measured them out, so this is just an approximate. put the steak and sauce into a ziplock bag and squeeze out all the air. let marinate as long as possible. bbq on low, turning occasionally and adding sauce to top side. it doesn't take too long, and it smells really good while the sugar is carmelizing. take the meat off the bbq and let it sit for about 10 minutes for the juices to disperse evenly in the meat (and not all leak out when you slice it). when you slice it, cut it at an angle, against the grain to make it less tough. we had artichokes and bread as side dishes, but just about anything works. leftover would be good on a roll. this sauce also works great on meatloaf. does anyone still make meatloaf? i haven't in a long time. i think it needs to be renamed - it kind of just sounds gross!

Short-cut Chili Con Carne

This chili is super yummy and super easy!

1 lb. lean ground beef (you can also substitute turkey, or tofu)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
2 16-oz cans kidney or pinto beans

In skillet, brown beef. Pour off excess fat. In crockpot, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. Remove bay leaf.

I love to add frozen corn or frozen pieces of bell pepper to this! Serve with plenty of toppings; I use sour cream, chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese and olives, and I also like to serve with Fritos scoops (learned this from Lara!)

Make a side of cornbread and you're good to go! Especially great as a Fall or Winter meal.

Basic Tuna Noodle Casserole

I love this recipe because it's total comfort food, very kid friendly, but it can be made healthy at the same time. And it's so versitile. Don't like fish? Use chicken instead. You don't have cream of celery soup, but you do have cream of mushroom? No Problem. Need more greens in your diet? Use spinach and broccoli instead of celery and carrots. You really can't ruin this recipe (I forgot the mayo once and it was fine), so be creative.


Tuna Noodle Casserole

4 or 5 celery stalks chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 carrot or 10 baby carrots finely chopped
2 6oz cans of tuna drained
3 or 4 heaping spoonfuls of mayonnaise
4 oz of your favorite pasta (I like whole wheat egg noodles)
1 can (10 ¾ oz) of cream of celery soup (try the Healthy Request)
4oz of cheddar cheese (or more) grated
¾ of a soup can of milk
potato chips, corn chips, croutons or sliced almonds

1. boil pasta according to the directions, then drain
2. mix celery, onion, carrot, pasta and tuna in a baking pan. Add enough mayo to evenly coat the mixture (more or less depending on your taste).
3. In a small sauce pan add cream of celery soup. Fill the empty can about three quarters of the way full with milk. Add milk to the soup. Stir over medium heat until heated through.
4. Add grated cheese to the soup, stirring until cheese is melted and evenly mixed in.
5. Add cheesy soup to the baking pan. Mix well.
6. sprinkle crushed potato chips, corn chips, croutons or sliced almonds over casserole as a topping
7. Bake for 20min at 425˚

Serves about 6

Cheez-It Chicken

Okay, I know it sounds totally random and even disgusting, but I SWEAR it's yummy! (would I lie?)

boneless, skinless chicken breast (1 for each person)
melted butter
sour cream
cheez-its (crunched up)
*I usually do each of these in a cereal bowl...

1. Dip the chicken in melted butter.
2. Dip in sour cream.
3. Dip in cheez its.
4. Bake at 375 degrees until done (20 minutes?). Just check on it, I can never remember.

Basically, you are doing breaded chicken...but with cheez-its instead of regular old bread crumbs. It's yummy, just try it. Kids love it.

I usually serve with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Potatoes and Sausage

Okay, so this may sound weird, but trust me, it's good! And it doesn't get easier than this! This comes from my husband's family.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium-sized russet potatoes
• your favorite linked (not ground) sausage (no need to defrost frozen sausage)
• Jane's Krazy Original Mixed-Up Salt Marinade and Seasoning
  

Wash potatoes and cut into chunks (smaller chunks cook faster). Put all potatoes in a medium saucepan, and then fill with water until about 3/4 of the potatoes are covered. Slice sausage into bite-sized pieces. Add to potato/water mixture. Then mix in a very generous amount of the Jane's seasoning. If you aren't sure how much to put in, hold off putting it in until the meal is cooked, and then you can add the seasoning by taste (but I think it tastes even better when the seasoning cooks with it). Bring to a boil and cook on high, uncovered (or slightly covered to cook faster), until potatoes are tender (about 15-20 mintutes). Stir/mash until desired consistency.

It's easy to adapt this dish to family size. We usually serve this dish alone. Any suggestions for a side dish?

The Jane's seasoning can sometimes be hard to find. Vons usually has it. If you really can't find it, go to any Borland household. We all cook with it a LOT, and we always have a ton. Some people keep salt and pepper shakers handy by the stove. I keep Krazy Jane's there instead.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4(ish)

Baked Apples

1 apple per person
1 packet of splenda per apple
cinnamon to taste
1 T. Butter per apple
I use a peeler, slicer, corer, thingy, but if you don't have one just cut apple into quarters. Mix splenda and cinnamon together in a bowl. I use one packet of splenda per apple. If you are not on the south beach diet, feel free to use brown sugar (yum!!). Put butter over apples and sprinkle on cinnamon/sugar mixture. Microwave for about 2-3 minutes or until apples are nice and soft. Stir well to spread butter & sugar mixture evenly. Great with a little ice cream or frozend yogurt on top!

Jambalaya

This can be modified to suit your tastes...I tend to pour the Tabasco in...but you can add as much or as little as you like!

1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 med. celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups cooked sausage (linguica works well!)
1 tbls. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
3/4 lb. shrimp*
4 cups cooked rice

1. Mix all ingredients (except shrimp & rice) in crock pot.
2. Cook on low 7-8 hours (High: 3-4 hours)
3. Stir in shrimp, cover and cook on low setting 1 hour.
4. Serve over a bed of rice.

*Disclaimer on the shrimp: It is super yummy, BUT if you plan on having leftovers, I would suggest either leaving it out altogether or making it separately and adding it to individual bowls. If you try to save the whole mix with the shrimp in it, I've found that it gets really "fishy" tasting. Lately, I've just omitted the shrimp because for Andy and I this is a 2+ night meal.

Ridiculously Easy Tortilla Soup

I know the list looks long, but here's a tip: Costco carries many of the canned items in a 8 pack box...if you like this recipe, just buy the boxes and have them on hand...makes it soooo easy to just pick up the three or four fresh ingredients...as for the spices, if you don't already do this, ALWAYS buy the kind in the baggies in the "Mexican" section...only 79 cents and just as good! (Just make sure you have little jars to put them in once they've been opened...Cost Plus has them for 99 cents). Once you see how quick it is to throw this together, you won't mind the long list of ingredients! :)

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbls. olive oil
3 cans chicken broth
1 "can" water
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. lime juice (this works out to about 1/2 lime)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 4 oz. can diced green chilis,
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in chunks
tortilla chips
monterey jack cheese (optional)

1. In the bottom of a stock pot, cook the chicken with the oil, garlic and onions.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients (except chips and cheese).
3. Bring to a boil...let simmer 1/2 hour.
4. Ladle into bowls.
5. Add tortilla chips to top of soup (crunched up).
6. Shred cheese on top.

YUMMY!

Strawberry Salad

Here's a delicious summer salad.

Butter lettuce (or baby spinach)
1 red onion, sliced very thin
sliced strawberries

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Shake in dressing in jar and pour over salad. Taste as you go. You may not want all of it on the salad, it depends on how you like it. Yum!

super easy meatball sandwiches

this was tonight's dinner! its easy, feeds a lot of people (some of my family came into town to help out during david's hospital stay & recovery). i used costco meatballs, jar spaghetti sauce and whole grain french rolls. i toasted the rolls in the oven with a little butter, garlic and mozzarella cheese. we served it with fruit and chips. tasty!!

Fish Tacos!

easy fish tacos

1 lb of fresh or frozen white fish fillets (red snapper, tilapia, cod...)
2 tbs butter
1 tsp Pappy's Seafood Spice
3 tbs. mayonnaise
3 tbs. sour cream
1 tsp. lime juice
1 1/2 cups of shredded cabbage (buy a pre-made bag of coleslaw mix)
8 taco shells or tortillas
Fresh Salsa

1. Thaw fish if necessary. Sprinkle both sides of fish with seafood spice. Melt the butter in a skillet at med. heat. Cook the fish in butter for three minutes on each side (keep it moving so it doesn't stick) or until the fish begins to flake. Break it into bite size pieces. (for hands free cooking – bake the fish in the butter or olive oil for 15 min at 425 ˚).
2. In a medium bowl combine mayo, sour cream, lime juice and 1 tsp of seafood spice. Add cabbage and toss to coat. Add more mayo or sour cream for more moist tacos.
3. Put cabbage and fish into taco shell and top with your favorite fresh salsa.

If you can't find Pappy's Seafood Spice (they sell it at Food4Less in SLO) use a similar seasoning. Pappy's contains : salt, pepper, garlic, onion, celery, cayenne pepper, tarragon, basil, thyme and parsley.