Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

This was a great every night kind of meal. It is definitely one that you don't have to be exact on. A little of this a little of that, according to taste. My kids and husband gobbled these right up.

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (I used the leftover Kalua pork, it gave it a great smoky flavor)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed to defrost
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas (as usual I made these with the uncooked tortillas)

Mix all ingredients together. Arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Spray pan with pam. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Shrimp Enchiladas

This recipe was sooo yummy! Camille and Jared were my guinea pigs and I thought it turned out well.

1/2 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided (you can use half pepper-jack cheese for great results)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
8 (9-inch) flour tortillas

Saute red pepper, onion and green pepper in 1/4 cup butter until crisp-tender. Add oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, cream and flour; blend well. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir to blend. Set aside.

In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute shrimp and 1/2 cup onion until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and chop; return to butter and onion. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Spoon 1/3 cup shrimp mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of shrimp mixture. Roll up tightly. Arrange seam side down in a 9X13-inch glass baking dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Garlic chicken pasta with spinach.

This recipe was light, healthy and yummy. I used the Barilla plus penne for extra health. If you are serving this to kiddies you might not want to use the red pepper or use very little, just a suggestion.

6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne pasta1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
6 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, combine garlic, pepper flakes and oil in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.Pat chicken dry with paper towels and cut into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the garlic/red pepper oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until oil is rippling. Add chicken and cook until well browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to boiling water and cook until tender but still slightly firm (al dente). Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Stir in chicken, spinach, basil, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining garlic mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham

This was delicious! If you like ham. I served it with good ol' Funeral potatoes. Great, easy Sunday meal.

adapted slightly from Year of Crockpotting

7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all natural maple syrup (yes, please use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup)
2 cups pineapple juice

Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the slow cooker stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.

Aaron and Linday's Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravanganza

Who are Aaron and Lindsay? I don't know. I got this recipe from the This week for dinner blog. This soup tastes a lot like Cafe Rio's Tortilla soup. Just fry up some uncooked tortillas and voila, you have restaurant food and home.

-1 onion, finely chopped
- olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ bag frozen corn
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 lime (one extra for garnish)
- 1 handful cilantro, chopped
- 4-5 corn tortillas, cut into strips
- 1 avocado, diced
- cayenne pepper
- chili powder
- cumin- salt and pepper
- cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
- sour cream

Sautee onion in olive oil until soft, then add garlic, green onions, cayenne, chili powder, and cumin. Sautee until fragrant (a minute or two). Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Add tomatoes, corn, black beans.

Grill up chicken spiced with cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (You can also pan-fry it, but it won’t add the smokiness that the bbq does). Cut up or shred chicken and add it to the soup. Try the soup and add more seasonings according to taste, if needed. Add lime juice, cilantro, and avocado.

In large fry pan over medium-high heat, crisp up tortilla strips. Add salt. You may do this with oil or cooking spray. (For a shortcut, use tortilla chips instead).

Serve soup garnished with cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Raspberry Freezer Jam

I'm putting this recipe on here for my benefit:) I found it on another blog and used it. I really liked it so I wanted to make sure I'd be able to find it again. But hey if you want to try it, it's really yummy!


3 1/4 cups crushed rapberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar1 cup light corn syrup
1 box MCP fruit pectin (I used a different brand and it was fine)

Wash and prepare glass or plastic containers to store jam in. You can buy these or I have found that old sour cream containers work just fine.
Next, crush your berries using a potato masher or food processor. I know the instuctions inside the package say not the puree but I alsways have with my rapberry jam and it has always worked.
Measure your sugar into a bowl.
Measure your berries and put into a seperate large bowl.
Add the lemon juice to the berries.
Gradually stir in the box of MCP Pectin.
Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to dissolve the pectin thoroughly.
Next, stir in corn syrup. This prevents sugar crystals during freezer storage.
Gradually stir in the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy.
Pour into prepared containers leaving 1/2 inch at top for expansion during freezing. Cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Then store in freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks (I've done mine longer). Makes 7 cups.